SaMo's Fairmont Miramar Hotel Only Partially Landmarked

It was an interesting meeting of Santa Monica's Landmarks Commission on Monday, with the group voting to move forward on protecting parts of the city's 85-year-old Fairmont Miramar Hotel, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports. The hotel's Palisades building, the parcel under the hotel, and a famous fig tree all got support, while the hotel's owners pushed for special rules that would allow them "extra flexibility through special rules designed by city staff that defined when the company would have to go back before the Landmarks Commission should changes occur on the property." That's interesting because the Fairmont is the site of a huge development project that would add more rooms and housing to the property. The project is vehemently opposed by owners of the Huntley Hotel, a nearby competitor. They appeared at the Landmarks meeting, saying the Fairmont's owners were pushing for the special flexibility so they could push the development through (it's currently being reviewed by the city). The Landmarks Commission, by the way, wanted to landmark the entire hotel but compromised with the Fairmont's owners, who wanted a partial landmarking. The Commission will decide on the specifics of the "special rules" next month.
· Commission landmarks parts of Fairmont Miramar [SMDP]