A community hub to oppose the proposed strip club at 3388 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles

Dear Community,

A big thank you to those of you who were able to arrange to attend the hearing at Parker Center. We know it took a big chunk out of your working day to attend, and we give you our heartfelt thanks for coming.

For those of you who were not able to attend, the hearing was inconclusive. Our attorneys brought some new evidence to light that had not been looked at, and the panel asked that the Commission Investigations Division go back and re-examine the new evidence before they felt comfortable making a ruling on the permit.

This is currently in process, and we’ll let you know as soon as we hear more. While it is frustrating to do more waiting, the door hasn’t closed and the permit has not been granted, which is still a very positive result.

We’d also like to send our deep and heartfelt thanks to Councilman Herb Wesson, Councilman Jack Weiss and CD-5 candidate Paul Koretz who all attended the hearing and spoke strongly to support the community. We know how busy you all are, and your constituents appreciate your time and dedication. Thank you all for coming. Thank you also to all the dedicated staff at CD-10 and CD-5, and to Stephen Cheung from the Mayor’s office for attending and continuing to work with the community on this matter.

Stay tuned…

We hope you will attend the hearing on Wednesday, April 30th at 2:30pm. We need you there. You will have received emails and calls regarding how important this hearing is. Please don’t just rely on others to show up. Inconvenient as the timing may be, it is critical that our community represents.

RESERVE YOUR BUS SEAT NOW:
Please send an email to action@NoRobertsonStripClub.com if you would like a seat on the free bus. We need to hear from you to make sure we can accommodate everyone.

The bus will leave at 1:30pm sharp on Wednesday April 30th.

Palms Westminster Church
2908 Robertson Place
Los Angeles, 90034

1 block east of Robertson at Cattaraugus, just opposite Hamilton High School.

The bus will leave at 1:30pm so please make sure you are there in advance. There will be some available parking in the church lot, off Cattaraugus. The bus will return when the hearing is finished.

RESERVE YOUR PARKING SPOT DOWNTOWN NOW:
Free parking will be provided at City Hall, courtesy of the Councilmen.

If you’re interested in a parking spot, please email the following information to victor.durazo@lacity.org no later than Tuesday 4/29 at Noon.

Subject: Strip Club Hearing
Name of driver
Type of car
Year and color of car
License plate #

The City Hall Parking is at 201 N. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles 90012.

Parker Center is located at 150 N. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles 90012. The hearing will be held in the Auditorium.

Please allow yourself ample time to park and find the auditorium. Downtown can be confusing.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN’T ATTEND:
Please write a passionate letter (even if you’ve written before) and let the Permit Review Panel that your absence from this hearing does not mean that you don’t care. Paint a picture for them of what the neighborhood means to you and your family, and why you object to the club. Help them feel what you feel. Let them know that even though you’re not there, your voice still counts.

You can fax your letters directly to us at 310-837-3325 and we will present them to the panel, or you can mail them directly to:

Police Permit Review Panel
Commission Investigations
150 N. Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

If you have any questions about the hearing or transportation, please email action@NoRobertsonStripClub.com

Dear Community,

The Police Permit Review Board hearing has now been set for Wednesday April 30th at 2:30pm.

If you follow the news, you’ll know that Roger Jon Diamond is fresh off his defeat in the “Black Widows” murder trial. Now that the jury has spoken, we anticipate no further delays to the Strip Club hearing.

The Police Permit Review Board wants to hear YOUR VOICE. Despite the difficult date, time and location, we’re asking you to attend. We’ve been told that the panel places GREAT WEIGHT on the voices of the residents and community members.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Time: 2:30pm

Location:
Parker Center Auditorium
150 N. Los Angeles Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90012

To help make it easier, we’ve organized the following:

FREE BUS TRANSPORTATION:
LAUSD has offered us one bus, and the SORO Neighborhood Council has authorized funding for a second bus if we need it. Community leaders want you to attend.

