Parking holds up restaurant plans
The owners of the former Montrose Collection restaurant site — which served up a plate of controversy a few years ago for operating in violation of city codes — have hit a snag in their efforts to revamp the place.
City officials have recommended denying two requests made by Alfred and Ramona Teichert, owners of Chandelier restaurant on Honolulu Avenue, because of insufficient parking, according to a staff report. The former occupants, Armen and Takui Aivazian, filed for bankruptcy late last year.
The Teicherts are requesting that office space which Montrose Collection used for an expansion years ago be legalized for their use. Permission to expand into the 1,210-square-foot office space was approved by the city in 2006, but it was revoked after Montrose Collection violated several city regulations, including operating as a banquet hall.
When the city let Montrose Collection expand, the restaurant was granted a permit that stated it did not have to add nine parking spaces. The Teicherts are also requesting a parking-reduction permit.
The requests are scheduled to be reviewed at a planning hearing at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Use of the office space would expand the restaurant to 5,342 square feet, according to a city report.
The Teicherts intend to open a 118-seat restaurant with a lounge and two dining areas separated by two 5-foot-high partitions, according to floor plans submitted to the city. The plans also show a stage area.
