EAST LOS ANGELES : Club Owner To Fight City Council Rulings

Faced with restrictions on his club approved by the City Council two weeks ago, the owner of Don Quixote’s East Ballroom said last week that he will appeal the rules in Superior Court.

“They want to close me down, but we’re still fighting,” said ballroom owner Salvador Quezada, 59. “This is personal.”

Attorney Raoul Severo said he is preparing to act in light of a City Council resolution placing restrictions on the nightclub at 2311 E. Olympic Blvd. The club, which is permitted to operate only on weekends, must close at midnight, search all patrons for weapons and have security guards in its off-site parking lot.

The council approved the new measures in response to complaints by residents of the nearby Wyvernwood Apartments that club patrons are responsible for excessive noise and crime problems.

The vote was the latest in a series of moves by the city to restrict the club’s operations. In January, a city zoning administrator denied Quezada’s request to expand his operations and gave him six months to improve his standing with his neighbors.

Rosa Villasenor, who has lived in the Wyvernwood Apartments for 25 years, said the neighborhood alleges that the business attracts gang members and has been the site of drunken violence. Quezada has denied those and other allegations.

“There’s a lot of disturbances from that place,” said Villasenor, 57, a Neighborhood Watch block captain in her area. “It’s a disgrace to the neighborhood. That place is a mess and people would really like to see it shut down.

“We have problems here in Wyvernwood, but that’s everywhere. We’re trying to control it,” she said. “What I’m saying is it causes more of a problem.”