If you are interested in taking the free bus, please email action@NoRobertsonStripClub.com with an indication of how many people in your party. In order to be able to accommodate everyone, we will need a clear headcount. We will post more information about how to get the bus in the coming days, so please check back. The bus will leave from the Hamilton High area.

FREE PARKING DOWNTOWN:
Councilmember Herb Wesson’s office is helping organize free parking at City Hall (across the street from Parker Center). If you’re interested in a parking spot, please email the following information to victor.durazo@lacity.org no later than Tuesday 4/29 at Noon.

Subject: Strip Club Hearing
Name of driver
Type of car
Year and color of car
License plate #

As you can imagine, trying to organize this is a logistical challenge, so we appreciate your help in committing to attend, and letting us know as soon as possible so we can make adequate provisions for everybody.

Bus seats and parking spots will be on a first-come-first-serve basis and we cannot guarantee that there will be a spot for you if you are not prompt or do not rsvp.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN’T ATTEND:
Please write a passionate letter (even if you’ve written before) and let the Permit Review Panel that your absence from this hearing does not mean that you don’t care. Paint a picture for them of what the neighborhood means to you and your family, and why you object to the club. Help them feel what you feel. Let them know that even though you’re not there, your voice still counts.

You can fax your letters directly to us at 310-837-3325 and we will present them to the panel, or you can mail them directly to:

Police Permit Review Panel
Commission Investigations
150 N. Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

* We’re still experiencing some email problems, so we encourage you to bookmark this site and check back regularly. Our email updates may not be getting through to everyone.

Dear Community,

The Police Permit Hearing regarding SKIN strip club that was rescheduled for 2nd April 2008 has just been canceled again.

The Police Review Board have confirmed, per our request, that they will not reschedule the hearing for April 16th out of respect for our Jewish community members and their preparations for Passover. The earliest it would be rescheduled would be April 30th, but we will confirm as soon as we know.

While this is very frustrating for us, it gives us more time to get the word out and try to rally our community attendance at this CRITICAL hearing. We had not received a lot of emails confirming attendance for this date, and so perhaps we can do better for the next date. Our community has made such strides in this case, and so far we’ve been very successful. It’s a shame to drop the ball at this late stage, so we’re hoping the extra time allows us to turn out a larger crowd.

The reason for the cancellations is that Roger Jon Diamond, attorney for the strip club, is involved in a complex and lengthy murder trial and has requested another continuance. You can read more about that trial here.

Please spread the word to your community and ask people to sign up for email updates for continuing information.

N.B. Please, please, please remember to re-register your email address with the new email server we are using in order to continue receiving updates. Our old server was blocking emails from being sent out, and we’re now building a secure list at the new server. Simply re-enter your email address on the right hand side. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

Because our subscriber list has grown so rapidly, we’ve had to upgrade to a more reliable email system.

If you have already signed up for email updates, you should have recently received an email asking you to reconfirm your address. Since we are shutting down the old system, it’s important that you click the confirmation link in the email.

Please do this ASAP, as news is changing rapidly and we want to keep you up to date.

If you haven’t received the confirmation email — or if you haven’t yet signed up — you can join the new list by entering your email in the column at right.

The Police Permit Review Hearing has been rescheduled for Wednesday April 2nd at 2:30pm. As before, the hearing will be held at Parker Center Auditorium, downtown.

Wednesday 2nd April, 2:30pm
Parker Center Auditorium
150 N. Los Angeles Street, 90012

As a reminder, this is a crucial hearing in front of the Police Permit Review Board who will consider the Hearing Examiner’s Report (download) and make a final decision regarding the club’s operating permit.

Please scroll back a few posts to read highlights of the report and more information about why our community’s attendance is critical at this hearing. We know that the club will be fighting each and every recommendation and arguing for a full permit with NO RESTRICTIONS. We cannot let that happen. We need the Panel to continue to hear our strong and unified voices.

