Politics & Government

City Council Meeting: Possible Changes to Twilight Concert Series and Beach Parking Upgrades

The Santa Monica City Council will discuss the above and other issues in tonight's first council meeting of 2014.

The Twilight Concert Series at Santa Monica Pier may undergo modifications if the City Council agrees to a staff report that calls for changes.

At tonight’s first City Council meeting for 2014, staff will recommend changes that address safety concerns, including the overflow of crowds onto the beach from the pier during events. 

According to the staff report, “The current operation of the Pier concerts conflicts, or may conflict with, existing law in several ways. The Community Events Law and regulatory system do not authorize concerts on the beach; and the distinction between a concert on the Pier with spillover on the beach becomes harder to support when the bulk of those attending are on the beach viewing the concert on a jumbotron, which faces the beach audience. And, many of those on the beach drink alcohol or smoke, both of which are legally prohibited.”

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Also on tonight’s agenda is a staff recommendation that the city invest $1.5 million to upgrade parking at the beach by signing a contract with Select Electric to construct real time parking and travel information signs for motorists traveling to Santa Monica beach parking lots adjacent to the Pier, on Ocean Avenue and Palisades Beach Road.  

According to the staff report, signs placed near the Santa Monica Freeway off-ramps would also display parking information for garages in the Downtown area.  All signs would display clear and concise parking information at the entrance to each parking lot and at key gateways to the city.  When central parking lots fill up, the signs would help to distribute traffic, increase the efficiency of existing parking resources, and reduce traffic congestion.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 


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