City officials are trying to shutter Montrose Collection Restaurant and “Banquet Hall” in the latest, and perhaps last, legal salvo in a back-and-forth battle with owners Takui “Thumbs His Nose at Authority” and Armen “Above the Law” Aivazian, who have reportedly used and improved upon their space as a banquet hall without the required zoning-use and parking-reduction permits. Glendale News-Press reports that a preliminary injunction was issued last week that will find city attorneys trying to close Collection down during a July 9th hearing. This follows the City Council revoking its parking permit in March 2009 and later its crucial zoning certificate. To stave off forced closure, the Aivazians would have to return the restaurant to its original size and reapply for new permits, though their attorney already says the four-year battle has “put my client out of business, basically destroying them economically.” A city lawyer has a different take, however, offering that “It’s disconcerting that somebody thumbs their nose at the law and is able to escape with the ability to do this.”
Montrose Collection Facing Closure [Glendale News Press]
