Proposed Santa Monica Hotel Would Exceed Height Limit

The owners of a trendy Main Street restaurant have submitted plans for a six-story, bed-and-breakfast hotel on the site that would exceed Santa Monica’s height limit by two stories.

The city has established a four-story height limit in the Main Street area to protect the character of the neighborhood and its small shops and restaurants, planners said.

The six-story hotel would require changes in the zoning law and in the general plan, said Suzanne Frick, acting principal planner for the city. Such changes would be subject to approval by the Planning Commission and the City Council, she said.

Frick said that the plan for the 68-room hotel was submitted to the city by developer Peter de Krassel, whose wife, Gail, owns Scratch restaurant, 3105 Main St.

The restaurant would become part of the hotel, which would also include a health club and various shops and services.

According to the plan, the hotel would be four stories high on Main Street, graduating to six stories at the rear of the building. Underground parking for 146 cars would be provided.

The Planning Department is reviewing the proposal and will recommend that an initial environmental study be conducted, Frick said.

The plan then will be submitted to the Planning Commission, probably in three or four months, she said.

The hotel proposal faces opposition from the Ocean Park Community Organization.

Martina Guilfoil, executive director of the neighborhood group, said that although a vote has not yet been taken, she is sure members “will not support a six-story hotel there.”

She said that a survey of area residents is being conducted and a community meeting will be held in January.

“To say that a 68-room, six-story hotel is a bed-and-breakfast inn is a pretty slick marketing job,” she said. “There are a lot of questions we want to ask.”

Residents are concerned not only about the height, but also about traffic and environmental problems, she said.