AIDS Charity to Close Over Zoning Violations
The City Council ordered a thrift store run by an AIDS charity to close after it failed to meet city zoning requirements.
Out of the Closet, run by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation opened in May at 225 Pacific Coast Highway between a Goodwill thrift store and a children’s secondhand clothing shop.
The municipal code prohibits thrift stores from locating within 1,000 feet of one another, saying they drive down property values.
The council gave the store until Sept. 1 to reorganize as a specialty store, with half of its floor space devoted to antique and upscale merchandise, but the owners said such a requirement was unfeasible.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein said his organization was considering filing a lawsuit against the city for discriminatory enforcement, alleging that nearby thrift stores violate zoning requirements but received business permits.
“The city decided to apply a different set of standards to our thrift store,” said Weinstein.
The store has asked the city for 90 days to liquidate its merchandise, he said.
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