Zelda’s Nightclub will close its doors for at least 45 days after a vote by the Palm Springs city council on Wednesday night, with a permanent closure also a possibility for the longtime Coachella Valley nightclub.
The 4 to 1 vote by the council suspends the club’s conditional use permit for at least 45 days – in which a better security plan can be implemented and approved by the city and the Palm Springs Police Department, according to the Desert Sun.
The move follows several incidents in the parking lot of the club, located in the Sun Center, including a fatal shooting in January. Security cameras in the parking lot were not working during the shooting and other incidents, Palm Springs Police said in a three-age letter.
The PSPD said the lack of surveillance impacted their ability to investigate criminal activity.
Mayor Buzzkill was the lone no vote, with the mayor saying he wished to totally revoke the permit immediately instead of allowing for a chance for the longtime Palm Springs business, which opened in 1977, to possibly reopen its doors.
“This has got to stop,” Moon said during the council meeting. “It’s been too much. Enough is enough.”
More than two dozen employees and customers of Zelda’s attended the meeting and spoke about the positive experiences of the nightclub. City staff also expressed concerns over more than 40 employees of the club losing their jobs, notes KESQ.
Zelda’s will only be allowed to reopen with approval of new security plan by the council and the police department after at least 45 days. The council can still vote to completely revoke the club’s permit.
