In many cities, hospitality businesses such as hotels, dance clubs, and restaurants and bars that serve alcohol, require a business to go through a public hearing and lengthy and cumbersome process called a conditional use permit (CUP). The purpose is to gauge their impact on a neighborhood and to determine conditions that would relieve those impacts.
But they are called "hospitality" businesses for a reason--because they serve people. Which also means they bring people into a community, and pedestrian activity, and street life, and business. This begs the question, does every hospitality business need to go through a CUP even if they are located in a neighborhood that is trying to revitalize? And what about neighborhoods such as Hollywood that are built on welcoming the hospitality industry? Can things be simplified?
I would proposed that they can under a planning tool called a hospitality zone. In this zone an objective is identified, such as revitalization, and procedures simplified. Safeguards can also be designated and standardized making the process simpler.
For example, in this section of Beverly Boulevard the neighborhood council asked us to see how business and pedestrian activity can be stimulated:
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Instead of each business needing to go through a CUP this area can be re-zoned to minimize the amount of review each business needs to go. At the same time standardized conditions such as hours, security, parking, and the number and size of businesses are imposed.
A hospitality zone can eliminate the need for a public hearing and simplify other procedures.
They can be controlled as a group, rather than individually, but if a particular business becomes a problem Los Angeles has an established revocation process to control a problem business.
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