Major Retailer to Leave Third Street Promenade for Marina del Rey
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Suspect Arrested on Ocean Ave After Officers Recover Firearm, Paraphernalia
The suspect was already participating in a diversion program
A suspect was arrested Friday after Santa Monica police recovered a loaded firearm, nitrous oxide and drug paraphernalia during a patrol in the city, authorities said.
The arrest occurred April 24 in the 2000 block of Ocean Avenue, where officers conducting a proactive patrol made contact with the individual, according to a statement from the Santa Monica Police Department.
Police said the suspect was found in possession of a loaded gun along with nitrous oxide and drug-related items. The individual was taken into custody on charges related to firearm possession and drug offenses.
Authorities added that the suspect was already participating in a diversion program stemming from a prior robbery case.
No additional details about the suspect’s identity or potential court appearance were immediately released.
Hankey Capital unveils 23-story condominium tower plans for downtown Santa Monica
The proposed 256foot skyscraper near the E Line would replace existing rentals with 119 luxury units and five affordable residences.
Renderings for a 23-story residential tower proposed near the E Line have been submitted to the Santa Monica Architectural Review Board, signaling a major step forward for the high-density project, as reported by Urbanize Los Angeles.
Hankey Capital is the developer behind the plans for 1518-1524 7th Street, where a contemporary glass-and-steel skyscraper
would replace an existing 10-unit rental building. Designed by Ottinger Architects, the 256-foot-tall structure is slated to house 119 condominiums across one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans, along with five units designated as deed-restricted affordable housing. The proposal also includes 216 parking spaces split between above- and below-grade levels.
The staff report recommends approval and describes the building by saying, “The
proposed project is a 23-story tower on a podium base. The curved building form and overlapping glass façades are meant to evoke sails on a sailboat.”
The project’s path to the review board has been unconventional. It was initially one of several "Builder's Remedy" applications filed in 2023, a period when Santa Monica’s housing element failed to meet state standards, allowing developers to bypass local zoning limits. Following
a legal settlement between the city and original applicant WS Communities, the site changed hands in 2024 when lenders, including Hankey Capital, took control of the portfolio.
This tower represents one of several former Builder's Remedy sites that lenders are now actively pursuing as high-rise developments under the city's formal approval process.
Santa Monica Coastal Permitting Bill Advances, Drawing Opposition Over Reduced Coastal Commission Oversight and Beach Access Concerns
AB 1740 would allow certain projects to bypass state coastal permitting review, with critics warning it could weaken environmental protections and public access to the coast
A bill that would modify coastal development permitting rules in Santa Monica is advancing through the state Legislature, drawing both support and opposition as it moves to its next committee.
California Assembly Bill 1740, introduced by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, would allow certain cities to designate themselves as “urban multimodal communities” if they meet criteria related to transit access, climate planning and bicycle infrastructure.
Under the proposal, qualifying cities could approve a range of projects and activities within their coastal zones without requiring individual coastal development permits from the California Coastal Commission. These exemptions would apply to specific categories, including parking regulation changes, transportation improvements such as bike lanes and bus lanes, temporary community events, outdoor dining, and some building renovations or housing developments that meet defined conditions.
The legislation also permits interior and exterior modifications to existing buildings, provided expansions do not exceed 150% of the original footprint, and allows certain multifamily housing projects in designated
areas without additional coastal permitting review, as outlined in the bill text.
The measure passed out of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee this month and has been referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
Supporters of the bill, including Zbur, say it is intended to streamline permitting for routine or lower-impact projects while maintaining oversight for developments that could significantly affect coastal resources. In a public statement, Zbur said the legislation is designed to “modernize” the coastal permitting process, reduce delays and costs, and support housing, transportation and climate goals without weakening core environmental protections.
Opposition groups have raised concerns about the scope of the proposed exemptions. The Surfrider Foundation argues the bill could reduce oversight of development and limit public input on coastal projects, potentially affecting beach access and environmental review. The
organization has called for the removal of the exemptions included in the measure. The bill’s current language focuses specifically on Santa Monica, according to legislative materials, and includes findings by lawmakers regarding the need for a statute tailored to that city.
More bull? More B.S.!
SM a.r.t.
Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
Attached is an article SMa.r.t. wrote in 2018, and short of a brief comment, I’m not going to edit or alter it, as it is prescient to what we are no doubt about to experience in our upcoming local council election. I think it has already started, with one new candidate throwing their hat in the ring who is endorsed by current ruling council members and other pro-development factions.
The interesting thing to note in the article of eight years ago is that incumbents have a much higher chance of re-election than a new name on the ballot…even if the ‘incumbent’ is a recently appointed council ‘newbie’. And history may be close to repeating itself if one current council member chooses to resign and the new ‘hat-in-the-ring’ candidate gets an ‘appointment’. I don’t think I am going to be too surprised, and don’t think ‘you’ should be either.
