SENT VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
[email protected]
May 31, 2026
Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Re: Item 26-439 City Council Agenda June 2, 2026
Conditional Use Permit No. 25-027 (Distraction Lounge)
Honorable Mayor and City Council Members:
Ocean View School District (OVSD) requests the City Council uphold the appeal and deny Conditional Use Permit 25 -027. OVSD is concerned that the proposed intensification of the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) license from a Type 42 License to a Type 48 License for the Distraction Lounge Bikini Bar, located at 16612 Beach Boulevard, Suite C in Huntington Beach, will be detrimental to OVSD’s property and the surrounding area by exacerbating the existing high crime rate and police service calls. The premises are located within 600 feet of the Ocean View School District’s Westmont Elementary School located at 8251 Heil Avenue, Westminster, California. The Westmont Elementary School property and playgrounds extend to the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Heil Avenue. In California, ABC may deny new retail licenses for establishments within 600 feet of a school, public playground, or nonprofit youth facilities. While proximity alone isn’t an automatic denial, licenses are often refused if the business is deemed to negatively impact the welfare and morals of the area.
OVSD is concerned with the proposed intensification in ABC license type and the cumulative negative impact of clustering ABC Type 42 and 48 licenses near Westmont Elementary School. Distraction Lounge, described as a “bikini lounge” on its street sign, has an active ABC Type 42 license. A Type 42 license allows the sale for on-site consumption of beer and wine without the requirements of food service. The proposed change to an ABC Type 48 license will also allow sales for on-site consumption of distilled sp irits, without food service. OVSD is concerned with the added sales of distilled spirits, creating a negative impact on the morals and welfare near the school. The hours of operation for Distraction Lounge are noon to midnight on weekdays. This is during school hours. Westmont Elementary School students walk to and from school along Beach Boulevard to Heil Avenue, and school bus routes pass by. The Westmont Elementary School attendance area is shown in teal in the map below:
SUPPLEMENTAL COMMUNICATION - Meeting Date: 6/2/2026 Item No. 13 (26-439) Huntington Beach City Council
May 31, 2026
The Westmont Elementary School includes many students west of Beach Boulevard and south to Warner Avenue. The primary path of travel to and from school passes the Distraction Lounge establishment. Our concern is the direct and cumulative detrimental impact to the area if the city approves the request to intensify the Distraction Lounge permit from crime and the high number of police service calls.
The planning commission staff presentation identified ten (10) businesses selling alcohol within a quarter mile of the Westmont Elementary school. The planning commissioners asked if this was an unusual number of alcohol sales near a school. Staff responded that they do not have that information.
We have researched the ABC website and determined Westmont Elementary school is the only school that serves Huntington Beach to have three (3) ABC Type 42 and 48 licensed businesses within 1,500 feet (.25 of a mile.)
Huntington Beach has 336 active ABC licenses. A majority (250) of the ABC licenses are Type 41 and
47. ABC Type 41 (126) is for a bona fide restaurant (eating place) serving beer and wine and Type 47 (124) is a bona fide restaurant serving beer, wine and distilled spirits. The other ABC licenses are for caterers (35), portable bars (10), and event permits (8). The rest are one or two permits for clubs, special on-sales, beer and wine on a boat, brewpub, instructional tasting, and beer manufacturing.
Huntington Beach City Council
May 31, 2026
There are only seven (7) ABC Type 42 and nine (9) ABC Type 48 in the city. This type of ABC license is for bars, taverns, and nightclubs and does not require the service of food. The following table indicates the distance of bars to schools:
ABC LICENSES TYPE 42 AND TYPE 48 IN HUNTINGTON BEACH DISTANCE FROM
SCHOOLS
Name of Business Address Is it within 1,500
feet of a school?
