WEDNESDAY Crime Watch Politics are really heating up Balcony Burglar. Curious City. 09.09.20 Page 7 Page 6 Volume 19 Issue 150 @smdailypress @smdailypress Santa Monica Daily Press smdp.com California makes progress in Miramar discussion continues fight against COVID and fires BRENNON DIXSON SMDP Staff Writer BRENNON DIXSON Secretary of the California Health SMDP Staff Writer and Human Services, held a news Discussion on the Fairmont conference Tuesday to share the Miramar hotel project is set to resume Governor Gavin Newsom work that is happening around the Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. when the addressed the challenges state and speak on the need for Santa Monica Planning Commission Californians overcame this residents to continue doing what continues its meeting from last week. weekend while he reiterated his they can to prevent the spread of the The Planning Commission’s belief in the state’s ability to address flu and coronavirus. special meeting is a continuation of the immediate and long-term effects Santa Monica had 816 cases of a meeting last week that featured of the local fires, heatwave and COVID and 43 deaths resulting hours of discussion relating to the COVID-19. Courtesy image Newsom and Dr. Mark Ghaly, SEE COVID PAGE 11 SEE MIRAMAR PAGE 11 HOTEL: The proposal has a second planning hearing tonight. Nueva serves fresh takes on Mexican classics Courtesy photo FOOD: An existing patio has helped Nueva open during an incredibly difficult time for restaurants. CLARA HARTER launching a colorful outdoor patio hungry Westsiders. grilled branzino with mole rojo & Patti and Vartan, we all agreed that SMDP Staff Writer and garden that can safely seat 100 Chefs Vartan Abgaryan and castelvetrano tapenade, pork belly the neighborhood could use a fun, people. Since opening on the corner Mesraim Llanez, who both trained at chicharron tacos with chili lime salt relaxed, boozy restaurant with some Opening a restaurant in the of Abbott Kinney and Washington Le Cordon Bleu, have collaborated & serrano salsa fresco, and churros foodie items, but nothing fussy and midst of a pandemic is no simple Blvd last month, Nueva’s fresh takes on a fresh and flavorful Mexican with dark chocolate ice cream. could feature some straightforward task, but the team behind Nueva has on Mexican classics and creative list brunch and dinner menu. So far the “When I started working on the menu items. Collectively, we had all met the moment with mucho gusto, of cócteles has attracted hordes of most popular dishes include a wood- concept with my partners Dave, SEE NUEVA PAGE 5 LAW & MEDIATION OFFICES OF AN DESARIO TAXES AND ASSOCIATES ALL FORMS, ALL TYPES, ALL STATES Client Focused. Results Driven. BACK TAXES • BOOKKEEPING • SMALL BUSINESS Over 35 years of successful experience SAMUEL B. MOSES, CPA • Dissolution of Marriage • Visitation • DUI/DWI (310) 395-9922 • Custody • Restraining Orders • Civil litigation 100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800Santa Monica 90401 323.655.6538 SEE INSIDE AD FOR DETAILS Local 2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 09, 2020 Visit us online at www.smdp.com Inside/Outside Census Bureau stops By Michael Feinstein Send comments to [email protected] Luxury high-rise condos and layoffs for door knockers the Miramar Hotel after order MIKE SCHNEIDER asked Congress to extend the deadline for Associated Press turning in the numbers used for redrawing Tonight the Planning Commission will condos. This is great for more quality union congressional districts from December, as consider the renovation proposed for the jobs, but further blurs the line of what these Two days after a federal judge ordered the required by law, into next spring. When famous Miramar Hotel. The proposal has a units really are. U.S. Census Bureau to stop winding down the Republican-controlled Senate failed to lot to recommend it — and could lead to a And if vacant condos can be rented out, 2020 census operations for the time being, the take up the request, the bureau was forced truly great resource for the community. isn’t there a financial incentive for the hotel statistical agency said Tuesday in court papers to create a revised schedule that had the Among the major issues still under to sell to absentee owners so the hotel (and that it’s refraining from laying off some census census ending in September, according to the debate - perhaps the most controversial is the City) can make more money renting takers and it’s restoring some quality-control statistical agency. the proposal to build 60 multi-million dollar their vacant units? If we truly want stable steps. The lawsuit contends the Census Bureau luxury condominiums on the top floors of neighbors, City Staff needs to also analyze The Census Bureau said it’s refraining changed the schedule to accommodate a the hotel. This condo proposal needs to be disincentives to absentee ownership - like from laying off census takers who were in the directive from President