Gardena planning commission approves beer-and-wine permit for Legend Cigar

The Gardena Planning and Environmental Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit allowing Legend Cigar, at 14512 Crenshaw Boulevard, to sell beer and wine for on-site consumption. The commission adopted Resolution PC 15-24 approving Conditional Use Permit 3-24 by a 4-0 vote on Aug. 20, 2024.

Staff told commissioners the tenant space is approximately 1,813 square feet in a two-tenant building and is in the city’s C-3 general commercial zone with an HO-5 housing overlay. Staff said the lounge is a legal nonconforming use established in April 2022 and that the business is applying for a Type 42 license for sale of beer and wine on-site. Staff recommended approval subject to conditions including limiting hours to Monday–Thursday 4 p.m.–10 p.m., Friday 4 p.m.–12 a.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–12 a.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., keeping alcohol storage inside the bar and storage room, and requiring that business activities remain within the enclosed building.

Two written public comments were placed in the record. One commenter, Charlice Tran, reported "current loud noises, talking" and noted that people sometimes stay "around 2AM," and staff included an attached call sheet from the police department. Lieutenant Mark Thomas’s attached call sheet noted one disturbance call related to loud music and a live band and said "the property owner, Michael Brown, was cooperative in turning down the music." At the hearing Michael Brown, the owner and applicant, said he is a Gardena resident who attended Gardena High School and described the lounge as a community business: "Starting my business in the city of Gardena meant a lot to me."

Commissioners questioned outdoor canopies and whether those activities had been occurring; the applicant said a canopy is used infrequently during hot weather and folds daily. Staff emphasized that operations must occur inside the enclosed building under municipal code and that a separate temporary-event permit would be required to allow limited, regulated outdoor activities.

Following testimony and staff recommendations, an unidentified commissioner moved to adopt Resolution PC 15-24 approving CUP 3-24 subject to the attached conditions; after a second the commission voted 4-0 to approve. Staff was directed to file a notice of exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act as recommended, and the applicant was advised that local permits and a state Type 42 license are required before alcohol sales may begin.

The commission’s action is a final local decision on the zoning entitlement; state licensing and any code-enforcement follow-up remain separate processes.