Agenda packet — Santa Monica City Council, January 28, 2025 (part 3 of 6)

Please do what you can to include housing on the 222 acres of the airport and therefore The city has 32 parks covering 130 acres, excluding the State Beach of 245 acres. If half of the airport is turned into open space, it will still increase the city’s total parkland by 75%.

To meet our future needs, Santa Monica needs more than another park. We urgently need housing which can be developed in addition to a park on the airport land. It concerns me that we will just have a huge Tongva and Reed Park. It concerns me that the voiceless, marginalized communities will once again be forgotten because the usual, status quo demographic has been organizing for a: “park only” for a long time.

A fire burnt the homes of the last remaining legacy families in the historical Bel Mar Triangle. Eminent domain, enforced by your Santa Monica city council predecessors, took generational wealth-building businesses and homes from already disenfranchised communities. We expect you to treat these fire victims with the same respect you are treating the current fire victims,
You, the Santa Monica City Council, can finally build proper homes and housing to give tangible solutions to the Black Apology you adopted in November 2022. You can now give homes back to Rite of Return victims who only see homes as a proper solution to the generational wealth that was taken by the city's use of eminent domain on their Bel Mar Triangle and 10 freeway Communities. Santa Monica was a place many came to for opportunities. Indigenous/Aboriginal Americans, often labeled Black Mexicans, were amongst the Pobladores, who were the pioneers of Los Angeles. Indigenous Americans, Foundational Black Americans, African Americans, and Latinos lived here during the rancho days and many worked here in factories when Santa Monica was a manufacturing base. We can celebrate place by giving housing preference to people who were displaced, or whose ancestors were displaced by discriminatory actions, so they have a chance to live here.

Bring them home to celebrate the roots that we have lost.

Make housing an option on the airport land when it closes.

With gratitude,
Hajar Muqtasid St. Claire
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Packet Pg. 685 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 5 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Lerer <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:57 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Caroline Torosis; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; David White
Subject: Item 7.A. Airport Property

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,
Please help our city improve the park to people ratio.

As we build more housing for more people we need to ensure access to Nature.

Living in higher and higher dense conditions requires better planning for our health and wellness.

Please prioritize PARK and NATURE over housing on the airport property.

Even though I live all the way over in the NOMA neighborhood, I care about and strongly support my neighbors in Sunset Park!
Please keep true to the statements you made regarding the airport property.

Thank you,
Elizabeth Lerer
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Packet Pg. 686 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 6 David Yakobson
From: Eve Lopez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:49 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: Ivan Campbell
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council:

As an attorney, a 10+ year Santa Monica resident, and a tenant of Santa Monica Airport, I bring a unique and multifaceted perspective that I believe will be valuable for City Council's consideration.

Suspend Airport Conversion Process
While the City Attorney’s office typically produces thorough and trustworthy work product, its abrupt reversal of the City’s longstanding, consistent representations – in writing, orally and in its actions – that both a closure vote and an EIR are required before Santa Monica Airport (SMO) may close, is concerning as a practical matter, and arbitrary and capricious as a matter of law. The unfortunate implication is that the City Attorney’s office appears to lack transparency and honesty with stakeholders about the true legal and financial implications of closing the airport and the current state of the law.

In addition to addressing the lack of financial transparency and accountability, this correspondence focuses on two erroneous conclusions contained in the City Attorney’s January 28, 2024 memorandum: (1) that no further Council action is required to authorize SMO's closure, and (2) that no CEQA analysis is required for closure. Both conclusions contradict established California law and are a complete departure from affirmative statements and action from Council, the City’s own leaders and records, and applicable administrative and environmental procedures.

Lack of Financial Transparency and Accountability
No Disclosure of Revenue Loss: Each recommended action regarding the Airport Conversion project is predicated on the closure of the airport, yet there is no disclosure of the substantial revenue loss that would result. This omission is critical, as the revenue generated by the airport is far from negligible. According to the City’s fiscal years 2023-2025 budget, Airport Revenue totals $17,123,007, with operating expenses amounting to $11,780,079. This results in a net positive income of approximately $5.3 million. A speculative but consistent argument has been made that the revenue is from commercial office leases and would remain. But there has been no formal analysis of the revenue components and there is highly likelihood that some of those large leases are the result of lessees connection to the use of the adjacent airport. Given the City’s ongoing financial challenges, failing to address the consequences of these potentially significant revenue losses is both fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable.

Ignoring the Moss Adams Recommendations: Moving forward with the Airport Conversion project under the current circumstances is reminiscent of Einstein’s definition of insanity. In November 2024, Moss Adams published its final report regarding capital program best practices and effectiveness assessment https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/Council/Audit_Comm/01.%20Q42024%20Audit%20SC%20Meeting% 20-%20Agenda%20Packet%20(updated).pdf. The report criticized the City for dedicating staff time to projects with no identified funding also noting a lack of alignment between unfunded projects and the City’s priorities. The Airport Conversion project exemplifies this issue: an unfunded endeavor that diverts staff time and resources without any viable financial backing. To move forward with spending more than $2 million dollars for Sasaki to guide a project with no identified funding is an actionable but avoidable waste of public funds.

Waste of Public Funds: Moreover, upon closure of Santa Monica Airport (SMO), the 192 acres of open space will inevitably be subject to Surplus Land designation. This is simply the law. This would likely result in a dramatic increase in the City’s housing allocation, a scenario that could further exacerbate the City’s financial challenges and risk long-term Item 7-A
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Packet Pg. 687 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 7 fiscal instability. Despite these significant risks, staff recommends spending over $2 million on Sasaki’s continuation of a project that is neither legally nor financially viable.

Misrepresenting No Immediate Financial Impact: What is particularly troubling is the lack of financial transparency regarding the immediate and long-term consequences—not only of closing the airport but also of implementing the drafting principles recommended by staff. Contrary to basic common sense, staff reports have consistently stated that there is “no immediate or financial impact” associated with their recommendations. This repeated misrepresentation is deeply concerning and undermines the trust needed for sound decision-making.

The responsible course of action is clear: the Airport Conversion process should be suspended until there is full transparency about the legal and financial effects of airport closure, as well as a fiscally responsible path forward. Not closing the airport and instead evolving portions of the land for public benefit could avoid triggering the Surplus Land Act and an enormous expenditure of money we simply do not have, an option that deserves consideration yet notably absent from the staff recommendation. Without addressing these critical issues, proceeding with the project is neither prudent nor sustainable.

Council Action Required to Authorize Closure of SMO (City Attorney Memo Item 1) Misstatements Regarding Adoption of Resolution 11026: The City Attorney memorandum claims that Resolution 11026, adopted on February 28, 2017, finalized the decision to close SMO by December 31, 2028, and that no further Council action is necessary. This statement is adverse the law and facts surrounding the adoption of Resolution 11026.

A resolution is not an ordinance. The Legislature has been explicit concerning the distinction between a resolution and an ordinance. It has exacted certain "formalities" in the enactment of an ordinance by the supervisors of a county (§§ 25120- 25121), but not of their adoption of a resolution.” City of Sausalito v. County of Marin, 12 Cal.App.3d 550, 566 (Cal. Ct.

App. 1970).

A resolution is merely a declaration of intent, is not an ordinance nor local law. This is well established by case law. “A resolution is usually a mere declaration with respect to future purpose or proceedings of the board. An ordinance is a local law which is adopted with all the legal formality of a statute.” Id at 565.

However, the City’s records, prior public statements, and legal obligations contradict this assertion. A copy of a transcript from the February 28, 2017 hearing is copied below for reference.

Statements made during February 28, 2017, Council meeting—when Resolution 11026 was adopted—reinforce the that the February 28, 2017, resolution was NOT a final or irrevocable decision including the following statements:
 City Manager Rick Cole: “Yes, so this could be changed by a future Council. As a matter of fact, even a charter amendment could be changed by a future vote of the people. And in fact, even closing the airport is not a final matter…” (Feb. 28, 2017, meeting at 02:57:06).
 Councilmember Kevin McKeown: “As the City Manager told us, it is quite possible that a future city council could reverse the decision we're making tonight. So I think we and the community just need to know that this vote doesn't end the matter” (Feb. 28, 2017, meeting at 03:01:50).

These statements confirm that Resolution 11026 was a policy framework, not a definitive, irrevocable or irreversible decision. The resolution articulated an intent to close the airport but left implementation subject to future Council action and public engagement. This interpretation aligns with the subsequent 8 years of the City’s representations, actions, staff reports including, most recently at the December 9, 2024, Airport Commission meeting, where Rick Valte made the following representation:
“At the end of 2025 we go back to city council to select the preferred scenario, and that will trigger the CEQA process, which is the critical path for us to be able to close the airport.” The memorandum’s conclusion that no further Council action is required is not only legally and factually wrong, it bypasses democratic principles. The 2017 discussion regarding Resolution 11026 on February 28, 2017, lasted only 11 minutes and included just two public comments—a glaring lack of meaningful public input on one of the most consequential decisions in Santa Monica’s history. To retroactively declare that closure was decided under these circumstances is misleading and undermines public trust.

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Packet Pg. 688 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 8 CEQA Analysis Required for Closure of SMO (Memo Item 10) The City Attorney’s memo also contends that Resolution 11026 constitutes a CEQA “project approval,” triggering a 180- day statute of limitations that expired in 2017, thereby precluding further environmental review. This conclusion is legally, procedurally and ethically flawed.

This conclusion promotes environmental irresponsibility and contradicts the City's foundational pillars and policies.

Suggesting that there is no need to study the environmental consequences of closing an airport is both shortsighted and inconsistent with the City's commitment to sustainability and responsible planning.

Under CEQA, public agencies must prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for any project with potential significant environmental effects (Pub. Resources Code §§ 21100, 21151). Courts have consistently held that environmental review must occur before a public agency commits to a definitive course of action (e.g., Save Tara v. City of West Hollywood (2008) 45 Cal.4th 116; Laurel Heights Improvement Assn. v. Regents of Univ. of Cal. (1988) 47 Cal.3d 376).

Resolution 11026 fails to meet CEQA’s standard for project approval in that no EIR was prepared for the contemplated airport closure when the resolution was passed in 2017. Instead, the resolution authorized immediate runway shortening (for which an EIR timely performed) and discretionary authority to close the airport at a later date – for which no EIR was timely prepared.

The City’s April 29, 2024, Santa Monica Airport Closure Update explicitly reaffirmed that CEQA requires an EIR for closure: “The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to close the Airport…”
The City Attorney’s suggestion that stakeholders had a 180-day window in 2017 to challenge the City’s failure to prepare an EIR related to its discretionary authority to close the airport 11 years in the future, is not only legally tenuous but also undermines transparency and public accountability. For eight years, City officials have repeatedly assured stakeholders that environmental review would be conducted before closure, including through December, 2024 (se above). Attempting to reverse this position now constitutes a clear breach of trust and risks eroding public confidence in the City’s governance.

Moreover, the City Attorney’s argument effectively promotes a “gotcha” approach to CEQA compliance, shielding the City’s failure to conduct proper environmental review while disregarding its duty to engage stakeholders in a transparent and inclusive process. Such actions violate the spirit (if not the letter) of CEQA, which is designed to ensure informed decision-making and public participation.

The City Attorney’s memorandum promotes conclusions that are inconsistent with California law, the City’s own representations, and democratic principles of transparency and accountability. Resolution 11026 did not constitute an irrevocable decision to close SMO, nor did it satisfy CEQA’s requirements for environmental review.

These issues must be corrected to avoid undermining public trust and to ensure that decisions about the future of SMO are made transparently, lawfully, with meaningful community input and financial responsibility. Santa Monica deserves governance that respects the law and transparency.

Eve Lopez
Attorney
Santa Monica Resident
SMO tenant
Transcript of February 28, 2017 Santa Monica City Council Meeting (Item 8c) Video/audio: https://santamonica.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=3896 Staff report and supporting materials: https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1088 Starting at 02:52:08 (item 8c): Resolution of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Implementing the Consent Decree and Authorizing All Actions Necessary to Ensure the Closure of Santa Monica Airport Effective as of Midnight on December 31, 2028, and the Shortening of the Santa Monica Airport Runway Pending Closure Item 7-A
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Packet Pg. 689 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 9 Timestamp Speaker Statement
02:52:08 City Clerk Item 8c is the resolution of the City Council and the City of Santa Monica implementing the consent decree and authorizing all actions necessary to necessary to ensure the closure of Santa Monica airport, effective as of midnight on December 31 2028 and the shortening of the Santa Monica airport runway pending closure, and you have one, you have three requests to speak. 02:52:38 Mayor Winterer Do we have a staff report on this item, or is it self-explanatory? Assistance?
02:52:53 Rick Cole Do you want a staff report?
02:52:56 Mayor Winterer Yeah, a short and concise one, just for the public's edification and for no other region.

Yes, I think it'd be very poor form if we just start voting on things without telling people what we're voting on.
02:53:10 Rick Cole So as the council well knows, there's considerable apprehension in the community around the potential of the new administration's publicly enunciated policies to lead to family disruptions. I think you're on the wrong item. We're on H, E, on the airport resolution, oh, I apologize. I know you're in a rush to get out of here, but that's like landing on the taxiway. 02:53:53 Mayor Winterer Okay, all right. Script, we start over. 02:53:48 Rick Cole Apologize for that.
02:53:50 Rick Cole The the resolution which we're introducing with recommendations for the council to adopt it tonight, has three very straightforward provisions. The first provision is to make clear the council's official intent to close Santa Monica airport to aviation uses forever at midnight on December 31 2028 I'll come back to that in a moment. The second provision is to again make clear that the language in the consent decree for the closure of the airport that allows the city to apply for federal funding is not a provision we intend to exercise that it is not the council's desire to enter into any obligations that would extend the life of the airport beyond December 31 2028. As we
discussed earlier in the evening, the shortening of the runway can be accomplished with airport funds, and so there is no need to ask the federal government for grants, but the resolution would simply codify that understanding. And the third provision relates to the 30 day notice, which is simply a ministerial piece of the consent decree that we are in fact proceeding with a 30 day notice and tonight's action to enter into a design build contract with a ecom confirms it is the council's direction to do so.

We, the FAA does not have formal approval rights, but the FAA, we the consent decree, envisions that we would consult with the FAA on the design of the airport, which we intend to do to ensure a the safe operation of the airport as well as the safety and health of the surrounding residents. I said, we come back to the first provision. This is an item that you know, there have been considerable debate in the community about the
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Packet Pg. 690 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 10 ambiguity that people have read into the consent decree, because the consent decree, in fact, does say it is the city council's it is the city of Santa Monica's sole discretion and right and authority to close the airport at the end of 2028.

It seems to me, the vote of the people is clear. Seems to me, the consistent vote over going back 30 years by this council has been consistent, and the ambiguity that's been raised is somehow the voters and the residents of Santa Monica will change their mind. Of course, that's possible, but that is not what the voters have chosen at the polls. That is not what this unanimous City Council has consistently made clear in its previous resolution.
02:57:06 Rick Cole Yes, so this could be changed by a future Council. As a matter of fact, even a charter amendment could be changed by a few future vote of the people. And in fact, even closing the airport is not a final matter, because I suppose a future city
government could reopen the airport, but this resolution makes clear in the strongest possible terms, what has been the consistent policy of the voters and the Council, which is to close the airport at the soonest, legally possible time. That concludes the staff report.
[emph. added]
02:57:46 Mayor Winterer Any questions of staff.

In that case, we will move on to the public input. I'm going to hand it over to Mayor Pro Tem Davis briefly.
02:58:01 Mayor Pro
Tempore Davis
All right, it looks like we have three speakers, so I'll ask you all to line up our first speaker is Jerry Rubin, who I am not seeing, Zina Josephs and Joseph Schmitz
02:58:20 Zina Josephs Thank you. Yes, one of the volunteers who worked very hard to get Measure LV passed in 2014,I strongly support the resolution.

I've been hearing from people in the community who are upset about 3500 foot runway rather than a 3000 foot runway and about closure 12 long years from now, rather than, for example, in 2023 or even sooner. I've also watched the 20 minute video of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association interview with the FAA administrator Huerta, which is quite interesting to watch.

Nevertheless, the decisions have been made, and I strongly urge you to pass the resolution and back on 8A I know this is out of order, I'm curious as what to whether the audit committee meetings are posted on the city event calendar. Are they okay? 02:59:08 Mayor Pro
Tempore Davis
Thank you, Miss Joseph. Mr. Schmitz,
02:49:12 Joseph Schmitz Yes, I'm Joe Schmitz. I live in Sunset Park, and I'm glad to talk with you again. The first thing I wanted to say was that since I've been on the airport commission and before, there's been a sea change in the way the city, and particularly the staff, has dealt with the airport. I attribute that to city manager Cole and Mr.

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Packet Pg. 691 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 11 Hernandez and the city council one and all. So you done us a solid.

Specifically with respect to the staff report, you will be designing a new airfield, and there is an FAA manual that gives guidance toward that design. So you must, in fact, coordinate with the FAA as you work. And I'm sure you've seen that manual, 150, I think 35-5A a maybe. It specifies things you can and cannot do.

I've been through that for about the past three weeks, and I'm sure that you will find that in contrast to the FAA earlier position, the design guidance requires that the RSAs be fixed and not be waived. So I think you'll find that, and I believe that you will be pleased. The one thing the City Council can do is to take 1500 feet of concrete and remove it. That will be your legacy, and in the future, trying to have a longer run runway will be
considerably different. Thank you again for your work on behalf of the residents.
03:01:00 Mayor Pro Tem
Davis
Thank you, Mr. Schmidts
03:01:03 Mayor Pro Tem
Davis
That closes the public hearing.
03:01:05 Mayor Winterer All right, council members, the matter is before us any discussion, or someone like just jump into a motion. Council member McKeown.
03:01:12 Council
member
McKeown
Well, I'll be supporting all three of these actions, although I was somebody who hoped we could close the airport sooner, but I just, I feel I have to make a cautionary statement before we party like it's 2028.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has a blog or a website from which I pulled the following statement, and it's something I think we need to keep in mind. They said the seven members of the Santa Monica City Council are elected to four year terms, giving AOPA and other airport supporters an opportunity to work with new council members and identify and support candidates who are likely to advocate keeping the airport open.
03:01:50 Council
member
McKeown
And as the city manager told us, it is quite possible that a future city council could reverse the decision we're making tonight. So I think we and the community just need to know that this vote doesn't end the matter. We need to remain vigilant and make sure that airport does close.
[emph. added]
03:02:10 Mayor Winterer Mayor pro tem Davis
03:02:13 Council
member Daivs
All right, just to get the party started, I'm going to move that we direct the city manager, the city attorney and their staffs to take all actions necessary.
03:02:20 Mayor Winterer I’m gonna jump in here. I think we can just adopt the attached resolution. Okay, is that correct?
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Packet Pg. 692 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 12 03:02:24 Mayor Pro Tem
Davis
Is that all right, okay, see, I didn't look at the mayor's agenda. I just called some names. Then I move we adopt the attached resolution.
03:02:32 Mayor Winterer And I will second it, seeing no one else in the queue. So the Mayor Pro Tem has made the motion. The mayor is seconding the motion. Any discussion? If no, we will go to a roll call vote, please.
03:02:43 City Clerk Council member McKeown, yes
Council member Vasquez, yes.

Council member Hilmerich, yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Davis, yes.

Council member O'Dea, yes.

Council member O'Connor, yes.

And Mayor Winterer Yes.
03:02:55 Mayor Winterer So that passes unanimously, seven to nothing, and we'll move on to the next item.

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Packet Pg. 693 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 13 David Yakobson
From: Helen Sklar <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:49 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: In support of affordable housing at the Santa Monica Airport

EXTERNAL
Hon. Members of the Santa Monica City Council:

I am a retired lawyer and 27-year resident of Mar Vista. Since 1988, when I moved to Southern California, I have lived nearly the entire time on Los Angeles’ west. As a lawyer, I had offices in Los Angeles and for a period in Santa Monica. It is clear to me that a community’s well-being is defined in large part by the well-being of the citizenry, and the well-being of the citizenry is profoundly affected by the amount of time one spends in the car each day and the cost of housing. There is a growing shortage of affordable housing all over the west side, including Santa Monica. According to the Carnegie Endowment, this is a public health, safety, and equity issue, ….that ties directly to the health of California’s democracy. See https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2024/07/california-housing-crisis-democracy-healthlink?lang=en.

