1 David Yakobson
From: Sharyl Beebe <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2024 1:08 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 16-C on 6/25/24 Meeting
EXTERNAL
I fully support the moƟon brought forth by members Parra and Brock.
Security is of prime concern with all the crime and mentally ill and drug addicts running around stealing, raping, burning, assaulƟng, murdering, etc. the members of our communiƟes. I live right on the Venice/SAMO border and consider Santa Monica home too. 42” high solid walls don’t do a darn thing to deter criminals. Higher fences, walls, hedges should be allowed in the front yard. 72” should be automaƟc and not require a variance. Personally I think they should be allowed in the R-1 district too.
It is a person’s consƟtuƟonal right to protect and secure their property if the government won’t keep the people safe. In my building, we end up with tons of crazy people and criminals in the courtyard because of the silly 42” in front yard issue so puƫng in a gate doesn’t work. These people have stabbed us, shot at us, stolen anything not bolted down, broken in to apartments. I’ve personally scared off at least 10 and chased away. The neighbor boys have had to get out bats and other items to combat the violent ones who threaten us women. If we could put a 6 foot solid wall in front and put the gate there, then we wouldn’t have these problems.
Raising the height to 72” by right would result in this:
1. Safer consƟtuents
2. Happier consƟtuents
3. Less burglary and robberies
4. Less police problems to deal with as if the ill-wishing could not access our properƟes then the cops would have so much to respond to.
5. It is economically a good idea as the fiscal impacts can only be posiƟve.
I hope that you all will support the moƟon put forth in Item 16-C tonight.
Sharyl Beebe
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: Ellis Raskin <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2024 11:00 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick
Cc: Clerk Mailbox; Douglas Sloan; David White; David Martin; [email protected]; Nina Fresco; Ellis Raskin
Subject: Agenda Item 16.C
Attachments: 2024-06-25 Letter re Agenda Item 16.C.pdf
EXTERNAL
Dear Hon. Mayor Brock & Hon. Councilmembers,
Nina Fresco and I respectfully submit the attached letter regarding Agenda Item 16.C. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Best,
Nina Fresco and Ellis Raskin
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
June 25, 2024
Via email to [email protected]
Santa Monica City Council
City Hall Council Chambers
1685 Main Street, Room 250
Santa Monica, CA 90401
RE: Agenda Item 16.C (potential interim zoning ordinance to increase fence, wall, and hedge height limits in R2, R3, and R4 districts)
Dear Hon. Mayor Brock and Hon. Councilmembers,
This letter is being jointly submitted to you by Nina Fresco and Ellis Raskin, in our individual capacities. However, it bears emphasis that our work on the Planning Commission, and our professional and volunteer work in various planning activities, has given us a unique perspective on the efficacy of our existing fence, wall, and hedge height limits.
In Santa Monica, front yard fences, walls, and hedges have been limited to a height of 42 inches since 1948. There are good reasons for this policy. It is well understood that tall fences, walls, and hedges make neighborhoods more dangerous by providing cover for criminals. Moreover, tall walls and hedges are a physical manifestation of a built environment that discriminates against historically marginalized members of our community. To quote one author, hedges draw a literal and metaphorical dividing line between “[t]he ones who go on vacation to Hawaii live on one side, and the ones who never go on vacation live on the other.” 1 We understand that some members of our community may have missed a valuable opportunity to register nonconforming fences, walls, or hedges when our local ordinances were updated nearly two decades ago. We also understand that language barriers and other accessibility issues may have affected the registration process in the mid-2000s. To ensure that all members of our community have a meaningful opportunity to register nonconforming hedges, we propose the following solution:
Rather than change the underlying height standards for fences, walls, and hedges in the R2, R3, and R4 zones, we should instead provide a new six-month window of time to allow property owners or their heirs who have continuously held parcels since 2006 but missed the initial opportunity, to register nonconforming fences, walls, and hedges that existed in 2006.
This compromise will allow long-time property owners to resolve any ongoing code enforcement issues while also promoting equity and ensuring that our neighborhoods do not become further segregated by large fences, walls, or hedges.
Respectfully,
Nina Fresco and Ellis Raskin
1 A. Salmon (2016) “The Hedges And What They Really Mean.” Odyssey. Available at:
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/hedges
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: howard cornin <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2024 3:41 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Submission of a comment on item 16-c for the 6/25/24 Council Meeting
EXTERNAL
Good Evening,
As a resident and home owner in the Pico district of Santa Monica, living in the 1900 block of 18th street, I’ve had FAR MORE THAN my fair share of run ins such as package theft from my front door, feces thrown at my door and numerous suspicious characters casing my home and ringing the door bell, with the hopes of no one being home to likely conduct criminal activity. In addition, the unhoused on many occasions have loitered at my front door or along my 42 inch block wall. For a wife and mother-in-law who are home alone while I work 12 to 13 hour shifts at my job, their fear at times is at a fever pitch. All this activity has been documented via personal incident reports or police reports that have been filed over the past three years.
We filed for a height variance recently to take our block wall in our the front yard setback up a couple feet higher via view permeable fence to give my family an added sense of security.
We wholeheartedly support the proposal being brought forth by Council Person Parra and Mayor Brock.
We enjoy all that Santa Monica has to offer and this is change that is very much in need for the safety of our community.
-Howard Cornin, a concerned resident
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
2 David Yakobson
From: Brian Stedge-Stroud <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2024 5:19 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 16C & 16D - Support
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing to express my support for:
16C – Please support this item to suspend enforcement until the City Manager and City Attorney can craft a fair and transparent process .
16D – Please support the expansion of POD in the Pico neighborhood. POD is vital to keeping our most vulnerable in their homes and out of homelessness. An investment in POD is money saved by the City on homelessness programs.
Thank you!
Brian Stedge-Stroud
90404
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024
Item 16-C
June 25, 2024