Award-Winning Soprano to Offer FREE Community Performance Ahead of Broad Stage Debut
Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Award-Winner
Golda Zahra will showcase her angelic voice for all to enjoy at Santa Monica Catholic Church
on July 1
SANTA MONICA, Calif. —Soprano Golda Zahra is excited to extend an open invite to the community as she thrills with trills to bring opera and classical music to the masses and young generations!
Hailed as “One of the rising starts of her generation” and “A promising young opera singer” by the Los Angeles Times, Golda recently returned from Italy to headline her homecoming debut concert
at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica alongside the Dream Orchestra, on Saturday, July 13.
Now, at the invitation of Monsignor Lloyd Torgerson, Golda will perform live with members of the Dream Orchestra during St. Monica’s noon mass on Monday, July 1.
Media are invited to preview and attend the event, as well as speak with Golda about the community impact of the arts and her upcoming concert at Broad Stage.
WHEN: Monday, July 1 at 12:00pm
WHERE: Santa Monica Catholic Community, 725 California Ave, Santa Monica, CA
RSVP: Please contact Shallom Berkman at 310-749-8879, or email sberkman@ urthcaffee.com for media inquiries and to RSVP for the event.
Golda has performed in famed Southern California venues like Walt Disney Hall, Royce Hall, and the Saban Theatre. She is a 2015 LA Spotlight Award Winner and currently studies with world-renowned Soprano Barbara Frittoli in Milan.
To learn more visit GoldaInConcert. com.
Award-Winning Soprano and L.A. Native Makes Broad Stage Debut
Golda Zahra returns from Italy for a groundbreaking debut concert featuring beloved opera arias, Broadway musicals, and vocal classics.
SANTA MONICA, Calif — Hailed as “One of the rising stars of her generation” and “A promising young opera singer” by the Los Angeles Times, renowned Soprano Golda Zahra is proud to announce her homecoming debut concert at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, set for Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 8:00pm.
A Los Angeles native and 2015 LA Spotlight Award Winner, Golda will join The Dream Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Daniel Suk. Suk’s international career spans more than 25 years, and in a truly full circle moment, Suk helped foster Golda’s talent and development as a live performer starting at a very young age.
“As a classical singer, my goal is to make opera accessible for anybody and anyone,” said Golda. “Like Pavarotti, and friends— that was something that brought opera to everyone. It was something that made people smile and it warmed people’s hearts and it brought people together.”
Golda has performed in famed Southern California venues like Walt Disney Hall, Royce Hall, and The Saban Theatre, but looks forward to showcasing her unique combination of classical operatic technique and musical theatre training for The Broad Stage audience. She currently studies exclusively with the worldrenowned soprano Barbara Frittoli in Milan.
Golda began her operatic journey at just 4 years old, listening to and attending operas with her parents. She studied classical piano and musical theater, ultimately joining the Colburn Music School in downtown Los Angeles and dedicating her life to opera. She moved to Italy after high school in 2017 and studied privately with some of the greatest Italian opera masters. In 2021, as a finalist for Rai Radio’s Voci in Barcaccia” international opera competition, she recorded a CD for RAI Radio in a performance that was broadcast live from Rome.
WHAT: Golda Zahra with The Dream Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Daniel Suk
WHEN: Saturday, July 13, 2024, 8:00pm10:00pm
WHERE: The Broad Stage, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
TICKETS: GoldaInConcert.com
For media inquiries, contact Shallom Berkman at 310-749-8879, or email
sberkman@urthcaffe.com. You can also visit GoldaInConcert.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
Experience the angelic voice of award-winning soprano Golda Zahra during mass at St. Monica Church this Monday, July 1st. at 12 noon. All are welcome!
Experience the angelic voice of award-winning soprano Golda Zahra during mass at St. Monica Church this Monday, July 1st. at 12 noon. All are welcome!
NEW to Santa Monica: Enjoy Your Favorite Hurry Curry Dishes on Ocean Park
By Susan Payne
This summer, enjoy your favorite authentic Japanese curry and Yoshoku cuisine at Hurry Curry of Tokyo’s new location in Santa Monica.
