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September 29 - October 5, 2024 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
City Launches Second Phase of Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Until Oct. 16, Residents Are Encouraged to Participate by Visiting the Project’s Website
The City of Santa Monica has begun the second phase of its community engagement initiative aimed at transforming the Santa Monica Airport site into a public space, potentially centered on a park. This phase is part of a two-year, five-phase effort to involve residents in shaping the future of the 227-acre site, with the final decision expected in late 2025. Following the first phase over the summer, which gathered feedback through a project website, surveys, and community events, the city received nearly 2,000 survey responses and 147 suggestions for future site use, according to a City post. Phase 2 of the project, launched on
Sept. 18, is divided into two segments. In Phase 2A, city staff will work with the community to refine and prioritize suggestions. In Phase 2B, guiding principles will be developed, with a finalized version expected to be presented to the City Council in January 2025. Until Oct. 16, residents are encouraged
to participate by visiting the project’s website, watching a virtual training session, and completing a survey to help prioritize the proposals. The city also invites community members to apply for micro-grants to host listening sessions. Once a preferred scenario is selected by fall 2025, it will guide the
environmental review process mandated by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The site transformation is expected to begin after the airport ceases operations on Dec. 31, 2028. For more information, residents can email TheFutureofSMO@santamonica. gov.
Mitchell’s Market Assumes New Ownership, Changes Name to “Bodega & Palms” Venetians Phil and Kaila Neuville Look Forward to Retaining the Charm of the Local Neighborhood Bodega in the Heart of East Venice By Nick Antonicello For the New York Bodega culture and California lifestyle will continue as Phil and Kaila Neuville will assume the operation of Mitchell’s with a new name, Bodega & Palms! The traditional Bodega is at the center for gathering and grocery within New York Neighborhoods. Not only do kids come to their local
Bodega for ice cream, but they also come to spend time with their friends. The owners know all the customers by name, along with their orders. Local patrons leave their kids at the Bodega while they run errands. Residents hang around and gossip about current events. This Bodega has the distinct advantage of being uniquely located in the middle of the lovely East Venice neighborhood of Southern California. We can source product all year from farmers markets, due to superior weather to New York. The sidewalk can be used year-round and these are aspects that are unique to our area. Not many places can provide an “openair” concept that will be utilized all year. But the place is also slower and more laid back than the hustle and bustle of New York. So, this is where the intersection of the Bodega culture and Palms lifestyle occurs. At the actual intersection of Bodega and Palms. Cont. on page 12