Coming to this suite in the Pandora Pizza building.
Neighbors and residents are very nervous about the Leucadia Club, rumored to be a member's only MEN only private club.
Some residents fear another noisy drinking establishment.
Others fear this club with be filled with sweaty men smoking cigars and employing strippers at private parties.
Lots of rumors flying around.
Word is the mysterious WC Varones of the popular Encinitas Undercover blog is involved.
The following email questionnaire was sent to the Leucadia Club and was forwarded to the Leucadia Blog:
1. Please confirm that there is or is not a bar or bar-like element in the
space 2. How many TV's and of what size will be in the space?
3. What is the maximum number of people the Club is going to accept as
members?
4. Will you make the Club By-Laws available to the neighbors/concerned
public or the City?
5. Will you make a membership list available to the neighbors and/or the
City?
6. What is the maximum number of people allowed in the space by the Fire
Department per the square footage?
7. What are the hours/days of week you intend to make the space available
to members?
8. If members have 24 hour card key access, how will you enforce the hours?
9. You stated that a purpose of the Club is to "have a positive impact on
the community". What percentage of your income will be committed to
Community give back/events? How much is this projected to be and what
are the specific goals of the community involvement aspect of the Club?
10. Will your Board of Directors meetings be open to the neighbors whose
property/quality of life/quiet is impacted by the Club? Since you say you
want to be good neighbors, by what process will your Board of Directors
provide accountability and communication with neighbors who have
complaints/concerns?
11. Please explain how many non member friends/family will be allowed to
use the facilities and under what conditions.
12. In our conversation, you verbally committed to permanently seal the
windows on the alley and put up heavy draperies for noise mitigation and
privacy, increase lighting and security at the back of the building and
install video cameras. Are you willing to put that in writing?
13. You stated that the purpose of the club is to "Show up at 6:00 in the
morning to go surfing, shower etc"... this does not compute with your stated
hours of operation of 9:00-11:00. Please clarify.
14. You stated that you are dealing with the neighborhood concerns about
the alley and traffic "with the City". Please clarify exactly what your
plans are for parking, increased traffic on the alley and ingress/egress.
15. You stated that you cannot approach the ABC for a liquor license until
you have "been in business" for a year - does this imply that you will be
applying for a liquor license a year from now and that you will indeed be
running a bar business eventually, even a "members only"
business?
and,
September 15, 2013
J. Alfred Dichoso, Associate Planner
Planning and Building Department, City of Encinitas
505 So. Vulcan Avenue, Encinitas, CA 92024
Re: Minor Use Permit Case #13-141 MIN/CDP
828 North Coast Highway 101, Suite E, Leucadia, CA 92024
Dear Sir,
I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed Leucadia Club (the LC). While the LC is described by the applicants as a “hang out space for a group of friends who are surfers and cool people”, the number of people, specific uses, times of operation, potential for alcohol use and associated behaviors, increase in trash, noise, traffic and other issues, about which the applicants are vague, pose a potentially serious and ongoing threat to the safety, security, property values and quality of life in the adjacent residential neighborhood.
As the City of Encinitas knows, the alley behind the building at 828 N. Coast Highway, the proposed site, has a history of problems, which we believe would only be exacerbated by additional use by the members of the Leucadia Club. Chronic problems include cars speeding up and down the alley, illegal parking, drug deals, public urination, car break- ins, theft, noise and homelessness, as well as flooding in the winter. Many of these problems increased after Pandora’s Pizza built their new outside patio and increased their business this summer. We are concerned that a further increase in nighttime usage/establishments along Hwy 101 around Leucadia Blvd will further increase the number of people - potentially loud and drunk people - walking and speeding up and down the alley, on surrounding residential streets and around homes.
Other concerns relate to the vague and unregulated nature of the proposal and use of the property by the LC. The LC gives no number as a limit of their memberships, but has mentioned “maybe around 40”. So 40 members based on a “Friends of Friends” model, with 24 hour key card access, who bring spouses and more friends for a birthday party, to watch sports on the TV’s, or just to hang out and party any night of the week can easily become 100+ people, with no restrictions or other supervisory force such as a business owner. It is possible that a member might issue invitations via social media, word spreads and the crowd is quickly out of control. The Leucadia Club claims the behavior of their members will be “self policing”. This provides no assurances, limitations or security to neighbors, law enforcement or the community whatsoever.
Parking, restroom facilities and security to manage as many people as may turn up there during the proposed hours of operation - 9:00am-11:00pm, 7 days a week - are also issues. While telling the neighbors that the Club is simply a place for the members to store their surfboards and take a shower before going to work after an early morning go out, and/or get a little “time away from the family or office with friends”, the proposed hours are excessive and pose a threat to the peace and security of the neighborhood.
Currently the LC says it is not pursuing an alcohol permit at this time “because it is too expensive.” We believe it is unrealistic to think that a private club/hang out space for men is going to be devoid of alcohol, whether they buy it at Pandora Pizza next door (whose owner is also an LC Board Member) and walk it into the space through the interior door between the two spaces, or bring it in in their gym bags; who is going to stop it? Now we will have another drinking establishment in the neighborhood; one that will be completely unlicensed and unregulated.
In summary, as a resident living near 828 N. Coast Highway 101, I am concerned about the following issues:
- Increase in traffic, noise and use of an already overused and under policed alley and surrounding streets.
- Hours of operation
- Number of members/users
- Unregulated alcohol use
- Parking
- Security
- Appropriateness of a private men’s club in a residential neighborhood
We thank the City of Encinitas for consideration of these issues.
Sincerely
_______________________________________________________(name)
________________________________________________________(address)
________________________________________________________(phone/email)
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