Written Comment — Santa Monica City Council, January 28, 2025 (part 2 of 3)

on the north side of Ocean Park Blvd. The
plant’s runway—a dead giveaway to enemy aircraft—was painted green to look like a fi eld of grass.

Consider the importance of this effort
If the Douglas factory burned, the military would lose the approximately 3,500 bombers and other planes it produced
yearly, output that would take at least a
year to restore.

Once the camoufl aging was complete,
the effect was so convincing that DougAbove: 3000 bombers were built at the Douglas plant during WWII. They worked 3 shifts, around the clock seven days a week and at its peak they delivered 18 planes a day.

Bekow left: The famous WWII lady war worker, “Rosie the Riviter” Above: Two women working on a bomber at Douglas
Aircraft, October 1942. Above their factory they were
protected by the camoufl age disguise created with the
magic of Hollywood craftsman and designers.
las pilots had diffi culty fi nding their home
fi eld and were forced to land elsewhere
instead. To aid other confused pilots,
Douglas stationed men on the runway
and told them to wave red fl ags whenever
planes were scheduled to land.

From the ground, the Douglas plant
looked exactly like what it was: a factory churning out bombers. From the air, though, it resembled something
entirely different: a leafy American
suburb that could have been a set
from an Andy Hardy movie. The disguise
wasn’t foolproof, but the illusion didn’t
need to be perfect; it just needed to be
good enough. According to Douglas Airview, “This would give defending planes and guns their chance. In the bookkeeping of war, that possibility is worth any cost.”
The Army gets involved
When the war started, the US Army received orders that their engineers were to camoufl age all endangered war plants.

The army had their own ideas and gave
orders not to deviate from those concepts. But when they found that Douglas had done the job so well an exception
was made, and the work was allowed to
remain. In fact, the Douglas camoufl age
became the template for other vulnerable
plants across the country.

The man assigned to camoufl age other
plants was Army colonel John Ohmer Jr.

He was an amateur magician, engineer,
and veteran of World War I, Ohmer’s job
for the army was to devise camoufl aging
and deception techniques.

In 1940, before the U.S. was involved
in World War II, he was visiting the U.K.
to observe how the British used camoufl age when he had the same insight into the future that Douglas had. He suddenly
realized the U.S. was also vulnerable to
an enemy attack.

Many local plants needed camo
In Southern California, where Ohmer was
stationed, Los Angeles was particularly
continued on Page 3
What went on under the camouflage? War work.
and photographed it from simulated altitudes until the perfect plan evolved.

An idyllic suburb made of chicken wire
The illusion of a suburban neighborhood
was achieved by erecting 400 poles
among the facility’s various terminals,
hangars, and parking lots, then attaching
a canopy made of nearly 5 million square
feet of chicken wire and netting. Atop this
mesh-like covering sat lightweight wooden models of suburban homes, including attached garages, fences, and clotheslines complete with laundry swaying in the pleasant California breeze. Next to
these homes sat “trees” made of twisted
wire and chicken feathers painted to look
like leaves, which apparently smelled horrible whenever it rained. The tallest hanger was made to look like a gently sloping hillside neighborhood. Fake fi re hydrants
hid vents that helped circulate the air beneath the canopies and keep the factory workers comfortable.

To integrate this fake neighborhood with
the surrounding town, the canopy was
painted with streets and sidewalks that aligned seamlessly with the real-world streets and sidewalks
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Above: The largest building at the Douglas plant was the big hanger on Ocean Park Blvd. It was a huge landmark highly visible from the air and from the sea, So they camoufl aged it to look like a giant hill covered with fake trees, fake streets and fake farms. Below: A view of the hanger without the camoufl age. most unfortunate sort of prophet who is
proven right.

Realizing it had been an error to ignore
Ohmer, the army corrected course by
placing him in charge of one of the most
ambitious camoufl aging operations in history, and one of the more curious assignments of World War II. From Seattle to San Diego, vulnerable assets would need
disguising, including airfi elds, oil depots,
factories, air-defense stations, and military bases. Based on what he had seen Douglas do in Santa Monica, Ohmer expanded and elaborated, then reached out to all the major studios for help camoufl aging factories and air bases throughout the West.

Operation Hollywood
Hollywood was happy to help. In those
years everybody went to the movies,
maybe a couple times a week. The studios were swimming in profi ts and eager to help with the war anyway they could.

After Pearl Harbor, March Field in
Riverside County, California, about 60
miles east of Los Angeles, looked more
like a movie set than the U.S. Army Air
Corps base it actually was. Here, Ohmer
brought set designers, animators, art directors, landscape artists, carpenters, lighting experts, and prop designers from
the Hollywood studios, including MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, Disney, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal Pictures, and
continued on Page 4

Page 3 ends

They made the big hanger on Ocean Park Blvd. look like a hill. vulnerable. The city was home to many of
the nation’s biggest aircraft manufacturers—including Douglas, Hughes, Lockheed, and Northrop—which were already building warplanes for European allies.

This concentration of expertise and infrastructure—located perilously close to the coastline—was a ripe target for
military juggernauts like the Japanese or
Germans. In the fi rst major war where
airpower played such an essential role,
the loss of just one of these plants could
lengthen the confl ict considerably.

Upon returning to the U.S. from Britain,
early in 1941, Ohmer, then a major, began proselytizing for the increased use of camoufl age, urging his military superiors
to do more. He believed that multiple targets, including Wheeler Field, the air base near Pearl Harbor, were vulnerable to attacks from a Japanese military that was already seizing other assets in the Pacifi c
and expanding its area of control toward
Hawaii. Ohmer even drew up a specifi c
plan for disguising Wheeler.

Army brass didn’t listen
But Ohmer’s bosses weren’t convinced it
was worth the effort. They thought that
the estimated cost of disguising the Hawaiian air base, $56,210, was too high.

On December 7, 1941, Japanese warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor and other nearby sites; Wheeler alone lost 83
planes, each one costing roughly the
same as Ohmer’s camoufl aging proposal. Fate had just converted him into that VENTS
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
At the Douglas
Santa Monica plant
during WWII
• 7,309 planes were produced,
delivering 18 planes a day
• 44,000 people were employed
working 3 shifts.

Page 4 ends

Warner Bros. Among the bustle of military
aircraft and training drills, these entertainment-industry professionals designed and built the sort of props they had created for many blockbuster movies.

Not only did these artisans know how
to work fast and under pressure, but their
experience with building movie sets also
helped them understand the fundamentals of illusion.

U.S. mainland attacked
The recent attack in Hawaii wasn’t the
only thing motivating Ohmer’s crew to
work fast. Less than three weeks after
that disaster, a Japanese submarine—
I-17, a fully loaded warship that housed
a reconnaissance airplane in the forward
section of its deck—was spotted off the
coast near Salem, Oregon. On February
23, it resurfaced off the coast of Santa
Barbara and fi red on the Ellwood Oil Field,
an oil storage facility located near Goleta Beach. During the next two weeks, it sank two American cargo ships sailing in
waters between San Francisco and Cape
Mendocino.

The physical damage from the Ellwood
attack was minimal, but signifi cant psychologically. Throughout the Pacifi c states, talk of another domestic attack
dominated conversations and headlines
as the Japanese captured Manila, Hong
Kong, and Singapore in a time span of
barely two months. Facing the grim reality
before them, Americans set to work preparing.

Did all that camoufl aging work to confuse enemy bombers? We never found out because fortunately, the enemy
bombers never came.

The Battle of Midway made a diffence
It’s reasonably certain the Japanese
would have attacked the West Coast if
they had ever gotten the chance, but they
were never able to advance so close to
the U.S. again. In June 1942, the Japanese Navy suffered an enormous defeat at the Battle of Midway, losing 4 aircraft
carriers, forcing it to abandon its plan to
take control of the Pacifi c. Over the next
three years, as the war progressed and
U.S. forces advanced, the chances of a
large-scale attack on the West Coast diminished.

Douglas Aircraft is now gone.

Today, there’s no trace of the old Douglas
plant that ran alongside Ocean Park Blvd.

The plant has been demolished, replaced
by a modern business park and most of
the people who worked there have died.

Soon the airport itself will disappear, most
likely replaced with a slew of new construction and housing imposed by the state and validated by our city council.

Will we ever see a park there?

Page 4 ends

Below: War workers under the camoufl age at Douglas Santa Monica Below: Fake road, fake houses, fake trees, fake telephone poles.

Above: In the battle of Midway, June 1942, the Japanese lost 4 aircraft carriers which wiped out any ambitions they had to attack the West Coast of the United States.

Featured is the The Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber.

The Battle of Midway made a difference in Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Richard’s Tales of Ocean Park, Santa Monica and other magic places.

NEWSLETTER
December 2018 | Issue No. 16 | [email protected]

Page 1 ends

Continued on page 2
The 1920s were a prosperous time for
Santa Monica, The city was growing by
leaps and bounds and the population by
the late 1920s had reached 37,000. The
City Hall building built in 1903 to serve the
city was getting cramped and there was
talk about building a new City Hall.

But by the time proposals hit the ballot in
1931 the Depression had taken hold of
the city and the three proposals were facing a new economic reality. There were 3 Bond issues, each with a price tag.
12-Story City Hall, $600,000
The most curious proposal was a
$600,000 Bond issue concerning the now
familiar city landmark Bay Cities Guaranty
Trust Building. The Bay Cities Guaranty
Trust Building and Loan Association was
founded in 1921 by J. D. Rishell and
by early 1929, after making thousands
of loans to build Santa Monica homes,
they were feeling robust enough to begin
construction on a 12-story skyscraper
that would become their main office. At
a cost of a million dollars, it would be
the second tallest building south of the
Tehachapis, second in height only to the
Los Angeles City Hall.

But their timing couldn’t have been worse.

When the Depression hit, the business
failed and the building went into receivSanta Monica Votes on a New City Hall December 1, 1931 there were three measures on the ballot to decide about a new City Hall for Santa Monica. ership. There were many lawsuits among
the creditors when someone came up
with the idea that the city buy the tower
for $600,000, convert the lower floors to
city offices and rent the upper floors as an
income stream. Not a bad idea on paper.

The location couldn’t be more central, it
would give more room for the crowded
city staff and it would provide lots of room
for expansion as the city grew.

Replace old City Hall, $350,000
Another plan was a $350,000 Bond issue
This familiar downtown
landmark almost became
our City Hall!
$968,000 Great Value in Eagle Rock!
2917 Lawndale Dr. 4Bd • 2 Baths
This mid century home is high on a hill with
wide streets, great schools and a central
location near the studios and downtown.

Take the Video Tour!
New Low Price!
Continued on page 2
Old City Hall built 1903
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Historic Santa Monica City Hall

A G U I D E T O
Historic Santa Monic

A G U I D E
PWA Moderne Architecture
This style of architecture was most widely used in buildings constructed between 1933 and 1944 by the federal Public Works Administration. The PWA Moderne style utilized
characteristics of both the Art Deco and Art Moderne styles.

From Art Deco, it borrowed geometric and angular ornamentation in low relief, vertical projections and a sense of symmetry.

From Art Moderne, it took faceted corners, a flat roof, continuous ribbons of windows and a focus on horizontality.

PWA Moderne became a uniquely distinguished style because of this design mix, but also because it was most often used in projects financed by the federal government.

The primary historic interior areas are the grand entry lobby with high walls, grand stairways and artworks. Characterdefining features located on the first floor include the decorative tile wainscots, art murals, metal grilles, terrazzo floors, steel-framed windows, metal lighting fixtures and wood furnishings. Significant interior spaces on the second floor include the Council Chamber at the southwest corner, the original jail cells at the northeast corner and the city manager’s office on the east side. Character-defining features here include wood wall paneling, ceramic lavatories, tile floors and wood veneer doors with metal locksets.

Page 2 ends

Santa Monica City Hall under construction,
June 1, 1939.

Santa Monica City Hall under construction,
August 4, 1939.

Santa Monica City Hall Dedication dinner,
November 25, 1939. Mayor Gillette is in the
white jacket.

Santa Monica City Hall has rich architectural
details
to tear down the old city hall and replace
it with a new structure on the same site.

New Land for City Hall, $30,000
The third plan was to build a new City
Hall, in fact a civic center in the undeveloped area between Pico and Colorado known as “no man’s land”.

The election was contentious and by
December 2, the votes were in. All three
Bond issues were defeated. In the end,
at the bottom of the Depression nobody
in 1931 wanted to spend any money on
anything.

New City Hall completed in 1939.

Ultimately of course it was the third plan
that came to pass. It was a Public Works
Administration project, one of thousands
all over the country, built for public needs,
with Federal funds to help people get
back to work after the Depression. Post
Offices in Santa Monica and Venice are
other examples of similar local projects.

In June of 1938 once they had the assurance of a $158,000 Federal grant for a new City Hall, the city sold the old City
Hall and the land beneath it for $168,000.

No man’s land property was purchased
from the Pacific Freight Yard with the idea
that this would be the beginning of a new
City Hall, civic center and gardens that
would link Santa Monica and Ocean Park.

Architects Donald Parkinson and Joseph
Estep were tapped to design the new
project and they chose the PWA Moderne style, which combines elements of Art Deco and Art Moderne. Other works
in their portfolio include Union Station
and Bullock’s Wilshire. Site work began
in 1938 and the new building was completed at the end of 1939.

The finished building was indeed something for the city to be proud of. The exterior had a taller center core with stylish horizontal wings on either side. The grand entry lobby features double height
ceilings, grand stairways, decorative tile
wainscots, art murals, metal grilles, and a
distinctive terrazzo floor with the city seal
in the center.

Dedication ceremonies were held November 25, 1939, conducted by Mayor Edmond S. Gillette at a lovely dinner held
in the Lobby of the new building.

Santa Monica’s new City Hall,
dedicated November 25, 1939.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1909 to 1919 Auto Racing
puts Santa Monica on the map
These exciting races that came to town
once a year featured an 8-mile coarse along
Wilshire Blvd., east to San Vicente, west
to Ocean Avenue, then back to Wilshire.

The races attracted enormous publicity,
enormous crowds and put Santa Monica
on the map. Some say it was this attention
that helped Santa Monica with it’s growth
and independence.

Harold Osmer
is the authority on this subject. He gives
wonderful lectures about the races and has
accumulated a variety of artifacts from those
days. Among them is a tally sheet at the end
of the 1911 races with the names of some
of the racers. Second from the bottom of
this list is Victor Fleming, a man who didn’t
win THIS race but had a nice future
He did stunt driving in early silent films
then later he did cinematography for D. W.

Griffith. By 1919 he was directing Douglas
Fairbanks films. By the 1930s he was a top
director at MGM, working often with his
good friend Clark Gable. He directed Gable
in Gone With the Wind after he finished
directing The Wizard of Oz.

But Fleming never gave up his love for machines that went fast. He loved motorcycles and often went riding with Clark Gable and
Ward Bond. Fleming died of a heart attack
in 1949. More about Fleming... Cick Here.

Page 3 ends

Just one of...

Richard’s Fun-filled History Connections
Top: The famous dead man’s curve as the racers
turn east onto Wilshire from Ocean Ave. Actually
no one was ever killed here. In 1919 some spectators along San Vicente were killed in a crash and the races were cancelled after that year.

Mid-page: Racing tally sheet prepared by journalists of the 1911 race. Victor Fleming’s name is second from the bottom.

Above: Gable, Ward Bond and Victor Fleming on
a Harley ride after World War II.

Right: Two of Flemings top films.
➜
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025

Page 4 ends

Faced with moving Mom?
I can help you.

I have special training from the
National Association of Realtors
that give me specialist credentials
(SRES®) when it comes to dealing
with senior issues and I can help
you get through it.

In addition, I offer unparalleled
familiarity with the westside and
excellent customer service.

Thank you
Richard Orton
310 392 4082
Racing fever was high on the westside in
the early 1900s and in 1910 the Los Angeles Motordrome was built. It didn’t last very long but before it went up in a blaze
of glory August 11, 1913 it was said to be
the fastest track in the world.

Over 2,000,000 feet of lumber went into
the construction of the track and stands
and there was an elaborate lighting system for night racing. The huge complex was owned by the Pacific Electric Railroad which had tracks built right to the The Motordrome in Playa del Rey, 1910 to 1913
Circular track was one mile in length, shaped like a pie pan.

Whats happening to Home Prices?
Southern California home sales in September dropped off an astonishing 25% from August according to a new report
from real estate tracker CoreLogic..

That hefty dip came in spite of some
serious price reductions. Median prices
countywide fell 3.3%, from a record-high
$615,000 to $595,000. That’s still 3.5%
above the median price a year ago, but
none of this means the local real estate
market is crashing.

A 10% drop in sales between
August and September is typical but
this month that dropoff may have been
higher than usual because some buyers
are no longer willing to pay ever-rising
prices.

The double whammy of higher prices
and rising mortgage rates has priced out
some would-be buyers and prompted
others to take a wait-and-see stance.

Interest rates are a key determining factor
in whether a home is affordable for buyers who aren’t paying cash. In September 2017, the average 30-year mortgage rate
was 3.81 percent. In September 2018 it
was 4.63 percent.

That means that monthly mortgage payments for a house costing $595,000 would be more than $200 more per
month, assuming a 20% down payment.

Even a moderate uptick in sale prices
can keep buyers out of the market.

Across all of Southern California, median prices are up 3.6% since last year, but with interest rates factored in, that’s
nearly a 15% bump in the cost of monthly
payments.

