Tesla’s 62 stall Supercharger project in Santa Monica appeared to have stalled out after a previously approved Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance banned all nonresidential developments in Santa Monica, but construction on the facility is expected to be back in motion soon.
With a unanimous vote last week, City Council amended and extended an emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance, which, among other things, allows Tesla’s proposed 24-hour, self-service electric vehicle recharging facility to once again move forward with construction.
“We appreciate the council’s thoughtful approach to addressing such important issues as housing and housing affordability in Santa Monica,” Noelani Derrickson said, noting Tesla has been a member of the community since 2012 when the company opened a store in the area and it very much desires to remain an integral part of the Westside. “In total, we have 29 Tesla employees who work in Santa Monica today and plan to double that in short order when our new service center opens in July. Additionally, we’ve been collaborating for over a year now with the city on a Tesla electric vehicle charging station in Santa Monica’s Mid-City neighborhood.”
The electric vehicle charging station is crucial to supporting residents living in multi unit dwellings who lack access to electric vehicle charging at home, and it will only become more necessary as new apartments are built in Santa Monica, Derrickson said as she detailed the hiccups the project has had as a result of the previously approved zoning ordinance. “However, we are pleased by City Council direction on 3/30 and planning staff recommendation to the city council to remove projects from the IZO that are already in the planning pipeline and are not intended to be developed in the housing projects.”
After Derrickson thanked city leaders for reconsidering the IZO, Councilmember Kevin McKeown asked her if Tesla would consider occupying mixed-use facilities rather than a surface parking lot that replicates the wasteful land use of old fossil-fuel filling stations.
“You have flagged several good points over the past couple months and we’re interested in working with you and others in Santa Monica to figure out what types of solutions might be better, moving forward, for our EV charging stations,” Derrickson said.
Council moved shortly after to amend the IZO, which also allows for temporary uses on some lots that would further the City’s economic recovery efforts. Possible exemptions include fitness facilities using parking lots or holiday-related uses like Halloween Pumpkin lots.
Brennon@smdp.com
