the parallel lines
Like so many other things, we wish our local government would get a move on in finding solutions to our problems. After all, elected officials promised they would when they asked us to vote for them. For several years now, the results of a City Hall survey show that the top concerns of residents are the growing homeless population, increased traffic and a lack of parking. And yet, it seems little has been done to alleviate any of it.
Last week was just another example of our politicians either unwilling or incapable of making a decision that would advance a solution to a better life for Santa Monicans. The topic up for discussion — and approval — was downtown parking. Close to $100 million has been set aside for a downtown parking plan, which was first embarked upon in 2000. For two years, a task force comprised of business owners, city staff and elected officials studied the issue and came up with a plan to add 1,712 parking spaces. There was community input, a consultant was hired and plenty of research suggested that 1,712 was the appropriate number of spaces.
That was four years ago. After a lengthy environmental review process and other bureaucratic processes, the plan finally came before the City Council last week. Its members wanted to debate it ad nauseum and change it significantly.
A suggestion from City Councilman Kevin McKeown to reduce the plan by 1,000 spaces was enough for the rest of the council to at least delay the decision long enough for their colleague Ken Genser, who is recuperating from a kidney transplant, to be part of the decision when he returns to the dais. Genser was on the Downtown Parking Task Force and obviously is highly regarded by his colleagues as an expert on this issue.
We find it odd that the City Council didn’t already know Genser’s position on the plan. Apparently, there is little communication between the councilmembers. From his hospital bed days after the City Council meeting, Genser told the Daily Press that the plan needs to be approved and the number of spaces can be dealt with later. Time was of the essence.
Touted as an “environmentally superior” plan from McKeown that only 712 spaces should be added — because that’s what residents ultimately want — is ridiculous. McKeown argues that residents want less development, which means fewer parking spaces. It might be true that the task force’s recommendation was predicated on an additional half million square feet of commercial space downtown, which may or may not happen, but what’s wrong with at least having a cushion if in fact the community embraces more development?
Let’s not forget that at some point Santa Monica Place mall will be redeveloped, as well as the Civic Center area. And downtowns throughout the country are reinventing themselves to include residential and commercial development so that the hub of activity is in a central location. That could very well happen in Santa Monica.
More development downtown might not be in line with community sentiment or future land use policies, but it could happen nonetheless. It wouldn’t be the first time a government decision was made at the displeasure of its citizenry. Wouldn’t it be best to at least be prepared? The parking plan allows for it to be reviewed every two years so it can have that flexibility. We agree with City Councilman Herb Katz that it’s a lot easier to set a larger number than to add more later.
Besides, we have a lack of parking already. Maybe our City Councilmembers are that out of touch that they don’t see the traffic jams on the weekends or at night with people trying to find a place to park. They might not see it firsthand, but the enormous sales tax figures that City Hall collects should be an indication that there are millions of people coming here each year. And while it would be nice to think that they arrived here in alternative transportation, they didn’t. They drove their cars and they want an easy and cheap place to put them. Eventually, they’ll go somewhere else if their frustration levels get too high in trying to find a place to park.
Don’t let this asinine idea of reducing parking spaces hold up a plan already six years in the making, and will take another decade to implement. Approve the plan and start adding the spaces. It’s that simple.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 10, 2006. Read the original PDF.