Santa Monica experienced significant developments in urban planning, public safety, and business dynamics in September, while celebrating historical milestones and addressing community challenges.
The Planning Commission approved changes to development standards in the Bergamot Area to encourage housing development, while four major projects were proposed including a 34-story building that would become the city's tallest. The City Council also unanimously approved speed limit changes on more than 30 miles of city streets to improve safety.
Public safety concerns continued as police made arrests in several violent incidents, including a shooting near Ocean Avenue and an attempted strangulation on the beach. The city also tightened anti-camping laws, adding bedrolls and sleeping bags to items defining illegal campsites.
In education, Santa Monica College became California's first community college to offer an esports degree program, while the school district reported its largest surplus in over a decade, adding over $20 million to its year-end balance.
The city marked several anniversaries, including the Santa Monica Pier's 115th birthday and The Lobster restaurant's century-long legacy. However, the business landscape shifted as the AMC Broadway 4 theater closed its doors on the Promenade, and a Claremont McKenna College study revealed Santa Monica as the region's most expensive city for business operations.
Environmental efforts saw success during Coastal Cleanup Day, with volunteers removing over 400 pounds of trash from the Santa Monica Pier. The community also came together to recognize Suicide Prevention Month, with mental health advocates highlighting crisis resources and support services.
The city lost a beloved voice with the passing of longtime Daily Press columnist Jack Neworth at 80, known for his "Laughing Matters" column and four decades of community involvement.
September
City hopes streamlined rules spur housing development at Bergamot: The Santa Monica Planning Commission had approved changes to development standards in the Bergamot Area after existing rules failed to encourage the housing local leaders wanted. Existing standards were replaced with "objective development standards," including simplified open space guidelines, elimination of street type requirements, and removal of parking mandates in the area.
SMC gets in the game with esports pathway: Santa Monica College had become the first community college in California to offer an Associate in Arts Degree and Certificate of Achievement in esports. The pathway taught students "theories and critical models" of gaming and media industries, along with principles of esports announcing, production, and performance. Approved by the Los Angeles Regional Consortium, the curriculum was "cross-disciplinary," featuring classes in sportscasting, television production, and sports management within the esports context.
New speed limits across the City aim to reduce accidents, improve safety: The Santa Monica City Council had unanimously approved speed limit changes on more than 30 miles of city streets. The proposed changes supported the city's Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatal and severe crashes by improving roadway safety. Several street sections were reduced to lower speed limits.
East Asian-inspired variety store MINISO opens on the Promenade: Miniso, an East Asian-inspired variety store, opened on the Promenade. Originating in Guangzhou, China, the retailer offered household and consumer goods including cosmetics, stationery, toys, and kitchenware from various intellectual properties like Hello Kitty, Stitch Angel, Disney characters, and others.
Lifeguards take up fight for first responder status: Lifeguards, the United States Lifesaving Association, and FOX had collaborated on the "Lifeguards First" campaign to secure federal "emergency first responder" designation for open-water lifeguards. The campaign raised awareness for a congressional resolution that would recognize lifeguards as first responders, potentially enabling them to deploy during crises and providing benefits to their families.
The Santa Monica Pier celebrates its 115th birthday: The Santa Monica Pier held a birthday celebration, marking its long history since opening. The event featured a special movie screening, birthday cake, illuminated Ferris wheel, and personal message donations. Live music and a poetry performance complemented the festivities.
Main Street lets the dogs out for canine celebration: The Santa Monica Day of the Dog festival had taken over Main Street, featuring a pool party with DJs, wave machine, photo booths, dog races, and pet product exhibits. The event raised funds for an animal welfare nonprofit.
Two restaurants that met with initial success announce closures: Two popular eateries closed after short operations. An establishment on Wilshire shut down after about two years, with the space being renovated for a new tenant. Another restaurant on Main Street announced its closure, citing economic challenges affecting the industry.
Westside welcomes walker after cross-country trek: A ranger completed a 3,000-mile trek across America, walking to the Westside beaches. Starting from the East Coast, he averaged significant daily mileage and raised funds for charitable causes. He noted the kindness of strangers who offered support during his journey.
Triple Beam balances new concepts, accessible pizza on Main Street: Triple Beam Pizza opened its fourth Los Angeles location, offering Roman-style pizzas. The restaurant featured carefully crafted dough and unique pizza varieties, from classic pepperoni to sophisticated vegetable combinations.
Newsom signs bill allowing Big Blue Bus bans for offenders: A new law allowed Santa Monica's transportation department to deny bus access to individuals with repeated policy infractions or criminal activities on transit facilities. The legislation specified conditions for prohibition orders.
District special education team bolstered with coordinator hire: The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District had hired a new special education coordinator with nearly two decades of experience. The professional brought extensive background in special education administration and classroom teaching.
Former foster youth college-ready thanks to supply donations: A nonprofit educational group had continued its Project Dorm Room on local campuses. The organization distributed 28-piece curated dorm room sets and helped foster youth settle into their new living spaces. The group supported foster youth and low-income first-generation college students by building career opportunities and assisting with everyday life expenses.
Samohi grad joins 'Saturday Night Live' cast: A Samohi Class of 2017 graduate had joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" as a featured player. Wickline had already established a significant social media presence, gaining nearly a million TikTok followers and contributing to the app's live comedy show. During high school, she had been active in the band program, playing jazz instruments and serving as the student newspaper's editor.