The good news is that prices appear to
be plateauing and more sellers are slashing prices. According to a recent Zillow report, the number of homes in the Los
Angeles metro area being advertised with
a price cut is up since this time last year.
entrance of the popular venue. It was an
ideal system to deliver large crowds.

The fire was started by “tramps” smoking under the stands. Though only partially destroyed it was determined that the raceway would not be rebuilt.

Page 4 ends

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Richard’s Tales of Ocean Park, Santa Monica and other magic places.

NEWSLETTER
September 2021 | Issue No.49 | [email protected]

Page 1 ends

Continued on page 2
The Covid Shutdown
The closure brought about by the Pandemic has really been a shock to our system, not just our emotional system but every aspect of modern civilization. That
means culture, customs, norms, family
relationships, business, economics, trade
and political interaction.

No aspect of society was impacted more
than the restaurant business. The nature
of the restaurant business is to bring
people together to dine and enjoy a fine
meal with friends and family. This was
exactly the kind of gathering that spread
the virus and for many restaurants there
was no viable way they could stay in business. Overhead such as rent, insurance and loans continued to require payments
whether the doors were open or not.

Many closed their doors, forever.

Now that they are gone, it is difficult to
Celebrating
Yesterday’s
Restaurants!
measure the impact of their disappearance from the fabric of modern day life.

These restaurants defined our culture, our
neighborhoods, our society. All we have
left are the good times and good meals
we enjoyed with loved ones at places
which are now just magic memories.

I recently reached out to all of you to
send me memories of favorite restaurants closed recently or years ago and you were generous in your response.

What follows is an affectionate look at
those memories and others.

Dearest to me was the closure of The
Fish Company, right around the corner
at 174 Kinney for about 40 years. With
brick walls, beamed ceilings, a lively
bar and delicious seafood, it was everything you’d want when you went out for dinner. Especially the lobster bisque,
topped with puff pastry, it was heaven.

Above: Just a portion of my matchbook collection from all sorts of restaurants I went to over the years all over the Westside of L. A. Places like Merlin McFly’s and Scandia are dearly missed, others such as Fellinis and Brandys I can barely remember. Only one of these is still around. The King’s Head Pub continues to be a popular favorite on Santa Monica Blvd.

Kathleen Bryson wrote about Cheerio’s
“Way long ago (I hadn’t turned 16 yet),
Cheerio’s (see below) was the second
place I had a “real” date (my first real date
was at Kelbo’s). I remember thinking it
was very expensive, but the steak dinner
will always hold a place in my memories.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
I wondered about Cora’s Coffee Shop
Lana Turner played Cora, the beautiful
coffee shop owner who with the help of
John Garfield, murdered her husband in
the movie “The Postman Always Rings
Twice”. There is a Cora’s Coffee Shoppe
in Santa Monica near the beach. I wonder
if the name might have been inspired by
the story of the cafe in the movie? I think
the place has been there at 1802 Ocean
Ave. since the 1940s.

Jim Larson corrected me...

Cora is named after Cora Sams. She
worked there with her husband Curtis for
many years. I was friends with her son.

The food there then was excellent. All
three were great people.

Just remembered this. We didn’t have
money for crap back then. I would save
my little bit to get something cheap there.

They loaded up the plate! Sure they
thought I didn’t notice, but I did. Sixty
years later I still remember their kindness.

Page 2 ends

Below, left to right: Mark Mendell, current
Santa Monica resident Andy Bernstein, Dan
Yukelson, Chris Ungar, Ron Yukelson
Per SMFD: “May 13, 1988, the longtime
Santa Monica landmark, Cheerio’s restaurant at Pico and Ocean Ave., mysteriously caught fire at 3:45 in the morning.

Reports of transients living in the vacant
building prompted a full investigation from
the County Coroner. Two bodies were
found in the rubble later that week.

Rumor: According to Scarlett Magnolia:
“My uncle, Joe Stepner, owned this restaurant. Here is the story... He was told he needed sprinklers to get the building
up to code. He had battled cancer, was
pushing 70 and had just left a decadeslong marriage to be with my aunt. She was his best friend’s daughter, someone
he had known since she was 4 and he
was in his 30’s... ugghhhh! So they closed
Cheerio’s down. A total loss of money.

My aunt had expected huge homes, lavish gifts and a fancy lifestyle. This is how she stayed above others in her eyes. So
out of nowhere is this fire. Killing the “useless waste homeless” as my aunt called them. And they made off with the insurance money.

I knew it was them then. I know it now. So
did my entire family. I was 16 so had no
voice or power and did not know I could
call the police with info.

Sad story....people died because my elitist aunt needed to be richer.” My neighbor Jerry remembers...

Anna Maria’s on Wilshire near 5th.

They would bring out trays of complimentary wine to all the patrons waiting for a table standing outside the restaurant.

West 4th and Jane
Formerly Nat’s Coffee Shop with their
fresh baked muffins and pies you had to
order for Christmas. Great breakfasts.

Pinocchio’s (now Truxton’s)
An Italian cafeteria at 14th and Santa
Monica Blvd. A branch of the still-goingstrong location in Burbank. I heard they closed after the 1994 earthquake because the landlord wanted them to pay for a new roof which they couldn’t afford.

The Old Venice Noodle Company
On Main Street where the Chase Bank
now resides. The menu was the same as
locations of The Old Spaghetti Factory
because I believe the owner had split off
from the company.

Ron Yukelson wrote...
“There was no better place to hang out
than the Oar House/Buffalo Chips
Cafe. This photo {below} is circa
1983ish. That’s me on the right. The Oar
House was the quintessential neighborhood bar where the food was good, the atmosphere fun and the music great
(particularly on Monday Beatles night -
or was it ‘60s night?). Well that just goes
to prove I have great memory of the Oar
House and many nights I have no memory of… I lived at 3rd & Ocean Park Blvd. so it was a short walk to dinner and a
short stumble home at midnight.”
Michael Cole wrote...

My neighbor talks about “Pickle Bill’s”
at 2712 Pico Blvd in Santa Monica. They
had great french dip sandwiches. They
closed in the 1970s. I miss the Pioneer
Boulangerie on Main Street. I was always going and getting one of their incredible soups.

Continued on page 3
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Victoria Station Universal City, California
The most spectacular Southern California restaurant of all time.

Page 3 ends

I loved Cafe Figaro
The Cafe Figaro was on Melrose, about
half a block east of Doheny. I started going there in the fall of 1969 because it was just a few doors east of the old theater
that housed the Motion Picture Academy.

That fall the Academy was running a
10-week series of old Hollywood films
on Monday nights with special guests
for Q&A afterwards, free for film students and I was at UCLA Film School.

I saw Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with
host Howard Hawks; She Done Him
Wrong with Mae West taking questions
afterwards; and the biggest thrill of all
was watching Cary Grant’s Q&A after
Bringing Up Baby. After, we always
went to Figaro for beers and snacks.

Below: Cafe Figaro in the 70s, Right: a menu
of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Like Croissants?
The Times wrote about 4 SM Locations
for croissants. Aug. 12, 1982
Located on the plaza above the Universal
Tour the lobby looked like the old Victoria
Train Station in London. That facility was
being remodeld and all the old 19th century architectural bric-a-brac and signage was purchased at auction to populate the
interior of this restauarnt. Huge clocks
and arrival boards were everywhere. The
parking lot below was linked to the restaurant with a funicular railroad. One of your dining options was in an actual Flying Scotsman dining car, connected to the restaurant with sweeping views of the
San Fernando Valley.

Above: I enjoyed a breakfast with Phil
Brock and Kathryn Boole a few years ago
at Denny’s on Lincoln at Colorado. But
Denny’s was too close to the light rail, in
the way of progress and with a glorious
parking lot it is being replaced by housing.

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

Page 4 ends

Above: Merlin McFly’s was the most creative restaurant on Main Street ever. At the corner of Main and Hill, the theme was magic, honored with a series of 8 magnificent round stained glass windows, each dedicated to a different magician and his most impressive trick.

Above: The Famous Fish Enterprise Company at 174 Kinney. Using the former GAF Warehouse, opening in the 1970s along with a sister restaurant in Santa Barbara, they specialized in mesquite grilled seafood for over 40 years before they closed during the Pandemic.

Above: Wildflour. This humble little restaurant
served terrific pizza and Italian delights on Main
Street for almost 40 years. Now occupied by Ashland and Hill.

Above: The Buttery, perhaps a bakery more than
a restaurant, it didn’t last very long but they had
terrific baked goods. And I loved the name.

Dining Memories in Ocean Park
Above: The Blue Fin was a dive bar at this locatiop going back to the 1940s. When Main Street went upscale in the 1970s it got a make-over, a
new bar and became Willie Tiffany’s Tavern.

Now it is Rick’s Tavern on Main.

Above: The Omelette Parlor, everybody’s favorite on Main Street. Part of the Grand American Fare group of restaurants, it had a great personality along with great omelettes and delicious apple butter topping their English muffins.

Above: Chinois on Main is the brain child of famous chef Wolfgang Puck. Mixing French and Asian cuisine this restaurant has been a dining
destination for celebrities and foodies for almost
40 years. Doris Sosin remembers a birthday party there with friends, where someone ordered “a big fish”.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
92 David Yakobson
From: lmarreola <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:24 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: 1-8-25 CC Meeting Item 7-A

EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers
We agree with Nikki Kolhoff's letter to you in respect to halting the Airport Conversion process.

Please do not take any action that will allow the city or state government to build Any housing or commercial development. To do so you would fail the residents of our city, especially those in Sunset Park.

Thank You,
Carol and Larry Arreola
Sunset Park Residents
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
93 David Yakobson
From: Tara Barauskas <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:23 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Letter regarding Item 7A
Attachments: 002.jpg; 001.jpg

EXTERNAL
Please see attached letter regarding tomorrow's Council meeting item 7A. Thank you.

Tara
--
Tara Barauskas
Executive Director
Community Corporation of Santa Monica
1410 2nd Street, Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310)-394-8487 ext. 133
[email protected]
www.communitycorp.org
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
94 David Yakobson
From: P M <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:19 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Cc: Elizabeth Mair
Subject: Santa Monica Airport

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

We are Santa Monica residents, raising our family in Santa Monica. Our girls play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

We strongly support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. We 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.

Sincerely,
Peter & Elizabeth Mair
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
95 David Yakobson
From: Connie Matalon <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:16 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis
Subject: SANTA MONICA AIRPORT

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of the Santa Monica City Council
PLEASE keep the Santa Monica Airport OPEN . It is vital to the Southern California area for MANY reasons. One of those reasons is illustrated in the attached photo.

CalFire used the Airport during the recent Southern California fires. The Airport is an important base for fighting fires.

Thank you for your consideration …
Connie Matalon
808-646-1101
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
97 Sent with aloha from my iPad
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
98 David Yakobson
From: Denise McCann Bachman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:16 PM
Cc: 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 moved to Santa Monica in January of 2010. I live in Sunset Park and have grown to love it more and more over the years. Early on I found that there hardly any parks in Santa Monica, and the ones that I did find were small and inadequate, which seemed oddly short sighted for a community that gave such vocal support to principles of sustainability and ecological consciousness.

I was so thrilled when, as a community, we overwhelmingly voted to close the highly polluting SMO airport and turn it into a great park. I have waited patiently along with all of my neighbors for this project to finally become a reality. It's been a LONG wait.

It seems like in spite of the public having voiced our preferences for a great park, that some small vocal commercial interests have attempted to sway you, our city representatives, to change the outcome to something more suiting their profiteering.

We, the actual residents of Santa Monica, urge you to support us and our stated and clearly voted on preference for a true great park, like Central Park in New York.

You have a once in a lifetime to create something beautiful and forward looking that will add to our environment and to the joy and health of the citizens who will continue to enjoy it for generations to come.

I personally urge you not to be swayed by commercial interests but to build us and our planet and our descendants a jewel of a great park for all to enjoy.

Thank you,
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
99 Denise McCann Bachman
2224 26th st
Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
100
David Yakobson
From: Cloverfield Commons <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:03 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Jim Conn; Vivian Rothstein; Dana Cuff; Daphne Dennis; Barrie Levy; Bradley Ewing; Alison Kendall; Lynn Naliboff; Reginald St Claire; Ralph Mechur; Deborah Maddis; [email protected]
Subject: January 28, 2025 Council Agenda Item #7A

EXTERNAL
We are a growing group of Santa Monicans and concerned neighbors who feel that the conversation about affordable housing (from very low to middle income) has been excluded from the community process for the airport reuse. We offer our VISION STATEMENT that advocates for housing accessible to people who are priced out of the Santa Monica market AND a great park covering at least one-half of the airport site.

With regard to the community process to date, the consultants’ guiding principles cover five themes, each of which has linkage to housing that is inclusive and accessible but whose linkage does not appear in the principles:

Start with nature: With a severe job/housing imbalance, consider the amount of pollution generated by commuters that harms nature. We have over 80,000 formal jobs in the city and less than 10% of these workers live here. Nurses, teachers and first responders travel one-two hours each way to come to work. Housing at the airport can go a long way to heal our environment and nature by reducing car traffic in and out of the city.

Inspire wonder: Santa Monica has a grand legacy of affordable housing design, pulling together appealing visuals, right-sized homes and buildings that contribute to the conviviality of our public space, and maintaining the city’s economic and racial diversity. This tradition belongs in the reuse of the airport, interlacing into a great park with families who will use the open space every day and thereby keep eyes on it.

Balance economics: The airport offers the opportunity to develop a community, not discrete affordable housing projects one at a time. This could allow for financing not available in the typical way. For example, revenue sharing with the County via tax increment in an “Affordable Housing Authority” or a Mello Roos district to pay for the infrastructure, or employer-financed housing to attract and maintain employees and maximize workforce stability. An economic discussion has to go beyond the airport and address the recruiting and hiring crisis most employers experience here. Without housing their employees can afford, we will continue to see attrition in our best teachers, our best nurses, our best civil servants.

Amplify Versatility: We believe in the concept of Both/And. We can have a great park and housing for people who can’t compete in our housing marketplace. That is versatility. With 100 acres, we can have all the active and passive park uses we desire. In addition, we can have multiple families enjoy their lives here while contributing to our economy and welfare.

Celebrate Place: Santa Monica was the ancestral home of the Tongvas. It was a place many came too for opportunities. Black Mexicans were amongst the Pobladores, who were the pioneers of Los Angeles. AfricanAmericans 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.

Plants and inanimate objects do not celebrate; people do. Bring them home to celebrate the roots that we have lost.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
101
As the consultants head into Phase 3 of the community engagement process (determining three reuse options), we ask you to direct them to look at below market-rate housing options (3,000 units from very low to middle income) in two out of the three reuse options, engage with housing advocates in a serious way, and study the economic feasibility in a creative way.

The 2025 Cloverfield Commons leadership team
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
102
David Yakobson
From: Richard Orton <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Item 7-A Does the Airport closure mean park or development?

I would prefer the airport remain open but if it does close I don't want the State law to supercede what Santa Monica citizens voted for... a park. And I am very afraid that will not happen.

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?

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
103
Thank you for your consideration.
[your name]
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
[your city/school affiliations]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
104
David Yakobson
From: Luke Hatfield <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:09 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; [email protected]; David White; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I am a lifelong Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. Both of my daughters play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Thank you for your help with this important matter.

Best,
Luke Hatfield
2103 Hill St.
701 Marine St.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
105
David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: David White
Subject: Item 7a -Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tempore Torosis, Councilmembers Zwick, Hall, Raskin, Snell, and Zernitskaya,
In 2014 I was one of many who knocked on doors in Santa Monica, asking residents to support Measure LC. We were outspent 10:1, but we won 60:40.

Given that history, the creation of a Great Park compliant with Measure LC is a goal close to my heart.

Having lived as a renter for 26 years in Santa Monica, I know what a difference a 200-acre park will make for those who have little outdoor space, or none at all.

I have been most impressed by the process city staff is overseeing and leading, and Sasaki is executing.

The draft Guiding Principles they have developed are excellent, and I hope you will authorize them to proceed as they request.

There will be naysayers who argue the city cannot afford a world-class park, or that we should give up ownership of our land to fund it, but let us take Berlin’s Templehof airport as our model.

The story goes that when flight operations ceased and the 360-acre site became a park, Berlin had no money at all, so they just put up a sign saying “Park”, and let people revel in all that glorious open space.

Our own Great Park may take some time to come into full fruition, but here’s to a big celebration on opening day, with bicycles, skateboards, pickleball, and an infinity of picnics on the land we have owned for nearly a century and finally get to enjoy.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Andrew Gledhill
Ocean Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
106
David Yakobson
From: Jesslyn Kahler <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:07 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 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,
Jesslyn Kahler
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
107
David Yakobson
From: Adam Gross <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:05 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 live with my family in Santa Monica. We're lucky to participate in children's sports organizations like AYSO (soccer) and SMGF (girls softball) that allow kids to exercise, work with others, and build selfesteem. The existing fields are bursting from the seams with use and limits these organizations. Please include both multi-use and diamond fields in a future great park.

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

Sincerely,
Adam Gross
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
108
David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:04 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: In Regards To: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I have been a “Sunset Park” area Santa Monica resident for about 17 years. I chose to settle in Santa Monica (after living all over Los Angeles) because of its commitment to high excellence in its school systems, because of the palpable sense of community, and because of the city’s laudable focus on sustainability. I have raised my family here and I’m extremely proud to call Santa Monica my home.