I have heard the argument that Santa Monica is not facing an affordable housing shortage. That was not supported by the data before the recent fires. With the destruction of an estimated 12,000 homes and other structures, the existing housing shortage and need for affordable housing will likely be dramatically exacerbated in a county that already has more than 75,000 homeless residents.

According to Office of Policy Development and Research, more than half of the Santa Monica’s households spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. See https://www.huduser.gov/portal/casestudies/study101821.html#:~:text=The%20city%20of%20Santa%20Monica,of%20their%20income%20on%20rent. Th e city also faces the enormous challenge of meeting the need identified in the 2021 regional housing needs allocation (RHNA): planning for an average of 1,109 new housing units annually for the next 8 years, more than two-thirds of which must be affordable. See id.

A healthy community is one that doesn’t close its eyes to fulfilling one of life’s essential needs which is housing. Santa Monica is under a state mandate to add about 9,000 new units of housing by 2029 in order to meet the housing needs of our current and future population. Of those 9,000 units, about 70% must be affordable. At this point, SM is building about 100 affordable units a year. Teachers, medical workers, firefighters and police are leaving their Santa Monica jobs because rents are so high and long commutes from other cities are not sustainable. Using a portion of the airport property for housing could help us meet the state mandate and ensure that these essential city workers continue to be able to live and work here.

Santa Monica must jump at this golden opportunity to build affordable housing as part of the airport conversion project. There is more than enough space to fulfill the very legitimate and essential goal of creating more park land, and build an affordable housing complex.

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Packet Pg. 694 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 14 Thank you.

Sincerely,
Helen Sklar
Los Angeles, CA 90066
[email protected]
310-717-7279
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Packet Pg. 695 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 15 David Yakobson
From: N Suzuki <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:47 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 7A: The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council
Affordable Housing: Preserving Santa Monica’s Diversity and Accessibility Santa Monica, once a vibrant hub of cultural and economic diversity, now faces an affordability crisis that threatens its identity and future. With the median home price exceeding $1.6 million, residents need a household income of $300,000 or more to afford a home—an unattainable figure for the vast majority of families, educators, healthcare workers, and essential service providers who form the backbone of our community.

The lack of affordable housing has led to a troubling exodus of middle- and lower-income residents, stripping Santa Monica of the rich diversity that once made it unique. Teachers who educate our children, nurses who care for us, and small business owners who drive our local economy are being pushed out, creating a city that increasingly caters only to the wealthiest.

While investments in public spaces like parks are valuable, we must strike a balance between open space and the urgent need for housing. A 200-acre park is a luxury that comes at the expense of livable homes for many. Dedicating just 10% of this land to affordable housing would create opportunities for hundreds of families to remain in Santa Monica, strengthening the community and preserving its rich character.

Affordable housing isn’t just about shelter—it’s about creating opportunities, fostering community, and ensuring that Santa Monica remains a place where people from all walks of life can thrive. It’s about preserving the soul of a city that has always been defined by its openness and inclusivity.

By prioritizing affordable housing initiatives and rethinking land use, Santa Monica can restore its legacy as a beacon of opportunity, sustain its local workforce, and build a future where everyone—not just the affluent—has a place to call home. Let’s work together to ensure that the heart of Santa Monica continues to beat for all.

Thank you so much,
Nicole Suzuki
A proud lifelong resident of Santa Monica,
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Packet Pg. 696 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 16 David Yakobson
From: Eleanor Barrett <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:46 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council:

I write to urge you to consider using part of Santa Monica Airport for affordable housing. While I understand a number of supporters are concerned about further delaying the plans for the park, I believe it is incredibly important that Santa Monica fully consider and endorse the idea of using some of this large area for mixed use, affordable housing. Please consider this request now as it is extremely important to the quality of life in Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Eleanor Barrett
Member of Santa Monica Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Item 7-A
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Packet Pg. 697 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 17 David Yakobson
From: Leslie Lambert <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:35 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; [email protected]; Ellis Raskin
Subject: Item 7A, January 28, 2025

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and Councilmembers, This is my second submission to you on Item 7A regarding reuse of the Airport Property. I am asking that you consider the impact of your actions tonight on the CIty's 7th Cycle Housing Element. As a Planning Commissioner, I was very involved in preparation and adoption of the 6th Cycle Housing Element and, because of that, have a sense of HCD's approach to certification of Housing Elements.

My first concern is HCD's likely reaction to the City's opting not to dedicate a portion of the 192 acres at the airport for affordable housing. The use of public land for housing is recognized statewide as one of the most effective approaches for producing affordable housing. If the City chooses not to pursue this approach, I suspect that HCD will question that decision.

Secondly, a new Selected Sites Inventory (SSI) must be prepared for the 7th Cycle Housing Element. The 6th Cycle document included an extensive list of properties that could be developed as housing, using the State's formula for that determination. To date, the majority of these properties are not being redeveloped as housing and will likely reappear in the 7th Cycle Housing Element. If these properties are included in the 7th Cycle Housing Element, the Element must include actions to incentivize housing development on these sites AND these sites can be developed by right if at least 20% of the proposed units are affordable to lower income households. It would, therefore, be in the City's interest to include new sites such as the airport property.

I believe the above speaks to the need for including a portion of the airport property in the 7th Cycle SSI.

The airport property need not be zoned for housing at the time the City's Housing Element is submitted to the State for certification. However, the Element must include the steps to be taken and the timeline for rezoning the property for residential use.

Thank you for your consideration.

Leslie Lambert
Sunset Park Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 698 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 18 David Yakobson
From: Colin Maduzia <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:33 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: 1/28/25 agenda item 7-A – Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear City Councilmembers.

My family and I support the staff report and the draft Guiding Principles.

We urge the City Council to approve the Guiding Principles and to continue the current Airport Conversion process, leading to the incremental development of a Great Park that is LC-compliant. That park can open for walking, skate boarding, rollerblading, and biking on Day 1 after Santa Monica Airport closes to all aeronautical use forever, at midnight on December 31, 2028.

Thanks very much for supporting long-time Sunset Park and Santa Monica residents like us in making this exciting next step in providing a space that will improve the physical and mental health of all Santa Monica residents and visitors.

Best regards,
--
Colin Maduzia
[email protected]
1725 Hill St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 699 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 19 David Yakobson
From: Chloe Scott (xWF) <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:29 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7a -Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for public use on Day One, January 1, 2029
Thank you!
Chloe
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 700 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 1 David Yakobson
From: Warren Allen <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:18 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick Subject: Item 7.A - Support for a Great Park. SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear councilmembers,
I hope you will acknowledge the enormous support from residents of Santa Monica for creation of a park on the lands occupied by the airport. I have lived in SM now for 20 years. Except for Clover Field park, there are no public park spaces that my wife and I (both seniors) feel comfortable and/or safe walking in. It is such a shame that this city is so deficient in public parkland.

Please do not waste this fabulous opportunity to create a Central Park-like public space where we can enjoy fresh air, greenery, walking trails, and recreational activities.

I am totally against using this space for business development or housing!! Sincerely,
Warren and Sarah Allen
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 701 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 2 David Yakobson
From: Dana Newbold <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:16 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council –
I am writing to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

The staff report indicates that state law preempts local land use decisions and, based on the airport closing, Santa Monica will be assigned RHNA housing targets because the airport becomes “developable land.” This is an unacceptable result that will destroy Santa Monica. This risk and potential outcome was NOT presented in either the City process or in any of the supporting organizations’ materials.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion,that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation? Absent a clear answer to all of these questions that confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Thank you for your consideration.

Dana Newbold
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 702 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 3 Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 703 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 4 David Yakobson
From: Ben <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:16 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: Amber Richane; Stelios Makrides; Rick Valte; David White; Great Park Coalition Subject: SMO: Santa Monica City Council Meeting - January 28, 2025 - Item 7a SMACP Guiding Principles - SUPPORT

EXTERNAL
RE: STRONG SUPPORT for Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

My name is Ben Wang, a homeowner in Sunset Park for over 40 years. For the past 10+ years, I have also been a proactive community organizer for SMO Future, a network of people and organizations from Santa Monica and the adjacent Westside of Los Angeles advocating for less airport pollution, noise, dangers, and costs and a better future use of our public Santa Monica Airport land.

I strongly support the closure of SMO effective midnight December 31, 2028 consistent with City Council Resolution 11026. I am also very excited to SUPPORT THE PROPOSED GUIDING PRICIPLES and re-creation of the Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for immediate public use. Please also direct City Staff to begin the application process for Federal, State, and Local Park Grants to further legally protect our public park land and demonstrate the City's unwavering commitment for this intended use.

Lastly, I want to personally thank City Staff and Sasaki for their outstanding work executing an inclusive and widespread outreach campaign. The very well-attended events, informative and user-friendly website, and online surveys have clearly and successfully gathered valuable input from Santa Monica and other impacted stakeholders. The community's voice has been heard, and the draft Guiding Principles reflect the input well.

I kindly ask you to adopt the proposed Guiding Principles and direct staff to continue the difficult and urgent work of re-creating the City’s original Great Park. Future generations will graciously look back at this pivotal period of time when City leaders, staff, and residents came together to re-envision Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 704 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 5 and transform this space into a lasting legacy of community, sustainability, and a valuable resource for all.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Ben Wang
Sunset Park 40+ Year Homeowner
Community Organizer for SMO Future
Website: https://www.smofuture.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smofuture
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 705 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 6 David Yakobson
From: Kate Tiger <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:10 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Hi City Council,
I am a ninth grader in Santa Monica and I play soccer competitively. I played Santa Monica AYSO for six years and now I play club soccer. I love playing soccer.

There aren't enough soccer fields in Santa Monica. My mom and I often drive around on the weekends, looking for an open field so I can practice my sport, and we return home disappointed. We often find the school fields locked, or taken by teams with permits. I would love to see a Great Park in Santa Monica, with lots of multi-use fields so all of us kids can play and enjoy soccer.

Thank you for considering my opinion.
-Kate Mehringer
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 706 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 7 David Yakobson
From: Neil Spears <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:07 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of our City Council,
Firstly, thank you for your leadership during the past couple of weeks of crisis. The entire city team reacted promptly and professionally, bringing clarity and comfort to our community in a very uncertain and devastating time.

The idea of converting the airport into a much richer and varied experiential space continues to make compelling sense— a newly envisioned area which is sustainable, inclusive and financially prudent and benefits the residents of Santa Monica, as they will be paying for it. However, the idea of converting the airport only into a park simply does not seem prudent for Santa Monica either financially or practically.

While the Great Park concept is exciting, it is not economically viable because:
 The city has limited resources to develop or maintain a park of this scale.  A bond measure is not feasible as there would be insufficient sources of revenue to repay the bond.

Santa Monica property owners would likely reject property tax increases.

Closing the airport at the end of 2028 with no economically viable path forward is a path to disaster. No study of the potential unintended consequences has been conducted. This raises some questions:
 How will our police department ensure safety and security of such a large unattended area, especially when they are already struggling to keep DTSM and our existing parks safe?  How will the FAA change the routes and altitudes of large aircraft landing at LAX, and will those changes cause even more noise and pollution in Santa Monica?
 How will Santa Monicans manage the operational expenses of managing a park that caters to 10 million plus LA County residents coming to visit when we already struggle with managing the operational costs of overseeing the Promenade and the beaches?
More than ten years have passed since Measure LC passed, and a lot has changed in that decade:
 Jet aircraft traffic and associated noise have decreased by 81%.  Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.  Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.  We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.

It is also important to note that Measure LC did not mandate that the airport be converted to a park. Measure LC merely mandated that no development happen at the airport site without voter approval, with certain limited exceptions including park and cultural spaces. The people voted to take local control of the land, not to turn it into a park. This very nature of Measure LC has been widely misunderstood or mischaracterized by city staff.

There is a better way. The Santa Monica Airport site can evolve into a place that is sustainable in all respects - ecologically, socially, and economically - a place that offers more recreational, educational, and entertainment opportunities, a place that can be a beacon of pride for our innovation community, and yes, even a place where people can live. 190 acres is a lot of space. The Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens in Paris are 110 acres combined. We can have a beautiful park and promote economic development at the Santa Monica Airport site.

My ask is simple - keep an open mind and encourage alternative proposals. Sasaki is great, but they were given a very specific mandate to design a Great Park. Let’s be receptive to other Great ideas.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
~Neil Spears
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 707 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 8 David Yakobson
From: Bob Rigdon <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:06 AM
To: councilmtgitems; councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
To the Members of the Santa Monica City Council:

I have been a homeowner in the Sunset Park area of Santa Monica since 1981. Almost every day, I spend time on my porch and must listen to the sound of aircraft grinding out of Santa Monica Airport and pounding across the sky headed west. The aviation part of the airport serves the interests of few users. It probably costs the city money to maintain. It was set to close aviation operations over twenty-five years ago, It has degraded the quality of my life for forty-one years. I strongly urge you not to further extend aviation purposes after the current extension of the earlier erroneous extensions.

Thank you.

Robert N. Rigdon
1019 Pier Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 708 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 9 David Yakobson
From: Christine Twining <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:03 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Cc: Kurt Outwater
Subject: Multi-Use Fields for Soccer & Other Sports

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. I also strongly support building many multi-use fields at the Great Park so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play soccer and other sports close to home.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for public use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Sincerely,
Christine Twining Outwater
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 709 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 10 David Yakobson
From: M Susan Broussard <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:02 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: Broussard M Susan
Subject: Item 7.A. - Support for a Great Park and SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
Many thanks for all you do to support the arts in our community. I am a resident of Santa Monica, and also one of more than 40 artists who currently rent studio space at the Santa Monica Airport. We artists would be devastated to lose our studios because sadly, studio space in Santa Monica is very rare and very expensive.

As important as my studio its to me, what motived me to write this email is something that I believe benefits literally the entire State of California. I hope the recent fires have taught us an important lesson about the vital value of having the Santa Monica Airport at our immediate disposal in the event of a devastating catastrophe. Firefighting helicopters and planes used the airport day and night. First responders used the airport for staging. Firefighting emergency vehicles were parked and organized at the airport.

I was not involved in any of these activities. I am just an artist tenant at the airport, and this is what I observed first hand. But I’m sure there were many more fire-response activities at the airport than I am aware of. While we consider art, nature, and athletics for the future airport, we must also seriously reevaluate our plans to ensure that whatever changes we make, we do not jeopardize our ability to immediately respond to community emergencies. We would be foolish to make changes that would make the airport no longer able to accommodate important emergency measures.

Before the fires, the airport was extremely valuable during the Covid pandemic for staging vaccination clinics and testing stations.

No one knows the future, but we would be foolish if we proceed as though we will not have unforeseen large-scale emergencies.

Thank you for reading this.

Warmest Regards,
M Susan Broussard, artist
3026 Airport Ave, Studio 21A
Santa Monica, CA 90405
M Susan Broussard (she, her)
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 710 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 11 Artist
https://susanbroussard.com/
IG: msusanbroussardart
https://www.instagram.com/msusanbroussardart/
https://ushistoryforgotten.com/
TikTok: @ushistoryforgotten.com
https://www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/297471
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrhfSYOM4cRIcLJuL-ugKyg IG: us_history_forgotten
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 711 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 12 David Yakobson
From: Erik Wile <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 11:00 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of our City Council,
I am glad you are addressing the issue of lead and noise pollution caused by aircraft at Santa Monica Airport and it's impact on airport neighbors. It is something that general aviation has swept under the rug for a LONG time.

But just like when we realized that leaded gas in cars was a problem we didn't shut down all the roads, we instead created noise limits for vehicles and stopped selling leaded gas and forced car owners make the transition to unleaded.

I live near Santa Monica airport and yes every now and then it's a little loud, but that's one of the things that makes the South side of Santa Monica more affordable. And over time I grew to enjoy watching the planes fly by. Families go to the airport observation deck every day to watch little planes take off and land. Our airport is already an amenity, not just to the flying public.

The Santa Monica airport is a great regional asset. Every time the President or Vice President attend an event in Los Angeles they use our airport. When police, news, rescue and firefighting helicopters need to refuel Santa Monica airport is often the closest resource, allowing them to spend more time working on the West Side and less time flying somewhere farther away and more congested to search for fuel.

I've read the great park proposals and watched the videos and they look fantastic. BUT, it looks extremely expensive and as proposed would make life worse for neighbors rather than better because of all the car and SUV traffic that the new park would induce. Like most amenities in Southern California it seems to be designed around people driving to and parking at the park. That is a huge mistake. We don't need to generate even more car trips and traffic. If we do turn Santa Monica airport into a great park, the only car parking spaces should be for disabled person placards and plates, everyone else should arrive at it on foot, on bike and on public transit.

The proposed designs would be extremely expensive to build, operate and maintain. There is a lot of polluted space in the existing airport which would take decades to find the money to remediate. The current designs were premised on removing all aviation operations, but especially with clean quiet electric aviation just starting to take flight at Santa Monica airport, it would be valuable to compare these designs to ones where the task was to design a park around a scaled down but still operating airport. A design firm should be tasked to propose a more affordable park plan that allows public access to a ring of green space around a downsized airport that continues to be available for quiet non-polluting electric aviation and emergency responders. Many of the amenities the Grand Park proposals talked about could still be included: great views of downtown and the ocean, a large trail system for walking and cycling in the buffer space beyond the ends of the runway, could coexist with condensed aviation support operations around the existing runway. Such a design could even highlight our cities Clover Field / Douglass aviation history.

Please don't shut down Santa Monica airport. Allowing emergency and non-polluting general aviation would have the benefit of reducing the area / cost to patrol, and retaining a source of income, and maintaining the regional asset and attraction that is the Santa Monica airport.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 712 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 13 Sincerely,
-Erik Wile
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 713 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 14 David Yakobson
From: Ian Dutton, AirSpacers Membership <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:59 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: RE: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
City Council Members:

Regarding Agenda Item 7-A, I’d like to strongly voice my advocacy to Keep Santa Monica Flying. Santa Monica Airport has been an economic powerhouse that is the single biggest contributor to the growth and success of Santa Monica. In the very recent past, Santa Monica has been benefitting economically by the profitability of Santa Monica Airport, as well as the tax revenues generated by the jobs and activity at the airport. And going forward, Santa Monica is well-positioned to be a leader in the future of sustainable air travel and the economic benefits of being at the leading edge of new technology - if Santa Monica doesn’t choose to reject it.

We moved to Santa Monica because of the access to outdoor recreation that Santa Monica offers. The beaches, the coastline and the nearby mountains offer recreational benefits and keep so much space available for our neighbors, the creatures who we enjoy sharing this world with. Adding more space which can’t be sustained economically by a cash-strapped city may actually be contra-beneficial if it is not maintained and can’t be secured. The reality is that the airport space will largely be developed for the profits of the companies involved and not city residents, and if the city were to go down that road it would be preferable to keep the airport operating.

Please consider ways to expand public access to the airport and allow the airport to coexist with other beneficial uses such as housing, public transport and open space, to preserve the economically benefit and enjoyment of future Santa Monicans.
— —
Ian Dutton
Membership Chair, AirSpacers Flying Club
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 714 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 15 David Yakobson
From: Fred Kipperman <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:54 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
My family has lived in Sunset Park for 12 years and are so proud of the city for positioning our community to live in a safer, cleaner, and healthier environment without the airport. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and efforts to make this possible.

As you know, the data gathered so far from the City's Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

With respect for your hard work,
--Fred Kipperman
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 715 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 16 David Yakobson
From: Peter A Donald <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:55 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
My name is Peter Donald. I have been a resident of the City since 1972. In addition to being a board member of The Friends of Sunset Park from the 1970s through last year, I was a member of the Airport Commission from 2011 - 2016, serving as Vice Chair and Chair at different times.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMO Conversion Project process supports overwhelmingly the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. It is time for this historic place to move into the 21st Century, serving the interests of all residents.

Sincerely,
-pdPeter A Donald
310 871-4862
[email protected]
We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.

George Bernard Shaw
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 716 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 17 David Yakobson
From: Extra Chair <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:53 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I write to you as both a Santa Monica resident and a dedicated Board Member of Santa Monica AYSO, where I've witnessed firsthand how youth soccer transforms our community. Our organization, run entirely by volunteers, provides affordable, high-quality soccer programs that make competitive sports accessible to all Santa Monica families. In my role as Extra Chair, our work ensures that children who might not otherwise afford expensive soccer clubs can still experience competitive travel soccer opportunities.

The impact of our program extends far beyond the field. Through our extensive volunteer network of parents and community members, we've cultivated a vibrant, family-oriented community within Santa Monica. These connections forge lasting friendships among local families and create the kind of strong social bonds that make our city special.