Boba brand brings high-quality tea to Promenade: Odd One Out opened its central kiosk at the Promenade, seizing a significant tea market opportunity. The store specialized in boba, creating bubble tea by blending tea with milk and fruit, then adding tapioca pearls. Founded in Taipei, the business had expanded to the Los Angeles market, with owners Ronald Chan and Patrick Sun.
Santa Monica's cost of doing business is the highest in the region according to new study: A study by Claremont McKenna College's Rose Institute revealed Santa Monica as the most expensive city for business operations. Researchers compared 216 municipalities across Southern California and out-of-state locations. The report ranked cities into business cost tiers, with Santa Monica falling into the least favorable category, considering factors like taxes, fees, wages, and rents.
Unexpected revenues push SMMUSD into sizable surplus: The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District had achieved a significant financial surplus. The district added over $20 million to its year-end balance, creating the largest surplus in over a decade. The funds would serve as a reserve for anticipated deficit spending and meet state-required financial reserves.
Supportive housing recipient gets keys to apartment, new life: Christopher Felts, who had struggled with homelessness for years, received an apartment at The Laurel through the Los Angeles County Pathway Home initiative. The permanent supportive housing development welcomed Felts, marking a collaborative effort between the city, county, and housing organizations to address homelessness.
Bitcoin, Pickleball join forces in unique tournament event: The Proof of Workforce Foundation had organized a unique pickleball tournament combining sports and cryptocurrency. Held at the Promenade, the "PickleBit" event featured semi-pro and amateur mixed doubles competitions with over $5,000 in Bitcoin as prizes, coinciding with a Bitcoin festival.
Split council tightens anti-camping laws: Bedrolls and sleeping bags were added to the list of items defining an illegal campsite in Santa Monica. The city code changes were minimal, with these items now part of the decision matrix for determining illegal campsites without being outright prohibited.
Suspect arrested after Ocean Ave. shooting: Santa Monica Police arrested a 19-year-old for shooting a man near the beach. Officers responded to an assault call reporting a shooting. The suspect was identified and found with a concealed handgun. The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was hospitalized in serious condition.
Homeless man fondles woman after breaking into her home: A homeless man was charged with felonies after breaking into a woman's home and sexually assaulting her. The suspect entered through an unlocked patio door and touched the victim while she slept. The woman escaped and called police, who subsequently arrested the suspect nearby.
Heat wave dying down after rare 100-degree high: Temperatures in Santa Monica finally returned to normal after a historic heat wave. Municipal airport readings showed consecutive days of high temperatures, with one day reaching an extraordinary 100-degree mark - a rare occurrence in the city's history.
34-story development proposed to become city's tallest building: Four major development projects were proposed to transform Santa Monica. Two buildings would become the city's tallest, including a 33-story multifamily building and a 34-story mixed-use structure. The project planned over 1,500 residential units near metropolitan stations.
Decade of delicious BBQ just the start for Holy Cow: Holy Cow BBQ celebrated its 10th anniversary, serving signature dishes like Carolina Pulled Pork and Texas Brisket. Founder Rob Serritella had traveled the country to develop his menu, which expanded to include more sandwiches and protein varieties. The restaurant also incorporated dishes from Serritella's other food brands.
Hyatt and Regent rebrands are part of busy fall for hotels: Hyatt took over a former hotel location, initiating a $16 million renovation project. The upgrade would include improvements to the dining and lobby areas. Other local hotels also underwent ownership changes, joining different hotel portfolios.
Longtime Daily Press columnist Jack Neworth dies at 80: A beloved Santa Monica voice passed away. Jack Neworth, known for his humorous "Laughing Matters" column, had been a significant local personality. He lived in The Shores apartment building for 40 years before succumbing to cancer.
Lone challenger for School Board withdraws from the election: A School Board candidate withdrew from the race, leaving three incumbents competing for three open seats. Despite withdrawing, the candidate's name would remain on the ballot as election materials had already been finalized.
'Douglas Day' at Santa Monica Airport draws big crowd and WWII aircraft flyover: Nearly 3,000 people gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first global flight. The event honored the Douglas Aircraft Company's historical achievement, featuring a WWII transport aircraft that had participated in D-Day operations.
Over 400 lbs of trash cleared from Santa Monica Pier on Coastal Cleanup Day: The annual Coastal Cleanup Day saw over a thousand volunteers remove more than 400 pounds of trash from the Santa Monica Pier. PADI-certified scuba divers helped clear debris from the pier's base during the international environmental effort.
AMC Broadway 4 movie theater shuts doors on Promenade: The AMC Broadway 4 movie theater closed, leaving Santa Monica with one remaining AMC location. The theater, which originally opened as the Elmiro Theatre, had changed ownership multiple times throughout its history.
Suspect in strangulation attack on beach charged with attempted murder: A suspect was charged with attempted murder after an unprovoked beach attack. The 31-year-old assailant, who did not know the victim, attempted to strangle a 28-year-old man fishing near a lifeguard tower. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The Lobster's century-long legacy celebrated for National Seafood Month: The Lobster restaurant marked its 100-year milestone in Santa Monica. The seafood spot celebrated with a special party and planned to showcase a commemorative menu throughout the month.Community comes together for suicide prevention: Santa Monica recognized Suicide Prevention Month with a City Council proclamation. Mental health advocates spoke about community support efforts, highlighting crisis resources and partnerships with telehealth networks to support student mental health.
