We Build Small Biz Apps! lotusinterworks.com
2009 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Call 310.442.3330 Today!
20th Anniversary
310-444-4444 Hybrid • Mercedes-Benz
not valid from hotels or with other offers • SM residents only • Expires 12/31/12
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
SM to LAX $30
SantaMonicaTaxi.com
Volume 11 Issue 130
Santa Monica Daily Press
CHARGES IN MARTIN SHOOTING SEE PAGE 13
We have you covered
THE DRYING OUT ISSUE
Cith Council wants clarity on benefits BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL Decision makers and the community need more information, and earlier, if they’re going to get appropriate concessions out of developers bent on building projects that exceed normal zoning rules, the City Council said Tuesday. The concessions, called “community benefits,” are extras like parks, community rooms and other facilities that City Hall negotiates into contracts with developers in return for special permission to build taller and more massive buildings. Of late, Santa Monica’s City Council has flirted with more exotic benefits, including a controversial living wage provision for workers at the three new hotels coming in on Wilshire Boulevard and at Fifth Street. But if council members and city commissioners hope to get a good deal for residents in exchange for projects that potentially SEE BENEFITS PAGE 12
Kevin Herrera kevinh@smdp.com
AT WORK: A trainer and a client workout in Palisades Park on Wednesday. The use of parks by trainers is being pondered by city officials.
Boot camps may be banned at parks, beaches Damage to environment, clogging of facilities needs to stop, officials say BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD
for fear of being ousted by a sweaty person working to achieve their ultimate beach bod before summer. “They’re profiting off of using our city land for non-city sponsored classes. There’s no evidence of insurance, they block the pathways dominating areas using park amenities,” Karen Ginsberg, director of Community and Cultural Services, told the City Council Tuesday night. Those running the classes must have business licenses to operate in the park, but there’s no other regulation on the practice at present, Ginsberg said. They could be prohibited from using the park amenities under anti-vending laws, but only if they actually accepted money from their clients at the site. “As long as they’re not exchanging money in front of us, there’s no way to
Daily Press Staff Writer
Daniel Archuleta daniela@smdp.com
IN THE WORKS: The building at 710 Wilshire Blvd. is slated to become a hotel.
CITY HALL Boot camps may be getting the boot out of public parks and beaches. City officials will explore options to regulate commercial exercise groups on public property citing a steady stream of resident complaints and the toll such groups and their equipment take on the parks. The groups crowd the northern end of Palisades Park and the beaches, setting up with dumbbells, yoga mats and even tethers attached to light poles. They compete for space amongst one another — some even call Santa Monica’s City Hall to complain about other groups to get them moved from a spot, officials said — but the real loser ends up being the casual park user who can’t sit on a bench
Andrew Thurm
enforce the vending ordinance,” Ginsberg said. “They do that exchange elsewhere.” The matter came before the Recreation and Parks Commission earlier this year. It concerned commissioners that trainers were treating the parks like their personal offices, said Chair Phil Brock. “If it’s one-on-one training, do I honestly care? No,” Brock said. “It’s the boot camps, the Mommy & Me classes, the trainer that’s there eight hours a day every day. At some point, what can we do as a city to regulate that? As a city we regulate other businesses.” City Hall has not shied away from restricting group commercial uses on public property in the past. In 2008, a proliferation of surf instrucSEE PARKS PAGE 11
WE CURE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HEADACHES
GLUTEN FREE BREAD, BAGELS AND MUFFINS!
Now offering
Contact:
Prepared in a non gluten free kitchen.
310.442.1651
AndrewThurm@aol.com
310-829-9303
1433 Wilshire Boulevard, 15th Street 310-394-1131 OPEN 24 HOURS
2010 Realtor of the Year ROBERT KRONOVET
at
DRE # 01128992
Info@Kronovet.com