> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# My write
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/julia-roberts-explains-who-she-is-and-why/
- Published: 2003-12-19T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:20:49.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: Opinion, Montana, #archive-import

■ ■ ■ I seems City Hall was not content with allowing just the Third Street Promenade to become a carnival with carts of cheap merchandise, wall-to-wall amateur entertainers and calligraphy artists.

They allowed Third Street’s flea market atmosphere to spread to the Santa Monica Pier where visitors now must work their way through a maze of junky carts, crappy entertainers, spin-art vendors — and don’t forget the Bubbleman — to catch a glimpse of the ocean.

The City Council approved an interim ordinance at Tuesday’s council meeting that could turn Main Street and Montana Avenue into two big swap meets. Both avenues already have narrow sidewalks crowded with news racks, poles, parking meters, fireplugs, trees and other municipal accouterments.

City staff has suggested approving even more flotsam to make 8-to 12-foot wide sidewalks harder to navigate. The staff report says this will “enhance the streetscape and enliven the pedestrian experience.” “Enliven” is right, especially while tripping over some merchant’s inventory.

To top it off, staff urged immediate passage because “There exists a current and immediate threat to the public safety, health, and welfare should this interim ordinance not be adopted.” Huh? The lack of sidewalk junk is a threat to public safety?

This is a bad ordinance that might be nearly impossible to enforce. And it has the potential for lots of abuse by merchants out to make an extra buck. This will come back in the near future as a permanent ordinance, and it should be rejected once and for all.

Swap-meet clutter on the public right-away does nothing to attract business to local merchants or make sidewalks safer.

If City Hall was really serious about “preserving the economic vitality of local businesses,” it would start by doing something about aggressive panhandlers, vagrants and street drunks which they continue to pretend don’t exist.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 19, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/121903.pdf?ref=smdp.com)