The restaurant, known for its original blend of spices and its longtime presence in Japantown, closed its doors on Sawtelle during the COVID-19 pandemic. With uncertainty at bay, Hurry Curry owner Frederick Serra said his business partners made a pact to reopen.
Now located on Ocean Park Boulevard and 29th street, the new location offers free backside parking and more outdoor seating near the Santa Monica Business Park.
“Although we’ve been around since 1989, we are new to Santa Monica. We’ve been here for about two years,” Serra said.
Hurry Curry customers love the consistency the restaurant has provided over the last three decades, everything from its authentic recipes and dishes to its employees that give new and returning customers warm welcomes and friendly service.
“As a restaurant, that’s probably the hardest thing to pin down. But we’ve done it. We’ve had the same team for 10+ plus years, we take care of our employees, and they feel something special here. We couldn’t stay closed for too long,” Serra said.
Hurry Curry’s history runs deep and its recipes — curated from its original Japanese chef in 1998 — have long been a favorite in Los Angeles. The signature curry sauce features a blend of 21 spices.
“We’ve used that same recipe for so long, it’s not a general curry you might see at a restaurant,” Serra said. “I’ve seen customers drive here from San Diego and Santa Barbara to try our food.”
A number one dish at Hurry Curry is the chicken cutlet curry – a tender breast
meat filet lightly breaded in panko flakes, fried to golden brown and served with the restaurant’s authentic Japanese curry.
“That dish carries 60% of our menu sales. You can order the curry at varying spice levels of mild, medium, hot or extra hot. We use a Capsicum chili oil, the same oil we’ve used for the 35 plus years we’ve been open,” Serra said.
Another fan favorite is the chicken pasta — sauteed mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and corn surrounded by Hurry Curry’s fried chicken karaage, served with a generous side of the secret white sauce.
“Curry is one of those items, not as popular as pizza, but you get a craving for it. Once you try Hurry Curry, it’s one of those recurring cravings you’ll get. We have such a unique flavor, and it is so well loved,” Serra added.
Hurry Curry serves a wide range of beverages, some Japanese specific and homemade.
“We serve some Japanese favorites like Ramune Marble Soda, which in Western culture, equivalent to colas or fountain beverages,” Serra added.
The scratch kitchen offers online orders, dine-in and catering. Hurry Curry is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 2901 Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica, California, 90405.
For more information and a look at the menu, visit HurryCurryofTokyo.com.
Electric Lodge Hosts Summer Empowerment Fair
Performing Arts Center Partners with LADWP
By Susan Payne
Performance. Sustainability. Community.
These are three virtues leading the charge for Electric Lodge Performing and Visual Arts Center’s upcoming Summer Empowerment Fair in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).
Taking place on July 20th, the fair is a fun, informative neighborhood event featuring music, local vendors and sustainable education that celebrates the vibrant and artistic Venice community. Made possible through a LADWP community grant, the Summer Empowerment Fair wishes to educate and inform attendees on topics such as energy efficiency, being water wise, understanding your utility bill and native landscaping.
Electric Lodge is an incubator for the arts and the environment, serving Venice and surrounding communities
by hosting multi-disciplinary cultural arts, specialized arts workshops, health and fitness classes and opportunities for civic engagement. The premier multiuse facility was the first 100% renewable energy powered space in California, according to Justin Yoffe, Electric Lodge president.
“Our campus in Venice on Electric Ave includes a 99-seat theatre, a 1700 square foot dance studio, classroom and kitchen. It’s a lovely spot,” Yoffe added. “We’ve been committed to sustainability since we were founded, being awarded this grant for the 11th district, it gave us the opportunity to showcase our commitment to sustainability and the community,” Yoffe said.
The Summer Empowerment Fair is free and will showcase Electric Lodge programming, classes and mission, and will feature a bagel and coffee station, snacks and beverages, face painting, bike valet, sustainable giveaways (aerators, shower heads, a Fuso custom road bicycle), corn hole games, picnic tables and more.
Live music and entertainment ranging from local singer-songwriters to dance groups, Snubby J’s RimbaTubes, will sound the afternoon.
