As the hotly contested race for City Council entered the homestretch this week, seven candidates and the PACs that support them still had more than $400,000 left to spend.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/October-2022/10_27_2022_Council_Race_Could_See_Last_Ditch_Spending_Spree.html

Santa Monica’s elected officials spared no time in sharing their intention of halting the construction of 16 new residential developments that have secured vested rights to be built across town.

The new developments, most of which are between nine and 15 stories tall, came about in a flurry of applications in just the past few weeks, all falling under what’s known as the “builder’s remedy.”

Read More: https://smdp.com/2022/10/27/city-leaders-still-hope-to-block-15-of-16-builders-remedy-projects/

The City of Santa Monica has hired an attorney to help fend off a flurry of development proposals rushed under an obscure State law this month, top City officials said Monday.

The move comes as a startled City Council prepares to weigh legal options as City planners begin processing preliminary applications for 16 projects totalling more than 4,500 units

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/October-2022/10_26_2022_City_Takes_Steps_to_Fight_Builders_Remedy_Projects.html

How to do the least damage in Soviet Monica

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2022/10/23/opinion/your-santa-monica-common-sense-local-voting-guide/7169.html

When Santa Monica City Council meets on Tuesday evening, perhaps the most anticipated agenda item will have to wait until last: councilmembers’ request to find a way to block the storm of new development now in the pipeline due to the Housing Element fiasco (though technically members could rearrange the agenda to get to that earlier if they wanted).

Read More: https://smdp.com/2022/10/25/councilmembers-request-outside-lawyers-to-block-new-developments/

CONSERVATIVES! REPUBLICANS!!

That’s how The Slate and their allies in the coming election — incumbent Lana Negrete, Armen Melkonians and Albin Gielicz — are being attacked on social media. Of course, that is ridiculous, and in my reading, shows how desperate SMRR and their developer-backed ally Forward are to not see their power completely crushed by a second straight election embarrassment.

Read More: https://smdp.com/2022/10/20/2-more-cents-worth/

How to do the least damage in Soviet Monica

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2022/10/21/opinion/your-santa-monica-common-sense-local-voting-guide/7169.html

All candidates were given an opportunity to provide written answers to a set of questions provided by SMDP and two sets of answers will be printed each day. Answers are also available online alongside additional information from each candidate. To hear interviews with the candidates, visit www.smdp.com/pod.

Read More: https://smdp.com/2022/10/07/council-candidate-armen-melkonians/

The builder’s remedy window may now be closed, but with 16 new housing projects gaining state-issued permission to be built larger and denser than Santa Monica zoning rules would have allowed, the finger-pointing has just begun.

These projects all came in during a window of opportunity that opened because Santa Monica was unable to update its housing plans to meet state regulations amid the current housing crisis. The punishment for failing in the process was a loss of local control over zoning rules like height and density restrictions for residential projects that meet criteria for moderate or affordable housing. 

Read More: https://smdp.com/2022/10/24/16-projects-4562-housing-units-how-did-we-get-here/

The following is an analysis of the race from the SMDP Editorial Board.

The forecast of how this year’s council race will turn out hinges on whether you base your prediction on the city’s established history as a progressive bastion (and, further, if those progressive voters make it to the ballot box) or you focus more on the strength of a lone candidate.

Singular importance

If you vote for Armen Melkonians, it doesn’t matter who else you vote for.

Read More: https://smdp.com/2022/10/22/city-council-race-is-a-toss-up/