‘No growth’ also on the table amid talks
CITY HALL — The fate of this city by the sea will be largely up for discussion today, as elected leaders brace for lengthy talks with residents about Santa Monica’s next 20 years.
For residents with something to say about development, parking or traffic in Santa Monica over the next quarter century, tonight is the night to be heard by elected officials, who will soon be charting the city’s future course. is expected to choose tonight three of five concepts, one of which will ultimately become the city’s blueprint for its new general plan.
The discussion was postponed during a City Council meeting earlier this month in which more than 50 public speakers signed up to express their views on the five scenarios.
To expedite that meeting, elected leaders opted to re-schedule the discussion for today.
Santa Monica Mayor Bob Holbrook said he’s looking forward to the discussion and hasn’t decided yet which scenario, or combination of them, may be best for Santa Monica.
He hopes that whatever direction the City Council pursues, it minimizes the number of residents who move to the city.
“I’m wide open to hearing all of the options,” Holbrook said. “Some population growth may be inevitable, but my vision is not for a markedly denser city.”
Meanwhile, some Santa Monica residents planning to speak on Tuesday said they will be expressing to the council a similar desire for restricted growth.
At issue is what’s referred to as the “land use” and “circulation” policy documents that lay out the vision for Santa Monica’s built and moving environment, governing everything from specific development projects to how particular neighborhoods and transportation lines should grow and be used. The land use and circulation elements are part of the city’s general plan, which last underwent an overhaul in 1984.
The process is expected to be complete by the summer of 2007. City Hall’s zoning ordinance, which is the practical implementation of its policies, also will be re-written in the process.
The goal is to produce “a clear, accessible and easily administered zoning ordinance that can be understood by all,” according to city documents.
The concepts to be considered for further study include: Building more around the city’s neighborhoods; building more along the city’s current commercial corridors; building “downtown/uptown” districts that would re-develop Bergamot Station to support more cultural and medical uses; studying a “status quo” plan that would project what might happen in Santa Monica if current zoning isn’t changed; and, lastly, looking at how a “no growth” policy might affect the city.
The Friends of Sunset Park, a neighborhood group, recently sent a letter to the City Council about the city’s growth plan. In it, the neighborhood group referred to a survey they conducted in which their local residents indicated their No. 1 concern was traffic.
As a result of that survey response, the neighborhood group’s board has taken a position opposing all large developments in Santa Monica unless the impact of traffic on neighborhoods could be mitigated.
The neighborhood group’s board discussed on Jan. 5 the alternative development scenarios outlined for the City Council’s discussion. One of the neighborhood group’s concerns is that information about how many additional residents or workers each scenario would draw isn’t indicated in reports. As a result, it’s difficult for residents to know what the trade-offs for each of the scenarios would be.
According to the reports, the purpose of the neighborhood centers’ concept would be to reinforce a town-scale community that would allow residents to access local services through non-motorized transportation, according to city staff. That means there would be some growth along some of Santa Monica’s major boulevards. The eastern portion of the city’s light manufacturing and studio district would transition into a new mixed-use neighborhood center around the planned light rail stop at Bergamot Station. Parcel sizes in that area would reflect Santa Monica’s existing neighborhood streets and existing traffic grid.
On a personal note, Zina Josephs, president of the neighborhood group, indicated the “neighborhood centers” concept had some appeal for her because it would focus on resident needs, easier mobility, and improved community living.
“The pedestrian friendly aspects of the neighborhood centers would appeal to residents if the centers didn’t also bring the higher building and traffic congestion with them,” Josephs said.
The purpose of the grand boulevards’ concept would be to build on Santa Monica’s existing commercial corridors and focus development in those areas, including Wilshire, Santa Monica, Ocean Park, Pico and Lincoln boulevards. Under that scenario, Main and 26th streets, Ocean Park Boulevard and Montana Avenue would continue to support local needs, but also serve regional visitors. There would still be some growth near Bergamot Station, and the eastern portion of the city, but not for housing, according to a city staff report.
The purpose of the uptown/downtown concept focuses future growth within two primary districts — downtown and a newly-created uptown district at Bergamot Station. The amount of commercial activity in the Bergamot Station district would extend northwest toward Saint John’s Health Care Center, providing more medically-related services. It also would balance galleries, office and discount retail stores with apartments and condominiums, making the amount of activity in that area second only to downtown.
The purpose of the status quo concept would be to understand what the long-term impact would be if City Hall stuck to its current general plan and zoning. City staff expects that if the status quo were maintained, Santa Monica would continue to have unlimited demand for housing, little demand for office space and little to no demand for industrial uses.
The purpose of the no growth concept — which was requested to be reviewed by the city’s planning commission — would study the implications of not allowing any growth in the city. Such a study may be considered along with the three alternatives that are chosen, according to reports.
The information to be compiled would explain the cultural, economic, legal, and physical results of such a policy.
City Councilman Richard Bloom said he prefers to limit growth in Santa Monica to current areas where growth is concentrated.
“My focus has always been and will continue to be protecting the residential neighborhoods from over development,” Bloom said. “Future development should be concentrated downtown or on the corridors, which I believe would demand that more attention is paid to infrastructure.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 24, 2006. Read the original PDF.