BUENA PARK : Council May Revoke VFW Post’s Permit

Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8954 are expected to turn out in force tonight for the City Council meeting in an effort to stop the city from closing down their clubhouse.

A 6 p.m. public hearing is scheduled by the council, which is considering revoking the post’s permit to operate.

City officials said the post has violated its conditional use permit because the site lacks adequate parking and no further extensions can be granted the post.

If the council votes to take away its permit, the post, which was established more than 30 years ago, would have to close the bar and cannot assemble for meetings there, said Thomas E. Lynch, director of development services.

Lynch said the city required the post to provide a parking lot for the club years ago, but the lot was never built. The post is at Homewood Avenue and 8th Street, a residential area.

The Planning Commission voted to revoke the permit in April, 1991, because of the inadequate parking. Lynch said the lack of parking creates a neighborhood parking problem.

Post members appealed the Planning Commission’s decision but then instead said they would sell the property to the city’s redevelopment agency and relocate.

The agency has proposed buying the property, which is in a redevelopment project area, for $50,000. The agency would also provide another $50,000 for relocation costs.

The deal has not been completed because the post has not found a new location, despite the assistance from the city in looking for another property.

Recently, the veterans thought they had found a place to move, but the $100,000 needed to provide fire sprinklers and pave the parking area made it too expensive, members said.

Post commander Frank Longoria would like to keep the existing post open until they can relocate.

But Lynch said the city has exhausted its efforts.

“So much time has gone by, and we’re not seeing” the VFW actively engaged in looking for a new home, Lynch said.