Three major projects are already on the boards that we should be concerned about. Expansion of the Fairmont-Miramar Hotel between Ocean Avenue and Second Street along Wilshire Boulevard (plus a “bonus” multi-story low income housing project on Second Street, nearby) might include a high-rise tower from 12 to 16 floors tall.
Santa Monica Place’s remodel which, according to a select few “heavies” who received a special “preview,” is rumored to feature two high rise towers between nine and 25 floors tall. Then, there are the two eight-floor apartment towers slated for the Civic Center near the present Rand buildings. Who knows what else might come along in the next decade or two?
All of these projects are too massive and tall for a downtown already choked with traffic. New developments should be restricted to no more than five floors. I’d like to see a formula similar to the present codes that requires setbacks, and other requirements to reduce height and mass and create a more human scale to our downtown area.
The current City Council has approved removal of a number of commercial and retail properties from commercial streets and the tax rolls in order to build low income housing. Recent examples include housing projects at Santa Monica Boulevard at 26th Street and at Berkeley Street, as well as at Main Street and Pacific Avenue and on the 1300 block of Broadway — already under or near construction.
If the city is concerned about revenues and its tax base, why remove income-generating and job-producing retail properties from commercial streets for housing projects? Removing retail from our commercial streets is just bad planning. This shouldn’t be compensated for by allowing high-rise development anywhere in the city, whether it be downtown or in the new Civic Center.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 26, 2004. Read the original PDF.