Bull in a China Shop, or Wrecking Ball? https://smmirror.com/2018/09/bull-inchina-shop-or-wrecking-ball/ I was lamenting the turn our beach town has taken in the last few years. Sadly, not for the better. Crime is up significantly. Homelessness seems to have increased, and from reading various comments made on local social media and news sources, has produced a more violent group within. And the freeze frame traffic. One wonders and speculates about the root causes of what I would define as the decline in our quality of life.
In ruminating, I recalled that our police vehicles were once blue and white, seemingly representative of a more peaceful beachfront town. Then along comes a decision to change them to a more aggressive urban/authoritarian look, and the cars became the large city black & whites. Why the shift? The change occurred about the time the City started rewriting it’s General Plan and LUCE (Land Use Circulation Element), which was also the beginning of the over-development that we are experiencing.
But what was the cause of programming this rampant development? Was it the innocence of the poor bull that somehow stumbled into the china shop out of curiosity (i.e., applying the latest textbook design concepts without proper analysis of our unique town) and, suddenly, startled by what it did, tries to get out of its own way only to end up trashing the place? Or was it by design to take a wrecking ball and break everything, with the same intent to apply the latest textbook planning trends regardless of need or specificity of our town. Maybe it is using the wrecking ball with the intent of getting the bull out of the shop. Not a great choice either.
Over-development, especially within the expanded borders of downtown that this council/planning commission has
been responsible for, is rampant. Try moving on Lincoln, north of the freeway, with whatever form of multi-model apparatus you choose. It’s not easy. But what can be done to stop the bull from breaking more of the china? The Council and commissions responsible have many members that are deeply, and apparently safely, encapsulated as members, year after year, with incumbency always leaving them with a foot in the door for that reelection probability. And more than one of those sitting Council members were political appointments that then benefited from that incumbency at re-election time. Pure politics.
At least in this November election, the residents will have a voice in limiting the number of years council members will be able to serve. And about time, as there are council members sitting right now that have been there for well over twenty years, are in fact on the ballot for yet another fouryear term, and obviously are a part of the problem in the land speculation and overdevelopment that has caused the decline in our quality of life.
Yet, if re-elected, their continued approval of high-end, non-family oriented units will see many more long-time residents forced to leave their homes due to increasing rents and the loss of lower-income affordable buildings, as smaller structures are torn down to build bigger and bigger. There is something wrong within the system that is allowing this to occur. I do think it’s ironic that some of the council members also live in rent-controlled apartments, and wonder
what they will do when it is their turn to be displaced from their rent-controlled buildings?
For the past five years, SMa.r.t. has been analyzing and writing about the development issues that are devouring our town, and questioning the approval of large-scale projects by a City Council that cannot seem to see a difference between downtown L.A. and our unique beachfront environment. A council whose members seem to think lining Ocean Ave. and Ocean Front walk with large-scale multi-story development is desirable, ignoring the LUCE, zoning limits, and the wishes of the residents, simply changing the rules as they go.
So what can be done to turn this around… in a positive way…with a positive attitude? Well, the November election is just around the corner, and if one makes it their responsibility to register to vote, and go to the polls to vote, and vote for the change that can replace those incumbents on the Council, then we will all have maybe done something positive.
A massive amount of development money will likely be put forward in an attempt to block district elections and term limits, and to re-elect two incumbents, and one new member…so be aware, and choose wisely. It really is up to us, the residents, to create the change, as it seems very clear that the current political structure at City Hall is going to keep doing exactly what it has been doing for the last multiple years, and that is the greatest negative we face.
Bob Taylor, AIA
So what is there to change in that 2018 column? It could have been written today, with maybe only the comment “for the past five years…” changed to ‘for the past thirteen years’.
We have been writing and trying to inform ‘you’, the residents, of the ‘bull’ in our shop that has been running wild and leaving our beach town buried deeper in b.s. If you are not happy with what has been happening in our town, there are two election cycles coming up where you can vote to change the council, from this current deaf 6 - 1 pro-development majority, to one that listens to the residents they are ostensibly there to represent. Please stay informed and vote wisely - help make that change.
Bob Taylor, AIA for SMa.r.t.Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow:
Dan Jansenson, Architect, (ex-Building & Fire-Life Safety Commissioner); Robert H.Taylor, Architect, AlA; Thane Roberts, Architect; Mario FondaBonardi, Architect AIA (ex-Planning Commissioner); Sam Tolkin, Architect, (ex-Planning Commissioner); Michael Jolly, ARE-CRE; Jack Hillbrand, AIA, Landmarks Commissioner Architect; Phil Brock (ex-mayor); Matt Hoefler, Architect NCARB; Heather Thomason, Community Organizer; Charles Andrews, Journalist/ Columnist; Bruce Leddy, Human Services Commissioner/NOMA Co-Chair
For previous articles, see www. santamonicaarch.wordpress.com/writing
Two days only: how to score the Basqueria x Like a Friend Said Earth Day sandwich
Chef Sebastien Pourrat debuts limited-edition earth day sandwich.
