Huntington Beach : Nightclub, Neighbors Will Try to Make Peace

A decision on whether Garfield’s Nite Spot on Magnolia Street near Garfield Avenue may remain open has been postponed until representatives of the club and its neighbors try to reach their own accord.

The answer, to be decided by the City Council, was postponed Monday after representatives of the nightclub and its opponents agreed to meet. The opposing sides will come together at City Hall on Feb. 7 along with a council committee of Mayor Ruth Bailey and Councilmen Peter Green and Jack Kelly.

Garfield’s and several of its residential neighbors have been involved in a dispute over whether the nightclub’s operating permit should be revoked because of excessive noise and rowdiness in the parking lot.

The permit was yanked in early December after neighbors complained of noise, litter and traffic.

A few weeks later, however, the council decided to give the club 30 days to attempt to work out differences with its neighbors. The permit has been in limbo since.

On Monday, Barbara Brown, an attorney for Garfield’s, asked the council to formally reinstate the permit, but the council opted to wait until the opposing sides met. That suggestion was made by Elizabeth Swank, an attorney for some of the neighbors.

Last year, the city directed the club to take steps to lessen the impact on the surrounding area, such as installing speed bumps and temporary, removable chains to block traffic from certain parts of the parking lot.

On Monday, representatives of other businesses in the shopping center complained to the council that such measures violated the reciprocal easement rights shared by all the tenants. A representative of the Garfield Bank, also in the center, said the bank’s security alarm had been triggered several times and that parked cars block customers from the night deposit box.

Mayor Bailey said she visited the site last week and noticed cars parked at the night deposit box, blocking fire lanes.

The matter is scheduled to come before the council again on Feb. 19.