When my son was younger, we used to play at the Clover Park playground. These days, as an avid soccer player, he is more frequently found training with teammates at JAMS or at Samo High. But there’s such a squeeze for space in the parks that it has made me realize how vital it is for the airport to be converted into a Great Park. Something akin to the Great Park in Orange County that provides a space for everyone in the community to congregate, enjoy nature amid the city, and with enough sports fields that the entire community is served now and well into the future.

From what I understand the data gathered 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.

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 after the Airport closes, January 1, 2029. It’s the right thing to do for our community, for sustainability, and for our children’s children. Thank you for giving strong consideration to this choice.

Sincerely,
- Jeremiah
Jeremiah Knight
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
109
David Yakobson
From: Sarah Hatfield <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:03 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; [email protected]; David White; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell 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. Both of my daughters play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Sarah Hatfield
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
110
David Yakobson
From: Floresita Arcari, SMAYSO Director of Team Managers <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:03 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 Board Member. Santa Monica AYSO is a non-profit community organization, run 100% by volunteers. As a Board Member, coach and referee, 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.

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.

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,
Floresita Arcari
Director of Team Managers
Santa Monica AYSO Region 20
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
111
ayso20.org
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
112
David Yakobson
From: Nick Wells <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:59 PM
To: <[email protected]>>; 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
Board Colleagues, It's critically important that every one of you send an email TODAY (and no later than tomorrow at 11am) to City Council that generally tracks the below. I have tailored it for Board Members,so you just need to slightly customize it and send it. These letters are like "votes" to the elected Council members, so we need to represent. Please send your letter today (and please get other family members to send one too). If you aren't actually a SM resident, just delete the first sentence.

SUBJECT: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles 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 Board Member and coach. 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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
113
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,
Nick Wells
AYSO 20 Board Treasurer
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
114
David Yakobson
From: Suzanne4455 <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:58 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

EXTERNAL
Dear Honorable Mayor Negrete and Honorable City Council Members,
How is is possible that the land at Santa Monica be considered "developable" land in light of the fact that the land was purchased with park bond money (following a vote 100 years ago to purchase the land with park bond funds?
Am I not correct in my belief that California Governmental Code Section 25582 applies to this land?
Government Code Section 25582:
"If the land comprising all or any portion of such park has been purchased with funds realized from the sale of bonds of a bond issue authorized for the purpose of acquiring the land for park purposes, the question of abandonment of all or any portion of such park and the sale or conveyance of the land or the use of the land for other county purposes shall first be submitted to, and approved by a majority of the voters of the county voting at the next statewide election or at a special election called for that purpose."
Suzanne Robertson Brewer
1127 12th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
115
David Yakobson
From: Marc Verville <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:57 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: David White; councilmtgitems
Subject: OPPOSITION: SMCC 2025-01-28 Item 7.A. - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles
Importance: High

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council –
I am wriƟng to ask that you halt the Airport Conversion process unƟl the risks of the State land use development legislaƟon has been fully veƩed by an outside legal firm and a legal opinion 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 Ɵming of this process is ENTIRELY DISCRETIONARY and needlessly creates extreme risk of development and loss of land use control BY INCLUSION IN THE State’s 7th Cycle RHNA planning window. The 7th Cycle commences on June 30,2029. A simple delay in the closing of the airport unƟl someƟme aŌer the start of 2030 would place the resulƟng open space outside of the 7th Cycle RHNA planning process and allow mulƟple applicable state legislaƟve acts to expire, restoring to the City some measure of local control. AŌer all, that is why Measure LC was called “LC”.

In success, the city, its residents, and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles will obtain a nice amenity in a Great Park, albeit one that may take a decade or more to fully realize. In failure, the city of Santa Monica alone will irreversibly experience the severe and irreversible consequences.

This enƟre process has taken on an almost schizophrenic character. The proposed conversion process repeatedly references the Measure LC process while the risks outlined in Staff Report 6630 and the accompanying City AƩorney’s memo note the pre-empƟon of LC by State land use legislaƟon. Since LC was passed in 2014, the enƟre California land use regulatory framework has been replaced. Since 2017, at least 195 new State laws have removed local control over land use. And new State land use legislaƟon that will impact the City and the open space conƟnues to be introduced. This legal environment was never envisaged by Measure LC and to date, there has been no legal strategizing on how to neutralize these Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
116
pernicious legislaƟve encroachments on local control. Key legislaƟon that impacts all City decisions includes:
 SB 7: RHNA Unit DeterminaƟon
Requires that the State, through SCAG, to ignore all exisƟng zoning in the determinaƟon of housing units. SB 7 therefore allows SCAG to determine and allocate to Santa Monica incremental housing units to the enƟre city, including the unzoned airport parcels, using whatever density SCAG/HCD deems appropriate, at their own discreƟon. Only State and Federally-protected land qualifies for exempƟon. Moreover, SB 7 expressly eliminates local land use ballot measures from impacƟng the RHNA housing unit determinaƟon. Thus, unzoned open space is included. Unzoned land that is suitable for residenƟal housing was idenƟfied by the City in 2019 as eligible for inclusion in the suitable sites inventory. SB 7 implements that on a statewide basis and would significantly inflate Santa Monica’s resulƟng 7th Cycle housing allocaƟons beyond the absurd levels they are currently at.  SB 330: Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (Expires 01-01-2030) Prohibits local land use ballot iniƟaƟves that restrict development. That disenfranchises resident input under LC to determine future land use.

When the vote on LC was taken, the residents were never told that the real choice was between a park, and massive densificaƟon of the city. Yet, that is the choice we are now facing, but now there is no opportunity for resident consideraƟon and determinaƟon.

The staff report reflects the impact of the above statutes, among others, when it 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. Combined with the City’s financial straits that are summarily and clearly documented in the Staff Report, it would likely lead to the need for reduced city services, direct taxaƟon of the residents, or both.

These risks and potenƟal outcomes have NOT presented in either the City process, staff analyses, or in any of the supporƟng organizaƟons’ materials.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion, that definiƟvely answers the following quesƟons:

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

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

3. Does the staff report asserƟon 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
117

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

Thank you.

Marc L. Verville
Sunset Park Resident
Chair, Santa Monica Audit SubcommiƩee
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
118
David Yakobson
From: rml <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:54 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Creation of Great Park

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

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

Thank you!
Sincerely,
richard levine
principal & creative director
cyberiamedia | art bursts
2218 22nd St, Santa Monica Ca, 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
119
David Yakobson
From: Soul Mastery <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:49 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:
[Brief information about yourself, mention you're a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, and why a Great Park is important to you.]
The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelminglysupports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Susann
Susann Taylor Shier
310-450-0351
www.soulmastery.net
www.soulradianceretreats.net
http://www.facebook.com/susanntaylorshier
http://twitter.com/susannshier
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
120
David Yakobson
From: Mehringer Family <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:46 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 Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids had the benefit of playing soccer with Santa Monica AYSO for many years, and I had the joy of coaching their teams for most of those years. Some of you may recall when this City Council gave my team a special award in 2023 after we won the Western States Championship and made Santa Monica known (and even a little bit feared!) throughout the Western United States for our dominant soccer play and our resilient players who never gave up. Santa Monica AYSO teams represent Santa Monica with pride!
Although my kids have grown out of our AYSO program now, I still volunteer as a Board Member to give back to the community that benefited my kids and gave my family some of our closest friends and best experiences of our lives.

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 a constant struggle for our AYSO program and for other rectangular field sports. We don't have enough field space to offer as many team practices as we want to offer. The limited field space in spring means we turn away kids who want play because we don't have enough field space for more teams. In addition, we don't have nearly enough field space to run a tournament, like other AYSO chapters do, which can bring in millions of dollars of revenue to the city and local businesses in a single weekend.

For the Jan 28, 2025 meeting, I urge you to approve moving forward with a GREAT PARK on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. This land was bought by the people of Santa Monica to be a Great Park and it is time to restore it to its original purpose. 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 close to home.

Sincerely,
Melinda Mehringer
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
121
David Yakobson
From: Trip Dvorak <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:43 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Great park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. One of the reasons we moved to Santa Monica was the great park and school systems. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
William Dvorak
Get Outlook for iOS
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
122
David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Subject: keep airport option open.

EXTERNAL
1/27/2025 6:41:06 PM

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?

Thank you for your consideration.

Rachel Sene, Jay Johnson
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
123
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
124
David Yakobson
From: Joseph Hardin <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:39 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 - SMACP Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Hello Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
Thanks for your hard work in these trying times...

As a long time resident of Santa Monica living on Pier Avenue ( airport adjacent ) I was in favor of shortening the runway enough to eliminate any jets from taking off or landing at SMO. Also, banning jet and leaded aviation fuel from SMO. The FAA and Aviation interests refused to compromise years ago and finally lost their suit to the City of Santa Monica in federal court. Of course, they never give up! In the fall of 2014 I spent several weeks canvassing, knocking on doors all across Santa Monica to help pass ballot Measure LC. At least 80% of the people I talked to were in favor of a great park for Santa Monica. Out of several hundred people I talked to one pilot and a couple of people that had pilots in their families were against closing SMO. There were also several people that were afraid if the airport closed real estate developers would take control and cover the property with condos. I assured them that Measure LC prohibited that type of development.

Even with the massive amount of money the aviation industry threw against it, ballot Measure LC was a "landslide" victory for the residents of Santa Monica.

Now, over 10 years later, you have a very important task ahead of you. As you know many times ( sadly ) money rules, this is a time when the public's health, safety and wellbeing is at stake and should rule. A majority of Santa Monica residents have been waiting a long time for their wishes to be granted.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC and publicly owned as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Joseph Hardin
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
125
David Yakobson
From: Dannie Charney <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Caroline Torosis; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; David White; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting 1/28/25 Item 7-A DEEPLY OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
My previous email is about side-stepping legal issues that are staring us clearly in the face regarding RHNA and housing ..but this is my wish for the airport. Keep it open.

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.

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.

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, andeconomically - 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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
126
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.

Danielle Charney
Resident Since 1982
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
127
David Yakobson
From: fabiola morales <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:20 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Great lPark

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

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

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

Sincerely,
Fabiola Morales
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
128
David Yakobson
From: John Given <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:20 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Agenda Item 7A - Airport Reuse Planning

EXTERNAL
Since the Airport Initiative was first debated the necessity of expanding the supply of housing across the region and in Santa Monica has become perhaps the number one public policy priority and is now broadly understood across all constituencies. As if we needed any further reminder, the horrific fires have brought the issue into even greater clarity. Any jurisdiction with capacity to plan for development of as much 3000 acres of public land (i.e. the City of Santa Monica and the VA), would be in dereliction of its responsibility to not proactively make plans accordingly.

This is ample basis for the City Council to ask that ongoing planning for reuse of the Airport include development of housing affordable to low income households and more broadly the Santa Monica workforce.

I support development of park and recreation uses. However, that is not incompatible with development of at least 3000 housing units on the same property. The planning studies and community surveys to date do not adequately assess and offer concepts of housing and park development and thus do not adequately assess public input on the same. At Council direction this work should part of all ongoing planning studies.

Below is my previous correspondence on this matter.

Thank you holding a hearing on the Airport Reuse process.

Sincerely,
John Given
Begin forwarded message:

From: John Given <[email protected]>
Subject: Airport Reuse Planning
Date: January 2, 2025 at 5:33:20 PM PST
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
129
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Dear Council members, I chaired the Housing Commission when the City chose to use Earthquake Redevelopment (1994) funds to acquire the Rand property leading to the development of Tongva Park. Notably, it was the initiative of the Housing Commission to insist that there be a substantial set-aside of land for housing development including the very successful affordable housing development, the Belmar Apartments.

I have participated in the community workshops and followed with great interest the visioning process for the re-use of the Santa Monica Airport as being led by City staff and the Sasaki consultant team. No doubt this is a tremendous opportunity to develop the land for public uses and parklands as endorsed by the voters. However, there are so many other considerations that do not compete with or limit that storyline. Among them:
...Meet the City’s needs for affordable and workforce housing, not to mention the same for the greater WLA region. How can the City-sponsored planning effort so casually make glancing reference to these needs? The “gaming” of the airport conversion plan should include development of at least 3000 housing units on the Airport property in addition to market rate and affordable housing redevelopment of portions of the adjacent business park is a proactive strategy to house our growing workforce and provide intergenerational housing mobility for Santa Monica residents. This can be done on as little as 1/3 of the site without compromising park and recreational land use potential. Ignoring this scenario does not make the housing demand go away. It only means Santa Monica becomes more out of reach for its own workforce and intergenerational mobility of its residents. ...Provide for modernization and expansion and relocation of the City’s transportation, utility, sanitation, and other operations centers. ...While the airport property is within the City of Santa Monica and is owned by the City, its long term use cannot ignore the overwhelming demand for park and recreation uses and housing of the larger surrounding community. Most of the examples of airport conversion projects from around the world occur under regional, even State, authorities created to finance and oversee the public and private capital and enterprises necessary to undertake large scale land development. It should be of great concern that the public is being led through a very Santa Monica-centric process with only passing reference to the necessity of regional and intergovernmental engagement in the visioning, planning, and ultimately the jurisdictional authorities that will be called upon for approvals, financing and governance.

This City Council is now asked to make its imprint on the airport conversion studies. The narrative should include how housing and public lands can be developed in a common vision. I urge the City Council to engage its neighboring jurisdictions in assessing regional park, recreational and housing priorities for this property. Santa Monica can and should lead but real vision is not a dream-like state where anything is possible. It must take on the great challenges of our time and place.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
130
Respectfully,
John Given
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
131
David Yakobson
From: Don Coscarelli <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:12 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 -

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council –
I support these Guiding Principles, which were endorsed by City staff, and based the City’s extensive community outreach.

Thank you,
Donald Coscarelli
Santa Monica Resident & Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
132
David Yakobson
From: Deborah Dinsmore <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:08 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land. I would rather see them develop a functional plan to meet existing maintenance needs before adding new ones, along with a plan to improve public safety in existing parks so we can feel free to use the ones we have.

It strikes me as odd that a city which cheerleads its diversity is so anxious to rid itself of a facility that adds richness to that diversity and exchange it for a project they don't appear to have the money to build or maintain.

Has the city really budgeted the money a project like this will take? Including:
1) Site remediation. Years ago the El Toro MCAS was over $200M. Did I miss Santa Monica's plan for the nine-figure cost in your project guidelines?
2) Development cost.
3) Maintenance budget. The city appears to be backlogged in maintenance. It would be more prudent to clear those first while developing a viable maintenance plan before anything new is added.

Please pause the Park process until all these issues are resolved we get more control back over our local land. With the state pressuring cities to overdevelop many are concerned that Santa Monica will be strong armed into building a dense housing element there.

I could not attend the recent public meeting on the park, but am concerned about what happens to our protected airspace without an airport. The FAA protects the Santa Monica airspace with a 2,600-ft ceiling. There will be no need for that ceiling once the airport ceases operations. Without that legal ceiling there is a question how low these LAX bound flights will be allowed to go. Have your planners negotiated a rock solid guarantee that the FAA will maintain that ceiling? This appears to be another loose end to tie down.

Deborah Dinsmore
Santa Monica Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
133
David Yakobson
From: sarah aldrich <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:02 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

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?

Thank you for your consideration.

Sarah Aldrich
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Parent of Roosevelt Elementary and Samohi students
Sarah Aldrich
[email protected]
310-999-1258
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
134
David Yakobson
From: Tom Ly <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 6:01 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:

My name is Tom Ly, a member of the Santa Monica neighboorhood, community, and Pickleball Club.

It's super important to me, and my family that we have a Great Park - it's such a cornerstone for our family to be able to have a local place we can go to and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. It's also a great family activity for us. 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,
--
Tom Ly
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
135
David Yakobson
From: Noelle Claudat <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Support for Green open park space at airport

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. We live right by the airport and are very much hopeful it will be a green open space for our community. I participated in the surveys and was excited about all the ideas for a nature preserve, open park space, bike trails, and other ideas that would allow for community gathering.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Please support keeping this something that can be a community space for outdoor green space and not over develop Santa Monica with apartments or businesses. It is so important to have nature space on our community.
"Insist on yourself. Never imitate."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
136
David Yakobson
From: Karen Blechman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:51 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
"Continued prosperity will depend on providing needed parks ... In so far ... as the people fail to show the understanding, courage and organizing ability necessary at this crisis, the growth of the Region will tend to strangle itself."
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., Parks, Playgrounds and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region (1930) Dear Council Members,
There is an even greater need for open space today. Please safeguard it.

Thank you,
Karen Blechman
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
137
David Yakobson
From: Scott Smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:49 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7a - Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council-members,
I’m writing to urge you to support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC. It’s a financially-feasible, publicly-owned park that I would love to see opened for public use on January 1, 2029.

Thank you,
Jeffrey Smith
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
138
David Yakobson
From: John Ellis <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:46 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:

I’m John Ellis. I’m a former 6-year member of the Santa Monica ARB. I also am an avid Pickle Ball Player and a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. A Great Park is such an important project and I hope you will support it for the betterment of the city for decades to come.

In this day and age of smart phone inertia, we need public spaces that encourage In Real Life activities and interactions.

