News from Santa Monica.
A proposed mixed-use development at 2716 Ocean Park Boulevard could bring 456 new homes and ground-floor retail to a key corridor just north of the Santa Monica Airport, as the city’s housing pipeline continues to evolve. Developer Trammell Crow Company…
Two Santa Monica neighborhood libraries have officially reopened with expanded, in-person services, restoring full-service library access to the Fairview and Ocean Park communities. The Fairview and Ocean Park Branch Libraries resumed full-service operations on Tuesday, Jan. 20, expanding beyond the…
Bowlmor Project Updates: We spoke with a representative for the project at Pico & 3rd St. last week, and here are some key updates: Current target completion date is February 2028, but vast majority of exterior work should be done in…
It went from rumor to reality in just under a week. Yesterday, three Santa Monica residents began a process that could lead to a citywide vote on whether to allow housing to be built on land currently occupied by Santa…
Last week, as part of a December-January movie-going binge, I finally saw Nuremberg, the latest film about the famous war crimes trials held in Nuremberg in 1945-6. Unlike those that have preceded it, this film centers on the psychological chess game…
Some changes may be coming for several of the city’s volunteer boards and commissions. While a restructuring took place at the end of 2021, the number of boards and commissions has since increased. Some were created to comply with state…
The following is a press release from Lindsey Horvath. Image is the County Building in DTLA. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath and Chair Hilda L. Solis initiating the development…
Over the weekend, rumors swirled that leadership at Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) is preparing language for a citizen-led ballot initiative for the fall that would allow up to 3,000 units of housing to be built on land currently…
Yes, Streetsblog keeps reporting Santa Monica’s excellent Bergamot/26th Street Station first/last mile bike/walk project as nearly complete. This time SBLA really means it! Yesterday SBLA biked through the area. Construction crews were out resurfacing Pennsylvania Avenue, where the city recently added…
The Santa Monica Landmarks Commission costs nearly twice as much as the city’s next two highest-cost commissions combined, according to a city analysis of staff time and expenses for boards, commissions, and task forces. The snapshot shows the Landmarks Commission…
One year after the January 2025 wildfires devastated Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and surrounding communities in the Santa Monica Mountains, local and county officials are highlighting progress in recovery efforts while acknowledging that many families are still struggling to rebuild their…
Here at Next we don’t aspire to cover every news story in the city, just to add context or go deeper on as many stories as we can. That being said, we were on a light schedule for nearly two…
Starting January 12, motorists will see a mix of higher hourly rates and new discounts as Santa Monica rolls out a revised parking pricing structure approved by the City Council in August. Parking generates about $51.4 million annually for the…
Consider OPA for End of Year Charitable Giving: We’re proud of the year we’ve had that included multiple “Open Main St.” street closure festivals, our 4th of July Parade, publishing about 100 newsletters, expanding our newsletter reach to nearly 3000 community members, advocating to the city on…
On Friday, I challenged readers to help us make a weekend fundraising goal of $2,500 and if we made it, I would do an AMA for our first podcast of 2026. We brought in just under $4,000, putting us just…
