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Lake Forest planning commission denies Caspian restaurant’s patio hookah use permit
Summary
The Lake Forest Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny a use permit for hookah service at Caspian Mediterranean Kitchen after staff cited repeated code violations and residents raised noise and secondhand-smoke concerns.
The Lake Forest Planning Commission voted unanimously, with Commissioner Grable absent, to deny a use permit that would have allowed hookah service on the outdoor patio at Caspian Mediterranean Kitchen in the Foothill Ranch Town Center.
City staff presented the application and two draft resolutions — one approving the permit and an alternative denying it — after recounting a recent history of code violations at the site. The staff report noted 18 public letters (14 in opposition, 4 in support) and said the Orange County Fire Authority recommended standard conditions if the permit were approved.
The restaurant’s owner, Esi Nabi, told the commission she sought approval to meet “increasing demand from our customers” and apologized for past permit and entertainment violations, including a wedding event she said led to a permit breach. “At this time, I’m humbly requesting your approval of our permit to serve hookah,” Nabi said.
City Code Enforcement Supervisor Winston Kuruga told commissioners staff had verified multiple violations since November and issued notices and citations, including incidents this past weekend. Kuruga said staff prepared the alternate resolution for denial on the basis that allowing hookah would “intensify and exacerbate unlawful conditions at the site” and could be “contrary to the general welfare.”
Attorney Lawrence Hudak, representing the applicant, disputed some factual details in the staff packet — for example, measurements of the patio wall and trellis — and argued Caspian has operated in the region for decades and is a community business. “Caspian has been around in Orange County for 30 years,” Hudak said, arguing wall and vegetation reduce noise and smoke migration.
Residents who live in condominiums across Bay Parkway told the commission they had experienced late-night music and vibration and raised concerns about secondhand smoke and resale impacts. One resident, Jessica Valenzuela, said the patio noise had “woken up my young toddler.” Another resident, Nicole Bursick, said noise had largely decreased after December code enforcement action but called the past weekend an exception.
Commissioners discussed enforcement history, whether outdoor live entertainment is permitted (staff testified live outdoor entertainment on the patio is prohibited without a permit), and the distance from the patio to nearby residences. After deliberation a commissioner moved to adopt the alternate resolution denying the permit; the motion passed unanimously with Commissioner Grable absent.
The commission’s denial leaves in place the city’s existing permitting and enforcement regime; the restaurant may pursue any administrative or legal remedies available under local and state law.
