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Planning Commission grants two-year extension for Comedy & Magic Club permit
Summary
The Hermosa Beach City Planning Commission voted 5-0 April 21 to adopt a resolution granting a two-year time extension of Conditional Use Permit CUP 26-01 and its parking plan for the Comedy & Magic Club at 1018 Hermosa Avenue, after staff cited code limits on extension lengths and the owner described business hardships.
The Hermosa Beach City Planning Commission voted 5-0 Tuesday to adopt a resolution granting a two-year time extension for Conditional Use Permit CUP 26-01 and the associated parking plan for the Comedy & Magic Club at 1018 Hermosa Avenue.
Staff presenter Didi Tran told commissioners the existing entitlements had been approved in prior years and that work authorized under the prior approvals has not yet commenced. She said the applicant requested an open-ended extension but Hermosa Beach Municipal Code 17.70.20 limits the Planning Commission to granting no more than two years per extension. Tran recommended the project be found categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under Class 1, section 15301(a), for existing facilities.
The applicant, owner Michael Lacey, said the club has struggled in recent years and that third-party ticket resale websites have harmed his business by inflating prices and diverting customers, a problem he said has contributed to an “about a 60% reduction in business.” Lacey asked the commission for flexibility so the club could proceed when economic conditions allow. Commissioners expressed sympathy but noted the resolution before them was limited to the time-extension request.
An online speaker, Laura Peña, voiced support for the extension and urged the city to consider administrative changes that would allow staff to grant limited additional extensions without repeated public hearings, citing examples from Santa Clara and Culver City.
After public comment, the Commission moved, seconded and approved the two-year extension by roll call: Commissioners Hirsch, McNally, Hoffman, Vice Chair Flaherty and Chair Eisen all voted yes. The resolution extends the prior entitlements and preserves the previously approved ability to relocate the stage and add floor area at the property.
The Planning Commission’s action preserves the existing approvals for two more years; the record shows the applicant previously received a two-year extension that had been in effect until March 19, 2026. The resolution does not change the previously approved uses or intensify impacts, and staff treated the matter as CEQA-exempt under Class 1, section 15301(a).