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,
http://www.johnellisphoto.com
310 994 6469
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
139
David Yakobson
From: Erika Soja-Combs <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:46 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 — We need more sports facilities for our kids

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

My family and I live and work in Santa Monica/Mar Vista. My daughter plays play soccer and volleyball in Santa Monica. We need more courts and fields at SM Airport Park land and not additional housing. There are plenty of lots and properties surrounding the Airport Park that are already permitted to support any new housing that may be needed in the area. Current single family homes and the park land does not need to be used or destroyed for housing.

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 and indoor courts at the Great Park so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play volleyball, soccer and other sports close to home.

Sincerely,
Erika Soja-Combs
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
140
David Yakobson
From: colette herbstman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:40 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,
Colette Herbstman
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
141
David Yakobson
From: Jacki Weber <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: the Airport Conversion Project (ITEM 7a on 1/28 agenda)

EXTERNAL
Dear Esteemed City Councilmembers,
I moved to Santa Monica in 1996. In the decades since then I have worked in Santa Monica, raised my kids here, gone to church here, and have loved this city.

I'm sure you don't need to be told about the housing availability/affordability crisis. It was not like this when the Great Park was imagined.

Property in Santa Monica has exploded in price since I arrived here.  In 1996, the median price for a home in 90405 was $273,500.  In 2016, the median price was something like $1.3 million.  In 2024 it was roughly $1.75 million
The city is full of low-wage workers driving the tourism industry, helping raise children, and maintaining the insides and outsides of homes.

Additionally, there are teachers (who earn less than $65,000/year on average) and firefighters (who earn twice as much, but still couldn't afford a home anywhere near Santa Monica). Indeed, rent for a modest 2 bedroom apartment is close to $3,000/mo in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica has an unprecedented opportunity to use a small portion of the Santa Monica Airport property to build housing that could make Santa Monica living affordable for thousands of folks, reducing traffic and generating revenue for the many ideas for a great park developed by Santa Monica residents.

I strongly encourage you to put housing on the table in a real way as you explore reusie of the airport.

Thank you for your time!
Jacki
--
Jacki Weber
Take care, and make a nice day. :-)
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
142
David Yakobson
From: Cindy Firestone <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:26 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: More Park & Field Space

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,
Cindy Firestone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
143
David Yakobson
From: Robert Street <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:25 PM
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,
I will not be able to attend the meeting tomorrow but I want to let it be known that we at 2323 Pier Ave. (family home since 1976), are supportive of the Great Park.

Robert Street
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
144
David Yakobson
From: Simone Filosto <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:18 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,
Simone Filosto
1418 26th Street Unit 4
Santa Monica CA
90404
323-9009209
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
145
David Yakobson
From: Diane Watanabe <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:12 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
January 27, 2025
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

I am a resident of Santa Monica and work at Santa Monica College. I am a longtime volunteer youth rugby coach for the Santa Monica Rugby Club and served on the Board for 10 years. The club sponsors men’s, women’s and youth rugby teams. For its population, Santa Monica has limited space for team recreational activities (eg: soccer, rugby, lacrosse, volleyball, softball, baseball). The competition for field space in Santa Monica is fierce. The Great Park represents an opportunity to include more recreational facilities and green space in a densely populated area. This project might be a singular opportunity to create a legacy for future generations.

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,
Diane Watanabe
529 Montana Ave, #16
Santa Monica, CA 90403
--
Diane Watanabe
(310) 779-7286
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
146
David Yakobson
From: Sarah Gallagher <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:10 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, Hello, I'm a Sunset Park resident, a parent and a happy participant in so much that our great city has to offer (libraries! Rec classes!).

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 writing to ask you to 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!
Sincerely,
Sarah Gallagher
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
147
David Yakobson
From: Cara Valentini <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:05 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, ages 11 and 7, both play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, which serves close to 1,500 local kids. Our family has truly found a home within the AYSO community and want to continue to see youth sports thrive in Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Cara Valentini
P.S. Thank you also for all your hard work and outstanding communication provided during the recent wildfires. I sincerely appreciated the updates posted to SantaMonica.gov multiple times a day during the week following the outbreak of the Palisades fire.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
148
David Yakobson
From: William Robertson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:04 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Santa Monica Soccer

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,
William Robertson
President (of a Santa Monica business)
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
149
David Yakobson
From: matia wagabaza <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:01 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,
As a longtime Santa Monica resident, I strongly support restoring our City’s original Great Park on the Santa Monica Airport land. This is a unique opportunity to create an inclusive, vibrant, and communitycentered space.

I urge you to include multi-use fields in the Great Park so Santa Monica kids and families can enjoy sports like soccer locally. Investing in these fields will benefit our community for generations.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and prioritize creating a Measure LC-compliant, financially feasible, publicly owned park ready for use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Thank you for your leadership.

Sincerely,
Matia Wagabaza
Sunset Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
150
David Yakobson
From: Steve Bagnara <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: Steven Johnson
Subject: Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Pro Tem Torosis & City Council Members, My name is Steve Bagnara. I am a former Rugby player from 1996-2004 for Santa Monica mens club. I was the clubs field manager from 2000-2008 and am currently coaching the Santa Monica Rugby Club Under 16's boys side. Santa Monica Rugby Club currently has 3 women's teams, 2 mens teams and a youth team in every division from age 6 to 60. Yes, some of us still play rugby at 60... I am writing to express my strong support for the redevelopment of the Santa Monica Airport land into a vibrant community asset dedicated to youth sports. In my time as field manager, we were constantly trading dates and times with AYSO, baseball, lacrosse and football, sometimes just to get a small corner to practice or play on. It has been a never ending battle.

The closure of SMO presents a unique opportunity to address the critical shortage of accessible and affordable playing fields for young athletes in Santa Monica and the surrounding areas.

The benefits of converting this valuable land into a dedicated youth sports complex are numerous:
 Improved Health and Wellness: Provides a safe and accessible space for children to engage in physical activity, promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing childhood obesity rates.  Enhanced Community Recreation: Fosters a strong sense of community by creating a central hub for youth sports leagues, tournaments, and recreational activities.  Increased Access to Sports: Offers opportunities for children from all socioeconomic backgrounds to participate in sports, regardless of their ability to pay.  Environmental Benefits: Creates a green space that contributes to the city's environmental goals and enhances the local ecosystem.

I urge the City Council to prioritize the creation of a world-class youth sports complex on the SM Airport land. This would be a lasting legacy for the city, providing generations of children with the opportunity to thrive both physically and socially.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Steve Bagnara
Santa Monica Youth Rugby Coach
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
151
World Rugby Citing Commisioner
DGA Asst. Director
310-308-2113 Cell
email: [email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
152
David Yakobson
From: Robert Ginsberg <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Subject: Item 7A Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project, SMACP, Guiding Principles

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

I have been a resident of Sunset Park for over 27 years. My sons were both active in Santa Monica team sports growing up. Each began playing soccer and baseball as very young boys and got hooked by soccer which they still play today as young adults. Throughout their school years I spent considerable time on the sports fields in Santa Monica as a parent spectator, assistant coach and team manager. And through this lens, I witnessed the challenges of field space allocation.

Conversion of the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport to a Great Park is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will serve many generations to come. Please support the proposed Guiding Principles as presented in your staff report and direct staff to proceed with Phase 3 of the study by developing three scenarios that follow these principles. I look forward to participating in the next steps as you move forward. Thank you for your leadership in serving the residents of Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Robert Ginsberg
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
153
David Yakobson
From: Roger Young <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:00 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Airport

EXTERNAL
It is simple: Santa Monica cannot afford the park at this time. The airport is a valuable asset for the city. So… keep it open until the park is agreed upon by all parties, and the cost for something the city will be proud of, is honestly within the cities financial reach.

Why close the airport and replace it with an amateur bunch of “expositions”? Roger Young
College Streets
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: jeni Blumenthal <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:44 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council Meeting

EXTERNAL
City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles 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.]
The data gathered so far from the City's SMAC Project process overwhelminglysupports the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jeni Blumenthal
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: jeni Blumenthal <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council Meeting

Thank you!
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Roberto Santiago <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:59 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,
Roberto Santiago
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Matty Wilder <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:55 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 Matty Wilder and I have worked in Santa Monica for nearly 25 years and been a resident and homeowner here for almost 14 years. A Great Park on the SMO land -- where a great park once stood -- will contribute to our city's well being and will foster connection with communities throughout the region, much like Clover Park already does.

Having more space to recreate and convene outdoors is an important part of continuing to ensure our city is vibrant and welcoming to all.

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.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles as written 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!
Sincerely,
Matty Wilder
--
Matty Wilder
Santa Monica, California
www.mattywilder.com
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Jamie Levy <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:53 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: SM Airport Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Jamie Levy
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Michael <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:52 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; 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,
Michael Lynch
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: Robert Ginsberg <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:47 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; [email protected]; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Fwd: item 7A Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
RE:Item 7A Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Councilmembers:

Sincerely,
Robert Ginsberg
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Stephen Salko <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:46 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Community Parks are an investment in community health

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,
Stephen Salko
Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device
Get Outlook for Android
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
5 David Yakobson
From: Ashley Sundquist <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:42 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 toddler son in Santa Monica. My husband Josh and I have lived here almost 10 years and I'm honored to be on the board at The Salvation Army Santa Monica and active in our Vintage Church community. We treasure being Santa Monicans!

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 son can stay active, healthy, and do life close to home. Please help keep our family rooted in Santa Monica! Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
6 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,
Ashley Sundquist
--
Ashley Sundquist
mobile: (443) 742-4342
email: [email protected]
josh: www.joshsundquist.com
me: www.adventureunabashedly.com
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleysundquist/
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
7 David Yakobson
From: gillian grebler <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:43 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,
Building a Great Park on the airport land would be a dream come true for most Santa Monica residents - ones like me who’ve lived here for many years and new residents too. I work as well as live in Santa Monica - I teach at Santa Monica College - and will use the Great Park in my teaching.

Thank you
Gillian Grebler
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
8 David Yakobson
From: stephan corbel <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: January 28, 2025 City Council Meeting – Item 7.A. – SMAC Project Guiding Principles

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

We wanted first to thank you for your strong dedication and tireless work on challenging projects to provide a better Santa Monica day after day!
For having raised a family in Santa Monica in the past twenty years, we have seen significant progress and measures taken by the City Councils to enhance quality of life for our community and the future generations.

Tomorrow, you will be reviewing the new Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project, and we are very proud you will discuss and support this important Great Park milestone.

The Guiding Principles as written in the staff report are aligned with what we had hoped to see: Start with Nature, Inspire Wonder, Balance Economics, Amplify Versatility, and Celebrate Place.

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 again for your support in this Santa Monica Community milestone! Sincerely,
Stephan Corbel
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
9 David Yakobson
From: Michael Moulton <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Great Park & Field Space

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I live in Santa Monica and have two young kids. My kids play a variety of sports, including soccer through the Santa Monica AYSO program.

I am writing to express my and my family’s support for restoring Santa Monica’s Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. As I suspect you have heard from other residents, I also support building multiple multi-use fields at the Great Park so that my kids (and the thousands of other kids who currently and will in the future reside in Santa Monica) can continue to enjoy this amazing community, stay active and benefit from all that local youth sports programs – including soccer – have to oƯer.

I encourage you to 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 at the outset on January 1, 2029.

Best,
Mike

MIKE MOULTON
Executive Partner
Moulton | Moore | Stella LLP
P: 310.399.0950 M: 323.351.1215
E: [email protected]
Frank Gehry Building | 2431 Main Street, Suite C
Santa Monica, California 90405
www.moultonmoore.com
Admitted in California
======================================================================================= Please be advised that this transmittal may be a confidential attorney-client communication or may otherwise be privileged or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy or re-transmit this communication. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us by e-mail ([email protected]) or by telephone (call us at 310-399-0952) and delete this message and any attachments. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
10 David Yakobson
From: Brendan Brown <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Support building many multi-use fields at the 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,
Brendan Brown
--
“All the suffering there is in this world arises from wishing our self to be happy.

All the happiness there is in this world arises from wishing others to be happy.” ― Śāntideva
********************************************************** Director of Evaluation & Impact
Green Healthy Homes Initiative
National Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
2714 Hudson Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
Cell Phone (443)-226-0366
Direct (443) 842-6345
Fax (410)-534-6475
Toll Free 800-370-
LEAD www.leadsafe.org
www.ghhi.org
********************************************************** Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
11 David Yakobson
From: Patrick Renner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:32 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

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of the City Council,
Thank you for your leadership during these past few challenging weeks. The way our city team responded—with urgency and professionalism—brought much-needed clarity and comfort to our community in a time of crisis.

Watching first responder aircraft take off from Santa Monica Airport to battle the devastating fires really drove home just how important this space is to our city’s resilience. It also got me thinking about the incredible potential of these 190 acres. There’s such a strong case for transforming the airport into something much more dynamic and multifaceted—a space that’s sustainable, inclusive, and financially responsible, benefiting Santa Monica residents who will ultimately foot the bill. That said, the idea of turning the airport into a single-purpose park doesn’t feel like a practical or financially sound solution for our city.

The concept of a "Great Park" is exciting in theory, but we have to face facts: it’s just not economically viable. The city doesn’t have the resources to build or maintain a park of this scale. A bond measure is unlikely to succeed, as there aren’t clear revenue streams to repay it, and property tax increases would almost certainly face significant pushback from Santa Monica residents. Relying on philanthropic donations to fund a multibillion-dollar project is wishful thinking. Closing the airport in 2028 without a financially sustainable plan in place is a recipe for disaster. And beyond the funding challenges, there are so many unanswered questions. How would the police department secure such a large, vacant area, especially when they’re already stretched thin managing Downtown Santa Monica and our existing parks? How would changes to FAA routes and flight altitudes for large aircraft at LAX impact our community? And how would Santa Monica handle the operating costs of a park that could attract millions of visitors, when we’re already struggling with maintaining places like the Promenade and our beaches?
Since Measure LC passed more than a decade ago, a lot has changed:
 Jet traffic and noise at the airport have dropped dramatically—by 81%.  Electric training aircraft, with zero noise and pollution, are already being used.  Electric passenger planes are on the horizon, and by 2028, they could be offering clean, quiet flights that are accessible to everyone in our community.  We’ve faced wildfires dangerously close to the city, with the airport serving as a critical base for firefighting aircraft.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
12  The pandemic put a strain on the city’s finances, highlighting the importance of responsible and sustainable planning.

It’s also worth noting that Measure LC didn’t mandate a park. It ensured that no development could happen on the airport site without voter approval, apart from limited exceptions like parks and cultural spaces. The intention was local control—not necessarily a park. Unfortunately, this has been misinterpreted or misrepresented over the years.

There’s a smarter way forward. The Santa Monica Airport site could become something extraordinary—a place that’s sustainable in every sense: environmentally, socially, and economically. We have the chance to create a space that offers recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities, supports innovation, and even addresses housing needs. To put it in perspective, the combined size of the Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens in Paris is 110 acres. With 190 acres, we can achieve something truly balanced—a stunning park alongside meaningful economic development.

My ask is simple: keep an open mind. Sasaki’s work is valuable, but they’ve been tasked with focusing on a single vision for a Great Park. Let’s invite and explore other innovative, practical ideas for what this space could become.

Thank you for all that you do for Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Patrick Renner
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
13 David Yakobson
From: darnell Williams <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:31 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City council meeting 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.

Darnell Williams
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
14 David Yakobson
From: Maia Berens <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:30 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Park with Fields

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& #x27;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.

Sincerely,
Maia Berens
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
15 David Yakobson
From: janine autolitano <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:29 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

EXTERNAL
"Cal Fire has its own fleet of aircraft operating from 14 airfields and 11 helicopter bases across the state that can reach most fires within about 20 minutes. The three main components of the fleet are tactical planes, airtankers and helicopters." Looking at this map below, doesn't Los Angeles seem under represented? Wouldn't a portion of Santa Monica Airport be an excellent place for another Cal Fire airfield/base? "SMO is more than just infrastructure; it is a vital asset for emergency response and community safety. Losing it would significantly increase vulnerabilities during future crises." I was so proud to see SMOs airfields being used in this latest crisis and that we were able to contribute in a meaningful way! In addition, I love our airport just as it is. It's truly open space, it has a park, sports fields, restaurants, museums, art studios and galleries, event spaces, wonderful charities, offices, a flea market, abundant free parking, classrooms and most importantly, it is GENUINE! It is a real part of who and what Santa Monica is. Not just history (which we should embrace and cherish) but the future of aviation is electric making it environmentally friendly, quiet and cheaper. Santa Monica has not been capable of maintaining its existing parks as is, they are not safe spaces. I only go to our parks if there is a scheduled event like a concert. We couldn't even manage the tiny chess park and had to close it down. This "great park" is a folly, there is no connection, it could be anywhere. A greater benefit to Santa Monicans would be smaller neighborhood parks throughout the city.

PLEASE SAVE SMO!
Janine Autolitano
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

May be an
image o f map
and text
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
16 David Yakobson
From: Dereje Tesfaye <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:24 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
Dereje
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
17 David Yakobson
From: Costas Philippou <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:21 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I am a proud Santa Monica resident, raising my family in this wonderful city. My children have had the privilege of playing soccer with Santa Monica AYSO, and I give back to this incredible program by serving as a Board Member.

Santa Monica AYSO is a non-profit community organization, run entirely by volunteers. As a Board Member, I dedicate hundreds of hours each year to help create a high-quality, low-cost soccer experience for the children of our community.

Through the involvement of countless parent and community volunteers, we foster not only a love of soccer but also an active, family-oriented, and engaged community within Santa Monica. Local kids and families have the chance to connect, forge friendships, and build memories that can last a lifetime.