However, we face a significant challenge: Santa Monica currently lacks adequate field space for our youth sports programs. This shortage affects not just soccer, but all rectangular field sports, including lacrosse, rugby, and flag football, limiting our ability to serve our community effectively. Each year, we struggle to secure sufficient space for our children to play and practice.

This is why I strongly endorse the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the current Santa Monica Airport site. Specifically, I urge you to include multiple multi-use rectangular fields in the park's design.

These facilities would provide our children with nearby spaces to stay active and healthy while participating in soccer and other sports programs that build character and community.

I respectfully ask for your support of the proposed Guiding Principles and the creation of a Great Park that:
- Complies with Measure LC
- Maintains financial feasibility
- Remains under public ownership
- Opens for public use as soon as possible after January 1, 2029 Your support will help ensure that future generations of Santa Monica children have the space they need to play, grow, and thrive in our community.

Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 717 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 18 Chris Lloyd
Extra Program Chair
Santa Monica AYSO Region 20
ayso20.org
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Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 718 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 19 David Yakobson
From: Patti Braun <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:53 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]; Reiner Braun
Subject: January 28, 2025 City Council Meeting - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Esteemed Council Members,

As residents of Santa Monica since 1991, my husband and I are writing today to urge you to support staff’s Guiding Principles and create an expansive LC-Compliant Great Park. It has become very clear through the years that closing the dangerous and polluting airport in Sunset Park is the right thing to do, and the creation of a Great Park will be a tremendous gift to our community for generations to come.

Our city, and even our region, is park-poor. As the city densifies and more and more apartment buildings are erected, we know that these apartment dwellers especially will need more green space for recreation and exercise. This is a once-in-lifetime chance to turn the 192 acres of the Airport into an expansive park serving all our residents.

My husband and I have participated in SMAC surveys , and attended pop up events, and the community event in December. We have read with interest that the data gathered by the City’s SMAC Project process supports the restoration of Santa Monica’s original Great Park on Airport land.

The Guiding Principles you are considering tonight reflect the community’s priorities--to fill the entire 192 acres with active and passive recreational spaces, open green space and nature spaces, sports fields, community gardens and spaces that can be utilized for community connection. As someone who has been heavily involved in youth theatre and music in our SMMUSD schools, and as the founder of JAMS Theatre Company, I am especially excited about spaces that will support our local arts groups, perhaps with small, versatile, informal performance and display spaces, and areas that would allow for musicand art-making. As a PTA leader, I believe that the health and well-being of our city's children should be prioritized in your decision making.

We appreciate you reading our request to approve these Guiding Principles as drafted, and additionally ask you to direct staff to prioritize, in Phase 3, the development of and planning for a large and beautiful park that is compliant with Measure LC, and which therefore will not trigger an expensive and timeconsuming ballot measure. (The people have already voted; LC passed with a healthy majority.) Please ask City staff to explore every creative funding mechanism available to make this park possible, while retaining this parcel as public land. With this type of advance planning, the City should be ready to pull up that airport concrete and remediate the soil immediately upon airport closure.

Thank you for moving steadily toward the creation of a Great Park; you will be remembered creating something beautiful and beneficial to the health and well-being of all our citizens now and in the future.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 719 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 20 Sincerely,
Patti and Reiner Braun
Santa Monica Residents

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 720 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 21 David Yakobson
From: Tim McNeff <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:52 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Importance: High

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer with the Santa Monica Surf (Now Albion Santa Monica) Club soccer team in Santa Monica, and also with AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Tim McNeff
Tim McNeff
Vice President, Arena OperaƟons
213-392-3531 | Cell
310-330-7335 | Office
3900 W. Manchester Blvd. | Inglewood, CA | 90305
www.thekiaforum.com
This e-mail message is confidenƟal, intended only for the named recipient(s) above and may contain informaƟon that is privileged, aƩorney work product or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you have received this message in error, or are not the named recipient(s), do not read, copy or distribute the e-mail or any aƩachments. Please immediately noƟfy the sender at Ɵ[email protected] and delete this e-mail message and any aƩachments from your computer. Thank You.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 721 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 22 David Yakobson
From: MB Trautwein <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:41 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:
[Brief information about yourself, mention you're a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, and why a Great Park is important to you.]
I am a Santa Monica resident, former arts educator, and member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. The Great Park is very important to me and my family. In fact, when we moved to the city two years ago it was important for us to live in the vicinity of the airport because the prospect of this park fits our values and lifestyle.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. Santa Monicans value the outdoors, healthy lifestyles, the arts and community. The Great Park plan offers a fantastic way to support this.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
--
Mary Beth Trautwein
_________________
cell: 310-740-0253
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 722 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 23 David Yakobson
From: Kathy Knight <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:37 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
January 27, 2025
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council Members,
Joe Faris and Kathy Knight are long time residents of Santa Monica. Kathy has lived in Sunset Park for 38 years, and served
as a past President of Friends of Sunset Park for 5 years. Joe Faris has lived here for over 30 years. We care very
much about protecting and expanding natural open space in our area of the City. The population of Santa Monica has been
increasing alot since we have lived here. But the amount of open space has not, and alot more development has been
built and is planned. We need the open space for families to enjoy, for wildlife to live in, for protecting air quality for our health,
for social gatherings, for higher quality of residential living, and especially for the residents who have endured the lengthy
amount of time of living with loud noise and unhealthy air pollution. They deserve to have nature near by.

Regarding current city parks, Santa Monica has only 1.4 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, compared to 30 acres per 1,000 residents in Santa Barbara and in San Diego. Restoring the Great Park on the Santa Monica Airport land
would double park acreage in the City of Santa Monica.

The data gathered so far from the City's Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the public land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

We strongly support the letter that Friends of Sunset Park has submitted. Please help us to protect the quality of our city.

Thank you,
Kathy Knight & Joe Faris
1122 Oak St.

Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-5961
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 723 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 24 [email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 724 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 25 David Yakobson
From: Dylan Braun <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:35 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: January 28, 2025 City Council Meeting - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers,

My wife and I and our small daughter are residents of Santa Monica and live in Sunset Park. I grew up in Santa Monica, not too far from the airport. My family was relieved when the runway was shortened, which has lessened the noise and the pollution somewhat, but it has become very clear through the years that closing the airport in this residential neighborhood is the right thing to do.

We know that our city, and even our region, is park-poor. As the city continues to approve apartment buildings to be built throughout the city, we know that these apartment dwellers especially will need more green space for recreation and exercise.

Building more housing on bigger boulevards is going to be inevitable, but we also know, based on the excruciatingly slow 3:45pm to 6:45 pm southbound traffic on Walgrove, eastbound on Ocean Park Boulevard and southbound on Centinela, that housing is not the right fit for Airport land. This is a oncein-lifetime chance to turn the 192 acres of the airport into an expansive park serving all our residents.

I and my wife have participated in SMAC surveys and attended the community event in December. We know the data gathered by the City’s SMAC project process supports the restoration of Santa Monica’s original great Park on Airport land.

The guiding principles you are considering tonight reflect the community’s preference to fill that land with active and passive recreational spaces, open green space and nature spaces, sports fields, cultural facilities, community gardens and spaces that can be utilized for community connection.

I am writing to ask you to approve these guiding principles as drafted and direct staff to prioritize, in phase 3, the development of and planning for a large and beautiful Measure LC-compliant park that will not trigger a time-consuming ballot measure. (The people have already voted for what we want.) In addition, please ask City staff to explore every creative funding mechanism available to make this park possible, while retaining this as public land. With this type of advance planning, the City should be ready to pull up that airport concrete immediately upon closure.

Thank you for having the vision to create a Great Park that will be enjoyed by my children and the generations to come!

Sincerely,
Dylan Braun
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 725 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 26 Santa Monica Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 726 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 27 David Yakobson
From: Nicholas Flandro <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:34 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: SM Airport Project

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
--
Nick Flandro
773.412.8561
nickflandro.com
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 727 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 28 David Yakobson
From: Andrew Wilder <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:33 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; Amber Richane; Rick Valte Subject: Item 7.A. - SUPPORT SMAC Project Guiding Principles - Council Meeting 1/28/25

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers, Last night the Airport Commission unanimously passed a recommendation to SUPPORT the draft Guiding Principles and to direct staff to continue the process of creation of a Great Park.

I am currently in my second term serving on the Airport Commission, and was proud to vote in favor of that recommendation.

Additionally, I personally want to express my gratitude to City Staff and Sasaki for running an excellent outreach campaign. The events have been well-attended, the website is user-friendly, informative, and helpful, and the online surveys have garnered thousands of meaningful responses from Santa Monica and West Los Angeles stakeholders.

The community has been heard loud and clear, and the draft Guiding Principles are an excellent distillation of that input. I hope you will adopt the Guiding Principles as proposed, and direct staff to continue the efforts of bringing back the City's original Great Park on the airport land.

Some naysayers and NIMBYs are concerned about the possibility of housing and other, non-park development on the airport land. To that I say: There are many places in the City where we can build housing, but there is only one place where we can build a 192 acre Great Park. And, of course, as we build more housing in the coming years, we will need more parks and open space to maintain -- and improve -- quality of life in Santa Monica.

Tonight, please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC (with no additional vote), financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for public use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Andrew Wilder
Vice-Chair, Airport Commission
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 728 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 29 David Yakobson
From: Kate Holt <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:32 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7a -Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
Let’s do this!
As a long-time Santa Monica resident, I urge you to support the proposed Guiding Principles and clear the runway for take-off of our publicly-owned Great Park, compliant with Measure LC.

No more flight delays!
Together we can pilot a perfect landing on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Kate Holt
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 729 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 30 David Yakobson
From: Benjamin Kay <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:25 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers, My name is Benjamin Kay, and I am a Life and Environmental Science Instructor at Santa Monica High School and Santa Monica College. I’m just shy of a decade serving on our city’s Clean Beaches Committee and have most recently joined the Great Park Coalition Advisory Board. I also advise the young environmental scientists and advocates of SaMoHi’s Team Marine Club and am a proud Dad of two primary students in SMMUSD.

I write in support of your ongoing work incorporating the Guiding Principles as the Santa Monica Airport is converted into a LC-compliant Great Park (GP).

As an LA native and 19-year Santa Monica resident, I am elated by the GP’s prospects. Firstly, it will end the decades-long detrimental effects of airport-generated sound and chemical pollutants (e.g., lead and VOCs) on our community. Secondly, pursuant to the guiding principles, the GP will become a hub for ecological rewilding and regeneration, one that educates us about and deepens our connectivity to the natural world, key components to human health and happiness. Accordingly, at a time when many of us have been adversely impacted by climatefueled fires and anxiety over environmental and political changes, the GP promises an escape, a sanctuary for healing. Thirdly, with sustainability weaved into every facet of the GP, it will serve as a model of resilience combining multi-use offerings, educational opportunities, and ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration plus water reclamation, treatment, and storage).

I look forward to working with the city to make the GP a community lighthouse and celebrated emblem of Santa Monica and beyond. Thank you for supporting the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a GP that is compliant with Measure LC, financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for community use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 730 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 31 Sustainably Yours,
Benjamin Kay
--
__
Benjamin Kay
Adjunct Associate Professor
Life and Environmental Sciences
Co-Founder of Team Marine
Santa Monica College & Santa Monica High School
310.560.6157
><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 731 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 32 David Yakobson
From: Ryan Haid <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:26 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

Over the past couple of weeks as we watched first responder aircraft lift off from Santa Monica Airport to fight the catastrophic fires, I was reminded how critical this space is for our city’s livelihood. I was also reminded how multifaceted the use of these 190 acres can be. The idea of converting the airport into a much richer and varied experiential space continues to make compelling sense—a newly envisioned area which is sustainable, inclusive and financially prudent and benefits the residents of Santa Monica, as they will be paying for it. However, the idea of converting the airport only into a park simply does not seem prudent for Santa Monica either financially or practically.

There are no philanthropists who will donate billions of dollars to build the park. Closing the airport at the end of 2028 with no economically viable path forward is a path to disaster. No study of the potential unintended consequences has been conducted. How will our police department ensure safety and security of such a large unattended area, especially when they are already struggling to keep DTSM and our existing parks safe? How will the FAA change the routes and altitudes of large aircraft landing at LAX, and will those changes cause even more noise and pollution in Santa Monica? How will Santa Monicans manage the operational expenses of managing a park that caters to 10 million plus LA County residents coming to visit when we already struggle with managing the operational costs of overseeing the Promenade and the beaches?
More than ten years have passed since Measure LC passed, and a lot has changed in that decade.  Jet aircraft traffic and associated noise have decreased by 81%.  Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.  Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.
 We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.  The city’s financial condition is precarious.

There is a better way. The Santa Monica Airport site can evolve into a place that is sustainable in all respects - ecologically, socially, and economically - a place that offers more recreational, educational, and entertainment opportunities, a place that can be a beacon of pride for our innovation community, and yes, even a place where people Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 732 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 33 can live. 190 acres is a lot of space. The Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens in Paris are 110 acres combined. We can have a beautiful park and promote economic development at the Santa Monica Airport site.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Best,
Ryan Haid
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 733 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 34 David Yakobson
From: Tricia Crane <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:23 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; Douglas Sloan Subject: Agenda Item 7-A - OPPOSE adoption of SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
Northeast Neighbors asks this Council to delay the Airport Conversion process until after an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. (Agenda Item 7-A)
We ask that you also delay adopting the Guiding Principles.

We support the vision of a public park at the airport, but are concerned that to move forward at this time involves risks that are not fully understood.

These are some of the questions the community deserves to have answered:
1) Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units? 2) Did the 2017 City Council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of Council required to close the airport?
3) Does the City Staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?
4) If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the next RHNA housing allocation? Thank you
Tricia Crane, Chair
Member of the Board of Northeast Neighbors

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 734 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 35 David Yakobson
From: Ryan Brodley <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:17 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

While the Great Park concept is exciting, it is economically unviable. It is time to face reality and to stop misleading Santa Monicans. The city has no money to develop or maintain a park of this scale. A bond measure is unviable as there would be insufficient sources of revenue to repay the bond. Santa Monica property owners would reject property tax increases. There are no philanthropists who will donate billions of dollars to build the park. Closing the airport at the end of 2028 with no economically viable path forward is a path to disaster. No study of the potential unintended consequences has been conducted. How will our police department ensure safety and security of such a large unattended area, especially when they are already struggling to keep DTSM and our existing parks safe? How will the FAA change the routes and altitudes of large aircraft landing at LAX, and will those changes cause even more noise and pollution in Santa Monica? How will Santa Monicans manage the operational expenses of managing a park that caters to 10 million plus LA County residents coming to visit when we already struggle with managing the operational costs of overseeing the Promenade and the beaches?
More than ten years have passed since Measure LC passed, and a lot has changed in that decade.  Jet aircraft traffic and associated noise have decreased by 81%.  Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.
 Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.  We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.  The city’s financial condition is precarious.

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 735 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 36 exceptions including park and cultural spaces. The people voted to take local control of the land, not to turn it into a park. This very nature of Measure LC has been widely misunderstood or mischaracterized by city staff.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Ryan Brodley
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Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 736 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 37 David Yakobson
From: Alex Silver <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:18 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

Closing the airport at the end of 2028 with no economically viable path forward is a path to disaster. No study of the potential unintended consequences has been conducted. This raises some questions:
 How will our police department ensure safety and security of such a large unattended area, especially when they are already struggling to keep DTSM and our existing parks safe?  How will the FAA change the routes and altitudes of large aircraft landing at LAX, and will those changes cause even more noise and pollution in Santa Monica?
 How will Santa Monicans manage the operational expenses of managing a park that caters to 10 million plus LA County residents coming to visit when we already struggle with managing the operational costs of overseeing the Promenade and the beaches?
More than ten years have passed since Measure LC passed, and a lot has changed in that decade:
 Jet aircraft traffic and associated noise have decreased by 81%.  Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.  Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.
 We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 737 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 38 There is a better way. The Santa Monica Airport site can evolve into a place that is sustainable in all respects - ecologically, socially, and economically - a place that offers more recreational, educational, and entertainment opportunities, a place that can be a beacon of pride for our innovation community, and yes, even a place where people can live. 190 acres is a lot of space. The Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens in Paris are 110 acres combined. We can have a beautiful park and promote economic development at the Santa Monica Airport site.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Alex Silver
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 738 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 39 David Yakobson
From: Brian Sweeney <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:17 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7A: Please engage outside *environmental* lawyers on airport issues

EXTERNAL
Mayor Negrete and Honorable City Council Members,
I am writing to request that the City engage outside environmental lawyers (and particularly, subject matter experts on CEQA and CERCLA) to counsel the City on airport issues going forward. While we already have excellent outside counsel on airport law issues (Scott Lewis at Anderson Krieger), to my knowledge we do not yet have outside environmental counsel, and I'm concerned that -- if we don't get those issues exactly right -- we're leaving the City vulnerable to closure challenges from proairport interests and, maybe even more importantly, leaving the City unable to pay for what's likely to be a significant remediation. The bottom line is that nobody undertaking this large a project has ever said, "What a shame we brought in the CERCLA experts so early," and we can't really afford to get this wrong. A few additional thoughts to reinforce that idea:
1) CEQA walk-back: CAO's memo today appears to (very cursorily) walk back I believe about 8 years of CEQA analysis, saying that closure now doesn't require an EIR (arguing that the CEQA clock dates back to the Council resolution and thus the statute of limitations has already run). This is despite the City's repeated statements to the contrary. I'm not confident in that analysis either way, but at the very least those repeated statements to the contrary have significantly weakened the City's litigation position against any pro-airport challenges. I don't expect CAO staff to be subject matter experts here, but that's one reason we already needed outside counsel on airport environmental matters -- to not back ourselves into a corner. Of course, timeline-wise, it sounds more to me like we already should have started an EIR with lawyers -- not some initial investigation subbed out through Saski -- and now we're belatedly realizing that and trying to cross our fingers our way out of potential CEQA obligations.
2) Aeronautical fees: Not trying to relitigate this, but just to show how it would have been previously useful to have (and has been costly not to have) outside environmental counsel. Our recalculated fees did not account for the costs of environmental investigation and remediation, despite FAA regs that explicitly allow the City to do that. Maybe that was intended not to disturb the Consent Decree...but without environmental lawyers I'm not convinced that we adequately did that analysis.

And that means we may have given away a significant amount of money already (millions of dollars/year) that could have gone to remediation.
3) CERCLA: CERCLA and its deadlines are notoriously complex -- arguably the most complicated area of environmental law. Given the site's history, I am predicting there is going to be an extensive clean up. If we want to make sure we get all possible remediation dollars -- from current airport users, successors, and our federal and state governments -- it does not make sense to wait anymore to get a full accounting and to develop the legal strategy that's going to secure them. Otherwise, we're setting ourselves up for that land being left unused for any purpose, for many, many years while we Item 7-A
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Packet Pg. 739 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 40 wait for the money to clean it up, even if we legally overcome pro-airport groups' challenges to closure. That's why it's so important to get the right lawyers here now.

To sum up, I don't expect CAO to "handle" these issues in-house, but we do need CAO to hand them off to outside counsel if the City hopes to use the airport for anything in the years following closure. At the moment, we risk being penny-wise and extremely pound-foolish. **One other note: if the City wants to be innovative and get a head start on remediation, I don't see why it couldn't start a remediation effort like this now: https://e360.yale.edu/features/daniellestevenson-interview Thanks so much for your consideration of these important issues.

Best,
Brian Sweeney
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Packet Pg. 740 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 41 David Yakobson
From: Ann Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:17 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: David White; Amber Richane; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amelia Feichtner; Tony Lopez; Douglas Sloan; Steven Johnson; John Smith
Subject: January 28, 2025 City Council Meeting - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Esteemed Councilmembers:

First, I want to praise and compliment Sasaki, the Robert Group, and our City Staff SMAC Project Team led by Amber Richane. The depth and breadth of the process has been both impressive and exhausting! I feel like every week or weekend since last May I've been taking a survey, listening to a Staff presentation at a board or commission meeting, or attending a community engagement event or a community conversation. The consultants and Staff have given up many weeknights and weekend days, away from their partners and children, to get this project out to the public in a myriad of different ways. It's the most public-facing and thorough community planning process I've ever participated in in Santa Monica. So THANK YOU, Sasaki, the Robert Group, and the City Staff SMAC Project Team.

