Entries Tagged 'Press/Media' ↓

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 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.

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.

“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.

CBS-TV 2 reporter Mary Beth McDade recently reported on the community’s efforts to stop the proposed South Robertson strip club. WATCH the clip here or listen to the report.

Note: video requires the latest Flash plugin.

Strip club is planned near bondage parlor

Despite opposition by L.A.’s Regent Square residents, it has received a temporary city business license.
By Martha Groves, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 12, 2007

For residents of a tiny pocket of the South Robertson Boulevard area of Los Angeles known as Regent Square and for nearby business owners, the slogan of the moment appears to be: Better the X-rated business you know than the one you don’t…Full L.A. Times story (or you may download a .pdf copy here.)

Comment: On Sept. 14 L.A. Building & Safety ordered building owner Levi Litmanovich to stop all construction work and to provide a survey that the strip club is located more than 1,000 feet from any other Adult Entertainment Establishment (Sec. 12.70 C; Sec. 12.70 D. of L.A.M.C. ). It is our understanding Mr. Litmanovich, CEO of Golden West Trading and apparent operator of Culver City Meat, now intends to remove seven feet from the building to circumvent comply with the law.