Banquet

CITY HALL — A battle over language, and its implications for a restaurant on San Fernando Road, is expected to play out before the City Council on Tuesday. Owners of Ambrosia Restaurant on the 6400 block of San Fernando Road are scheduled to appeal to the council on Tuesday to let a caveat stand in their recently amended conditional-use permit that would allow “incidental private parties” despite an earlier decision by the Planning Commission in June to remove the added language.

On Wednesday, Feb. 14, First Baptist Church in La Crescenta held a special Valentine's banquet in the church's Fellowship Hall. The theme for the evening was Italian, with a lasagna dinner being served. Entertainment was provided by Sean and Allison Strovas who performed a lip-sync musical skit that had the audience laughing. Lisa Wells then sang some beautiful love songs appropriate of the event with her husband John at the piano. A full house of 170 folks attended the banquet, including some of the church's Armenian friends as well as several visiting folks.

Judy Seckler DOWNTOWN -- Spirits were high as the 60-member Hoover High Armenian Club celebrated a year filled with activities and accomplishments at its year-end banquet Friday evening at the Verdugo Hills Country Club. "We wanted to have a party so we could finish off the year and sum it up," club treasurer Anait Zakaryan said. "Everything turned out how we planned. We received a lot of support and donations for the wonderful trophies and centerpieces."

The city of Glendale is going to court against the owners of the Montrose Collection, charging the establishment is operating illegally as a banquet hall. Sam Engel of Neighborhood Services said the establishment opened last spring under a restaurant permit, but has never really operated as such. "When we answered neighborhood complaints, the owners told us they have only two or three drop-in customers a week, and are primarily operating as a banquet hall." The city has been working for several years on dealing with banquet halls operating without proper permits.

GLENDALE — Code enforcement officials have handed another Glendale restaurant over to the city attorney’s office for possible criminal prosecution for zoning violations. The violations for Anoush Restaurant at 401 W. Colorado St. deal mostly with allegedly illegal banquet operations, building expansions and subsequent parking deficiencies. They were referred to the city attorney after the restaurant failed to meet two September deadlines for submitting applications related to a new development project there that would theoretically void most of the violations, according to city documents.

I read with dismay the News-Press article regarding Ambrosia Restaurant’s operating permit (“Council votes Ambrosia back to 2004 permit,” Sept. 4). Based on legal nuances and technicalities, I think the city took away Ambrosia’s right to operate as a banquet hall, thereby depriving many Glendale citizens from having family-oriented gatherings at that location. Ambrosia is in an industrial zone and has been operating as a banquet hall since the mid-’90s.

Fred Ortega While many aspects of the city's contentious banquet hall ordinance remain up in the air, the City Council does agree on one thing: a 200-foot buffer zone should be required between new banquet halls and nearby residences. The council led a discussion on proposed changes to the city law governing banquet halls during a study session Tuesday at City Hall. Members of the city's Transportation and Parking Commission, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and key city staff members were also in attendance, as well as about two dozen residents and banquet hall owners.

Claudia Peschiutta GLENDALE - Put 90 candles on the cake for this birthday party. The Armenian Relief Society is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a banquet on April 1 at the Hilton Glendale, 100 W. Glenoaks Blvd. The organization, which was founded in New York City, has performed relief work in more than 20 countries. The society's projects include founding schools, shelters, summer camps and social and health centers. The banquet will feature various speakers and an awards ceremony honoring people who have served the society for more than 50 years.

CITY APPROVES BANQUET HALL NOTICE MAILINGS WHAT HAPPENED The council approved a resolution appropriating $3,112 to send notices to city residents about upcoming banquet hall discussions. WHAT IT MEANS Neighbors near banquets halls have complained about noise and parking problems the restaurants cause. Police officials have complained about problems that have arisen at banquet halls. The city will address these issues at an upcoming public hearing, and the council wants to make sure that all residents within 300 feet of banquet halls know when and where the meeting will be. The city will use a mailing house to send out postcards to those residents, and it will buy two newspaper advertisements.

GLENDALE — The owner of the former Bob’s Big Boy on Glenoaks Boulevard has submitted applications to convert the restaurant into a full-service banquet hall, according to city documents. Valadieh Avanessian, who parted with the Bob’s Big Boy franchise earlier this year and converted the 1407 E. Glenoaks Blvd. restaurant into Glenoaks Cafe, submitted applications to the Planning Department Aug. 4 for reduced parking and zoning exceptions to turn the once iconic eatery “into a full service restaurant [and]