Veterans’ Hall Closed Over Noise Complaints : Santa Clarita: Planners order the facility shut down in 90 days. Post members vow to appeal.

A Santa Clarita city panel Tuesday ordered a Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting hall and bar closed in 90 days as a neighborhood nuisance.

By a 4-1 vote, the Planning Commission sided with neighbors who complained of loud parties on weekends when VFW Post 6885 on Sand Canyon Road rents its facilities for weddings and other functions.

The commission denied a zoning permit for the VFW post but gave the veterans three months to remain open while looking for a new hall.

Angry veterans, some of whom wore VFW uniforms, hats and medals to the meeting, said they will appeal the decision to the City Council and seek the support of veterans statewide in their battle to keep the hall open.

“This is about big bucks,” said Skip Johnson, the post commander. “These neighbors just want to see their property values go up and the way to do that is to get rid of the VFW.”

But Sand Canyon residents said they tried for years to persuade post members to voluntarily control disturbances.

“We recognize, respect and thank the VFW for their good works in the community, but they haven’t been a good neighbor,” Claudia Hunt said.

City planners had recommended that the commission close the two-story building and outdoor canteen on a dusty two-acre lot because the post had been operating without a zoning permit for nearly 20 years and is incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood of small ranches valued at $400,000 to $4 million.

The VFW was able to operate without a zoning permit because Los Angeles County never thoroughly investigated the situation when residents complained, city planners said.

Commission members said they regretted shutting down the popular gathering place for veterans, but felt it was necessary because of the longstanding complaints.

During the two-hour meeting, the commission asked neighbors if they would be willing to work out a compromise with the veterans, but only three of about 50 residents at the meeting said they were willing to try.

“With 20 years of incompatibility, giving the VFW and the neighbors six months or a year to work things out isn’t going to make any difference,” Commissioner Pat Modugno said.

“It’s not appropriate for residents to put up with loud music at all hours.”