Second, I'm one of the City's Recreation and Parks Commissioners (though writing you just as a resident, not on behalf of the commission), so want to highlight a few things for Council now, especially for our newest Councilmembers:
(1) Park $$ must be used to plan a park. This $2.1M Airport Conversion Planning process is being paid for by our Parks and Recreation Development Impact Fees. Taking that money away from Parks and Rec means we've been told there's no funding for key park maintenance items such as re-turfing the heavily-used multipurpose field at airport park, which is well overdue and in poor shape. So please always keep in mind that the money paying for this SMAC Project process is ALL PARK money, that park maintenance is being deferred in real-time to accommodate this, and that makes it imperative that we be ALL about planning a PARK.
(2) Our City is notably park-poor. Santa Monica has been unequivocally park-poor by ANY measure, county, state or federal, for a very long time. Our City's park acreage was slashed in half when the federal government took over the original Great Park in World War II. It's never recovered because the City was built-out even back then. We have 1.4 acres of park and open space per 1000 residents. The standard for livability, health and wellness is a minimum of 5 acres per 1000 residents. Even once this Great Park is restored, we'll still fall well short at only 3.5 acres per 1000 residents at current population levels. We'll fall even further behind as population increases with no more open space available. Santa Monica offers only slightly more park acreage to its residents that Compton, CA does. Both cities deserve more.

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Packet Pg. 741 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 42 (3) Density must be balanced by open space. Lastly, although Santa Monica already is one of California's densest coastal cities, it has and will continue to densify. But you cannot do density without adding commensurate and significant parks, recreational space, open, and green spaces. We need to take inspiration from a city like Vancouver, which thoughtfully and intentionally has preserved tremendous open space (e.g., Stanley Park) alongside increased densification.

No one can say with 100% confidence that we'll even have a beach left in 50 or 100 years. That makes realization of this Great Park even more essential from both a livability and a sustainability standpoint. Let's move this park planning legacy project forward so that people 50, 100, 200 years from now and beyond can say - wow, they really got it right. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Ann Bowman
Resident, 28+ years
Recreation and Parks Commissioner
Great Park Coalition Organizing Committee
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Packet Pg. 742 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 43 David Yakobson
From: David Kaplan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:09 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7.A. - Support for a Great Park and SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica Council Members.

The conversion of the property that the airport has occupied should follow the Great Park Measure LC. The beach does not substitute for our lack of open and park space. The beach is a regional if not national and international place. The Park will be an open space and asset for Santa Monica and nearby neighbors. There are plentiful sites throughout the City designated for future housing. Access should primarily be from Centinela that also connects to the 10 Freeway and possibly 26th Street and the streets in between through the Business Park as well as Airport Avenue. The Facilities group should move away from the residents at the northwest corner and that entry should be minimized. It is already dangerous along the edge of Clover Park. The Airport property needs to be returned to its original use as a Park as it is the only remaining open space for Santa Monica.

Thank you
David Kaplan
Santa Monica
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Packet Pg. 743 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 44 David Yakobson
From: Mary Hubbell <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:09 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Item 7.A. - Support for a Great Park and SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and Councilmembers,
I am writing to urge you to please support the Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park at the current SMO Airport site.

I have learned how important it is to make sure this project is compliant with Measure LC. I appreciate the community outreach on this issue and have completed the surveys.

Now more than ever, we need access to nature. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to give our communities an oasis to relax, rejuvenate, and experience the benefits of engaging with nature and its inhabitants.

With appreciation,
Mary
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Packet Pg. 744 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 45 David Yakobson
From: Cheyton Jain <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:58 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

My name is Cheyton Jain, and I'm a local just writing in regarding the SMAC Project. I'll keep it short but I'm writing in support of restoring the original Great Park. In a time where the amount of green space worldwide is shrinking, it's a rare opportunity to be able to create some. This seems like the perfect way to do that.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Cheyton Jain
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Packet Pg. 745 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 46 David Yakobson
From: Christian Fry <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:54 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE Dear City Council Members,
As a resident of our community for over 25 years, I sincerely thank you for your leadership during the Palisades fire and for keeping our city safe.

I am writing today to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process, do not adopt the Guiding Principles, or instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land. The notion of converting the airport solely into a park does not appear to be prudent for Santa Monica, either financially or practically.

Our city’s financial condition has changed dramatically since the council’s closure vote in 2017. Any comprehensive discussion about the airport’s future should include an evaluation of its current and future financial value, its significance during times of disaster, and its capability to serve the majority of our residents with the emerging electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), as well as its future role in regional transportation.

While the Great Park concept is intriguing, it is not economically feasible. The city lacks the funds to develop or maintain a park of this size. Any visioning process regarding the airport’s future should consider the option of allowing the airport to continue operating, which would incur no costs for the city and its residents, provide open space and parkland, and enhance its economic and transportation advantages for the community.

Over the past few weeks, as we watched first responder aircraft take off from Santa Monica Airport to combat the catastrophic local fires, I was reminded of how critical this facility is for our city’s safety and livelihood, as well as how multifaceted this site can be for our community.

Thank you for your consideration and service to our city.

Sincerely,
Christian Fry
North of Wilshire Resident & Voter
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Packet Pg. 746 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 47 David Yakobson
From: Rachel Powell <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 10:00 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Supporting the Great Park

EXTERNAL
Hope your New Year is going well and your family is safe from the recent fire tragedies! I am a forty-year Santa Monica resident - and board member of WilMont - participant /host in the City's Equity events and listening sessions and a career mentor at Samohi.

I ask you to please approve the proposal to move forward with the much needed Great Park.

Sincere thanks,
Rachel Powell
Wilmont Board of Directors
Writer|Creative Consultant (WGA)
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Packet Pg. 747 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 48 David Yakobson
From: Sean Beck <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:50 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of our City Council,
I'm messaging you today to request that you consider keeping the airport open as one of the options on the table. We absolutely should evaluate investing and improving the area, and even investigate alternative land uses with this study, but only considering complete elimination of the airport ignores the many benefits of the airport, and ignores the many costs and problems created with its alternatives. There are many improvements that can be made to the land to improve public access and encourage nature and culture, while still maintaining this piece of critical infrastructure. And this past month we've seen the further public safety benefits the airport can have if properly kept open and stationing critical air assets there, which would save critical minutes stopping fires as soon as they break out, instead of flying in from far away airports allowing the fire to grow further. Overall at surface level, a "great park" sounds, well great, but once you dive into the details of the high costs which would need to be offset by selling or leasing land for other uses, the many problems this creates for the city and local area start to add up. Please consider maintaining this critical infrastructure, and please read further for more details on why I know the airport is important.

Starting off, thank you for your leadership during the past couple of weeks of crisis. The entire city team reacted promptly and professionally, bringing clarity and comfort to our community in a very uncertain and devastating time. Over the past couple of weeks as we watched first responder aircraft lift off from Santa Monica Airport to fight the catastrophic fires, I was reminded how critical this space is for our city’s livelihood. I was also reminded how multifaceted the use of these 190 acres can be. The idea of converting the airport into a much richer and varied experiential space continues to make compelling sense—a newly envisioned area which is sustainable, inclusive and financially prudent and benefits the residents of Santa Monica, as they will be paying for it. However, the idea of converting the airport only into a park simply does not seem prudent for Santa Monica either financially or practically.

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Packet Pg. 748 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 49  Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.
 Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.  We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.  The city’s financial condition is precarious.

Thank you for your service to our city,
Sean Beck
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Packet Pg. 749 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 50 David Yakobson
From: Dixie Sellers <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:45 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Dixie Sellers
21st St, Sunset Park Neighborhood
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Packet Pg. 750 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 51 David Yakobson
From: Mike Mittendorff <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:45 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; [email protected]; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids love playing sports in Santa Monica, and have many years to grow in this special city we are raising them in. There are more than 2500 local kids that need spaces to play their beloved sports and grow in Santa Monica, and so many families that are already here that deserve open space to thrive.

We cannot have more housing and overcrowding where there needs to be open space.

Kind Regards,
Mike Mittendorff
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Packet Pg. 751 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 52 David Yakobson
From: Barbara Kaplan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:45 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Subject: Item 7- The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers:

I am writing to show my support for the "Guiding Principles" for a Great Park that is Measure LC Compliant. It is my understanding that the airport land was purchased initially for a park and it is my wish as a resident of Santa Monica for 45 years, that this initial vision is fulfilled.

Sincerely,
Barbara Kaplan
2419 Pier Avenue
Santa Monica 90405
--
Barbara Kaplan | KCK ARCHITECTS
2526 Eighteenth Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310 | 452 | 7505
www.kckarchitects.com
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Packet Pg. 752 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 53 David Yakobson
From: Bee Barba-Padilla <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:39 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Attachments: Guiding Principles DRAFT.pdf

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Council Members:

My name is Bee Barba-Padilla and I'm a California Climate Action Corp Fellow formerly with the City of Santa Monica's Community Gardens Program and currently with FoodCycle. I live and work in Santa Monica, currently partnering with the Resource Recovery and Recycling department to ensure local Santa Monica businesses are in compliance with SB1383, keeping food out of landfills and feeding communities facing food insecurity in L.A.

My family has been in Santa Monica for 3 generations. I'm in full support of the SM Airport Project conversion efforts into a Great Park that is inclusive of urban greening, urban agriculture and Land Back conversations with local Indigenous elders. While I was a fellow I started a Culture & Equity:

Land Back subcommittee as a member of the 19th street Urban Farm & Wellness Garden. I hope some of these conversations and efforts toward equity and inclusion within the Community Gardens Advisory Committee continue as well.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

I'm happy to speak with you more in the future!
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Bee Barba-Padilla
--
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Bee Barba-Padilla
California Climate Action Corps Fellow @ FoodCycle LA
323-894-4240 | [email protected]
https://www.foodcyclela.org/

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Packet Pg. 753 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 30 DRAFT Guiding Principles
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Packet Pg. 754 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 31 Project Mission:

The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project is a
once-in-a-lifetime planning effort for Santa Monica
to create a preferred scenario centered on a great
park, consistent with Measure LC. The future
scenario will enhance connections to the rest of
the city, create a quality public realm, and increase
the quality of life for the residents, workers, and
visitors of Santa Monica.

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Packet Pg. 755 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 32 What are Guiding Principles?
In the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project context, Guiding Principles are value statements describing the aspirations and expectations for the conversion of Santa Monica’s future “Great Park” and supporting uses.

The guiding principles are distilled from community engagement through online surveys, community member comments, in-person workshops, community conversations, and pop-up events, as well as from adopted City policy. These principles will be used to explore design proposals and serve as definitions of success. The design team will use these principles to vet and evaluate park features, amenities, programs, technical performance requirements, financial strategies, phasing, and implementation approaches. Each guiding principle is organized through a thesis, a description, and key goals. The thesis is the banner statement, providing the value declaration. The description expands on the thesis to explain the breadth and depth of the concept.

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Packet Pg. 756 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 33 GP1) START WITH NATURE
Project design should consider the impact of any future intervention on the natural environment, and the airport land’s ability to regenerate species and build community resiliency against climate change. This project should include curated planting areas and restoration or ‘rewilding’ spaces, celebrating pollinator gardens, showcasing local biodiversity, and demonstrating ecosystem services. This project should exemplify Santa Monica’s climate goals, provide climate resilience, and be a model for sustainable stewardship. The creation and operations of the project should not deplete natural resources. The project should be designed to serve many generations and contribute to a regenerative urban ecology.

Description
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Packet Pg. 757 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 34 GP1) START WITH NATURE
• The project should have spaces where visitors can be immersed in nature. • The project should celebrate local and regional plant and animal communities.

This includes areas dedicated to meaningful habitat creation through restoration planting, reforestation, rewilding, and planning for ecological succession. The project should support animal habitats, including gardens and species that feed and shelter insects, birds, amphibians, and mammals.
• The project should restore the land after 100 years of aviation operations and uphold the original intention to enhance park and public open spaces in Santa Monica.
• The project should support a wide variety of plants and plant communities by creating microclimates based on topographical and hydrological design. • The project's green infrastructure should showcase ecosystem services, such as stormwater management, and sustainable municipal facilities, and be used to support biodiversity.
• The project’s landscapes should only use reclaimed water for irrigation and the designers will prioritize drought-resistant and adaptive, low-water use planting and indigenous planting strategies.

Goals
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Packet Pg. 758 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 35 GP1) START WITH NATURE
Examples of uses from the survey:

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Packet Pg. 759 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 36 GP2) INSPIRE WONDER
The project should connect individuals in powerful and far-reaching ways uniting people of all backgrounds and ages in meaning, happiness, and heightened energy. The project should support planned and unexpected wonder and connection. Spaces for events, athletics, and celebrations should be designed to complement and work with ecological programs, either for community gatherings or limited to a single visitor experience. The project should support, enable, and showcase creativity and art. The project should provide a diversity of play experiences for all age groups, and highlight inclusive play that engages nature, natural elements, and healthy activity.

The project should feel safe and welcoming to all. The project should enable accessible mobility, provide spaces for rest and sport, and include supportive mobility infrastructure, so all visitors can enjoy the park experience when they arrive.

Description
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Packet Pg. 760 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 37 • The project should be a place for visual art, supporting art in public space, and the creation of art.
• Play should integrate park design, with a diversity of inclusive play typologies including imagination, adventure, athletics, sports, interactions with nature, and exploration.
• Play should not be limited to playgrounds or certain age groups. Play could include curated nature experiences, interactive art and water features, exercise, signage and wayfinding, and even collaborative creation spaces. • The design should be culturally and generationally inclusive, and prioritize safety, belonging, and comfort for the diversity of our community’s population. • Wayfinding, interpretation, and storytelling should be multimodal to create an intuitive experience for all visitors, regardless of age, culture, or ability. • The project should include ‘active’ and ‘quiet’ spaces and programs, providing amenities and places that will feel inviting, exciting, and comfortable for the full spectrum of human physicality and neurodiversity.
• Showcasing the site’s legacy of innovation and creativity of the physical environment, inspiring civic pride, and amplifying the safety and care of future generations are important.

Goals
GP2) INSPIRE WONDER
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Packet Pg. 761 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 38 GP2) INSPIRE WONDER
Examples of uses from the survey:

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Packet Pg. 762 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 39 GP3) BALANCE ECONOMICS
This project should achieve economic equilibrium by balancing revenue with construction, operations, maintenance, and programming costs. This principle suggests that capital investments be strategic and vetted, balancing the programmatic needs of the project with the financial plans, agreements, and strategies needed to fund those investments. Financial responsibility for the project to be defined as the composite of revenue-generating activities, capital strategies, and funding allocations required to avoid an unfunded liability for the City government, shall be adhered to. The project infrastructure should anticipate a fossil-free future, and a warmer, less stable climate. The project economy should target circularity, with zero-waste goals for construction and operations plans, net-zero energy, and a high standard of water self-sufficiency.

Description
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Packet Pg. 763 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 40 • The combined income from the site’s land uses and amenities should provide suitable income for the operations, maintenance, and programming expenses needed to keep the project in good condition. • The project capital costs should be linked to a reliable funding source(s). • Project elements should balance more expensive amenities with lower-cost project uses. Higher revenuegenerating uses should balance low or no revenue-generating uses. • High-value investment programs should provide clear and defensible community benefits for the Santa Monica community.
• Project features should be brought online incrementally as funding allows. Innovative financing structures, such as a ‘Friends of’ or ‘Creative Financing District,’ or athletic league sponsorships, may be explored. • Landscape and buildings within the Santa Monica Airport site should be net zero energy for future operations through on-site energy production, energy efficiency, and electrification of all systems. • The project should mitigate local climate change impacts and provide a heat refuge for Santa Monica community members in the future to build resiliency for the environment, municipal operations, and regional economy.
• The project should minimize demolition waste by prioritizing reusing and recycling existing materials and structures and should have a waste management plan for future project operations. This plan may include on-site green waste processing, such as compositing.
• Potable water uses should be limited to where necessary for drinking water or cooling stations. Any future water features should be water efficient and recirculating. Stormwater should be managed on-site, captured, infiltrated, detained, and treated through green infrastructure systems.

Goals
GP3) BALANCE ECONOMICS
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 764 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 41 GP3) BALANCE ECONOMICS
Examples of uses from the survey:

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 765 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 42 GP4) AMPLIFY VERSATILITY
The project should be vibrant in the ‘every day’ and the ‘big day,’ working for the Santa Monica community for large events and unprogrammed day-to-day activities with active and passive amenities. Flexibility in public spaces and programs should allow for different uses to cohabitate, and for the site to adapt to changing needs over time. As an intergenerational space, the project should anticipate fluctuations in community interest for certain uses and activities, and be able to reorganize accordingly. This project should prioritize versatility, so visitors of many backgrounds, needs, exercise goals, and recreational desires can use individual spaces or programs. At the same time, the project programs should be immediately useful to visitors, with programs that maximize utilization and active recreation. Partnered with project programs should be operations and maintenance facilities - and these facilities will need to be developed in a bespoke manner matching the versatility and requirements needed to support a high standard of care for the project and future recreation facilities.

The project should contribute to physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, regardless of users' religion, ability, or age. Physical well-being should be enhanced and celebrated through group amenities, sports fields and courts, and individual fitness infrastructures. Mental and spiritual well-being should include spaces specifically dedicated to mindfulness and presence.

Description
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 766 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 43 • The project should prioritize amenities that enable consistent and regular use. • The project should balance specific action-oriented high-use programs with flexible and passive spaces.
• The project should support performing arts, such as providing spaces for music, dance, theatrical productions, and more.
• The project should welcome large groups for big events, small groups, and individuals for personal recreation and wellness, and will choreograph many simultaneous experiences and uses in harmony.
• The project should invite visitors from all cultural backgrounds to share a sense of community and collective ownership and include spaces to host cultural celebrations. • The project should limit single-use programs to those meeting specific recreational needs or providing a clear revenue opportunity to support the park’s operations. This should include both free programs and amenities and ticketed programs, event spaces, or recreational facilities. • The project should support active recreation for groups such as flexible fields and courts. The project should include individual fitness infrastructure, such as outdoor equipment for strength/flexibility training.
• The project should support running, walking, and biking, providing many trail experiences that complement the City’s existing trail and bicycle networks. • The project should prioritize biking/walking/transit to the site. • The project should include spaces for meditation, with dedicated spaces for contemplative rest, like forest bathing, or active mindfulness, like yoga decks and sensory gardens.

Goals
GP4) AMPLIFY VERSATILITY
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 767 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 44 GP4) AMPLIFY VERSATILITY
Examples of uses from the survey:

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 768 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 45 GP5) CELEBRATE PLACE
Santa Monica is an iconic city, with a unique history and culture, and the airport site has witnessed many eras of historic significance. The future project should embrace the layers of the site’s history, and share the stories of the place and region, from pre-colonial to the history of aviation on the site. The planting and materiality of the project should be contextual to the current airport and wider community architectural and horticultural expressions. The project should value and celebrate the wider connections to the sea, the mountains, and the city as well as the innovation and inspiration histories of this place. The project should invite visitors from all cultural backgrounds to share a sense of community and collective ownership and provide spaces for cultural celebrations. Celebrating place is both about honoring the past and empowering our future.

Description
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 769 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 46 • The project should have a unique sense of place - or genius loci - where visitors must know they are here, within Santa Monica, and nowhere else in the world. • The project should acknowledge and celebrate the history of this place, both the pre-colonial regional history and the history of aviation on site.
• The project should adaptively reuse buildings of cultural interest and structural viability, and celebrate the history of the uses of those buildings in parallel with supporting new programs. • The project should recognize and enhance the important role of the current museums, art galleries, maker spaces, theater, and play in the project and continue those uses in the future design. • The planting design should include local native species and plant communities, and reference existing City planting typologies.
• The materials should prioritize material reuse on-site, and regional and local materials and products. • The project should reinforce key viewsheds, strategic gateways with multi-modal connectivity, and activities that reflect and enhance the relationships to the sea, mountains, and urban community. • The project should attempt to accommodate event spaces for small and large events, including anticipatory infrastructure, such as stages, media, power, and lighting. • The approach to the project should celebrate the uniqueness of place, gateway experiences, and pedestrian and bicycle mobility, fitting the Santa Monica commitment and culture of prioritizing carbon-free mobility.