Our children need green spaces to play soccer and other sports, where they can connect with peers in a healthy, active environment. Unfortunately, Santa Monica currently lacks adequate field space to support these needs.

Securing field space is a constant struggle for Santa Monica AYSO and other rectangular field sports programs in the city.

I wholeheartedly support the restoration of our City’s original vision for a Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport. Specifically, I strongly advocate for the inclusion of numerous multi-use rectangular fields within the Great Park. These fields are vital for ensuring that our kids and families have local, accessible spaces to stay active and healthy through sports and recreation.

I urge you to support the proposed Guiding Principles for the Great Park, ensuring the project complies with Measure LC, is financially feasible, remains publicly owned, and is ready for public use on Day One—January 1, 2029.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment to creating a vibrant, active future for our community.

Sincerely,
Costas Philippou
Assistant Regional Commissioner AYSO Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
18 David Yakobson
From: Heidi Ross <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:19 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 played soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

They have also played on various clubs, all utilizing Santa Monica field space when possible. I know many families that drive miles a day to take their kids to parks for soccer and other sports because field space isn't available here where they live. This is bad for our environment, bad for our kids and families to spend so much time driving and bad for our city to have people that leave for more space.

Sincerely,
Heidi Ross
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
19 David Yakobson
From: Jennifer Hershfield <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:16 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 children have played soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. We have also taken great advantage of the amazing outdoor spaces in our parks within Santa Monica in the 11 years we have been residents.

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 sports close to home. I voted on proposed uses of the outdoor space several months ago, and am excited to see the Santa Monica Airport land become a hub for our community.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Hershfield
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
20 David Yakobson
From: Tara Saxon <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Barry Snell
Cc: Jesse Zwick
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,
Tara Saxon Grossmueller
Producer
310.251.5800 cell
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
21 David Yakobson
From: Marla Berns <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:13 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:

Born in Los Angeles, I have been an active member of Los Angeles’s and Santa Monica’s cultural ecosystem for over 25 years and I am honored to be a member of the Great Park Coalition’s Advisory Committee. I bring strong background as an arts leader, curator, and innovator. I am Director Emerita of the Fowler Museum at UCLA and served as its Shirley and Ralph Shapiro Director for twenty years until my retirement in 2021. I am now an independent scholar, curator, and consultant with a deep commitment to the transformative role arts and culture play in building communities and intercultural understanding. Because the Fowler is a global art museum, we have a long history of programming about the commonalities and diversity of our region’s many constituencies. A “Great Park” in the center of Santa Monica offers recreational, educational, cultural, environmental and relational opportunities. Indeed, the impressive Guiding Principles of the GPC offer incredible promise for connecting to the history of the airport site and to current thinking about civic gathering places, such as urban parks. I am also a proud resident of Venice, on the borderland with Santa Monica.

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.

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

Thank you!
Marla C. Berns
GPC Advisory Committee
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
22 David Yakobson
From: Michael Katz <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:09 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Natalya Zernitskaya; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Dan Hall
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 participated in two of the City’s several outreach visioning sessions for neighbors and Santa Monica residents interested in learning about, and having their input recorded on, the future of the Great Park that we overwhelmingly passed when we voted for (Measure LC) la few years ago. Airport2Park is a group I joined and eagerly supported. Let me be clear: I am in full support of the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project “Guiding Prinicples” The Council should show its hearty support for the Great Park that is fully LC Compliant! PLEASE don’t add any qualifications that would demand yet another ballot measure. The People — the voters! — decided LC with a whopping 60% of the voters affirming they wanted Great Park, as well as about three dozen civic, neighborhood, and environmental groups registered their support for LC, too. Do the right thing! Yours Truly
Michael Katz
3016 Ruskin St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
+1 (310) 415-0966
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
23 David Yakobson
From: Jean Fiumara <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:05 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7

EXTERNAL
JANUARY 27 2025
TO: SM CITY COUNCIL
RE: SMO REUSE PLAN
We are a growing group of Santa Monicans and concerned neighbors who feel that the conversation about affordable housing (from very low to middle income) has been excluded from the community process for the airport reuse. We offer the attached vision statement that advocates for housing accessible to people who are priced out of the Santa Monica market AND a great park covering at least one-half of the airport site. Please also see the list of endorsers to date for this vision statement.

With regarding to the community process to date, the consultants’ guiding principles cover five themes, each of which has linkage to housing that is inclusive and accessible but whose linkage does not appear in the principles:

Housing at the airport can go a long way to heal our environment and nature.

Inspire wonder: Santa Monica has a grand legacy of affordable housing design, pulling together appealing visuals, right-sized homes and buildings that contribute to the conviviality of our public space, and maintaining the city’s economic and racial diversity. This tradition belongs in the reuse of the airport, interlacing into a great park, with eyes on the open space and families to use it every day.

Balance economics: The airport offers the opportunity to develop a community, not affordable housing projects one at a time. This could allow for financing not available in the typical way. For example, revenue sharing with the County via tax increment in an “Affordable Housing Authority” or a Mello Roos district to pay for the infrastructure or employer-financed housing to attract and maintain employees and maximize workforce stability. An economic discussion has to go beyond the airport and address the recruiting and hiring crisis most employers experience here. Without housing their employees can afford, we will continue to see attrition in our best teachers, our best nurses, our best civil servants.

Amplify Versatility: We believe in the concept of Both/And. We can have a great park and housing for people who can’t compete in our housing market place. That is versatility. With 100 acres, we can have all the active and passive park uses we desire. In addition, we can have many families enjoy their lives here while contributing to our economy and welfare.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
24 Celebrate Place: Santa Monica was the ancestral homes of the Tongvas. It was a place African-American came for opportunities. Latinos lived here during the rancho days and many worked here in factories when there 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 a chance to live here.

Plants and inanimate objects do not celebrate; people do. Bring them home to celebrate the roots that we have lost.

As the consultants head into Phase 3 of the community engagement process (determining three reuse options), we ask you to direct them to look at affordable housing options in an earnest way, engage with housing advocates in a serious way, and study the economic feasibility in a creative way.

Sincerely,
Jean Fiumara

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
25 David Yakobson
From: Michelle Uhm <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:01 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,
--
Michelle Uhm
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
26 David Yakobson
From: Nick Mehra <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:02 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:

I'm a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club and reside very close to the Santa Monica Airport with my family.

The Great Park concept is incredibly important to us to provide our community with a special, unique public gathering space where everyone feels like they belong.

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,
Nick Mehra
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
27 David Yakobson
From: Tina McGowan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Fwd: City Council Meeting (01/28/25)- item 7.A. SMAC Project Guiding principles

EXTERNAL
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tina McGowan <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25)- item 7.A. SMAC Project Guiding principles To: <[email protected]>
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.

It would also be great to have a lake with benches and picnic tables around a lovely walking path.

Sincerely,
Tina McGowan
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
28 David Yakobson
From: Tina McGowan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:00 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.

It would also be great to have a lake with benches and picnic tables around a lovely walking path.

Sincerely,
Tina McGowan
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
29 David Yakobson
From: Nancy Duresky <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:59 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Support for Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
I am Nancy J Duresky. I live on Hill street near the future Great Park. I want to say that I strongly support a Great Park in the space now used as the Santa Monica airport.

I now use Clover Park almost daily. I walk with my neighbor ladies in the park 3-4 times a week. I used to meet my son and daughter in law and grand-daughter in the park for a weekend picnic. On Sundays, after church services, I sometimes go to the park to be quiet and pray. Before I was old, our church had an occasional marathon fundraiser and I would go to our park and run around, around and around the circumference to train. I figure it is 8/10 of a mile around the park. Our wonderful Clover Park is now over-crowded. It is almost impossible to find a quiet place to sit and think of the great trees that are in the park. It is no longer ever quiet in the park. Just to stay a lovely neighborhood, we need the new Great Park for all types of recreation.

It seems the consensus is that the data gathered by the city supports the great park outlined in Measure LC (which is financially feasible, which is publicly owned and open right after the airport is gone.) I could not follow all the activities in gathering data, I participated when I could, however, I just want you to know that I support a great park with many different recreation activities. I hope it has some 'natural / wild' areas. As a long time resident of Santa Monica, I ask you to support creating the Great Park.

When I bought and moved into this house about 38 years ago, the traffic at the airport was an occasional single engine airplane on the weekend. Now that I have paid off my house and retired, I hear jets, low flying helicopters, etc. daily. It is time for it to become the Great Park of Santa Monica and a plaque to hang somewhere in the park with the names of the city council members who supported its creation! Thank you. Nancy J Duresky
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
30 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:57 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Great park in SM

EXTERNAL
TO: [email protected]
Subject: Item 7a -Support for The Great Park
When I visit with my sister and friends, we enjoy going to the park.

A Great Park in Santa Monica would be a joy for all!
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,
Carol Flax
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
31 David Yakobson
From: Eric Shepnick <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:59 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 was raised in Santa Monica and I am a proud graduate of our public schools (Franklin, Lincoln and SAMOHI).) I am a current Santa Monica homeowner and raising my family in Santa Monica and they are currently enrolled at Franklin and Lincoln and planning to eventually attend SAMOHI as well. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Eric Shepnick
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
32 David Yakobson
From: Nick Taranto <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:57 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.

I support building many multi-use fields at the Santa Monica Airport so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play soccer and other sports close to home.

Sincerely,
Nick Taranto
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
33 David Yakobson
From: Rachel Ketai <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:57 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Build a Great Park for Santa Monica Kids and Families

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,
Rachel Ketai
734-678-2164
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
34 David Yakobson
From: Alison Kendall <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:54 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete
Subject: Jan 28 2025 Item 7A Guiding Principles and Alternatives for SM Airport Conversion

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
As a 20 year Santa Monica resident and business owner and planning manager of several major reuse planning projects, I am writing to comment on the Draft Guiding Principles and most importantly, the development of three alternative scenario concepts for Phase 3 of the planning, economic feasibility and environmental review process.

Comments on the Guiding Principles
The Guiding Principles are phrased in such broad terms that using them as criteria for evaluating alternatives will be quite difficult. "Start with Nature" seems an odd goal for almost 200 acres which retains few natural features or plants. "Restore Sustainability" might be a better way to phrase this goal.

Restoring Sustainability should include an acknowledgement that currently Santa Monica is in some ways extremely unsustainable, as all but about 10% of its 80,000 or so workers live far outside the city limits and commute long distances. In particular, health care workers, teachers, public employees and hotel and service workers face a critical shortage of affordable housing which limits the quality of life in our community. While this issue was raised in public meetings, the Guiding Principles seem to ignore the possibility that the Airport conversion could incorporate both a major park and critically needed affordable housing which would make it a true Santa Monica neighborhood.

By incorporating affordable housing for key Santa Monica workers, a significant amount of permanently affordable housing could be provided, and a built in neighborhood of frequent park users will provide better security that a park only facility could include. Furthermore, the revenues from this workforce housing can help to support the costs of building and operation.

Two compelling reasons for including housing in the Alternatives are provided in the Staff Report which notes:
"Importantly, under the Surplus Land Act, 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 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
35 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, regardless of the limitations imposed by Measure LC. If the City wanted to proceed with third party disposition of property post-Airport closure, it would be advisable for the City to consider whether housing should be considered as part of “the Project” for purposes of CEQA analysis as well as future voter approval."
"The State’s Housing Element laws require that the Housing Element include an implementation program that demonstrates how the city plans to accommodate the RHNA allocation after the 7 th Housing Element is certified by HCD, anticipated deadline is October 15, 2029. 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. Failure to upzone could subject the City to all legal remedies under State Housing Laws, including monetary penalties, third-party lawsuits, and the Builder’s Remedy, citywide. Therefore, in addition to SLA conflicts, the city may need to consider whether any level of anticipatory new housing for the 7th Cycle is appropriate to be studied as part of the CEQA analysis for the post-closure uses at the Airport. 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."
For all of these reasons, and because providing a range of affordable housing alternatives is increasingly important to retaining Santa Monica's diversity and vitality, I urge you to request of the consultants that they consider affordable workforce housing as a major element of the Airport Conversion Planning in at least one or two of the Alternative Scenarios in Phase 3.

Alison Kendall,
Architect/Planner
20 year Santa Monica Resident/Business Owner
--
To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
36 David Yakobson
From: Kaitlin Drisko <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:45 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Mario Fonda Bonardi
Subject: Item 7A. The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles Attachments: 2025-01-27 SMC Letter SMACP Guiding Principles.docx

EXTERNAL
Attached please find the Santa Monica Conservancy’s letter of support.

Kaitlin Drisko
Executive Director
Santa Monica Conservancy
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 310.948.5311
Visit us at: www.smconservancy.org
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
P.O. BOX 653
SANTA MONICA, CA 90406
310-496-3146
www.smconservancy.org
DATE: January 27, 2024
RE: Item 7A. The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Guiding Principles Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers
The Santa Monica Conservancy has been an active participant in the Santa Monica Airport Conversion project to date and welcomed the opportunity to host one of the 20 community conversations as noted in your staff report. We hosted 43 participants on October 30, 2024 to listen to community members’ interests in planning of the Great Park specifically through the lens of history. Key comments from that conversation included 1) recognizing important historical and cultural stories, 2) inventory and potential reuse of existing buildings on the site, and 3) being good stewards of the land including environmental sustainability and phasing of the construction to reduce impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.

The historical and cultural stories of particular interest for the participants were:
• Indigenous and First Peoples’ cultural heritage and relationship to the land • Natural history of flora and fauna of the region including biodiversity in re-wilding of the landscape
• Original Clover Field Park and the start of the SM park system • Original Clover Field airstrip and its significance within the region • Excitement of early flight and the thrill and entertainment of the flying machines • Biographical information on Douglas, Douglas Aircraft and information on the DC line of airplanes and the development of the aviation industry in Santa Monica • War-time contributions of McDonnel Douglas and the role of war-effort labor recruitment in SM housing and neighborhood development
• Contributions of women and people of color to aviation in Southern California We support the five guiding principles as outlined in your staff report and in particular, principle number 5 Celebrate Place. This principle calls for the future project to 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. We believe that the site’s important histories should be embodied within the project through not only innovative adaptive reuse solutions for buildings of cultural interest but also by incorporating the cultural significance of the site through place-making, plant typology and markers that identify the history and importance of the site such as the Compass Rose which became an official city landmark on November 18, 2024.

We urge you to support the principles as written and give direction to the Staff to move forward with Phase 3 of the Santa Monica Airport Conversion project and look forward to participating in the next steps.

Sincerely,
Mario Fonda-Bonardi
President, Santa Monica Conservancy
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
37 David Yakobson
From: Nora Hackmann <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:51 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 Sunset Park, Santa Monica.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

We are so appreciative of the decisions already made to stop airport operations especially as we hear the noise from the starting planes throughout the day and worry about the engine emissions impacting the quality of air for our kids - especially our youngest one struggling with asthma.

We believe creating a green space with drought resistant plants and trees will be essential to create a health and climate resilient future for the residents of Santa Monica. Numerous research has confirmed that exposure to nature is linked to improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and sleep. In times where we face a mental health, metabolic health, and climate crisis, this shared green community space will be crucial to ensuring a healthier, more sustainable community.

Also our kids play and my husband coaches soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. I strongly support building many multiuse fields at the Great Park so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play soccer and other sports close to home.

Sincerely & with gratitude,
Nora
Nora Hackmann
+1 347 380 1634
About me
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
38 David Yakobson
From: Anne-Marie Schaaf <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Item #7

EXTERNAL
JANUARY 2025
TO: SM CITY COUNCIL
RE: SMO REUSE PLAN
I am one of a growing group of Santa Monicans and concerned neighbors who feel that the conversation about affordable housing (from very low to middle income) has been excluded from the community process for the airport reuse. We offer the attached vision statement that advocates for housing accessible to people who are priced out of the Santa Monica market AND a great park covering at least one-half of the airport site. Please also see the list of endorsers to date for this vision statement.

Housing at the airport can go a long way to heal our environment and nature.

Inspire wonder: Santa Monica has a grand legacy of affordable housing design, pulling together appealing visuals, right-sized homes and buildings that contribute to the conviviality of our public space, and maintaining the city’s economic and racial diversity. This tradition belongs in the reuse of the airport, interlacing into a great park, with eyes on the open space and families to use it every day.

Amplify Versatility: We believe in the concept of Both/And. We can have a great park and housing for people who can’t compete in our housing marketplace. That is versatility. With 100 acres, we can have Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
39 all the active and passive park uses we desire. In addition, we can have many families enjoy their lives here while contributing to our economy and welfare.

Celebrate Place: Santa Monica was the ancestral homes of the Tongvas. It was a place AfricanAmericans came for opportunities. Latinos lived here during the rancho days, and many worked here in factories when there 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. Plants and inanimate objects do not celebrate; people do. Bring them home to celebrate the roots that we have lost.

Sincerely,
Anne-Marie Schaaf
10816 Tabor St
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
40 David Yakobson
From: Ken Borden <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport and I strongly support building many multi-use fields at the Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, and have raised my family here in Santa Monica. when my children were younger, my kids played for many years in the ayso league. I also coached ayso for 5 years.

Now my children and grandchildren also live here in santa monica and play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Ken Borden
958 18th St, unit 2
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-714-6214
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
41 David Yakobson
From: Lynn Soodik <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: January 28, 2025 City Council Meeting, Item 7.A.

