Venice Beach Zip Line Public Hearing on July 2

A public hearing has been scheduled for July 2 over a proposed 750-foot zip line ride planned for this summer on Venice Beach.

The hearing will be held at 1 p.m. at the Venice Public Library, 501 So. Venice Blvd, as part of the city's attempt to secure a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission.

Plans call for the zip line to be installed as part of a three-month pilot program with a 50-foot tall launch tower across the boardwalk from the Sidewalk Cafe and a 24-foot tall landing tower near the basketball courts.

The $20 per person ride will last less than a minute and the proposed hours are 11 a.m. until dark.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose 11th District includes Venice, recently introduced a motion expediting the application process to secure a permit from the California Coastal Commission in order to have the ride up this summer.

The proposal also calls for youth classes in acrobatics and free public performances throughout the summer.

The zip line proposal replaced earlier plans for a 175-foot tall Ferris wheel that a United Kingdom-based company wanted to erect on Windward Plaza this summer.

City officials want the zip line proposal in front of the California Coastal Commission during its July 11-13 meeting in Chula Vista.

The Venice Neighborhood Council in May voted in support of the proposal and the plan also has been endorsed by Rosendahl and the city's Department of Recreation and Parks.