May 29, 2023 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Chez Jay Qualifies For Santa Monica Landmark Status:

A piece of Santa Monica history earned a victory of sorts Monday evening at City Hall, as the Landmarks Commission unanimously voted the famed Chez Jay meets the qualifications to be designated a local landmark.

The Oct. 8 vote comes a few months after Chez Jay faced possible closure due to the construction of Palisades Garden Walk (PGW). With the park’s construction already underway on all sides of Chez Jay, the PGW plans called for an update of the bar and restaurant’s structure to fit the modern designs of the civic center park.

In April, council members authorized city staff to seek Requests for Proposals “for a restaurant operator to lease and remodel or construct a restaurant” that would operate at the western edge of the future Palisades Garden Walk.

However, a city assessment presented to the Landmarks Commission made a case for why Chez Jay could be designated as a local landmark.

“Chez Jay is a nautically themed bar/restaurant famous for its almost 50 year association with adventurer and raconteur Jay Fiondella and for its legacy as a combination dive bar and celebrity hangout during the same period,” the City Landmark Assessment Report stated.

“Chez Jay … continues to serve as an important symbol of Santa Monica’s history as welcoming to a diverse range of humanity from ordinary tourists, beach bums, transients, and locals to musicians, RAND employees, politicians, and television and film stars,” it continued.

Designating Chez Jay as a local landmark became an issue thanks to the Civic Center Specific Plan (CCSP), which specified “design parameters” for how a restaurant adjacent to PGW should look in order to keep consisted with the themes of the new civic park.

As described in a city staff report to council members in April, one such design parameter stated any restaurant adjacent to PGW should be a “pavilion-like” structure allowing “for the generous flow of activities from interior to exterior spaces.”

“The CCSP encourages the use of verandas, terraces, patios, and other intermediary space in the design of the restaurant,” city staff said in April. “In addition, the CCSP conceived of the ‘park-related’ restaurant and buildings as ‘complementary with the design and activity program for the park.’”

City Hall elaborated on how Chez Jay’s current design does not match the themes of PGW.

“The existing restaurant is oriented toward Ocean Avenue, with no outdoor seating areas or take-out food windows and nominal landscaping,” the staff report stated.

Through remodel or reconstruction, City Hall hopes the new restaurant will offer “casual dining” with a “unique aesthetic and ambiance that relates to the PGW experience by providing outdoor dining and visitor-serving amenities, catering to patrons of PGW and adjacent uses.”

Chez Jay sits on a 7,500 square foot parcel on Ocean Avenue at the western edge of what is to be PGW. Fiondella, who passed away in 2008, originally owned the restaurant. His daughter, Anita Fiondella Eck, currently operates the restaurant with Michael Anderson.

Located on Ocean Avenue between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard, the future of Chez Jay may still be in jeopardy despite qualifying for local landmark designation.

According to Carol Lemlein, president of the Santa Monica Conservancy, just because Chez Jay would be a local landmark does not mean Chez Jay will be allowed to continue operating as is.

in News
Related Posts

Pandemic-Induced Rent Debt Crisis Threatens Housing Stability

May 28, 2023

May 28, 2023

Low-Wage Workers and Communities of Color Disproportionately Affected By Dolores Quintana  Rental debt is an out-of-control problem that has worsened...

Spanish Revival Home On Market For Nearly $20M

May 26, 2023

May 26, 2023

The Property is Nestled Behind Gates and Features Eight Bedrooms By Zach Armstrong Over top of the Riviera Country Club,...

Santa Monica Ranked One of the Least Affordable U.S. Cities

May 26, 2023

May 26, 2023

Several Metrics Graded on a 100-point Scale to Make the Ranking. By Zach Armstrong The City of Santa Monica was...

(Video) Homelessness Exacerbated by Santa Monica Rail and Bus System

May 26, 2023

May 26, 2023

The METRO and public bus system has reportedly been a large factor in Santa Monica’s homeless population. @smmirrornews Homelessness in...

Health Advisory: Los Angeles County Health Warns Against Swimming This Weekend

May 26, 2023

May 26, 2023

Public Health Issues Caution as Bacterial Levels Exceed Health Standards  The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents...

Women’s Boutique Closing After More Than 60 Years

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

Sumiko Started on Main Street in Santa Monica in 1962. By Zach Armstrong Women’s clothing boutique Sumiko is closing after...

With New Metro System, Santa Monicans Can Reach East L.A. Without Transfers

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

Riders Could Save as Much as 20 Minutes Going Downtown. By Zach Armstrong The Regional Connector transit project, a 1.9...

(Video) Holey Grail Donuts Embraces Sustainability and Veganism

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

Located in Santa Monica, this donut shop embraces high quality food along with sustainability practices. @smmirrornews Holey Grail Donuts in...

Don Victorino Has Spent 28 Years Expertly Cutting Meat For Tito’s Tacos

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

The Restaurant’s Tasty Tacos And Burritos Main Ingredient Is Hand Carved Tito’s Tacos, at 11222 Washington Place in Culver City,...

8th Annual “MAINopoly” Event Taking Place Memorial Day Weekend

May 24, 2023

May 24, 2023

The Event Offers A Delightful Twist On The Classic Board Game, Granting Participants Access To Tastings At More Than 20...

(Video) Student Art Gallery at Santa Monica College Begins May 25

May 24, 2023

May 24, 2023

The second part of Santa Monica College’s Emeritus Student Art Exhibition Starts May 25 @smmirrornews Santa Monica College’s 2nd part...

The Dodgers Reinstate LGBTQ+ Group’s Invitation and Honor At Dodger Pride Night

May 24, 2023

May 24, 2023

The Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence Accepted The Baseball Team’s Apology By Dolores Quintana This morning, The Los Angeles Dodgers issued...

Yoga Studio Event Aims To Inspire Kids To Relax Mind, Body and Soul

May 23, 2023

May 23, 2023

The Event Offers A Range Of Activities Aimed At Inspiring Children’s Fitness And Wellness Goals While Promoting Relaxation. Kids Wellness...

Free Screening of Homelessness Documentary Taking Place at Santa Monica Church

May 23, 2023

May 23, 2023

The Film Follows Four Runners Who Train For The La Marathon While Struggling With Addiction, Homelessness And The Criminal Justice...

As Federal Covid Reporting Comes To An End, LA County Reporting Will Continue

May 23, 2023

May 23, 2023

LA County Will Still Monitor Covid Transmission Trends And Severity  By Dolores Quintana The Federal Covid Public Health Emergency officially...