Economic Growth & Cultural Vitality: City further eases regulations to support, attract businesses downtown

October 23, 2024 7:41 AM

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2024) - The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday approved updates to city zoning rules to provide greater flexibility for businesses downtown and on Third Street Promenade.

Updates include:

• Allowing game arcades and arcade bars on Third Street Promenade
• Simplifying review for larger restaurants
• Allowing large-scale commercial entertainment and recreation on city-owned property
• Making it easier for more businesses on 2nd and 4th streets to get alcohol licenses
• Relaxing limits on signage to support creativity, including animated/digital signage, for greater on-site business promotion
• Eliminating restrictions on business size for the Third Street Promenade, such as banks, pet stores, food halls, general personal services and others.

In addition, Tuesday's action paved the way for the launch of outdoor-only uses in Santa Monica's office campus districts.

"Encouraging a thriving business community is a key priority for our city and especially in our downtown and Third Street Promenade," Community Development Director David Martin said. "We will continue to listen and look at holistic approaches to how best to continue to support our city's economic recovery."

This most recent slate of zoning updates continue the city's efforts to encourage Economic Growth & Cultural Vitality, directly addressing inquiries and interest from the business community. They remove unnecessary city processes and approvals, providing greater certainty and predictability for property owners and their existing tenants, along with prospective businesses considering locations downtown.

"These changes represent a critical step in supporting the economic recovery of small businesses within Downtown Santa Monica," Downtown Santa Monica Inc. CEO Andrew Thomas said. "By removing unnecessary barriers and providing new opportunities for businesses to thrive, these updates will help create a more dynamic, engaging environment for both locals and visitors."

For a detailed list of amendments, see the staff report here. To view the council discussion, click here.

The changes to the sign code will go into effect immediately. The zoning ordinance will go back to council for final adoption on Nov. 11 and go into effect in 30 days.

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