Activities include an eclectic line-up of live entertainment, carnival games, such as a waterless sustainable dunk tank, local food vendors, City Plants, who will offer free trees and advice on native landscaping, non-toxic clothing line vendors and more — all centered on healthy living.
“Empowerment Fair is just that — a real fun, family-friendly, free summer festival with games, snacks and drinks, local vendors, and a chance to learn more about sustainability through DWP and have a good time,” Yoffe said.
The LADWP booth is open for attendees to learn about how to access programs,
rebates and services, and learn about how to save water, energy and money on their bill.
Mark your calendars for July 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Summer Empowerment Fair located at Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave in Venice, one block east of Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Parking is available. Biking, scooting, unicycling is encouraged for the use of the fair’s free bike valet.
For full details on the Summer Empowerment Fair’s vendors, partners, musicians and programs, and to RSVP and sign up for the raffle, visit EmpowermentFair.org.
When your loved one has Alzheimer’s, dementia, early stage memory loss, Parkinson’s or is recovering from a stroke:
Healthy Fast-Casual Restaurant Chain Grows into Santa Monica
Its Most Popular Menu Items
Include the Chinese Chicken Salad and the Tuna Avocado Sandwich
Health Nut, the Southern California restaurant brand known for its healthy offerings, has opened a new location in Santa Monica. This marks the second new restaurant opening since March, as the chain continues its mission to expand across the Los Angeles area.
The new Santa Monica location at 1447 Lincoln Blvd features a spacious outdoor patio and free underground parking.
“We are thrilled to bring Health Nut to Santa Monica, a community that embodies the active, health-conscious lifestyle we promote,” said Steve Choi, CEO of Health Nut. “Santa Monica’s commitment to wellness and its vibrant, diverse population make it a perfect fit for our brand. We can’t wait to serve the community with our fresh, nutritious
meals that can be enjoyed on location or easily taken to the beach for the ultimate lunch break.”
According to its website, its most popular menu items include the Chinese Chicken Salad (shredded chicken breast, dry chow mein noodles, pickled ginger, carrots, with sesame dressing), the Noodlerama (rice noodles, shredded chicken breast, carrots, cucumbers, and pickled ginger, served on romaine and iceberg lettuce, with spicy asian dressing) and the Tuna Avocado Sandwich (tuna, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts, served on multigrain bread).
Founded in 1988 as a modest vitamin shop, the Health Nut restaurant chain is known for its variety of salads, sandwiches, homemade dressings, teas, and a range of vegan, vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options.
Health Nut gained significant attention when its offerings were regularly featured on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and Hulu’s “The Kardashians.” The brand’s iconic salad bowls and the famed “salad shake” technique became a viral sensation. In 2022, Kris Jenner joined Health Nut as its first investor and equity partner.
For more information about Health Nut, visit healthnutla.com
Golda Zahra In Concert Golda Zahra In Concert
“A promising young opera singer.” -The Los Angeles Times
At The Broad Stage Saturday, July 13, 2024, at 8 pm At The Broad Stage 13, 2024, With The Dream Orchestra Conducted By Daniel Suk With The Dream Orchestra Conducted By
Join us for an unforgettable evening as Golda and the Dream Orchestra perform the opera music of Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, as well as Broadway classics including The Sound of Music, West Side Story, and so much more!
Join an unforgettable evening and the Dream Orchestra perform the opera music of Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, as well as Broadway classics including The Sound of Music, West Side Story, and so much more!
Sci Fi Museum’s Lease Gets Terminated at Former Sears Building
The News Comes as a Slew of Controversies
Surround the Museum and Its Founder
By Zach Armstrong
Amid tumultuous setbacks and controversy, the Sci-Fi World museum is leaving its space at the former Sears Building before it ever even opened.
Aubrey West, a representative of the museum, made the announcement during the public comment period of a recent Santa Monica City Council meeting, stating that although the museum was slated to open next month, the building owners Seritage decided not to renew its lease.
The news comes as a slew of controversies surround the museum and its founder, Huston Huddleston, including a child porn conviction, as detailed in a
report by the Los Angeles Times.
