CLUB FACES REOPENING OPPOSITION

The Anaheim Police Department will recommend that Radio City nightclub not be allowed to reopen when the club’s future is debated at a Feb. 19 hearing before the Planning Commission, city officials said this week.

That recommendation is based on complaints from the club’s neighbors and an “inordinate” number of calls for police, officials said.

Club owner Jerry Roach, however, said he believes that the club’s problems are not so severe and that Radio City is being unjustly singled out because city officials are “anti-rock ‘n’ roll.” Radio City has been closed since it was gutted by a Nov. 3 fire. Roach had hoped to begin rebuilding the club last week with the goal of reopening in March.

John Poole, Anaheim code enforcement supervisor, said: “What has happened in this particular situation is that a number of citizens have complained about the club to the commission . . . requesting a public hearing. Basically these hearings give an opportunity for both sides to air their feelings and have a neutral party decide.”

In addition to hearing testimony from citizens opposed to the club’s reopening, as well as testimony from Roach and from any Radio City supporters who attend the hearing, the commission will also weigh the Police Department’s recommendation, Poole said.

“We would like to see the (club’s) conditional-use permit revoked,” vice bureau supervisor Sgt. Jim Brantley said. “The department’s position is that there have been an inordinate number of incidents requiring police contacts, therefore police services, over the years.”

Brantley said there have been 35 “police contacts” with Radio City patrons in the past year and 87 since the club’s alcohol license was granted in 1981. “Most of the contacts--a good half of those in the last year--were for minors in possession of alcohol on the exterior of the building,” Brantley said.

Roach responded: “How perfect do I have to be? I have 1,000 people through here each week and every 10 days or so they cite one--does it have to be like an ice cream parlor? Anyway, the city could get that many violations from an ice cream parlor if the police cruised their parking lot as much as they do mine.

“The way I see it, my only chance is to pack the council chambers with musicians and kids who come to the club to try to show them that we are providing an important service. It seems like Anaheim is anti-youth--that after you outgrow Disneyland they don’t want you anymore.”

Code enforcement supervisor Poole said complaints of noise at Radio City were raised in a petition delivered to the city and signed by 63 residents of an apartment complex north of the club, which has been one of the county’s few outlets for original music since it opened in 1981.

Brantley and Poole said they knew of no complaints about the Top 40 nightclub or the band rehearsal studio that are in the same complex where Radio City is situated.

But Nancy Morton, manager of the Del Amo apartments, who circulated the petition, said: “I cannot pinpoint Radio City because there are two other places that have a lot of noise. But the way it was presented to us is that if we ever wanted to take any action, that’s the way we’d have to do it.”

She said one tenant recently “called police out four times in one night. That’s been since Radio City closed, but that’s the kind of problems my tenants have.”

After receiving complaints from tenants about noise, Morton said, she contacted the city to find out what could be done. A petition was suggested, she said. Morton, however, could not remember whether the petition specifically cited Radio City as the source of noise and other problems. “We’ve had a lot of vandalism. Since Radio City closed, we’ve still had some, but it has died down.

“We are willing to cooperate with anybody if they are willing to cooperate with us, to solve any other problems.”

Poole said the city received the citizens’ petition about two weeks ago. “Since the fire in November, the residents have had peace and quiet, and they are worried about losing that if the club reopens,” he said.

The noise, however, was not generated by bands performing inside the club, and Radio City has not been cited for violating the city’s noise ordinances, Poole said. “Most of the problems were in the parking lot by patrons from his business . . . from speeding cars, so noise measurements would have been useless.”

Roach’s business partner, attorney Peter Williams, said he believes that Radio City has been subject to discriminatory law enforcement. “The police can generate as many contacts as they want,” Williams said. “The police have the power to do whatever they want. One of the reasons we have a Constitution is so they don’t abuse that power. They could arrest half the people going to Anaheim Stadium for jaywalking at every Rams and Angels game if they wanted to hassle the crowd. And look at the traffic problems around the stadium at every game.

“There’s always been a witch hunt against rock ‘n’ roll. If Jerry Falwell was speaking or if we were having classical music, there would be noise in the parking lot and traffic problems, too. But they wouldn’t think about shutting us down. I think rock ‘n’ roll is just as constitutionally protected as Jerry Falwell. But the city would just as soon not have rock ‘n’ roll.”

The threat to Radio City’s future adds another question mark to the Orange County music scene, which in recent weeks has lost two other concert clubs--the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach and Spatz in Huntington Harbour. Safari Sam’s in Huntington Beach is the only Orange County club booking local bands full time.

Poole said the Planning Commission will make one of three decisions about the club’s conditional-use permit: to revoke it, to modify it or to continue it as is. “After Feb. 19, Mr. Roach and the owner of the property have the right to appeal the commission’s decision within 22 days to the City Council,” Poole said.

The Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Feb. 19 at 1:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers at 200 S. Anaheim Blvd.