As you know, the hearing was rescheduled much sooner that we anticipated. As such, we’re under considerable pressure to get the word out as quickly as possible. Your help is essential. Please send this information to your friends and neighbors. If you (or they) are unable to attend, please write a brief letter addressed to the Police Permit Review Panel indicating your endorsement of the report’s findings. We will be happy to deliver all correspondence to the Panel at the hearing on the 2nd. You may mail your letter, no later than Thursday to:

Reynier Village Neighborhood Association
1800 S. Robertson Blvd., #107
Los Angeles, CA 90035

or fax to (310) 837-3325.

Please check the site regularly over the course of the next week for further updates and information about transportation to Parker Center from the neighborhood, and free parking downtown at City Hall. We are working hard to make both these things happen.

We’ve just heard that the Police Permit Review Panel hearing date has been moved. The hearing on 19th March has been canceled, and will be rescheduled for April.

As things stand, it will either be April 16th or April 30th, but this has not been confirmed. As soon as it is, we will let you know.

Please keep checking the website regularly as we will post news as soon as we have it. Thank you.

The Hearing Examiner for the Los Angeles Police Commission’s Permit Review Panel has turned in his report. This report is a result of all the letters you’ve written and all the statements you made at the hearing on January 28th.

And we can hardly have hoped for more…

Our community’s concerns were heard and comprehensively reflected in his report (click to download the report).

As you will read, the Hearing Examiner recommended that the 7-member Police Permit Review Panel deny the club’s operating permit. Furthermore, if they decide that the permit cannot be denied, he recommends numerous stringent conditions on the permit, including:

• Limited operating hours: 7pm-12am weekdays and 4pm-1am on weekends.
• Adequate on site parking
• No sign on the property indicating usage
• ID scanners with cameras
• Entertainers to be classified as employees
• Club to provide adequate clean-up of area
• Club to engage security firm to patrol during business hours and up to one hour after closing
• Minimum age requirement of 19 to enter
• Move entrance of the club to the side of the building
• Club provide Commission with names and addresses of all owners of the club
• Name and phone number of manager be posted prominently in the club
• Club to provide insurance policy naming City of Los Angeles as additional insured and/or bond to cover any damage or injury that may occur
• Patrons and staff to be given Breathalyzer (PAS) test prior to entering.

On Wednesday 19th March at 2:30 pm the 7-member Police Permit Review Panel will consider this report and hear arguments from both sides at Parker Center in downtown Los Angeles. To ensure that the Panel thoroughly considers each of the Examiner’s recommendations, including outright denial of the permit, our community’s attendance is critical.

Wednesday 19 March, 2:30pm
Parker Center Auditorium
150 N. Los Angeles Street, 90012

This hearing is where the decision will be made, and although the report appears very favorable, we can absolutely count on the fact that the club’s lawyer, Roger Jon Diamond, will fight each and every restriction for all he’s worth. If you were at the hearing on January 28th you will have heard him tell the Examiner that he expects the permit to be granted with “NO RESTRICTIONS.”

We cannot afford to sit back at this critical final stage. Although the time and location of the hearing may be inconvenient, this is a standing panel meeting that we cannot change. However, we’re working hard to see if we can provide free buses from the neighborhood to the hearing, and to help organize carpooling and free parking downtown.

We’re doing everything we can to get the word out, but your help is essential. Please send this information to your friends and neighbors. If you (or they) are unable to attend, please write a brief letter addressed to the Police Permit Review Panel indicating your endorsement of the report’s findings. We will be happy to deliver all correspondence to the Panel at the hearing on the 19th. You may mail your letter, no later than March 15th to:

Reynier Village Neighborhood Association
1800 S. Robertson Blvd., #107
Los Angeles, CA 90035

or fax to (310) 837-3325.

We’re in the home-stretch now, and we’ve done so well. Let’s keep up the pressure and bring this home.

We’ve just heard that the date has been set for the 7-member Police Permit Panel to rule on the operating permit for SKIN.

