5/5/24
More than 750 residents join ad to urge “Gelson’s” developer to reduce its project
read


2/19/24
URGENT ACTION: Sign Open Letter to Developer of Massive Gelson's Project
read


8/14/23
SM Civic Update: Action Needed
read


8/3/23
Update on the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
read


7/27/23
Good news about the ongoing Civic Auditorium negotiations!
read


7/23/23
Warning: Don’t be Misled . . .
read


7/22/23
It’s not over! Call or write Councilmembers to Save the Santa Monica Civic!
read


7/18/23
Email Council Now to Halt Closed Negotiations about the Fate of the Civic Auditorium & Begin Open Public Discussion
read


5/26/23
Update on “Builder’s Remedy” projects
read


2/26/23
Good news: City will appeal upzoning Main, Montana, Ocean Park and Pico
read


2/12/23
URGENT ACTION: Protect our neighborhood streets from UP-ZONING!
read


12/23/22
Don't Be Misled
read


12/15/22
2022 Year-end Report
read


10/21/22
The Truth About Lana Negrete
read


10/17/22
Developers trying to ignore our zoning: Will the City rollover?
read


10/10/22
SMCLC endorses Lana Negrete and Armen Melkonians for City Council
read


9/19/22
URGENT ACTION NEEDED:  TELL THE CITY TO REJECT HUGE, NON-CONFORMING PROJECT ON GELSON’S SITE AT LINCOLN AND OCEAN PARK BLVDS.
read


5/17/22
Video circulating is NOT from SMCLC
read


4/15/22
City Agrees: Gelson project application is deficient
read


4/7/22
Gelson's Project Fails to Meet Planning Requirements
read


2/12/22
Here’s The Friends of Sunset Park flyer and ZOOM link for the Feb 17th 7pm meeting re massive project replacing Gelson’s Center on Ocean Park/Lincoln Blvds:
read


1/25/2022
Longtime SMCLC adviser Doris Sosin has passed away.
read


9/27/2021
SMCLC opposes massive state mandate on new housing
read


5/13/2021
It’s Over. A final victory for residents fighting “The Plaza.”
read


12/16/2020
It's a WIN: "The Plaza" at 4th and Arizona is DEAD!
read


11/19/2020
SMCLC responds to LA Magazine report on Santa Monica looting
read


11/10/2020
A POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE IN SANTA MONICA!
read


10/21/20
Why was Santa Monica's police chief “retired?”
read


10/16/20
SMCLC objects to abrupt Council meeting retiring our Police Chief without providing critical public Information, including the police “after action report.”
read


10/14/20
SMCLC Endorses Oscar de la Torre for City Council
read


10/8/20
VOTE THEM OUT!
read


9/26/20
SMCLC Sues City to Halt Plaza Negotiations
read

Press: read and read


9/21/20
Urgent Action: Tell the City Council to reject the proposed Miramar project now
read

SMCLC Co-Chair's OPED: read


9/8/20
SMCLC ENDORSES BROCK, FONDA-BONARDI, PARRA FOR CITY COUNCIL
read


8/26/20
SMCLC's Objections to Miramar Project
read


7/31/20
Irresponsible and Illegal: Our Council in Action
read


7/28/20
4th and Arizona developer misled the State over the "Plaza" project
read


6/25/20
City Council postponed hearing staff’s request to resume negotiations with the developer
read


6/22/20
URGENT ACTION: Stop 4th and Arizona public land giveaway now!
read


5/12/20
Letter to Planning Commission: An Ill-Conceived and Misguided Proposal
read


5/5/20
Letter to CC: Include Longstanding Community Groups on Economic Recovery Task Force and Limit its Role to Recovery Efforts
read


4/28/20
SMCLC weighs in on City's financial crisis
read


3/10/20
Santa Monica groups join to push back on SCAG's proposed hyper-development
read

local press: read
2/17/20
Neighborhood Groups Unite to Defeat the Fourth and Arizona Mega-project
read

local press: read and read

2/17/20
Transparency Project calls out Fourth and Arizona developer for “closed-to-the-public” free dinner event
read



2/11/20
Two-Thirds of City Employees Drive Alone to Work; Most Park Free Downtown.
read

local press: read and read


11/2/19
Come hear SMCLC and SMa.r.t. go “head to head” with the developer of the 4th and Arizona project at NOMA this Thursday November 7th from 7-9 p.m. at Montana Library


Do you want a huge, privately owned LUXURY HOTEL built at 4th and Arizona on PUBLICLY OWNED LAND in one of the most congested areas in the heart of Downtown Santa Monica? Come hear Diana Gordon of Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) and Ron Goldman of Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Future (SMa.r.t.)

