Airport to Park Survey Closes on Sunday
The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMAC) has been collecting information on an online survey for the past several weeks. The survey closes this Sunday, April 27, and can be accessed here.
For anyone just joining us, the City of Santa Monica is currently planning to close the airport on January 1, 2029, the first date it can under a federal consent decree. The city is now completing outreach to the community on what uses the 187 acres of new open space can be used for. It is widely assumed it will be used for a park, but other uses are being considered.
As this is the fourth survey done by the SMAC team, the questions are more refined than previous outreach. Respondents will have a chance to vote directly on issues such as whether or not the runway area should remain paved, how much of the space should be “passive” versus more active uses such as sports fields, and what kind of water features the park should have.
The survey also is more direct on two issues that have proven controversial: how much of the upgrade for a future great park should be paid for with public funds versus some potential charges, and how much (if any) of the parkspace should be used for housing. Of course, these two questions are at least somewhat intertwined.
Following completion of the outreach, the SMAC team will create three alternative proposals to the City Council at their July 8th meeting. The meeting will have an opportunity for public comment. The Council could select a “preferred alternative” at the meeting or ask for SMAC to make changes and bring a new scenario back to them at a future meeting. A final round of public outreach around the preferred scenario is scheduled for the fall.
SMAC has been gathering information and feedback since May of 2024, so if you are new to the project, you should watch this video (also embedded at the end of the article) before taking the survey to get back up to speed. If you’re more of a reader than a video watcher, the links below will take you to the most relevant articles at Santa Monica Next.
“Amazing Historic” Day for Santa Monica as City Begins Outreach for Airport Park,
May 4, 2024
City Moves to Phase II of Airport Conversion Outreach, Launches New Survey for “Discovering the Place & Setting the Stage”
September 19, 2024
City Releases “Draft Guiding Principles” for Airport Conversion Project Before Tomorrow’s Public Meeting
December 6, 2024
Airport Conversion Project Holds Major Outreach Meeting. Releases New Survey Online
December 9, 2024
