By Jeff Segal Santa Monica
I wanted to call public attention to item 8-C on Tuesday’s City Council agenda. City staff is requesting that City Council disregard Santa Monica’s General Plan and permit eight-story towers on the civic center site. I would hope that it is self-evident that over-development by municipalities it just as harmful as over-development by private-property owners. I do not think the General Plan could more strongly state the desire to keep Santa Monica a low-building-height community. I suspect that I am not the only resident who enjoys sunlight and fresh air. If we liked the architecture of Westwood and Century City, we would be living there, not here.
Irregardless of one’s opinion on eight-story towers, I would hope the City Council would be concerned with process. It is unimaginable that a decision as important as to whether or not to allow a huge variance on the General Plan would be conducted without consideration by either the Architectural Review Board or the Planning Commission, and the important feedback from their public hearings. It appears that city staff has once again decided to dispense with the public process for expediency. I would hope that in the very least, the City Council would direct city staff to go through an appropriate public process if they want a variance on the General Plan.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 14, 2004. Read the original PDF.