Good news for people who like to relax at beach clubs near the beach in Santa Monica, and who aren't rich. Bad news for people who are rich and didn't want riff-raff coming in their neighborhood to enjoy some time by the beach in a public beach club. That about sums up the results of Wednesday's meeting of the Santa Monica Planning commission, which despite the legal maneuverings of opponents, approved the siting of a public beach club at 415 PCH. The LookOut News reports that a grassroots organization emailed and phoned Commission Members and gathered over 500 signatures in support of the club's development.
Commissioner Darrell Clarke said he’d received “more email on this subject than anything that’s ever been before the commission.” But attorneys for the Palisades Beach Property Owners Association, who fear the proposed club will draw more homeless to their beachfront neighborhood, (PBPOA) had been busy, too.
They’d faxed two multi-page letters to the commission late Wednesday afternoon, putting City officials on notice that the neighbors to the south of the proposed project were prepared to attack the EIR.
The neighbors' attorney said that they will challenge the EIR and sue the City if the project goes through without the City first agreeing to some conditions, such as the installation of a traffic signal at the club's entrance. If CALTRANS does not put in a signal, the neighbors want the project stopped. The neighbors plan to appeal the commissions approval. My God, those neighbors are assholes. We can say that, right?
· Beach Club Supporters Win Over City Planners [The LookOut News]
· City, Neighbors in Legal Tug of War Over Beach Club [The LookOut News]
· 415 PCH: A new beginning [Curbed LA]