Are two downtown Santa Ana businesses going to violate city code tonight?

A Cover Charge at Proof?  No bueno!

UPDATE: Santa Ana City Manager Paul Walters sent me an email today confirming that the City is looking into the issues raised in this post!

Chapter One: the Modern Local, a restaurant in Downtown Santa Ana, is promising a fun night tonight, which includes dancing – as per their Facebook event page.  However, I am told that their Conditional Use Permit (C.U.P.)  does NOT allow dancing.  As far as I know, they did not petition the Santa Ana Planning Agency for an exception.

You may recall that one of the owners of Chapter One went off on Mexican owned businesses in Downtown Santa Ana, a few months ago, when he questioned the number of Quinceanera stores in the Downtown area.  Well, I guarantee you that none of those shops will be flouting the law tonight!

But Chapter One is not the only local business promising to violate their C.U.P. tonight.  The Proof Bar is holding a New Year’s Eve Extravaganza – with a cover charge.  Guess what?  Their C.U.P. does not allow them to do that.  And if they are planning on allowing dancing tonight, that too is a violation of their C.U.P.  Perhaps their “problem solver” told them to do this?  I hope the Planning Agency and our City Council will remember this when Proof comes begging for changes to their current C.U.P.

This is not the first time this problem has cropped up recently in Downtown Santa Ana.  When East End promoter Archer Altstaetter opened his new costume store he did it without a business license.  He got busted for that.  He also held a Zombie Walk that, according to the SAPD, did not have a permit.

And we found evidence on the Velvet Lounge’s website that they might be engaging in adult entertainment – including simulated sex acts, stuffing money down male dancer’s underwear, etc.

Employees of Santa Ana’s Planning Agency had a cow when Mariscos Zamora advertised a karaoke night – when that longtime Santa Ana business tried to change their C.U.P.  Obviously they have a distinct double standard given the mayhem going on in Downtown Santa Ana.  But the good news is that they are now investigating the Velvet Lounge and they have been made aware about the shenanigans planned at Chapter One and Proof tonight.

Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.
Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

View Comments

  • "Sean has run 37 miles this week. How about you Stanley?"...... Hmmmmmm

    I was making sure that I am not getting fat.

    Lets see how many miles he will be runnig when he is 66.

    But running is not dancing.

    Dancing is much more healthier for the body and spirit than is running.

    Unfortunately in Santa Ana you need permission from Mill to do so.

    Sad!

    • No Stanley, it is part of the City Code. That Code was mostly drafted by past white Republican Councils.

  • "That Code was mostly drafted by past white Republican Councils"...... Hmmmm

    Than change it!

    We have now Magnificent Seven all democrats and all your people running the show for last 10 years.

    Remove all these stupid regulations so we have happy city.

  • I should add that under the Magnificent Seven regime, two homos can hold each other by the ass in the public places but two hetero man and woman get rested for dancing.

    Can you see how incompetent the governing Mexicans are?

    • Wrong. Lewd conduct in public has limitations. Dancing is not illegal. But a business has to be reviewed to m!ke sure they can safety host such an activity. Proof is s small venue. I believe they are trying to acquire the vacancy next door which will give them more options.

  • "But a business has to be reviewed to m!ke sure they can safety host such an activity."...... Hmmmmmm

    I thought that "Code was mostly drafted by past white Republican Councils"..... Huh?

    Problem with BSing, Admin, is that BSers does not remember his BS from the paragraph to a paragraph.

    FYI, the safety has noting to do with dancing but with the establishment's capacity. It will make no difference if 100 people would stand in small room or dance.

    Problem is that you have never visited the world and seen spontaneous enjoyment of the life and the Magnificent Seven are mostly affirmative action educated so the created allegedly #4 safest city which is totally broke with no interest to intelligent people.

    There always will be Pulidos, Walters, Mills and other socialists who will find the stick to beat the people but the people should always vote for a freedom which is difficult to do in 95% Latino City dependent on welfare crumbs.

    Any prohibition is established for a purpose of legalized extortion and not the safety.

    It is how the revenues are generated.

    Because the Mexican governments are known to be the most corrupt governments there is no limits in their mind to create more prohibition to get more revenues to extort to feed their appetite for their corruption.

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