The hearing will take place on Wednesday 19th March at 2:30pm.

The hearing will be held downtown at Parker Center. Although it is during the work week, we strongly urge everyone to attend. It is vitally important that we’re there in force to continue to represent our position. Based on the turnout and extent of community opposition at the last hearing, the Police Commission have cleared the schedule of all other items that day, and moved the hearing to the Auditorium to accommodate 200-300 people. We expect a lot of media coverage and we need to turn out a crowd. We will have the opportunity to comment directly to the panel before they make their decision. Let’s not forget what impact we had the last time our community turned out.

The Hearing Examiner has made his report and recommended restrictions, but we can count on the fact that Roger Diamond will be fighting each one. At the January 28th Hearing, we all heard Diamond state that he expects the permit to be granted to his clients with no restrictions at all. We need to be there to show the panel that our community is not giving in.

We’ll be posting more information in the coming weeks. We’re working on arranging parking for the community downtown, setting up carpooling from the neighborhood and disseminating information about what the Hearing Examiner has recommended. As soon as we know more we’ll be posting it here.

In the meantime, please make note of the following information and share it widely with your friends and neighbors.

Police Permit Hearing
Wednesday 19 March, 2:30pm
Parker Center Auditorium
150 N. Los Angeles Street, 90012

And if you haven’t yet signed up for updates, please do that now. With the clock ticking on this fight, it’s important that we are able to reach you all as quickly as possible whenever there is news.

We got lots of news coverage at last night’s meeting, thanks to the amazing turnout our community showed. South Robertson, you did yourself proud.

Click the links below to see the highlights.

Watch video of Channel 2 and 9
or click here to listen

Watch video of Channel 11
or click here to listen

Read coverage at popular Los Angeles blog, LAist.com

And finally, check out our newest neighbors, courtesy of Fox 11 News.

What a shame that none of them were brave enough to stand up and introduce themselves to the enormous crowd who attended the hearing. Frankly, they didn’t do themselves any favors by leaving their PR up to Roger Jon Diamond.

Interestingly, out of the approximately 600+ people who attended the hearing, the one and only person who spoke in favor of the club can be seen sitting at the end of the row of owners (on the far right).

It’s true: sometimes pictures speak louder than words.

Monday, January 28, 2008 - - Tonight was a proud night for this community. You turned out in unprecedented numbers to voice your concerns about SKIN to the LAPD Hearing Examiner. In the three short months since our first community meeting in October, we’ve all done a tremendous amount of work. Last night was our payoff.

From every corner of our extended neighborhood, people poured into the auditorium at Hamilton High. South Robertson residents, Palms residents, Pico area residents, Beverlywood residents, La Cienega Heights residents and many more. The long line outside was a indicator of the true scale of turnout. By the time the hearing got going, it was standing room only inside. Residents, business owners, religious leaders, community leaders, parents, educators, children and elderly citizens all came together to fill the entire Hamilton High Auditorium (which seats about 600) and to make their voices heard on this issue. The hearing went on for over 3.5 hours.

We thank each and every one of you who attended the hearing, particularly those who publicly spoke to the issue in front of the examiner. It was truly inspiring to hear the passion and commitment we all feel for our community. We thank each of you who has taken the time to walk flyers through the neighborhood, put up yard signs, write letters or donate money. According to the LAPD Community Advocate, the turnout was larger than he had ever seen at any other similar hearing. Add to that all the letters you’ve written — over 650 letters with 900 individual signatures — and it’s clear that our community has spoken with a loud and unified voice.

In the coming days, we’ll post more about next steps. We had a great night and gave the Hearing Examiner our recommendations, but the fight isn’t over. In the meantime, we encourage you all to sign up for updates from the site. It’s our absolute best tool for informing everyone as things move forward. You’ll only hear from us when we have something new to say, and we won’t share your email with anyone, ever. Help us keep you informed.