Name of School
TYPE 42 – Defined as On-sales of beer and wine in public premises, with no food serve (not a bone fide restaurant)
Beverage & More 16672 Beach Blvd 875 feet Westmont Elementary Total Wine & More 16272 Beach Blvd No
The Cliffs 424 17th Street No
Bee Hive 6431 Edinger Ave 1,443 feet Circle View
Elementary
1,476 feet College View
Elementary
Main Street Wine
Company
301 Main Street No
Distraction Lounge 16612 Beach Blvd 565 feet Westmont Elementary Driftwood 204 E. Adams No
TYPE 48 – Defined as On-sales of beer, wine and distilled spirits with no food service required in public premises
Marlin Bar & Grill 5874 Edinger Ave 1,465 feet Marina High School Shanghai’d 16391 Beach Blvd 510 feet Westmont Elementary Shooters 18582 Beach Blvd No
The Bungalow 21058 Pacific Coast
Highway
No
Johnny’s Saloon & Pizza 17428 Beach Blvd No
Hilton Waterfront Resort 21100 Pacific Coast
Highway
No
Play Pen 19901-05 Beach Blvd No
PERQS 117 Main Street No
HyRoy’s Bar 5050 Heil Ave No
The table shows that only Westmont Elementary school is exposed to the detrimental cumulative impact of three bars Shanghai’d and Distraction Lounge are within 600 feet of the school. Nowhere else in the area are schools exposed to bars around the school. The intensification of the ABC license exacerbates this. The numerous police service calls to the area indicate there is an existing problem
The staff reports for Distraction Lounge’s application states this is an existing “eating and drinking” establishment. This is misinformation used to twist the true character of the bikini bar. The ABC Type Huntington Beach City Council
May 31, 2026
42 and 48 do not require the service of food and even the sale of packaged food. The proposed conditions of approval, Condition 2.d., encourages the business to provide prepackaged food or snacks for consumption as a measure to support responsible alcohol service to protect the health and safety of the public. Distraction Lounge is not required, as a condition of either ABC License or CUP 25-027, to provide any food. The letter of justification submitted by Alexander Lev Tambor (”Applicant”) states; “…the bar works with local restaurants nearby to provide meal service and also patrons to use food delivery services…” Planning Commissioner Palmer stated during the public hearing that she visited the site and talked to the surrounding businesses. She stated that the restaurants did not provide food to the Distraction Lounge. She also stated that there is a higher rate of incidences associated with alcohol sales in bars than restaurants that serve alcohol.
Commissioner Palmer also stated that none of the other tenants would recommend Distraction Lounge to get an upgrade to its (ABC) license. “Every morning there are bodily fluids all over the parking lot” and “a lot of cacophony goes on from there”. “A vacant spot next to that bar cannot find a tenant basically from what goes on in that parking lot and apparently the bar.” She also concluded that there is a component of nuisance associated with this use.
Planning Commissioner McGee asked about the police department’s report and stated that at the time of April 14, 2026, Planning Commission meeting, Distraction Lounge had four (4) police service calls, drastically more than in 2025. He stated that two were sexual incidents and adding liquor would not make this better. The was a police service call on March 25, 2026, for a female employee being followed by a male patron. A disturbing the peace call on April 11. 2026. He concluded that the trend is not improving and adding alcohol (distilled spirits) would intensify behavior at a bar like this.
The police department report initially provided to the planning commission included 28 police calls in the area of Distraction Lounge in the past three (3) years. During the meeting, the police department representative (a former detective) attempted to pare down the calls to only those directly caused by Distraction Lounge and not necessarily in the parking lot or DUI stops. The police department representative, when asked if this was a high crime area, stated; “That area gets a lot of calls for service.”
The finding for approval requires that the use will not be detrimental to the general welfare of persons working or residing in the vicinity. The ABC requires a finding that the use is not detrimental to the welfare and morals of the area. The justification for the proposed findings stated that the use will not be detrimental because it is located in a commercial center and will augment the overall customer experience. The use in a commercial center does not justify an intensification of its liquor license. Any augmentation to the overall customer exper ience is outweighed by the detrimental impact on the welfare and morals of the area and community.
