Council OKs Virginia Park Plan

Marathon Hearing Ends With Endorsement

   The proposed Virginia Avenue Park expansion which has traveled a bumpier road than virtually any other Santa Monica project finally reached its destination at last night’s City Council meeting.
   But it was slow going. For upwards of four hours, dozens of residents – ranging from a six-year old girl to a bald man who said he had hair when the park expansion plan was first discussed – stepped up to the podium one after the other to praise or damn the plan.
   Many of the speakers spoke for or against particular features in the plan, while others expressed more general concerns — such as excessive noise and traffic which might be triggered by the expanded park.
   But the majority of speakers focused on the Farmers’ Market that has been a Saturday staple at the Park for years. Some insisted that it be moved, as they alleged that it turned much of the park into a parking lot which is used only a few hours a week. Others spoke, with equal fervor, in favor of retaining the Market, describing it as a vital community resource.
   Having spent four hours listening to the public, the Council then spent two hours discussing residents’ comments and their own concerns.
   Two Council members – Herb Katz and Bob Holbrook – agreed with the speakers who wanted to move the market to another site, such as Santa Monica College. Katz made a motion, which was seconded by Holbrook, that the Council approve the plan in general, but ask staff to further explore the possibility of moving the market out of the park. The motion was defeated, with the other five Council voted against it.
   Council member Kevin McKeown moved that a boxing mat, which is included in the plan, be eliminated, as he objects to the City funding a facility for a “violent” sport. But he got no support from his fellow Council members.
   The Council voted unanimously to amend the General Plan Land Use Map and the introduction and first reading of an ordinance amending the Official Districting Map for the Virginia Avenue Park Expansion Project.
   Having been approved by all the requisite boards and commissions in the City, the schematic design for the expansion project had only to be approved by the Council in order for it to move from theoretical to actual. And it was, with several amendments - – by a 6-1 vote, with Holbrook casting the sole no vote.
   According to staff member Karen Ginsberg, work is expected to begin this fall.