(This letter was originally address to the Santa Monica City Council.)
The Recreation and Parks Commission wishes to express their enthusiastic support for Santa Monica’s Public Beach Club, proposed for 415 Pacific Coast Highway. Our city is the fortunate steward of the beach and the fortunate recipient of the generosity of the Annenberg Foundation.
In a rare moment of serendipity we have the opportunity to create, what we believe to be, the first public beach club in California. The 415 PCH proposed project has the potential to be of great benefit to the people of Santa Monica and to all who visit our city and the beach.
We had the privilege of holding the first public hearing on this project on Oct. 2, 2005, and to see the proposal for the design and the use of the property. We fully supported the use and we commended the designer for his sensitivity to the historic rehabilitation and to the integration of modern buildings into the design. In our official action, we moved to support the project as presented and requested that the project team pay particular attention to the following areas:
Enhance the connection between the site, the beach and the ocean.
Look at the parking lots as a shared use opportunity and as a connector to bring people onto the site.
Provide exceptional stewardship for the environment, meeting and possibly exceeding LEED standards.
Consider the comfort of the public throughout the design. For example, shade and walkways.
Look at issue areas currently not within the current scope of the project. For example, cleanup of the Palisades Bluffs. Continue to focus on the recreational use of the site. Design for alternative modes of access to the site. Continue the respect for the historic preservation of the site as the design evolves.
The project team has demonstrated their responsiveness to our concerns, and to the concerns of others, throughout the development of the scope and design. We appreciate their work and the work of the city staff.
We respectfully request that you approve the proposal for Santa Monica’s Beach Club at 415 Pacific Coast Highway.
Susan Cloke Chair, Recreation and Parks Commission
Looking for public beach club support
Editor:
I would like to encourage your readers to attend the Santa Monica City Council/Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, May 25, when they consider the 415 PCH Beach Club Project. The gift of this property to the city of Santa Monica and its residents is a wonderful opportunity to develop a place of recreation for all of us. We need public support to make this planned project a reality. Please join us at City Hall.
