Santa Monica officials are considering their next steps after Waymo LLC failed to meet a Nov. 26 deadline to halt overnight operations at two Broadway electric vehicle charging facilities, following months of complaints from neighbors about noise, light pollution and traffic congestion.
Chief Deputy City Attorney Romy Ganschow had issued the ultimatum in a Nov. 19 letter to Waymo, property owner SMF Property Holdings LLC and charging station operator Santa Monica EV Holdings LLC, known as Voltera. The city demanded all operations cease between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. at facilities located at 1222 and 1310 Broadway.
"If you fail to do so, the City will take all necessary steps to abate the nuisance, without further notice, including filing a civil action for injunction, damages, and costs," Ganschow wrote in the letter.
The city has received more than dozens of complaints about the Broadway facilities through its 3-1-1 system since the beginning of the year. City staff raised concerns about the complaints at an Oct. 15 meeting with representatives from SMF, Voltera and Waymo.
Neighbors have reported hearing the whirring or humming of Waymo vehicles traversing the narrow 12th Court alley between Colorado Avenue and Broadway, along with clunking sounds as cars drive over manhole covers and loud beeping. While critics acknowledge some changes, other complaints have emerged such as ticking, clicking and "swooshing" sounds from vehicles in both lots, as well as loud employee conversations.
The city also documented traffic issues, including a Nov. 2 incident when residents were awakened late at night by dozens of Waymo vehicles queuing the full length of the 12th Court alley and into the 1222 Broadway lot. The letter notes it took approximately 20 minutes for attendants to clear the vehicles, raising concerns about emergency access.
The city contends overnight operations violate Santa Monica Municipal Code sections governing noise and public nuisances, as well as state Civil Code provisions. Waymo disputes those accusations saying its operations are entirely within the scope of its permits and the complaints are unreasonable given its limited control over the infrastructure of the area.
The company said it has consistently explained its mitigation measures to officials but had limited ability to implement additional changes. The company instructed workers not to vacuum cars late at night and modified vehicles' default reverse beeping settings in July. The company also temporarily shut down overnight operations at the 1222 Broadway lot from mid-March through mid-April and ceased routing cars through the 12th Court alley during that period.
However, city officials say these measures have proven insufficient to abate the nuisance conditions.
City officials have said they will escalate their legal fight with the company but have yet to provide details.
“At this point Waymo has not complied with our demand and we’re discussing next steps,” said Santa Monica’s Communications and Public Information Manager Lauren Howland