And thanks again, from the bottom of our hearts.

This evening at 7pm at Hamilton High School is the community’s chance to be heard.

SKIN may have been open since December, but they have not yet been granted their final permit from the Police. Because of the hundreds of letters that you’ve written, the police have scheduled this special hearing. It’s been scheduled for one reason only: to hear your concerns.

Over the past four months, many of us have volunteered literally hundreds of hours to educate ourselves on how we can respond. The No Robertson Strip Club steering committee and many others have worked tirelessly to research and present the best arguments on behalf of the community-at-large. We’ve met with Councilmen, talked to neighborhood prosecutors, met with Vice detectives, raised money, retained lawyers and poured energy, talent and funds into reaching out to the community.

Tonight, we’ll be handing the hearing examiner the fruits of our labor: a comprehensive report outlining the reasons we believe SKIN’s permit should be denied, as well as the extensive restrictions we recommend if the permit is granted. Restrictions we believe will best mitigate the nuisance they pose to our community.

Tonight is our chance to make a difference. The truth is that businesses like SKIN hold most of the advantages; they are well funded and well represented by slick lawyers, and they count on the fact that communities won’t stand up against them. They thrive on our apathy.

Let’s show them that our community is different. Let’s take a stand. Let’s show up tonight in force. Let’s overflow the auditorium at Hamilton. Let’s put up a fight. We  may or may not be successful, but let’s give it all we’ve got. Let’s make ourselves hard to ignore.

Tonight is our chance to have an impact. Let’s not take it for granted.

We really hope to see you there. Bring your kids, bring your neighbors, bring your friends. Rain or shine, we’re counting on your voices.

Don’t let us down.

Thank you for your help in getting yard signs out around the neighborhood. It’s wonderful to know that the community is working together on this important issue.

It has been brought to our attention that as a result of community zeal to get the word out about the Hearing on Monday night, some yard signs may have been posted in places they should not have been.

Signs should not be posted in public parkways or on public property. We’ve also heard that some signs have appeared in front of elementary schools, where parents find themselves in the uncomfortable position of explaining what a strip club is to their young children.

No doubt, this is a demonstration of how much the community cares about this issue. And it’s a measure of how important it is to get the word out about the Police Permit Hearing, tomorrow night (Monday) at Hamilton High (7pm).

Let’s remember to stay within the boundaries of the law. This issue has clearly motivated many people into action, and that’s wonderful. The most important thing we can focus on now is turning out tomorrow night in force. We look forward to seeing you there.

Dear Community Members,

The Police Permit Hearing is on Monday at 7pm at Hamilton High. These are our last few days to get the message out as widely as we can so that we represent in LARGE NUMBERS on Monday night.

Here’s what YOU can do to help:

1. Mark you calendars, clear your schedules, book your babysitters -or better yet- bring your kids. Whatever you need to do to, please BE THERE.

2. Tell your friends and neighbors. Send an email around. Knock on some doors. RALLY A CROWD

3. Help us get new YARD SIGNS out. We have about 75 more yard signs to distribute around the neighborhoods before Monday. If you have a half hour free and you’d like to help, please click on the email link to the right. We need all hands on deck to get these out there.

4. Help do a final push on FLYERS. We have plenty of them, and if you want to volunteer to walk a few more streets or distribute them at your local store, school, place of worship or book club, please use the link on the right to send us an email. We could really use the help.

5. Take a few minutes to think about what you want to say to the Hearing Examiner on Monday. If you’d like to speak, you’ll probably get 2 minutes, so think about what it is you want him to hear. Do you have a strong objection to the club? Do you want him to learn more about why this neighborhood means something to you? Do you have a specific concern you’d like to address? Have you seen or experienced anything since SKIN has been open that you feel he should know? Take a few moments to JOT DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS. It’ll come in handy on the night.

Thank you for your support, your donations, your helpful emails and your comments. Whether you agree with the club or disagree with the club, isn’t it good to know you live in a neighborhood where people care enough to do something? It sure feels good to me.

