Anaheim may revoke club’s dance permit

The Boogie attorneys say they haven’t seen letter from the business-license division notifying owners of the proposal.

By SARAH TULLY
The Orange County Register, Tuesday, May 23, 2006
TROUBLES: The Boogie is already in the middle of a 30-day suspension of its liquor license for lewd conduct violations.

KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE The Orange County Register

The Boogie timeline
1977: First opened as the Crescendo, with disco format.
1980: Renamed The Cowboy, with country format.
1984: Renamed Bandstand – Top 40 format.
1991: Renamed Cowboy Boogie – country format.
1999: Renamed The Boogie – Top 40 and hip-hop format.

Colleen Robledo,
The Orange County Register

ANAHEIM – The city plans to yank the dance hall permit for The Boogie nightclub, which could put an end to the longtime venue plagued with security and liquor-license problems.

On Friday, the city’s business-license division sent a letter notifying club owners of the proposal to revoke the permit, which is required for the club to charge cover fees and offer music and dancing. A hearing is set for June 6.

Two attorneys for The Boogie said they were unable to comment because they had yet to see the letter.

“I have no idea what the city is trying to do and whether they can do it legally,” attorney Stephen Solomon said Monday.

Already, the 18-and-older club in the Disneyland Resort area is in the middle of a 30-day suspension of its liquor license over allegations of lewd conduct. The club has stayed open without alcohol, drawing about half the usual patrons.

“Just the fact that we don’t have to spend that much time down there gives the guys the time to patrol the rest of the district,” Anaheim police Lt. Dave Vangsness said.

In addition, the club faces revocation of its liquor license because of allegations including excessive force by employees and illegal alcohol sales. The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Boogie are trying to settle the matter.

The dance hall permit is up for cancellation because of:

Allegations of unlawful conduct by employees and patrons.

Police received 2,534 calls to the club’s address from January 2000 through March 26. Boogie employees were named as suspects in about 40 percent of last year’s police reports, including assault allegations.

Failure to comply with its liquor license.

The license, granted in 1981, requires about half of proceeds come from meals. The club made about $30,000 from food and about $4 million from alcohol sales and cover charges from June 2004 to June 2005.

A snack bar and table offer items such as burgers, burritos and pizza.

At the city hearing, Boogie owners can explain why the club should keep the permit. Bill Sell, the license collector, will make a ruling.

The Boogie can appeal the decision to the city manager.

The Boogie’s operations manager, Jack Wade, who has operated clubs in Orange County, declined to return a phone call Monday. The venue has offered formats ranging from disco and country to ’80s and hip-hop for three decades.

In recent months, spillover from the club has turned violent, forcing some overnight businesses to close to avoid the post-Boogie crowd. An 18-year-old patron was fatally shot at a nearby Denny’s in March.

The Boogie patron Alicia Powell, 26, of Huntington Beach said she has never had problems at the club since she started going there at age 18.

“It really bums me out that the opportunity for younger people … is going to be taken away. We don’t have much left,” Powell said.

Solomon, Saltsman & Jamieson are attorneys practicing in the areas of ABC law, ABC Appeals Board cases, and all related Land Use Matters such as City and County Conditional Use Permits, Variances, Police and Fire permits, Entertainment law, and Gambling Law; as well as Business and Personal Injury litigation. Solomon, Saltsman & Jamieson can be reached at 800 405 4222.”