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Commission conditions La Officina permit after neighbors cite noise, urine and blocked driveways
Summary
Neighbors described persistent sound leakage through shared walls, late-night urination, blocked driveways and poor crowd control at La Officina; the commission moved to modernize the 1988 permit and impose good‑neighbor and crowd-control conditions including side‑wall soundproofing and a dedicated outside staff member.
The Entertainment Commission on Feb. 28 considered repeated neighbor complaints about La Officina, a small Mission Street venue with an older dance‑hall permit, and voted to condition the permit to address sound and street impacts.
Staff told commissioners La Officina’s permit dates to 1988 and noted the venue has 12 calls for service from April 2011 to January 2012. Neighbors described nights when music and crowd noise penetrate shared walls, patrons urinate on driveways, and sidewalks and garage entrances are blocked. Neighbor Patricia Cabanaro said she represents tenants who "have young children in those buildings" and that the disturbances had made tenants fearful. "The music is so loud that it's disturbing for the immediate neighbors," she said.
Commissioners and staff debated modernizing the permit into a current place‑of‑entertainment permit and adding explicit operational conditions: adoption of the commission’s good‑neighbor policy, soundproofing of side walls and insulation of metal joists, prohibition on alcohol containers outside the venue, and a requirement that a designated staff member remain outside during operating hours to manage the street and prevent loitering.
The motion to add those conditions, including an amendment to require a staff person outside during operating hours for crowd control and cleanup, passed on roll call with commissioners present voting 'Aye.' Staff will meet with the permit holder to explain the updated requirements and follow up to ensure compliance.