The proposed finding states that the intensification of the liquor license is justified because it will be a benefit and serve customers in the community and surrounding region. The consistency finding with the Huntington Beach Land Use Element, Goal LU -11 is for the increase in sales tax revenue. Any benefit of increased sales tax revenue is outweighed by exacerbation of the existing high number of police service calls.
Huntington Beach City Council
May 31, 2026
The proposed finding also states that the adjacent single family residential is “buffered” from the use of the parking lot and the subdivision wall, so there will be no noise concerns. There is no buffering.
The parking lot and drive aisle are immediately adjacent to their backyards. The misinformation in the staff reports that Distraction Lounge is an existing “eating and drinking” establishment that makes it sound like it is a restaurant that wants to serve distilled spirits. This is misleading to residents in the surrounding neighborhood.
The conditional use permit includes conditions of approval. Condition 2.b. requires the police department to conduct a formal review of the business one year after the approval of the CUP. We request that the conditions require an annual review because incidents can increase rapidly as indicated by police service calls in 2026. An annual review will keep the business invested in reducing police calls.
Condition 2.c. concerns performance standards based on measurable increases in law enforcement, code enforcement, or emergency service activity reasonably attributed to the operation of the use. The term “reasonably attributed” needs to be clarified. The proposed use has a cumulative impact to the area, such as DUI’s, disturbing the peace, loitering in the parking lot, nuisance violations, theft, sex crimes, and traffic stops. The proposed condition establishes a threshold is 25% or more in calls in a 12-month period which may result in modification or revocation of the permit. In 2026, that threshold has already been met. It is unclear how incidents will be attributed to the bikini lounge and what legislative body will modify or revoke the permit. OVSD is concerned with the cumulative impact to the area that already has a lot of police service calls. A measurable increase in the area’s service calls should also be included to determine the impact to the area of the intensification of the Distraction Lounge liquor license. We request that the condition be revised to clarify how service calls will be attributed and an analysis of police service calls to the area, how the permit modification and revocation will occur. We request that we receive notice of any permit modification or revocation of the conditional use permit.
Condition 2.e. and f. concern lighting, as required by the ABC license. The condition does not establish a lighting standard that is to be met at the entrance and in the front and rear parking areas. The existing lighting appears very dim. The typical lighting standard is 1 foot candle. We request that the condition be revised to include a specific lighting standard, such as 1 foot candle.
Condition 2.u. and v. concern no window coverings or advertisement that reduce the visibility inside the business. The shopping center windows have already been blocked. Attachment 2, Project Plans, indicates on Elevation 4 that wooden panels cover windows that are on other tenant spaces in the shopping center. The photographs below show that the tenant units typically have window fronts. In addition, the photograph shows the existing low level of lighting in front of the Distraction Lounge and the breezeway to the back parking lot. The condition of approval should be revised to require the removal of the wooden panels because they reduce visibility inside the business.
Huntington Beach City Council
May 31, 2026
Many of the proposed conditions of approval are requirements of the ABC licensing for a Type 48 permit. Type 48 permit also requires a condition for drug testing kits to prevent drink spiking. The license also requires reporting of drink spiking to the ABC . A condition of approval should be added requiring drug testing kits and reporting of drink spiking to the Huntington Beach police department as well as the ABC, since type of incident may not result in a police service call.
The planning commissioners asked about the history of the Distraction Lounge. The applicant stated that Distraction Lounge took over the existing ABC Type 42 license from a business called the Filling Station in 2012 and continued to operate the bar. Staff stated a use and occupancy permit is required when a business changes hands. The applicant applied for a certificate of occupancy permit on October 29, 2012. However, the application for a new use and occupancy permit indicates that the land use is a store with an occupancy group of M classification, defined as a facility that holds stocks of goods, wares or merchandise incidental to such purpose. Clearly, the Distraction Lounge is not a store.
