City Council To Vote On Regulating Outdoor Fitness In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — Working out outside with your favorite instructor on the Westside could soon become a thing of the past if the Santa Monica City Council has its way.

KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports Council members were scheduled Tuesday to consider proposed regulations that would regulate outdoor fitness classes in city parks and at the beach.

Among the proposals: a $100 permit fee and a 15 percent revenue charge for using Palisades Park and other sites for fitness instruction, classes or boot camps that have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional gym memberships.

The ordinance, which was first introduced last April, would also limit private classes to two participants and groups to 150 people or less, with bigger groups required to obtain an event permit.

Some local trainers are worried that the tighter regulations would adversely affect their income and possibly force them to move their classes to another city.

Trainer Paul Karamai operates a local gym, but said he prefers to bring clients to Palisades Park for a change of scenery.

"If it's just one or two people having a good time, working out, they're in their own space, they're not loud...you should be fine," Karamai told CBS2's Kara Finnstrom.

Classes would be prohibited at Joslyn Park, Muscle Beach Park, Park Drive Park, Euclid Park, Ozone Park, Schader Park, and Pacific Street Park.

Council members also want to prohibit any exercise equipment weighing 25 pounds or more from being used in public areas.

Santa Monica Mayor Pam O'Connor told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO residents should think of the proposal as a "user fee" rather than a way to drum up cash for the city.

"It would help to pay the cost of the impact," O'Connor said. "The commercial entities that are using the parks are impacting the parks, they're impacting the turf, and the maintenance that we need to do with the city so we can keep those parks well maintained so these groups can continue to use them."

One resident said there should be no reason for the city to interfere with the local craze.

"I would think that the people who would say it's outta control are longtime Santa Monica residents who like the way it was, real quiet, all that," he said. "I think for your average, relatively young person who doesn't own a hotel, I think it's probably okay."

The meeting is set for tonight at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall on Main Street.