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Fisherman’s Village From page 17


While some current tenants have been vocal with the overall scope of the proposal, the idea of relocation or complete destruction of the retail cen- ter remains an obvious apprehension. “I think the overall reaction for pret- ty much everything is shock,” Younis said. “The relocation of the launch ramp was never discussed during the entire time of outreach by regional planning. I think people were pretty surprised.”


Room for growth Nestled behind the multi-tinted


retail venue, in front of the weathered docks, floats a fleet of charter and party boats, along with a parasailing rental service and Marina del Rey Sportfishing, the longstanding gate- way to whale watching tours and fish- ing excursions. Indy Plush, a boutique, owned by


Garcia and three of his partners, spe- cializing in plush toys created with sustainable and eco-friendly materi- als, sits within a corridor on the south end of the petite market, just beyond the towering azure and pallid light- house—now famous for its appear- ance in television shows such as “Arrested Development,” “Revenge” and Halle Berry’s latest sci-fi venture “Extant.” Garcia’s Indy Plush moved into a spacious unit December 1 and cur- rently maintains a three-year lease. He said he asked for an option to extend it, but wasn’t given it by property man- agement. Despite the setback, he said business has gone relatively well. “Once we moved in, we started


learning a lot about what’s going on in the area,” Garcia said. “That’s when I was taken aback, when I learned they were trying to destroy the place and not redevelop.” Despite the uncertainty, a flood of


retail entities have moved into the vil- lage recently, according to Garcia, and there has been a renaissance that has attracted travelers from as far away as Australia, China and England. “They come in and they’re


shocked,” Garcia said. “They poke their head in my window and wonder if we’re a store, because people have told them that nothing is here. They come in and we start talking to them and they’re in awe.” Garcia said a non-disclosure lease is


required of the tenants at the village and that management has the ability to enforce a 90-day notice at anytime. He said he has had interest from peo- ple with boutiques as far away as Paris, the south of France, and all over Europe to set up shop in Fisherman’s Village. “They’d love to have a boutique


here, but they’ve heard the leases are short. They don’t want to put in the investment.”


The village itself is home to five


restaurants—including mainstay El Torito—several retail shops, four


vacant units and four storage units. The contiguous docks house Hornblower Cruises, Tiki Mermaid Charters, a group of party boats, and whale watching yachts. In July 2013, Pam Stanley achieved


a “45-year dream,” opening Pammy’s Place, a cozy retailer selling tiny trin- kets and artistic creations built by 36 local artists. After spending a career in a hospital laboratory, Stanley acquired the space from a friend who formerly used it as a pottery studio. “The next thing I knew I was in


here scrapping clay off the wall,” Stanley said. “It came together so per- fectly I was almost skeptical. People started showing up at the door with their artwork desperate for a place to present their art. It just snowballed into this situation.” However, when the fall and winter months hit, business plummeted. Her shop, which operates Thursday through Sunday, suffered from restric- tions such as not being able to house sandwich boards and retail tables out- side the shop. “I’m still struggling, to be quite hon-


est,” Stanley said. “I think the village could use some kind of signage and major support for the businesses that are here…what’s lacking is a directory or signage that says ‘Hey, Pammy’s Place is down here, Indy plush is down here.’ People are so used to not coming down this way, because everything was closed up.” Stanley said more retailers are mov- ing in the area, including a candy shop and a soap boutique. The Marina del Rey Historical Society also recently moved into a unit facing Fiji Way. “There’s a resurgence going on


which I’m thrilled about,” she said. “What’s lacking is we just need support from the county. We’re very restricted on what we can and cannot do.” Walking past Thai Garden and


Daniel’s Bicycle Rental and Sales, into a dimly lit walkway, the light reflecting off the marina’s turquoise sea is blind- ing. At the center of a waterfront unit sits Next Wave Art Gallery, owned by Hannah Hempstead. Hempstead said she is encouraged


by the amount of shops opening up and is pleased that the owners have been selective with who they offer leases to. She added that a friend is attempting to move in and open a store called Ship Shape, a shop for all things nautical. “I’m up for revitalization,” she said.


“I think the owners are really compas- sionate people and really into helping artists. I think that will continue.”


The next step Carol Baker of the Department of


Beaches and Harbors Public Information Office said Marina del Rey will hold a Small Craft Harbor Commission meeting later this month to further discussions. “A lot of that’s going to be focused on whether or not the launch ramp should be moved to Fisherman’s Village,” Baker said.


Natoli added: “We’re continuing to


have outreach and we just met a cou- ple of weeks ago with homeowners’ groups in the city of Los Angeles. We’re still meeting with groups and individ- uals who have the comments and would like to give us input in the process. By the end of summer, early fall, we’ll be making revisions that we feel are appropriate to make based on the input that we receive over the summer here. We’ll revise it if neces- sary and then take it to the Board of Supervisors to seek their approval for future developments such as this in Marina del Rey.” While deliberations continue,


Garcia said he would like to see change in the management and the county, encouraging the growth of the retail shops. He said he believes Fisherman’s Village has the opportuni- ty to become a family destination once again. “I think it will take the truth or the


right information to come out to the public,” Garcia said. “When the county tells the public that Fisherman’s Village is dilapidated, would you want to redevelop? The answer is yes. Everyone wants to redevelop. But when I ask people do you want this destroyed or demolished, they say no. Everybody’s outraged and they ask what can we do?” Garcia said shop owners have spo- ken with the historical society, who is in the process of gathering signatures to take to the county to voice their


The Log • April 25 - May 8, 2014 • 19


opinions. He added: “I’ve dealt with the


county. If they have an agenda, they present it one way, and they do some- thing else. That’s what is concerning.” Jones said he certainly recognizes the tenants concerns, but he said businesses can expect that there will be a continued opportunity to thrive. “While this is a visioning and look- ing at land use in concept, certainly it’s a factor for how we plan the mari- na for the future,” Jones said. “Is there a better way to provide parking for people that want to drive to the mari- na? Is there ability for the county to provide hubs, as the visioning state- ment is proposing, where there’s an opportunity for people to park and there will be modes of transportation for people to get around the marina?” Oefinger, however, remains stead- fast in seeking a more timely solution. “Gary Jones and the people of the county just won’t give me an answer,” he said. “I get lip-service. They say they’re going to accommodate, but I’ve heard nothing positive. This new design for Fisherman’s Village never once came up in any of the visioning processes for the marina. This is something that sprung on us out of the dark—just out of the blue.” A special night meeting of the


Small Craft Harbor Commission is scheduled for 6 p.m., May 28 at Burton Chace Park’s Community Room; 13650 Mindanao Way in Marina del Rey.


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