Hearing Officer Meeting Canceled Due to Technical Difficulties

Two important items on the city’s Hearing Officer’s December 1 agenda will have to be rescheduled due to technical difficulties.

The meeting was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, but according to Planning Director David Reyes there were technical difficulties with Zoom software.

This is only the second time since the pandemic began that the city was forced to cancel a meeting due to similar issues.

The city cannot conduct the meeting if Zoom fails.

Under state law, real-time public comments must be allowed by phone or the internet. If the system fails allowing for public comment the meeting must be ended, according to the law.

The items on the agenda included the revocation of the Conditional Use Permit for Der Wolfskopf, a popular, self-described “restobar” at 72 N. Fair Oaks Avenue in Old Pasadena, over alleged violations of its use permit and problems related to alcohol sales — including two service calls this year to police to break up large fights past the proscribed closing time.

According to a city staff report, police and code compliance division officers allege the business has violated a number of the terms set forth by the location’s Conditional Use Permit.

Under the conditions of the CUP, the establishment should operate from 9 a.m. until 1:30 a.m., seven days a week. It must stop selling alcoholic beverages at 1 a.m.

But on May 16, 2020, June 27, 2020, July 4, 2020, and September 4 both police and code compliance officers said they observed that alcohol sales were being conducted after 1 a.m. and that Der Wolfskopf was operating beyond 1:30 a.m.

Complaints received by the city from members of the public have reportedly indicated that at times Der Wolfskopf has operated until 5 a.m.

City staff also allegedly found that food service was not available during required hours at times, security was not provided as mandated, and music was played beyond the time period permitted, all in violation of the CUP’s condition.

The other item on the agenda was a public hearing for a proposed adult day care use (Adult Day Care, General land use) within an existing 5,318 square-foot tenant space in an approximately 11,495 square-foot commercial building at 2180 E. Walnut Street.

The 29,747 square-foot project site is on the southwest corner of E. Walnut Street and N. Grand Oaks Ave. and consists of one parcel, with a one-story building housing two tenant spaces and a surface parking lot.

One of the tenant spaces is occupied by an existing 5,697 square-foot gym, which will remain in place, according to the proposal.

The other 5,318 square-foot tenant space, formerly occupied by a retail land use, is proposed to be occupied by the Adult Day Care use. Vehicular access is available from both E. Walnut Street and N. Grand Oaks Ave.

The proposed daycare center would be licensed by the California Department of Public Health and Department of Aging and would provide daytime community-based programs to the elderly.