City Council Approves Land Use Amendments on Main St and Elsewhere to Implement the Housing Element: During a very long and tense session, the Council implemented “lot consolidation limits for housing projects on portions of Main Street” among a variety of other items. Council-Member Brock proposed a motion to bifurcate the parts of Main St north and south of Ocean Park Blvd. with respect to lot consolidation rules and it passed on a 4-3 vote.
- Here is the city press release summarizing many of the new key items.
- Here is the YouTube video of the entire “Housing Element Implementation” portion of the meeting (warning that is 1.5 hours long).
- Here is the portion of the session where Council-Member Brock suggests the bifurcation proposal.
- Here is video of Council-Member Davis sharing her concerns about bifurcating Main St.
- Here is the vote approving bifurcated Main St zoning changes with Council-Members Zwick, Torosis and Davis explaining their no votes.
- This “High rises, massive development on its way” SMDP article explains how the “Builders Remedy” projects came into being and what to expect from them.
SMASH/Muir Update: We received this message from the District: “Pre-construction phase has begun at Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH) and John Muir Elementary School. A temporary safety fence was installed on Wednesday, Mar. 22, 2023 at the front of the school. The parking lot between 5th and 6th streets are blocked off and is not accessible. Pre-construction and deconstruction testing has begun. Construction is scheduled to fully begin in Aug. 2023.” Here is a flyer that is getting physically mailed out as well.
22.6″ of Rain in SaMo Since July 1 is 65% Over Our Annual Average: This SMDP graphic illustrates our rainiest year in over 10 years and & one of our 10 rainiest years of all time with three months still to go (rain totals counted from July 1 – June 30).
California’s AB 1217 Could Supersede Outdoor Dining Permits Proposed by Municipalities like Santa Monica: Legislation would preempt local ordinances and preserve regulatory flexibility for struggling neighborhood restaurants. More details here. SaMo Mirror is also conducting this brief three question survey to gauge people’s opinions on the matter.
A Sneak Peek Inside the New Pierside Hotel: This SMDP write up details the updates at the former Holiday Inn (and then Wyndham) at the corner of Main St & Colorado that will include a new street side al fresco dining area called the Surfing Fox.
New Tapas Restaurant Coming to Downtown SaMo: The incoming eatery at 516 Santa Monica Blvd is the former Heroic Italian space. It’s called Xuntos (pronounced: she-un-tos) which means “together” and is expected to open in about two months. More details here.
Things To Do This Week:
- SMMUSD to Host Campus Facility Community Meeting at Lincoln Middle School (Tuesday 5:30pm): “The meeting will include: discussion of educational needs, historical resources, campus plans and the next proposed projects.” More details here.
- Active Aging Bicycle Outing (Thursday 2pm): Join the bike ride for older adults along the Expo Bike Path to learn rules of the road and safe biking skills. More details here.
- The Other Art Fair (March 30 – April 2 @ Barker Hanger): “When the art world as you knew it went one way, we went the other. Where elitism is the norm, we dared to deviate. We’ve created something different, and we want you to experience it. We combine affordable and original artworks and 140 independent artists with immersive installations, performances, DJs – and a fully stocked bar. Here, art is for everyone.” More details & tickets here.
- OPA & City Meetings:
- OPA Renters & Newly Formed Homeless Task Forces Joint Meeting (Monday 6pm @ Stella Barra): The Renters Task Force is focused on ensuring the interests of renters in Ocean Park are both represented and advocated for. The Homeless Task Force will be defining its goals. The task forces both meet the 4th Monday of every month. Feel free to just drop in or click here to reach out to Nick Rolston & Robbie Leer for more info.
- OPA Connects (Wednesday @ 12pm): Here is the Zoom link or Click Here to add it to your calendar.
- OPA Main St Task Force Meeting (Wednesday 1pm @ Ashland Hill): This task force addresses issues unique to Main St, such as strengthening the ties between stores & the community, helping shape city policy for the street on issues such as restaurant parklets and zoning, and planning events such as Sharing an Open Main St. Click here to email Robbie Leer for more info or to get involved