Diana and Ron will be responding to a developer’s presentation to NOMA at its next meeting Thursday, November 7th from 7 - 9 p.m. at the Montana branch library (17th and Montana Ave). The entire program will be devoted to discussion, questions and public comment concerning this project.

local press: read


The SMCLC quesstions to be asked at the forum: read

2/4/19
City Ignores Resident Input on Massive Project at 4th and Arizona.
read


1/11/19
Letter to City Council states criteria for resident-friendly appointment to open council seat.
read


11/7/18
Councilmember Sue Himmelrich Comes in First by a Big Margin and Term Limits Wins in a Landslide
read


10/29/18
SMCLC Endorses Councilmember Sue Himmelrich for City Council and Measure TL
read


10/9/18
City Mobility Plan in Trouble Most City Government Employees Still Drive Solo to Work, Park for Free Bike Share, BBBus Are Seriously Declining
read


9/18/18
SMCLC Endorses Councilmember Sue Himmelrich for City Council
read


9/17/18
SMCLC Supports Measure TL for term limits for our City Council
read


7/24/18
SMCLC Tells Miramar Hotel to Study No Condo Project in its EIR
read


7/5/18
Term Limits for Council Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot!
read


4/23/18
Just 7 more days to sign the Council Term Limits Petition!
read


4/4/18
Join SMCLC in supporting term limits
read


2/17/18
SMCLC Supports the Term Limits Initative Just Launched
read


1/22/18
SMCLC joins neighborhood groups (NOMA, FOSP, NEN) in support of interim ordinance downsizing new mega-homes in our neighborhoods
read


7/3/17
URGENT ACTION: Critical Council Meeting on DOWNTOWN PLAN - JULY 10th
read


4/18/17
Downtown: Proposals and Critique
read


4/17/17
SMCLC Objects to City's Weakening of Lobbying Ordinance and Including Resident Group Activists as "Lobbyists"
read


3/5/17
SMCLC Proposes Action Plan to Implement Supreme Court Case -- Texts and Emails about City Business on Private Servers are Public Records ...
read

Our press release of 3/2/17 read


2/26/17
Will City Council get 4th and Arizona right?
read


2/7/17
Next City Attorney Needs to Restore Confidence
read


1/16/17
Committee Review of Employee Compensation
read


12/4/16
Important Update on SM Developer Found to Have Forged Documents, Committed Perjury and Engaged in Massive Fraud
read


11/28/16
Santa Monica's Most Prolific Downtown Developer Found to have Forged Documents, Committed Perjury, and Engaged in Massive Fraud
read


11/2/16
SMCLC Urges Four Key Votes
read


10/17/16
SMCLC's Local Election Recommendations
read


10/4/16
City to Residents on Driving and Parking: Do as We Say, Not as We Do
read


9/7/16
Why SMCLC Urges a "YES" Vote on LUVE Initiative (Measure LV)
read


6/2/16
Why SMCLC Supports the LUVE Initiative
read


4/21/16
City Report Out: O'Connor "Not Credible"
read


3/7/16
City's Downtown Plan: Developers' Dream, Residents' Nightmare
read


3/1/16
SMCLC Says Downtown “Community” Plan is Fatally Flawed and the City Needs to Start Over!
read


1/26/16
City: Parking for employees, not for residents
read


11/23/15
Winter 2015 Newsletter
read


10/26/15
BREAKING NEWS: City Let Statute of Limitations Expire on O'Connor Prosecution
read


10/23/15
SMCLC Again Tells the Council its Latest Draft Lobbying Ordinance Needs Teeth
read


9/8/15
City Moving Forward with O'Connor Investigation
read


8/31/15
SMCLC Presses City to Act on O’Connor Misdeeds
read


8/24/15
Breaking News: Documents Reveal O’Connor Role in City Employee Firing
read


7/22/15
O'Connor's Vindictiveness Costs City Taxpayers $1,000,000
read


7/10/15
SMCLC proposes changes to inadequate Santa Monica lobbying ordinance
read


6/17/15
SMCLC Urges the City Council to appoint M.Fonda-Bonardi and N.Fresco to the Planning Commission
read


6/2/15
SMCLC opposes massive Arizona project on public land, urges a project within zoning
read


5/13/15
SMCLC Update on Zoning Ordinance and Next Steps
read


4/22/15
SMCLC Supports Formation of San Vicente Courtyard Historic District
read


2/16/15
SMCLC Opposes Massive Water Rate Increases and Urges the City Council to Approve a 1-year Plan and issue Water Bonds ...
read


12/16/14
SMCLC calls for resident input in selecting new City Manager ...
read


12/15/14
SMCLC Requests that Council Obtain Necessary Information on Impact of New Development Water Usage before Setting Water Rates and Cutbacks Policy ...
read


11/5/14
Finally, a pro-resident majority on our City Council!
...
read


Our Campaign Mailers
SMCLC SMCLC SMCLC SMCLC SMCLC SMCLC



11/3/14
VOTE! Don't let a hotel developer pick our City Council.
...
read


10/27/14
The facts about Pam O'Connor
and why she does not deserve your vote
...
read all about it!


