Jeffrey Stanton Santa Monica Pier A History from 1875 to 1990, Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1990, 1973
Chapter 5: Santa Monica Pier on the Skids (1941-1974)
" . . . "Save Santa Monica Bay Committee," headed by Pieter van den Steenhoven . . . asked for a referendum . . . City Attorney Richard Kickerbocker [technically refused]. . . ..
"The anti-island group's strategy was to stall for time while waiting for the passage of the California Coastal Protection Initiative (Proposition 20) . . .
"The Save . . . The Bay . . . filed their suit in Santa Monica Superior Court on September 8, 1972 . . ." p. 136
" . . . Even the Santa Monica Evening Outlook newspaper campaigned against the island. They said " Major harbor improvements is a highly desirable goal but linking it to the hoped for financial success of a towering hotel a few hundred yards offshore is a concept the public has made it clear they will not buy." Prop. 20 passed by 55% of the state voters and 61% of Santa Monica voters. . . .
"On Dec. 22, 1972 the Santa Monica City Council announced it would reassess its stand on the island . . . Mayor Anthony Dituri . . .
" . . .
"Two hundred Santa Monica island foes jammed the January 9, 1973 City Council meeting as a result of a misleading radio report that the island was on the agenda. . . .
"The Council . . . agreed to an island hearing plan to be held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Jan. 23rd [1973]. Leonard Clunes, who had been coordinating the petition drive to put the island on the ballot, yelled out at the meeting [where the real agenda item had been the pier lease and plans for tearing down the pier], "We have a legal right to the Pier!" . . . A group of young people let out repeated yells of "Save Santa Monica Pier" as [they] left the meeting." p. 137
"Many members of the anti-island group were young anti-war activists, UCLA students drawn to Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood by low rents and beach front living. The pier provided a focus for these radicals who were strongly conservation oriented and perceived Scott's plan as an outgrowth of a business-dominated municipal government . . .
"The . . . [EIR] . . . favored the project, . . . there would be a . . . disruption of the southward drift of sand. . . .
"Councilman Arthur Rinck . . . announced his opposition to the proposed plan. "I'd like to see both piers removed and the beach returned to its natural state." He also said that the removal of the piers would make the beaches safer since it attracts many undesirables.
"Over a thousand people packed the Civic Auditorium for the January 23 Santa Monica Island hearing. . . . The council voted 4-2 to scrap . . . the Council's action amounted to termination of the contract.
"The boistrous partisan crowd was jubilant . . . Councilman Arthur Rinck made a motion to demolish both piers . . . Robert Gabriel, James Reidy, Arthur Rinck and Mayor Anthony Dituri [voted for], John McCloskey and Clo Hoover were opposed . . .
"The following day, City Manager Perry Scott spoke out favoring the removing of the Santa Monica Pier . . . said city taxpayers were subsidizing the business operators on the pier. "There's a very substantial use of the pier by those who don't spend money. I'm talking about kids and the elderly who come out to dangle hooks. The pier might be charming to some folks - but I wonder how much the general public should pay for that charm."
"The pier's merchants . . . formed "Friends of the Santa Monica Pier" and began meeting daily at Al's Kitchen. Larry Barber, the restaurant's cook, became head . . . "We believe the pier is too central to the identity of Santa Monica to be destroyed. It's like family. You don't get rid of your grandmother because she is a little old."
"Jack Sikking, the manager of Al's Kitchen . . . Joan Crowne, owner of Al's Kitchen. . . . produced a Save the Santa Monica Pier booklet . . . would be losing a unique historic landmark . . .
"Diane Cherman was co-chair of "Save Santa Monica Pier Citizen's Committee" . . . produced petitions, brochures, radio and newspaper advertising and . . . bumper stickers . . .
"The four Councilmen refused to be intimidated . . . "The pier is a tired, old and dingy thing and the economics of fixing it up are not worth it," the Mayor asserted. "After it is down maybe the people will support a bond issue to put up something else. I'm not in favor of the taxpayer's subsidizing the businesses that have been drawing the criminal and drug elements to the city."
". . . the Council refused to hear the overflow 350 people who attended the February 13, 1973 City Council Meeting. . . p.138
" . . . on April 10, 1973 . . . Incumbents Robert Gabriel, James Reidy, Jr. and Arthur Rinck were defeated . . . electing Fred M. Judson, Donna Swink, John McCloskey and Pieter van den Steenhoven and an initiative that required voter approval of Santa Monica Bay development.
"The new City Council elected Clo Hoover as Mayor, and . . . decided not to renew Perry Scott's contract. . .
" . . .
" . . . Maynard Ostrow and his partner Harold Kleinman in August 1973 opened a bumper car ride on the site of the defunct La Monica Ballroom. . . . p. 141
" . . . City Manager James D. Williams . . .
" . . . March 4th, 1974 Carousel Fire set by two sixteen year old youths who were never apprehended. . . ." p. 144
" . . .
"The City Council voted 5-0 to approve the pier pact on June 29, 1974, [establishing its ownership, dissolving any liability for Mrs. Winslow and controlling its own liability.} p. 145