Malibu’s Basque mini-mart Basqueria and local recommendation newsletter Like
A Friend Said are teaming up on a limitededition sandwich collaboration in Surf Canyon to mark Earth Day and their oneyear partnership.
Chef Sebastien Pourrat’s creation, The Casita Friend, will be available exclusively on two upcoming Saturdays, April 25 and May 2, beginning at 11 a.m. until supplies run out.
Basqueria’s popularity spiked after
Keep our beaches clean. Don’t put used oil and oil filters in the trash.
their business was mentioned the "Like A Friend Said" newsletter, and Chef Pourrat’s sandwiches started selling out each weekend, usually within an hour. One year later, nothing has changed.
In addition to the pop-up, the collaborators are donating 100 sandwiches to FoodCycle LA. The event reaffirms the partnership between the newsletter and the hunger-relief organization to ensure
surplus food reaches Los Angeles residents in need.
Sabrina Canario, founder of "Like A Friend Said," has centered the platform’s mission on supporting first-generation immigrant businesses and local disaster relief. This latest initiative follows the group's successful fundraising efforts for small businesses impacted by last year's regional wildfires.
Santa Monica Parents Demand Transparency in SMMUSD Music Program Overhaul
Critics argue a new district plan will strip fourth graders of instrumental opportunities and create "significant inequities."
A growing coalition of parents within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is calling for a halt to the proposed restructuring of the district’s elementary music program, citing concerns over a potential decline in instructional quality and equity and calling for more transparency.
In a petition on Change.org, the petition argues that the district’s plan, purportedly aimed at expanding general music access, would effectively gut the specialized instrumental pathways currently available to fourth and fifth graders. The proposal suggests shifting fourth-grade instruction to choir only, removing the option for students to begin learning specific instruments.
It claims that under the new model, district-wide music sections for fourth grade would be nearly halved, dropping
from 48 to 27. Fifth-grade students would also see a reduction in sections and be placed into large, "non-homogeneous" ensembles, which parents claim will hinder effective teaching for students at different skill levels.
The petition highlights several critical points of contention:
● Staffing Inequities: The model would reportedly task roughly three teachers with serving as many as 1,500 students at Lincoln, 1,000 at JAMS, and 700 at SMASH/Will Rogers.
● Socioeconomic Barriers: Parents fear that without early instrumental training in school, students who cannot afford private lessons will be unable to reach the proficiency required for middle school programs.
● Funding Transparency: Critics question why Prop 28 and Measure R funds are not being utilized to maintain existing program depth while expanding breadth.
● Infrastructure Gaps: Many elementary campuses currently lack the physical space and instruments and supplies to support the proposed changes for younger grades.
There are two upcoming meetings regarding the plan and the changes:
VAPA District Advisory Committee (VAPA DAC) Meeting
○ When: Wednesday, April 29th at 7:00 PM
○ Where: SMMUSD District Office Board Room
○ Note: The VAPA DAC is the Visual and Performing Arts District Advisory Committee, a group of parents, teachers, and community members tasked with advising the Board of Education on arts education policy.
Financial Oversight Committee (FOC) Meeting
○ When: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 @ 6:00 p.m.
○ Where: Malibu High School, 30237 Morning View Dr, Malibu, CA 90265, Parent Center, Room #C23
○ Focus: This committee reviews whether this plan complies with the legal requirements of Measure R funding.
The agenda for the VAPA meeting on April 29 is here.
The agenda’s third discussion/ action item states, “Elementary Music Curriculum update -- Discussion of a proposal to expand the Elementary Music program to TK-2 while reducing staff, despite Measure R and Prop 28 funding;
eliminating both 4th grade instrumental music and the Elementary Honor Orchestra and Elementary Honor Band that perform at Stairway of the Stars. The SMMUSD music program was used as the model music program in the state when Prop 28 passed.”
Item 7, labeled Media Coverage, has two press releases regarding the 75th Anniversary of the Stairway of the Stars and the change of Stairway to the Stars to SMMUSD Arts and Music Festival.
VAPA coordinator Dr. Jim Wang will reportedly be presenting his proposal at the meeting on April 29. In a letter to the SMMUSD parents, Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton confirmed that under this proposed model, strings and bands would begin in 5th grade instead of 4th grade. He added, “Please know that no final decisions have been made, and we remain committed to engaging our community during this process as we review our VAPA program and curriculum.”
