SAN MARINO NEWS
Our new city council is comprised of at least four individuals who pledged during their elections to encourage business in San Marino.
That has not yet happened. Is it important?
The original founders’ intent for San Marino included provision for four small business districts to provide services and amenities for our residents. At no time was San Marino ever envisioned as a business hub.
However, it was never intended to be a business wasteland.
Previous councils, almost without exception, adopted one ordinance after another restricting almost everything.
The method used, mainly, is parking restrictions. Whenever anyone parks in a business-adjacent neighborhood, the residents complained and the council acted – acted to prevent even one car from parking on a residential street even if that street had lower property prices because of their proximity to businesses.
Today’s Tribune reports on the travails of the little ‘Curves’ which only wanted to move a few blocks up Huntington Drive. What did they encounter from our city’s David Saldaña, the scourge of Julienne restaurant for years? He told them, “No, you can’t do anything.”
So, they had to seek a conditional use permit. For what? To move a small exercise facility patronized almost exclusively by San Marino residents.
Fortunately, our Planning Commission gave them the OK, but the mere fact that such a tiny operation had to go through major developer hoops is absurd.
Parking in San Marino business districts today is a huge problem. The problem is, there is no one parking there.
Our stores are empty, our business streets deserted. Whenever some merchant actually opens a store or restaurant the people want, Mr. Saldaña appears to rid the area of outdoor tables and impose restriction after restriction. In his defense, he may just be doing his job under rules adopted by past city councils. If so, we need new rules.
If not, city management must step in and get real.
It is time for the current city council to make good on the promises most of them made to make San Marino more business friendly. If not “friendly,” at least more barely tolerant.
The only real beneficiaries of businesses in San Marino are all of us residents.
San Marino was designed this way but the design has been ignored. We need to remember why the small districts are there in the first place – to provide goods, services and amenities to the residents. It is nearly impossible for merchants to do that today.
It needs to change.