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June 30, 2007
SANTA MONICA DAILY PRESS READERS RESPOND WITH EMPHATIC SUPPORT FOR RETHINKING DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ENACTING A BUILDING MORATORIUM
A coalition of SMCLC and neighborhood groups recently asked the Planning Commission to support a building moratorium for Santa Monica until a new general plan is approved by the City Council.
The Santa Monica Daily Press Q-Line question for the week of June 25, 2007 asked readers: Do you think the city needs to rethink its development strategy as it heads into the future?
Here are the responses from the weekend June 30-July 1, 2007 edition:
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS ARE TOO FAR OUT
“OF COURSE THE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS to rethink their so-called strategy for any more building in this city. The fact is they should’ve done so long ago. There is not much left for them to ruin. Oh, but I’m sure they’ll find a way. The city is already too overbuilt and with not much classy or worthwhile changes. The deals have already been made and sealed so we are in more for the same. Good-bye lovely Santa Monica of the past.”
“I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY of Santa Monica institute a building moratorium on all construction except for our one. The reason is because of the general plan study for Land Use Circulation Element we don’t have based on data for circulation element. Traffic is increasing to the point, passed the tipping point. We all know what traffic is like getting in and out of the city, as well as getting around the city right now. As buildings go up — multifamily going up, for instance, on Main Street — it’s imperative that buildings be stopped until we have enough data that we can make the correct decision in implementing the new general plan.”
“I THINK THAT THE PLANNING Commission should definitely have a building moratorium for Santa Monica until a new General Plan is approved by the City Council. Santa Monica is growing at too fast of a rate, and the plans barely take into account the residents, the people that live here and work here and make small drives around, take their children to school or go to the hardware store or supermarket. The traffic is getting worse and worse because so many of the people (driving) don’t live in Santa Monica. They are coming to work at various businesses and large buildings that are located here. When I first moved to Santa Monica, it was a very nice, quiet town. The promenade was very quiet, nice simple place and now it’s being turned into a tourist trap. Just a beach alone is enough of a tourist trap so there should definitely be a building moratorium for Santa Monica and the general plan should be as much slow growth as possible.”
“WE ARE OVERDEVELOPED. IT’S A TINY city and its becoming impossible to live. The traffic and the over development and the high-rises going up — by high-rise I mean not 20 stories, but too big; downtown you can’t find a parking space. It was a beautiful city at one time and it’s headed in the wrong direction. We have lived here since 1971 and we are concerned about over development and we support a building moratorium.”
“CONSIDERING THAT THE CITY OF SANTA Monica is already overdeveloped, I suspect that your question of the week refers to the redevelopment of the over-development. Makes sense to me.”
“I SUPPORT THE MORATORIUM ON NEW development, which would exempt single family homes, affordable housing and other projects. All one has to do is drive through our city and see the results of over development. Our general plan was adopted over 20 years ago and won’t be updated for a few more years. I think we need to take a break until our new plan, which will reflect the desire of Santa Monica residents, is in place. I believe the only people who want more development in Santa Monica are developers and those who support them on the City Council.”
“I’M IN FAVOR OF A MORATORIUM. There’s way too much unplanned development going on all over Santa Monica, which would not be approved if our new general plan, reflecting residents’ goals, had been adopted by now. If anything, development is being accelerated to take advantage of the ongoing delay expected to last at least another couple of years. Our city hasn’t even done our traffic update, which is so key to determining what reasonably should be built. Cities in similar situations facing similar development pressures have used a moratorium to stop over development while they are revising their general plans. Santa Monica should do the same thing.”
“THEY’RE ALWAYS BUILDING TOO MUCH stuff in Santa Monica. The problem is that every time they build something they tear down a little building and build and even bigger one with more people, which means more traffic. The only reason they do that is so developers can make more money by probably bribing people to approve their projects to begin with.”
“OF COURSE THE CITY NEEDS TO rethink its development strategy. Those cities which are the nicest to live in and visit are small, which Santa Monica used to be. Too bad our City Council members are selling out to developers. Pretty soon there will be complete gridlock with nowhere to park, terrible noise and pollution and lack of light due to all the buildings. The only housing that seems to get approved now is low income so we can have increased crime too and more folks who don’t pay taxes. The City Council could care less about what the people think. It’s all about them and their greed for more money to waste on all their silly ideas.”
“DOES THE CITY NEED TO RETHINK ITS development strategy? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes again and forever. They are a bunch of loonies.”
“I DO THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO rethink its development strategy. We do want to see a moratorium go into effect. It’s really important.”