CALIFORNIA - Vallejo OKs motorcycle club's use of former union hall for 3 months

OFF THE WIRE
A Vallejo motorcycle club shut down last year after neighbors complained about noise was granted city approval Wednesday to reopen.
The Vallejo Planning Commission initially rejected the Bay Area Desperados' application in July, but reheard the issue after learning that bike club members wanted to speak in support of their application. They had not spoken in July due to a misunderstanding, according to a city staff report.
The Bay Area Desperados maintained a club at 1971 Broadway, a former union hall, for two years. Then, however, complaints caused the city to uncover the club's lack of a permit, members said Wednesday.
In an effort to reduce some of the neighbors' concern, the Desperados will have to enter their clubhouse parking lot through Lewis Brown Road, rather than Broadway. They also will need to quiet their radios entering and leaving the lot as well as produce an internal security plan to enforce noise levels.
City Planning Division staff will report back to the commission in three months on how the noise control plan is progressing as well as what, if any, neighborhood complaints have been lodged. The city panel may revoke the club's permit if club members don't follow the city's operational conditions.
"I believe the club controls its fate," Commission Vice Chairman Landis Graden said.
Le-Ellis Brown, the club's business manager, told the panel that he is willing to give concerned neighbors his phone numbers, for any noise complaints.
After the meeting, Brown, a San Francisco animal control officer, said he believes neighbors misunderstood how often the club will be in use. Brown expects the club to be used monthly for group meetings with its approximately 35 members. It would also hold weekly board meeting and cleanup days, plus about four large events a year.
Approved club hours are seven days a week, 1 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Those who spoke against the club on Wednesday raised specific concerns about noise and lack of police enforcement. A neighborhood group had gathered more than 30 signatures in a petition against club operations in July.

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