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# More of the good, the bad and the ugly in Santa Monica
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/more-of-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-santa-monica-2/
- Published: 2003-03-28T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T01:56:33.000Z
- Author: Bill Bauer
- Tags: Opinion, Pier, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

The good: Congratulations to Jim Rosenfield, the owner of the Aero Theatre building on Montana Avenue. Jim has secured American Cinematheque as its new leasee.

American Cinematheque will take over operation April 15 and has signed a 10-year lease. A.C. has agreed to refurbish the theater. Uncomfortable seating will yield to new, overstuffed chairs with lots of leg room. New state-of-the-art sound and projection will be installed and a remodeled snack bar means the return of delicious popped-on-the-spot Aero popcorn.

A.C. now runs film retrospectives, tributes and programs of interest to film buffs in the Hollywood Egyptian. The same pro-gramming will also play the Aero. Bravo! The bad: The Pier Restoration Corporation, the city-affiliated entity that manages the Santa Monica Pier, appointed Ben Franz- Knight as its executive director. His job is to oversee the pier’s day-to-day operation.

I was impressed with the glowing accolades accorded Mr. Franz-Knight by the local news media until I read this quote in surfsantamonica.com: “Franz- Knight’s vision of community... also includes the homeless. ‘Homelessness is a part of the Pier,’ he said. ‘It is part of the richness that goes on. It’s a part of Santa Monica's culture.’”

Richness? How stupid is that? Santa Monica’s culture? Unfortunately.

Does Franz-Knight really mean that the homeless are a desirable, colorful and attractive cultural element like surfers at the beach? Funny, I never looked at homelessness as a tourist attraction.

Franz-Knight must not be aware of all the complaints about the vagrants and bums who hang around the pier and environs. Maybe he could check out the Digital City Los Angeles Web site, search “Santa Monica Pier” and click on “users reviews and ratings” for the lowdown on how the rest of the world views Pier “culture.”

Franz-Knight was hired by the PRC, whose chair is Linda Sullivan. She’s also on the Santa Monicans for Renters Rights Steering Committee and is the wife of former city attorney, Robert Myers, an ardent and outspoken advocate for homeless rights. Sullivan strongly shares her husband’s views.

No wonder Sullivan was so high on the guy. Maybe the entire PRC thinks that all those “homeless” actually enrich the pier. It wouldn’t surprise me.

Unfortunately, it appears that Franz- Knight, Sullivan and the PRC might be more interested in promoting a long standing city social agenda than making the pier a safe, clean family attraction. If that’s the case, the pier will continue to be the run-down, dirty, financial drain on the city that it is now. The ugly: The city is contemplating floating a bond for $29.3 million to cover additional costs projected for construction of a new Main Library.

Originally, plans were to spend $25 million to renovate and refurbish the existing 37-year-old structure at Sixth Street and Santa Monica Boulevard.

But, architects for that project determined that costs would be the same whether the old building were remodeled or a totally new one were to be built. The Library Board and City Council approved a new building.

Now, the problem is that this “all new” wretched excess will cost $72 million. A new bond issue was proposed to raise revenue to cover the inflated cost. Does anyone else remember City Council repeatedly insisting that the “new” library was fully funded? I guess they were wrong.

In this time of budget shortfalls, and minimal city support for schools, the thought of $29.3 million in additional indebtedness is not only inane but borders on unconscionable.

Is anybody thinking, here? Now's the time to go back to Plan One — remodel and do this project within the budget originally proposed.

However, there is another option that was briefly considered and disregarded by the myopic Library Board and others pushing this boondoggle.

It's not too late to build the new library in the Civic Center. Then, the city could either sell or develop the present site and use the proceeds to pay for the new structure. A development with subterranean parking and retail, market rate, affordable and moderate income housing would be ideal at Sixth and Santa Monica.

Maybe that's all too easy in a city where no common sense and uncontrolled spending are ugly facts of life. (Bill Bauer is a longtime Santa Monica resident and freelance writer.)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 28, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032803.pdf?ref=smdp.com)