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TUESDAY
12.08.15 Volume 15 Issue 22
@smdailypress
WHAT’S UP WESTSIDE ..................PAGE 2 WHAT’S THE POINT? ......................PAGE 4 FINISHING WITH GRATITUDE ......PAGE 5 POLICE & FIRE LOGS ....................PAGE 12 MYSTERY PHOTO ..........................PAGE 13
Santa Monica Daily Press
Hotel design, animal shelter and ethics complaints at City Council BY MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor
Councilman Tony Vazquez will get an early present this year. Today’s council meeting will open with the installation of Mayor Pro Tem Vazquez as Mayor, and Councilmember Ted Winterer as Mayor Pro Tem. The newly reorganized council will then embark on several significant items.
MENORAH LIGHTS
First up will be an appeal related to a proposed hotel on Wilshire Blvd. In 2012, the council approved a development agreement for a new 271-room hotel and 15,210 square feet of retail/restaurant at 710 Wilshire Blvd. As part of the agreement, the developer will retain and incorporate the landmarked office building on the site into the project with a bridge connecting the existing building to new construction. The project required approval
from both Landmarks and Architectural Review Board. The city created a Joint Design Review Body (JDRB) composed of four Landmarks Commissioners and three ARB members to review the project. The group approved the permits related to the use of the landmarked building but rejected the ARB elements that include building, design, colors, materials, landscaping and lighting. The developer is appealing the
JDRB decision to council and staff is siding with the appeal citing the work done to meet the council’s concerns. “The JDRB’s denial was primarily based on three key issues including the lack of an architectural concept, concerns about the East elevation, and bridge connection details. Staff believes that the applicant has sufficiently addressed the concerns raised by the JDRB throughout the
Matthew Hall editor@smdp.com
Santa Monicans joined Chabad-Rabbi Chaim Teleshevsky for a menorah lighting outside Whole Foods on Montana Ave. to celebrate the first night of Chanukah on Dec. 6. Teleshevsky said this year’s Chanukah celebrations bring added significance as Jewish communities worldwide celebrate the year of Hakhel, a once-every-seven-years opportunity to celebrate Jewish unity and learning. Throughout the year, Jewish synagogues and organizations are hosting communal gatherings for men, women and children dedicated to encouraging Jewish observance.
SEE COUNCIL PAGE 7
smdp.com
Rift escalates over Little League board election Votes to be recast tonight following protests over protocol BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
Tensions are flaring within the Santa Monica Little League over a board election that is being repeated following months of disputes over protocol and accusations of misconduct. The results of tonight’s vote will replace those of the youth baseball organization’s September election, when David Harris defeated Wes Terry for president. The new election was ordered after district and regional Little League executives were informed of complaints about the voting process in the initial election. The imbroglio comes as officials in the local league worry about declining membership and mull a potential merger of its two divisions, another contentious issue. The feud has also rekindled conversations among some league members about race relations, a topic that has sparked debate in Santa Monica in recent months following several race-related incidents. The rift in the local Little League stems from last year’s contentious election. Terry, a parent who has served as a coach and board member over the last decade, attended the 2014 election meeting SEE ELECTION PAGE 8
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