By PATRICIA HOFFMAN
There is a trade-off when considering the size of a building. Do we want it to be a big box that covers more of the lot or do we want a smaller footprint with a taller building? This is a question that must be answered by the people in a public process. Some people will answer that we want neither, but the zoning code allows people to build on their property.
Office space appears to have the highest impact with the lowest tax base of all commercial buildings. We may need more small offices for local businesses but I don’t believe that we need hundreds of thousands of square feet of new commercial development. Housing in the downtown, within the existing envelope is OK since it enlivens the downtown area without demanding too much from the infrastructure of the city. This is especially so if the services that the residents will use are also located in the downtown.
We need a vibrant downtown to support the city’s tax base. This does not mean that any given property owner be exempt from the public review process. This is especially true if the developer wants to bend the rules through a development agreement.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 26, 2004. Read the original PDF.