Goals
GP5) CELEBRATE PLACE
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 770 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 47 GP5) CELEBRATE PLACE
Examples of uses from the survey:

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 771 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa 55 David Yakobson
From: Alejandra Villeda
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:42 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Diane Reynolds; Diana Hernandez; Stelios Makrides
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Attachments: 1-27-25 AC Approved Motion for CC.pdf
Dear City Council,
On behalf of the Airport Commission, please find the attached recommendation for item 7.a., which was unanimously approved during our regular meeting on Monday, January 27, 2025.

Thank you.

Kind regards,
Ale Villeda
Staff Assistant III
Office: (310) 458-8591
Direct: (310) 458-2201 ext. 5738
santamonica.gov
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Subscribe to City of Santa Monica Email Updates
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 772 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120

To: Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, City Council Members, and City Manager David White
From: Diane Reynolds, Chair, Santa Monica Airport Commission Date: January 28, 2025
Subject: 1/27/2025 Airport Commission Recommendation to City Council On January 27, 2025, the Airport Commission unanimously passed the following motion:

Motion to Recommend Adoption of Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Draft Guiding Principles and Feasibility Analysis

Whereas:

1. The Santa Monica Airport is scheduled for closure effective December 31, 2028, as authorized by the 2017 Consent Decree and Council Resolution 11026;

2. Measure LC provides a clear legal framework for parks, open spaces, and public recreational uses post-closure without requiring voter approval;

3. The Santa Monica Airport site represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create approximately 192 acres of park and open space, a scale unmatched anywhere else in the City;

4. Increasing housing density across the City necessitates greater access to parks and open spaces to maintain and enhance quality of life;

5. The draft Guiding Principles reflect extensive community engagement, input, and support, and align with the City’s sustainability, equity, and economic goals.

Now, therefore: The Airport Commission recommends that Santa Monica City Council:

1. Adopt the draft Guiding Principles as proposed.

2. Authorize staff to commence feasibility studies for three alternative planning scenarios based on the draft Guiding Principles.

3. Direct staff to explore the feasibility of the spectrum of community preferred land uses, including at least one – and ideally two – scenarios consistent with Measure LC without a vote.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 773 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120

4. Authorize staff to explore the feasibility of traditional and innovative financing structures and explore alternative organizational structures and/or partnerships to construct, operate, maintain, program, and manage the site – and to encourage staff to seek out creative financing strategies that support incremental implementation.

Diane Reynolds, Chair Joe Pertel, Commissioner
Andrew Wilder, Vice-Chair Geoff Neri, Commissioner
Santa Monica Airport Commission Margaret Griffin, Commissioner Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 774 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 56 David Yakobson
From: Belinda Waymouth, Positive Environmental Info <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:34 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

As a keen gardener and outdoor space enthusiast (surfer, hiker) I have an acute appreciation of the importance of nature to our well being and quality of life. Cities with fabulous parks and abundant green spaces are the best urban enviornments for the future we’re facing. AND, they make the cities where planners have (and had) the foresight to incorporate parks into a cityscape, the standout beautiful cities of the world - London for one, Auckland, New Zealand for another!

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Belinda Waymouth
GOOD Eco News Creator
Environmental Journalist
Twitter/IG @BelindaWaymouth
Tel: 310-993-7791
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 775 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 57 David Yakobson
From: Hope Muller-Tabanera <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:31 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Hi,
I’m a Santa Monica resident and thrilled about the upcoming park project replacing the SM airport. As someone who spent much time in NYC, it was always wonderful having Central Park as a spot where all of the community can gather for an afternoon run, a rest by the pond, a weekend soccer game or a family picnic. Santa Monica lacks substantial parks and playgrounds where children and youth (and adults) can immerse themselves in nature and forget they live in an urban setting for a few hours.

In addition to all the benefits the park will offer the air and environment, it will be compelling for the community. People are drawn to live near parks because they are transformative for communities.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC.

Have a great day,
Hope Muller Tabanera
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 776 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 58 David Yakobson
From: Tristan Convert <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:22 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

I'm Tristan Convert, the Secretary of the Los Angeles Petanque Club, founded in 1984 and boasting 150 members. We're aiming at saving a hangar for winter play.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you and kind regards,
___
Tristan Vladimir Pierre Convert
Creator, LAPC Secretary
Imdb
LinkedIn
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed and may contain information that is confidential or be the subject of legal privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify Tristan Convert by replying to this email and then delete this message from your system ; you must not copy, distribute or show content to any other party.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 777 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 59 David Yakobson
From: Diane Reynolds
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:20 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Importance: High
To: Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, City Council Members, and City Manager David White
From: Diane Reynolds, Chair, Santa Monica Airport Commission Date: January 28, 2025
Subject: 1/27/2025 Airport Commission Recommendation to City Council

On January 27, 2025, the Airport Commission unanimously passed the following motion:

Motion to Recommend Adoption of Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Draft Guiding Principles and Feasibility Analysis
Whereas:

1. The Santa Monica Airport is scheduled for closure effective December 31, 2028, as authorized by the 2017 Consent Decree and Council Resolution 11026;

2. Measure LC provides a clear legal framework for parks, open spaces, and public recreational uses postclosure without requiring voter approval;

3. The Santa Monica Airport site represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create approximately 192 acres of park and open space, a scale unmatched anywhere else in the City;

4. Increasing housing density across the City necessitates greater access to parks and open spaces to maintain and enhance quality of life;

5. The draft Guiding Principles reflect extensive community engagement, input, and support, and align with the City’s sustainability, equity, and economic goals.

Now, therefore: The Airport Commission recommends that Santa Monica City Council:

1. Adopt the draft Guiding Principles as proposed.

2. Authorize staff to commence feasibility studies for three alternative planning scenarios based on the draft Guiding Principles.

3. Direct staff to explore the feasibility of the spectrum of community preferred land uses, including at least one – and ideally two – scenarios consistent with Measure LC without a vote.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 778 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 60 4. Authorize staff to explore the feasibility of traditional and innovative financing structures and explore alternative organizational structures and/or partnerships to construct, operate, maintain, program, and manage the site – and to encourage staff to seek out creative financing strategies that support incremental implementation.

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 779 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 61 David Yakobson
From: S Ruth <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:14 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
To: [email protected], [email protected], caroli [email protected], [email protected], ellis.raskin@sant amonica.gov, [email protected], natalya.zernitskaya@santamonica .gov, [email protected],
[email protected]
Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE Dear City Council –
I am writing to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

While I would love to see a park, the staff report indicates that state law preempts local land use decisions and, based on the airport closing, Santa Monica will be assigned RHNA housing targets because the airport becomes “developable land.” This is an unacceptable result that will destroy Santa Monica. This risk and potential outcome was NOT presented in either the City process or in any of the supporting organizations’ materials.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle? Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 780 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 62 4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation?
Absent a clear answer to all of these questions that confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Thank you for your consideration.

Steven J Ruth
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
1501 Georgina Ave, Santa Monica, CA
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 781 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 63 David Yakobson
From: Samantha Sugar <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:11 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: PARK WITH FIELDS!

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

Thank you for the work you do. My children attend Santa Monica schools and participate in Santa Monica sports.

Sincerely,
Samantha Sugar
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 782 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 64 David Yakobson
From: Marlene Suzuki <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:08 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item7A SM “Great Park”and “Great City”

EXTERNAL
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

To the mayor and city council:

1. I recommend that we see the elephant in the room. There’s no affordable housing in Santa Monica . Look at the attached home price key showing no affordable housing in Santa Monica.

2. We should be building, high end to lower end housing. We could build high end townhouses, condos and lower end apartments surrounding the rim of the park about 200 feet all around.

3. We could sell these units to pay for the creation of the park so we don’t have to sell our park to investors and private parties who they sell out and then we do everything.

4. We can make a homeowners association whose dues will cover the maintenance of the park.

It’d be nice to have a great park but we need affordable housing but with this plan we would have both.

If we have a multi income properties we would have diversity. We can be proud of our great city. All would be working together as a whole. Please look at the majority race. Diversity around the park would bring race together, not just benefits to the whites.

Please look at the household income key. You can see we need diversity and this is a great opportunity for Santa Monica to shine a bright light on our city. We can learn from each other and work together. We have plenty of green space with other space such as our mountains and our beaches.

We need places to live, places to grow our orchards and gardens. We need to make a lifestyle change here in Santa Monica . It’s a win-win for everyone.

Pico neighborhood has been a unique wonderful example with its racial, income, and age blend.

In the 20s, the airport was farms. The farms were taken over to make a park, then the park, during the war , was taken over to make an airport for the military.

Let’s finally stop the segregation by having these high end condos and townhouses and low end apartments along the border. This gives many people access to this great park. It could Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 783 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 65 be a great city not just a great park. We’ve taken advantage of segregation in the past. Let’s try and do better moving forward. Thank you, Marlene Suzuki Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

Subject: 3 slides for great park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 784 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 66 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 785 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 67 David Yakobson
From: Daniel Galamba <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:08 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
I am writing to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

While I would like to see a park with adequate protections to prevent it from becoming a homeless encampment infested with crime, the staff report indicates that state law preempts local land use decisions and, based on the airport closing, Santa Monica will be assigned RHNA housing targets because the airport becomes “developable land.” This is an unacceptable result that will destroy Santa Monica. This risk and potential outcome was NOT presented in either the City process or in any of the supporting organizations’ materials.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation?
Absent a clear answer to all of these questions that confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for the City Council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Dr Daniel Galamba
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 786 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 68 David Yakobson
From: Tim Cashin <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:07 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

Jet aircraft traffic and associated noise have decreased by 81%.

Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.

Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.

We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.

We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.

The city’s financial condition is precarious.

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 787 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 69 exceptions including park and cultural spaces. The people voted to take local control of the land, not to turn it into a park. This very nature of Measure LC has been widely misunderstood or mischaracterized by city staff.

My request is simple - keep an open mind and encourage alternative proposals. Sasaki is great, but they were given a very specific mandate to design a Great Park. Let’s be receptive to other Great ideas.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Tim Cashin
Santa Monica, CA
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 788 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 70 David Yakobson
From: mmoody <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:02 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Thank you for your consideration.

Sally Hibbard
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 789 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 71 Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 790 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 72 David Yakobson
From: Megan Rozsypal-Hilterbran <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:01 AM
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a west LA resident, raising my family in Los Angeles. I currently use the park to teach fitness classes, celebrate kids birthdays, and walking around on the path to enjoy the outside and our beautiful weather.

Sincerely and thank you,
Megan Hilterbran
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 791 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 73 David Yakobson
From: Meggie Akerson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:01 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family locally here. I have 2 elementary kids and both play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO (and my husband volunteers his time as a coach as well), the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. We are also involved in Santa Monica Little League and other sports leagues that greatly utilize field space here in Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Meggie Akerson
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 792 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 74 David Yakobson
From: Cris Gutierrez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:53 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: David White; Cynthia Rose; Climate Action; Team Marine; Scott Morris; [email protected]
Subject: Support of Agenda Item 7A: Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles
Attachments: EnvOrgs_SMACGdgPrinciples012825.pdf

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and City Council Members:

Please find our attached letter from local environmental groups in support of Agenda Item 7A: Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles.

Sincerely,
Cris Gutierrez
Great Park Coalition Advisor
SaMo Safe Streets Alliance Co-Chair
Climate Action Santa Monica Advisor
With gratitude to and in recognition of the Gabrielino-Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional land I live, learn, work and care for Earth Mother
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 793 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 28 January 2025
In support of Agenda Item 7-A
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and City Council Members:

For more than 30 years, embraced by the mountains and Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica has led on sustainability, renowned for its aspirations and accomplishments, influencing and inspiring cities across the state, nation, and world. As Santa Monica’s local environmental leaders and organizations, we are writing on Agenda Item 7-A in support of the proposed Airport Conversion Guiding Principles and the creation of a publicly-owned Great Park adhering to Measure LC, a Great Park, financially-feasible and open for public use on January 1, 2029.

We have been working with the City and community for decades to build our community to care for, protect and nourish our natural ecosystems and varied habitats that sustain our lives and health. We have sought to confront our climate crisis and create the infrastructure, policies, practices and programs, as well as daily habits, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. From STEAM-based, student-led research and activism to climate actions, safe streets, and sustainable mobility; from community gardens and low-carbon initiatives to ecological remediation, clean-green energy, and more, our work now leads us eagerly to join the Great Park Coalition and help bring forth a Great Park for Santa Monica.

It is thrilling to learn that this Great Park could further help us implement our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and honor the Sustainability Rights Ordinance (SRO), “including recognizing both the rights of natural communities and ecosystems within Santa Monica to exist, thrive and evolve and the rights of the individual human beings that make up the City of Santa Monica to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.” A model for cities, the SRO is now part of Santa Monica’s Municipal Code: Sustainability Code.

We are encouraged that our City Staff is seriously considering the Living Community Challenge, which declares, “Imagine communities that function like a forest ecosystem.” What a profound inspiration and imperative such an opportunity can be for Santa Monica and our community enhanced by a Great Park. The Guiding Principles Balance Economics and Celebrate Place also set a potential path for significant implementation of green infrastructure and creative, sustainable job growth, with good-paying Santa Monica and California green jobs for decent living.

The Palisades and Eaton Fires are teaching us how vital it is to understand, deepen and extend our relationship with Nature as we nurture our relationships with each other. It has taken remarkable vision, knowledge, understanding and decisions of many of our City Councils that have been forthright and courageous, with confidence and community support over decades, in the Anthropocene, to get us this far in strengthening our sustainability and advancing the closing of the Santa Monica Airport.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 794 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 We trust that Council will now affirm the proposed Guiding Principles for a Great Park in compliance with Measure LC and continue Santa Monica’s vitality.

With respect and gratitude,
Great Park Coalition Supporters:

Climate Action Santa Monica
Santa Monica Spoke
Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance
Team Marine
The Low Carbon Initiative

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 795 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 75 David Yakobson
From: JC Dubois <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:51 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I have been a resident of Santa Monica for over a decade and love the city so much! I live with my wife and two young sons in Sunset Park a few blocks away from the Santa Monica airport.

My kids go to school at Grant Elementary school. They and their friends from school play soccer together in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1,500 local kids. However, AYSO has been experiencing challenges to find local fields in Santa Monica available to practice soccer during the week and play games on the weekend against neighboring cities for the last couple of years, and unfortunately had to cancel several practice sessions and games during the season due to the lack of fields available, creating a huge disappointment and confusion for the kids.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. It would be wonderful if we could build many multi-use fields at the Great Park so our kids can stay active & healthy, play soccer and all kinds of sports close to home.

Sincerely,
Jean-Christophe Dubois
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 796 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 76 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:48 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 797 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 77 It is also important to note that Measure LC did not mandate that the airport be converted to a park. Measure LC merely mandated that no development happen at the airport site without voter approval, with certain limited exceptions including park and cultural spaces. The people voted to take local control of the land, not to turn it into a park. This very nature of Measure LC has been widely misunderstood or mischaracterized by city staff.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Ardythe Goergens Moriana
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 798 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 78 David Yakobson
From: Susanne Mitschke <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:42 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and dear members of the City Council, Thank you for your leadership and commitment to Santa Monica.

I am writing to express my concerns about the public health implications of closing the Santa Monica Airport. As someone with a background in public health, I believe this decision could pose significant risks to our community’s safety and resilience while raising serious doubts about the practicality of proposed alternatives, like the park project.

The airport has repeatedly proven to be an essential asset for emergency response. During recent wildfires, it served as a critical base for firefighting aircraft, protecting lives, property, and air quality across the region. In addition to wildfires, the airport’s capacity to function as a disaster relief hub— supporting medical supply transport, first responders, and evacuation efforts—makes it irreplaceable in emergencies such as earthquakes. Closing this vital infrastructure would leave Santa Monica vulnerable during future crises.

I also have serious concerns about the safety and practicality of maintaining such a large park. Santa Monica already struggles with public safety in areas like Downtown, our beaches, and existing parks, which have stretched police resources thin. Adding a 190-acre park to the equation, without clear revenue streams to fund security and maintenance, would amplify these challenges. How would we secure such a vast space when the city is already struggling to manage the spaces we have? Beyond emergency response, the airport has an evolving role in sustainable aviation. With electric and hybrid aircraft becoming a reality, we have a unique opportunity to align with both environmental and public health priorities. These quieter, cleaner technologies could significantly reduce emissions and noise pollution while positioning Santa Monica as a leader in sustainable innovation. Closing the airport would forfeit this potential.

Replacing the airport with a single-purpose park or leaving the space vacant also undermines its broader potential to serve our community. Santa Monica is already home to one of the largest beach parks in the world, so the additional recreational and mental health benefits of another park would have a limited impact. In contrast, the airport meets a variety of critical needs that a park simply cannot address. A balanced, forward-thinking approach—one that integrates public health, emergency preparedness, and sustainability—offers a far greater benefit to our city.

The airport is a safeguard for our community’s health, safety, and resilience. Closing it without a sustainable, practical plan in place would be a disservice to the people of Santa Monica and beyond. I Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 799 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 79 urge you to reconsider the future of this site with these critical issues in mind.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and for all you do for our city.

Best wishes,
Susanne Mitschke
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Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 800 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 80 David Yakobson
From: Russ Belinsky <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:41 AM
To: David White; Lana Negrete; councilmtgitems; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin Cc: [email protected]
Subject: FW: Airport. 2025
Importance: High

EXTERNAL

Dear City Council –

As a co-founder of Santa Monicans United, I was at the candidate forum where Raskin, Snell, Zernitskaya, and Hall all said they would protect the Airport from development. The time is now; the residents ware watching.

I am writing to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 801 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 81 4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation? Absent a clear answer to all of these questions that confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Thank you for your consideration.

Russ Belinsky
Founder, Santa Monicans United

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 802 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 82 David Yakobson
From: Russell Stearns <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:27 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Dear Members of the City Council,
First, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your leadership during the recent crisis. The entire city team responded swiftly and professionally, providing much-needed clarity and comfort to our community during such a challenging and uncertain time.

As I watched the first responder aircraft take off from Santa Monica Airport to battle the catastrophic fires, I was reminded of how vital this airport is to our city’s well-being. As the Director of Outreach at Angel Flight West, based at SMO, I see firsthand how crucial the airport is for medical air travel in and out of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The airport's 190 acres offer a variety of uses, and I believe the idea of transforming it into a more dynamic, sustainable, and financially responsible space for Santa Monica residents makes strong sense. However, the notion of converting it solely into a park does not appear to be a feasible option, either financially or practically, for our city.

While the Great Park concept is appealing, it is simply not economically viable. We must face reality and stop misleading the public. Santa Monica lacks the necessary funds to develop a park on this scale. A bond measure would not be sufficient to repay the costs, and residents would likely reject increased property taxes. There are no major philanthropists willing to fund such a project. Closing the airport in 2028 without a viable economic plan would lead to significant negative consequences. No studies have been conducted to assess the unintended effects. For instance, how would the police department ensure safety in a large, unattended park, especially when resources are already stretched thin trying to secure downtown and our existing parks? What impact will the closure have on LAX flight paths and potential increases in noise and pollution? How will we manage the operational costs of a park that could attract millions of visitors, given the challenges we already face with maintaining the Promenade and our beaches?
It’s been over a decade since Measure LC passed, and in that time, much has changed:
 Jet traffic and related noise have decreased by 81%.
 Electric training aircraft, producing zero noise and pollution, now operate at SMO.  Electric passenger aircraft are expected to be certified before 2028, enabling affordable, clean, and quiet flights from the airport.
 The airport played a critical role in our response to nearby wildfires.  The pandemic significantly impacted city revenue, and the financial situation remains fragile.

It’s also important to note that Measure LC did not require the conversion of the airport into a park.

Rather, it gave voters control over any future development at the site, with some limited exceptions, including parks and cultural spaces. The community voted to preserve local control, not to mandate a park. This nuance has often been misunderstood or misrepresented by city staff.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 803 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 83 There is a better way forward. The Santa Monica Airport site has the potential to evolve into a sustainable, multi-purpose space that balances ecological, social, and economic needs. We could create a vibrant area with recreational, educational, and entertainment opportunities—a place that showcases Santa Monica’s innovation and even offers space for housing. With 190 acres, we have ample room for a park, as well as opportunities for economic development. For comparison, Luxembourg Gardens and the Tuileries Gardens in Paris together cover 110 acres. Santa Monica can have a beautiful park while still promoting economic growth at the airport site.

My request is simple: keep an open mind and consider alternative proposals. Sasaki has done great work, but they were given a very specific mandate to design a Great Park. Let’s remain open to other ideas that could also benefit our city.

Thank you for your continued service to our community.

