March 19, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

SMa.r.t. Column: SMCLC Rejects Gelson’s Project

This week our SMa.r.t. column is guest written by the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC). They are a well established, concerned, and active, resident organization and we at SMa.r.t. are always interested to see, hear and share their concerns and observations.  

For the past nine months, SMCLC has been monitoring the status of the behemoth project on the Gelsons site at Lincoln and Ocean Park Blvds.  This massive project, with scant affordable housing, has generated enormous public interest and controversy. Below is the detailed email SMCLC sent last Monday to its supporters about the project.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED:  TELL THE CITY TO REJECT HUGE, NON-CONFORMING PROJECT ON GELSONS SITE ON LINCOLN AND OCEAN PARK BLVDS.

September 19, 2022

Dear Supporters of SMCLC,

We want to update you about our monitoring of the massive proposed development crammed onto the Gelson’s site at Lincoln and Ocean Park Boulevards. The project, if approved, would be a whopping 874,385 sq ft, almost 60% larger than Santa Monica Place on a much smaller lot!

What’s happened, to date, is unacceptable: First, behind the scenes, after telling resident leaders it had rejected the developer’s revised Application on various grounds, the City then retroactively deemed it complete without notifying the public. It then let the clock run out for the public to challenge the project’s deficiencies. Only after repeated prodding, did the City belatedly reveal these facts.

Second, the project is flawed: It double counts its density bonus in violation of Santa Monica code so as to be significantly bigger than even what’s permitted under the state density bonus law. It likewise violates our code by greatly reducing family affordable housing units for 2-bedroom apartments to only 12 units. Unfortunately, the City did not include these key deficiencies as non-conforming in its comments as it should have.

SMCLC has requested that the City reject this project until it is appropriately downsized and meets Santa Monica’s affordable housing requirements.

City Secretly Circumvents Resident Review of Developer
Application by Retroactively Deeming Application Complete.

There is tremendous community interest and concern over the size and location of this project. Over 2,000 residents have backed a petition to oppose the current project. Community leaders, Friends of Sunset Park, and some councilmembers were keenly aware of the very limited 60-day timetable, making regular, repeated requests to the Planning Department about the application status in order to make timely substantive objections. SMCLC also met with the City Manager and notified him that we would substantively comment on project deficiencies once the City deemed the application complete.

Because this project seeks administrative approval, it is approved solely by the city’s Planning Director rather than the Planning Commission or City Council. Once Planning staff deems an application complete, the Planning Director has 60 days to raise substantive objections, including non-conformity with the City’s current development standards.

Initially, the City rejected the Application for various deficiencies, including some raised by SMCLC. http://www.smclc.net/Gelsons4-6-22.html and http://www.smclc.net/Gelsons4-15-22.html

After a revised Application was submitted, the City Planning Director told community leaders at regular monthly meetings that planning staff had rejected it and the City was awaiting the developer’s revisions.

Meanwhile, the City secretly dropped its objections to the revised Application and retroactively deemed” it complete. Thereafter, the Planning Department withheld this crucial information from the public for over a month, letting the 60-day comment period run out. During that time, in response to repeated questions about the application status, the Department stalled – with excuses that they were checking, they’d get back shortly, etc. – – until the deadline expired. (Note: City planners are expected to uphold the American Planning Association Ethical Planning Principles, which require them to: “recognize the rights of citizens to participate in planning decisions;” to “give full, clear and accurate information on planning issues;” and to “not misrepresent facts or distort information for the purpose of achieving a desired outcome.”) https://www.planning.org/ethics/ethicalprinciples/ In previous years, these basic tenets were prominently posted on the City’s website, presumably to further public respect for the planning process.

When SMCLC learned that the City had foreclosed substantive public comments until AFTER the 60 days had run, we sent this letter to the City, demanding additional time to respond until September 12, 2022 and on that date we served our substantive objections discussed below. http://smclc.net/PDF/220815CityofSM-CompleteApplication.pdf

The Planning Department did not inform the developer of two issues that SMCLC believes are vital. It did not object to how the project’s density bonus was calculated nor deal with the developer’s improper waiver of substantial family affordable housing under our city codes.

City Misapplies Its Own Code, Allowing the Developer
to Double Count Its Density Bonus and Build a Bigger Project
along with Eliminating Family-sized Units
.

In our latest letter, SMCLC objected to the developer impermissibly double-counting the density bonus it is entitled to, which would add 75,000 square feet to what is already a massive project.

