Santa Monica Pier Concessionaire - Plastic Reduction and Public Access Signage

The Commission approved an after-the-fact CDP for unpermitted patio development undertaken by Patio 66, a small bar and grill with a relatively large public seating on the Santa Monica Pier. ActCoastal commends the Commission for imposing robust conditions to protect public access and reduce ocean pollution.

Marine Debris Reduction: Special Condition 3 prohibits single-use plastics, requiring reusable foodware for on-site dining and banning plastic straws, bags, bottles, and expanded polystyrene. Given that food serviceware represents nearly 37% of items found on California beaches, this condition directly addresses a major source of marine pollution threatening wildlife and ecosystems.

Public Access Signage: Special Condition 1 requires conspicuous multilingual signage (minimum English and Spanish) clearly informing pier visitors that the seating area is available for general public use without purchase. The current small English-only lettering on partitions inadequately communicates this access right, especially in high-traffic scenarios. 

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These conditions ensure the development maximizes coastal access while meaningfully reducing plastic pollution entering adjacent marine waters—priorities central to ActCoastal’s mission of coastal protection and access. Furthermore, these strong conditions ameliorate Patio 66’s unpermitted patio development and allow the Commission to resolve a Coastal Act violation without resorting to enforcement proceedings. 

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