The proposed property includes 60 residential units, with about half of them studios and half of them one-bedrooms. Six of the one-bedroom units would be designated affordable housing for Very Low Income households. The building would also house close to 7,000 square feet of commercial space, with preliminary architectural drawings showing a coffee shop on the ground floor. There is no vehicle parking included in the application.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/mixed-use-development-planned-at-4th-and-colorado/216403

Now a new era of blockbusting may be upon us, thanks to the landmark housing density laws passed last year, known as SB 9 and SB 10. SB 9 does away with almost all single family, or R-1, zoning by allowing all but a few residential lots to be split down the middle, with two new apartments or condominiums and an “additional dwelling unit” (grandma-style one-room structure) on each half.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2022/03/column-demise-of-r-1-zoning-will-lead-to-new-blockbusting/

State lawmakers are rushing this week to extend California eviction protections for hundreds of thousands of tenants waiting for rent relief. But some advocacy groups for landlords and tenants alike are unhappy with the bill.

Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/california-lawmakers-struck-a-deal-on-eviction-protections-what-does-it-mean-for-tenants/ar-AAVA3Ec?ocid=hplocalnews

The federal spending bill that was signed on March 15 granted a total of $5.85 million to a group of five projects in Congressman Ted Lieu’s district includes the $2 million for the project that will replace Project Structure Three. 

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2022/03/santa-monica-granted-2-million-in-federal-funds-for-parking-structure-affordable-housing-project/

A trio of Santa Monica officials are mounting a campaign for a new tax on real estate sales to fund homeless services, affordable housing programs and local education efforts. 

Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich, her husband Michael Soloff (who is Co-Chair of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights) and Jon Katz (President of the Santa Monica Democratic Club) are soliciting public support for an additional real estate transfer tax on property sales greater than or equal to $8 million. If their petition is successful, the question would be put to voters in November of this year. 

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/mayor-proposes-new-tax-to-fund-housing-and-schools/216254

SB 9 seeks to increase the development of housing in neighborhoods zoned for single family housing. 

There are several ways Santa Monica could potentially limit development under SB 9. The City could prevent accessory dwelling units (ADUs) from being added to SB 9 projects, could deed restrict SB 9 units as specifically rental or for sale units, and could extend the owner occupancy requirements for SB 9 units. Santa Monica could also take steps to incentivize the use of SB 9 such as allowing more than 25 percent of an existing single-unit dwelling to be demolished for the duplex pathway or allowing the addition of ADUs on all SB 9 projects. 

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/council-to-put-families-first-with-housing-bill-sb-9/216253

At last night’s meeting, the Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously to oppose the “Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act,” a proposed California ballot initiative co-sponsored by the California Business Roundtable. 

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2022/03/23/city-council-takes-action-on-two-potential-state-ballot-measures

The next deadline -- in 2025 -- is for soft story buildings, which account for the vast majority of Santa Monica's structures and face the risk of collapsing because the first floor overhangs a garage.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/March-2022/03_22_2022_City_Poised_to_Enforce_Seismic_Retrofit_Law.html

At its meeting last night, the Santa Monica City Council appointed Senior Special Projects Deputy City Attorney Susan Cola as Interim City Attorney with a start date of April 6, 2022. She begins April 6 with a salary of $288,120.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2022/03/23/council-appoints-susan-cola-as-next-interim-city-attorney

Filed in Superior Court against the LA County Committee on School District Organization, the lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of a new State law that allows the committee to create districts without voter approval.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/March-2022/03_21_2022_City_SMMUSD_Sue_County_Committee_to_Stop_School_Districting_Plan.html

AND: https://www.smdp.com/city-and-smmusd-sue-over-new-voting-laws/216097