Santa Monica : Hotel Plan Clears Hurdle

Restaurateur Michael McCarty’s proposed luxury hotel and community center on a piece of state-owned beach land cleared its first hurdle this week by receiving the unanimous approval of the city Recreation and Parks Commission.

The 160-room hotel project also received a strong plug last week from some educators and student leaders from Santa Monica High School, who are lobbying at City Hall for an agreement that would funnel to the schools a portion of the hotel bed tax that the proposed project would generate.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board, which is struggling to find new sources of revenue in order to avoid some program cuts next year, voted this week to negotiate with city officials for a portion of the hotel bed tax, although the board also made it clear it was not endorsing the project.

McCarty proposes to build his hotel on the site of the private Sand and Sea Club, and has guaranteed the city--which administers the state-owned property--a minimum of $1 million a year in rent. The Recreation and Parks Commission only reviewed the public components of the project, which include public lockers and showers for beach-goers, an art and environmental educational center, a sculpture garden and community rooms.

The project next must get approval from the Planning Commission, which is expected to review the project in June. It also needs approval from the City Council and state Coastal Commission.