ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica Lawmakers' Bill Would Allow Housing on Commercial Land

07/25/2020 5:03 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A bill co-sponsored by a Santa Monica lawmaker that would allow housing developments with affordable units to be built on commercially zoned land is making its way through the Senate.

AB 3107, sponsored by Assemblymember Richard Bloom, was approved by the Assembly on June 10 and is currently in the Senate Housing Committee.

The bill, which is co-sponsored by San Francisco Assembleymember Phil Ting, is scheduled for a hearing next week, according to Bloom's office.

Council to Consider Ballot Measure Changing Hiring Rules

07/25/2020 5:03 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council on Tuesday will consider placing a measure on the November ballot that would diversity the City's workforce by making it easier to hire minorities and women.

The proposed measure would amend and repeal sections of the City Charter that guide civil service appointments and promotions, according to a staff report to the Council.

The Illusion of a California Housing Crisis Versus the True Need for More Infrastructure

07/24/2020 11:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The State Legislature has been working hard to attempt to squeeze 1.8 million more units of housing into the state before 2029 by producing at least nine land-use proposals this year, each of which either enable, incentivize, or require cities to build more densely. Specifically, these bills end single-family-home neighborhoods.

Goodbye, California Zoning Laws

07/24/2020 11:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Between the State Senate and the State Assembly, nine bills are under consideration that would drastically change the balance of power regarding land use and zoning in California. Each bill seeks to solve the state's "housing crisis" with attacks against local zoning ordinances, in particular those that restrict some areas to single-family homes.

Phil Brock and 20 Other Residents Pull Papers for Santa Monica City Council Seats

07/24/2020 11:53 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Twenty-two people as of Wednesday have pulled papers for potential campaigns for five open council seats. They have until August 7 to gather 30 signatures from Santa Monica residents to make their campaigns official.

Public Safety Reform Advisory Committee: Community Listening Session

07/24/2020 11:34 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Join Santa Monica community members, members of the Public Safety Reform Advisory Committee, and members of City of Santa Monica staff on Thursday, July 30, 2020, at 7 p.m. for a community listening session.

City Expands Resources to Support Residents and Businesses During Economic Recovery

07/24/2020 11:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Six new resources are available today to support community members on our road to recovery. Resources include:

Expanded access to personal protective equipment
Online job resources
Local retail, dining and hotel specials
New outdoor dining, retail and services
Below market housing options

YOU Are the Heart of the City! SMa.r.t.

07/24/2020 11:24 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The members of SMart wrote a credo for Santa Monica in late 2013. The majority of the original members were architects, a profession whose purpose is to facilitate development. As long-term residents of Santa Monica, the architects were dismayed by the direction our city’s sunlit image had taken. Their city’s future had always seemed bright, but there was a dark turn on the horizon. An enormous prospective development loomed at 26th at Olympic (Hines) that would upend thousands of lives. Seven thousand car trips a day; intersections jammed from Brentwood to Mar Vista and no benefits for existing residents. Citizens pulled together to mobilize and beat back this unwanted development.

As they beamed with pride over their victory, SMart realized that Hines wasn’t the only pending project of alarming density.

Bloom’s Bills: Just Developer Giveaways

07/23/2020 8:37 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

State Assemblymember Richard Bloom could be working on creating more affordable housing in Santa Monica. Instead, when the California legislature returns from recess July 27, Bloom will be advocating for dense luxury housing, attacks on single-family zoning, and developer loopholes to avoid building affordable housing.

Kristin McCowan Appointed as Santa Monica’s Newest Councilmember

07/23/2020 8:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

For the first time in history, Santa Monica has a female-majority City Council following the appointment of Kristin McCowan, the city’s first Black councilwoman who said Tuesday she is already hard at work despite being just a few days into the job.

The Santa Monica City Council unanimously appointed McCowan to fill a position that was vacated by councilmember Greg Morena in June. The product of SMMUSD and Santa Monica College was selected from a pool of 109 eligible candidates, but McCowan will have to impress locals if she is to retain her seat in the November election and continue to serve through November 2022.