Sincerely,
Russell Stearns
Director of Outreach
Angel Flight West
3161 Donald Douglas Loop South
Santa Monica, CA 90405
p 310.390.2958
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 804 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 84 David Yakobson
From: Tina Tan-Pertel <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 6:43 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Item 7.A Santa Monica City Council Meeting (01/28/25) Dear Mayor Negrete and Councilmembers,

I am writing to urge the City Council to adopt the “Guiding Principles” prepared by Staff as part of the Santa Monica Airport Conversion (SMAC) project. The results of this community engagement process overwhelmingly favor a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, including sports and recreational facilities, arts and cultural spaces, community gardens, and space for the restoration of native plants and species.

Please approve the Guiding Principles in their present form and direct Staff to focus exclusively on the development and planning for a Great Park that will not trigger an expensive and time-consuming ballot measure prior to the airport’s closure on December 31, 2028.

Finally, please direct staff to focus on the development and planning for a Great Park that will be built in stages over time as funding becomes available. We can use revenues from non-aviation leases to help fund a park that will be ready to open on a modest scale in the same manner Tempelhof Airport opened to rave reviews.

This is a once in a multi-generation opportunity for our community. I participated in the community engagement event at Memorial Park in December and could not believe the huge number of residents who share this vision for our community. This Great Park will be your legacy. Please seize this moment.

Sincerely,

Hongying Tan, M.D., Ph.D.

Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 805 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 85 David Yakobson
From: Sheila Laffey <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:30 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: TODAY Great Park meeting

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members,
As a Santa Monica resident and nature lover , I support the vision of creating our own Santa Monica Great Park
So, please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for public use on day 1, January 1rst, 2029.

Sheila Laffey
1301 17th St
Santa Monica 90404
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 806 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 86 David Yakobson
From: Suzanne Hunt <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:29 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Thank you for your consideration.

Suzanne Hunt
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 807 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 87 Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 808 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 88 David Yakobson
From: Vivien Flitton <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:25 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: David White
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles -

SUPPORT

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Team Torosis and Councilmembers, Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC and can be opened for public use on January 1st, 2029.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Vivien Flitton
Santa Monica Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 809 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 89 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:20 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Meeting The Great Park
Attachments: text_0.txt

EXTERNAL
TO: [email protected] Subject:

Item 7a -Support for The Great Park “Please
support the proposed Guiding Principles and
creation of a Great Park that is compliant with
Measure LC, financially-feasible, publicly-owned,
and can be opened for public use on Day One,
January 1, 2029" Thank you. Sheila Laffey Ph.D.
1301 17th St Santa Monica 90404
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 810 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 90 David Yakobson
From: Amy Pandya-Jones <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:16 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell Cc: Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Amy Pandya-Jones
1749 Cedar st
SMMUSD parent
AYSO coach
Girl Scout Troop Leader
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 811 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 91 David Yakobson
From: Kristin Jacobson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:13 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

Sincerely,
Kristin Jacobson
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 812 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 92 David Yakobson
From: John Zemke <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:12 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I’ve been a fortunate resident of Santa Monica for thirty plus years, having raised three kids here who all went through the wonderful public schools. From playgrounds, to tennis, soccer, ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, softball, baseball, basketball, skateboarding, and more our family has taken advantage of the park system. They have been a vital part of what we do to recreate and exercise our bodies and minds. Picnicking, reading books on a blanket on a sunny day, or seeing a concert or performance.

Taking our dog to the dog park or on a walk. We love parks and outdoor spaces. As our great city continues to grow green space and open air spaces need to be an essential part of any planning to maintain our quality of life.

The data gathered so far from the City's Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

John Zemke
3030 Paula Dr
Santa Monica, CA, 90405

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 813 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 93 David Yakobson
From: RV F <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 8:10 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Thank you for your consideration.

Dane Jensen
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 814 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 94 Santa Monica, CA 90405 
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 815 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 1 David Yakobson
From: Bob Johnson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: SMO

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I sincerely hope you will consider the value that your community airport (SMO) has in not only training, maintenance, disaster relief and associated jobs & airport revenue generation, but also its use & value for local business owners, medical transport, professional services and law enforcement. SMO has also has been, and continues to be, a valuable asset for those relying on and engaging in the likes of Angel Flight West missions since 1983. The airport’s proximity to top notch medical facilities makes it one-of-a-kind.

Though it may be difficult to assign a specific value on this type of asset, it should be realized that not every community is blessed with the capability of providing support to such general aviation endeavors, with federal assistance. Furthermore, given the push for more STEM emphasis in education, it has (as many other communities have realized) the potential to dovetail with those efforts in the education community (high schools & colleges), given the strong ties aviation has with mathematics, physics and technological application. In densely populated areas such an asset reveals its value by providing a diverse population with the aforementioned services not every city can match.

With regard to environmental concerns, please recognize that new, cleaner fuel developments and power sources are currently becoming available, with more widespread usage planned by 2030. Should SMO be closed prior to this imminent plan, it is unlikely that this community would ever be able to restore such an asset.

Sincerely,
Robert Johnson,
Angel Flight West Command Pilot
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPad
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 816 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 1 David Yakobson
From: Steve Olivarez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 7:40 AM
To: [email protected]; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Caroline Torosis; councilmtgitems Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support for Great Park and Athletic Field Spaces

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I am wriƟng on behalf of the Los Angeles Bulls Soccer Club, a youth soccer organizaƟon based in West Los Angeles that serves numerous families in Santa Monica. Our mission is to provide kids with opportuniƟes to stay acƟve, healthy, and engaged through soccer, but we face significant challenges due to the lack of available field space in the region.

The recent Palisades Fire has compounded these challenges, as it has directly impacted our primary pracƟce and game locaƟons at Paul Revere and Pali High. While we frequently seek addiƟonal field space in Santa Monica, we are oŌen informed that none is available. The demand for more athleƟc fields in West LA and Santa Monica is criƟcal to supporƟng the physical and mental well-being of children in our community.

In addiƟon to the health benefits, expanding athleƟc field space in Santa Monica would generate significant economic benefits for the community. HosƟng games and tournaments would bring visitors to the area, who oŌen spend money at local restaurants, cafes, shops, and other businesses. A Great Park with mulƟ-use sports fields would not only serve residents but also posiƟon Santa Monica as a desƟnaƟon for youth sports, creaƟng economic opportuniƟes while fostering community engagement.

We strongly support the restoraƟon of Santa Monica's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. In addiƟon, we urge the inclusion of mulƟple mulƟ-use athleƟc fields in the Great Park's design. This would ensure that local kids and families have nearby access to high-quality spaces for soccer and other sports, which are essenƟal for building strong, healthy communiƟes.

We encourage you to adopt the proposed Guiding Principles and support the creaƟon of a Great Park that:
 Aligns with Measure LC,
 Is financially feasible,
 Is publicly owned, and
 Can be opened for public use on Day One—January 1, 2029.

Thank you for prioriƟzing the needs of youth sports and for considering the long-term health, social, and economic benefits that this park will bring to our community.

Steve Olivarez
Director of OperaƟons
LA Bulls Soccer Club
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 817 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 2 David Yakobson
From: Julia Wood <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 7:36 AM
To: [email protected]; David White; councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; [email protected]; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Subject: City Council Meeting 1/28/2025 - item 7.A - SMAC Project Guiding Principals

EXTERNAL
Dear Council members,
I am a Santa Monica resident and I am raising my children here and hope to continue raising my children here. Families that live here and families that Santa Monica should want to attract need the Airport project to benefit all peoples lives, we need park space and fields for kids activities. We need a place where people can go and enjoy the day, yes it would be nice to have a restaurant or two in the area and on the park. But we do not need to develop the entire area into something that takes away our green space, that takes away from the families that live in this city. We need this park space to help make Santa Monica a place where families actually want to raise children. Currently Santa Monica feels like it is over developing without a cohesive plan. The buildings on Lincoln and Ocean and those planned on Colorado and where Gelsons is are being built without a central plan that connects our city and makes it a better place for the community, additionally, they do not seem to be even close to being inhabited and the so called retail or restaurant space remains un-leased. If the over development of Santa Monica continues the city will be a place that tourists may come visit once but residents don't want to actually live in because it is just concrete and empty buildings.

Please support a park restoration that gives green space and mixed use fields to the families of Santa Monica and allows people to stay healthy and active while staying close to home. It would be wonderful if this space could rival what other cities have done when they take back over built areas and create a green space with fields and activity areas and around the rim create restaurant, brewery, and small retail areas - there is no need for the entire space to be over developed when it could be created using a cohesive plan that would benefit everyone and that people in Santa Monica would be excited to visit.

Thank you,
Julia Wood
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 818 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 3 David Yakobson
From: Joyce Urode <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 7:31 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: no housing

EXTERNAL
please put a park in airport property 뛴뛵뛶뛷뛸뛹뜆뛺뛻뛼뛽뛾뛿뜀뜁뜂뜃뜄뜅뜇no housing! Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 819 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 820 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 821 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 4 David Yakobson
From: Levitt, Jennifer J <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 7:27 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting 1/28/25: SMAC Project Guiding Principles - Airport to Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play baseball and Santa Monica in
Santa Monica.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. I
also strongly support building many multi-use fields at the Great Park so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play soccer and other sports close to
home.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and
creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and can be
opened for public use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Sincerely,
Jen Levitt
This email is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention or use of this email (including attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please delete it and notify us immediately. For information about how Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP collects and processes your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Notice available at https://www.stblaw.com/other/privacy-notice.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 822 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 5 David Yakobson
From: Jennifer Saul <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 7:26 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; [email protected]; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids love playing sports in Santa Monica, and have many years to grow in this special city we are raising them in. There are more than to 2500 local kids that need spaces to play their beloved sports and grow in Santa Monica, and so many families that are already here that deserve open space to thrive.

We cannot have more housing and overcrowding where there needs to be open space.

Kind Regards,
Jennifer Saul
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 823 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 6 David Yakobson
From: Oscar Lopez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 7:08 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City council meeting

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Oscar López
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 824 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 7 David Yakobson
From: Heather Gould <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 6:35 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Item 7.A. - Support for a Great Park and SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
Please adopt LC-compliant Guiding Principles re the “Great Park” as written.

Create a unique zoning district for the airport site to clarify “recreational uses” and thereby avoid any need for a ballot measure to modify LC.

Create a park that is fully LC compliant with an incremental buildout plan that starts with public access on Day 1.

Please do not place any ballot measure to modify LC prior to airport closure.

Regarding 4 questions Council is being asked to answer at this stage:

1. Does Council have any feedback on the Draft Guiding Principles before finalization? NO. The guiding principles are excellent as written.

2. Does Council authorize staff to begin exploring the feasibility of three alternative scenario concepts for Phase 3, based on the draft Guiding Principles?
YES. A multi-approach is crucial to see the tradeoffs (in money/time/park content) when cutting down to one.

3. Does Council authorize staff to explore the feasibility of the spectrum of community preferred land uses including one scenario that is consistent with Measure LC without a vote? YES. Two of the three approaches should be fully LC compliant.

4. Does Council authorize staff to explore the feasibility of traditional and innovative financing structures and explore alternative organizational structures and/or partnerships to construct, operate, maintain, program, and manage the site?
YES. Staff should get creative with financing strategies and plan for an incremental park buildout that can be implemented in stages over time as financing can be arranged.

Thank you!
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 825 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 8 Heather Gould
2704 14th Street
SM 90405
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 826 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 9 David Yakobson
From: Vanessa Gibson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 6:27 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

Over the past couple of weeks as we watched Marine One and first responder aircraft lift off from Santa Monica Airport to fight the catastrophic fires, I was reminded how critical this space is for our city’s livelihood. The idea of converting the airport into a park simply does not seem prudent for Santa Monica either financially or practically.

The Great Park concept is economically unviable. It is time to face reality and to stop misleading Santa Monicans. The city has no money to develop or maintain a park of this scale. A bond measure is unviable as there would be insufficient sources of revenue to repay the bond. Santa Monica property owners would reject property tax increases. There are no philanthropists who will donate billions of dollars to build the park. Closing the airport at the end of 2028 with no economically viable path forward is a path to disaster. No study of the potential unintended consequences has been conducted. How will our police and fire department ensure safety and security of such a large unattended area, especially when they are already struggling to keep DTSM and our existing parks safe? How will the FAA change the routes and altitudes of large aircraft landing at LAX, and will those changes cause even more noise and pollution in Santa Monica? How will Santa Monicans manage the operational expenses of managing a park that caters to 10 million plus LA County residents coming to visit when we already struggle with managing the operational costs of overseeing the Promenade and the beaches?
More than ten years have passed since Measure LC passed, and a lot has changed in that decade.  Jet aircraft traffic and associated noise have decreased by 81%.  Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.
 Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.  We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.  The city’s financial condition is precarious.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 827 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 10 Sasaki was given a very specific mandate to design a Great Park. Let’s be receptive to other Great ideas that maintain the runway as an essential asset to our entire Los Angeles community.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Vanessa Gibson
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 828 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 11 David Yakobson
From: Amanda Harlib <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 5:41 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: SUBJECT: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

Hope this message finds you well.

My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Amanda
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 829 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 12 David Yakobson
From: Gil Leib <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 5:39 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Regarding the Airport Conversion Item

EXTERNAL
I am urging the Council to support the proposal which includes affordable housing as part of whatever plan is decided upon. This has become especially important in light of the recent fires that have exacerbated our already-existing housing crisis.

Gil Leib
A Santa Monica resident for more than 24 years.
601 California Avenue Apt. 104
SM 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 830 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 13 David Yakobson
From: Seth Cohen <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 4:16 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family (three children) in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. It has been a wonderful experience for my kids and my family, and I am so grateful for the existing park facilities.

Sincerely,
Seth Cohen
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 831 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 14 David Yakobson
From: Barbara Inatsugu <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 3:45 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: Great Park Coalition; Barbara B Inatsugu
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
PUBLIC COMMENT, JANUARY 28, 2025
Item 7.A of the Santa Monica City Council Agenda
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor ProTem Torosis, and Councilmembers; My name is Barbara Inatsugu and I am submitting these Public Comments as President of the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica (LWVSM). We strongly support the creation of a Great Park that is Measure LC-compliant, financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and that can be opened for public use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

As some of you may remember, the LWVSM was a strong supporter of Measure LC and active in the campaign for its passage. Our study of this measure showed that it was in alignment with League Positions at local, state and national levels, including the following:

1. The LWVSM Land Use Position regarding the Santa Monica Airport and Land Use Planning calls for increased open space for recreation, including increased land for parks and play lots.

2. In accord with LWVUS Principles, the League believes that responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people; ... (and it should) promote the conservation and development of natural resources in the public interest.

3. The LWV California Local Land Use/Planning Position, states that local government should plan for the preservation of open space and provide adequate parks and recreation. It must also provide for involvement of citizens in the earliest planning and regulatory stages and, throughout the process, adequate funding of the public information process...

The draft Guiding Principles put forth by Staff reflect the community’s clear preference in the data collected to fill the land with public amenities, including active and passive recreational spaces, multi-use rectangular sports fields, cultural facilities, community gardens, and spaces where our community can come together.

We call on you, our elected representatives, to approve the Guiding Principles as drafted. We further call on you to direct Staff to prioritize in Phase 3 the development and planning for a Measure LC-Compliant Great Park that will not trigger another expensive and time-consuming ballot measure and that is “shovel-ready” on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 832 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 15 We have long recognized that Santa Monica, is park-poor. It is clear to us that the wellness, sustainability, and the climate-resilience benefits of this Great Park will be a gift both to our current generation and generations to come.

To assure success, please direct City Staff to explore every funding mechanism available to realize our Great Park, with emphasis on retaining the space as public land.

The League joins with the many and growing numbers of Santa Monica Great Park Coalition supporters and calls on you to recognize and act on this unique priceless opportunity that is before you now. What a gift we can provide our community by taking the long view!! Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 833 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 16 David Yakobson
From: William Schoene <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 2:58 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear City Councilmembers,
Please move forward with the processes to create a magnificent park with Santa Monica Airport land, when the airport ceases operations at the end of 2028.

AIrport land was originally purchased to be a park, and resident support for a park there was affirmed by city Measure LC, and recent input from the visioning process. New parks are needed now more than ever in densely populated Santa Monica and the Westside. Our grandchildren will certainly benefit from a new park nearby.

William and Mary Lou Schoene
1519 Oak Street Santa Monica 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 834 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 17 David Yakobson
From: Timothy Lynch <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 2:54 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
My family and I have lived in Sunset Park, Santa Monica for 25 years and over that time there has always been debate and speculation about the land use at the SM airport. A Great Park space is a something the community has longed for, hoped and dreamed about and we implore you to finally make it happen.

Tim, Jen, Cam, Keira Lynch
Santa Monica Residents
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 835 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 18 David Yakobson
From: Ping Ho <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 12:51 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Please support Measure LC compliant proposals

EXTERNAL
Greetings Honorable Councilmembers,
You might not know that I spent a good number of years on Friends of Sunset Park's Airport Committee, since 2003, analyzing airport hazards such as ultrafine particulate matter, noise, and accident liability. The hazards and legal consequences became too real and too costly to allow the airport to continue to put the community in harm's way. We are proud of the stands the City has taken on behalf of its citizens as well as neighboring communities.

As the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, we all know that the aviation industry will take advantage of any opportunity for promoting its self-interest.

Please help us protect the valuable property owned by the City and support the vision approved by its constituents by making the park Measure LC compliant.

Sincerely,
Ping Ho
2626 33rd Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405-3111
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
photo Ping Ho, MA, MPH
She/Her/Hers
Founder & Director
artsandhealinginitiative.org | (310) 452-1439
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Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 836 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 19 David Yakobson
From: Lois Orfuss <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 12:03 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Plans for Santa Monica Airport

EXTERNAL
I have volunteered for Angel Flight West for the last 15 years. I have never felt so closely a part of an organization doing such good deeds. The patients we take need help getting to their critical medical treatments which usually is at UCLA. Santa Monica Airport makes it possible for us to get them there in the most efficient and careful manner possible.

To close the airport would be a disservice to these patients who count on us to get them to their treatment. In this crazy world I can not imagine anything more important and less selfish than helping those in need.

I hope you will take this into consideration when making your determination about Santa Monica Airport.

Sincerely,
Lois and Carl Orfuss
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 837 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 20 David Yakobson
From: Paola Vezzulli <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 12:03 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

As Santa Monica resident from the last 22 years, parent of two boys in public schools in the SMMSD, project director of affordable housing developments in LA, and last but not least Co-founder, Strategy Lead and Chair of the Regenerative Farm at Will Rogers Elementary, I am writing you to give full support to the vision (and request of your support) of the Great Park Coalition.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Santa Monica must find a way to balance the need for more housing (therefore density) with a sustainable set of instructures, that include large scale open green spaces.

Bringing back the Great Park in its entirety is the City’s oblige to the Right of Nature. To sustain the density of the built environment, our City must make the Great Park a corridor of bio-diversity and an ecosystem that integrates urban farming and its education to make our community truly resilient.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Paola Vezzulli

Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 838 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 21 David Yakobson
From: DONALD LLOYD <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:22 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Thank you for your consideration.

Donald Lloyd
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 839 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 23 David Yakobson
From: Ahmar Masood, MBA <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:06 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Cc: Ahmar Masood; Ahmar Masood, MBA
Subject: Support for Great Park and Field Space

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. I coached and my kid played soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. Now with the Palisades Fire, our daughter's Club Soccer Team (LA Bulls), which is based in the Palisades, will be struggling for field space.

Paul Revere and Pali High are their practice and home game fields and alternate field arrangements are being made, but there is only so much space on the west side. The need for more field spaces in Santa Monica and the west side is critical for the health and mental well-being for all these kids.

Sincerely,
Ahmar Masood
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 840 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 24 David Yakobson
From: Justin Bookey <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:53 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles (01/28/25) Attachments: PongFit SMAC letter 1-27-25.pdf

EXTERNAL
Hello Santa Monica City Council,
I’m attaching my written public comment as a PDF. I’m happy to answer any follow-up questions at any time.

Thank you,
Justin Bookey

Justin Bookey
Founder & CEO, PongFit
PongFit.org / Building fitness and community through ping pong PongFit has earned a Gold Seal from GuideStar,
the world's largest information source on nonprofits.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 841 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120

BUILDING FITNESS & COMMUNITY THROUGH PING PONG
PONGFIT.ORG
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers,

My Santa Monica-based nonprofit, PongFit, builds fitness and community through ping pong – an inclusive game that the official Olympics website has called the most-played sport in the world. PongFit works with youth, seniors, and many organizations, serving players of all body types, skill levels, genders, incomes, and cultures. Our Advisory Board includes several Olympians, and we're supported by a wide network of professional players, coaches, and dedicated volunteers.

