By Daily Press staff
Want to know why it’s so difficult and costly to set up a business in Santa Monica? The final results of a study commissioned by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce that delve into City Hall’s planning department operation will be presented next week.
City Hall has a reputation for being time consuming and costly to business owners, primarily due to expenses and delays created by the planning department, chamber officials said. The study was conducted in order to test that theory and come up with recommendations for the planning department.
The study was conducted by a team of University of Southern California MBAstudents — Audney DePaulo, David DeVore, Shana Rosengart, Daniel Scott and Stephanie Wong.
Physically opening a business is one of the most difficult and costly phases of starting a new company, officials said. Locating space, converting it to a specific use and getting the approvals needed to open the doors and start serving customers is time consuming and often costs much more than projected, chamber officials said.
The study’s purpose was to conduct a balanced analysis of the city planning processes of four Southern California municipalities. The study also identified opportunities for Santa Monica to encourage entrepreneurs to set up shop here.
The two-phase project involved researching the projected time, process and cost of opening a business in Santa Monica, Culver City, Pasadena and Burbank. The study also involved interviewing new businesses in each of the cities. The final report reveals whether the planning department’s expectations are close to the reality of what happens in each city. The study also identifies areas where the planning process can be made less cumbersome and where entrepreneurs can take action to reduce the time frame and complexity of the review process.
The study’s results will be discussed at the chamber’s luncheon on Jan. 13 at the Four Points by Sheraton, 530 Pico Blvd., in the penthouse suite from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $25 for prepaid members, $30 non-prepaid members and $35 non-members. For reservations, call (310) 393-9825, ext. 10.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 7, 2004. Read the original PDF.