EXTERNAL
First I want to welcome our new city council members and welcome back our returning members.

I am a long time resident of Santa Monica, I have resided in Santa Monica for over 30 years. I love the community and am so happy that the city will get the airport property back to provide a park that is so sorely needed.

I approve of the great park. Our city does not have enough parks. I support the guiding principles and creation of a great park that is compliant with Measure LC.

I do not approve of housing being built in the park.

This park should be a beacon of pride for Santa Monica and benefit both young and old. We need a park that will provide significant mental and physical benefits that offer a space for physical activity, a place where people can connect with other people. A park can improve air quality which is something everyone should be thinking about at this time. Also, the fact that it can manage stormwater runoff will be amazing.

I read the report sent to the city and quote from it: “Items that Santa Monica needs more of today according to top votes include, nature parks/landscapes, pickleball court…” Some of you may know I am one of the founding members of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. We created a wonderful environment at Memorial Park for both young and old pickleball players. We have appeared at many Parks and Rec meetings to promote more pickleball courts. From your own survey, you see that people want more pickleball courts. I hope the city can deliver on this in part of their plan for a Great Park.

As an aside, I believe that the city is making a profit now that it charges for pickleball play on Monday and Wednesday evenings and on Saturdays and Sundays. It is my understanding that the profit is limited because of the fact that the city only has 3 but sometimes 4 tennis courts for the program. If the city had more courts at the airport the profit to the city could increase considerably. If the courts were made suitable for professional play, the city could draw in substantial monies from sanctioned tournaments and bring in revenue to Santa Monica hotels and restaurants.

Please move forward with the idea of a Great Park and don’t change the plans to add in housing.

Very truly yours,
Lynn Soodik
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
42 David Yakobson
From: John Huss <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:46 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,
John Huss
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
43 David Yakobson
From: Alessandro Valentini <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:46 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. I have been a volunteer with the organization for several years and I have witnessed in person what a positive impact having space for activities like soccer is for the development of our children.

Sincerely,
Alessandro Valentini
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
44 David Yakobson
From: Bianca Hernandez <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:46 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,
Bianca Becerra
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
45 David Yakobson
From: Lauren Begert <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:44 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: Automatic reply: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Hello,
I included my address on this email and was not aware that the email would not be redacted. How can I remedy this? I do not want my address posted online
Thank you,
Lauren Begert
On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 3:39 PM councilmtgitems <[email protected]> wrote:

Thank you for your email. Please be advised that this email will: 1) become part of the public record, 2) be filed with the City’s official records, and 3) be posted online at smgov.net/council/agendas. Comments will not be redacted and appear online as they are submitted.

If you plan to speak at the meeting and have an electronic presentation to show, please submit it to [email protected] no later than 12 PM on the day of the meeting.

Levine Act Disclosure. Pursuant to the Levine Act (Govt Code Section 84308), any party to a permit, license, contract, or other entitlement before the Council is required to disclose on the record any contribution, including aggregated contributions, of more than $250 made by the party or the party's agents within the preceding 12 months to any City official. Participants and agents are requested to make this disclosure as well. The disclosure must include the name of the party, participant, or agent, and any other person making the contribution; the name of the recipient, the amount of the contribution, and the date the contribution was made.

Thank you,
The City Clerk’s Office
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
46 David Yakobson
From: Register <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:43 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 Stephen Mark, former 8 year member of the Santa Monica Airport Commission and a 30 year Santa Monica resident.

I’m writing to add my voice to those who want to see the Santa Monica Airport closed and converted to open land use. My personal preference is to see a natural plant and animal habitat, ala Griffith Park, developed as I believe such a use would turn the land into an environmental asset at a minimum maintenance cost. The Airport is already home to uncounted coyotes who roam our neighborhoods looking for food and raising citizen stress levels, especially that of pet owners. Let's take their presence as nature pointing us toward what the land wants to be.

As I understand it, data gathered from the City's Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project process overwhelmingly supports turning the land into some sort of park and I see no reason for the Council to ignore those findings.

Please follow the proposed Guiding Principles by creating a Great Park compliant with Measure LC, financially-feasible, publicly-owned, and opened for public use on the day after the Airport closes, January 1, 2029.

Sincerely,
Stephen Mark
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
47 David Yakobson
From: Anna Straub <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:41 PM
To: [email protected]; David White; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; 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,
Anna Straub
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
48 David Yakobson
From: Lauren Begert <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:39 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:

Sincerely,
Lauren Begert
1437 Berkeley Street; 90404
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
49 David Yakobson
From: Laurel Angelica Myers <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:38 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 - PARK SPACE!

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I live 2 blocks from the airport on Rosewood, and have with my husband and children for nearly 10 years.

We are raising our three kids (all under the age of 10), and utilize the park space and honestly even the parking lots (for scooters and bike riding) every single weekend and during the week for community sports. My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

I strongly 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. Living in west Los Angeles, it's truly a challenge to find outdoor space for our children to have access to nature and activities outdoors, one of the most critical components of childhood development that teaches both critical self-confidence as well as respect for communities and natural spaces.

Sincerely,
Laurel Myers, life long Angeleno and mother of 3
________
Laurel Angelica Myers
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
50 David Yakobson
From: Caroline Stewart <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:37 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:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My 3 kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Caroline Stewart
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
51 David Yakobson
From: Magali Noval <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:37 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:

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

Sincerely,
Magali Noval Rivas
2625 Arizona Avenue
90404 Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
52 David Yakobson
From: brody franzen <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:36 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Great Park SMO Thoughts

EXTERNAL
Hello Santa Monica Government,
I’m writing you as I heard an important meeting is set for this Tuesday with regards to the future of the SM Airport property.

As a frequenter of this airport, I would implore you to consider redevelopment plans that preserve the existence of a runway.

Since original measures passed to redevelop the airport, major changes have occurred in both the noise and use behavior of the airport that trend in a positive direction for the community.

Just last month, I flew the nation‘s first electric trainer plane from Santa Monica runway 21, a plane which has no noticeable exterior sound at takeoff or landing. In only a few more years, many more such planes will populate this historic airport if it is allowed to still exist.

Additionally, over the last few weeks, this airport has provided critical for firefighting efforts in the Palisades and presidential visits. As the years go on, these events will continue to be common place, demonstrating the importance of keeping Santa monica airport open and operational. While certainly the space could be converted into something else beneficial for the community, such as Pickleball courts or apartments, all of these alternates have other places that exist on the west side – not the case for general Aviation.

I believe there exist ways to redevelop this historic space which minimize environmental and neighborhood impact, while still preserving the active runway. As a fan of this space, please consider any and all such plans to this nature.

Thank you for your time,
Brody Franzen
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
53 David Yakobson
From: Mike Salazar <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Support for the Great Park
Attachments: 250127-Support the Great Park.pdf

EXTERNAL
Attached is a letter in support of the Guiding Principles for the return of our Great Park and for the continuing Conversion process, for distribution to the appropriate staff and government leaders for tomorrow's (Jan. 28, 2025) City Council meeting, Agenda item no. 7A.

Mike Salazar, Architect,
Ocean Park
--
Mike Salazar
The information contained in this e-mail message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or is not the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify us by telephone or reply by e-mail and promptly delete the message. Thank you.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Mike Salazar, Architect & Ocean park resident

Page 1 of 2 ends

January 27, 2025
Support for the Great Park,
Item 7A, Jan. 28, 2025
Dear Mayor and City Council:

I am writing to you today as an individual, a resident of Ocean Park and an architect, despite my role on the Executive Committee of Measure LC, as a founding board member of the airport2park Foundation and member of the new Great Park Coalition Advisory Board. I wholeheartedly support the airport2park foundation letter and the Great Park Coalition board letter, as well as the Guiding Principles as proposed.

Staying the course of airport closure and a new Great Park in the mold of Measure LC is an ever-vigilant task that will create a legacy project and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring back our park to this great city.

As a point of order, at your City Council meeting on January 28, 2025, it is essential that this council and our City Attorney make it crystal clear that the City Council has in fact already voted for airport closure. This 2017 aPirmative vote to close the airport is the law of the land. No amount of misinformation will change this, but that is exactly what the antineighborhood pro-airport lobby is stirring up, now in a stealth campaign walking neighborhoods, and spreading untruths of airport benefits disproven in the LC campaign.

Please make a clear and bold statement that airport closure has been approved.

Another equally compelling concern is LC compliance of the 3 Options. Paramount to this process is deciding what each Option is and how it meets the letter and spirit of Measure LC. Personally, even one Option requiring a new vote to amend or possibly override Measure LC is unsupportable and fraught with pitfalls and politics out of the City’s control. But I continue to wholeheartedly support this conversion process.

Options 1 & 2 should be fully supported, and every ePort made in this conversion process to create the new “zoning’for our airport land that utilize an ‘overlay’ or Specific Plan to include the LC-complaint uses that are clearly parks-supportive and that lock in and benefit current land uses, such as major expansion of the Museum of Flying and Barker Hangar, of additional cafés and restaurants, of Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Mike Salazar, Architect & Ocean park resident

Page 2 of 2 ends

informal gathering/activity uses such as an amphitheater and significant natural and made-man land features.

It is imperative that if an Option 3 requiring an additional vote remains in contention, that Council states their intention that any amendment or override vote cannot take place until our airport is completely closed and decommissioned, postJan.1, 2029. This is why it is so important that this Council continues to support a full study outlining the airport closure process to identify everything that it takes, how it gets done and how to fully implementation airport closure no later than January 1, 2029, so we are in full local control of our airport land and ready for the Great Park to physically begin (hopefully as a starter-park with a multi-year build-out process).

Worrying over the upcoming CEQA/EIR process and conjecturing that an Option 3 may be “required” to meet CEQA is slim justification for the active support of a ballot measuredependent option at this juncture. EIRs have very specific requirements for Project Alternative studied that MUST reduce any significant impacts of the proposed Great Park Project. Typically this is why required EIR Alternatives must include a “no build” option and other Alternatives that measurably reduce any significant project impacts.

It is not common (and usually with much less community support) that a more-impactful project Alternative (potentially what an Option 3 would create) be included in an EIR process. Please ask city staR to explain the relationship of this 3-Option process and how they fit into the likely CEQA/EIR process so that we do not erroneously claim that an Option 3 is a required CEQA mandate at this time or even desired by the greater community. All the evidence from the Conversion Process puts this Option 3 further from the community’s vision with each survey and workshop.

I am so please with this process and the overwhelming community support for the return of a Great Park, and appreciate this opportunity to weigh in and to urge this Council to continue their support for the return of an LC-compliant Great Park on our airport land.

Mike Salazar, Architect
Ocean Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
54 David Yakobson
From: suzie roth <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:28 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. I'm an AYSO coach and my kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO. It's the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Suzie Roth
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
55 David Yakobson
From: Daniel Spivey <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:27 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

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
56  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 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,
Daniel Spivey
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
57 David Yakobson
From: MK <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:27 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: NOT IN FAVOR OF THE GREAT PARK Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Hello
I needed to make sure as an individual resident/person that I voice my concerns as the Board I sit on voted to Support the Great Park idea.

IM not in favor of it and I do not want to see the Santa Monica Airport be fully converted into a Park.

I feel if the city must get rid of this vital resource to not just Santa Monica, but surrounding cities and communities, that it does not turn into an entire park.

IM in favor of keeping the Airport and not fully getting rid of it.

IM in favor of other ideas that will actually benefit all and not just a portion of residents, tourist, officials, what have you.

Below is a copy of a letter that another concerned resident wrote for some residents to use as a guide.

IM unclear if they want the airport gone or not, but I do like some of the proposals listed.

I for one feel we need to keep the airport. Maybe reduce the size, but we need it here. We all know why.

Thanks, and again THANK YOU for keeping residents informed thoroughly during the fire. Communication is key.

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. 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. 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 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
58 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. 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, Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
59 David Yakobson
From: Andreas Kemkes <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:26 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]; Sarah Wauters - Trees
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 long-time resident of Ocean Park in Santa Monica and as such a recipient of all the air traffic noise and pollution over the years, I would like to speak out in support of the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park for public use on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica airport.

There will be a great benefit to the citizens of Santa Monica and the surrounding neighborhoods.

With the PARC-Pollinator and Resilience Corridor - a collaboration between the Venice BID, CD11 Foundation, CD11, and Verdant Venice Group (VVG) - a series of native gardens and trees to be planted along Rose and Sunset Avenues in Venice to connect existing open spaces and provide habitat for pollinators and birds, it could provide an opportunity to extend the corridor beyond an area within the Penmar golf course towards the land of the Santa Monica airport.

Also, we tragically lost not only homes and lives, but also valuable trees and canopy in the recent fires in the Palisades and Brentwood and providing space where new canopy can thrive is essential to our future.

Thank you.

Best Regards,
Andreas Kemkes
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
60 David Yakobson
From: BL <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:24 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 Behzad Lajevardi and I enjoy playing pickleball with my family at Memorial Park. We live walking distance from SM airport.

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!
Behzad Lajevardi
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
61 David Yakobson
From: Giacomo Valentini <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:19 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
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 have been a resident of this city for over ten years now, and have learned to love the many beautiful aspects of our city. I feel that the planned closure of Santa Monica Airport presents new opportunities to promote Santa Monica's qualities as a centre for tourism and leisure, for the local residents but also the residents of the whole of LA County.

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,
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
62 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:13 PM
To: Caroline Torosis; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Lana Negrete; David White; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I am a 38-year resident of Santa Monica. The Great Park is the best thing to happen to our city. This should be prioritized for the residents - not tourists or business interests. Please heed those wishes.

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 hope for a sustainable future,
John Williamson
Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Emily Culler <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:00 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected]

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My son plays soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. He also plays baseball with Santa Monica Little League and Santa Monica Baseball Academy.

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, baseball and other sports close to home. The Westside of Los Angeles currently does not have enough field space to support the population. Children evacuated from the Palisades will be playing baseball in other locations, including Cheviot Hills, because Santa Monica Little League- which also serves the Palisades - does not have adequate space to add additional teams.

Sincerely,
Emily Culler
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Penelope Weston <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:11 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected]; 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,
Penelope Weston
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Kara-Lee Pool <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: More sports fields for our kids

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,
Kara-Lee Pool, MD
Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: deepak siddhi <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: In support of great parks

EXTERNAL
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Danny Melendez <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:09 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,
Danny Melendez
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
5 David Yakobson
From: Patty Borden <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; [email protected]; David White; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya 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 grandkids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Patricia Borden
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
6 David Yakobson
From: Jason Rosenbaum <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:01 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,
Jason Rosenbaum
1950 Cloverfield Blvd. #6
Santa Monica, CA 90404
_________________________________
Jason Rosenbaum
Email/GChat: [email protected]
Cell: 914.806.1939
Twitter: http://twitter.com/j_ro
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
7 David Yakobson
From: Benjamin Tshibasu-Kabeya <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 3:00 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:

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. I spend hours on the fields helping kids learn and love a sport that I still love after more than 40 years, and spend hours interacting with our great parent community.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
8 Sincerely,
Benjamin Tshibasu-Kabeya
Parent & AYSO Region 20 Board Member
2625 Arizona Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
9 David Yakobson
From: Ann Kelly <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:58 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 3 kids play soccer in the Santa Monica Little League & Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Ann Kelly
--
Ann Kelly | [email protected] | cell 847.727.2538
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
10 David Yakobson
From: Jon Fulton <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:57 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a West Los Angeles resident, raising my family in Marina del Rey and the entire westside community. 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 the 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.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Fulton
Jonathan Fulton | Managing Partner
Office: (310) 918-5863 | Fax: (310) 388-0518
2829 Townsgate Rd. Suite 100 Westlake Village, CA 91361 [email protected]
CA DRE Brokers Lic. # 01486116
Capital Partners, Inc is a proud member of Commercial Real Estate Capital Advisors ("CRECA") www.CRECA.us This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this email.

Please notify the sender immediately by email if you have received this email by mistake and delete this email from your system. Email transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secured or error-free, as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrived late or incomplete, or contains viruses. The sender, therefore, does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message which arise as a result of email transmission. If verification is required, please request a hard-copy version. Employees and Contractors of Capital Partners, Inc. are expressly required not to make defamatory statements and not to infringe or authorize any infringement of copyright or any other legal right by email communications. Any such communication is contrary to organization policy and outside the scope of the employment of the individual concerned. Capital Partners, Inc. will not accept any liability in respect of such communication, and the employee responsible will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
12 David Yakobson
From: Johanna Kracke <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:56 PM
To: councilmtgitems; [email protected]
Subject: Airport Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica, and I am also a small business owner in the city. My family is highly active in sports and activities and using parking and facilities around the city, and I do believe we need more space for our community to be together. Skate parks - dog parks - pump tracks (Inglewood built an INCREDIBLE free pump track, we could do that!) - indoor recreation - fields for adult rec as well as kids - venue for outdoor movies - let's bolster the heart of our city by building something that brings people together.

I support restoring our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

Sincerely,
Johanna Kracke
1646 Franklin St
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
13 David Yakobson
From: STACEY COPLON <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:55 PM
Subject: SM Parks

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,
Stacey and Ben Coplon
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
14 David Yakobson
From: Carolyn Negrin <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:51 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 –Please do not adopt the Guiding Principles and do not instruct staff to develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

Carolyn Negrin
Santa Monica Resident & Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
15 David Yakobson
From: Cris Gutierrez <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:45 PM
To: Kent Strumpell
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: Item 7a -Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Nice!
On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 1:21 PM Kent Strumpell <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Council Members and Staff,
Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that can be opened for public use on January 1, 2029.

