In May I wrote that it was unfortunate City Hall couldn’t find enough money in its 2005-2006 budget to reopen branch libraries — Montana Avenue, Fairvew and Ocean Park — on Fridays and Sundays. In educationally aware Santa Monica, libraries closed two days a week is nothing short of criminal.
Not one education supporter responded to my column or stepped up to the plate on this one, including the Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) and the Lifelong Learning folks. I had even sent an e-mail to Louise Jaffe suggesting, as a CEPS leader and Lifelong learning advocate, she should help promote the extended operating days. She responded that it would be a great cause for me to pursue.
The problem is that one person — even a crusading newspaper columnist for one of the world’s great dailies — doesn’t carry enough weight to have tens of thousands of dollars added to the city budget, no matter how noble the cause. Widespread community support is necessary and if it isn’t achieved, even the best suggestions are ignored.
And all those education supporters? Not caring about daily branch library operation is inconsistent with playing election-year, “support education” political games and advocating for frequent school and college parcel tax increases, isn’t it?
It’s mind-boggling that City Hall can spend millions on services for vagrants but can’t come up with scratch to keep branch libraries open every day.
Sometime this year, the city’s transportation management division will unveil a scheme to allow business parking in residential neighborhoods. I wrote in June that to relieve a “chronic shortage of on-street parking near commercial streets” such as Montana Avenue, Pico Boulevard and Ocean Park Boulevard, staff was studying issuing special permits allowing store employees to park in resident-only parking zones.
The problem is there is no guarantee this plan won’t expand citywide and eventually affect extensive numbers of residential parking spots. If promulgated, the proposal also could wind up generating legal challenges and maybe a loss of all permit parking city wide. So, when staff’s final proposal goes public just say, “No to employee parking on residential streets.”
I’ve written many columns on speculators who buy undervalued real estate and turn it around quickly at jacked-up prices. Whether its single-family homes, apartments or condos, “flipping” drives up the cost of housing and is depleting existing affordable rental units at an alarming rate.
I wrote earlier this month about a man and his disabled mother who, after claiming harassment, were evicted from their three bedroom, mid-city rent-controlled apartment by the new Malibu-based owner who purchased their building in February. This landlord appeared to be maximizing investment by forcing or buying out low-rent tenants. The man and his disabled mother were evicted but won their court case in October. They’re safe for the moment.
Their eight-unit building was purchased for about $1.4 million last February. The owner spent approximately $50,000 on repairs and improvements. I just learned it’s back on the market for $2,499,000 — a classic flip.
The listing describes this income property as, “very low rents, lots of upside for the future.” In real estate jargon, this means “getting rid of low-rent tenants will improve cash flow, profit and property value.” While the present landlord/owner potentially profits by $1 million in just 10 months, he’s made life miserable for eight families.
But things aren’t going to get better for these tenants — like others all over town. When a new owner takes possession, you can bet the family Buick the pressure will be on to convert units to market rate or evict everyone and totally redevelop.
Last spring, after writing about a Grant Street condo flip featured on the national TV show, “Property Ladder,” City Councilman Kevin McKeown responded that he’d sent an e-mail to the City Manager asking about potential taxes and/or fees on flips.
Hopefully, McKeown’s suggestion will be studied by our new City Manager and implemented as a way to provide some tenant relief from profiteers out for a fast buck. Public pressure by tenants’ rights organizations and renters might make this a reality and help protect the shrinking number of existing affordable units and the families that call them home. (Bill Bauer is a longtime Santa Monica resident and a freelance writer.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 2, 2006. Read the original PDF.