by SM.a.r.t.

Six new apartment projects, all with 100 percent micro units, have been proposed for Santa Monica’s downtown. The developer is claiming that a normal mix of unit types is “financially unsustainable” without his proposed higher unit count. The Council’s reaction to these projects is a temporary ban on single units less than 375 square feet. Unfortunately, this response is symptomatic of the city’s overall approach – one of piecemeal planning at every level, from the study of SRO’s (single resident occupancies) to separate plans for our downtown, Bergamot, SM airport, the Civic Center, 4th & Arizona, the Promenade, etc, etc. “Knee-jerk” planning decisions are taken instead of an overall approach, a master plan that takes into account a diverse urban lifestyle. It is unconscionable that our city has never undertaken such a fundamental task in its 134-year history.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2019/04/micro-thinking-without-master-planning/