# Santa Monica to consider the pilot of the entertainment area on the Promenade de Third Street
The Santa Monica municipal council will plan to create an entertainment area on the third street walk at its meeting on April 22, allowing customers to drink alcohol in areas designated during special events.
The proposal for a one -year pilot program comes after Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Senate 969 bill last September, which allows local governments to establish entertainment areas where restaurants and bars can sell alcohol for consumption in public spaces.
“This pilot program is structured around authorized events to allow the alcohol service in the entertainment area, in order to organize the first event in conjunction with the pride of the promenade in June 2025”, according to the council agenda.
In the staff report, officials said that the potential program was part of Santa Monica’s continuous economic recovery efforts to support existing businesses and attract new ones in the city, especially in the city center.
The city staff studied the entertainment area of San Francisco on Front Street, which reported significant economic benefits. A participating company experienced an increase in sales of 1,500% during the first event in the region.
According to the report, the police service asked that the program be established as a pilot to assess its success and make the necessary adjustments. The city plans to organize at least three events during the pilot period.
The prescription would describe the geographic limits, the hours of operation and the types of alcohol authorized in the area. A separate management plan would provide detailed guidelines for operation, including safety protocols, sanitation measures and age verification methods.
“By creating a dynamic and engaging public space where families can come together and adults can appreciate in a responsible manner of alcoholic beverages purchased from local businesses, the city can attract more visitors, increase pedestrian traffic and increase expenses in promenade,” indicates the staff report.
The first event is scheduled for June 21, 2025, in collaboration with the annual celebration of the pride of downtown Santa Monica.
Staff are also looking for management to rationalize the authorization process for entertainment area events, including standardized plans and self -certification components, if applicable.
The Council will examine whether these measures should be continued “without compromising public security requirements”, according to the agenda.
Other cases
A pair of elements of the consent calendar reiterate local disaster measures. The first ratifies the city of urgency of the city on homelessness and the second deals with fires in January.
A third point on the consent calendar will examine a new prescription requiring Santa Monica’s residence for members appointed by the advice to the advice of three non -profit organizations: Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM), Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, Inc. (SMTT) and Santa Monica Pier Corporation (SMPC).
The order comes after a board directive of January 28 aimed at codifying the representation of residents on these advice.
“The representation of residents in the boards of directors of DTSM, SMTT and SMPC is an asset for the community, because residents provide surveillance and comments on programming, operations and leadership for these critical organizations which help direct the local economy and promote the brand, history and culture of Santa Monica,” said the staff report.
Currently, the municipal council appoints six directors to the board of directors of 13 members of DTSM, five administrators on the board of directors of 11 members of SMTT and the seven members of the board of directors of SMPC.
Of the six members of the DTSM board of directors appointed by the Council, only two are confirmed residents of the city. The five people named by SMTT are residents, and two of the three members listed SMPC are residents.
If it is approved, the new requirements would only apply to future meetings and renown. The city cannot remove the current members of the board of directors, because they are independent non -profit organizations governed by the law of the State concerning the abolition of administrators.
The council will meet on Tuesday April 22 at the town hall at 1685, rue Main at 5.30 p.m.