I look forward to enjoying the stunning new facility being envisioned, and I really want to be able to get to it without a car!
As this project moves forward, I ask that you ensure that we take every step to integrate safe, convenient, multi-modal connectivity to the new park via multiple access points from surrounding communities at the earliest conceptual and planning stages. This is especially important because the park location is not well served by public transit.

Thank you,
Kent Strumpell
1211 Michigan Ave.

Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
16 David Yakobson
From: Elvina Patel <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:46 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.

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,
Elvina Patel
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
17 David Yakobson
From: Dannie Charney <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected]
Subject: CITY COUNCIL 1/28/25 ITEM 7-0PP0SE

EXTERNAL
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.

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
18 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.

Danielle Charney
Santa Monica Resident and Voter Since 1982
Ocean Park...

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
19 David Yakobson
From: Aleson Clarke <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:39 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected]; councilmtgitems Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

Sincerely,
Aleson Clarke
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
20 David Yakobson
From: Rebecca Browning <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:38 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,
Rebecca Browning
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
21 David Yakobson
From: Caley Rose <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:36 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 child plays soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Caley Walker
--
To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Featured on FOX, Forbes, NPR, Adobe, & more
Music with a Message: Empowering Music Events that Inspire Confidence in your Audience Follow & Subscribe: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music
FREE Guide: How to Get Into Voice Over
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
22 David Yakobson
From: Jeremy Borden <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:37 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Airport

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 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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
23 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.

Best Regards,
Jeremy Borden
310.663.5501
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
24 David Yakobson
From: Josh Olson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:36 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of our City Council,
First and foremost, thank you for your steadfast leadership during the recent weeks of crisis. Your swift, professional response brought much-needed clarity and comfort to our community during an incredibly uncertain and challenging time. It made us proud to be a part of Santa Monica.

As we watched first responder aircraft take off from Santa Monica Airport to fight the devastating fires, we were reminded of the critical and multifaceted role this airport plays in the well-being of our city. Among the many invaluable contributions made here, our work at Angel Flight West deserves special recognition. From the heart of Santa Monica Airport, Angel Flight West coordinates life-saving missions—flying individuals with serious medical needs to appointments and treatments they would otherwise be unable to reach. This remarkable nonprofit exemplifies compassion, innovation, and dedication, embodying the best of what our community, and aviation, stands for.

Our impactful work, along with the airport’s broader capabilities, highlights the importance of preserving and enhancing this vital resource. While the vision of converting the airport space into a more varied and inclusive area is compelling, a singular focus on turning it into a large-scale park does not align with Santa Monica's financial or practical realities. Instead, a balanced approach that integrates sustainable development, community benefits, and continued aviation support—like that provided by Angel Flight West—offers the most promise for our city.

It’s worth noting the substantial changes over the past decade at the airport since Measure LC:
 Significant reductions in jet aircraft traffic—a decrease of 81% in noise-producing activity.  The introduction of electric training aircraft with zero noise and emissions.  The near-certification of electric passenger aircraft, promising clean, quiet, and affordable regional travel options before 2028.
 The airport’s critical role in emergency response, including serving as a base for firefighting aircraft during wildfires and medivac flights during the Santa Monica college shootings  A pandemic that reshaped our city’s financial landscape, leaving us with limited resources.

Moreover, Measure LC does not mandate the airport be solely converted into a park. It empowers the city to retain local control, while opening opportunities for a thoughtful, multifaceted vision for the site.

The 190 acres at Santa Monica Airport hold immense potential. AFW realizes that better than most being founded here in 1983. A sustainable approach can combine nonprofits, green spaces, recreation, education, economic development, and continued aviation innovation—providing opportunities for the next generation of groundbreaking organizations like Angel Flight West to thrive. This land can be both a community asset and an ecological triumph.

I urge the Council to keep an open mind and welcome diverse proposals. While Sasaki’s Great Park concept is admirable, it reflects only one vision. Santa Monica deserves a broader conversation—one that honors the airport’s legacy while looking toward a sustainable and inclusive future.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
25 Thank you again for your service to our city and for considering the extraordinary work happening at Santa Monica Airport as part of this conversation.

Kind regards,
Josh Olson
Executive Director
3161 Donald Douglas Loop South
Santa Monica, CA 90405
p 310.390.2958 | m 310.500.7173
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
26 David Yakobson
From: Amanda Robertson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:31 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,
--
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation to the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
27 David Yakobson
From: Sarah Wauters <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:32 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]; Andreas Kemkes
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 native tree and plant advocate and I devote time to planting and nurturing trees in our urban environment - including group planting projects in the City of LA every Saturday. I believe that the Green Space afforded once the Great Park is built will be an enormous benefit to the city of Santa Monica and the neighboring parts of LA through support of cleaner air, better mental health of residents, opportunity to support our local fauna (we have a crises of bird population collapse https://new.nsf.gov/news/climate-change-urbanization-drive-declines-las, pollinators are also in serious decline), increase the LA County urban canopy, and to expand open space for physical activity for all ages. There is also an opportunity to teach residents through interpretive gardens and planting of native plants and a narrative of how such native plants were used by the native residents of Santa Monica.

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,
Sarah R Wauters
[email protected]
Telephone 917 822 2247
*****************************************************************

THIS MESSAGE 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 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
28 FROM DISCLOSURE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail or telephone, and delete the original message immediately.

Thank you.

Sarah Wauters
917 822 2247
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
29 David Yakobson
From: Louise Dobbs <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:31 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Airport

EXTERNAL
Affordable Housing is NEEDED all over this city.

Please consider this serious need !
Louise Dobbs
2925 4th St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
30 David Yakobson
From: Jake Avnet <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:31 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 two kids play soccer, and I coach in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
--
Jake Avnet
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
31 David Yakobson
From: Chris Sattlberger <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:30 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

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members,
Firstly, thank you for your leadership during the past couple of devastating weeks of crisis.

As you will have noticed, Santa Monica Airport was one crucial asset in fighting these catastrophic fires. The idea of converting the airport only into a park simply does not seem a good idea for Santa Monica - neither financially nor practically. Certainly not from a public safety point of view.

Closing the airport at the end of 2028 with no economically viable plan makes no sense. No study of the potential unintended consequences has been conducted. How will the already stretched police ensure safety and security of such a large unattended area, especially when they are already struggling to keep DTSM and our existing parks safe? Will the FAA change the routes and altitudes of large aircraft landing at LAX, and will those changes cause even more noise and pollution ? Has anyone thought about how to manage the operational expenses of a park that caters to 10 million plus LA County residents coming to visit when the city already struggles 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 more than 80%.  The recent wildfires came very, very close to Santa Monica, with the airport serving as an important base for firefighting aircraft.
 Electric training aircraft have begun operating at Santa Monica Airport, with zero noise and zero pollution.
 The city’s financial condition is precarious.
 Climate change is real, and so is the increasing danger of wildfires entering the more densely populated areas of our city.

There is a better way. Already there are quiet zero-emission electric airplanes operating from Santa Monica airport, the future will see more. This can be turned into a hub of future aviation technology and at the same time be preserved as a crucial piece of infrastructure. The does not rule out a park - 190 acres is a lot of space.

Recreation and aviation can coexists side by side.

In the age of climate change throwing away a piece of critical fire fighting infrastructure is perhaps not the wisest idea..

Kind regards,
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
32 Chris Sattlberger
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
33 David Yakobson
From: David Edward <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]; [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 David Edward. I am currently a youth rugby referee attached to Santa Monica Rugby Club, which is both a storied and respected club and a Santa Monica isititution. In the past I have coached boys ad girls youth teams at the club, and served on the board of the club. Both of my children, a boy and girl, played rugby for the club at a youth level. Player numbers go up and down but the club is large. It generally has two men’s teams, a first class women’s team and usually youth teams from U8 to U18, together with old boys and old girls, who still come out to support teams even though their own playing days are over.

The creation a Great Park is a priceless opportunity to provide sports fields for active recreation for young people.

These are so urgently needed and in such short supply in Santa Monica. Newer cities have abundant active recreation space. The pros of an active life in one’s youth – especially teams sports - are well documented, as are the cons of a sedentary youth and the modern American diet. Friendships forged on the sports field can last a life time – especially contact sports.

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!
Yours sincerely,
David Edward

OJAI OIL COMPANY
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Self Storage Las Vegas, NV: Golden State Storage - Blue Diamond

Tel +1 805 388 5858 ext 15
Direct +1 805 416 8730
Cell +1 805 377 0067

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
34 David Yakobson
From: Sandra Goldberg <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Please Support a Great Park & Field Space!

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

Sincerely,
Sandra Berlin
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
35 David Yakobson
From: Rick Lee <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:28 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Airport

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,
Rick Lee
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
36 David Yakobson
From: Harte Logan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:27 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; David White; [email protected]; Dan Hall Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

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 and a gym with volleyball and basketball courts at the Great Park so our kids and families can stay active, healthy, and play sports close to home.

Sincerely,
Harte Logan
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
37 David Yakobson
From: Britt Johansson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:27 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7 - The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Hello.

I am a current resident and home owner in Santa Monica. I have owned a home on 33rd Street for 15 years, and have lived on the Westside of Los Angeles for an additional 22 years.

I have been actively expressing my voice in wanting to turn the Santa Monica Airport back into public land and convert the land to a Great Park. There have been so many steps involved to get us to the recent visioning process and I encourage the council to move forward with the Guiding Principles.

Please do not fail us after all the work that has gone into these efforts. This conversion to a Great Park is essential to Santa Monica remaining a desirable place to live and provide us all with a respite from our urban environment, and a much needed place for children to play and feel safe.

Thank you.

Regards,
Britt Johansson
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
38 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:25 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: 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,

ROBERT SHIRI
Robert R Shiri
Attorney at Law
A Professional Corporation
2530 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90403
www.injurylawyersantamonica.com
Tel: (310) 829-9943
Fax: (310) 899-9844
The information contained in this communication is confidential and if directed to a client, or between lawyers or experts for a client, it is intended by the sender to be subject to the attorney-client and attorney-work product privileges. This information may constitute privileged information and is intended only for the use of the intended recipient. This communication is the property of Law Offices of Robert R Shiri, APC and/or its clients. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately via e-mail at [email protected], and then destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
39 Sent from AOL Desktop
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
40 David Yakobson
From: Douglas Trussler <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:21 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 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. I coach 2 teams, referee more than 50 games a year, and run the Field and Safety program for AYSO 20, in addition to my Board responsibilities.

Sincerely,
Doug Trussler
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
41 David Yakobson
From: Julie A. Osher <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:19 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: 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.

Sincerely,
Julia osher
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
42 David Yakobson
From: David Sharafi <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:18 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; David White; [email protected]; Barry Snell Cc: councilmtgitems; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
To The Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident; born and raised. I am now a proud father, coach, and referee within multiple leagues for my children.

My kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids. We also play baseball, tennis, and have dance at fields.

The kids are the future. they belong to the community. The children have gone through a lot from covid 19, the fires, and other issues. Don’t take away their freedom.

Sincerely,
David Sharafi
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
43 David Yakobson
From: Alyson Weaver Nicholas <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:16 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,
Alyson Nicholas
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
44 David Yakobson
From: Mike Feinstein <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:12 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: David White
Subject: Subject: Item 7.A. - IN ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT for a Great Park and SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council members
The Guiding Principles are visionary and inspiring and should make us all proud that something like this can come out of a public process, which has been expansive and inclusive. Congrats to all involved.

The Guiding Principles are an ideal roadmap for the next steps in the planning process for our Great Park.

I support approving them as written.

Additionally I support a fully LC complaint Great Park plan and do *not* support any ballot measures to amend LC/the City Charter prior to the SMO closure. In that vein, it would seem prudent to create a unique zoning district for the airport site to clarify “recreational uses”, thereby avoiding any need for a ballot measure to amend LC/the City Charter in order to include complimentary park uses like an amphitheater and/or some form of food/beverage service.

Unfortunately I can’t be with you at your meeting tomorrow night, because I am currently traveling out of the country.

But even watching this process unfold from afar, makes me a proud Santa Monican.

Mike Feinstein
Ocean Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
45 David Yakobson
From: Tim Langmaack <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:10 PM
To: Barry Snell; Caroline Torosis; councilmtgitems; Dan Hall; David White; Ellis Raskin; [email protected]; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Natalya Zernitskaya 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,
Tim Langmaack
--
Tim Langmaack, Ph.D., LL.M.

Attorney at Law [Germany]
www.GrantsEU.com > R&D, Clean Tech, Investment, Employment, Training, Restructuring, Risk Capital, Tax, M&A
US +1.310.430.6634
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
46 David Yakobson
From: anne drellishak <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:09 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; David White; Natalya Zernitskaya; [email protected]; Dan Hall 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,
Anne Drellishak
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
47 David Yakobson
From: Tamara Heimlich <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:06 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: A Great Park For All

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,
Tamara Heimlich
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
48 David Yakobson
From: Barry Brewer <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:05 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 Santa Monica City Council:

I was born in Santa Monica in 1951. I went to Santa Monica College, married in Santa Monica, operated my business in Santa Monica for decades, and raised my two children in Santa Monica (and am helping raising my grandchildren in Santa Monica).

I support "THE GREAT PARK", and I hope that you (the City Council) will do all in your power to make it a reality.

As a parent and grand-parent, I have seen how park space and playing fields benefit the young people of Santa Monica. I coached Bobby Sox Softball when my daughters were in school, and I have attended countless AYSO games for my daughter and now my grandchildren. The benefits of youth sports cannot be overstated, and I am aware that all of you know this.

I taught my daughters to ride bicycles in Clover Park, and they learned to play tennis at Douglas Park. I have spent many happy hours with my grandchildren at Reed Park. What I have observed is that the existing parks are of great benefit to the people of Santa Monica, but there are not enough playing fields and tennis courts and picnic space for all the people who wish to enjoy the parks. I live in a condo in the Wil-Mont neighborhood, along with thousands of other people. There are no back yards in the densely populated blocks filled with apartment buildings and condominiums. People of all ages would benefit from more open space, more park space, more playing fields, and from everything that "The Great Park" has to offer the people of Santa Monica.

Please do what you can to make "The Great Park" a reality.

Thank you.

Barry Brewer
12th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
49 David Yakobson
From: Jacquelyn Wong <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:04 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; david.white@santam
Subject: Santa Monica Airport

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,
Jacquelyn Wong
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
50 David Yakobson
From: Pollyanna Jacobs <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:03 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 daughter plays soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Pollyanna Jacobs
Casting Producer I Development Producer I Branded Producer IG: @pollyannacasting
T 310-384-5122

LINKEDIN
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
51 David Yakobson
From: Asa Boy <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:01 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,
Asa Boy
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
52 David Yakobson
From: Grace Benn <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:01 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:

I am the President of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, a vibrant community of over 2300 members of all ages, ethnicities, and economic status. Santa Monica needs a Great Park with space for a wide variety of outdoor activities and where all members of the community feel welcome and included.

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,
Grace Benn
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
53 David Yakobson
From: Marlina and Mohamed <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 2:00 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
SUBJECT: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids and I play soccer in Santa Monica, and use existing fields. We need more!
I am writing because I strongly support restoring the City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport, as well as 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.

This is VERY important to my family, community, and me. I have been living in the area for about 10 years, have participated in multiple surveys, and and steadfast in having this project come to life.

Building the Great Park is what Santa Monica residents and families want. I urge you to approve what we have been working toward for over a decade.

Sincerely,
Marlina Fletcher
--
Marlina Fletcher - 917.612.2296
Mohamed Kamal - 202.505.1910
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
54 David Yakobson
From: Teresa White <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:59 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 Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. I am also a proud VOTER and I cast my vote for several of you in November! I hope you'll keep your campaign promises around safety for families in this matter!
My oldest child plays soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Teresa White
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
55 David Yakobson
From: Kristen Furano <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:57 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,
Kristen Russell Furano
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
56 David Yakobson
From: Jennifer Westbay <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:56 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Support for the Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

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

Sincerely,
Jen Westbay
REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker
310.739.7858
[email protected]
jenniferwestbay.com
DRE 02221314
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
57 David Yakobson
From: Brooke Hanson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:56 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,
Brooke Hanson
2514 Pearl St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
58 David Yakobson
From: Nik Mauck <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:55 PM
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

Sincerely,
Nikalas Mauck
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
59 David Yakobson
From: Gerald Seiner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:55 PM
To: Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

Sincerely,
Gerald Seiner
Ocean Park Neighborhood resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
60 David Yakobson
From: Robert Vartan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:55 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,
rob
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
61 David Yakobson
From: Lizeth Bejarano <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:54 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 SM Council Members,
I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kid plays soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Thank you,
Lizeth Bejarano
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
62 David Yakobson
From: Robyn Meyers <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:53 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's North of Wilshire neighborhood. My 8 and 10 year old kids play soccer in Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, serving close to 1500 local kids.

Sincerely,
Robyn Meyers
914 26th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
63 David Yakobson
From: Saara Masood <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:53 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; [email protected] Subject: Support for Great Park and Field Space

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:

I am a Santa Monica resident, raising my family in Santa Monica. My kids 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 is so important for the health and mental well-being for all these kids.

Sincerely,
Saara Masood
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
64 David Yakobson
From: Natasha Radwan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:51 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 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 coach in AYSO Region 20 and have been for several years.

