1 David Yakobson
From: Salim Adaya <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 12:04 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: councilmtgitems; Armine Chaparyan; Jing Yeo; Steve Mizokami Subject: 12-A Downtown IZO to Allow Flexibility for Community Assembly Use – SUPPORT Attachments: WCCC letter to city.docx
EXTERNAL
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing on behalf of the nonprofit Westside Community and Cultural Center in support of City Staff’s recommendation to provide more flexibility to establish Community Assembly uses in the Downtown Bayside Conservation district. This change will allow our Muslim worshipers to begin to use the vacant building we purchased on Fourth Street in Downtown Santa Monica earlier this year.
We bought the property so that we can finally have a permanent location to host prayer services and programming for our faith community. Since 2012, we have been meeting at First United Methodist Church for Friday night prayer services. We are grateful to the Church for allowing us to share their facilities for the past decade, but we are restricted to use of the Church once per week during limited hours and subject to cancellation when the Church has conflicting events. We are very much looking forward to finally having a building of our own in Santa Monica.
When we were looking for properties, we were looking for a location in one of Santa Monica’s commercial areas that is already improved with an existing building, does not require extensive tenant improvements, and is vacant or only had short-term tenancies. After looking at many properties, we finally found one on Fourth Street that has an existing building in relatively good condition and is vacant (last occupied by a yoga studio). The property is also on a block of Fourth Street that has historically been the location of numerous houses of worship, including Unity by the Sea (1245 Fourth Street), now St. Peter & St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Church, and St. Augustine by the Sea Episcopal Church (1227 Fourth Street). We feel that it is a perfect location for our use.
We confirmed that Community Assembly use, which includes religious institutions, is a permitted use on the property; however, we were surprised to eventually find out that the City’s Code has additional limitations for this use including a minimum parcel size of 7,500 square feet and limits on the hours that we can utilize the building. Under the current Code, it would require an expensive application, a long discretionary review process and public hearings for us to use the existing building consistent with our hours of worship and faith-based ceremonies. This seems prejudicial to protections of freedom of religion when we learned that by comparison the Code allows many other uses without these additional limitations including: performing arts centers for theater, music, dance, and events, billiard parlors, card rooms, game arcades, dance halls, small tennis club facilities, poolrooms, amusement arcades, gyms/exercise clubs, yoga and martial arts studios.
The proposed Code amendments will remedy this dichotomy.
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
The property we purchased does not quite meet the 7,500 square foot minimum parcel size applicable only to Community Assembly uses. This minor shortfall is the result of a slight lot line adjustment for the property that occurred in the 1930s. We don’t see any compelling interest in imposing a minimum lot size limitation for houses of worship at this location. Further, consistent with the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the new ordinance will level the playing field for houses of worship to equalize hours of operation for faith-based activities with the other uses already allowed by right in this same zone.
We appreciate City Staff recommending a solution to eliminate these problematic limitations applicable to Community Assembly use in Downtown’s Bayside Conservation District and respectfully ask that you adopt Staff’s recommendation tonight.
Sincerely,
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Salim Adaya <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 11:55 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: Armine Chaparyan; Jing Yeo; Steve Mizokami; councilmtgitems Subject: 12-A Downtown IZO to Allow Flexibility for Community Assembly Use – SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am wriƟng on behalf of the nonprofit Westside Community and Cultural Center in support of City Staff’s recommendaƟon to provide more flexibility to establish Community Assembly uses in the Downtown Bayside ConservaƟon district. This change will allow our Muslim worshipers to begin to use the vacant building we purchased on Fourth Street in Downtown Santa Monica earlier this year.
We bought the property so that we can finally have a permanent locaƟon to host prayer services and programming for our faith community. Since 2012, we have been meeƟng at First United Methodist Church for Friday night prayer services. We are grateful to the Church for allowing us to share their faciliƟes for the past decade, but we are restricted to use of the Church once per week during limited hours and subject to cancellaƟon when the Church has conflicƟng events. We are very much looking forward to finally having a building of our own in Santa Monica.
When we were looking for properƟes, we were looking for a locaƟon in one of Santa Monica’s commercial areas that is already improved with an exisƟng building, does not require extensive tenant improvements, and is vacant or only had short-term tenancies. AŌer looking at many properƟes, we finally found one on Fourth Street that has an exisƟng building in relaƟvely good condiƟon and is vacant (last occupied by a yoga studio).
The property is also on a block of Fourth Street that has historically been the locaƟon of numerous houses of worship, including Unity by the Sea (1245 Fourth Street), now St. Peter & St. Paul CopƟc Orthodox Church, and St. AugusƟne by the Sea Episcopal Church (1227 Fourth Street). We feel that it is a perfect locaƟon for our use.
We confirmed that Community Assembly use, which includes religious insƟtuƟons, is a permiƩed use on the property; however, we were surprised to eventually find out that the City’s Code has addiƟonal limitaƟons for this use including a minimum parcel size of 7,500 square feet and limits on the hours that we can uƟlize the building. Under the current Code, it would require an expensive applicaƟon, a long discreƟonary review process and public hearings for us to use the exisƟng building consistent with our hours of worship and faithbased ceremonies. This seems prejudicial to protecƟons of freedom of religion when we learned that by comparison the Code allows many other uses without these addiƟonal limitaƟons including: performing arts centers for theater, music, dance, and events, billiard parlors, card rooms, game arcades, dance halls, small tennis club faciliƟes, poolrooms, amusement arcades, gyms/exercise clubs, yoga and marƟal arts studios. The proposed Code amendments will remedy this dichotomy.