Donald Trump to unpacked carefully, because there are a lot of a vacancy tax - before the plan gets to City late phases of the head count of every U.S. exclude people in the country illegally from moving parts. Council. It should also explore dedicating resident and those door-knockers still are the numbers used in redrawing congressional such funds received - as well as the real estate being assigned homes to visit in an effort to districts. The revised plan would have the RESIDENTS OR ABSENTEE OWNERS transfer taxes from condo sales - to future get answers for the 2020 census questionnaire. Census Bureau handing in the apportionment According to the City’s Staff Report, affordable housing. However, the bureau will still terminate numbers at the end of December, under the proposed condominiums are meant to workers because of performance concerns, the control of the Trump administration, no address one of the housing goals identified in WHO GETS HIGH IN AT THE MIRAMAR? according to the court papers outlining a matter who wins the election in November. Santa Monica’s Downtown Community Plan Some say, ‘if these rooms are going to be plan for how the Census Bureau and the More than a half dozen other lawsuits (DCP), which governs development in the rented like hotel rooms, why not just make the Commerce Department, which oversees the have been filed in tandem across the country, area, i.e. to whole project a hotel?’ The property owners statistical agency, will comply with the judge’s challenging Trump’s memorandum as “Encourage…the addition of ownership bristle at this suggestion, because selling high- order. unconstitutional and an attempt to limit the housing to enhance the district as a stable rise luxury condos is a major financing tool The temporary restraining order issued power of Latinos and immigrants of color residential neighborhood.” for their project. So what makes these condos late Saturday by U.S. District Judge Lucy during apportionment. But far from stable neighbors, many so valuable? Part of it are the amenities of Koh in San Jose, California, stops the Census During a virtual court hearing Tuesday, community members fear these new being on-site at a beautiful hotel. But a big Bureau from winding down operations until government attorney Alexander Sverdlov said ‘residents’ will be absentee owners of the part of it are also the views. a court hearing for a preliminary injunction the Census Bureau did not see the judge’s super-rich. If that turns out to be the case, do Prior to the passage of the DCP in 2017, is held Sept. 17. temporary restraining order as stopping the the condos actually address the DCP ‘stable the City’s height limit was 84 feet, going back The once-a-decade head count of every agency from ending the count at the end of neighborhood’ housing goal? to 1984. The DCP allows for developments U.S. resident helps determine how $1.5 the month. The developers say that 70% of people on three unique Established Large Sites to go trillion in federal funding is distributed and Koh appeared frustrated by the inability of who have already contacted the hotel to to 130 feet - if they meet specific public policy how many congressional seats each state gets government attorneys to say when precisely indicate interest in purchasing a condo are goals for each site. For the Miramar site, those in a process known as apportionment. the decision was made to the change the plan Santa Monica residents. Putting aside the are affordable housing, public open space, The temporary restraining order was so field operations would finish at the end of extraordinary heights involved (on the top and historic preservation. requested by a coalition of cities, counties and September instead of the end of October. floors where the condos would be built), one The proposal provides land and financing civil rights groups that had sued the Census “This was organic. Multiple people could make a valid public policy argument for building up to 42 units of affordable Bureau, demanding it restore its previous spontaneously came to the same conclusion to allow existing Santa Monica homeowners housing across the street from the Miramar. plan for finishing the census at the end of that re-planning was necessary? Is that what to sell their homes, downsize and stay in the It also retains the historic Palisades building October, instead of using a revised plan to the Census Bureau’s position is?” asked Koh community by buying one of these condos. on the Miramar site as part of the hotel - end operations at the end of September. The sarcastically. Because of this, the Planning Commission although there remains discussion about how coalition had argued the earlier deadline Sverdlov said there was not a single point should ask Staff to explore tools the City much additional restoration beyond basic would cause the Census Bureau to overlook when Census Bureau staff realized they would has in promoting local ownership, and the preservation of the building should occur.