Planning Commission to revoke Buzz permit

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Planning Commissioners unanimously voted Thursday to

revoke a use permit for the Buzz Restaurant after a tense, two-hour

hearing.

Commissioners based their decision on the fact that Buzz managers had

violated the terms of the use permit by removing arcade-type video games

from the premises. Commissioners had approved the project on Via Oporto

by granting a waiver for 41 parking spaces in 1998. Arcade-type

businesses require less parking spaces than regular restaurants or dance

clubs.

“I think [the current use] is dramatically different from the use that

I voted for in 1998,” said Commissioner Michael Kranzley, who chaired the

commission when the project was approved. “As chairman, I approved a Dave

and Busters [type business] and you are now operating a dance club.”

He added that the managers continued to violate the conditions of the

use permit despite a letter the city had sent in February admonishing

them about the violation.

Stephen Jamieson, a Los Angeles-based attorney representing Buzz,

protested the decision after the heated exchange with commissioners.

“If you vote to revoke this permit, you will shut this business down,”

Jamieson said after Commission Chairman Edward Selich had allowed the

attorney to give a 30-minute presentation instead of the several hours

that Jamieson had requested.

“We have not heard any evidence adequate to permit such a revocation,”

Jamieson said. “We haven’t had the time to provide written opposition to

four or five inches of material. I would respectfully suggest to all of

you to try to respond to this in [30 minutes].”

Jamieson, who had brought about 20 business people from the area

surrounding Buzz to testify before the commission, largely based his

objection on the fact that city officials had submitted more than 100

police arrest reports on incidents occurring in or near Buzz, some

involving employees of the business.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to go back and at least find these employees?”

Jamieson said. “We got that today and now we need to try and locate these

people to provide some type of defense.”

But once Randy Teffeteller, the chief executive officer of Buzz’s

management company, had told commissioners that the video games had been

removed, the people behind the dais didn’t take long to make up their

minds.

“All of the evidence provides a basis for revocation,” said

Commissioner Anne Gifford, who also approved the project in 1998. “The

testimony from police officers isn’t really relevant.”

While Jamieson told commissioners that Buzz’s management had plans to

turn the business into a more low-key, upscale restaurant, Kranzley

countered that managers should have sought approval from the commission

before making changes to the place.

“The way it’s supposed to be done is, you come in and say, ‘Look, I

want to have more tables,’ ” he said. “They should have come in before

they changed the way business was done and they didn’t do it and that’s

why we’re here tonight.”

After the 6-0 decision to revoke the permit -- Commissioner Larry

Tucker was absent from the meeting -- Jamieson said Buzz managers would

appeal to the City Council within the next 14 days. He added that his

clients might also take legal action.

“It’s absolutely appalling that we are not allowed to provide a full

response to the allegations,” he said. “We had six days to prepare.”

Teffeteller added that Buzz would stay open until a final decision had

been made.

Buzz “will still be open for another year at the rate we are going,”

he said.