Chippendales Strip Club Ordered Closed by Fire Commission

Chippendales, the Westside nightclub featuring male strippers, will close its doors today--unless lawyers can block the revocation of the club’s fire permit in court.

The Fire Department’s recommendation to withdraw the permit was unanimously upheld Thursday by the Los Angeles City Fire Commission.

“Chippendales has been the worst violator we have experienced in my 10 years as a fire marshal,” Deputy Chief Craig Drummond told the commission Thursday. The club has repeatedly exceeded its occupancy limit, he said.

Fire officials said the overcrowding, with hundreds of women often crammed into the club and blocking exits and aisles, created a potentially disastrous situation in the event of fire or other emergency.

While Chippendales attorney Kevin McLean admitted that there may have been previous Fire Code violations at the club, he argued that the majority of the 14 citations for overcrowding were issued before the city raised the occupancy limit to 299 from 230 in 1984.

Fire officials said inspectors have found as many as 435 people in the club, in the 3700 block of Overland Avenue, at one time.

McLean also argued that there have been only three citations in the last two years since Fire Department officials began regular weekend inspections, proving that the club was working to comply with the law. And, he contended, the latest violation in January was falsely cited, as testimony from a five-month administrative hearing that ended in June demonstrated.

“Now that the frequency has decreased, they (Fire Department officials) are trying to re-litigate all of this to close Chippendales,” McLean told the three commissioners present Thursday.

In June, hearing officer Jerry Schnitker, an assistant fire chief, recommended that the club’s fire permit be revoked because of the 14 overcrowding violations since 1983. Fire Chief Donald Manning concurred and revoked the permit in July. That action was postponed until Thursday’s appeal.

“We’re talking about 50 people losing their jobs,” McLean continued. “I think there is another way of working it out, rather than revoking” the fire permit.

Commission members firmly disagreed, however. Commission President Kenneth S. Washington said he was more worried about 50 people losing their lives.

“I think the (revocation) action should have been taken earlier,” said Commissioner James E. Blancarte, adding, “I would suggest you (Chippendales) spent more money on legal fees than you would have spent on reconfiguring your building to increase the occupancy limit.”

McLean said he would seek a court injunction today from the Santa Monica Superior Court, which has jurisdiction over the West Los Angeles club.

He repeated charges previously made by his client, Chippendales’ owner Steve Banerjee, that the city has unfairly targeted the club.

“This Fire Department has an obvious vendetta against Chippendales. I think Steve Banerjee has been singled out and discriminated against,” the lawyer said.

In 1984, police attempted to close the club, citing overcrowding, but a state appeals court ruled that only the Fire Department had that power.

In January, 1987, Chippendales’ parent company, Easebe Enterprises, said mounting legal costs from other suits--including a racial discrimination battle--forced it to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Two weeks ago, the club lost its liquor license when state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control officials said their appeals board upheld a contested ruling citing the club in violation of the sections of the Business and Professions Code that bar sexual discrimination.

Club spokesman Dan Escamilla said Banerjee is still seeking to relocate the club to escape the alleged harassment. He would not disclose the possible new locations.