WELL.
Well well well.
It seems that some people are just a tiny bit annoyed with renderings of the very large evolutionary creature that gave birth in Lincoln and Ocean Park. Let’s just call it the LOP monster here for the sake of simplicity, right?
These upset people are mostly calm, sane, serene, patient, non-confrontational, even apolitical people, not discontented, troublemakers, naysayers, NIMBYs, or gossiping negativists. So we have to give them a nice pat on the head for these qualities. You have the common sense to have our good city government map our destinies in a certain way for a few decades with such a vision, tax responsibility, compassion and respect for the residents and our unique history here, so nobody wants to disturb the apple carts. (… maybe a couple of dirty hot dog carts on the pier, but be careful, they’re packing.)
Especially the people from the neighborhood, Ocean Park, Sunset Park and Pico Neighborhoods, watched patiently and mostly in silence as our city fathers and …) Brick in the wall, a piece that is needed to go down the street to the block length, to hop into the gaping open-cast mine that will become – more apartments.
POPULATION EXPLOSION?
While some of these gentle souls are looking around their neighborhood at all of the new units going where Norm used to be, Denny’s, the gas station in west South Lincoln (a really, really ugly building that looks like a prison), and now these four mammoth buildings, each five or maybe six stories, built right up to the sidewalks, 521 more units (most of them at market price which increases the prices of all existing units in town) and more, oh yes, many many more in the pipeline, some wonder where do all these people come from who need them? Santa Monica’s population has grown very little over the past half century – 88,300 in 1970; 2020: 93,706.
It must be because there is a great housing shortage here. For this reason, the quasi-official SCAG commissioned the CA government SM to build more than 9,000 new units by the end of the decade. And 70% of that has to be “affordable housing”. Well that will be a good trick.
They originally set us for half that number, but then doubled it for some reason. Some think the reason has to do solely with zoning. We are in the worst of all time in this regard as a series of new laws in Sacramento have usurped local control over the building and development. Does this remind you of certain politicians who arrogate local rights when it comes to the right to vote and even a woman’s most personal right to determine her family life?
Some small towns in SoCal immediately banded together to fight the takeover, but we’re running late. I will never forget that a few years ago when it was first announced, the immediate reaction from then Councilor Terry O’Day was not, What can we do? But, “Well, I think we just have to change our zoning.” I couldn’t tell if he had a delighted grin on his face then. By the way, we had an estimated 4,500 vacancies here at the time. And still do. So why …? Forget it.
SCHOOL EDUCATION
In contrast to the current city council, whose composition has changed from all SMRR-Forward-approved cheerleaders due to overdevelopment (thanks to the miracle of the last election) in the last few decades (thanks to the miracle of the last election), our current school council has had us almost as long bullied, but that’s not it that most people notice, especially if you don’t have kids in school. Very, very few residents have enough knowledge of what is going on. So very few will get even a little upset.
While the school authorities are not really changing the skyline or condensing the city, they are creating more traffic jams or increasing crime statistics. But they did manage to modernize the very historic History Building and other structures built by the WPA (1930s) in Samohi – needlessly asking a lot more of us!) To modernize our high school, but far beyond what is necessary. When they finalize their master plan, most of which have not undergone public scrutiny or comment, hide important facts and often insultingly refuse to disagree with anyone who disagrees or even asks for information, none of the 130-year-old former Samohi students turns on “Their” campus will be able to recognize it.
The cost of progress and modernization? No. Common sense, fiscal responsibility and community contribution have been put on the table in favor of a master plan that sacrifices Samohi cutting-edge, shiny new properties (good for property value and millions of rental income) of the nature and soul of education. What does a school district teach when it ignores the community and many architecture experts to demolish the history building? Irony is actually dead.
For both our city and our school district, what is gone is gone. When you are sad, upset, or even angry, turn that into a determination to make things right for our future. This is a small town. We still have elections where votes are counted fairly. (Even if the campaign isn’t conducted fairly.) Information is vital and I will do my best to provide it. The past is a prologue. There are people and forces who want your future, Santa Monica, because it can make them very rich and powerful. I say it’s a numbers game and we have the numbers.
I might be born in Florida, stationed in Detroit, and spent 30 years in New Mexico, but this is my city now, 35 years in. I’m a fighter and Santa Monica is worth fighting for.
Charles Andrews has lived in Santa Monica for 36 years and would not live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send him love and / or rebuke to [email protected]
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