I noticed a terrifying headline, “Traffic counts show a gridlocked Santa Monica,” Our Town, Aug. 6.
I’m shocked! Shocked! As a half-century resident and homeowner in our town, how come I never noticed this? Is that why it’s taking me hours to do my usual errands around town? And give up going anywhere east after 2 p.m. or even earlier? (Heavy sarcasm off.)
The column’s author, Zina Josephs, has done her homework. Not only does the Bergamot Area Plan that she evaluates need revising, but the deeply flawed Land Use and Circulation Element is dead on arrival. Our town is sprouting apartment buildings apparently all designed from the same dull, cookie-cutter set of plans. And let’s not even go into the 244-foot white phallus proposed for Ocean Avenue by a superannuated “celebrity architect.”
In the early 1970s we threw out the City Council that had voted to raze the historic Santa Monica Pier and build an environmentally-destructive concrete island just offshore with a huge hotel and other tourist “amenities.” We chose not to become Miami Beach on the Pacific Ocean. Alas, politics is turning the clock back.
The “Gang of Four”— sobriquet applied to the development mavens on the City Council — have been deluged with complaints from old and new residents. But they hearken to another tune — the jingle of campaign contributions and future benefits from out-of-town developers, just like the U.S. Congress. Some of us thought our town was better than that fetid swamp.
People used to gripe, but not turn out on election day. This time it will be different.
Sara Meric
Santa Monica
Take away the City Council vote on development. Put it in the hands of the Santa Monica residents.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/Jun/18/prop-a-passing-early/
http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2013/August-2013/08_07_2013_Small_Citys_Ballot_Measure_Could_Have_Big_Echoes_in_Santa_Monica.html
Save Santa Monica!
Do you have an e-mail group you can share the post below with? Or can you copy paste and share it in a post on FB? We need to get this moving FAST!
Santa Monica Resident need the “Right to Vote” on Development.
A Group from Encintas responsible for Prop A have agreed to help us. Susan Turney is putting together a summary of how they made it happen in Encinitas. Also, another main proponent Bruce Ehlers (a former Encinitas planning commissioner) has offered to come to Santa Monica and share with a group why and how they passed Prop A in Encintas. Jerry Sodomka from Encinitas will also be helping. He is a long-time city watcher in Encinitas, in addition to being a vital part of the Prop A team. He knows all the tricks and misleading language that developers and monied interests use to try to convince residents that they’re working in their best interests.
I am 100% certain the ONYL way to control development is for the Residents to have the “right to vote” on DA’s and zoning changes. Current City Council majority cannot be trusted with the future development of Santa Monica. The majority pro-devlopment Council, who’s money got them elected, will not stop until they have doubled density in DT.
Just imagine what it will be like when they add 10 million more square feet to our City. We are already in gridlock! Our residents avoid DT because of the current level of congestion and traffic. We can no longer enjoy our own city, because it’s being hijacked by outside interests, who care little about the long-term damage they will do.
The key is to keep to our Proposition simple to understand.
Below is an email I received from Bruce Ehlers…
Laura Wilson-Hausle
(949) 689-5432
From: Bruce Ehlers .
To: ‘Laura Wilson’ .
Cc: ‘Gerald Sodomka’ ; susankturney@yahoo.com.
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 11:27 AM.
Subject: RE: prop A on Santa Monica….
Laura …
Our City woke up and capitulated. They decided to implement Prop A as it was intended and dropped their position that the Coastal Commission would block part of the implementation. All is good now although we are sure there is more fun coming.
Jerry and Susan are interested in helping too. We view this as a necessary movement in California to bring control back to the local authority. What blogs are you posting on? We could help keep them accurate and truthful relative to Prop A.
Bruce