Maxwell House Permit Decision Returns to Pasadena City Council

The Pasadena City Council will continue deliberations Monday night on a controversial Conditional Use Permit that would allow the historic Maxwell House to operate as an event venue, following weeks of dispute between the property’s nonprofit operator and neighboring residents.

The permit would formalize the Western Justice Center’s ability to host up to 21 events annually at the city-owned property at 55 S. Grand Ave., significantly fewer than the average 47 events held there annually over the past decade.

According to a staff report prepared for tonight’s meeting, City staff continues to recommend approval of the permit with specific conditions, now including a reduction in outdoor patio usage time from three hours to two hours.

“Staff continues to recommend that the City Council approve CUP #7114 subject to the findings in Attachment A and recommended conditions of approval in Attachment B,” wrote Jennifer Paige, Director of Planning and Community Development.

The permit application has undergone multiple reviews since first being presented to the Hearing Officer in June 2024. After approval there, it was appealed to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which upheld the decision with modified conditions in October, reducing the number of permitted events from 28 to 21 annually.

Richard McDonald, representing appellant Anita Yagjian and other neighboring residents, then appealed to the City Council on six specific grounds, including claims that the Board of Zoning Appeals failed to address the lease agreement, prior CUPs, zoning code requirements, CEQA exemption concerns, and noise ordinance violations.

When the Council first heard the matter on March 3, members voted 6-0 to continue the hearing for 30 days to examine the lease agreement terms and gather additional information about past events at the property. Two Councilmembers recused themselves: Jason Lyon, who previously served as general counsel to the Western Justice Center, and Rick Cole, who participated in earlier hearings as a Planning Commissioner.

City staff reported in Monday’s documents that the lease agreement review is being conducted separately from the CUP application process, with “no new information to report on this matter.” Staff also noted the Western Justice Center has not provided detailed historical information about past event types and locations as requested, indicating “past records may not contain this level of detail.”

Historical data shows significant variation in event frequency, with annual counts ranging from 16 events in 2020 to 86 events in 2018, averaging 47 events per year between 2014 and 2023.

The dispute involves multiple issues including lease compliance, zoning regulations, noise impacts, and neighborhood concerns. Neighbors have complained about noise and traffic impacts, with appellant Mike Davis previously characterizing the events as “wild west weddings” affecting residents’ quality of life. Some residents’ patios are reportedly just five feet from the Maxwell House event area.

“The partnership between the City and the Western Justice Center has been built on trust, and that trust is reflected in the lease. We have done our part to fulfill our obligations under the lease, literally raising millions of dollars to fund repairs, improve safety and improve all of the buildings and grounds on the campus,” Elisa Barrett, WJC’s executive director, told the Council in March.

She warned that without wedding events’ income, “we’re in the hole somewhere around $200,000. And so then I think we’ll have to decide whether we need to return the campus to the City.”

The organization’s financial statements show operating expenses of about $454,403 in 2023, with campus revenue of approximately $297,000 before wedding income. The 21 permitted events would generate about $65,000 in additional revenue.

The proposed permit conditions include limiting events to Saturdays and Sundays between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., with outdoor use restricted to a two-hour period between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Other conditions require third-party security personnel, attendance caps of 125 people for 75% of events and 150 people for the remainder, and compliance with the city’s noise ordinance.

The permit would also require a 12-month review after the first event to assess compliance with conditions.

A temporary use permit application was submitted on March 19 requesting approval for up to 21 events over a 12-month period. City staff had questions and was reportedly working with the applicant to clarify the TUP request, with no permit issued to date. If the CUP is approved, it would replace the need for a TUP.

The Maxwell House, built in 1929, is part of a historic campus that includes four buildings located near the former Vista Del Arroyo Hotel, which now serves as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.