ACTION Apartment Association

When it comes to sustainability, is Santa Monica in hot water?

06/11/2016 10:01 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The gravity of our situation recently motivated residents to gather more than 10,000 signatures to put the LUVE initiative put on the November ballot. If it passes, it will prohibit City officials from “rubber stamping” projects with special agreements that exceed our current codes.

City of Santa Monica Pay 20 Employees, More Than Calif. Governor Brown. Why?

06/10/2016 9:41 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

We received a press release saying that Santa Monica Public Works Director Martin Pastucha, has announced his retirement. His current salary is $270,924 annually.

This made me curious (and envious): The City just hired a City Clerk who earns $255,000 a year. The City Manager makes $330,000 a year.

How a state bill could bypass Santa Monica zoning rules

06/10/2016 7:41 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In response to the state’s affordable housing crisis, California lawmakers are working on a potentially controversial plan proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown that would bypass local zoning restrictions.

Known as “by right” construction, the rules would supersede local zoning processes and guarantee developers the ability to build new housing projects if they meet basic affordability standards and are within existing zoning restrictions.

Santa Monica updating historic inventory

06/09/2016 7:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City of Santa Monica updates its Historical Resources Inventory every few years, and Lemlein said an update is overdue. Two consulting firms, Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, have been tasked with surveying structures built through 1977. The updated database is expected to be ready in 2017.

LUVE Initiative Heads to Santa Monica City Council

06/09/2016 7:12 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

June 9, 2016 -- The first vote on a proposal from the slow-growth activist group Residocracy that would place a significant number of Santa Monica development decisions in the hands of residents is expected to take place on Tuesday.

City Council members are scheduled to make one of three possible decisions on the measure known as the the Land Use Voter Empowerment (LUVE) initiative.

Bay Area Urbanist to Lead Santa Monica Downtown Workshop

06/09/2016 7:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

John Bela, a San Francisco-based urbanist and designer of public spaces, is the featured speaker at the first of three City-sponsored events over the summer as City officials edge back into a long, loud and contentious fight over the Community Development Plan (CDP) for downtown. The talk is Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the East Wing of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street.

City Officials, Residents Plan Future of Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood

06/07/2016 9:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

June 6, 2016 -- An important process for Santa Monica’s most culturally diverse neighborhood began last week when the Planning Commission had an initial discussion about the Pico Neighborhood Plan -- a document that will establish regulations and goals for the area.

Santa Monica Council Candidate Misunderstands LUVE

06/07/2016 7:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Bei is quoted as saying “As it stands, LUVE has a strict height requirement of 32 feet. That needs some revision." This is the statement that opponents are voicing and it is absolutely false.

On Santa Monica’s LUVE initiative and profit-hungry developers

06/04/2016 10:10 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By SMa.r.t. on June 4, 2016

If one were to believe some of the “Chicken Little” hysteria over the LUVE initiative coming from the so-called “community” group Santa Monica Forward and a few others, one might indeed think the sky was falling, the anti-Christ had arrived and Santa Monica was about to fall into the ocean.

But you’re too smart for that.

So are the 10,000-plus people who signed the Residocracy petition

Ma.r.t. Thinki

Santa Monica Firefighter Plans City Council Bid

06/03/2016 9:37 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

June 3, 2016 -- The Santa Monica City Council race is just starting to heat up, and the contest for four seats could include a seven-year veteran of the local fire department. Firefighter Dominick Bei said he has formed an exploratory committee and intends to run for office.

“As a renter whose rent was drastically raised and forced out of the city, I understand the challenges of rent increases and stability for renters,” Bei said.
He continued, “A huge point of my campaign will be to work with the people that rent here and keep them here while allowing our workforce to live here and contribute to this community as our neighbors."