ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica earns an “A” for smoke-free rules

01/29/2018 7:47 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica continues to score well for its anti-smoking efforts according to the American Lung Association.

The ALA releases an annual report grading states, counties and individual cities. Santa Monica received an “A” for its Overall Tobacco Control. The overall grade is based on a points average across three categories. The City received an A for Smokefree Outdoor Air, a B for Smoke-free Housing, an A for Reducing Sales of Tobacco Products and bonus points for tackling second-hand smoke and licensing.

The outdoor category ranks the city based on the strength of its anti-smoking rules in seven outdoor areas and assigns points from 0-4. Santa Monica scored 19 out of a possible 28 points for dining areas (4), entryways (4), public events (2), recreation areas (4), service areas (4), sidewalks in commercial areas (1) and worksites (0).

The City earned eight points across three categories for Smoke-free Housing: Nonsmoking apartments (2), Nonsmoking Condominiums (2) and Nonsmoking Common Areas (4). In the single category for reducing sales, Santa Monica was awarded the full 4 points for licensing retailers.

Homeowners rush to file plans before anti-mansion ordinance limits new construction

01/29/2018 7:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The clock is ticking for homeowners to submit development plans before a new, temporary ordinance intending to slash the size of new houses hits the books. The City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday to approve the interim ordinance, which will be valid for 60 days starting March 16 and then will need to be extended by the City Council. Homeowners have until Feb. 24 to submit plans governed by the old rules.

The new ordinance is geared to address the “mansionization” of Santa Monica by targeting new construction in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes (R1). The rules restrict the height of new homes to 28 feet, the maximum parcel coverage to 50 percent on a sliding scale with a maximum of 20 percent on the second floor and limits the square footage of second floor decks and balconies. In an effort to encourage more housing, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are exempt from the parcel coverage restrictions.

Santa Monica Hires LA's Top Advisor on Homelessness to Fill New Post

01/26/2018 2:18 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

January 26, 2018 -- Alisa Orduña -- who currently is in charge of homeless policies for the City of Los Angeles -- will assume a similar post in Santa Monica, City officials announced Thursday.

As the Senior Advisor on Homelessness to City Manager Rick Cole, Orduña will help coordinate efforts across City departments, as well as participate in policy and resource discussions with regional governments.

Her monthly salary will be $10,937

AND

https://smmirror.com/2018/01/alisa-orduna-will-lead-santa-monicas-regional-collaboration-homelessness-senior-advisor-role/

THE STATE OF OUR CITY

01/26/2018 9:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce will hold its 8th annual “State of the City” summit Thursday, February 1, 2018, from 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the SGI World Peace Auditorium. The summit is open to the public and will focus on trending economic industry developments and disruptions that will impact future growth and sustainability of the city and other communities locally, nationally, and globally, according to the Chamber.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 5 p.m. A networking reception with exhibitors and tastings from local restaurants will take place immediately after the event. Tickets are $50. for Chamber members and $60 for non-members, $10 for students and seniors. More information is available at www.smchamber.com/SOTC or by calling 310.393.9825.

AND: http://smchamber.com/stateofthecity/

PRESCHOOL PUSHES AHEAD RESIDENTS DISMAYED AT DECISION

01/26/2018 9:36 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Consistent pleas and a sizeable fundraising campaign by Gandara Park neighborhood residents to uphold an appeal against a 20-child preschool set to open in the area fell on deaf ears Tuesday night as Santa Monica City Council denied the plea during a “quasi judicial hearing”, pushing ahead with the center albeit with 58 design and operation conditions.

Located at 2953 Delaware Ave., Santa Monica, “Untitled No.1” Child Care and Early Education Facility made its way through City Planning, filing a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) (17ENT-0075), Variance (17ENT-0147), and Fence Modification (17ENT-0148) for a change of use of the 1,478 square-foot, single-unit dwelling, located in the R1 zoned area.

AND: http://smdp.com/new-pico-neighborhood-preschool-prevails-despite-unified-opposition/164085

SMA.R.T.-MANSIONIZATION REDUX

01/26/2018 9:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Bob Taylor, AIA for SMa.r.t.

Recently our City Manager, Rick Cole, was quoted regarding the imminent threat of larger single-family homes negatively impacting adjacent homes and commercial properties in our beach town. The threat is apparently so grave that he and staff are recommending an emergency measure to severely restrict and reduce the size of any proposed new home.

Rick Cole’s quote referring to current residential codes allowing “mansionization” has merit, but there is a sense of irony based on the lax oversight of the commercial sector where the negative impacts to sunlight, City services and the environment are much more egregious and without guidelines.

Tech execs back California bill that aims to build more housing near transit

01/26/2018 9:05 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Bigger, taller apartment buildings surrounding your neighborhood BART station? More than 100 California tech leaders are enthusiastically saying yes, please.

Tech titans including the CEOs of Salesforce, Twitter, Lyft, Yelp and Mozilla on Wednesday signed a letter applauding SB 827, the controversial bill Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, proposed earlier this month. The bill would usurp cities’ building rules by requiring them to allow denser housing developments within a half-mile of transit hubs such as BART, Caltrain and Muni stations, and within a quarter-mile of bus lines.

Santa Monica Neighborhood Group Fighting Preschool Loses City Council Appeal

01/25/2018 1:50 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

January 25, 2018 -- A neighborhood group in the Gandara Park area of Santa Monica on Tuesday lost the appeal it filed with the City Council to stop conversion of a home into a preschool for as many as 20 children.

The council voted 5 to 2 to deny the appeal by “Residents for the Preservation of Gandara Park Neighborhood" of approvals by the City Planning Commission in September for the proposed preschool at 2953 Delaware Avenue in the Pico Neighborhood.

Supporters on the council said the benefits of a preschool in a family neighborhood like the one near Gandara Park outweighed concerns of those already living there, including more traffic and the possibility of opening the door to encroachment by businesses in neighborhoods zoned only for single-family homes.

Santa Monica City Council Temporarily Reins in 'Monster Mansions'

01/25/2018 1:49 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

January 25, 2018 -- Heading into the early hours of Wednesday, the Santa Monica City Council voted to to hit the pause button on the growing “mansionization” of single-family neighborhoods.

The council voted to approve an interim ordinance cutting back the size of such proposed homes while awaiting the green light from City planners.

The temporary cuts are meant to give the council time to consider a permanent way to protect the existing character of the City’s R1 (or single-family home) neighborhoods.

Local Coastal Plan Update

01/24/2018 9:19 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

LCP Draft Land Use Plan Released for Review!

Updated January 23, 2018

Over the past two years, the City has engaged the community in the process of developing the Land Use Plan (LUP) through workshops, presentations to boards, commissions, and community groups, and creative partnerships with the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, GoSaMo, the Santa Monica Pier, the Bay Foundation and the Audubon Society.

Incorporating community input, and in consultation with the California Coastal Commission and climate scientists, City staff and consultants have developed this plan in compliance with the California Coastal Act. The draft LUP strategically promotes broader City goals to reduce the community’s carbon footprint, protect our coastal environment, and become more sustainable.