No fines, no more burlesque, but live music can go on at club whose permit lapsed
A Costa Mesa bar owner who for about five months hosted live music shows and burlesque performances without a permit at his business will not face any fines. And because he has reapplied for his live-entertainment permit, the music can go on for now.
Roland Barrera, owner of Casa, had a permit for live entertainment at the speakeasy-style bar at 820 W. 19th St., but failed to notice that it expired Oct. 11.
In March, Barrera said, he became aware of the expiration, and by the end of the month he had paid the $675 for the permit’s annual renewal.
During the renewal process, Casa can continue hosting live entertainment under the conditions of its permit, Willa Bouwens-Killeen, a city planner and zoning administrator, said Friday.
She noted that burlesque shows at Casa are not permitted, and Barrera could be cited if such shows occur there again. City officials have reviewed video footage sent to them of a semi-nude woman performing at the bar, and determined that the performance was sexual and thus not permitted.
City officials decided not to fine Barrera, explaining that the permitting system is not intended to be punitive — unless the applicants are particularly uncooperative — and that until a recent staff expansion, workers were unable to monitor the status of all the various city permits.
Bouwens-Killeen said the permit renewal process involves checking for police calls involving the establishment, its compliance with fire codes, building conditions and any complaints from residents.
“If they don’t find anything, I can go ahead and issue a public-entertainment permit,” she said.
Barrera said he “completely overlooked” reapplying for his live-entertainment permit last fall amid the demands of being a small-business man.
“This isn’t something that I have on my calendar,” Barrera said. “It’s not auto renewal.”
He added that city officials sent his renewal notice twice to the wrong address, preventing him from seeing it sooner.
Concerning the burlesque shows, Barrera said they featured “respected” dancers, rarely took place at Casa and did not involve full nudity. He said they accounted for “less than 1%” of his business.
“We’re not an adult club,” he said. “We’re a classic [cocktails] bar.”
Barrera said the infrequent burlesque shows were a kind of surprise for patrons, who don’t necessarily know what they’re going to get at Casa. It’s all part of Casa’s marketing brand and appeal, he added.
“The entertainment and the arts are so dull around here,” Barrera said. “[Burlesque is] an art form.”
Barrera bought the bar, which had been the Avalon, in 2013. He revamped it and opened it as Casa.
On March 20, another of Barrera’s ventures in town, Maison, 719 W. 19th St., was red-tagged by city officials after they discovered that the venue was hosting live shows without the required permits and wasn’t in compliance with fire codes, among other issues.
Barrera was subsequently fined $1,050 and forced to relocate several of Maison’s pre-booked music acts to Casa. According to social media accounts, Maison presented live shows for about a month before officials were informed about them and the unpermitted construction going on inside the venue.
Barrera said he is complying with the required permitting process for Maison and its remodeling work.
“We’re taking the proper steps and procedures,” Barrera said.
Bouwens-Killeen said Maison, once reopened, is permitted for dancing and deejay music, but not live entertainment. Those are the same conditions that the Lions Den, Maison’s predecessor before Barrera bought the business, operated under.
Barrera will need to apply for live entertainment at Maison and seek Planning Commission approval. He has not began that process yet, Bouwens-Killeen said.
