Shouldn’t the Insomnia Cafe Be Welcomed and Encouraged?

I have been a patron of the Insomnia Cafe since I have lived here (not quite a year). I am concerned about its troubles for two reasons.

First, I feel that the whole tone of negotiations with this business has been confrontational as opposed to cooperative. From what I understand from The Times’ coverage, the business has tried to be cooperative and to work with its neighbors.

Second, I believe that Insomnia performs a number of valuable services to the community that have been overlooked.

Insomnia hosts a wide age range of people in a generally quiet way. At the risk of overstating the case, this is a unique and very valuable service in Los Angeles, and in particular in the Valley where places like this are few and far between.

City governments should hail organizations like Insomnia for providing a civilized, safe, truly popular nonalcoholic place for people to go.

It’s especially great for young people. If I were the parent of a tween to teen in our area, I would be grateful if my kids wanted to go there as opposed to trying to sneak into a bar. There are community centers that would die for the kind of popularity this business has created for itself.

Also, it’s in the neighborhood. We don’t have to drive there. How exciting!

The hours of operation that have been imposed are ridiculous. In a city, people who work long hours (like myself) can’t always get a chance to relax before 9 or 10 p.m. I’d like to have a local, safe place to go with reasonable weekday and weekend hours. What about midnight or 1 a.m. on weekdays?

As for midnight on weekends, it’s almost too ridiculous to comment upon.

The city government is out of touch with the needs of the community and is being misled by a small, particular, loud group. It is ignoring the greater benefits to the community at large for a small and inflexible special interest.

I know noise is one of the complaints, but with the addition of security there should be recognition by residents that when one lives adjoining a commercial strip, certain adjustments go with the territory. Did they think the businesses that were there when they moved in would never change?

Don’t we need all the help we can get for the local economy? I know more than one block on Ventura that looks like a dead zone. Shouldn’t a thriving new business be encouraged and worked with?

CARLA DIAMOND

Studio City