Steakhouse debate not quite done

By Stephanie Bertholdobertholdo@theacorn.com

Representatives of Dakota’s Mesquite BBQ & Steakhouse were disappointed last week when the Westlake Village City Council failed to approve plans for a new restaurant proposed for the corner of Russell Ranch and Lindero Can- yon roads in Westlake Village.

A public hearing on the restaurant was continued.

Dakota’s would be located on a 10.4-acre site near the Residence Inn by Marriott, which is currently under construction. The restaurant will share the 14,000-square-foot lot with another restaurant that has yet to be named.

The lack of adequate parking for the future owner of the second restaurant could be a problem, said Mark Rutherford, Westlake Village mayor.

The city’s parking plan requires a total of 397 parking spaces for the hotel and two restaurants. According to the plans, only 327 parking spaces are available on the site and 160 spaces are allotted to the hotel. Based on the square footage of Dakota’s, the restaurant would require 135 parking spaces, leaving only 32 parking spaces for the second restaurant.

City officials suggested that the parking shortfall will be eased since the owner of an adjacent office complex is required to allow at least 40 parking spaces for restaurant use after 5 p.m. on weekends and throughout the weekends.

Flemming Larson and Adam Stern, Dakota’s owners, said they also could offer valet parking to accommodate 130 cars in 100 parking spaces. The owners believe the parking shortage will be offset by the business travelers at the hotels

who choose to walk, not drive.

Suggestions by city officials to

eliminate the restaurant’s 1,550

square-foot patio dining area was

opposed by Larson and Stern, who

explained that the patio is used as a

waiting area and is an important ele

ment of the overall restaurant design.

Council Member Jim Bruno

said that the applicant had already

“jumped through a lot of hoops.”

Bruno said the parking re

quirement was based on 100 per

cent capacity of the restaurants and hotel, a scenario that he didn’t believe would be an issue. Stern added that the 8 percent parking shortfall shouldn’t be a problem because 100 percent capcity is rarely reached. Rutherford said that if certain conditions are met, the city council could give the restaurant construction a green light at its July 13 meeting.