Likewise, the developer is not entitled to waive the code requirement for 2-bedroom affordable housing units and replace most of them with one-bedroom units. It cannot, on the one hand, rely on the Affordable Housing Production Program in order to double count its density bonus to build such housing while it then seeks relief from actually having to comply. The need for family affordable housing is acute in Santa Monica and a project of this size should NOT be allowed to dramatically reduce it to increase its own profits. Here is SMCLC’s letter that the City has not yet answered: http://smclc.net/PDF/220912CityofSM-Nonconformity.pdf

If you agree, please write to our Planning Director 
at david.martin@santamonica.gov and our City Manager 
at david.white@santamonica.gov and copy our City Council 
at council@smgov.net and tell them what you think about this project, the flawed process, and what should happen now. They need to know that residents are watching and concerned. Here are some talking points for an email.
As always, thank you for your support.

Victor, Diana, Sherrill and Jeff
Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors to sign up for updates and join in our efforts.

Thank you Victor, Diana, Sherill and Jeff, for all the hard work you do on behalf of our beach community, in the best interests of its residents and visitors, and of the region, in maintaining a livable and sustainable city.

Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow

Ron Goldman, Architect FAIA; Dan Jansenson, Architect, Building & Fire-Life Safety Commissioner; Robert H. Taylor, Architect AIA; Thane Roberts, Architect; Mario Fonda-Bonardi, Architect AIA Planning Commissioner; Sam Tolkin, Architect, Planning Commissioner; Marc Verville, M.B.A. City Audit Sub-Committee Member, CPA-inactive; Michael Jolly ARECRE

For previous articles see www.santamonicaarch.wordpress.com/writing

in News
Related Posts

Fatal Crash Claims Life of Woman on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu

March 18, 2024

March 18, 2024

Accident Victim Identified in Thursday Night Accident A woman tragically lost her life in a Thursday evening crash along the...

California Wildlife Center Responds to Distressed Marine Mammal at Little Dume Beach

March 18, 2024

March 18, 2024

Third Gray Whale Stranding of 2024 Prompts Concern in Malibu On the morning of Saturday, March 16, the California Wildlife...

Woman Drives Car In Ocean After High Speed Police Chase

March 18, 2024

March 18, 2024

Law enforcement officers pursued her along the I-110 and I-405 until she reached the vicinity of Venice Beach A woman...

Santa Monica Authorities Seek Public’s Help After Sexual Assault Incident

March 17, 2024

March 17, 2024

SMPD Urges Anyone With Information to Come Forward Authorities in Santa Monica are seeking information from the public after a...

FBI Seeks Victims of Alleged Online Exploitation Scheme Allegedly Run by Resident of Santa Monica

March 17, 2024

March 17, 2024

Individuals Urged to Come Forward in Investigation of John Douglas Burch The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office is urging individuals to...

(Video) Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD Responds to News of Nex Benedict’s Cause of Death

March 15, 2024

March 15, 2024

Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, responds to the release of the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Ruling on Nex...

Venice Family Clinic Announces Inaugural HEART Gala to Celebrate Health and Art

March 15, 2024

March 15, 2024

Event Honors Creative Community and Supporters of Vital Health Care Services Venice Family Clinic, a non-profit community health center dedicated...

“Love Lies Bleeding” is Ripped: Actress Katy O’Brian Talks Love, Sex, and Vulnerability

March 15, 2024

March 15, 2024

Katy O’Brian is a Breakout Star Who Shines in Loving and Hilariously Violent Crime Film English film director Rose Glass’...

Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier Sold to SC Holdings, $10M Investment Planned

March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024

The Cultural Institution Set for Exciting Upgrades Santa Monica Amusements LLC (SMA), the operating group of Pacific Park on the...

Woman Returns $1K Worth of Stolen Items After Store Finds Her Social Media Account

March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024

For the Owner, the Incident Is Perhaps Indicative of an Environment at the Palisades Village Where Smaller Businesses Are More...

LAPD Identify Suspect Who Struck 6-Year-Old Girl Last Weekend

March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024

An Arrest Was Made Following “Another Incident” in Venice By Zach Armstrong  The Los Angeles Police have identified Ahsante Lamar...

SMC to Host Free Screening of West Coast Hip Hop Documentary

March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024

Free Presentation Includes Audience Q&A with Hip Hop Icons Santa Monica College (SMC) is set to host a complimentary screening...

IRS Launches Direct File Pilot of Free Filing Tool for Taxpayers in California, 11 Other States

March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024

Free, Convenient Online Tax Filing Option Now Available for Eligible Individuals The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the official launch...

SMPD Arrests Man Who Allegedly Attacked Girlfriend, Brandished Replica Firearm at Her Daughter

March 13, 2024

March 13, 2024

The Man Faces Charges of Felony Domestic Violence and Misdemeanor Child Abuse A suspect is in custody after a domestic...

A New Civil Lawsuit Against Roman Polanski Has Moved Forward to Trial

March 12, 2024

March 12, 2024

Director Faces Allegations From 1973, Santa Monica Judge Sets Date A trial date of August 4, 2025, has been set...