Pedestrians walk past the Rock'n Avenue bar and nightlife venue that’s planned along El Paseo earlier this month.
Business owners and residents are urging city officials to reject a proposed bar and nightlife venue on El Paseo, citing ongoing problems with an existing bar on the street and concerns that the new establishment would change the character of the shopping district.
Five speakers addressed the the Palm Desert Planning Commission during the non-agenda public comment period at an early February meeting, voicing opposition to Rock'n Avenue, a proposed bar at 73730 El Paseo. The commission does not yet have the conditional use permit application before it for review but anticipates hearing it sometime in March, according to Rosie Lua, director of Development Services.
Applicant Patrick Masur, who previously owned a bar called Hollarr in Vermillion, South Dakota and attempted several other business ventures — including a fragrance vending machine and an app to track retail deals — is now seeking to bring his nightclub concept to the desert.
In a November 2025 application to the city, Masur described Rock'n Avenue as "a new upscale bar and nightlife venue" designed to complement El Paseo's atmosphere. The establishment would operate seven days a week from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., featuring televised sports during happy hour and transitioning around 9 p.m. to music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s with a small dance area.
Masur’s proposal includes a dress code after 8 p.m., a minimum of two licensed security personnel on site from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., ID verification at entrances, and security cameras throughout the premises. Staff would clean all public areas outside each entrance within 30 minutes of closing.
During a community meeting on the proposal in January, residents raised concerns about parking, noise impacts on nearby residences and a hotel, and fire safety.
Masur could not be reached for comment, but In written replies to concerns submitted to the city, representatives for the architecture firm working on the project said Rock'n Avenue "intends to complement the refined and elegant El Paseo shopping and dining offerings, while catering to a mature, yet youthful crowd seeking a fun bar atmosphere."
They added that the venue would fully comply with the city's municipal code limits on commercial sound levels or face code enforcement citations.
Business owners who spoke at a Feb. 3 Planning Commission meeting, however, said security and compliance measures would not be enough. In voicing concerns about an additional bar in the vicinity, they pointed to problems they said already exist at a similar nearby establishment, noting that they often find vomit, urine and trash on sidewalks outside their businesses after weekend nights.
"It's not only a safety problem, I think it's a health hazard," Sheri Pierattoni, owner of PizzaVino, told planning commissioners at the February meeting. In a separate written comment, she added that requiring security would not solve the problem because "a security guard cannot stop anyone from vomiting and it's not their job to clean it up."
The commission also received written comments in opposition from residents who suggested the bar would be better suited to another location. One wrote that El Paseo "is a classy street with families shopping and dining enjoying what we as a city has to offer. Please consider another location."
In response to the public comments, commissioners asked staff to prepare a report on any incidents related to the existing bar, including any code violations, for a future meeting in hopes it could inform what conditions the commission might impose on the new application if it comes forward for approval.
"I would invite the audience members to come back if you're interested," said Commission Chair Lindsay Holt, noting that speakers would have another opportunity to comment on the record when the conditional use permit is formally reviewed.