> ## 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.

# Movies & parking get Bauer’s goat
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/movies-parking-get-bauers-goat/
- Published: 2007-07-16T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:22:08.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By BILL*

THE FINAL CURTAIN IS FALLING ON THE NuWilshire movie theater on Wilshire Boulevard. It’s been there since the 30’s, first, as a single auditorium movie house then, about the early 1970’s, the auditorium was twinned into two uncomfortable shoe boxes.

Home of independent and foreign films, it’s not the best place to see a movie, but it’s convenient. Property owner, Soundview Investment Properties, plans to remodel the building and convert the theaters into 3,000 square feet of retail space. According to a news article (SMDP, July 5, Page 1,“Time to roll credits,") Anchor Blue and Lucky Jeans are rumored to be the new tenants.

Because it’s a “remodel," it was approved administratively without public review. City codes view the theater as retail use, so there’s no technical "change of use” or public review required in remodeling movie theaters into designer clothing bou-tiques. Planning Commissioner, asked city staff to give a presentation on the project at the July 18 Planning Commission meeting.

As long as zoning codes broadly define retail and other uses, and allow "remodels” or “substantial remodels” so much development leeway, there’ll be a lot more “how did that happen?" projects. Much criticism has been directed at vague codes which permit substantially larger and denser developments to be “remodeled” from smaller original structures, unabated — such as 820 Broadway, a large, two-story retail/office block recently “remodeled” from a much smaller, single floor Mittel’s Art Store.

Abuses are going to continue unless codes more clearly define "change of use," and "new,” “remodel” and "substantial remodel” kinds of development. Jay’s got the ball, Let’s hope he runs with it.

Another Santa Monica church is applying for expansion of its school and child-care services — and a variance for required parking that could create serious problems for its neighbors.

The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel Church (Lighthouse Christian Academy) at 1420 & 1424 Yale St. has requested approval for a 33 percent expansion of its high school to 100 students. The problem is that the property is already dozens of spaces short of required parking.

The facility is in a R2-zoned multi-family neighborhood with a severe street parking shortage. The church has requested they be allowed to expand without the 74 parking spaces required by school/day care use. Only 12 parking spaces are on site and there are no on-site student/day care pickup and drop off facilities, either.

Conversion of the church’s Sunday school building to a high school is a significant intensification of use. The property’s limited size prevents on-site parking required by Code or an on-site student drop-off needed for the proposed high school use. There’s also an issue with increased traffic that will result from the proposed expansion. Nevertheless, staff recommends approval of the parking variance with a limitation of school enrollment to 65 students.

This item is also before the Planning Commission Wednesday night. It’s a bad deal for neighbors and shouldn’t be approved.

Congratulations are in order for the students from Crossroads School who went before City Council June 19 requesting a ban on animal acts used for entertainment and display — including giveaways or sales — inpublic places including the Third Street Promenade.

Julian Isaacs, a 17-year-old Crossroads senior and his fellow students raised questions about the welfare of animals that perform or are displayed on city sidewalks and in public parks. He told the Daily Press (July 3, Page 1,“Shock the monkey handlers,") "It violates the basic principals of respect and compassion we value in our society.”

Isaacs is spot on. Council ordered staff to look into the matter. Let’s hope staff comes back quickly with recommendations for an ordinance to ban animal displays on public property as well as require licensing and regular inspections for individuals and nonprofit groups who hold periodic pet adoptions and sales on sidewalks, parking lots and other private property.

Lastly, the Third Street Promenade has enough problems without performing monkeys and psychic cats joining the mix of vagrants, panhandlers, junky merchandise carts, amateur craftsman and overly loud performers that have turned it into a cheap carnival. Two questions: Why did it take a bunch of high school students to flag this controversy? Where was the Bayside District Corporation whose job it is to manage the downtown area?

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 16, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/071607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)