City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: September 22, 2026
Agenda Item: 11.B
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jenny Rogers, Recreation and Arts Director, Recreation and Arts Department Subject: Authorization to Accept Grant from Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation to the Annenberg Community Beach House
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $1 million from the Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation to the Annenberg Community Beach House in the Recreation & Arts Department, and to accept all grant renewals.
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents to accept the grant and all grant renewals.
4. Authorize budget amendment as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report. (requires 5 votes)
Summary
The City of Santa Monica has been awarded a $1 million dollar local grant from the Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation (WALF) to support the Recreation and Arts Department (RAD) in activation of the Annenberg Community Beach House (Beach House) to be distributed over a three-year period. This first-time gift from WALF is made with the intention of increasing community access, engagement, and programming at the Beach House site. The grant funds will be used to support programs and operations not included in FY 2026-27 budget request.
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Discussion
On September 11, 2025, WALF announced a $10 million gift in support of select signature initiatives that reflect the vision and legacy projects of its late founder, Wallis Annenberg. The Beach House was named as a recipient and will receive a $1 million dollar grant from WALF. Wallis Annenberg believed that the shoreline should be open to all and that it should be a place of joy, community, and inclusion. She was a champion of Santa Monica and the Beach House, and she was clear that she wanted the site to remain strong, vibrant, and accessible for generations to come. As a reflection of those wishes, the grant funds are to be allocated to the expansion of equitable access to the Beach House. The funds will be distributed evenly over a three-year period. No local match is required.
On August 6, 2026, City staff submitted a first-year proposal plan to WALF that addresses access barriers (financial, physical, social, and informational) and creates pathways for broader and more inclusive community engagement and programming at the Beach House (Attachment A).
On August 25, 2026, the proposal from City staff was approved by WALF and the grant was confirmed via letter to the City Manager (Attachment B).
Through this generous gift of WALF, the City of Santa Monica’s RAD, its Cultural Affairs Division, and the Beach House team will be able to offer access to arts, cultural and recreational opportunities that otherwise would not be possible due to limited departmental and budgetary resources.
Beach House Site History
The Beach House sits on a five-acre parcel of Santa Monica State Beach, developed by William Randolph Hearst for actress Marion Davies in the 1920s. Originally known as the Marion Davies Estate, it later became an oceanfront luxury hotel, then a private beach club. On April 25, 2009, in partnership with the Annenberg Foundation and California State Parks, the City opened the site as a public beach facility known as the 3 of 4
Annenberg Community Beach House. The Beach House is a unique community destination and is open to all. The site combines elements of the historic Marion Davies Estate with beach, recreation and cultural amenities and demonstrates the City’s commitment to community-responsive programming, quality visitor services, and a high level of maintenance and security. The Beach House is part of the Cultural Affairs Division of the Recreation & Arts Department.
Environmental Review
The proposed action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines (Common Sense Exemption), as it can be seen with certainty that acceptance of grant funding and execution of grant documents will not have a significant effect on the environment. The grant funds will be used to support programs and operations and therefore, would not result in physical environmental effects.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to accept a grant and all grant renewals from WALF to support the legacy and vision of Wallis Annenberg at the Annenberg Community Beach House. The total amount of the grant is $1 million to be distributed evenly over a three-year period.
Staff recommends the following budget changes for the life of the grant term:
FY 2026-27 Grant Budget Amendment
Establish Revenue Budget Appropriate Funds
Account Number(s) Amount Account Number(s) Amount
20430003.406340 $1,000,000 20430003.556870 $1,000,000
If renewals are awarded, budget changes will be included in subsequent year budgets, contingent on Council budget approval.
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Prepared By: Melissa Zak, Senior Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. A. Grant Proposal from Beach House to WALF 2026
B. B. WALF Grant Agreement 08.25.2026
C. C. WALF Press Release 09.11.2025
D. PowerPoint Presentation