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# Ocean Park mom-and-pop markets get a break
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/see-shelter-page-6-ocean-park-mom-and-pop-markets-get-a-break/
- Published: 2003-09-25T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:00:15.000Z
- Author: John Wood
- Tags: Environment, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*City Council eases restrictions but hours of operation are still up in the air*

The owners of corner markets in Ocean Park can breathe a little easier now that the City Council on Tuesday night approved zoning changes to make them a permanent part of Santa Monica.

The council at its meeting Tuesday lifted several restrictions on the Marine Market, 672 Marine St., that the Planning Commission imposed in April, and voted to save the Fair Market, 2225 Fourth St., from the wrecking ball.

Residents turned out in force because the Planning Commission started holding the markets to new standards earlier this year.

The commission ordered the owners of the Marine Market to apply a graffiti-resistant coating to the exterior of the building, keep shorter hours and take down a popular mural that covers the 1929 building’s windows. The 4-foot-wide windows were filled with concrete in 1989 to reinforce the building. They were later covered during the shooting of an episode of the “MacGyver” television show with a colorful mural of a Spanish street scene that is now a signature of the neighborhood, residents said.

> “Clearly these markets do contribute something very significant to the community around us,” — said Mayor Richard Bloom, noting the 20-plus residents who urged council members to stand up for mom-and-pop operators

Reopening the windows would not only take away the popular mural but be prohibitive financially, argued Howard Robinson, the lawyer for owner Peter Kim. Though the market grosses about $1,800 a month, the work, which would require reinforcing the building with a steel frame, engineers estimated the cost of renovations at $37,000, Robinson said “It’s just wildly out of scale,” he said. In addition to relaxing the restrictions imposed on the Marine Market, the City Council agreed to spare from demolition the Fair Market, which sits in front of a multi-unit condominium building. As part of the permit to build the condos there, the property owners had agreed to tear down the market and restore the open space.

But neighbors said they rely on the market, known as the “Best Little Wine Shop in Santa Monica,” for convenience. They successfully pleaded with council members to reconsider that restriction and allow the shop to stay.

The issue over operating hours for all three neighborhood markets is scheduled to be heard by the City Council this fall. Though the stores have opened as early as 7 a.m. and closed as late as 1 a.m. for years, ordinances now in place say the stores can open no earlier than 8 a.m. and close no later than 9 p.m.

Residents said they will be back this fall to support the stores, but that they were encouraged by City Hall moving in the right direction.

“We’re very pleased with the City Council’s endorsement of our neighborhood’s desires,” said former City Council candidate Abby Arnold, who live snext door to the Marine Market. “It shows that the City Council can be flexible in balancing planning rules against neighborhood wishes.”

> “We’re very pleased with the City Council’s endorsement of our neighborhood’s desires.” — — ABBY ARNOLD Former City Council candidate

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 25, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)