9/25/14
O'Connor Exposes SM Taxpayers to Major Damages Over Firing of Elizabeth Riel ...
read

9/11/14
Important win for Bergamot Arts Center ...
read

7/14/14
SMCLC Endorses Kevin McKeown, Sue Himmelrich and Richard McKinnon for City Council ...
read

6/5/14
DEVELOPER WITHDRAWS PROPOSAL THAT WOULD KILL THE BERGAMOT ARTS CENTER AND IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT LUCE AND RESIDENTS EXPECT ...
read

6/3/14
City fires resident for opposing O'Connor EIGHT YEARS AGO ...
read

5/15/14
Council Kills Massive Hines Development
Thanks to Residents! ...
read


4/29/14
URGENT ACTION:
Bergamot Art Center Development Plans
Critical Community Meeting
Monday, May 6th at 6 pm
Bergamot Arts Center
2525 Michigan Ave

read details


3/10/14
Today, SMCLC filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court challenging, on environmental and other grounds, the City Council's recent approval of the Hines project at 26th St. and Olympic Blvd. (former Papermate site) which would add 7,000 new daily car trips to an already badly gridlocked area.

read press release
read lawsuit


3/5/14
City's poll confirms that residents reject greater heights and densities for downtown. Read SMCLC's detailed letter to the City Council discussing the poll.

2/10/14 RALLY!!   WED 2-12-14 7PM  606 Wilshire
A local group called "Residocracy" is seeking to place a referendum on the ballot, so Santa Monicans can vote on whether the massive Hines project should proceed. The Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City supports this referendum and will be helping with the campaign.
...read

2/3/14
Rally at Santa Monica City Hall to Oppose Massive Hines Project ...
read

Rally in the news ... read

2/1/14
RALLY TO SAVE SANTA MONICA
FROM MASSIVE HINES DEVELOPMENT
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 6:00 PM SHARP, CITY HALL

This Tuesday, February 4, our City Council will be voting on whether to allow a powerful, politically connected, Texas developer to build its massive, unpopular project in the most congested part of our city. ... read

download rally flyer



1/28/14
SMCLC Challenges Legality of Hines Project


As a precursor to a lawsuit, SMCLC has served its legal objections on the City to the current Hines project. The grounds include the failure to evaluate reasonable alternatives to the massive project under the California Environmental Quality Act known as ("CEQA"), circumvention of maximum building heights, mass, and modulation standards mandated by the Bergamot Area Plan, and failure to meet affordable housing mandates. ... read

1/27/14
SMCLC Objects to Hines project and city consultant's report that the project somehow doesn't pencil out for Hines ...
read

1/23/14
SMCLC tells City Council that Development Agreement on Hines is flawed.
...read

SM Neighborhood Groups send letters to Council urging denial of Hines development. ... read

1/20/14
Santa Monica is at a tipping point ... Hines development before the City Council update
... read

1/14/14
Urgent Action: City Council will vote whether to approve the huge, unpopular Hines project at 26th and Olympic (former Papermate site).

If you attend no other Council meeting this year, this is the one you should come to.

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014
Time: 7:00 p.m
Place: City Hall


... read

12/31/13
Forbes article makes compelling case for why Santa Monica should just say NO to tower architecture and famous architects to remain beloved and unique ...
read

9/10/13
SMCLC Asks Planning Commission to Send Hines Back to the Drawing Board for its Persistent Refusal to Negotiate a Reasonable Project or Meet with the Community ...
read

8/15/13
Huge Win for Santa Monica Residents – A Downtown Plan Limited to 84 Feet! ...
read

7/16/13
SMCLC Urges the Planning Commission to recommend that a draft Downtown Specific Plan be completed, circulated and reviewed before the City commences environmental review of the Downtown ...
read

7/7/13
SMCLC Objects to the Proposal to Start a Program EIR for the Downtown BEFORE there is Even a Draft Plan for the Downtown as a Broken Promise to Residents and Poor Planning ...
read


6/21/13
Daily Press Editorial "Aren't They Listening at City Hall?" ...
view


6/18/13
SMCLC Encourages Developers to Work WITH Residents: Our Full-page Ad ...
view


5/20/13
SMCLC Objects to DEIR for Massive Miramar Hotel/Condo Project Before Downtown Specific Plan is Done ...
read


5/8/13
SMCLC Report on Phenomenal Resident Turnout To Oppose Downtown Plan ...
read


4/30/13
IF YOU COME TO NOTHING ELSE THIS YEAR,
PLEASE COME TO THIS:

Downtown Public Forum on Heights, Densities
Date: MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013
Time: 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Place: CIVIC AUDITORIUM EAST WING
...
read


3/15/13
City Planner Claims LUCE Requirement of No Traffic Increase with New Development is a Long Term (2030) goal! ...
watch short video


3/15/13
SMCLC Thanks Community for its Support ...
read


3/14/13
City listens to residents and fires consultant Jeffrey Tumlin for disparaging remarks about Santa Monicans.

