City Council Extends Outdoor Dining, Retail, and Fitness Fee Waivers and Interim Zoning Ordinance through September 30
May 11, 2022 12:38 PM
In a show of continued support to Santa Monica businesses and the entire community, the Santa Monica City Council again voted at last night’s Council meeting to extend the Interim Zoning Ordinance and fee waivers for temporary use permits for outdoor dining, retail and fitness activities, including sidewalk dining, parklets, and the Promenade satellite dining through September 30, 2022. These efforts support our local businesses by making it easier for businesses to open, streamlining the zoning process, creating more flexibility for re-tenanting of existing space, and allowing permitted businesses to operate in private parking lots, sidewalks, and street parking spaces as part of the Santa Monica Outdoors Program.
“The Santa Monica Outdoors Program has been a critical resource to businesses in Santa Monica as they navigate operational challenges amidst the pandemic,” said Jennifer Taylor, City of Santa Monica Economic Development Manager. “We have seen tangible impacts of how the pilot has positively supported our local businesses in their economic recovery efforts, and we look forward to developing a permanent program for our businesses and residents to continue to enjoy the outdoors and have fun opportunities to buy local.”
Staff are currently reviewing the Santa Monica Outdoors Pilot Program and will bring recommendations for a permanent program back to City Council this summer. This permanent program is expected to take effect October 1, 2022 and would require businesses to pay for permits to utilize outdoor public space like parking spaces based on set fees per square foot.
“Making it easier to do business in Santa Monica has been a priority for our economic recovery and reopening efforts. This Interim Zoning Ordinance shows our commitment to supporting businesses and changing to meet the needs of our business community, and we’re proud that many businesses have taken advantage of the new opportunities,” said Jing Yeo, City of Santa Monica Planning Manager.
The extension of the Santa Monica Outdoors pilot program and fee waiver extensions means:
- Santa Monica businesses with pre-existing outdoor dining and retail license agreements will continue to enjoy the benefits of fee waivers until September 30, 2022.
- Santa Monica businesses who would like to participate in this program need to obtain a Temporary Use Permit. The permit fees and monthly license fees to use the public right of way are waived through September 30, 2022. Apply here: https://bit.ly/399Nhbi.
- City staff will notify all participating Santa Monica businesses at least 30 days prior to 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 businesses have the option to keep operations as-is (as long as they are in compliance with the new regulations), opt out, or adjust the outdoor footprint to reduce monthly costs.
For more information about the program, visit santamonica.gov/temporary-use-of-outdoor-areas. For questions, contact 311@santamonica.gov or call 3-1-1.
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