Glassell Park Bar Loses Bid to Go Topless
A Los Angeles city zoning official last week rejected a request to allow topless dancing at a Glassell Park bar whose license was suspended three times in five years for selling alcohol to drunken patrons.
In a letter explaining his decision, associate zoning administrator Louis J. Muto said the request by Los Candiles Club on Division Street and Cypress Avenue would violate a city zoning ordinance that prohibits adult entertainment within 500 feet of religious institutions, schools or public parks.
Los Candiles is in an industrial area but within 400 feet of Glassell Park Elementary School.
In addition, Muto said, the bar mistakenly filed for a conditional-use permit when it should have requested a zoning variance. He said he doubted whether the bar could obtain a variance.
Wrong Permit
Wil Nieves, a planning consultant hired by Los Candiles, said city officials told him to apply for the wrong permit. But he said Los Candiles probably will not pursue the matter. The club has a police commission permit that allows bikini dancing.
When Los Candiles applied for the topless dancing permit in May, teachers at Glassell Park Elementary said allowing such entertainment would increase crime and expose children to unsavory activities. They also cited police reports of frequent armed fights, littering and drunken behavior in and around the bar.
The bar was closed for 20 days in May and June for selling alcohol to a drunken patron. Similar charges caused suspensions in 1982 and 1983.
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