WESTLAKE VILLAGE : Billiards Parlor’s Lease Extended

A billiards parlor that opened last year over objections from area residents has been deemed a good neighbor by the Westlake Village City Council, which voted Wednesday to allow the operation to continue for four more years.

Residents were concerned that Sounds of Billiards would cause numerous problems, including increased crime in the neighborhood, said Senior Planner Hamid Arshadi. The city has monitored the situation for the past year and has deemed those concerns to be unfounded, he said. none of the neighbors spoke out against the establishment.

The applicant “worked hard when he first started, because he knew he had a lot of opposition,” said Mayor Pro Tem Berniece Bennett. “He has proven to be a good neighbor and we are very happy to have him.”

Councilman Jim Emmons abstained from voting on the measure because he is the property manager of the building where the billiards parlor resides.

The other council members voted unanimously to allow the business to stay open until Jan. 14, 1999. The applicant, Grigor Ter Nersesian, had asked for a nine-year extension.

“We recommended four years, because the business-lease term would expire in four years, and we wanted to review the business in four years to make sure everything was OK,” said Arshadi.

The applicant had asked to be allowed to install 12 video game machines, but the city’s Planning Department recommended that just three games be allowed, Arshadi said. In the end, the council granted permission for six.

“We didn’t want to recommend 12 machines because we thought it would attract only people who are interested in playing the video games,” he said. “We wanted to avoid attracting a crowd.”

The council also approved the installation of a six-foot, roof-mounted satellite dish antenna.