Castaway lease goes through
The City Council approved on Tuesday an amended lease with the
operator of the Castaway Restaurant that will change hours of
operation and traffic patterns to calm residents’ concerns.
Mayor Jef Vander Borght expressed appreciation to staff members
and the Verdugo Restaurant Corp. for working out the 20-year lease
that goes into effect Nov. 1.
“We’re looking forward to your serving the public in Burbank for a
long time,” Vander Borght said.
The amended lease first came before the council on Sept. 13, who
then worked out additional changes after hearing from residents
concerns over traffic and noise from the facility.
The council’s changes guaranteed free valet parking, ample free
self-parking, a security guard for events that go until 1 a.m., and
stopping alcohol sales at midnight for weekend events in the banquet
facilities.
“It’s just a clean up of the language and I expect it to go
through,” Assistant City Manager Mike Flad said.
Castaway General Manager Saeed Sazeli said he was pleased to
continue operating the restaurant.
“We were very excited to see support from the city to extend the
lease,” Sazeli said.
Unlike the Sept. 13 meeting, no residents in the neighborhood
leading up to the Castaway attended Tuesday’s meeting.
The Castaway restaurant and banquet facilities -- with spectacular
views of the city and valley below -- are owned by Burbank although
the operator, Verdugo Restaurant Corp., is responsible for
maintenance and improvements.
A main reason the city wanted to re-negotiate the lease with
Verdugo Restaurant Corp. was to change the rent structure put in
place when the lease was originally approved in 1962. It is set to
expire in 2012.
The operators pay an annual base rent of $14,400 or a percentage
rent of 2% of gross sales at the restaurant and 4% of gross sales at
the banquet facilities, whichever is higher.
The city receives between $200,000 and $300,000 from the
restaurant a year, city officials said.
The proposed amended lease includes a base rent of $180,000 that
would be reviewed every five years; and a percentage rent of 5% of on
gross sales at the restaurant and 7% of gross sales at the banquet
facilities, whichever is higher.
Closing times were set at 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends for the restaurant; 1 a.m. for the banquet hall; 11 p.m. weekdays and
12 p.m. weekends for the lounge and patio; and 9 p.m. weekdays and 11
p.m. weekends for the luau grove.
QUESTION
Does the City Council’s lease agreement with the Castaway
Restaurant alleviate concerns about traffic and noise? E-mail your
responses to o7burbankleader @latimes.comf7; mail them to the
Burbank Leader, 111 W. Wilson Ave., Glendale, CA 91203. Please spell
your name and include your address and phone number for verification
purposes only.
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