The Los Angeles City Council let a law that prohibited living in a vehicle in residential areas and near schools and parks expire earlier this month.

The city council passed a law in November 2016 that allows overnight vehicle dwelling only in non-residential areas and at least one block away from schools and parks. The ordinance, Los Angeles Municipal Code 85.02 (LAMC 85.02), was released with maps of Los Angeles County that delineate the “green streets” where overnight parking is permitted.

The ordinance launched with a fine schedule of $25 for a first violation, $50 for a second and $75 for all subsequent violations. It was originally in effect between January 2017 and July 2018 and the council has extended it twice since then.

But as of July 1, it is now legal to live in a vehicle overnight anywhere in Los Angeles because the council did not vote to extend the ordinance before it expired.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/van-living/177838

The burden of housing costs in Santa Monica isn’t just affecting low-income families. It is weighing down even middle-class community members with well-paying jobs. As we witness an increasing number of people forced onto the streets because of high housing costs, we are also seeing more middleclass families struggling to find affordable, safe and decent housing.

The City of Santa Monica has long been committed to providing affordable housing for everyone.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-s-commitment-to-affordable-housing

The 33 properties in Santa Monica with development agreements are all complying with their contracts, according to an annual review that the City Council will discuss Tuesday.

A real estate development agreement, or DA, allows developers to build beyond zoning restrictions if they include public benefits, such as public space or fees paid to community funds. The agreements contain different requirements because each agreement is individually negotiated. In Santa Monica, 23 completed and 10 uncompleted projects are subject to development agreements.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/all-development-agreements-in-compliance-according-to-annual-report/177742

City Council will settle two controversial landmark designations Tuesday.

The appellants are trying to overturn decisions the Landmarks Commission made last month about the personal home of one of Southern California’s most formative architects and a cluster of buildings in Ocean Park built in the early 20th century. The commission granted the home landmark status and tied on whether to define the buildings as a historic district, effectively denying the Santa Monica Conservancy’s application.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/historic-district-and-famed-architects-home-head-for-council-appeal/177745

Last week, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland and Santa Cruz were joined by cities across the country in supporting Santa Monica’s Home Sharing Ordinance.

The amicus brief comes in response to a petition by Airbnb and HomeAway.com calling for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its March 13, 2019 ruling upholding the Home Sharing Ordinance against claims that it was preempted by the federal Communications Decency Act. On July 1, 2019, the City filed a response asking the court to deny the petition because the “panel correctly applied this Court’s precedent to hold that the City of Santa Monica’s ‘Home-Sharing Ordinance’ – an essential element of City efforts to preserve housing in the face of rising residential rents and unauthorized vacation rentals — is not preempted.”

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2019/07/san-francisco-and-11-other-cities-support-santa-monicas-defense-of-its-home-sharing-ordinance/

AND: https://www.smdp.com/historic-district-and-famed-architects-home-head-for-council-appeal/177745

The City Council on Tuesday will decide whether a cluster of early 20th Century buildings in Ocean Park should be designated Santa Monica's fifth historic district.

The vote comes after the Landmarks Commission last month twice reached a 3-3 deadlock with one of its members absent, effectively denying the designation for the District on the corner of 4th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/July-2019/07_19_2019_Council_to_Consider_Citys_Fifth_Historic_District.html

According to the assessment roll from the LA County Assessor, Santa Monica's 25,000 or so assessor's parcels are collectively worth $39.5 billion. This places Santa Monica 3rd in the County of Los Angeles for property values, which is totally impressive when you consider the relative populations of the top 3 cities.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2019/07/18/news/santa-monicas-395-billion-in-assessed-real-estate-values-places-in-third-among-la-county-cities/4111.html

In last week’s article we discussed what and who controls our city. It’s not the city council and certainly not the residents – it’s technology, corporate capitalism and their hired developers. The future is here, but not evenly distributed. Just how much will economics hurt our environment, our culture, our heritage? Can we slow this train, stop it, control it, reverse it? Hopefully yes, but certainly not easily.

Our city leaders seem to operate in an imaginary world. We’re scrambling to keep rising rents under control, homeless under control, traffic, rising crime, limited natural resources, gentrification and, financial expenditures all under control!!!  What can we do to re-evaluate these policies and get back to some sanity. Do we adapt or just renew from generation to generation? There are answers, but unfortunately not the way things are headed at city hall.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2019/07/dealing-with-an-uncertain-future-part-ii/

Cities across the country are supporting Santa Monica's efforts to defend its homesharing law as a California Appeals Court decides whether to reconsider a case filed by online platforms.

Last week, eleven cities and counties filed an amicus brief responding to a petition by Airbnb and HomeAway.com calling for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its March ruling upholding the City's law.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/July-2019/07_18_2019_Cities_Nationwide_File_Briefs_Supporting_Santa_Monicas_Homesharing_Law.html

Santa Monica property values are the third-highest in Los Angeles County, according to data the county assessor released Monday.

The combined assessed value of the city’s properties has soared 27% over the past five years to $39.5 billion and is now second only to Los Angeles and Long Beach. While the growth in local property values mirrors the rest of the Westside, Santa Monica’s proximity to the coast and high-quality public services and schools sets it apart in the real estate market, spurring sales and new development, said county assessor Jeffrey Prang.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/property-values-spike/177598