The city inspector granted a certificate of use and occupancy for R -3, R-3-1 and U Occupancies. U occupancy is for Utility and Miscellaneous occupancies. R occupancies are for residential. Bars and taverns are Assembly Group A-2. This appears to be misdirection as to the true character of the land use when the applicant filed for a use and occupancy permit. We were unable to find a Huntington Beach business license for Distraction Lounge. We also were unable to find a business entity on the California Secre tary of State Portal. The applicant’s representative stated during the planning commission hearing that the owner of Distraction Lounge recently incorporated the business after operating the business as a sole proprietorship. Possibly the business is incorporated in another state,
Huntington Beach City Council
May 31, 2026
but that would be on the business license. A condition of approval should be added requiring the applicant to obtain a business license and obtain an appropriate certificate of use and occupancy that reflects the land use and complete area of occupancy.
The floor plans submitted with the conditional use permit application indicate there is a storage area adjacent to the Distraction Lounge. However, it is unclear if the storage area is part of the Distraction Lounge business. It appears no tenant has access to the storage area on the site plan, but there is an access door to an area behind the bar area. This needs to be clarified if the Distraction Lounge has access to Storage Suite B. If so, it needs to be part of the permit.
OVSD requests that the City Council approve the appeal and deny the approval of Conditional Use Permit 25-027 to intensify the ABC license for Distraction Lounge.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Julianne Hoefer, Superintendent, at (714) 847 -2551, extension 1309.
Huntington Beach City Council
May 31, 2026
Sincerely,
Gina Clayton-Tarvin Julianne Hoefer, Ph.D.
President, Board of Trustees Superintendent
Ocean View School District Ocean View School District
cc: Ocean View School District Board of Trustees
Jason Kelly, Senior Planner/Liaison to Zoning Administrator Travis Hopkins, City Manager
Michael Vigliotta, City Attorney
Lisa Lane Barnes, City Clerk
Eric Parra, Chief of Police
Huntington Beach Planning Commission
From: Pat Goodman
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: Oppose the June 2, 2026 Agenda Item # 13
Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026 6:17:20 PM
Dear Mayor McKeon and City Council,
Please oppose Agenda # 13 at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The expanded liquor license at Distractions Lounge because student and public safety, neighborhood integrity, and the health and welfare of the community should be prioritized over expanding alcohol service near school property.
Thank you.
Pat Goodman
From: Celeste Rybicki
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: NO bikini bar near Westmont Elementary School and Ocean View School District property Date: Monday, June 1, 2026 8:19:17 AM
Good morning City Councilmembers,
Before your next meeting I wanted to write to make clear that -as an HB resident and mother of 3 young kids - I oppose the expanded liquor license at Distractions Lounge because student safety, neighborhood quality of life, and public safety should be prioritized over expanding alcohol service near school property. I don’t believe this to be a positive move for our community or “rebranding” our image.
Thank you,
Celeste
From: Carol Daus
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) Subject: Agenda Item #14- Resolution 2026-25
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026 4:18:42 PM
Dear Mayor McKeon and Council Members,
I urge you to vote Yes on agenda item #14 and Adopt Resolution 2026-25 to restore local control of our housing. We do not want "builder's remedy" to initiate construction of high- density, affordable housing anywhere in the city, as it happened in Beverly Hills. This could happen without a housing element, which you've been putting off for three years.
Your city council has cost HB taxpayers millions of dollars in a fight that was unwinnable from the start. It's time to stop this reckless retribution against Sacramento and comply with the state mandates involving the housing element. Michael Gates' theory about a charter city's right to control housing proved false and was even denied by the conservative Supreme Court.
Conservative President Ronald Reagan, who supported and signed the California Housing Element in 1967, understood the need for housing for future generations. Now would be a good time to practice fiscal conservatism instead of pursuing costly lawsuits that cannot succeed.
Finally, I urge you not to expand the liquor license for Distractions Lounge, the bikini bar near Westmont Elementary School. It's bad enough that you voted to allow the sale of liquor at our Sports Complex, right next to a playground. Must you continue to put alcohol sales tax revenue above children?
Thanks for hearing my concerns.
Best regards,
Carol Daus
714-235-1187