May 11, 2022 12:38 PM
In a show of continued support for Santa Monica businesses and the entire community, the Santa Monica City Council voted again at last night’s council meeting to extend the Temporary Zoning Act and fee waivers for temporary use permits for outdoor dining, retail and fitness activities, including sidewalk dining, and Barclays, and satellite dining on the Promenade through September 30, 2022. These efforts support our local business by making it easier to open businesses, simplifying the zoning process, creating more flexibility to lease back existing space, and allowing businesses to operate in private parking lots, sidewalks and parking spaces. Street cars as part of the Santa Monica outdoor program.
“The Santa Monica Outdoor Program has been an important resource for businesses in Santa Monica as they confront operational challenges amid the pandemic,” said Jennifer Taylor, director of economic development for the City of Santa Monica. “We have seen tangible implications for how the pilot program positively supports our local businesses in their economic recovery efforts, and we look forward to developing a lasting program for our businesses and residents to continue enjoying the outdoors and have fun opportunities to buy locally.”
Staff is currently reviewing the Santa Monica outdoor pilot program and will make recommendations for a permanent program to City Council this summer. This permanent program is expected to enter into force on October 1, 2022 and will require companies to pay a fee for permits to use outdoor public spaces such as parking spaces based on the fee set per square foot.
“Make it easier to do business in Santa Monica has been a priority for our economic recovery and reopening efforts. This temporary zoning law demonstrates our commitment to supporting business and change to meet the needs of our business community, and we are proud that many businesses have taken advantage of the new opportunities,” said Jing Yu, Planning Director of the City of Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica Outdoor Pilot Program Extension and Fee Waiver Extensions mean the following:
- Santa Monica businesses with pre-existing sales and retail licensing agreements will continue to enjoy fee-waiver benefits through September 30, 2022.
- Santa Monica businesses wishing to participate in this program need to obtain a temporary use permit. The permit fee and the monthly license fee to use the right of way are waived until September 30, 2022. Apply here: https://bit.ly/399Nhbi.
- City employees will notify all participating Santa Monica businesses at least 30 days in advance of October 1, 2022, when the new program is expected to launch. This notice will include information about the new permit and monthly license fees so that participating companies have the option to keep operations as is (as long as they comply with new regulations), opt out, or modify their external footprint to reduce monthly costs.
For more information about the program, visit santamonica.gov/tertain-use-of-outdoor-areas. For questions, call [email protected] or call 3-1-1.
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Miranda Iglesias
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