Our years of operation have demonstrated that ping pong appeals to the broadest possible segment of the population: anyone from age six to 96 (or older) who enjoys a fun, healthy game, at any level. This was perfectly illustrated by our "Pong on the Promenade" program, which featured free public play on five tables every Wednesday night one summer on the Third Street Promenade. Over the summer, we engaged with 1,400 visitors, ranging from six to 90+ years old, from 22 different countries!
I’ve played table tennis on seven continents for both fun and competition. I can personally attest that nearly every major city I've visited worldwide contains outdoor parks and indoor sports facilities with numerous tables for public play. Except Los Angeles. The Great Park concept would be an ideal fit for both outdoor and indoor tables.

Concrete/metal outdoor tables are virtually maintenance-free once installed and naturally become multi-generational, multi-cultural gathering places. (Indoor tables require only minimal supervision.) PongFit could host highly engaging public events at such facilities.

Attached are pictures from just a few wonderful city parks that enjoy thriving outdoor ping pong scenes (along with equally vibrant indoor scenes).

The data gathered thus far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our city's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for public use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Thank you.

Hit hard, have fun, play fair,
Justin Bookey
Founder & CEO, PongFit
January 27, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 842 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 mins)) Romania
Bucharest
Norway
Oslo
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
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January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 843 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 mins)) Australia
Sydney
Albania
Tirana
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
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January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 844 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 mins)) 25 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:55 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council 1/28/25 agenda item 7-A – Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Guiding Principles - Wilmont Board of Directors SUPPORTS the Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
January 27, 2025

Mayor Negrete and City Council members,

The Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) Board supports the draft Guiding Principles to be presented at the January 28th City Council meeting.

The Wilmont Board urges the City Council to approve the Guiding Principles and to continue the current Airport Conversion process, leading to the incremental development of a Great Park that is LC-compliant. That park can open for walking, skateboarding, rollerblading, and biking on Day 1 after Santa Monica Airport closes to all aeronautical uses on December 31, 2028.

Regarding current city parks, Santa Monica has only 1.4 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, compared to 30 acres per 1,000 residents in Santa Barbara and in San Diego.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Santa Monica to restore its Great Park! Wilmont Board of Directors
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 845 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 27 David Yakobson
From: Jonathan Kaye <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:47 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

We fell in love with Santa Monica and moved here a year ago. We need to build the Great Park. The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. I filled out the form to show what I want for the Great Park and it was overwhelming for Pickleball.

Sincerely, Jonathan Kaye @ 734 25th Street
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 846 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 28 David Yakobson
From: Janie Docter <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:51 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

My name is Janie Docter, a long time resident of Santa Monica. I’ve been an active member of my community. I have served as a board member and supporter of Elemental Music, AYSO and in many roles at Grant Elementary, John Adams to SamoHi for 17 years as my children went through the SM school system. I am also thrilled to be a part of the Advisory Board of the Great Park Coalition currently.

Great Park would be a dream come true for an urban area like Santa Monica and beyond. It would be beneficial to so many of our residents. It would be our own mini Central Park providing a sanctuary for sports to arts to animal and plant lovers.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Janie Docter
310-717-6983
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 847 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 29 David Yakobson
From: David Blundell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:46 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: David Blundell: supporting Santa Monica community gardens in Airport to Great Park Project

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members,
I am an anthropologist offering my courses at UCLA. I am also a student in the Santa Monica College Sustainability Program. I was born and raised in Santa Monica. For my doctoral fieldwork, I was ten years in rural Sri Lanka and later served 30 years in Taiwan as a professor researching indigenous ways of life.

Since 2017 I have returned to the place of my birth in Santa Monica to contribute my knowledge and help establish a community learning farm for a proposed 20 acres in the Airport to Great Park Project.

This is a once-in-a-life-time chance to make this happen in Santa Monica! Sincerely,
David Blundell, Ph.D. Anthropology UCLA
Founder and Co-Director of Asia-Pacific SpatioTemporal Institute (ApSTi), Top University Project in Digital Humanities, National Chengchi University, Taipei. At UCLA offering anthropology courses. Electronic Cultural Atlas Anthropology and Language Editor, University of California, Berkeley.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 848 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 30 David Yakobson
From: Cynthia Rose <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:38 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: David White; [email protected]
Subject: Support for Item 7A: SMAC Project Guiding Principles Attachments: 2025-01 CC Support item 7A SMAC Project Guiding Principles SMSpoke SaMoSSA.pdf

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and City Council Members, Please find an enthusiastic letter of support from Santa Monica Spoke and the Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance on Agenda Item 7A: Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles. --
Cynthia Rose
Director
Santa Monica Spoke
SMSpoke.org
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 849 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 A community group dedicated
to biking and walking in Santa Monica.

Working to make the
City of Santa Monica a
more sustainable,
bikeable & walkable place to live, work and play.

January 27, 2024

RE: Support for Agenda Item 7A, SMAC Project Guiding Principles Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and Santa Monica City Council Members:

We are enthused to write on behalf of Santa Monica Spoke and the Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance in support of Agenda Item 7A: Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles. After decades of contending with closing the airport, including a ballot measure, we as a City and community are now engaged in an active process that has led to the proposed Guiding Principles centered on bringing forth a Great Park in 2029, fulfilling Measure LC and quite consciously attending to Santa Monica’s climate resilience and sustainability values, as well as declaring intentional ways of living, including commuting, that protect our natural ecosystems and nurture and sustain our individual and communal health and wellbeing. The Great Park must be a public resource that is fully opened to and enjoyed by the local and regional community and visitors– from day one.

Since 2009 Santa Monica Spoke’s mission has been focused on rethinking how we plan and prioritize land use and public space. We were inspired to create the Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance in 2017 to take the step beyond just biking and embrace the creation of public space that is vital with safe infrastructure for connectivity, environmental resilience, equity and community cohesion: Safe, livable, and sustainable streets are welcoming to everyone and strengthen our community. We know Santa Monica is severely park-poor according to national standards. The creation of this Great Park on city owned land is a once in a generation opportunity to rebalance our land use and refocus on welcoming nature into urban lives, with healthy and equitable experiences, for all ages and abilities, that enhance and support a vibrant and healthy, connected urban community overall.

Start with Nature • Inspire Wonder • Balance Economics • Amplify Versatility • Celebrate Place

We are excited to see that the Guiding Principles call forth the quality of life attributes that attract people to reside, work, visit, study or play in Santa Monica as well as businesses that provide economic opportunity and improve the city’s economic resilience. Being immersed in nature fosters one’s relationship with community and oneself and allows one to move at a pace with an unrushed sense of being, nourished by wonder.

We are also pleased to see under Amplify Versatility how the Guiding Principles support health and wellbeing providing opportunities for running, walking, and biking, along with many trail experiences that can further leverage and complement the City's existing trail and bicycle networks. We fully support how the principles prioritize biking/walking/transit to the site. “Santa Monica is an iconic city, with a unique history and culture, and the Airport site has witnessed many eras of historic significance.” Let’s remember that the City purchased the land originally to be a Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 850 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 park. Only with WWII did that land use change. At this time, especially with our climate crisis, and building on the decades of the City’s internationally recognized sustainability leadership, now the public land can be renewed as a Great Park, one that could uplift Santa Monica to meet the Living Community Challenge: “Imagine communities that function like a forest ecosystem.” The future project should indeed embrace the layers of the site’s history, and share the many stories, including those of the Indigenous Gabrielino people -Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash. The approach must indeed “celebrate the uniqueness of place, gateway experiences, and pedestrian and bicycle mobility, fitting the Santa Monica commitment and culture of prioritizing carbon-free mobility.”

We are placing our trust in the current Council to affirm the decades of remarkable vision and understanding of past courageous community-supported elected leaders that have led us to these current proposed Guiding Principles for a Great Park – overwhelmingly supported by the community – and embracing Santa Monica’s creativity, vitality and place.

Sincerely,
Cynthia Rose
Director, Santa Monica Spoke Cris Gutierrez
Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Street Alliance Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance SMSpoke.org
SaMoSafeStreets.org
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
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January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 851 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 31 David Yakobson
From: Lauren Cannon <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I have been a Santa Monica resident for the last ten years. My young son plays soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. (We're looking forward to seeing him play in regionals this coming weekend!) I fully support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. I would also love to see that space be devoted to multi-use fields at the Great Park so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play soccer and other sports close to home.

Sincerely,
Lauren Cannon
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 852 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 32 David Yakobson
From: Erika Bell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:19 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: Greatparkcoalition Info
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

A Great Park is important to me because it provides an opportunity to create a vibrant, sustainable space where families, children, and neighbors can connect, play, and relax together. As a grateful Santa Monica resident, a mother raising children in this beautiful city, and an active PTA leader deeply invested in our schools and community, I want to ensure that future generations have access to clean air, green spaces, and community resources that reflect the values of our city.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Erika Bell
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 853 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 33 David Yakobson
From: Sharon Hearn <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:16 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

I have lived in Sunset Park for 40 years and was so happy to hear of the upcoming closing of the airport and the transitioning of the land to a Great Park. With the density of apartments and traffic in Santa Monica escalating it will be wonderful to have more community open space and recreational opportunities afforded by a Great Park.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Sharon Hearn
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 854 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 34 David Yakobson
From: Google Account <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Council Members:

I want the proposed Great Park to be a place of urban food resiliency and community mutual aid to adapt to the climate crisis which we are now seeing the full effects of.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Wesley Chuang
Concerned Citizen
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 855 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 35 David Yakobson
From: Dustin Shahan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:05 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7A

EXTERNAL
Good evening Council,
The Airport study session is a really interesting look at work to date and a key touchpoint for feedback on the way ahead. I encourage you to have the staff continue to explore options that allow for the housing, connected mobility, and income generators necessary to sustain a high quality park. This great opportunity will be lost if all of its visitors have to drive in from other neighborhoods to get there.

Continuing with those options will allow for the public to clarify their desires through a future vote.

Dustin Shahan
90401
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 856 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 36 David Yakobson
From: Graziela Shepnick <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:02 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids have had the benefit of playing soccer with Santa Monica AYSO, and I give back by volunteering as a game/practice scheduler and board member. Santa Monica AYSO is a non-profit community organization, run 100% by volunteers. As a scheduler and board member, I give hundreds of hours of my time every year to envision, plan, and schedule practices and games for more than a thousand children every season, helping create a highquality, low-cost soccer experience for Santa Monica's kids.

Because we enlist so many parent and community volunteers in our mission, we also build an active, family-oriented, engaged community within the larger Santa Monica community. Local kids and families have the opportunity to connect and build friendships that can last a lifetime.

Our kids need green space to play soccer and other sports, and to connect with other kids in an active, healthy way. Santa Monica does not currently have enough field space for our kids and families.

Field space is an annual struggle for our program and other rectangular field sports and it's a real disservice to our community when children are forced to travel sometimes more than one hour to play a sports game.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. I also strongly support building many multi-use rectangular fields at the Great Park so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play soccer and other sports close to home.

Sincerely,
Graziela Shepnick
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 857 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 37 David Yakobson
From: girltunes <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:04 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council –
You are on a path that seeks to irreparably harm Santa Monica.

I strongly urge you to halt the Airport Conversion process. Based on the advice of attorney Nikki Kolhoff who is on the Board of FOSP, this airport conversion process must be halted until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

Contrary to the fact that Santa Monica voted to convert the airport into a park, the staff report indicates that state law preempts local land use decisions and, based on the airport closing, Santa Monica will be assigned RHNA housing targets because the airport becomes “developable land.” This is an unacceptable result that will destroy Santa Monica. This risk and potential outcome was NOT presented in either the City process or in any of the supporting organizations’ materials.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 858 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 38 Thank you for your consideration.

Ferris Gluck
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 859 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 39 David Yakobson
From: Caro Vilain <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Item 7A

EXTERNAL
Dear council,
While you consider these guiding principles that are so vague that they’d be hard for anyone to disagree with, and while your inboxes get filled by people who are likely twice my age and more than twice my net worth, I hope you remember to keep your mind open to a variety of ideas for the future of the airport site, and that you start considering the costs, benefits and tradeoffs of different options. A park alone can’t fund itself, and we have the chance to do so much more than just a great park.

My generation isn’t exactly involved in this lengthy, confusing, and often boring process (no, really, I had to beg a few of my friends to take the survey, and most of the ones who took it did so somewhat reluctantly), but what we do with this land will affect us much more than many of the people who have the time to blast you with their ideas.

My generation and all the ones that follow will be suffering from our inaction against climate change and from our worsening housing crisis more than anyone who’s already over 60 ever will.

Please don’t be discouraged by the boomers in your inbox. Think about the future you could offer future generations, and don’t miss out on opportunities to do something truly meaningful. Let’s be a real city of the future.

Caro Vilain, 90404
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 860 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 40 David Yakobson
From: Margi Cheske <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:55 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7- The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I'm writing because I can't be there in person and I want to express my great support for the closing of the Santa Monica Airport and creation of a Great Park. This is a generational opportunity that will create much needed green space for future generations to enjoy forever.

Thank you,
Margaret Cheske
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 861 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 41 David Yakobson
From: Nikki Kolhoff <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: Nicole Kolhoff
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Date: January 27, 2025
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

Dear City Council and City Manager –

I am writing to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land if the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion, that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation?

Absent a clear answer to all of these questions that confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

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Packet Pg. 862 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 42 Additional Detail:

On Tuesday, the Santa Monica City Council will instruct staff to move forward with a $2 million consultant to plan the “airport conversion”, which is development of the Santa Monica Airport once is closes, currently scheduled for January 1, 2029. The staff report is deeply flawed with material omissions and misleading statements. However, it shows us why, under current law, there is no longer a legal basis for a Great Park. Due to the State takeover of land use laws since 2017, this process will result in the State allocating an impossible-to-accommodate amount of housing units to the airport space.

To be clear, the timing of the entire “airport conversion” process is discretionary. When the closure date was selected almost a decade ago, the potentially massive development risks didn’t exist. But the CA State Legislature’s takeover of land use regulation since 2017 through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process and the consequent loss of local control have changed everything. Residents can and must demand a halt to the “airport conversion” process until this risk is addressed and mitigated. In other words, the residents must demand a halt to the “airport conversion” until local control (the basis for Measure “LC” in 2014) is firmly re-established with no legal loopholes.

To provide a sense of what is at stake, consider the development plans at Bergamot. The City is targeting the Bergamot Area buildout at 150 units per acre. Assuming only half that density for the airport land, the State could assign another 14,000 housing units using the airport land on top of the existing 8,895 units the City was already assigned in the current State housing cycle. Due to the workings of state law and private development economics, achieving the existing City allocation of 8,895 units (6,168 affordable) requires a buildout of around 33,200 units, 3.7x the State allocation. Using the same metrics on a 14,000-unit incremental allocation would result in the generation of roughly 52,300 additional units from the airport land capacity. Added to the existing 33,200 units and the city would be facing a roughly 85,500-unit City requirement. This is an essentially blank check to developers and would almost triple the population of the City.

As the Santa Monica City Attorney stated in his new memo (included in the City Council meeting materials):

“As a practical matter, this means that the City will get a new RHNA allocation for housing likely before the Airport closes, which may alter the assumptions for development of the Airport land post-closure, particularly if the City is unable to demonstrate adequate suitable sites for housing development that accommodates the City’s RHNA allocation for the 7th cycle, in the City’s land areas outside the Airport land.”
“Any local land use restrictions, including Measure LC, that prevent housing will have no limiting impact if the City is unable to upzone as necessary Citywide to ensure that there are sufficient suitable sites to accommodate the City’s next RHNA allocation or face decertification of whatever housing element is adopted, even if the City obtains certification.”

Even if some or all of the airport land were to become a park, the housing units assigned to the airport would still have to be built somewhere in the City. If they are not fully accounted for, the City staff notes that penalties will be assessed citywide, including Builder’s Remedy. It is highly likely that this situation would mean eliminating single-family residences AND adding density to the rest of the city. That cost to obtaining a park was never presented to the residents, much less agreed to. Inexplicably, it is still not Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 863 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 43 being disclosed. The reality is that the only thing stopping overdevelopment under the current legal and political landscape is keeping the Santa Monica Airport open.

Here are some of the most disturbing statements in the staff report.

1. Airport Closure Vote – The Staff report notes that: “Furthermore, after further [undisclosed] analysis, it was determined that [the 02-28-2017] Resolution No. 11026 constitutes a decision by the City Council to close the airport as of midnight on December 31, 2028.” This backdating decision reverses an eight-year-old legal position that a closing vote had not been taken. It was unclear whether, absent a final closure vote by City Council, the airport land could be considered in our RHNA allocation prior to 12/31/28. This statement by the City Attorney appears to give the state the ability to consider the land now.

2. Surplus Lands Act (SLA) – The Staff report notes: “Importantly, under the SLA, residential use is deemed an acceptable use for the surplus land for purposes of good faith negotiations, and the agency is prohibited from disallowing residential use of the site as a condition of the disposition of surplus land. As a practical matter, this means that the City may not be able to limit residential use of the Airport land post-closure if it desires to sell or lease the land to a third party [Ed: This includes long-term leases as a means of financing a park or recreational use], regardless of the limitations imposed by Measure LC.”

3. State Housing Allocations (RHNA, SB-7 & LC) – The next State housing cycle starts on June 30, 2029 with the City submitting finalized documents by October 15, 2029. This means that the State would include airport land in the housing allocations if closure is approved before that (which the city attorney says occurred in 2017). Due to State laws passed since 2017, Measure LC no longer offers protection from development since state law preempts local law. The Staff report notes: “State Housing Element Laws require the City to upzone as necessary to ensure that there are sufficient suitable sites to accommodate the City’s next RHNA allocation or face decertification of whatever housing element is adopted, even if the City obtains certification… Any restrictions under Measure LC that prevent housing will have no limiting impact if the city cannot sufficiently upzone areas citywide to accommodate the RHNA allocation.”

It is dangerous and irresponsible to move forward with airport closure and “conversion” planning without a clear legal basis that would allow for a Great Park without housing development. A speculative memo by the City Attorney is insufficient for this purpose.

Many well-intentioned organizations are telling residents to support the staff report without reservation because they believe broad community support for a park will convince city council to build it. For unexplained reasons, they are not disclosing these huge State-driven development risks, including that 2014 Measure LC has been overridden by State law, that are clearly noted in the Staff Report and accompanying City Attorney memo. The only remaining local control is whether and when the airport closes. In addition, many Great Park “supporters” have a long history of lobbying for the development currently engulfing our city. Meanwhile, others have been fighting for decades to close the airport and are disregarding the welfare of all the City’s residents in their narrow private pursuit of airport closure regardless of the cost. Clearly, in this situation, it is foolish to trust a handful of unelected park “supporters” promising to cut a deal behind closed doors that will forever change Santa Monica.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 864 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 44 Compounding the development risk, we have a City Council that was installed by pro-housing advocates who have been working for a decade to close the airport for development. It’s naïve to think they would abandon their prize now that it’s within reach. During the election, they openly favored eliminating single family neighborhoods, and in their first meeting in December they instructed Staff to draft an ordinance for residential development on non-residential land and did not exclude the airport land.

We are entitled to transparency, which includes an outside legal opinion regarding the fate of airport land before any further action is taken toward closing the airport.

Thank you for your consideration.

- Nikki Kolhoff
Sunset Park Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 865 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 45 David Yakobson
From: Duping Reioux <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Duping Reioux
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 866 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 46 David Yakobson
From: Johanna Abbinante <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:37 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

Sincerely,
Johanna Abbinante
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 867 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 47 David Yakobson
From: betzi richardson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:37 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Major Negrete and City Council Members,
I am writing to support the draft of the Guiding Principles to be presented at the January 28th City Council Meeting. This is such an important issue for our city! We are so "park-poor;" we only have 1.4 acres of park space per 1000 residents. We fall far below the norm for cities providing life-restoring green spaces to our residents.

As I am sure you know, in 2014 Measure LC was approved by the voters by approximately a 60% to 40% margin. LC maintained the authority of the City Council to close the airport and also stated: "if all or part of the Airport land is permanently closed to aviation use, no new development of that land shall be allowed... with the exception of development of parks, public open spaces and public recreational facilities."
A big beautiful park in Santa Monica can be a wonderful draw for tourists as well as for our residents.

