Northridge : Appeal Hearing Set on Nightclub Permit

Homeowner opposition is mounting against a proposed nightclub and pool hall on Corbin Avenue just south of Nordhoff Street.

A Los Angeles zoning official in April denied applicant Douglas Noecker a city permit to open the nightclub, which would feature bands and DJ music, sell alcoholic beverages and admit patrons as young as 18. Several neighbors had decried the proposal, saying that the pool hall would attract gangs and loiterers, and that the nightclub was incompatible with the surrounding commercial areas, which includes several restaurants.

Since the ruling, petitions opposing the proposed nightclub had been sent to City Councilman Hal Bernson, who also has voiced opposition, according to Bernson’s planning aide, Phyllis Winger. The proposed nightclub would accommodate up to 766 people and be open from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily.

Noecker has appealed the city zoning official’s decision, and on Tuesday the Los Angeles Board of Zoning Appeals will consider his request. The 9 a.m. hearing will be held at 201 N. Figueroa St., Room 170, Los Angeles.

In his April 15 decision, associate zoning administrator John J. Parker wrote that he denied Noecker a permit because plans for the project are nebulous, that Noecker apparently failed to address the concerns of the community and Police Department, and because too many liquor licenses already have been granted in the area.

Noecker said at a March 31 hearing that he planned to spruce up an ugly, vacant storefront for the nightclub and that he intended to follow high security and maintenance standards, according to Parker’s report.