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01.08.18 Volume 17 Issue 49
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WHAT’S UP WESTSIDE ..................PAGE 2 LIBRARY MLK CELEBRATION ......PAGE 3 EARTH TALK ..................................PAGE 4 OLYMPIC SPEAKER ........................PAGE 5 MYSTERY PHOTO ............................PAGE 9
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Council to prioritize long list of projects
Santa Monica Daily Press
smdp.com
Election season begins in Santa Monica MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor
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It is an election year in Santa Monica and voters will elect 14 people to the different entities that govern the city in 2018. This year’s elections include four seats on School Board (Oscar de la Torre, Craig Foster, Laurie Lieberman and Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein), three on City Council (Kevin McKeown, Pam O’Connor and Sue Himmelrich), three on the Rent Control Board (Nicole Phillis, Steve Duron and Todd Flora) and four for the Santa Monica College Board (Nancy Greenstein, Louise Jaffe, Barry A. Snell and Andrew Walzer). Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who cov-
ers Santa Monica, will also be up for reelection. The nomination period this year will be July 16 through August 10 with a possible five-day extension for each race if an incumbent does not file. The nomination period requires candidates to fill out the required paperwork and gather signatures. City Hall has begun exploring a potential ballot measure that would require a supermajority to approve some developments. The council has the ability to draft a measure and add it to the ballot over the next six months. However, time is running out for potential ballot measures proposed by outside organizations. SEE ELECTIONS PAGE 7
DESIGNS: The Frank Gehry designed project on Ocean Ave. will return for review this year.
KATE CAGLE Daily Press Staff Writer
With a looming backlog of proposed projects headed to their desks over the next few years, the City Council will prioritize various planning initiatives at their Tuesday night public meeting, “The identification of ambitious and laudable goals does not automatically produce results,” says the staff report by director David Martin. “It is critically important that planning be grounded in the capacity of City government and private real estate market forces and property owners to actually implement adopted policies.”
the $150,000 program budget will be used to conduct multi-lingual outreach before developing zoning revisions. The revisions may include looking at the rules for combining residentially-zoned lots in the neighborhood and parking requirements. MEMORIAL PARK
KATE CAGLE
The design process for Memorial Park will begin this year after being shelved while staff prioritized the newly completed Downtown Community Plan. Memorial Park will involve rezoning about 70 acres of formerly industrial land centered on the Expo Light Rail station at 17th Street and Colorado. Staff anticipates finishing the plan and environmental analysis sometime next year.
Daily Press Staff Writer
Here are the recommendations from Martin: “MANSIONIZATION OF SANTA MONICA” PICO NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
At the top of the priority list for staff are the Pico Neighborhood Plan, implementing new CEQA guidelines from the state and updating the landmarks ordinance to remove ambiguous language. The Pico plan will address zoning issues to protect the neighborhood from gentrification and retain affordable housing. Martin says the bulk of
Local firefighters recall Thomas Fire inferno
Both the Council and the Planning Commission have requested further review of zoning standards for residential neighborhoods over concerns of the “mansionization” of Santa Monica. The earliest staff could review the standards is the second half of Fiscal Year 2018/19, although an interim ordinance could take a SEE PROJECTS PAGE 6
The wildfire spread like the devil skipping stones. Sparks flew through hot Santa Ana winds saturated with ash, bounced off metal gutters and wedged into roof shingles where they smoldered into a blaze. Looking back, the handful of Santa Monica firefighters who drove into the midnight inferno on Dec. 4 had no idea they were headed to the start of the biggest wildfire in California history. When they reached Ventura County there was no command post yet. No “central com.” No disaster declaration. A 50 acre brush rapidly spread out of control as families evacuated, packing up their loved ones and leaving everything else to fate.
Gary Limjap (310) 586-0339 In today’s real estate climate ...
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Local firefighter Dominick Bei refers to that night as “the first 36,” as in the first 36 hours of what turned into twelve sleepless days battling the Thomas Fire. “Every house was completely engulfed in flames,” Bei said, who had never seen anything like it in his near decade of service. “Every corner you turned there was a new house on fire.” The fire was spreading too quickly to save every house. Sheer instinct directed decisions over where to point hoses filled with precious water. “We were just taking initiative and going to homes that were on fire next to homes that could be saved,” said Captain Johnny Maccini who led the initial attack. SEE FIREFIGHTERS PAGE 6
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