A task forced created to balance the mix of businesses downtown agreed to a handful of recommendations Thursday that could make life easier for downtown restaurateurs.
In addition, Promenade Task Force committee members shot down a list of recommendations that would have made life more difficult for downtown retailers.
The group, whose influence extends to the Third Street Promenade and along Second and Fourth streets, will now pass its comments on to the City Council, which will decide whether or not the suggestions merit further consideration.
The approved recommendations include restrictions on outdoor dining and signs, simplifying the permit process for new restaurants, increasing the number of vending carts, placing restaurant tables in the middle of the Promenade and re-examining the city’s kiosks to promote more cafes.
Exact details of the proposals will be worked out as the group’s recommendations move along the approval process, officials said.
A handful of merchants and property owners addressed the PTF Thursday night, urging the committee to make doing business downtown easier.
Barbara Levy, who, along with her husband Dr. Isaac Levy, owns the building at 1239 Third Street, read a letter signed by more than 50 downtown business and property owners, including Hear Music, George’s Bistro and Monsoon.
“We are all committed to the long-term success of and viability of the Third Street Promenade and the Bayside District as a whole,” she said. “And are deeply concerned about the regulatory measures being considered.
“Retail is like a living organism,” she added. “It constantly changes and restricting it does not encourage change.”
“Retail is like a living organism. It constantly changes, and restricting it does not encourage change.” — - BARBARA LEVY Property owner
Committee members decided against: Requiring new retailers to provide on-site parking, increasing parking rates for retail stores and imposing other minor restrictions that would make life difficult for retailers.
Rather than subject retail businesses to complicated limitations, City Councilman Herb Katz, also a PTF member, suggested requiring businesses along the Promenade that want a storefront longer than 50 feet to obtain a variance.
“I personally am concerned with the scale of the stores on the Promenade,” he said. “The goal is to keep the Promenade in the decent, livable shape that it’s in.”
“I personally am concerned with the scale of the stores on the Promenade. The goal is to keep the Promenade in the decent, livable shape that it’s in.” — – HERB KATZ City Councilman
But Katz said restricting certain types of merchants was the wrong way to approach the problem. He encouraged including smaller stores while still making room for large retailers that can lease out a portion of their storefront to smaller vendors.
“Let’s not try to control this market,” he added. “Every time we try to control it, we screw it up.”
City Councilman Mike Feinstein, chairman of the group, was the sole supporter of a recommendation that would have investigated possible limitations on major chain — or “formula” — retailers. Though other board members expressed an interest in the proposal, Feinstein failed to convince them that it was the best step to take.
Feinstein, who said chain stores take the money out of the local economy while driving away diversity and bankrupting small businesses, said the Promenade would benefit from more independent stores.
“A lot of people came for years because of the independents,” he said. “And they’re not coming now because of the mono-culture.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 21, 2003. Read the original PDF.