FR EE
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2002
Volume 2, Issue 19
Santa Monica Daily Press A newspaper with issues
A bit of Route 66 may ride to the Promenade But restaurant may need city’s cooperation to open its doors BY ANDREW H. FIXMER Daily Press Staff Writer
It’s where Janis Joplin had her last drink. It’s where John Belushi ate his last meal. Barney’s Beanery — one of the oldest restaurants in the Los Angeles area that has served countless celebrities, actors, writers and musicians for decades — may be coming to the Third Street Promenade. The owner of the historic Route 66 “roadhouse diner” has signed a lease to open a new restaurant where Teasers used to be located, at 1351 Third St. But its fate rests with the powers that be in City Hall, which is known for dragging its feet when it comes to granting permission to businesses for a variety of uses, many merchants say. In Barney’s case, it’s an alcohol permit. The permit usually stays with a location from tenant to tenant. But in this case, the permit has expired and
red tape and numerous public hearings, there’s no guarantee a new permit will be granted. “We want to see a restaurant in that space,” said Kathleen Rawson, executive director of Bayside District Corp., which helps manage downtown Santa Monica in partnership with the city. “Right now, we have a live one that we don’t want to let go of,” she said, “and we are going to do everything we can to help them get established here.” Barney’s proposed location has been vacant for more than a year. The city council may attempt to fast track Barney’s because it wants to see more restaurants on the Promenade. Elected leaders could make an exception for Barney’s because the establishment is proposing to Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press The now-defunct Teasers restaurant on the Third open in an area where the city is trying to prevent restauStreet Promenade may soon be the home of a new rants from being converted into retail space. Last week, the council directed planning staff, who Barney’s Beanery. work in the department charged with granting alcohol Barney’s may have to apply for a new one. permits, to research options to extend the expired alcoGetting a new permit not only is difficult, the process hol permit for Barney’s until a new permit process can can take up to a year. It requires review and approval be completed. But it’s still unclear what can be done. from the city’s planning commission and sometimes the city council. Even making it through the bureaucratic See RESTAURANT, page 5
City looks at elections by mail
Lighting it up
BY ANDREW H. FIXMER Daily Press Staff Writer
Soon Santa Monica mailboxes could become ballot boxes. The Santa Monica City Council has asked the city clerk and attorney to investigate conducting elections by mail, an alternative election system that has been gaining popularity nationwide. Under the system, a sample ballot and a voting ballot are sent to registered voters with a postagepaid return envelope. Similar systems are regularly used in Oregon, and it has been successfully tried in Burbank. Officials in both locations report voting by mail has led to a much higher participation rate. The move to study voting by mail as an election option comes only weeks before the council may call a special March election for an initiative that
Additives cause gas prices to rise By staff and wire reports
SACRAMENTO — Drivers can expect gas prices to rise by up to 5 cents per gallon because of a state law requiring a more expensive gasoline additive, state energy officials say. The higher prices will accompany California’s move away from methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, an additive that is blamed for polluting drinking water after it leaked from storage tanks. Two years ago Santa Monica sued 18 refiners,
Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press
Jose Saleanos gets tangled up in the holiday spirit for Broadway Deli on Third Street.
See MTBE, page 6
proposes making historic preservation voluntary for owners of single-family homes. Special elections, especially those featuring only an initiative, typically have very low voter turnout, a situation that concerns many elected officials. “Anytime there is a special election, it’s going to be difficult for people to remember when and where to vote,” said Councilwoman Pam O’Connor, a sponsor of the mail voting proposal. “Part of what I see in democracy is finding ways to help people do See ELECTIONS, page 5
Beverly Hills bans loitering limos By The Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS — The city has barred limousines from parking on some streets because of residents’ complaints about loitering limos near luxury hotels. A new ordinance, passed unanimously Tuesday, limits “staging” of limousines on some residential streets. “When we have the limos parking in front of residential areas, the drivers smoke and talk and it bothers the resi-
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dents,” said City Manager Mark Scott. The city is, however, “definitely not antilimo,” he noted The half-dozen limousine companies that serve the city were concerned when the ordinance was first presented, but later agreed to the restrictions. So did the Chamber of Commerce. “We need to strike a balance between the needs of our business and our residents,” Scott said.
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