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# City resumes infrastructure projects as budget returns to black
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-sense-of-structure-with-the-city-in-the-black-public-works-are-back-at-the-fore-story-page-11/
- Published: 2007-02-15T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:03:54.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*City workers get back to works With the budget back in black, postponed projects can resume*

CITYWIDE From freshly paved streets and wider sidewalks to a new Civic Center parking structure and an $80 million Big Blue Bus facility, City Hall is resuming several infrastructure projects after putting them on hold in recent years to save money, city officials said.

With the budget in the black, a new emphasis has been placed on improving services to residents and properly maintaining the more than 400 buildings owned by City Hall, all the while continuing to invest in the future with projects like the public beach club at 415 Pacific Coast Highway and storm water diversion measures along Ocean Avenue to protect the Santa Monica Bay for future generations.

Then there are the projects people won’t see, such as replacing street and traffic light circuits, water mains, and the eventual construction of a water treatment plant near one of the city’s wells to help clean water tainted by a fuel additive that seeped into the ground.

While those projects may not be quite as visible, they are equally important, said Craig Perkins, director of environmental and public works management.

“People notice that the street lights keep working, but they really don’t think about the work that goes into making sure they stay lit,” Perkins said. “That’s not sexy like a new park or (recreation) center, but its something the city needs to invest in equally.”

For instance, along Main Street and in downtown, many of the street and traffic light circuits are old and are more susceptible to failing, which might not only create a traffic nightmare, but could also result in accidents.

“These old circuits are like Christmas lights,” Perkins said. “If one light goes, they all go. The public needs a more reliable system and we are working to provide that.”

City Hall is also working with residents along Yale Street to narrow the street and widen parkways, with residents picking up the cost for construction. The Airport Park and improvements to Airport Avenue are also close to completion. The council recently approved a contract to renovate Reed Park, adding new landscaping and lighting.

But doing so can be difficult, especially when construction costs are soaring by the minute. Delaying a project by a year or even a few months can result in millions in additional costs. If the council puts street resurfacing or the replacement of air conditioners on hold, it can easily get behind and will have a difficult time catching up.

“We have a lot of work that needs to be done, but hasn’t been done, and all the while costs are increasing,” Perkins said. “We are sort of getting squeezed between a rock and a hard place.”

Every year there is roughly $15 million budgeted for capital improvement projects, much of which goes towards ongoing needs such as burying electric and telephone lines underground. If the council is lucky, it may have extra, one-time funds to work with and then it becomes a question of which project takes priority.

“A good example are streetscape improvements along Lincoln and Santa Monica boulevards — two of Santa Monica’s least beautiful streets,” Perkins said. “Those are two very expensive projects, so if there were $20 million available for one-time money, would it be better to improve or beautify Lincoln (Boulevard) or invest in Memorial Park or the old Fisher Lumber site?

These are policy choices that will have to be discussed.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 15, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021507.pdf?ref=smdp.com)