West Hollywood : 2nd Phase of Street Plan OKd

The City Council voted Tuesday to spend about $150,000 for park benches, newspaper racks and sidewalk lighting for an area it plans to revitalize on Santa Monica Boulevard between La Brea Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.

The street beautification plan is part of a citywide program that includes organizing a merchants association and renovating building facades, said Debbie Potter, economic development manager for the city.

The first phase of the plan, which will be implemented this spring and cost about $180,000, will include planting trees and adding litter baskets, Potter said. The second phase, approved at Tuesday’s meeting, will begin in July.

Potter said the street lighting will help the large number of senior citizens who live in the area. “A lot of seniors won’t go out after dark,” she said. “This will make it a more friendly environment in the evening hours and bring more people out into the streets and into the stores.”