According to the report, “Star Trek” superfan Huddleston, 54, said he had relinquished control of the nonprofit and its collection to the museum’s chief executive due to the potential negative impact of his child porn conviction. Nevertheless, former volunteers told The L.A. Times that he remained deeply involved in the museum’s operations.
To make things more complicated, Chief Executive John Purdy and General Manager Cory Dacy resigned their posts in the weeks leading to Sci-Fi World’s initial grand opening date. Purdy cited Huddleston’s violation of their contractual agreement, while Dacy noted Huddleston’s regular presence onsite, as reported by The Times. Additionally, CBS Studios issued a cease and desist letter, alleging unauthorized use of “Star Trek” elements.
Sci-Fi World originally set an opening date for May 27. When that day came, however, as its unpaid volunteers were dealing with a turbulent staffing situation and tried to handle regulator compliance all by themselves, the interior wasn’t prepared for visitors.
Rather than being held inside the museum, the Gala took place in its closed off parking lot with some artifacts brought outside for photo opportunities. Many
of the patrons were refunded, but as one attendee put it on social media, “it’s kind of hard to reschedule something when people like me have already paid for their flights and hotel stay that are nonrefundable.”
“The city and police have been wonderful to us and really want us to succeed. Everyone of us is an unpaid volunteer right now, a new CEO is coming, but there’s still a lot to figure out.” a spokesperson stated in a message to Mirror Media Group at the time of the grand opening let down. “All we want is for this to open and for people to enjoy it and to hopefully be a successful nonprofit.”
Now, it appears those ambitions won’t be realized at the Sears Building, located at 302 Colorado Ave. just a short walk from the Santa Monica Pier. A person speaking on behalf of Seritage declined to comment on proposals currently being offered for the space, or what specifically went into the decision.
Sci-Fi World started out in 2012 as New Starship Foundation. Its initial mission was to preserve a Paramount-built Star Trek Enterprise-D display bridge, as seen on Star Trek: The Next Generation, its website explains. Over the years, NSF gained support from Star Trek stars such as William Shatner and George Takei.
Additional support was gained, from the cast and crew of shows including Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who, to include the creation of Sci-Fi World to NSF’s mission.
The Foundation has raised over $200,000 from supporters, as its website stated.
The non-profit museum aimed to be a dream come true for a sci-fi & fantasy geek, as the space planned to be abound with original props and replicas from seemingly every iconic TV show and film of the genre.
These were to include: The Enterprise Bridge set from Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 25 foot bubbleship from Oblivion, a full size Alien Queen and Powerloader from Aliens, along with artifacts from Doctor Who, Planet of the Apes and Lord of the Rings. The museum’s latest acquisition, the 10 Forward set from Paramount+ Star Trek Picard, was used in the opening of Picard episode one, season one, starring Sir Patrick Stuart and Brent Spiner.
Santa Monica Under SCAG’s Boot
SMa.r.t.
Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
Four years ago, our esteemed colleague Mario Fonda-Bonardi wrote the prescient essay below when much of the legislative development juggernaut was beginning to make itself felt in our city. Let’s take a look at the questions in the article and see if any of them, even a single one, has been answered four years later (please remember the dates in the article refer to events four years ago).
Santa Monica Under SCAG’s Boot
As most of you know, the Southern Association of Governments (SCAG) is now forcing Santa Monica to permit 8873 new housing units (of which about 6000 need to be affordable) in the next 8 years (20222029). Buttressed by all kinds of interlocking laws and severe financial penalties, SCAG is coercing the City to accept this constitutionally illegal unfunded mandate. This would be an incredible budget busting 20 percent increase in our resident population, with its attendant increase in water, power, traffic gridlock, sewer, fire/police, schools, and park demand, not to mention the financial cost of permitting all those units.
The City Council is belatedly holding a study session to try to respond to this on Dec 15 at 5:30 pm and to prepare a new housing element for those next eight years. The housing element is normally a forward looking planning tool the City uses to achieve its housing goals. However, it has now become, with SCAG’s blackmail, an unsustainable urban cancer that the City Council has to figure out how to treat.
