Tuesday’s meeting of the Santa Monica City Council is among the most consequential in recent memory with a jam packed agenda that includes sweeping initiatives on parks expansion and restorative justice Tuesday in a meeting that could reshape both the city's recreational landscape and approach to historical harms.
Council members will vote on adopting the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan, approving revised plans for the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project, and establishing one of the nation's largest locally funded restorative justice programs.
Public Works Director Rick Valte is recommending council approval of both parks items.
The vision plan updates the city's 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and advances a "City as Habitat" vision that positions parks and open spaces as nourishing environments for people, plants, animals and programming.
Santa Monica's parks system currently includes 30 parks encompassing more than 144 acres. According to the 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment, the city is classified as having "moderate" park need with 1.4 park acres per 1,000 residents.
The vision plan recommends targeting 5 park acres per 1,000 residents, which would require an additional 292 acres to meet National Recreation and Parks Association standards. The plan identifies the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project as the largest parkland expansion opportunity in the city's 150-year history.
Community surveys conducted in spring 2025 showed 96% of respondents visit a park, arts or recreation facility annually—15% above the national average. The Recreation and Parks Commission voted 4-1 in August to recommend the 5 acres per 1,000 residents target.
The Memorial Park project would transform the 10.3-acre park and adjacent 2.9-acre former Fisher Lumber site into a 13.2-acre expanded community recreation facility. The expansion has been a city priority since inclusion in the 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, with the former Fisher Lumber site purchased specifically for this purpose in 2004.
Key revisions to the original Memorial Park master plan include natural grass fields instead of artificial turf, an expanded surface parking lot with 142 spaces, and repositioning of future Field 5 to create more usable community space. The plan also incorporates a 2,800-square-foot off-leash dog run, fitness equipment, playground shade provisions and enhanced pedestrian access.
Construction costs for Memorial Park have risen significantly. Phase 1 is now estimated at $34-40 million, up from $25 million budgeted in 2025. Phase 2 costs increased to $18-21 million from $15 million. A potential Phase 0 underground stormwater harvesting tank would cost $20-25 million.
Currently, only $28 million of the projected $73-86 million total cost is secured, including up to $20 million from Santa Monica College pending final agreement and $10 million for the stormwater component. The city has applied for $21.75 million in grant funding.
The council will also vote on establishing a $3.5 million restorative justice program designed to address historical harms caused by past city actions.
The program emerged from the city's settlement with the family of Silas White over the 1950s condemnation of the Ebony Beach Club, a Black social institution that lost its leasehold interest more than six decades ago. Rather than resolving that case alone, city officials developed a broader framework to address multiple instances of displacement and exclusionary policies.
"Through this reflective process, it is clear that while historical documentation and public dialogue are necessary, they are not sufficient without an institutionalized mechanism for equivalently meaningful responses," City Manager Oliver Chi wrote in a report to the council.
The proposed program would be funded initially with $3.5 million from a development agreement with the RAND Corporation approved in mid-2025. An additional $2 million could be allocated by mid-2028, bringing potential total funding to $5.5 million.
If approved, the program would establish three key components: a dedicated Restorative Justice Fund, a new City Council-appointed Restorative Justice Commission to develop program criteria, and an independent administrator to manage the claims process.
A comparative analysis conducted by city staff found that few jurisdictions have established general restorative justice programs similar to Santa Monica's proposal. Santa Monica's proposed program differs by addressing multiple categories of historically rooted harms with substantial dedicated funding and formal governance structures. Based on the analysis, it would represent one of the largest locally funded restorative justice initiatives nationally when compared to programs limited by scope, population or funding.
The funding structure uses one-time, non-recurring revenue from the RAND transaction rather than ongoing operational budgets.
If the council approves the program Tuesday, staff anticipates creating the Restorative Justice Commission and engaging an administrator by March or April 2026.
The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 1685 Main St.