By Yours truly, Teresa Hausenbauer The Omlette Parlor
To The Editor: The enormous parking problem caused by the proliferation of the Farmers’ Market into a “carnival” on Sunday continues and is expected to get worse as the better weather approaches.
Patrons to our restaurant complain of spending 20-plus minutes trying to find a convenient parking spot and many patrons tell us that they won’t come any more because of the nightmare of trying to park. The parking problem does not exist on any other day of the week.
The City of Santa Monica is in clear violation of the Conditional Use Permit that initiated this event, with the permit allowing only for a farmers’ market with ancillary farm activity, live music and pony rides for children. The original intent of the market was to foster business IN THE SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS of Main Street, while providing an economical place for the community to purchase fresh produce. The current character of the market is more of one of a carnival or fair with at least half or more of the market composed of fast-food vendors and retail.
The original permit application filed by Laura Avery for this event defines the market as a walk-to activity and specifically asks for no provisions (ZERO!) for parking. This event in its current state greatly impedes the normal parking flow for the patrons of Main Street, and quite frankly, just robs the small businessman of his opportunity to do business in his own district on Sunday.
A written formal complaint was filed with the City of Santa Monica in October 2001, in regard to the current violations of the Conditional Use Permit for this event, including the content of the market, hours of the market, and the parking problem. Numerous phone call were then made by our party to Florentino Gonzales, Code Compliance Officer, and Marsha Moutrie, Esq., City Attorney, to try to discuss this matter with them.
The only reply received were two phone messages from F. Gonzales, one to have our party return his call again and the other to state that he had misplaced the file and that is why he hadn’t made contact and that he found no problem with the congestion at the market. We are dismayed that the City has failed to respond to the needs of a businessman in our long-standing commercial environment who is also a taxpayer and registered voter.
We are still in utter amazement that we have never received an official reply regarding this very substantive complaint. We would surmise from this experience that the City of Santa Monica has no real regard for the Conditional Use Permit process and that anyone with such a permit in this city need not adhere to its guidelines either, and without consequence. Or are these permits just selectively enforced?
There are also the non-Main Street food vendors that the City has allowed at this market, creating unfair competition for the restaurants that pay enormous rents to do business here. This is a business district of small shops and restaurants (that’s who we are!) and the City of Santa Monica has curtailed our ability to pursue normal business activities on Sunday mornings.
And do you recall that big holiday campaign for “Shop Local” and all of the to-do that continues about saving the small restaurants on the Third Street Promenade? Well what about the small restaurants on Main Street? Why are they allowing nonlocal food vendors at this event? Why make it more difficult for the small restaurateur before the legitimate competition even begins? The Burger Queens and Taco Kings are just starting to roll in down the street, and the City of Santa Monica will not be able to do a thing to stop them or their fat-cat corporate lawyers from coming in. I don’t think that the Ocean Park Community (that includes myself) wants their neighborhood to turn into a row of large-chain, fast-food restaurants. Support must be given to small business.
And, once again, we have no opposition to a true Farmers’ Market down the street on Sunday; we support the produce-selling component of the market wholeheartedly. We oppose the outside food vendors that unfairly compete with our business and we want the City of Santa Monica and its Department of Economic Development to take responsibility for this huge parking problem that they have brought upon us through gross violation of the Conditional Use Permit for this event. The market should return to a traditional farmers’ market or needs to be moved to a location that can handle it. C’mon, City folks, tell us what’s really on you agenda!
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 16, 2002. Read the original PDF.