The City does not have a housing problem. It permits annually about twice the amount of housing it needs to absorb its natural growth, but it can’t produce enough AFFORDABLE housing for the full spectrum of its current residents’ incomes. This affordability crisis, no matter how you solve it, eventually requires a substantial cash subsidy of some sort. Since SCAG provides no funding for its required 6000 affordable units, the entire SCAG edifice collapses into a useless unattainable mirage.
Because of SCAG’s numbers lack of reality, at its study session, the council should get real and try to understand how we got into this nightmare and how to get out of it. They should be able to answer twenty questions to its residents who will be bearing the burden of this onslaught:
1. Why did the City waste a year when this was first publicly raised in December 2019 in preparing a response to these unattainable numbers?
2. When our City’s SCAG allocation suddenly mysteriously jumped 88% (4229 units) in December of 2019, why did the City not respond? Who should have generated a response to this red flag? How can we reverse this arbitrary manipulation?
3. Why did the Council accept that Santa Monica was being treated substantially differently in its requirements than other cities (with similar transit/job availability) in proportion to its population: Santa Monica 9.57%, Culver City 8.5%, Long Beach 5.34%?
4. Knowing this number was unattainable, why did the City let the official appeal
deadline, at the end of October 2020, lapse without filing an appeal, knowing full well that other Cities were appealing and that if they were successful, their reductions would be added to our numbers.
5. Why has the City not joined the 50 other cities fighting for local control when we saw the overinflated numbers headed our way?
6. The natural growth of the City (births minus deaths) is approximately 1111 units in the next 8 years if we ignore the depopulating effects of Covid-19. But why should we accept a growth rate 8 times our natural expansion if it even occurs? How does piling on more people make the City more affordable for our existing housing cost overburdened residents? And shouldn’t those overburdened resident’s needs come first?
7. By the end of 2021, the end of the last 8-year cycle, the City will have permitted about 3250 units or about twice the previous SCAG requirement of about 1674 units. Why should our city suddenly have to absorb about 5 times our last allocation?
8. If the hypothetical purpose is to increase the amount of housing, why can’t the excess/ deficit created in a previous cycles be carried over to the next SCAG cycle. If not, isn’t this an unfair punishment and simply an encouragement for all Cities to under permit?
9. The SCAG numbers do not require the units to be actually built, just permitted. So not a single unit need be added to the City’s housing stock, according to SCAG. Assuming each unit costs about $600,000 to build and that permitting costs run 10% of the unit cost, just the permitting process will cost about $530,000,000 (the entire City budget for one year) for units that won’t be built for decades. Who will pay for these upfront costs when the market cannot, with all its vacancies, even absorb the current stock?
10. The 6000 affordable units will cost a nominal $3.6 billion dollars to build. SCAG has no funding mechanism. With its great affordable housing program, Santa Monica thankfully built about 544 affordable units over the last 6 years, or 90 affordable units a year. SCAG wants to raise our production by a factor 8 (750 units/year). What is the credibility of such a goal? Show me one California City that has built its way to affordability?
11. Because SCAG has no ownership requirement or funding mechanism aren’t we just permitting/ building for a permanent underclass of renters who will never accumulate enough capital to become owners?
12. How many units will be credibly demolished to build 8874 units? The number of those demolished units needs to be added to the 8874 to create the net number that needs permitting.
13. The SCAG numbers are a forced-up zone for the entire City, creating excess profits for existing landowners at the expense of the feasibility of future housing production. By making land more expensive won’t this up zoning only make it harder for our current affordable housing providers competing with more well heeled developers? How will the City prevent such gouging as what happened at the City trailer park project?
14. Why should the City accept SCAG’s narrow rules defining what is a suitable site for new housing, such as the artificially low (600) Accessory Dwelling Units limit that could be placed on our 9000 single family sites? Why
should the City accept any SCAG constraints on what is a suitable site?
15. Freddie Mac believes, based on vacancies (pre Covid) but still using SCAG’s own fake methodology, that our real need is about 2078 new units or less than a quarter of the SCAG numbers. How will the City adjust its housing element for the effect of Covid? And how will SCAG adjust its numbers for a depopulating state?