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
2 The property we purchased does not quite meet the 7,500 square foot minimum parcel size applicable only to Community Assembly uses. This minor shorƞall is the result of a slight lot line adjustment for the property that occurred in the 1930s. We don’t see any compelling interest in imposing a minimum lot size limitaƟon for houses of worship at this locaƟon. Further, consistent with the federal Religious Land Use and InsƟtuƟonalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the new ordinance will level the playing field for houses of worship to equalize hours of operaƟon for faith-based acƟviƟes with the other uses already allowed by right in this same zone.
We appreciate City Staff recommending a soluƟon to eliminate these problemaƟc limitaƟons applicable to Community Assembly use in Downtown’s Bayside ConservaƟon District and respecƞully ask that you adopt Staff’s recommendaƟon tonight.
Sincerely,
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Maz Shauk <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 11:32 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: councilmtgitems; Armine Chaparyan; Jing Yeo; Steve Mizokami Subject: 12-A Downtown IZO to Remove Barriers to Community Assembly Use – SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and Councilmembers,
I have been a resident of Santa Monica for 40 years and am writing in support of StaƯ’s recommendation to eliminate regulations on Community Assembly uses in the Downtown Bayside Conservation District. This change will allow our nonprofit religious organization , the Westside Community and Cultural center, to establish a much needed independent gathering space for it’s religious community. As in other such Centers in Southern California we hope to have after school and Sunday school activities for the youth in our community as well establishing sports teams and activities to develop a positive and teamwork appreciation for not just our community but the community we live in, our neighbors.
Other such Centers host school trips to introduce the youth of all neighboring communities to understanding and appreciating alternative faiths and cultures. This is very important in our diversified and culturally rich society.
I am sure the Center will contribute to the economy of Downtown Santa Monica. Just last week one of our community members hosted a fundraiser for a nonprofit that builds schools in poor areas of the world for under privileged boys and girls. Over 150 people attended at the Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club.
After years of meeting in a rented hall at the 11 Street First United Methodist Church We are looking forward to frequenting the New Westside Community and Cultural Center.
Thank you for taking the time to tread my e-mail.
regards
Masood Shauk
M: 310-866-6039
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Alex Brown <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 4:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Barry Snell
Cc: Judy Kruger (Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce); Paula Larmore Subject: Letters of Support: Upcoming City Council Agenda Items 16.G & 12.A Attachments: Downtown IZO Community Assembly LOS March 24, 2025.pdf; Building Limits LOS March 24, 2025.pdf
EXTERNAL
Hello Mayor Negrete and City Councilmembers,
Please see attached - Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce's Letters of Support for items 12.A and 16.G on March 25th's City Council meeting.
Respectfully,
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
March 24, 2025
City Council
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
RE: Agenda Item 12.A, Downtown IZO to Remove Barriers to Community Assembly Uses in the Bayside Conservation District - Support
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Councilmembers,
On behalf of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, we write to support City Staff’s recommendation to remove barriers to opening Community Assembly Uses in Downtown’s Bayside Conservation District.
The Chamber supports the City’s ongoing evaluation and
simplification of zoning requirements to provide greater flexibility and streamlined review. Eliminating the special regulations applicable to Community Assembly uses, such as minimum parcel size and permitted hours (which do not apply to others permitted uses), facilitates the occupancy vacant buildings and tenant spaces and removes unnecessary cost and time to opening these uses. These changes will help bring more activity and vibrancy to the Downtown.
The Chamber respectfully requests the City Council adopt the Interim Ordinance to eliminate Community Assembly specific regulations within the Bayside Conservation District as recommended by City Staff.
Respectfully,
Board Executives
Chair
Charlie LopezQuintana
ETC Hotels
Past Chair
Younes Atallah
Regent Santa Monica
Beach
Treasurer
Celia Fisher
Beach Moms
Vice-Chair
Dustin Peterson
Fairmont Miramar
Hotel & Bungalows
Vice-Chair
Dr. Kathryn Jeffery
Santa Monica College
Vice-Chair
Vee Gomez
Beach Yoga SoCal
Vice-Chair
Greg Morena
The Albright
Board Members
Dom Bei
SM Firefighters
Rudy Flores
SM Police Officers
Paula Larmore
Harding, Larmore,
Kutcher & Kozal LLP
Michael Altchule
UCLA Health
Board Continued
Eddie Guerboian
Jeweler
Neil Carrey
Attorney
Jeremy Rawitch
RAND
Elnie Vannatim
Cedars Sinai
Addie VanGessel
Tavern on Main
Gina Gribow
EKA Public Affairs
Jessica Rincon
Le Merigot Hotel
Florence Granteral
Fall
Neuehouse
Stephanie Eglin
Macerich
Lilit Avagyan
US Bank
Melissa Cohen
Boston Properties
Jenn Verma
Lionsgate
Ben Marcus
UP Partners
Elias Garcia
Kaiser Permanente
Yvette Sims
Hair by Yvette
Cheree
Judy Kruger
President & CEO
Charlie Lopez-Quintana
Chair of the Board of Directors
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025
Item 12-A
March 25, 2025