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# To the letter: Columnist shares readers’ responses
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/to-the-letter-columnist-shares-readers-responses/
- Published: 2004-08-25T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:47:40.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pier, #archive-import

We’ve had tremendous feedback to our landmarks series over the past month.

Of all the calls and letters we’ve received, perhaps the most interesting was the following letter from Bill Bauer, offering a memoir of the effort to save the Santa Monica Pier. We’ve also thrown in a celebrity letter for good measure.

Dear Jodi, “I’m writing all this because nobody gets the history of the ‘Save the Piers’ movement right. It’s a slight to the many people who worked very hard and gave money to ‘Save the Piers’ to see other organizations that were not involved take credit.

In early 1973, the Santa Monica City Council voted to demolish the Santa Monica Pier(s) in order to build a ‘bridge’ to an artificial island proposed for the Santa Monica Bay. The island to be constructed near the present breakwater would have featured a hotel and convention center. The project with the work of then City Manager Perry Scott and supported by the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the real estate interest-and developer-dominated City Council.

Public backlash against the proposal scuttled the plan however, the majority on City Council did not rescind the demolition order for the Santa Monica Pier and adjoining Newcomb Pier. A number of citizens groups sprang up to defend the piers. The two largest were ‘Save the Piers Citizen Committee’ and ‘Friends of Santa Monica Pier.’

Both committees, and other groups, pier businesses and individuals targeted three councilmen who steadfastly refused to budge on the demolition order and who were up for reelection in the spring. (One of these councilmen was Bob Gabriel). All three were defeated and three pro-pier councilmen were elected. Their first order of business was to rescind the demolition orders.

Some of us (and I was associated with the STPCC) were concerned that a future City Council could vote to remove the piers so we asked the new council persons to enact an ordinance making it a crime with fines for anyone to tear down the pier(s). They were reluctant to pass the ordinance so a group of us got together, and architect Garth Sheriff and others drafted an initiative called the “Pier Preservation Act.”

The initiative went on the ballot in 1975 or 1976\. A group was formed, collected signatures and qualified the proposal for the ballot in 1975 or 1976\. The group made up of persons from both the old ‘Save the Piers’ and ‘Friends...’ was called ‘The Citizen’s Initiative to Preserve the Piers’ and the ballot measure was Prop 1\. Our slogan: “Save the Piers, FOREVER.” I managed the campaign for passage of Prop. 1 and it passed easily.

Some of us went on to form a group called the “Santa Monica Landmark Protectors.” The group was formed by the late Jack Sikking. Our first mission was to save the old Spanish Revival style city library on Fifth Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. The city had opened a new library building at Sixth Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. (Also since demolished). The city moved the library there and sold the old property. That property had been purchased by a developer who wanted to put up a 10-story bank building with an above ground parking structure toward the rear along Fifth Street. He claimed the old library had been irreparably damaged by the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. We failed to save it, it was demolished and I think Cal Fed has the property now.

I dropped out of the ‘Landmark Protectors’ at that point. It’s possible that others went on to become involved in Santa Monica’s landmark movement. Some of our people became involved in a movement to divide the city into councilmanic districts, which failed. That led to the creation of the renters rights movement in 1978-1979.

‘Save the Santa Monica Bay’ had nothing to do with the piers. It was formed in (I believe) the early 1970s to fight an elevated, over the water, multi-lane, vehicular causeway Cal Trans wanted to build right off the coast to extend the Santa Monica Freeway up to Malibu. That project was killed and, “Save the Bay” hung around for years afterwards doing the kind of work “Heal the Bay” does now.” — Bill Bauer, former SMDP columnist Dear Jodi, “I love the articles in the Daily Press that you’re doing about historical places. It’s just charming, however there’s a misprint about the Georgian Hotel. It was never called the Lady Windemere. The Lady Windemere was next door, and was torn down and is now Pacific Plaza. I know this because my husband, architect John Lindsey, used to own the Lady Windemere, and tore it down and put up Pacific Plaza.

It’s a marvelous column. I think it’s a great idea. And congratulations to you, this is just a great page.” — June Lockhart, actress, Lost In Space; Lassie and Petticoat Junction Dear Jodi, “Thanks for the terrific six-part series on historical properties in Santa Monica. I’ve collected the whole set (first one on the block) and can plan my own walking tour. A number of these in the Third Street District I’ve actually walked past (though I now can relook with information on many of them). For a future installment, why not consider the Masonic Lodge on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and 10th Street? We live behind it and consider it “our” building, though we only shop there on occasion. Sorry, we don’t have any info or stories about it for you. As for the Third Street District, I’ve mentally “taken home” at least several houses. Thank you for this enlightening edition to our paper this summer.” — Chris Swanson (If you have stories to tell of early Santa Monica and its property, share them with Jodi Summers at com, or call (310) 309-4219).

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 25, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/082504.pdf?ref=smdp.com)