Limelight site set to reopen Limelight site set to reopen (October 01, 2004)

No minors will be allowed in new club

By Jon Wiener

The owner of a new downtown nightclub said he is shooting to open his doors by the first week of November.

Mark Savinovich, owner and general manager of the restaurant Ragusa in downtown Los Altos, received approval from Mountain View in May to operate the new Monte Carlo nightclub under all of the same conditions of the site's former occupant, the Limelight, according to deputy zoning administrator Al Savay.

"There were a number of conditions put on it to ensure that it fits in well with the character of the downtown and the residential neighborhood," said Savay.

The conditions allow the Monte Carlo to host live entertainment and dancing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until 1 a.m. The club will have a mandatory dress code and security cameras during music and other shows, and it will provide an event calendar to police each month. Unlike the Limelight, it will only host 21-and-older patrons.

The club's compliance with these conditions will be reviewed at a public hearing six months after it opens.

The Limelight shut down in early 2003 after the city council began enforcing restrictions on the club's hours and activities in response to complaints from neighbors about noise and safety concerns, particularly during the club's youth nights. The site has been vacant ever since.

Limelight owners Kareem and Andrew Nahas are still embroiled in a lawsuit with the city over claims that those restrictions ultimately forced its closure.

Ronit Bryant, a member of the city's downtown committee and president of the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association, said she hopes that the Monte Carlo will prove to be a better neighbor, like she remembers the Limelight's predecessor, the Rio Grande.

"They worked with the neighborhood and with the city, and I think it was a good situation where everybody was happy," Bryant said. "Hopefully, it will work out well for everybody."

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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