SAMOHI Students Fight for Parking

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

Feb. 27 -- The bullhorn-wielding organizer’s cadence held steady and deliberate and was echoed back in somewhat perfect unison by the nearly 50 Santa Monica High School students who rallied Tuesday evening on the steps of City Hall.

While no peace signs were painted or chants about foreign policy aired, plenty of enthusiasm was demonstrated in the smiles of students who peacefully, yet noisily, petitioned the City for more parking around their high school.

The SAMOHI students came armed with a plan to “raise the roof” of the proposed Civic Center parking structure one story, to a total of seven and a half stories.

With 40 spaces allotted to high school seniors and nearly 300 students driving to SAMOHI, the students pleaded for the extra 120 spaces for the permit students who trek nearly five times a week from communities such as Culver City and Compton.

One student, Rebecca, said it sometimes takes nearly 30 minutes to find a spot around the school. Another, Kelly Snider, said that even though she is car-pooling now, the problem of parking is still rampant.

Many argued the search for parking pits neighbors against high school students. Many more suggested they could be in danger walking back to their cars at night.

The commentaries inspired a round of applause from City Council members, but failed to convince them the plan was the right one. Instead, several of the council members politely yet sternly questioned the merits of the proposal.

“Have you taken this to the school board,” questioned Council member Pam O’Connor.

“Who is going to pay for this,” queried Mayor Richard Bloom.

Council member Herb Katz, an architect, said each new space would cost between $10,000 and $15,000, and several council members thought the price tag would be much higher.

Council member Ken Genser’s concern was the litigation this item might spawn.

Officials at the Doubletree Hotel next door to the proposed parking structure are already considering a lawsuit because they contend the building is too tall.

Council member Bob Holbrook suggested that students “smoke the peace-pipe” with the hotel and see what they could do about the threats of litigations.

Finally Mayor Bloom and Council member O’Connor brought up the environmental impact the extra story could have and the precedent such an action might set in leading Santa Monica away from encouraging more public transportation and alternate modes of travel, instead of four wheels and one driver and no passengers.