Here’s a piece of election news that could have big impacts on the fall ballot. The Santa Monicans for Renters Rights backed ballot measure that would have allowed for housing to be built on the site that is currently the Santa Monica Airport has quietly ended its signature gathering campaign. The measure will not appear on this fall’s ballot, although the debate over the future use for the airport is far from over.
Specifically, the initiative was a proposal to redevelop a portion of the Santa Monica Airport site after its planned closure in 2028. The measure would have reserved roughly three-quarters of the property for parks and open space while allowing up to 3,000 permanently affordable homes on the remaining land, along with limited neighborhood-serving commercial uses.
The proposal quickly became one of the most consequential land-use debates in Santa Monica in decades. Supporters, including housing advocates, labor groups, faith leaders, and Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR), argued that the airport site represented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the city’s housing shortage while still creating a major regional park. They contended that dedicating a portion of the land to affordable housing would help ensure that teachers, service workers, seniors, and young families could continue to live in Santa Monica.
Opponents, which included some longtime airport-closure activists, open-space advocates, and even some housing advocates argued that the land should be preserved almost entirely for parks and recreation. Many saw the proposal as conflicting with the vision that had united voters during the campaign to close the airport.
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