SMa.r.t. Column: I Told You So SMa.r.t.

On January17,2015 SMa.r.t. posted a prophetic article in the Daily Press written by Ron Goldman FAIA advocating maintaining a low rise (3-4 stories) development standard along the major boulevards. He also included a sketch showing the negative alternative of 6-7 story buildings. Naturally there was outrage and push back from the establishment. The mayor said “I saw it and was greatly dismayed by the hyperbolically inaccurate visual representation of what is possible under Santa Monica zoning. You and the other architects must know better than that, and I was disappointed you would sign your names to that piece. I can only hope that perhaps you didn’t see the accompanying images in advance.”

Flash forward 8 eight years and sure enough the major boulevards are now up zoned in our most recent Housing Element to the 60’ to 70’ (5-6 stories) range with, and when given density bonuses for affordable housing, can balloon up to 82’-103’ (7-9 stories). So now you can see for yourself “the accompanying images in advance” in the reprinted article below. Fortunately the council has asked the state not to up zone just the Neighborhood Commercial zones( Pico, Main, Montana, and Ocean Park). Other major boulevards will still be up zoned. We will see if the State will honor that request to avoid the grim future Ron predicted. Needless to say, the same discussion that was relevant 8 years ago, is still surprisingly relevant today.

Our Boulevards- dark tunnels or sunlit paths to the sea? (SMDP 1/17/15)

Cities are entered and organized around their major boulevards. The 9 boulevard entrances to our City are San Vicente, Wilshire, Santa Monica, Broadway, Colorado, Olympic, Pico, Ocean Park and Lincoln. Along our boulevards are over 900 buildings. 87% of these structures (783 total) are currently 1 & 2 story buildings- a potential “gold mine” if properly developed. If 1/3 of these buildings were to remain as is, or be developed through adaptive reuse with tax incentives, the remaining 525 buildings could be redeveloped as 3 or 4 story buildings. If so, these

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Case No. 23SMCP00093 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 1725 Main St. | Santa Monica, CA 90401

Petition of: Carolina Bezerra Eisenman, by and through Carolina Bezerra Eisenman for change of name.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

To all interested persons Carolina Bezerra Eisenman

Petitioner: filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a Carolina Bezerra Eisenman to Carolina Eisenman

The court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING:

Date: 07/02/21 | Time: 8:30AM | Dept: K A copy of this ORDER to SHOW CAUSE shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: SANTA MONICA MIRROR | Dated: March 2, 20223 Judge Lawrence Cho Published: 03/03/2023, 03/10/23, 03/17/2023, and 03/24/2023 new projects could provide 15 million sq.ft. of additional leasable area while still leaving 30% open space. Is our City’s appetite for growth so great that this would not satisfy our needs for the near future? The following sketches provide markedly different visions for the future of the Boulevards and our City. Will Santa Monica become an extension of Los Angeles or will it retain its small beach town character?

Fig. 1. Wilshire Blvd. at the Santa Monica boundary (primarily 1 to 2 stories)

The current alternative approach allows doubling building heights to 6 or 7 stories, concentrating development into fewer structures and creating a cityscape more akin to West Los Angles than Santa Monica. Shadows will cover the E-W Boulevards for a large part of the day and these structures would be adjacent to neighboring homes resulting in significant negative impact on their livability. The new California codes regulate shading of adjacent properties and need to be enforced.

Fig. 2. Allowable increase in height (6 to 7 stories).

Re-developing to 3 or 4 stories could more than double current square footage, a substantial increase without impacting the City’s lowscale skyline. Another advantage is the City’s density could be spread over larger areas and time frames, minimizing the impact of density and vehicles in any single location. This would allow the City to grow at moderate pace and impact residents less while maintaining the City’s small town allure.

Fig. 3. Alternative increase in height and stepped facades (3 to 4 stories)

The other advantage is that it would preserve some of our historic building stock providing continuity with the past and preserving the unique character of our City for the future. And our Zoning code needs to encourage adaptive reuse of existing 1 & 2 story buildings –especially on narrow lots that don’t permit 3 & 4 story redevelopment. The retention of 1 and 2 story buildings might also provide additional workforce housing.

If not, we won’t know what we’re losing until it’s gone. The LUCE has a clearly stated goal of “Overall Height Reduction.” A simple 30-4050 ft. code would provide clarity for developers as well as protect residents with an iron- clad cap on building heights. We need to close the

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NUMBER: 2023047903 ORIGINAL FILING This statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES ON 03/03/2023. The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as 1. First Wave Health Advocates. The full name of registrant(s) is/are:

Development Agreement (D.A. ) loophole that allows developers to exceed height limits through the provision of “Community Benefits”. These D.A.’s are one of the biggest causes of community distrust. The trade-off of community benefits for increased density, height, traffic and parking along with increasing land values resulting in higher rents and loss of local business is not an exchange that serves our community. Instead, the City should simply increase permit fees and use these funds to widen existing sidewalks, improve landscaping and enhance the function and beauty of our most important asset – our boulevards.

By Ron Goldman, S.M.a.r.t Santa Monica Architects for

Responsible Tomorrow

Thane Roberts, Architect, Robert H. Taylor AIA, Architect, Dan Jansenson, Architect & Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission, Samuel Tolkin Architect & Planning Commissioner, Mario Fonda-Bonardi AIA & Planning Commissioner,, Michael Jolly, AIRCRE.

For previous articles see www. santamonicaarch.wordpress.com/writing a

Regent

Hotel, from page 1 for modern upper luxury in the Americas hospitality industry, bringing a fresh perspective to beachfront splendor and effortlessly bold experiences to become an iconic destination.”

This hotel is known for its proximity to the historic Santa Monica Pier and Downtown Santa Monica area with its beachside location and beautiful ocean views. The new version promises inspiring visits through serenity and a touch of decadence with a stunning pool deck with multiple pools, a destination spa and a wellness center. An exciting addition is that the hotel’s restaurant will be a new concept created in concert with a celebrity chef and a “high-end artisanal marketplace”

This transformation will be part of a partnership with Strategic Hotels & Resorts Group, “a trusted owner of IHG-branded hotels”.

André Zotoff, Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Hotels & Resorts, added as part of the press release, “As the needs and expectations of the modern luxury guest continue to evolve, we recognized an opportunity to reinvent our Santa Monica beachfront property to truly become one of the most prestigious, entertaining and beautiful hotels anywhere in the world. Strategic Hotels & Resorts has been a part of the vibrant Santa Monica community for more than 25 years and we look forward to collaborating with the teams at IHG Hotels & Resorts to build upon the Regent brand’s history of legendary properties and constant innovation to make this flagship Americas resort a must-visit destination for locals and visitors alike.” printed

IHG and Strategic Hotels & Resorts consider the new Regent Santa Monica Beach to be the flagship of the brand in the Americas which will add to the history of the Regent Hotels like the former Regent Beverly Wilshire and the chain’s current locations like Carlton Cannes, A Regent Hotel, Regent Shanghai, Regent Phu Quoc, Regent Chongqing, and upcoming Regent Hong Kong.