MAIN STREET Property owners in this Ocean Park commercial district, representing a blend of high-end stores and mom and pops, will soon decide whether to chip in more than $88,000 a year to keep the area in tip-top shape.
City Hall will mail out ballots next week to 157 property owners along Main Street between Pico Boulevard and Dewey Street, asking them to establish an assessment district that will bring in enough money to maintain sidewalks and ornamental tree lighting.
The Main Street district is the second commercial center in the city considering an assessment district.Downtown landlords are also voting on forming a new property-based assessment district,which if approved,would bring in more than $3.6 million a year to pay for enhanced maintenance and customer service.
While downtown property owners had to sign off on a petition before voting on the ballot measure, Main Street landlords were able to skip that first step altogether, proposing their assessment district under a different state law.
Both ballots are expected to be counted by the City Clerk on July 22.
The assessment, estimated at approximately $88,632 a year, would continue the current level of sidewalk maintenance and tree lighting along Main Street, made possible at the moment because of a grant the Main Street Business Improvement Association (MSBIA) received from City Hall last year.
The $85,000 grant was used to pay for festoon lighting and sidewalk sweeping as well as a consultant who suggested forming an assessment district.
The walkways along Main Street were swept only twice a year until the MSBIA began contributing money to pay for enhanced services about three years ago. The grant, which will soon expire, allowed the MSBIA to free up some of its contribution.
“The grant itself was an improvement over what existed,” Gary Gordon, the executive director of the MSBIA, said.
The association has held several meetings with merchants and landlords to discuss the proposal over the past year, the majority of which have expressed support for the assessment district,store owners pointing to the need for clean streets in order to attract customers.
“If a street looks shabby, you’ll lose customers,so I’m willing to chip in if we have to,” Susan Amenta, the owner of clothing bou-tique Suji, said. “You have to maintain the street like you’d maintain a store or a home. You have to keep up your own standards.”
Kathy Carlson Matulich, who owns home furnishings and gift store Casa Allegra, expressed concerns with the effect that the assessment could have on rent. While the assessments will be levied on property owners, the tax can be passed down to its tenants.
“Our rents are so high now that there are going to be stores closing in the next few years,” Carlson Matulich said.“If the (tax) is passed on to the renter, it’s just putting people out of business.”
The assessments will be levied according to the benefit to the property. City Hall and the Parking Authority, which represents about 8.88 percent of the total assessment, were already authorized by the City Council to vote in favor. Their contribution will total about $7,800 annually.
Among the supporters for the assessment district are some of the newer businesses along Main Street.
Stacy Bernstein, the owner of children’s boutique Harper Lane, moved into the district less than a year ago. Bernstein said while she’s only been on Main Street for a short time, she thinks that beautification and cleanliness are vital to the vibrancy of the street.
“The lights enhance the mood and attract people with their charm,” Bernstein said.“It’s important to keep them in order to keep our clientele and maintain the integrity of Main Street.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 31, 2008. Read the original PDF.