16 The school population is shrinking because we have not permitted/built enough affordable 3 bedroom apartments. Wouldn’t it be better to build more multi bedroom apartments instead of so many single bedroom apartments effectively demanded by SCAG? SCAG’s numbers should be emphasizing useful quality instead of quantity. SCAG again takes away local control by forcing the direction of development away from what our City really needs.
17. Haven’t the last 50 State housing mandates for height bonuses, for density bonuses, for affordability exemptions, for automatic approvals, etc. etc. already taken away enough local control, that the SCAG numbers will only be the final nail in our City’s coffin?
18. How do the unfunded SCAG’s numbers, which drive up land and construction costs, address our homeless crisis?
19. Has the City prepared a cost benefit analysis of legally resisting the unfunded mandate compared to kowtowing to SCAG with its exponential infrastructure costs? If not when can we have it?
20. State law requires housing projects of 500 units or more identify new water resources with a 20 year supply. To meet SCAG’s numbers between one and 17 new aquifers need to be identified. Where is any new water to be
found? In two years our water independence from outside sources must be achieved: how far back does this SCAG invasion set us? The same question could be asked for the entire overloaded City infrastructure. Can you say gridlock?
As you can see SCAG’s bogus numbers are an unjustifiable unprovoked assault on our City. SCAG’s numbers are an idolatrous worship at the fake god of infinite growth that will both eviscerate our City’s beachside character and its urgent sustainability/resilience necessities. Wearing the fig leaf of “affordability”, to hide SCAG’s real beneficiaries, the City is being forced to sacrifice itself for the benefit of developers, real estate interests, and construction unions.
This is a “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” moment for our City. The City Council should, in its accountability obligation, answer these resident questions and figure out how to resist Caesar while simultaneously giving its residents what it really needs: a realistic credible housing element. In our post-truth world, we don’t need more fakery.
Please attend the December 15th Zoom meeting and tell the City Council to get SCAG’s boot off our neck.
by Mario Fonda-Bonardi,AIA for SMa.r.t. (Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow)
S.M.a.r.t Santa Monica Architects for a ResponsibleTomorrow
Thane Roberts, Architect, Mario FondaBonardiAIA,RobertH.TaylorAIA,Architect, Dan Jansenson, Architect & Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission, Samuel Tolkin Architect & Planning Commissioner, MichaelJolly,AIR-CREMarieStanding.Jack HillbrandAIA
Hundreds Remember Sarah Alden at the Canals
A tearful and somber crowd assembles
to memorialize the slain vintage
jewelry collector
By Nick Antonicello
Sarah Alden, who was viciously attacked near the Venice Canals and died from those sustained injuries was tearfully remembered this evening as family members, close friends, city officials and members of the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments paid their respects to the Massachusetts resident that was planning to relocate to the neighborhood.
Alden died May 24th following the violent attack that took place on April 6th which eventually left her brain dead. Her family opted to take her off life support last month. Alden had signed a lease to move to Venice Beach from her native Massachusetts and was set to share her relocation announcement with friends
before the attack. This obscene assault of Alden and another woman Mary Klein has shaken Venice to its core as one mourner remarked, “It is scary to walk in Venice.”
A GoFundMe page has been established to cover medical expenses with a goal of $150,000.
Alden was remembered for her love of “sunrises on the east coast and sunsets on the west coast.”
The suspect in custody is Anthony Francisco Jones, who has been charged with the murder of Alden and is being held without bail. The apparent transient has pleaded not guilty. Jones is also accused of attacking Klein the same evening. A GoFundMe posting in support of her has apparently raised over $100,000, surpassing the goal of $75,000.
“Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s family and friends during this unimaginably tragic time,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón in a press statement.
Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park (CD-11), a Venice resident and attorney was also on hand and addressed those in attendance.
Report: Planning Commission Upholds Approval of Marina del Rey Multi-Family Development
The Appeal, Brought by the “Concerned Residents of Glencoe Avenue,” Contended That the Project Was Inconsistent With Zoning Regulations
According to Urbanize LA, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission has upheld the approval of a proposed multifamily residential development near Lincoln and Washington Boulevards in Del Rey, dismissing an appeal from neighboring homeowners opposing the project.
