Huntington Beach Planning Commission delays decision on restaurant’s live music permit

A Huntington Beach restaurant seeking a permit to allow live music will need to wait until later this month for a decision from the Planning Commission.

Commissioners decided Tuesday to continue consideration of a conditional use permit for Mama’s On 39 so that they could properly review a noise report and consider feedback from nearby residents.

City staff was supposed to be given a noise report from the applicant but could not locate it at the meeting, commission Chairwoman Connie Mandic said.

That, coupled with the number of residents concerned with possible noise issues, caused the commission to delay a decision until its April 25 meeting so it could review the report.

Associate Planner Christopher Wong said the city had received the noise report in the morning and concluded that nearby residents would not be affected.

The permit would allow the restaurant at 21022 Beach Blvd. a solo acoustic musician, a live band with five or fewer members and a disc jockey, a staff report says.

The restaurant would primarily feature a solo acoustic musician with only occasional appearances from larger bands and disc jockeys for special events like parties or reunions.

Performances will not generally use electric instruments, and all entertainment would be indoors, the report says.

Notices were mailed to nearby property owners and, as of April 4, staff had not received any complaints, the report says.

But Wong said the city received letters in the past few days from concerned residents, and several showed up to the meeting.

New commissioner is welcomed

In other business, Alan Ray was welcomed as a new member of the commission.

Councilman Erik Peterson recently appointed Ray to the position. Each City Council member appoints one commissioner to the seven-member body, according to the city’s website.

Ray replaced former member Clem Dominguez, who died last month. Dominguez took the seat in December after the resignation of Michael Hoskinson, who faced public backlash for comments he made online denigrating Islam.

Ray had been serving on the city’s Investment Advisory Board, which advises the council and treasurer on investments and financial planning, according to the city’s website.

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