Popular Billiards Hall Appeals City Decision That Would Require It to Close at 10 p.m.

A special meeting of the Pasadena Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday will review an appeal filed by the owners of Crown City Billiards and Lounge, also known as Jerry’s Billiards, at 1312 N. Lake Ave. in Pasadena, against the Zoning Administrator’s determination that the business’s hours of operation shall be between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The determination was made on Sept. 9, according to the Department of Planning and Community Development.

In the appeal, the operators of the business said Jerry’s Billiards is a nonconforming use and is not subject to Section 17.40.070 of the Pasadena Zoning Code. The appeal included a PowerPoint presentation made by the Pasadena Police Department before the City Council’s Public Safety Committee on March 21, 2011. In it, Jerry’s Billiards was described as a nonconforming use.

Separate from the appeal application, and in response to a citation issued by the Code Compliance Division, the owners also submitted a form from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control dated March 19, 1985 which provides a description of the business operations, and indicates that the “hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.”

In response to the appeal, the Zoning Administrator said the business is a nonconforming use. Records show that the billiards use has been in operation since January 1985.

At that time, the billiards use was allowed with no restrictions on hours of operation applicable to its zoning district. 

The Zoning Administration said the property is currently zoned CL-SP-1b (Commercial Limited, North Lake Specific Plan Overlay subdistrict 1b), and a billiards use is no longer permitted in the zoning district’ the business, however, may continue operating as a nonconforming use.

On the hours of operation, the Zoning Administrator said the applicant has not provided documentation that the City approved hours of operation between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. It added that any ability to operate with nonconforming hours was abandoned when the operators submitted the Code Compliance Certificate form and indicated that the business would operate from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The 2017 form was relied on by City staff to support the issuance of the Code Compliance Certificate.

The Zoning Administrator also said a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) would need to be approved so the business could operate between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. As of the date the report was issued, a CUP has not been submitted.

“The Zoning Administrator has considered the appeal and has determined that the Determination was correctly made,” the report said. “Therefore, it is recommended that the Board of Zoning Appeals uphold the Zoning Administrator’s Determination that the hours of operation for Jerry’s Billiards are between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.”

Thursday’s special meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals begins at 6:30 p.m.

Members of the public can access the meeting through https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82660001998 or by calling (669) 900-6833 and using the webinar ID 826 6000 1998.

Public comments may be sent via commentsBZA@cityofpasadena.net.