SEAL BEACH : Residents Upset by Restaurant Issues

Residents who live around Seal Beach’s Main Street are up in arms over the Planning Commission’s decision to extend the drinking hours of one restaurant and allow another to provide live entertainment.

Fearing that the moves will bring noisy nighttime patrons into their neighborhood, the residents have vowed to fight the decision. Furthermore, they complain that last week’s meeting was not adequately publicized by the city, causing few opponents to show up.

Commissioners voted unanimously to grant an entertainment license to Papillon’s restaurant that allows a single entertainer to perform from 7 to 11 p.m.

The entertainment cannot be amplified and should not encourage patrons to sing along or dance. Acceptable forms of entertainment include a pianist, violinist, harpist or guitarist, Planning Director Lee Whittenberg said.

In a 3-2 decision, the commission also voted to allow the Seaside Grill to serve alcohol until 11 p.m.--an hour later than previously.

The long-running issue over the commercialization of Main Street pits those who believe the extra hours will help business against residents who say alcohol sales degrade the community. The two sides clashed at a packed October Planning Commission meeting when the issue was discussed.

Planning Commissioner Jim Sharp, who voted in favor of the increased hours, said the decision won’t impact local residents. “I don’t see the restaurant as causing problems,” Sharp said. “I personally don’t feel it’s going to affect the environment.”

Opponents, however, expressed displeasure with the votes and said they plan to appeal the commission’s actions, which would place the final decision in the hands of the City Council.

City officials are already developing general guidelines that cover alcohol licenses, and some said the decision to extend the Seaside Grill’s hours should have been postponed until those conditions are approved.

Also upsetting to residents was the lack of publicity concerning the meeting. Normally, public notices announcing Planning Commission hearings are printed beforehand in a weekly community newspaper.

But because of an error by the newspaper, the notices on the Seaside Grill and Papillon issues were omitted, Whittenberg said.