In a public meeting held Wednesday, concerned Westwood residents
and the Los Angeles Police Department requested Madison’s
improve its security staff and screening of underage drinking, and
reduce the restaurant’s hours of operation.
The hearing was held at the West L.A. Municipal Building and
chaired by Lourdes Green, an associate zoning Administrator with
the Los Angeles Planning Department, which oversees land use.
The meeting was called on the behest of the LAPD, which had
received numerous complaints from some Westwood residents that
Madison’s is not abiding by its Conditional Use Permit.
Sergeant Carmine Sasso of the LAPD’s West L.A. Vice unit
recommended seven additional conditions be added to Madison’s
permit. The recommendations included reducing the
restaurant’s closing hour to 12:30 a.m., making the
establishment provide a state-licensed security staff, and the
installation of a screening machine for fake I.D.s.
Sasso said that his officers, while investigating
Madison’s over some months, had issued several citations to
either underage patrons drinking alcohol or to employees for
serving them.
Fights over the past year, some involving UCLA athletes and
resulting in substantial injuries, were mentioned as reasons for
Madison’s to improve security.
But it was also mentioned there have been no major fights since
May, and Sasso and Madison’s principle proprietor, Milton
Zampelli, have been working together on solutions.
“We have all the tools necessary … all we have to do is
work it out,” Sasso said.
However, some community members are not interested in working
things out, alleging Madison’s has violated its permit.
Madison’s permit maintains ““ among other things
““ that it operate as a restaurant, and in doing so, its
alcohol sales cannot exceed food sales.
Sandy Brown of the Holmby-Westwood Homeowners Association said
Madison’s is doing only a small amount of business selling
food with most profits earned through bar sales, which violates its
permit.
Both Brown and Laura Lake, of Friends of Westwood, urged the
zoning administrator to revoke Madison’s Conditional Use
Permit, claiming the establishment has historically proven to be a
“problem site,” even under previous owners.
Brown also mentioned that happy hour specials reducing drink
prices, such as Tuesday night “Pint Night,” are
prohibited as one of the conditions of Madison’s permit. She
later recommended the restaurant’s central bar be torn
down.
“The physical aspect of the bar contributes to these cheap
drinks,” she said.
In frustration over what he feels has been a systematic
targeting by special interest groups, Zampelli said his staff
voluntarily wrote a petition to save Madison’s, which was
signed by over 500 people.
“I feel that there has been a systematic elimination over
time (of nightlife in Westwood),” Zampelli said, adding when
he first came to Westwood the Village had several nightspots which
have since closed.
“I’m looking for a buyer and to call it a
day,” he said.
Zampelli said he is looking to sell Madison’s by next
year, and that he will tell the new owners to “tear down the
bar, or not to bother.”