Meeting Wednesday to discuss Fix’s beer/wine application
Flickr photo via Stuart Fingerhut
The Eastsider LA reported today that there will be a forum at Fix Coffee on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:00 pm to discuss the coffee shop’s impending application for a beer and wine license.
While they claim to hold over 2,000 signatures in support of the business’ license, there are a handful of opponents – some of whom are not only long-time community members but also direct neighbors.
Some of the issues are obvious: It’s a quiet neighborhood, directly across from an elementary school, and they are also asking for extended hours until 11:00 pm. Add existing parking pressures, it’s understandable why neighbors would feel concerned.
The Eastsider LA article quotes neighbor Susan Borden, a long-time resident and activist, as saying:
This is the first step in turning our neighborhood from a residential one into a commercial one. When he moved in three years ago Marc Galucci (FIX owner) could see that this is a residential not a commercial neighborhood. He wants to change it. All along Echo Park Avenue businesses will try to get alcohol licenses and bring the club-goers up from Sunset. Some people will enjoy that—they are [usually] the ones who are not adjacent to the businesses and don’t have to deal with the noise and trash. Most of us like the non-commercial nature of our canyon.
And this is a major concern for neighbors – that even if Fix respects the neighborhood, keeps things quiet, the beer/wine license might open the door for even later hours and entertainments licenses (either by current owners or future owners) at that location and in the area that is unwelcome by some neighbors. Rumor mill has it that more restaurants and businesses serving alcohol will start popping up along Echo Park Avenue, so this just might be the start of it.
Owner Marc Galucci is hoping to listen and respond to such concerns at the meeting on Wednesday, and, as he said in a response to Susan on The Eastsider LA article, “I am sincerely trying to be empathetic to our neighbors but unfortunately, as you know, you can’t make everyone happy but I will always continue to try.”
While we do look forward to grabbing a beer and perhaps dinner on the lovely patio at Fix, we aren’t the neighbors who will be directly affected by this change.
Do you think Fix will be granted its beer and wine license by the city? Would you support the business if they serve beer, wine and dinner?
And, more importantly, do you see Echo Park Avenue as benefiting from bars and restaurants, or should it remain a quieter hub for schools and residences?
Click here to read the full Eastsider LA article and the letters from Susan and Marc.
This is a horrible ideal.
I can see if it was closer to sunset like the yacht club. But this is our residential canyon. Not to mention, right next to elementary school. This is how is starts. We need to STOP this owner before he takes advantage of this sweet little neighborhood. There is no parking now, where will the locals like me park? The bottom line is that its not in the best interest of the echo park community. It doesn’t make dollars or sense. Whats in it for us? We know whats in it for Marc Galucci($$$). These places dont make money unless they can somehow come up with the coveted liqueur license.
Now lets bring up this “petition” with 2000 names who want FIX to get their license. How many of those”2000 signatures” live in the canyon? Now that petition is worthless because the only names that matter are the ones who live in the area.
This was the plan for the past 3 years, Galucci was just waiting for the locals to be weak.
DONT WE TOLERATE ENOUGH ALREADY IN THIS AREA.
Get ready for your $17 glass of cab and a delicious organic mushroom salad for $20.
Way to take Echo Park for a ride Marc Galucci!
I’m torn on this issue. Me and my family live within walking distance but outside of earshot of FIX. Though it would be nice personally for us to be able to enjoy a drink at dinner, I wouldn’t want to be one of the nearby neighbors, what with the noise and added cars on the street. Certainly the neighbors nearby should have a stronger voice than those near but not near enough to hear or be bothered by the parking situation.
This the first step to night life on Echo Park ave. It will bring more nightlife.
The great part about this section of Urban Echo park is that it still feels residential.
I do not know of any business owner that will reject busy and profitable. If it stays small and quaint it will not stay in business. This is a big change for the neighborhood and a huge change for those of us who purchased property in a residential neighborhood to raise our families. Commercial activity in the daytime has been fully embraced but nightlife is much different.
I feel Mark will do all he can to to make it the best place possible but there are things that are simply out of his hands. All commercial environments create issues – noise, parking concerns, theft, trash, etc.
The commercial zoning of this building does not entitle it for alcohol use. When alcohol is served people get louder. This has nothing to do with being drunk…but just louder. With outdoor seating and in a canyon this will effect many people.
I think it is totally unfair to the surrounding neighbors. Keep the nightlife on Sunset. We don’t need people out partying in our quiet neighborhood. I have been living here for 11 years and it is finally quiet and peaceful most nights. Let us keep it that way! Let us not forget, there are two schools next to Fix (Baxter Montessori and Elysian Elem.). I do love the coffee shop though…
I’m a homeowner three blocks up from Fix. I don’t have a problem with this. It’s not hard liquor, it’s not even mixology. It’s just beer and wine and slightly later hours. This is like bringing 15/Yacht Club up the street, and there really is very little noise that emanates from that establishment.
Fix has made the neighborhood better. A decade ago, what might pass for “quiet” and “non-commercial” could also mean dark, unsupervised, and amenable to gang activity. Responsible adult businesses frankly mean less likelihood of screwier mischief with long-term damage to residents.
I get home from work at 9pm, and some nights I might want to stop in for a beer or a glass of wine. Silver Lake Blvd has managed to keep a reasonable mix of residential and commercial going for years and years, and property values are much higher just over the hill. I’m completely cool with this.