Major Retailer to Leave Third Street Promenade for Marina del Rey
There will be no clearance sales or special discounts leading up to the closure because inventory will be at the new store
The Anthropologie store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica is set to close June 1 as part of a relocation to Marina del Rey, according to the company.
The current location at 1402 Third Street Promenade, in downtown Santa Monica, will shut its doors after operating as part of the popular outdoor shopping district. Company representatives said the move is a relocation rather than a closure, and a new store is planned for the Waterside shopping area in Marina del Rey. An exact address
BEHIND THE SCREEN
By Kathryn Whitney Boole
Wow! This is one of those movies that will play repeatedly in your memory. It starts with a bang, it pulls you in, and the characters draw you closer every minute - all that within one of the most bizarre setups and storylines ever. It’s set in the town of Normal, Minnesota, population 1,890, during the middle of a frigid winter. A new “substitute” sheriff, played by Bob Odenkirk, arrives and gradually discovers that what appears on the surface to be a sleepy, peaceful community has weapons and bombs stored randomly in the most unlikely places.
The heartbeat of this film is the humanity of the people in it, and the almost musical tone of the comedy that runs through what presents as a violent action film. Yes, things blow up, people are gruesomely mangled, shot, and knifed, but the undercurrent that’s established from the beginning is a disassociation from reality. It’s a smoothly moving saga for an action movie. Each scene flows into the next, and passages with huge emotional impact are well-orchestrated, followed with smoother, calmer moments. There are so many truly imaginative and original scenes.
This is a work as you would imagine
going to build it back. But don’t we love seeing things blown up?
In Normal, the town stays intact. The colorful, imperfect, sincere characters lead you through the tale. Each one has a fully developed backstory that you may not know the details of, but you can sense it. There’s Mayor Kibner, played by Henry Winkler, who has a laissez-faire approach to governing. Reena Jolly and Brendan Fletcher are fledgling bank robbers, new to the profession and making every mistake in the “Book of Bank Robbery.”
There is a moose with a paint can stuck on its antler that appears from time to time like an omen or apparition, meaningful because in real life, moose are very difficult
on words), and Lena Headey, whom you may remember as “Cersei Lannister” in Game of Thrones, is the town’s equalizer, a modern-day Greek soothsayer. She knows where the bodies are buried.
Bob Odenkirk is absolutely brilliant in the role of “Sheriff Ulysses.” He’s the classic good guy dropped into a hornet’s nest of bad guys, an imperfect man with a dark event in his past, who is a born leader yet also humble, and has the sense of humor and persuasive nature that will carry him through hard times. In one scene, he succeeds in locking someone willingly into a jail cell without any use of force.
Odenkirk carries this film on his shoulders as writer, producer, as well as
Shakespeare would have created if he lived in our time (and of course, he would be a filmmaker) The film contains a lot of carnage, but it’s a hilarious send-up of those movies where a whole city and all its buildings and vehicles are violently destroyed, and you, the audience, are wondering how the city leaders are ever
to spot due to their stillness and shyness. Jess McLeod is a standout as the daughter of the recently deceased sheriff of the town. She’s mourning her father but defiant, a sexual force of energy, the smartest person in every room, and impossible to categorize. She is magnetic and will lead you to question what is normal (note play
star. He and director Ben Wheatley have turned in a thought-provoking movie disguised as an audience-pleaser, with a philosophical journey into human nature that catches you by surprise. Odenkirk has achieved a mastery of comedic storytelling forged by persistence, experience, and hard work. He grew up with an alcoholic dad,
Rated R 91 Minutes
Released April 17th
became a DJ at a college radio station, and then performed open mic stand-up. A friend helped him get a job writing for Saturday Night Live from 1987-1995. If you see the movie Lorne, that’s out now, you will understand that SNL was cuttingedge training for a writer. Odenkirk went on to write for many other shows, including The Ben Stiller Show and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and do sketch comedy on TV. Even so, he was his finances were shaky due to the unstable nature of the entertainment business. Then came his big break as an actor, 43 episodes of Breaking Bad as “Saul Goodman” from 2009-2013, and reprising that character on Better Call Saul in 2015.
Normal is a darkly and deadly humorous send-up of violence, sexual discrimination, gender bias, and the brutalizing use of power. It seems like a twisted, crazy, fun movie, but in the end, it will make you question a lot of things. Even the bad guys are maybe not so bad. Their boss is such a horrendous human being that you feel for them, and they are comedic underneath their villainous facades.
And, oh! One thing I love about this movie is they did not forget that the dog was locked in the car in the freezing snowstorm, and they returned to rescue it from certain death. So many movies leave something or someone relatively minor behind and never return, leaving you to ask at the end, “But what happened to…?”
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
