Maxwell House Conditional Use Appeal to be March 3

The appeal on the Western Justice Center’s Conditional Use Permit for holding events at the historic Maxwell House will now be heard on March 3.

The item has been continued twice. However public hearings cannot be continued a third time without notice once again going out to residents in the impacted area.

The Conditional Use Permit in question allows 21 events annually to be held at the venue, but none on consecutive weekends.

The permit also allows for 75% of events limited to 125 guests, remainder capped at 150. Events would be restricted to Saturdays and Sundays between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. Outdoor patio use limited to three-hour periods between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Setup restricted to after 9 a.m. with equipment removal by 5 p.m. next day. Required security staff and Western Justice Center representative present. Restrictions on outdoor amplified sound. Mandatory public website posting of event schedule and complaint contact. Periodic code compliance monitoring and a 12-month review requirement.

A small number of neighbors have complained about noise issues, though some others in the community support the permit.

The Center, which manages four historic buildings dating from the 1890s to the 1920s under a 55-year City lease with a 45-year option, has recently provided free meeting space for nonprofits displaced by the Eaton Fire. The Center’s campus is also home to nearly 20 organizations, including recent addition, Amigos de Los Rios, whose offices were lost in the fire.