See you on Monday, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have a little time to volunteer. Trust me, it feels good to get involved.

“The location of a former meat market has re-opened as a strip club and neighbors don’t like it one bit. They’re up in arms over the club which is located on South Robertson, near the 10 Freeway. Jeff Michael was at the club’s opening night.”
Click here to watch
Click here to listen

A solid report from Fox News, although the reporter was mistaken about one key point: the Club has opened without materially addressing any of the community’s concerns.

If you’ve driven by the club lately, you’ve probably noticed that they recently put up flimsy temporary signs.

On the basis of flimsy temporary permits, today Skin opened its doors to the public.

Again this demonstrates the club’s complete disregard for its neighbors. The club owners have opened without meeting with the community to discuss their concerns and have chosen instead to speak through Roger Jon Diamond, a lawyer who has made a cottage industry of representing strip clubs.

The club’s opening underscores the importance of the Police Permit Review Panel meeting on January 28th. It is your chance to be heard before the final operating permit is approved.

The Police Permit Review Panel has set January 28 to take public comment before making a decision on the strip club’s final operating permit. The club is now operating on a temporary permit.

It is critical that the community turn out in force for this meeting. The panel examiner needs to see and hear firsthand how many people in the community are outraged that the club is opening. The hearing is our best chance to argue for operating restrictions, infraction penalties–or denial of the permit altogether. Talk to your neighbors, community groups, faith organizations and schools to spread the word.

Police Permit Review Panel Hearing
January 28, 2007
7:00pm
Hamilton High School

We will post full details on the meeting in the coming days, so make sure you are signed up to receive email updates.

WHEN: Tuesday, December 11th, 7pm
WHERE: Palms Westminster Fellowship Hall, 2908 Robertson Place, 90034

The No Robertson Strip Club Steering Committee is holding a Public Town Hall meeting next week to discuss our community’s effort against the Strip Club. We’ll be covering the core issues, the work we’ve done to date, and what we need to do moving forward.

Representatives from the Mayor’s office and the offices of Councilmen Wesson and Weiss will be there.

If you are concerned about the idea of having an all-nude (18+) club in your neighborhood–one located near Hamilton High School, in a place guaranteed to make a bad traffic situation worse, run by people we believe to have a history of prostitution arrests at their other clubs–then you need to come to this meeting. We understand the club is scheduled to open before the holidays.

The LAPD has now scheduled the special hearing for January 28th 2008 to let us voice our concerns before they issue a final permit to the club operators. It is unlikely that we can stop the club on zoning arguments. The strongest tool we have is our unified, collective voice. This issue is not going to be resolved in any other way, nor can it be done by proxy. If you have concerns about the Strip Club, then you need to participate. We are relying on your help to get the word out about this as widely as possible. Come to collect facts and materials that will help us spread the word.

If you can’t attend the meeting, please make a donation online. If you can attend the meeting, please bring your checkbook. The opposition is well organized, well represented and well funded. We need to be able to take them on. The Steering Committee has been working hard to gather official support, and lay infrastructure for our fight. Now it’s time for you to get involved and take part in your community.

Come learn more about what is happening on your doorstep.

The Public Safety committee of the South Robertson Neighborhood Council (SORONC) is meeting Monday, December 3 at 6:00pm in the Hamilton High cafeteria. In case you’re not familiar with the group, SORONC is our local neighborhood council, officially chartered by the city of LA.

Although the strip club isn’t officially on the agenda, representatives of Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the Office of the Mayor, Council District # 5 and Council District # 10 will be there to discuss the traffic changes on Pico and Olympic. Since the first thing they do at these meetings is open the floor to general comments from the public, this is a great chance to bring up our issues, too.

We urge you to come out and speak. If you do plan to speak, note that you’ll be limited to 2-3 minutes and that they take comments right after roll call. If you’re late, you may not be able to speak.