Liquor license, office building approved in Calabasas
By Sharon Makokian
Acorn Staff Writer

After two votes and tense words between members, the Calabasas Planning Commission granted a full liquor license to Money Pancho Mexican restaurant during a recent meeting.

The restaurant, located in the Malibu Canyon Plaza Shopping Center at 26500 Agoura Road, is within the Las Virgenes Gateway Master Plan.

The building has been a restaurant since 1994, changing hands several times. It has always had some sort of liquor license.

The current Mexican restaurant took up occupancy in September, with seating for 145 customers. Because the number of liquor licenses in the Alcoholic Beverage Control’s census district exceeds its maximum limit of 11 on-site permits (currently there are 25), they deferred the decision to the planning commission to decide if the license would serve the community and is appropriate.

However, because only four of the existing permits are within Calabasas city limits, the commission seemed to agree that a liquor license would be acceptable since the beverages would be served with food in a family restaurant atmosphere.

"Mexican food without margaritas is like a day without sunshine," quipped Commissioner Scott Solomon.

The main contention between commissioners was about conditions to be imposed upon the restaurant with approval of the liquor license. Planning staff had already drafted a list of basic conditions, but some commissioners wanted even more.

Commissioners James Leewong and Michael Harrison wanted to impose conditions about trash removal, public address systems and restrictions about expanding the restaurant’s small bar (which is used as a waiting area), to keep it from becoming a full-fledged saloon.

Solomon questioned, however, "the propriety (of the planning commission) to impose (such) conditions." He pushed for the liquor license to be approved with only one condition—that the restaurant not install a public address system to keep noise down.

Although Solomon’s motion was approved 3-2, the two opposing members, Leewong and Harrison, then challenged the resolution and the issue was re-opened.

After walking out briefly, Solomon returned to remain steadfast, tensely challenging Harrison on specifics of his proposal. Harrison refined his definition to say that the size of the bar couldn’t be increased. A motion then passed with this new wording, as well the prohibition of a public address system as conditions on the liquor license approval. Commissioners approved the new motion, except Solomon.

The commission also gave preliminary approval to Triliad Development to build an 87,480 square-foot commercial office structure on a 5.2 acre-parcel on two lots of the Lost Hills Business Park at the intersection of Malibu Hills Road and Shadow Hills Road, directly south of the existing Cheesecake Factory office building.

Designed to be a multi-tenant building, a large portion of the first floor office space would be leased by Cheesecake Factory, which needs to expand its facilities, according to Valerie Draeger, Triliad president.

When the project came before the commission in December, a major sticking point with commissioners was a requested variance from the required 30-foot backyard setback to 13 feet. But this time they decided the unique configuration of the land, combined with a permanent easement to be granted from the adjacent building for land that would provide the required amount of setback space, met the requirements for a variance.

"The nature of this property makes it impossible for it not to violate the rear setback requirement," said commission chairman Dave Brown.

The building has been designed back from the street so that it wouldn’t overwhelm its Deer Springs neighbors with the look of a two-story office complex.

Because the building is recessed from the front of the parcel, it gives the appearance of a one-story building, said Draeger, adding that the footprint of the building is actually smaller than some of those that surround it because of the two-story design.

The commission requested that the planning department staff draft a resolution, which they would probably approve at their next meeting.

At the onset of the meeting, commissioners welcomed new member Toby Keeler and elected Dave Brown as chairman and Michael Harrison as co-chairman.