SM.a.r.t Column: ARB Courage (Part 2 of 2)
Last week we discussed the numerous flaws of the Gelson’s project as a perfect example of what not to do in providing new housing in Santa Monica. Fueled by the artificially inflated “need” to build […]
ARB Courage (Part 1 of 2)
On March 4, 2024, your ARB (Architectural Review Board) ruled in favor of the 521-unit Gelson’s Project at Ocean Park and Lincoln Blvd. This controversial project was fatally flawed from the beginning, and by the […]
SM.a.r.t Column: Can California ARBs Balance Affordable Housing with Community Character in the Face of New Housing Laws?
By suggestion, I attended the March 4th ARB (Architectural Review Board) meeting that addressed the Gelson Lincoln Boulevard Project. After the session, I came away with thoughts about the process that the state has initiated […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: On the Need for Safety
Earlier this week, in the dark pre-dawn hours, a pair of thugs covered in masks and hoodies burst into the lobby of the 23-unit apartment building where I live, ran down the hallway, and quickly […]
Film Review: The Oscar Landscape 2024
FILM REVIEWTHE OSCAR LANDSCAPE 2024A Look at the Choices – Academy Awards – March 10, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. on ABC I believe there should never be contests for art, as a huge part of […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: Five Saving Historic Santa Monica
Our beloved City is surrounded by many threats, from sea level rise to homelessness, to housing affordability, to cancerous overdevelopment, to crime, to the four apocalyptic collapses: water supply, school population, municipal finances, and mobility […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: Gelson’s Looms Large
Our guest column this week is by SMCLC (the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City). SMCLC is a well-established group of concerned residents that have successfully been involved for many years in addressing and […]
S.M.a.r.t Column: Top Toady Town
Throughout history, from the ancient Romans and Assyrians to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, siege warfare has served as an effective weapon against municipalities resistant to conquest. Even with complete capitulation, conquered cities are subject […]
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 […]
What to Know About Santa Monica’s $3.5M ‘Restorative Justice Program’ (Video)
The City Council unanimously launched a $3.5 million Restorative Justice Program — one of the largest locally funded efforts of...
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Malibu Oceanfront Lot with Rebuild Potential Listed for $1.9M
Buyers can rebuild under Malibu’s Fast Track Rebuild Program, with potential for up to 3,433 square feet of livable space,...
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