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WILMONT NEWS

Santa Monica traffic 'has finally hit the tipping point' 


LA Curbed article

Wilshire/11th Sells for 16 million


LA Business Journal article

The Downtown Community Plan will open the floodgates to massive development

Santa Monica Lookout Article

The Downtown Community Plan in a Nutshell

1. Despite resident and Planning Commission feedback, the DCP has increased its emphasis on maximizing growth in downtown with:

  • 130 foot opportunity/large sites
  • an additional opportunity site at Lincoln and Broadway (Vons)
  • 100,000 sq. ft. buildings approved only by a Development Review Process (DRP) which is heard in front of the Planning Commission only and is a check-list type approach; possibility of having a referendum to overturn decision e.g., Hines Project would not be possible because a DRP is appealable to City Council but can't be put to a referendum as can a Development Agreement (DA)
  • Focus on big projects through lot consolidation
  • Gateway Access Master Plan (GAMP) has been carved off from DCP into a separate process and hides the existence of the other opportunity sites as well as a desire to make height and density even greater in this part of Downtown
  • Landmark parcels/Structures of Merit and their adjacent parcels have been given Tier 3 height incentives

2.  Community benefits, outlines to off-set these large projects of additional height and density, continue to be project mitigations, project amenities and elements required by City/State/Federal law

3.  Open space this is public OR private can be counted as open space in the plan; few differences made between plaza open space at grade level vs. private balconies as "open space" as a community benefit

4.  Text amendments appear to be able to easily change anything in the DCP, especially with respect to a specific property/parcel

5.  Traffic and parking continues to focus on goals and aspirations not definition and design

by Elizabeth Van Denburgh (Board Member)

 (more)

HOT E-PETITION


Stop the proposed 12-story (148-foot tall) "Plaza at Santa Monica" development project at 4th/5th and Arizona Ave. 

The proposed project at a glance:

Located between 4th and 5th Streets south of Arizona Avenue in the downtown area of the City of Santa Monica, the property consists of a little over 2.5 acres and is a "Resident-owned" property.



The City of Santa Monica is currently proposing to build a massive mixed-use commercial development project on this "Resident-owned" property.



The proposed project consists of the following:


  • 12-story (148-ft tall) high-rise
  • 420,000 sq. ft. of total building (nearly the same size as the Santa Monica Place Mall)
  • 225 room hotel
  • 200,000 sq. ft. of commercial work-space
  • 40,000 square feet of retail
  • 48 affordable housing residential apartment units

Impacts to Residents:

  • A commercial development located on this "Resident-owned" property would eliminate the potential for a grand 2.5-acre downtown green-space park for generations to come.
  • Severely alter the Santa Monica skyline.
  • Creating shadows from the 12 story (148-foot) tall structure.
  • Blocking the sun and ocean breezes.
  • Severely impact traffic and congestion.


4th/AZ is an E-Petition on the Residocracy site.

"Sustainability on the backs of Santa Monica Residents"

SM Dispatch Article


By  on  in SMa.r.t. Thinking













NEXT WILMONT MEETING
 
Tue, Oct 4, 6:45pm
Meet and greet 6:45pm/Meeting 7pm
Montana Branch SM Public Library
1704 Montana Ave, SM 90403
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Tue, Sept. 13, 6:30pm, City Hall
PLANNING COMMISSION
Wed, Sep 07, 7:00pm, City Hall
COMMUNITY CONVERSTIONS:
THE FUTURE OF SM  RSVP HERE
Tue, Sep 6, 2:00 pm, SM Main Library
DEM PARTY ENDORSEMENT MEETINGS:
Thur, Sep 08, 6pm, SM Main Library
(City Council, SM College Trustees,
Judge Office 42)
-----------------------------------------
Mon, Sep 12, 6pm, SM Main Library
(Rent Control Board, Local County and State Ballot Measures)
.
SM  ELECTIONS  2016
http://www.smvote.org
Armen Melkonians
Residocracy Founder
Co-Author of LUVE Initiative
Runs for City Council

 


SMRR CONVENTION RESULTS

Over 10,000 signatures turned into city hall




A dangerous rise in development agreements
Curb your DA’s. No, we’re not talking about District Attorneys, but rather the propensity of our planning staff to negotiate Development Agreements (DAs) with the owners of substantial chunks of our fair city.  (continue)


            
    Join
 Wilshire  Montana
 Neighborhood  Coalition

CA INCLINE OPENING & CELEBRATION SEPT 1 

LA Times / City of SM News

SM Rent Control Board Demands Ellis Act Study

July 15, 2016 -- Could certain factors lead Santa Monica landlords to get out of the rental business and evict tenants as allowed by California’s Ellis Act? Rent Control Board members want to know and have asked the City Council to call for a study.

Santa Monica Lookout Article cont.

Reed Park Construction Set to Begin


SM city info

SM Lookout

Planning Commission Endorses Major Downtown Santa Monica Project

The SM Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend the City Council approve a development agreement for a seven-story, mixed-use structure at 500 Broadway, replacing a Fred Segal complex.....

Mario Fonda-Bonardi, who cast the lone opposition vote, said it was “way too big” and would cause a significant amount of traffic.



People gather outside the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for a news conference held by a coalition of community leaders from Venice and activists prior to the first California Coastal Commission hearing since the firing of Executive Director Charles Lester.

 (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times)

September 10, 2015 -- County prosecutors will review allegations that Councilmember Pam O’Connor waged a secret battle to fire a newly hired communications director who had opposed her candidacy nearly a decade earlier, a Santa Monica activist group said.

SM Lookout Article continued

Council approves Park list for county research study

Santa Monica Daily Press

LOCAL GROUP CLAIMS O'CONNER VIOLATED THE LAW

On Aug 24, 2015, SMCLC (Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City) released the following:

SMCLC recently obtained private emails, sworn testimony and other documents in Elizabeth Riel’s lawsuit against the City.

These documents show City Council member and then Mayor Pam O’Connor relentlessly pressured then City Manager Rod Gould to fire Elizabeth for having made a donation to an SMCLC political mailer in 2006.

The mailer disclosed campaign contributions to O’Connor from a major developer with business before the City. See http://www.smclc.net/OConnor-Riel.htm

continue reading

Attention Wilmont Members

Wilmont is working to promote the interests of our residents, such as speaking on behalf of our neighborhood at City Council and Planning Commission meetings and creating new committees to keep you updated on the big issues facing our city. Please take a look at the committees list below and consider spending a few hours a month and taking a more active role in our city’s future.

-DEVELOPMENT-Big Projects like the Miramar, etc.

-TRANSPORTATION-Traffic, Parking, Big Blue Bus, etc.

-OUTREACH-Website, Events, Flyers, Membership, etc

-ELECTIONS-City Council, etc.

-ZONING-Downtown Plan, Zoning Ordinance Update, etc.

Ed Hunsaker,  Alin Wall

-WILSHIRE BLVD PLANNING-“Activity Center”, Developments, etc.

-HOUSING-Renters Rights, Taxes, etc.

If you would like to sign up, contact us at:

Email: wilmontinfo@gmail.com
Phone:       310-359-8238

or come to our next meeting.


 "Santa Monica Named Drunkest City in CA 
...by a landslide"

A website called Roadsnacks makes this claim based on the number of bars, liquor stores, wineries, and related tweets such as
#Drunk, #Party, #Beer, #Wine and #Cocktails. Divorce rate was also factored in.

This is leading some residents to ask if there are limitations to the number of liquor licenses that allowed to be issued.




  Wilmont... neighbors working together for a better community.
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