S.M.a.r.t Column: The Sunset of Home Ownership
We are watching the sunset of our historical and cultural American dream of home ownership as we now are crossing over what was a welcome mat of opportunity to a lifetime of indentured tenancy for […]
SMa.r.t. Column: B(U)Y RIGHT
“By Right” state housing laws that give developers, in certain projects, the ability to ignore codes ‘by right.’ Well, that is the lovable jargon developers have jumped in bed with at the State level to […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: Serf City
Homelessness is a problem in California, and nowhere is this more evident than in our fair city, where the unhoused population has skyrocketed with the completion of the Expo Metro Line that tacitly offers free […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: Bond Fatigue
Last week’s SMart article, described two critical problems faced by our Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD): the declining enrollment and the tendency to inexorably increase the bond debt burden on the City’s businesses […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: A School District Conundrum
As most of you who drive on 4th or Pico Avenue or use the 4th Street freeway on-ramp know, the whole Santa Monica High School campus has been a construction zone for almost a decade. […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: On the Clock with Mayor Brock
I became Santa Monica’s Mayor on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, following a simple “switch of the chairs” transition with outgoing Mayor Gleam Davis during the first hour of last Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. I […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: SANTA MONICA CITY COUNCIL 2024
Position:Seeking Santa Monica City Council Candidate(s) Introduction:Exciting opportunity for the right candidate(s) to work with like-minded Council members committed to preserving and protecting the history, culture, and integrity of our iconic beachside community. Background:Nestled between […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: ARB (NOT Ready to Build!)
Santa Monica City’s Architectural Review Board (ARB), established in 1974, acts “…to preserve existing areas of natural beauty, cultural importance and assure that buildings, structures, signs or other developments are in good taste, good design, […]
SMa.r.t. Column: We are thankful for….
SMa.r.t. would like to wish you all a great Thanksgiving with friends and family and also to thank its readers for their loyalty this year. We all have much to be thankful for. Specifically, we […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: Make the City New Again
When the COVID crisis struck, it cut the city’s income in half, demolishing many businesses and causing widespread layoffs and suspension of popular services. Faster than a speeding locomotive, certain groups who like to weigh […]
Meals on Wheels West LA Urgently Seeks Holiday Volunteers for Meal Deliveries
Brentwood-Based Program Needs Help Delivering Meals During the Holidays Meals on Wheels West Los Angeles is urgently seeking additional volunteers to...
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Housing Group Sues State Over Limits on Post-Wildfire Rebuilding in L.A. County
YIMBY Law Challenges Governor’s Order Allowing Cities to Restrict SB 9 Housing in High Fire Hazard Zones The housing advocacy...
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