It could become our "Central Park," and could make as much a difference to our city as Central Park makes for Manhattan.

Thank you for all your hard work as a City Council member.

Sincerely yours, Betzi Richardson, resident
916 15th St. # 9, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 868 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 48 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:35 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7 Jan 28

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council members;
I live adjacent to Santa Monica Airport in Los Angeles, and frequent Santa Monica businesses and restaurants often. I have reviewed some of the proposals for the park, and some of them sound so horrible in terms of extra traffic that I might consider suing, in particular the amphitheater. There is no reason to bring in a business that will add extra pollution to the environment.

On the other hand, extra low-income housing for workers in the city would serve the purpose of reducing rush-hour traffic. It would benefit your city as well, for example, Santa Monica College students from around the country and around the world could live there, and their talent could generate new technologies that could be based in Santa Monica.

The land is big enough for a very nice park in addition to some low-income housing. I would love both. The ideas and plans put forth by the Cloverfield Commons group should, I think, be given serious consideration and adopted in some form.

Sincerely,
Katherine MacQueen
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 869 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 49 David Yakobson
From: Nicole Vale <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:34 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
 Dear City Council –

I am writing to ask you to halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

While I would love to see a park, the staff report indicates that state law preempts local land use decisions and, based on the airport closing, Santa Monica will be assigned RHNA housing targets because the airport becomes “developable land.” This is an unacceptable result that will destroy Santa Monica. This risk and potential outcome was NOT presented in either the City approach or in any of the supporting organizations’ materials.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion, that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of the city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation?

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 870 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 50 Absent a clear answer to all of these questions which confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for the city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Nicole Vale
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 871 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 51 David Yakobson
From: Kevin Mitchell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:32 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Restoring our city’s original great park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Kevin Mitchell
Get Outlook for iOS
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 872 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 52 David Yakobson
From: Jan Kravets <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: SM airport

EXTERNAL
I am a concerned local Santa Monica resident . Our home is along 23rd street in Santa Monica . If the airport is converted to high density housing , the traffic along 23rd street, which is already at a standstill several times a day will become many times worse . The Santa Monica traffic is already a problem. High density housing will ruin this entire part of Santa Monica . Another park would be ideal .. since the civic center is no longer available , and Santa Monica prides itself on its contribution to the arts and culture of Los Angeles , a cultural center on this site with a small park surrounding it woukd be a better use of this space . An alternate through street that connects to 23rd street to alleviate some of the traffic , through what is now the airport grounds , would help relieve not only the traffic congestion , but address the many traffic fatalities that occur along 23rd street /walgrove frequently .

Sincerely
Local resident Jan kravets
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 873 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 53 David Yakobson
From: Ralph Mechur <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:23 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Barry Snell; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin
Subject: Re: item 7
Attachments: The Guiding Principles City Council.pdf

EXTERNAL
--
Ralph Mechur
Ralph Mechur Architects
3400 Airport Avenue, #5
Santa Monica, CA 90405
o: 310-398-2940
m: 310-721-1254
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 874 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 Mayor Negrete and Councilmembers
Re: item 7 Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Guiding Principles The Action Item before Council is to review the proposed Guiding Principles and provide Staff direction in proceeding to develop 3 planning scenarios.

The Guiding Principles should represent the essence of the community to ensure the proposed scenarios are viable, meet the community’s vision for the future of the Airport property and contribute to resolving key City priorities.

Unfortunately, the public process to date has ignored the potential of creating a 21st century neighborhood integrating active and passive park uses with affordable housing.

Santa Monica is a community that supports affordable housing and sustainability, wellness and equity.

While a great park will surely be constructed on sustainable principles and provide opportunities for wellness and equity for those who will journey to it, it will not address issues of housing for service workers, displaced individuals and families, and core groups such as teachers, police and fire, and health care professionals.

We have a one-time opportunity to create a balanced neighborhood that integrates wellness and equity. How can we pass up this incredible opportunity we have to turn 170+ acres into a world-class example of what community really means? The Cloverfield Commons vision fits within all of the proposed Guiding Principles. 1· Start with Nature – affordable housing at the Airport will help heal the environment.

It can reduce pollution as well as create diverse habitats for flora and fauna. 2· Inspire Wonder - affordable housing will contribute to the life of public space and maintain economic and racial diversity in the midst of a world-class environment. 3· Balance Economics - affordable housing creates jobs to build and to maintain and residents in place who will join regional neighbors in activities to support the Airport Park/Cloverfied Commons community.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 875 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 4· Amplify Versatility - affordable housing will provide people in the park every day and mix with others to participate in the variety of Park activities at various scales. 5· Celebrate Place - affordable housing will be home to individuals and family members displaced by previous policy decisions activating history and not having it be just a memory.

We cannot afford to throw away the opportunity to create a neighborhood we have dreamed of for our City.

Please direct staff to return with one or two plans that create a Cloverfield Commons/Great Park based on the Guiding Principles with 3,000 affordable housing units.

Sincerely,
Ralph Mechur, Santa Monica resident and business owner
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 876 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 54 David Yakobson
From: Judith Meister <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:20 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7 Airport Study Session

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council Members,
I am sending my comments since I am not able to attend the Council meeting. I am in New York City helping my daughter find an apartment as she is starting a new job for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. I mention this since it highlights an issue that many of our children face, namely the high cost of housing and the inability of those working in the public sector to compete in the housing market. This holds true for Santa Monica and we know that our children are priced out of the market here.

I have lived in Sunset Park for over forty years; I currently live a few houses from Clover Park. I have had the privilege to live and work in Santa Monica and know the benefits of that experience. My work as a City employee was enriched by my community involvement, and my volunteer work with the school district and arts organizations strengthened my public service. Sadly, this is not the experience for many in our City workforce, who live outside of the city due to high costs, and commute long distances.

I fully support a “great park” for the airport, and would like to see much of it rewilded. I believe there is room for both a park and housing within the 200 acres. I understand the reluctance of park supporters to consider any uses beyond those allowed under LC. However, studying housing at the airport site now makes sense both from a principled and legal standpoint. The City has a long-standing commitment to affordable housing. The airport presents a rare opportunity to build on City-owned land, which could create below market housing and restore a balance of incomes to the city. Moreover, as the City Attorney points out, the process to update the Housing Element in the upcoming years, could necessitate that housing be placed at the airport and override LC. It would be short-sighted to not study housing as part of the airport EIR.

I urge the Council to be as wide-minded in your vision for the airport land as this extraordinary opportunity demands.

Sincerely,
Judith Meister
2457 Hill St.

Santa Monica, CA 90405
Sent from my iPad
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 877 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 55 David Yakobson
From: Karen Lucente <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:18 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
 Dear City Council –
I am writing to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation?
Absent a clear answer to all of these questions that confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Thank you for your consideration.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 878 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 56 Karen Lucente
Santa Monica Resident and Voter o o o o
 Reply  ,  Reply All  or  Forward
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 879 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 57 David Yakobson
From: Bea Nemlaha <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:13 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A-SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Honorable Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Council Members, Restoring Santa Monica’s Airport Land to its original parkland for the benefit and enjoyment of Santa Monica residents is both an exciting and challenging opportunity.

Fortunately, extensive City community outreach to and responses by Santa Monicans have resulted in useable Guiding Principles for a Great Park to inform you in your work.

I wholeheartedly support these Guiding Principles. I urge you to adopt and follow them to create a much needed and desired Great Park for our City.

Bea Nemlaha
Ocean Park Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 880 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 58 David Yakobson
From: Brendan Kelly <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I have lived in Santa Monica for 16 years, got married here and am now raising 3 wonderful children here in Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Brendan Kelly
--
Brendan Kelly
310.795.5362
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 881 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 59 David Yakobson
From: Sylvie R. <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:01 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7A - Support for Our Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Caroline, Jesse, Ellis, Natalya, Barry, David, and Dan, I had the pleasure of meeting most of you at the pre-elections gathering at Drew Cartwright and Dr.

Edison Cartwright de Mello. I shared that evening that I am deeply in favor of creating a natural habitat as “The Great Park” in order to promote healing - for our Santa Monica community and ecosystem.

While blessed with beautiful beaches, our city remains profoundly deprived of green spaces, wildlife, and regenerative lands.

I kindly urge you to please help reverse this trend. The Great Park has the potential to become a sanctuary of healing for countless generations yet to come.

I ask for your support in advancing the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park ensuring that it is:
- Compliant with Measure LC
- Financially feasible
- Publicly-owned
- Ready for public use on Day : January 1rst, 2029.

With kindness and gratitude,
Sylvie Rokab
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth" Rumi Sylvie Rokab, M.A. (she/ela/elle/ella)
Earth-Based Mindfulness Mentor / Emmy Nominated Filmmaker P. +1-310-570-7374
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Ancestral unceded territory of the Tongva
www.lovethynature.com
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 882 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 60 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 883 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 61 David Yakobson
From: Sarah Phelps <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:59 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a longtime Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Sarah Phelps
To help
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Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 884 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 62 David Yakobson
From: James R. <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and Council membersAs a 28 year resident of Santa Monica I am excited about the possibility of adding another public space to our city in the form of the Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. The potential uses for this land are many. I would personally like to see a portion of the airport property be allocated for a community garden/urban farm open to all residents. As a community garden volunteer for the city, I know how important it is for residents, especially apartment dwellers like myself, to have a space in our city to garden and grow our own food. Let’s make this happen! The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
James M Renn
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 885 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 63 David Yakobson
From: Vallery McCown <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:51 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Vallery McCown
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 886 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 64 David Yakobson
From: Sara Benyaminy <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:51 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Sara Benyaminy
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 887 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 65 David Yakobson
From: Estelle Dubois <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Great Park - soccer fields needed

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Estelle Dubois
2241 23rd street
Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 888 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 66 David Yakobson
From: Kapil K. <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:39 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I am a Mar Vista resident, but spend most of my free time in Santa Monica, as a volunteer with AYSO - sometimes known as All Your Saturdays Occupied. 놂녿놀놁놃놄 My kids have had the benefit of playing soccer with Santa Monica AYSO, and I give back by volunteering as a Board Member. Santa Monica AYSO is a non-profit community organization, run 100% by volunteers. As a Board Member, I give hundreds of hours of my time every year to envision, plan, and help create a high-quality, low-cost soccer experience for Santa Monica's kids. As a 10+ year volunteer, I have coached dozens of teams for my sons and their teammates, refereed hundreds of games for our city's youth, and helped organize our competitive Spring program where our kids have played and won tournaments against our neighboring cities.

However, when I've brought my teams to play in other cities, I always notice how much high-quality field space is provided. Our kids need green space to play soccer and other sports, and to connect with other kids in an active, healthy way. Santa Monica does not currently have enough field space for our kids and families. Field space is an annual struggle for our program and other rectangular field sports..

P.S. - As a former City of Burbank employee, I know you get a lot of emails, so I hope this one goes through, and thank you for your service!
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 889 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 67 Sincerely,
Kapil Kulkarni
310-592-7914
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 890 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 68 David Yakobson
From: Rio Wagabaza <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:35 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I was born and raised in Santa Monica, and had the benefit of playing soccer with Santa Monica AYSO.

Santa Monica AYSO is a volunteer-run non-profit community organization. As a past player, AYSO was an integral part of my life growing up, both for exercise and socializing.

Programs like these need green space to play soccer and other sports, and to allow kids to connect with each other in an active, healthy way. Santa Monica does not currently have enough field space for our kids and families. Field space is an annual struggle for AYSO and other rectangular field sports.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. I also strongly support building many multi-use rectangular fields at the Great Park so our residents can stay active, healthy, and play soccer and other sports close to home.

Sincerely,
Rio W.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 891 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 69 David Yakobson
From: Susan Suntree <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of the City Council:

Regarding the Great Park: I support the Guiding Principles, which were endorsed by City staff, and based on the City’s extensive community outreach.Please support this work created by the community and the city staff.

Sincerely,
Susan Suntree
1223 11th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 892 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 70 David Yakobson
From: Magdalia Armstrong <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE Importance: High

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Thank you for your consideration.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 893 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 71 Magdalia Armstrong
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Franklin Elementary/Lincoln Middle School/Samohi Family Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 894 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 72 David Yakobson
From: Karen Chen <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:27 PM
To: Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

I am a Santa Monica resident since 2020, and have discovered pickleball during COVID through the Santa Monica Pickleball Club at Memorial Park over the past couple of years, where I’ve been playing pickleball nearly everyday thanks to its easy to access courts, welcoming players and community, and wonderful way to keep healthy and in shape outdoors. Pickleball has become so important to myself and my friends that I’ve made here thanks to Santa Monica’s pickleball club! The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Karen Chen
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 895 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 73 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:23 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; David White; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL

Dear City Council –
I am writing to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process until an outside legal opinion is obtained regarding the fate of the airport land when the airport closes. Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport? Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 896 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 74 3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

4. If Santa Monica were to build a park on some or all of the airport land, would it have to increase density in the rest of the city to accommodate the RHNA allocation?
Absent a clear answer to all of these questions that confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that is likely to cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Thank you for your consideration.

Fiona and Jordan Posell
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Best wishes,
Fiona
310.740.7456
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 897 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 75 David Yakobson
From: Will von Bernuth <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:25 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I am an 13 year resident of Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood plus a prior 5 years living along the Venice end of Main Street. Converting the airport to a great park is very important to me. It is a once in a generation chance to create a public space for all to use on a scale and reach that will never be seen again in our city. Not only will my young children enjoy it, but theirs will too.

Regards,
Will von Bernuth
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 898 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 76 David Yakobson
From: Wolfie Frank <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:03 PM
To: Lana Negrete; councilmtgitems
Subject: Airport conversion

EXTERNAL
From an economical point of view I really don't understand why we are getting rid of the airport.

Sure a big park or such would be fantastic. But the city needs businesses and people who want to do business here. All that is aided by the airport and that means direct revenue to the city.

People complaining about noise doesn't seem like a valid complaint to me. The airport has been there for many decades. Most of them likely moved there ignoring the airport noise and later decided to complain about it.

This city needs money for so many things. Why part ways with a part of the city that is no doubt helping to bring revenue?
Wolfie Frank
Long time resident
Wilmont area
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 899 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 77 David Yakobson
From: Sylvie R. <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:00 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7A - Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members,
As a Santa Monican and nature enthusiast, I have been deeply inspired by the vision of creating our own Santa Monica Great Partk.

So, please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially feasible, publicly-owned, and can be opened for public use on day 1, January 1rst, 2029.

With gratitude,
Sylvie Rokab
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth" Rumi Sylvie Rokab, M.A. (she/ela/elle/ella)
Earth-Based Mindfulness Mentor / Emmy Nominated Filmmaker P. +1-310-570-7374
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Ancestral unceded territory of the Tongva
www.lovethynature.com
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 900 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 78 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 901 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 79 David Yakobson
From: Jeanne Laurie <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:59 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
[Brief information about yourself and why a Great Park is important to you]

Jeanne Laurie
Sunset Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 902 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 80 David Yakobson
From: Britta Schort <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 903 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 81 exceptions including park and cultural spaces. The people voted to take local control of the land, not to turn it into a park. This very nature of Measure LC has been widely misunderstood or mischaracterized by city staff.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Britta Schort
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 904 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 82 David Yakobson
From: Mark Rhomberg <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:49 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

We are members of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, so the Great Park is very important to us as a venue for good, healthy fun, and for building community. Most of our social life revolves around pickleball, and that connects me with the entire Santa Monica community.

The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelmingly supports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Mark Rhomberg and Marian Buzga
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 905 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 83 David Yakobson
From: Matt Liknaitzky <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:43 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 906 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 84  Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.
 Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before December 31, 2028, clean, quiet, electric flights will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.  We experienced wildfires very close to our city, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.  The city’s financial condition is precarious.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Matt Liknaitzky
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 907 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 85 David Yakobson
From: Vicky Moya-Muhammad <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:44 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Vicky Moya-Muhammad
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 908 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 86 David Yakobson
From: Raphael Barragan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Raphael Barragan
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 909 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 87 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:28 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I am a long time resident of Santa Monica. I live in the Ocean Park neighborhood and am raising two young kids in the area.

Thank you,
Kelly Hsiao
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 910 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 88 David Yakobson
From: Rose Nelson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:27 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that definitively answers the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Thank you for your consideration.

Rose Nelson
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 911 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 89 Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Santa Monica
Rose Nelson
[email protected]
310-717-4459
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 912 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 90 David Yakobson
From: Clara Seneca <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:26 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council:

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion that will definitively answer the following questions.

1. Is the airport “developable land” under state law (SB7) that will be assigned RHNA units?

2. Did the 2017 city council resolution count as a closure decision or is another vote of city council required to close the airport?

3. Does the staff report assertion that no further vote is needed mean that the airport land will be included in the next RHNA cycle?

Thank you for your consideration,
Clara Seneca
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Wilshire/Montana neighborhood
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 913 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 91 David Yakobson
From: Richard Orton <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:22 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Subject: No/ 85 Richard's History Newsletter about Douglas Aircraft camouflage during WWII Attachments: 85. Jan 2025 B Newsletter Camo at Douglas.pdf; 16. Richard's Dec. 2018 Newsletter Vol.16 City Hall.pdf; 49. Sept. Restaurant History Newsletter Vol 49C.pdf

EXTERNAL
Council Members,
I do a FREE monthly newsletter about local history that goes out the first of every month. Attached is the January issue and a couple back issues.

Watch for the February issue going out soon about Merle Norman, the Cosmetic Queen of Ocean Park.

Your neighbor,
Richard Orton
Ocean Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 914 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120 Donald Douglas was concerned
Even before the Japanese sneak attack
on Pearl Harbor Donald Douglas realized
that his Santa Monica airplane factory was
vulnerable to enemy attack. The company began in a small shed on Wilshire Blvd. but as they grew, they needed more room
and moved their entire operation to Clover Field in the late 1920s.

The business grew exponentially with
the introduction of the DC-3 in 1936 and
as the winds of war grew stronger military
contracts made them busier than ever.

And more likely to become a target.

Donald Douglas knew that somehow he
needed to make his factory invisible from
would-be enemy bombers. They needed
what came to be called offi cially “passive
defense”. But there was no precedent
for disguising a huge factory, such as
the Santa Monica plant from the air. The
coast was so near that the big hanger on
Ocean Park Blvd., could be seen by the
periscope of an enemy submarine.

Douglas challenged his engineers to
come up with ideas. They initiated several
Richard’s
Tales of
Ocean Park
Richard’s Tales of Ocean Park, Santa Monica and other magic places.

NEWSLETTER
January 2025 | Issue No. 85 | [email protected]
Above: The camoufl age at Douglas Aircraft was meant to look like a residential neighborhood. A dummy plant was erected on empty land to the south. Thereʼs a real runway in there somewhere and it was painted green. So effective was the deception that even Douglasʼ own pilots often had trouble fi guring out where to land. Above right: The Douglas A-1 Skyraider. Insert: A business park along Ocean Park Blvd. replaced the Douglas complex in the 1970s. studies to see how they might accomplish this. That’s when they reached out to Hollywood.

Movie special effects
Warner Brothers Studios volunteered.

The Hollywood artisans’ experience with
building movie sets helped them understand the fundamentals of illusion, making the eye see something it actually doesn’t see. The studio made an exact
scale model of the Santa Monica plant
September 1945 issue of Airview Magazine,
the Douglas in-house magazine
One story that couldn’t be told until after the war
was the elaborate camoufl age foam rubber and netting neighborhood built in Santa Monica to hide the Douglas defense plant underneath. Designed and
built by Warner Brothers craftsman it went up early
in the war when talk of possible Japanese bombing
could not be dismissed.

It covered the plant, the parking lot and there was
even a fake plant built of foam rubber a safe distance away. Weeks after the August 1945 surrender, these images were approved for publication.

Where was Douglas Aircraft?
Torn down in the early 1970s, the huge complex
of factory and offi ces was located between the
runway of Santa Monica Airport and Ocean Park
Blvd. A modern business park is there now.

Richard’s Tales of Ocean Park, Santa Monica and other magic places.

NEWSLETTER
continued on Page 2
The WWII Secrets of Clover Field
The Camoufl age of the Douglas Aircraft Factory during WWII Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

7.A.f
Packet Pg. 915 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (6630 : Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Engagement and Guiding Principles (120

Page 2 ends

Santa Monica City CouncilJanuary 28, 2025

Santa Monica City Council
January 28, 2025