The appeal, brought by the “Concerned Residents of Glencoe Avenue,” contended that the project was inconsistent with zoning
regulations and would negatively impact surrounding properties. The group also argued for additional environmental review. However, a staff report found no evidence supporting these claims and recommended denying the appeal, according to Urbanize.
LaTerra Development’s plan for a sixstory building at 4112 Del Rey Avenue includes 210 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and a five-story, 282-car garage. The project, designed by TCA Architects in a California Coastal modern style, utilizes density bonus incentives to exceed zoning limitations, with 18 units designated as very low-income affordable housing, as reported by Urbanize.
The Planning Department issued an approval letter late last year, endorsing the project. The design features amenities such as a courtyard, gym, and rooftop pool. According to an environmental study adopted by the City of Los Angeles, construction could begin as early as September 2024 and conclude by August 2026.
Registered Sex Offender Charged in Attack of Beachgoers: Report
Garnett Is Registered as a Sex Offender on the State’s Megan’s Law Database and Is Listed as a Santa Monica-Area Transient
A registered sex offender from Los Angeles County is the man accused of attacking three people on Santa Monica Beach Monday morning, including a 77-year-old woman whom he allegedly tried to drown, according to reports from The Los Angeles Times and KTLA.
Jawann Garnett, 31, was booked on two counts of attempted murder, one count of elder abuse, and one count of assault on a bystander, according to Lt. Erika Aklufi, a spokesperson for the Santa Monica Police Department. Garnett’s arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday. It remains unclear if he has retained a lawyer, according to The Times.
Santa Monica Police responded to a call at 9:41 a.m. reporting a 17-year-old girl
being attacked near lifeguard tower No. 13, Aklufi said. Garnett allegedly ceased his assault on the teenager and ran towards the water upon seeing a pair of seniors. He is accused of attacking a woman in her 70s and attempting to drag her into the ocean before police arrived and arrested him. All three victims received treatment at the scene. Two were released on-site, while the 17-year-old was transported to a hospital with serious but non-lifethreatening injuries, authorities said.
Garnett is registered as a sex offender on the state’s Megan’s Law database and is listed as a Santa Monica-area transient, according to KTLA and The Times. He previously pleaded no contest to an assault with intent to commit a sex crime. Court documents reveal that Garnett was released earlier this month after serving less than a year in prison.
Suspect in Beach Attacks Held
Has Criminal History Involving Attempted
On June 26, the District Attorney charged Garnett with attempted murder and felony child abuse
Jawann Dwayne Garnett, a Santa Monica man with a significant criminal history, has been arrested for assaulting multiple individuals on the beach north of the pier and is being held on $1 million bail. Garnett, who has previous convictions for assault with intent to commit rape and other violent crimes, attacked a 17-yearold girl near Lifeguard Tower 13 on Monday, June 24. He struck and strangled the teenager before a 25-year-old female bystander intervened and was subsequently injured when Garnett punched her and bit her ear. Garnett then assaulted a woman in her 70s, pulling her into the ocean and holding her underwater.
Lifeguards and police officers arrived within minutes, interrupting Garnett’s
attack and taking him into custody. The juvenile victim was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries and later released. The other two victims were treated at the scene by lifeguards and fire department personnel.
On June 26, the District Attorney charged Garnett with attempted murder and felony child abuse for the attack on the juvenile. He faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily injury and assault with intent to commit rape for the attack on the bystander, and attempted murder and kidnapping for the assault on the elderly woman.
Garnett, who is currently homeless, has a criminal history in Los Angeles County that includes prior arrests for assault with intent to commit rape, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, and domestic violence.
In December 2021, he was arrested by LAPD (Topanga) for attempted oral copulation through force and was subsequently convicted of assault with intent to commit sexual assault. Garnett was placed on probation, but despite multiple probation violations, he was released on his own recognizance on June 6, and scheduled to appear in court on August 5, for a probation violation.
contact Detective Lucero at Hilda.Lucero@ santamonica.gov, Detective Sergeant Goodwin at Chad.Goodwin@santamonica. gov, or the Watch Commander 24 hours at 310-458-8427.
