Fat Dog Meeting Update

Last night, as most of you know, the ERNC Public Land Use Committee held their montly meeting. The topic once again: Fat Dog.

Eagle Rock Talk Episode 8 was already recorded at the time of the meeting, so we weren’t able to include an update in the podcast. However, here’s a blog report from Laurel:

Elizabeth Peterson, the person representing Fat Dog Lounge shared the group’s modifications to the proposed project. As stated, those modifications are:
• Restaurant dining area 1,773 sq. ft., patio area 266 sq. ft., service/support & storage area 1, 441 sq ft.
• Fat Dog has reduced seating: restaurant seating to 73 seats and patio seating to 14 seats.
• Fat Dog will install a noise mitigating canopy awning over patio area.
• Fat Dog will remove live entertainment request.
• Fat Dog will reduce hours of operation to 11- 11:30 pm mon-thurs and 11-1am friday-saturday.

They are submitting a request clause that generally says:
• They’re still requesting a conditional use to permit for the on site sales and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages.
• They are asking for an “exception” to the Colorado Blvd. Specific Plan, and to the Eagle Rock community parking pilot program, to permit 12 off-site parking spaces in lieu of the 12 on-site spaces required.
• This request clause goes in on Monday, April 30.

Some of the issues mentioned by people in favor of the restaurant were:
• Fat Dog will revitalize commerce and nightlife in Eagle Rock.
• They want a new restaurant to patronize.
• They want Eagle Rock to live up to its potential and be more of a destination like Silver Lake.
• The late hours are good because their jobs are such that they eat late sometimes.
• People in favor said that those opposed should not make fear-based decisions.

Some of the issues mentioned by people opposed to the restaurant were:
• Increased traffic on the narrow streets of Townsend and Dahlia.
• Parking on single-family streets.
• Inebriated patrons driving drunk and putting residents and children in harm’s way during the day or night.
• Trash around the premises.
• A bar in close proximity to an elementary school.
• Noise levels that could harm quality of life for nearby residents.

Per an e-mail interchange between Laurel and Bob Arranaga, ERNC Land Use Co-Chair, here’s more about what happened at the meeting:
• Ultimately, a vote was held by the ERNC committee concerning the parking and hours of the proposed Fat Dog Lounge.
• The committee voted to approve the hours of 11am-11:30pm Sunday-Thursday and 11am-1am Friday and Saturday.
• The committee voted to approve only 25 parking permits. This limits the square footage of the project to 2500.
• The committee is asking that the applicant stick to the 2500 square footage as is set forth in the area Specific Plan and the Pilot Parking Plan.

If this issue matters to you, please stay tuned as Eagle Rock Talk will be following the developing story closely.

April 27th, 2007, 9:13am |
categories: Updates

15 Responses to “Fat Dog Meeting Update”

  1. 1 laurel April 27th, 2007, 3:17pm

    One more thing that I didn’t include. With bar seating, the total dining seats in the Fat Dog Lounge is 118. Thanks to Rebecca for pointing that out!

  2. 2 Amie April 27th, 2007, 6:50pm

    I can’t wait until this restaurant is part of our community (and I hope they figure out a way to eventually work in live music). On a side note…a recent e-mail from Larkin’s stated that they were still having trouble getting through the city red tape to open…doesn’t the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce help businesses such as this with these matters? And finally, any news on Lemongrass and Michelangelo’s?

  3. 3 lkw April 27th, 2007, 7:08pm

    It’s not really city red tape, it’s a building inspector who evaluates the safety of buildings for commercial use. If you have ever done a remodel it’s the same kind of thing. They renovated a very old house. It has nothing to do with the conditional use permits which is what we’re dealing with here. Larkin’s didn’t have the same issues at Fat Dog because they are working within the Colorado Specific Plan.

    I would love a restaurant there but this one is too big and the hours are too late (and I’m not an old timer who fears change). If you want them to have live music, you probably don’t live close enough to the building for it to impact you directly. I’m not next door to it, but I think we should all appreciate and understand why that would pose a major nuisance to all the people who do live around there.

  4. 4 David Spancer April 27th, 2007, 7:55pm

    I have my reservations about Fat Dog, but I’ve seen lots and lots of irrational fear-based arguments against it that I just don’t think are valid.

    For instance: Camilo’s, Columbo’s, and Cafe Beaujolais all have live music. I’ve never heard a single complaint about them. Fat Dog would have to respect noise levels and deal with neighborhood complaints just like any other establishment. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be fined or shut down by the cops.

    Parking is a legitimate issue, and residents of similar neighborhoods usually have the city turn their streets into permit-only parking at night, which is great.

    If Fat Dog thinks they can keep their restaurant open and profitable without destroying the neighborhood and breaking laws, then great. If they do bad things, we the residents have legal recourse. If the place is great, I’d love to go to it. If it isn’t, I don’t think people will drive to Eagle Rock to patronize just another mediocre pseudo-bar.

    By the way, there are very spirited conversations about this taking place in the Eagle Rock Talk message boards.

    :d

  5. 5 Jonathan April 28th, 2007, 8:16am

    I think David makes a great point. Camilo’s does have live music and Cafe Beuajolais as well and you don’t hear it outside the establishment. Does anyone know exactly what Fat Dog meant by “live music”? Did they mean “live band” or just guitar/piano music? We had a situation a month ago where Oxy had music till 2am, it was a DJ and it was way to loud for a residential area making it difficult to sleep. (in the past the parties have not been that loud) There were many neighbors upset at the school for being so inconsiderate. But at least we knew at the end of the day it wouldn’t be every night. I am excited to have Fat Dog in the neighborhood, but I can imagine that those living close to Fat Dog might be a little nervous when they hear “live music” and patio seating with “full bar”.

  6. 6 Rebecca April 30th, 2007, 5:19pm

    Hi.

    Regarding the live music question, Camillo’s and Columbo’s have larger buffer zones between the restaurant and the residences. And all three are smaller venues than the proposed Fat Dog.

    But again, this is more a matter of the quantity of variences requested by the Fat Dog applicants, rather than the specifics of each one. For example, if the proposed project was, say, the “Jazz Bakery East” and had live music, but it was reasonable hours, just beer and wine, and limited seating, I’d be less concerned.

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