SMCLC's Letter Urging City to Fire Jeffrey Tumlin ...
read

Residents' Open Letter to city to fire Mr. Tumlin signed by over 600 residents ...
read

Jeffrey Tumlin's resume calling Santa Monica residents NIMBYS ...
read

Lookout News on firing in response to residents ...
read

SM Daily Press "Tumlin Out" ... read

SM Patch ... read

3/4/13 
Good News for Santa Monica ...
read


2/27/13 
Open Letter to City Council to Terminate Jeffrey Tumlin's Contract ...
read


2/25/13 
SMCLC Urges Council to Finally Pass Transportation Impact Fees that City Should Have Collected from Developers Over the Past 20 Years! ...
read


Miramar Open House UPDATE: 2/20/13
Turns out we are not welcome at the Miramar Hotel's "open house," "where our neighbors will have the opportunity to learn more" about the Miramar project. We just received an email from the "Miramar Team" that space concerns prohibit including those who did not receive an "initial invitation." Evidently, business is good; the Hotel is short of space. Stay tuned.
2/18/13
SMCLC Urges Residents to Attend 2/21 Miramar Hotel Open House to View Latest Development Plan and Ask Questions ...
read


12/17/12
SMCLC Joins Westside in Opposition to Massive Casden Project ...
read


12/6/12
SMCLC Urges Santa Monica to Object to Unacceptable Traffic Impacts on Massive West LA Casden Project ...
read


11/13/12
SMCLC sends letter to City Council regarding Village Trailer Park Development Agreement ...
read


10/29/12
Santa Monica's Hyper-Development Problem ...
See our flyer/email


10/27/12
Santa Monica Transparency Group publishes article on local PACs ...
read


10/27/12
See What's in the development pipleline for our city ...
read


10/27/12
See the projects Council has approved that are larger than our city zoning allows ...
read


10/25/12
Betsy Butler Features SMCLC in Anti-Developer mailing
...
See


10/22/12
Vote for Santa Monica, not Overdevelopment
Vote Winterer and McKinnon ...
See


10/19/12
See how developers are trying to buy Santa Monica city council....
read


10/5/12
SMCLC
Read and see our downloadable flyer


SEE WHAT DEVELOPERS HAVE PLANNED:

9/27/12

SMCLC details the Tsunami of Development Coming to Santa Monica

In a recent presentation, Co-Chair Diana Gordon showed millions of square feet of developments planned or approved for Santa Monica. Part 1 (pdf) uses material from the city itself. In Part 2 (pdf), she talks about resident action to change the outcome of these projects.

View videos of that talk
.



9/12/12
SMCLC Endorses Betsy Butler for Assembly
...
read press item


9/10/12
SMCLC Rallies Residents for Better Santa Monica

SMCLC
read press item




9/5/12
SMCLC Hosts a Meet and Greet for Ted Winterer and Richard McKinnon
... see invite


7/24/12
SMCLC Objects to Consideration of Village Trailer Park DA Until Area Plan and Housing Study Done under LUCE and HUD Grant ...
read letter to City Council
read letter to Planning Commission

City Memo tells Plan Com: "planning guides the review of the DAs rather than the DAs directing the Area Plan"  -  REALLY!? ... read


5/23/12
Westside Regional Alliance of Councils unanimously supports regional plan and regional EIR before massive Hines Bergamot project is considered ...
read


5/16/12
Local Paper: Bergamot development stalls for now ...
read


4/29/12
Two articles in LA Times -- Expo Line Won't Impact Regional Congestion ...
read



4/24/12
SMCLC Objects to Massive 550,000sf Miramar Hotel Project and Urges City Council to Reject It ...
read


4/13/12
Report: Impacts of Bergamot-area developments understated ...
read



3/26/12
SMCLC Continues to Press City for Sharply Reduced Hines/Bergamot Project ...
read


SMCLC3/15/12
Santa Monica and LA Residents Unite In Opposition to Massive Bergamot "Village" Traffic and Environmental Impacts
... read




2/25/12
Westside Rises up Against Bergamot Project
... read



2/24/12
SMCLC Forming a Broad Coalition to Force Hines to Redesign its Project to Reduce its Traffic Impacts
... read



1/25/12
"Bundy Village 2? " - SMCLC chair writes for WestsideToday.com
... read



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SMCLC