On June 9, Garnett was arrested by Santa Monica PD for failing to register as a sex offender and released with a citation.
Authorities urge anyone with information related to this incident or Garnett to
Judge Rejects Attempt to Block 140-Unit Affordable Housing Development, Related Hearing Set for June
The Coalition Plans to Appeal the Recent Ruling
By Zach Armstrong
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected a coalition’s multi-year effort to halt the Venice Dell Community project; a 140-unit affordable housing development set for construction on what is now a cityowned parking lot.
The Coalition for Safe Coastal Development, a 501(c)(4) which describes the conceived complex as something “recklessly rushed through the City approval process by a Councilman subsequently pushed out of office”, brought the case against the City of Los Angeles and developers. The nonprofit argued the project didn’t meet requirements for exemption from environmental review, disregarded concerns of Native American’s tribal cultural resources, violated the Subdivision Map Act, and would unlawfully demolish an existing structure for nonresidential uses, among other claims.
The ruling, issued on Tuesday, May 21 by Judge Richard Fruin, rejected those arguments. With a Disposition and
Development Agreement signed with the City and entitlements upheld in Court, the project’s developers say only a few steps remain to pave the way for completion.
“With this victory, we are excited and hopeful that Mayor Bass will direct her teams to take the actions needed to get these desperately needed affordable homes across the finish line,” Becky Dennison, Executive Director of Venice Community Housing, said in a statement.
Set for development on a 2.7-acre site at 200 N. Venice Blvd., one block inland from Venice beach and a short walk from the canals, Venice Dell Community was approved by City Council in 2021. Of the 140 units included in the current concept, 34 apartments are designated for low-income artists, 34 for low-income households, 4 for on-site personnel, with the remaining units being permanent supportive housing. Small-scale retail, green/open space and public parking are also set to be included.
After a 2016 bid process for affordable housing proposals on Cityowned properties, the City approved a recommendation to select Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing as co-developers for the site.
The coalition plans to appeal the recent ruling. Additionally, an upcoming trial for a related lawsuit, also brought by the
coalition, is set for June 4. That hearing, which will be heard by Judge Chalfant of the L.A. Superior Court, will address the legality of the lease which, according to the coalition, was given to Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing Corp. for $1 a year for the next 99 years.
“There’s no question we need to appeal this ruling. The judge’s decision repeatedly admitted the project did not meet some of the criteria for CEQA exemption (California Environmental Quality Act) when approved in December
of 2021, but then declared the developer could fix these problems later. This is not our understanding of how the state’s laws work,” said a spokesperson with the coalition. “We agree that affordable housing is needed but the government still needs to act lawfully in addressing that need. Housing at this extraordinary taxpayer cost that disregards environment protection in a FEMA-designated flood zone is irresponsible. We remain puzzled as to why the city would invest this insane amount of money at this location.”
341-Unit Development Proposal Selected for Venice Metro Yard
The Project Offers
5,400 Square Feet for Venice Arts
Metro has chosen a development team for the Division 6 property on Main Street in Venice, marking a significant milestone in a project that has been in the works since 2016.
On Thursday, Metro announced its selection of the Metro Venice Art Collective’s proposal, “Metro on Main”, as announced in Councilwoman Traci Park’s newsletter. The recommendation, detailed in a report to the Metro Board’s Planning and Programming Committee, suggests entering an exclusive negotiating agreement with Metro Venice Art Collective, LLC, owned by Pinyon Group, according to Urbanize LA.
The proposed development at 100
SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
FIREWORKS • LIVE MUSIc
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
GATES OPEN 5 P.M. | FIREWORKS AT 9 P.M.
Corsair Field | 1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA
$5 Parking (Enter at Pico Blvd. & 17th St.)
Live music by Westside Crew Associates
PROHIBITED: Animals, alcohol, weapons, smoking, chairs with pointed legs.
SANTA MONICA
Susan Aminoff;
Tom Peters; Rob Rader;
VICKY SWARTZ