S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
INSIDE
Late Night Diner Swingers Closes Down
PAGE 4
September 6 – 12, 2019 Volume XXII, Issue 7
Two SM Residents Among Boat Fire Victims Community remembers Charles Mcllvain and Marybeth Guiney. By S am C atanzaro Two Santa Monica residents are among the believed victims of the Conception boat accident. Authorities have recovered the bodies of 33 individuals who died in a scuba diving boat fire that broke out near the Santa Cruz Islands. Among those who died are Santa Monica residents Charles Mcllvain and Marybeth Guiney. “There are no words to express my sincere soulful sympathy for the loss of Charles and Marybeth and every soul on that boat now in heaven. May every heart heal, may every family feel loved, may we
cherish every moment with our friends and family. Please may I say their spirits are not far away,” wrote Julie Casey on Malibu Divers’ Facebook page. Malibu Divers, a scuba and freediving center on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, took to Facebook asking friends to tell a story about a dive adventure or antidote had with Mcllvain and Guiney. “I was fortunate to meet Marybeth as my roommate on a dive trip to Canada. She was so kind and full of life like so many others have said. We kept in touch with texting and I was looking forward to making a trip down that way to dive with her. I am so heartbroken, she was such an amazing human being,” wrote Chelsi Gress. Newsha Tarifard added: “Marybeth was my good friend. We shared a love of travel but her passion in life was diving – wherever and whenever she could. I’m glad she spent much of the last year and [a] half traveling the world
Left, Charles Mcllvain and right, Marybeth Guiney from Santa Monica.
and doing what she loved most. She wanted to help people explore the hidden corners of our planet’s oceans and had been looking into setting up a business to take people to the places that are more difficult
Photos: Facebook.
to access. I am heartbroken by this tragedy and beyond sad that a lover of the oceans, its wildlife and such an incredible person
BOAT, see page 4
Cracking Down on Home Sharing ‘Hostels’ City Council to explore limiting numbers of guests in vacation rentals
Photo: Airbnb.
Bunk beds in an Airbnb home some are calling a hostel due to the number of guests.
By Keldine Hull In 2015, the City of Santa Monica adopted a home-sharing ordinance that aimed to clarify and impose regulations on home-sharing and prevent permanent housing from being used as a vacation rental. According to the ordinance, while at least one resident lives on-site during their guests’ stay, residents can host visitors in their home for up to 30 consecutive days. While residents applying for home-sharing
are required to provide a list of each room and maximum number of overnight guests allowed, the ordinance did not set a limit on the number of guests permitted to stay at once. An Airbnb listing for a five-bedroom, three-bathroom landmarked property in Santa Monica that can potentially house up to 36 guests at once has members of the community
frustrated. According to neighbors, the house is being used as a hostel, with people coming and going at all hours and disturbing residents in the area. Designed by Robert Stacy-Judd, the 1920’s Pueblo and Mayan Revival home known as the “Zuni House,” located at 710 Adelaide Place, was designated a landmark in 2003. According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, it was originally constructed as a duplex and covered into a single-family house sometime between 1940 and 1950. According to the Airbnb listing, “Expect the bathrooms and the common areas get a bit busy especially on weekends and also DO
NOT EXPECT you will share this house with a small number of people when you book.” The listing continued, “In the past, some guests canceled their reservations because they expected they would share this house with fewer people. This is not fun for both of us so please understand this sharing situation. For socializing events, I may invite my friends and guests from another shared house of mine.” According to news outlets, the listing also previously mentioned that a maximum of 36 people in total can stay at the same time but has since been edited. During an August 27 Santa Monica City Council meeting, an item up for discussion by Councilmember Winterer addressed potential improvements to the Home-Sharing Ordi-
HOSTEL, see page 13
Sweet Home Santa Monica Dan & Charlee Nessel | 310.365.0195 | 310.755.8180 Dan@NesselHomes.com | Charlee@NesselHomes.com | NesselHomes.com
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