http://www.lamag.com/liquidlablog/eagle-rock-brewery-defends-right-brew/ I've been following this a bit over the last couple weeks but haven't seen it posted on here. No wonder all the good breweries are opening up in Torrance - this red tape is ridiculous. They are circulating a change.org petition on social media and encouraging people to show up at the hearing.
Good lord. This kind of thing depresses me. They have public hearings and invite public comment for only the most mundane things, which invites all the crazies out. Then, when it comes time to discuss actual, more important issues, they "invite public comment," and "take things into consideration," while all the while doing whatever they want. The problem isn't unique to LA, but the city's archaic stance on alcohol laws is baffling.
Yup. Signed the petition a while ago, reminds me of all the hoops you have to jump through back in Poland in order to start or maintain a business. I always thought it's much easier here in the States. Looks like that is not always the truth.
Here's the link to the petition in case anyone wants to sign: http://www.change.org/p/nora-dresse...-continue-operations-without-further-hearings
Weird, when I signed it a few days ago it showed that there were around 95 "needed" and right now it's: 122 NEEDED
thanks for that i would go but it's on a weekday. this is fucked. i can't believe they have to deal with this.
Let me see if I have this straight: in L.A. County, if your business permit requires a public hearing, YOU have to pay for the hearing? And the cost is $5,000? How can they possibly justify that?
This is a city of Los Angeles issue. The city doesn't want your business. Sure, the city wants to extract all the tax revenue and fees it can out of your business, but the concept of rationally addressing zoning and permitting is too much work.
Signed the petition. Hoping they get a long term permit and the city stops hassling them. Good luck Eagle Rock Brewery!
As Heresy22 stated, it is LA City jurisdiction, not LA County. Also keep in mind that there are other businesses applying for permits requiring a CUP hearing and approval, not just breweries making craft beer. I know you didn't say anything to the contrary, but I thought it was an important thing to point out. Is it an expensive process? Absolutely. But all the fees associated with the CUP submittal are know beforehand. And also the risk of anyone opposing a majority vote in the applicants favor is something that the applicant is aware of.
I see. I still would have to say I find this surprising. Having worked as a reporter in California, back when newspapers were a thing, I covered countless city and county meetings, and have some acquaintance with the workings of local governments and how they approve projects and collect fees. Although I heard countless complaints about various permit and license fees, I never heard of the government charging applicants for a public hearing, let alone charging them $5,000, which is surely well in excess of the cost to the city for the hearing. Granted, those were different times: we're talking 20 years ago. But I find it surprising that no one has mounted a legal challenge to this fee. If I'm understanding this correctly, one person (one!) could demand a series of public hearings that would cost the person seeking the business license $5k each time, not only delaying the permit process but also costing $20,000 or more. Meanwhile, another business of the same nature could open across the street, and if no one asked for a public hearing, it would face no hearings, no delays, and no fees? A system like that would be very prone to corruption and easy to manipulate if anyone wanted to sabotage a particular business, or had a grudge against a particular property owner, or wanted to prevent the competition from moving into a particular market, etc. If it's legal, it probably shouldn't be.
When you have a myopic view of life, this is what happens. Instead of figuring out how you can make it up to Alpine for their latest bottle release, maybe you should vote these douchebags out of office. All of them.
The city's Municipal Code will state which type of business will require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Basically anything having to do with alcohol is on that list. Now you need to apply for the CUP. $5,000 is just the application fee, the applicant will need to provide other things sometimes costing more than 5 grand themselves. Letters are mailed before the first meeting to residents within a radius (500 or 300 feet typically) of the site. The application fee is good for the initial meeting and any reasonable subsequent meetings arising from any concerns by any of the applicants, residents or council members. In the end, conditions are placed on the applicant(s) and it is up to them to accept and continue with the project or not. I do want to make clear that I was not at any of the meetings concerning the case for Eagle Rock Brewing. But if I read correctly and they paid $20,000 in application fees, sounds like they applied for 4 different permits.
This is unfortunate. Hope it resolves this time around. Not too crazy about the LA Mag website either. Stupid ad was covering most of the 2nd paragraph.