Sincerely,
Natasha Radwan
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
65 David Yakobson
From: Pamela Kung Nabel <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:51 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,
Pamela Nabel
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
66 David Yakobson
From: Mark Litwak <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:47 PM
To: Lana Negrete
Cc: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; Jesse Zwick; [email protected] Subject: park and fire protection

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

Please back the creation of a Great Park that is Measure LC-Compliant, financially viable and publicly-owned, and that can be openfor public use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

I would also urge you to take actions to provide additional fire protection for residents in light of the recent fires such as an additional fire station on land that is now the airport.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Mark

Mark Litwak’
1211 Ashland Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
67 David Yakobson
From: CAROL FLINT <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:39 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Great Park Draft of Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
I am writing to indicate my support for approval of the Draft of Guiding Principles for the development of the Great Park. I understand specific programs will be considered for inclusion at a future date based on these principles. I endorse this draft in trust that as those specific uses are weighed, the public will have more opportunities to weigh in.

Thank you for all you are doing to make this Park a reality of everyone in our community.

Best,
Carol Flint
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
68 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:25 PM
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,
My name is Megan FitzGerald. I have lived in Santa Monica for thirty- five years, five years as a renter and thirty years as a home owner. Santa Monica's park space has been an important part of my family’s life for all of these years. Santa Monica is increasingly becoming more condensed. As a community we need to have open spaces available. The airport park space was always intended to be for our community to enjoy.

Please support the Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially feasible, public owned, and can be opened for public use on day 1 after the Airport closes, January 1, 2029.

Sincerely,
Megan FitzGerald
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
69 David Yakobson
From: Nicole villanova-price <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:25 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 - OPPOSE - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

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.

Nicole Villanova
Santa Monica Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
70 David Yakobson
From: Kent Strumpell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:21 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7a -Support for The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members and Staff,
Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that can be opened for public use on January 1, 2029.

I look forward to enjoying the stunning new facility being envisioned, and I really want to be able to get to it without a car!
As this project moves forward, I ask that you ensure that we take every step to integrate safe, convenient, multimodal connectivity to the new park via multiple access points from surrounding communities at the earliest conceptual and planning stages. This is especially important because the park location is not well served by public transit.

Thank you,
Kent Strumpell
1211 Michigan Ave.

Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
71 David Yakobson
From: Lisa Priestley <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 1:18 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 and do not contract to send valuable resources prior to informing the city residents of the changed circumstances and obtaining needed legal guidance.

My personal preference as a resident of Sunset Park is that the airport would stay open, but residents voted for a park under LC. While I would love to see a park in accordance with the majority vote, 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 and failure to adequately inform your constituents is negligent.

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.

Elizabeth Priestley
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
72 Santa Monica Homeowner, Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
73 David Yakobson
From: MIchael R. Sikov <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Santa Monica Airpot Future

EXTERNAL
Hi,
I appreciate all of your time in reading and considering this. As you know I am tens of thousands of people really insist that the airport remains open indefinitely and operated as an airport. Once its gone there is no turning back. Everyone knows that it will never be a park, the land is worth trillions (yes with a T) when the airspace goes away.

It provides an absolutely necessary and invaluable resource to the whole westside at all times but epically in our ever increasing emergencies.

The whole story about noise and flight safety over the city of Santa Monica is nonsense. Bundy drive east is the city of LA, and so is the west side of the flight path over Breymar country club. There is only traffic pattern flights over Santa Monica.

Also since the airport exists it prevents LAX traffic (which is over 500 planes a day) from descending over the city of Santa Monica. If SMO goes away, these 500+ heavy jets a day will be descending lower and making more noise over the whole city of Santa Monica.

The shortening of the runway was just a bad move overall. It not only cost the city $10's of millions of dollars, it lost the revenue of the larger jets, and it created the mid and small jets to create more noise as they now have to go to full throttle on the numbers for 6-10 seconds as a short field take off.

What should happen is having the runway restored, and the airport promoted as it could generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the city if run correctly.

Again this is only my 2 cents but the airport must stay open for decades to come. The last thing the whole west side needs is more traffic. more homes (which will hugely devalue the currently homes on the entire west side when thousands of new homes flood the market) and all the traffic that goes with that.

Thank you!

Michael R. Sikov
522 South Sepulveda Boulevard
Suite 207
Los Angeles, California 90049
310-463-1853
www.michaelsikov.com
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
74 David Yakobson
From: Julia Carnahan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:57 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:

I am a resident of Santa Monica and member of the Santa Monica Public Art Committee. I cannot attend tomorrow's City Council meeting so am writing to express my support for the Santa Monica Great Park.

The Great Park is a solid choice for the future. It is clear that Santa Monica needs more green space and more public gathering space for our community. These are essential for human flourishing.

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,
Julia Carnahan
2239 27th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Cell: 323-244-9663
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
75 David Yakobson
From: Sarah Couturier <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:55 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7

EXTERNAL
To SM City Council,
I am writing to express my support for affordable housing at the airport. Let's continue to build on the roots of Santa Monica's values, community, and welcoming to all. As a Santa Monica native (we're a rare breed, so please treat us well), I have seen so much growth and development throughout the city. It's wonderful to see how much our sleepy beach town has grown into a buzzing city.

I moved back to Santa Monica 2 years ago after leaving the area for 12 years. I had the opportunity to live in wonderful neighborhoods throughout the US, and I moved back because there was no place like Santa Monica. We have beautiful oceans, mountains (that are slowly healing), and several public outdoor parks/golf courses all about the area. There is an abundance of jobs and incredible public schools. Let's create more homes that are approachable to all the individuals who make Santa Monica the warm and welcoming city it is.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Sarah
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
76 David Yakobson
From: Penny Primo <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:54 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

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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
77 · 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.

It is also important to note that Measure LC did notmandate 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. We voted you all in and look forward to our opinions being considered.

Sincerely,
Penny Davis Primo
1950 Cloverfield
310-382-4074
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
78 David Yakobson
From: Rosemarie DiSalvo <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:54 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: 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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
79  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 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,
Rosemarie DiSalvo
Rosemarie DiSalvo
(310) 428-7098
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
80 David Yakobson
From: Robert Jacobson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:53 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

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of our City Council,
Thank you for your leadership during the recent crisis.

The swift response of first responders, including those operating from Santa Monica Airport, demonstrated precisely why this facility remains vital to Santa Monica's safety and security.

I am writing to express my concern about the proposed closure of Santa Monica Airport. Just a few years ago, this airport was officially designated as critical infrastructure in Santa Monica's disaster preparation plan. It's puzzling how such an essential facility is now being considered for conversion into a park without a thorough examination of the security and safety implications for our community.

The recent wildfires served as a stark reminder of the airport's crucial role in emergency response. We witnessed firsthand how aviation and area airports served as an indispensable base for firefighting aircraft. Consider for a moment the potentially catastrophic scenario during a disaster where freeway access is blocked, and we no longer have a functional runway for emergency operations.

The financial implications of the proposed "Great Park" are staggering and often understated. Using Tongva Park's completion costs as a baseline (adjusted for current prices), we're looking at approximately $2 billion - and that's just the beginning.

This figure excludes critical costs such as airport demolition, environmental cleanup, sports facilities, recreation buildings, libraries, botanical gardens, and hiking areas. The total cost could realistically range from $3 to $6 billion, with ongoing maintenance costs running into millions annually.

There's also a concerning safety aspect that isn't being discussed enough. As SMO traffic decreased, commercial pilots report that LAX-bound aircraft are descending lower into Santa Monica's airspace.

Instead of closure, there's a better path forward. The airport could be operated successfully with proper management from aviation, business, and finance professionals. It can reimagine it as a community asset that additional provide:
 Zero-emission electric air and ground mobility
 STEM education opportunities
 Space for engineers and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable transportation technologies  Continued service as a critical resource for national security and disaster response Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
81 Positive changes already seen and measured:
 An 81% reduction in jet aircraft noise
 The introduction of zero-noise, zero-pollution electric training aircraft  The imminent arrival of affordable electric passenger aircraft  Crucial emergency response capabilities during recent crises The financial challenges Santa Monica faces are significant, and the pandemic only intensified them.

Creating an enormous park with astronomical development and maintenance costs isn't just imprudent - it's potentially dangerous for the city's financial stability and emergency preparedness.

I urge you to reconsider the airport's closure and instead explore opportunities to enhance its role as a vital community asset. Let's maintain this critical infrastructure while evolving it to better serve the community's needs.

Thank you for your consideration and continued service to Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Robert Jacobson
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
82 David Yakobson
From: Monona Wali <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:51 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:

I’m a current resident of Santa Monica and live very near the Airport. I’m writing to encourage you to support the creation of a Great Park on the land currently occupied by the airport.

I have appreciated the process of surveys and meetings that have allowed for community participation in this great new opportunity to give our city significant new resources for open space, community building, and community use.

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,
Monona Wali
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
83 David Yakobson
From: Leonora <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Including Affordable Housing in the SMO Reuse Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I’m writing as a Santa Monica resident and part of a large group of neighbors who feel that affordable housing (ranging from very low to middle income) is missing from the current airport reuse discussion.

As the City moves into Phase 3 of community engagement, I respectfully ask you to ensure that affordable housing is seriously considered, engage with housing advocates, and explore creative economic approaches so that this site can help address our community’s significant job/housing imbalance.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Leonora Camner
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
84 David Yakobson
From: W Greiner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:37 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
Hello Santa Monica City Council,
I strongly support this.

Thank you very much!
Wil Greiner
Santa Monica
From: SMCLC [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:15 AM
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

SMC LC-headerT.gif

January 27, 2025
Dear SMCLC Supporters,
This Tuesday, January 28, the City Council will hold a very important study session on the Guiding Principles for the Great Park, to be located on public land at the Santa Monica Airport. (Here’s the link to the agenda and the staff report at Item 7-A:
https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1428 Many of you may have taken the community surveys to identify these Guiding Principles.

Now’s the time for you to email the City Council and the City Manager to let them know you support these Guiding Principles, which were endorsed by City staff, and based the City’s extensive community outreach.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
85 [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
To be read and included in the public record, your email needs to be sent by 11 am on Tuesday and the subject line should read:

City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Thank you for following this project and adding your voices to the discussion.

SMCLC Steering Committee
Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors to sign up for updates and join in our efforts.

Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City | 1112 Montana Ave. #174 | Santa Monica, CA 90403 US
Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Constant Contact
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
86 David Yakobson
From: W Greiner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:36 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: I support “Guiding Principles” for a Great Park

EXTERNAL
Hello Santa Monica City Council,
I strongly support this.

To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

SMC LC-headerT.gif

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
87 [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
To be read and included in the public record, your email needs to be sent by 11 am on Tuesday and the subject line should read:

City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Thank you for following this project and adding your voices to the discussion.

SMCLC Steering Committee
Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors to sign up for updates and join in our efforts.

Constant Contact
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
88 David Yakobson
From: Stephen Martin <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:34 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
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
89 Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council
members,
I have been a resident of Santa Monica
for 27 years. I love our city and plan on
living here for many more years to come.

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.

Respectfully,
Stephen Martin
807 4th Street
310-351-6785
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
91 David Yakobson
From: John Londono <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:28 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 and City Council members,
I am in support of converting the airport to a park.

Our lives will be much more so enriched with more open spaces, greenery, and proximity to nature, rather than the airport that serves only a few and exposes us to noise, pollution, and risk of crashes.

- John and Colleen Londono
Sunset Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
92 David Yakobson
From: adam monaghan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:28 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,
As a resident of the Sunset Park neighborhood, my family and I highly value park space. I take my two daughters (ages 5 and 2) to Clover Park every weekend. Living in the urban community of Santa Monica, having even more abundant green space in the form of a Great Park would benefit everyone in my family, neighborhood and entire community.

Thank you,
Adam Monaghan
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
93 David Yakobson
From: Betsy Katz <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:26 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, The decision to close the airport at the end of 2028 was made in 2017. We have been planning a Great Park in the meantime, one that is fully LC compliant. The City’s outreach process, in which I participated, has been thorough and overwhelmingly in favor of a Great Park.

I am in full support of the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project “Guiding Principles.” I encourage you to support a Great Park that is fully LC compliant without any modifications that would require a ballot measure.

Sincerely,
Betsy Katz
3016 Ruskin Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-415-0130
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
94 David Yakobson
From: Elaine Golden-Gealer <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:25 PM
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.

In SMRR’s original founding documents, you promised to protect our city from overdevelopment – please keep your original promise
Elaine Golden-Gealer
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
95 David Yakobson
From: Curtis <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:23 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: Jan. 28 Agenda item 7A

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica Mayor Negrete and Council Members Torosis, Zwick, Hall, Snell, Raskin, and Zernitskaya,
I am writing about the Airport Conversion Project with the request that it include an affordable housing component.

I have completed an initial in-person survey and two subsequent online surveys made available by the City’s consulting firm and I’ve been frustrated by the lack of an alternative vision to the “all park” option.

Yes, let us have some or most of the airport land devoted to park usage, but, please, let us have serious consideration given to having affordable housing units (available to a range of low to middle income level occupants) developed on some of the acreage.

We have people who work in Santa Monica, some in city government, who cannot afford to live anywhere close to Santa Monica. Having affordable housing made available to some of them would be a small but important step for the City to take. Having a number of affordable housing units made available to families who long ago were denied the possibility of generational wealth because of eminent domain displacement (the 10 fwy, the Civic Auditorium), would also be an important and healing step.

Combining park space and park amenities with affordable housing, public transportation, and retail in a visually attractive and an environmentally healthy landscape is a bold, challenging vision to realize, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I urge the Council to embrace it.

After having lived in Santa Monica for more than a quarter century (I moved to Culver City several years ago), it is still the center of my religious, social, and economic life, and I am in the City several times a week attending the Santa Monica Quaker Meeting, meetings of CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) and SMAIC (Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council), shopping at the Co-op, seeing movies at the Monica Film Center, eating at Tender Greens, going to the beach (yes, even in winter), and keeping medical and dental appointments.

In other words, Santa Monica is still home to me, and I care about its future. Embracing the vision of park AND affordable housing for the Airport Conversion Project is the path that I strongly urge the Council to take.

Thank you for your earnest consideration,
Curtis Raynor
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
96 [email protected]
310-954-7783
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
97 David Yakobson
From: Judy Abdo <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:21 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: airport item

EXTERNAL
Councilmembers
Please do whatever you can to allow housing in and around the airport.

Judy Abdo
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
98 David Yakobson
From: Peter Altschuler <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:09 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: 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 Attachments: PastedGraphic-1.tiff

EXTERNAL
The community input for a “great park” is complete, and the residents have made their vision very clear.

It is now up to the Council to accept the proverbial will of the people, as reflected in the Guiding Principles, and move the conversion process forward… without second-guessing either constituents or the authors of the staff report.

SMO should have been returned to City control decades ago, but pro-pilot decisions by the FAA — decisions which violated existing agreements — prolonged the operation of the airport. It is now the City’s turn to make up for the delays and approve the submitted guidelines. (There are likely to be objections from alarmists who believe that, in an emergency, SMO will be vital. Yet the changes in aviation in this century eliminate those concerns: VTOL craft and drones do not need runways, and helicopters carrying tons of supplies and personnel can go directly to the sites where they’re needed most. If small planes are deemed necessary, Rose Avenue between Lincoln and 23rd Street is wide enough to accommodate them and longer than any SMO runway ever was.) Make history while shaping the future. Put the park plan into action. p
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
99 David Yakobson
From: Suzanne Thompson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:08 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Item #7 - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers:

I support the inclusion of affordable housing in the plan for the airport conversion. I recognize the importance and great need now, especially with the recent fires, to build more affordable housing. Additionally, I also support open space for gardens and parks to be incorporated in the plan.

Thank you for your consideration.

Suzanne Thompson
Santa Monica Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
100
David Yakobson
From: Terry Jackie <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
101
Dear Mayor Negrete
and City Council
members,
[If you want, provide
brief information
about yourself and
why a Great Park is
important to you]
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.

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 immediately
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
102
opened for public
use after the airport
closure on December
31, 2028. A park
that includes
walking,
skateboarding,
rollerblading, and
biking could open
on Day 1 after Santa
Monica Airport
closes.

Terry Roberts
818 18th Street
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
103
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
104
David Yakobson
From: marie ryan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:00 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Pr

EXTERNAL
Please please put in a public pool for lapswimming at air port land.

The current sm public pools are very very VERY overcrowded !! The mayor has mentioned this several times.. !!!!
THANK YOU MARIE RYAN걭걮걯거
Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
105
David Yakobson
From: Eden Kusmiersky <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:50 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 - SMAC Project Guiding Principles - OPPOSE

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council –

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?

Thank you for your consideration.

Eden Kusmiersky
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Santa Monica homeowner, parent of SMMUSD students
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
106
David Yakobson
From: marie ryan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:48 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: City council 7.a airport land vote

EXTERNAL
I live in santa monica would love to see an aquatic swim center for seniors and public lap swim..

Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
107
David Yakobson
From: Katharine Dreyfuss <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:48 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; [email protected]; David White; [email protected] Subject: CitiCouncilmtgItem 7-A-1/28/25 SMAC Project Guiding Principles

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

I am a 56-year resident of Santa Monica, a retired Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Nurse and a continuing active member of our community.

Tomorrow you will have a chance to support the Guiding Principles for the Great Park to be located on public land at the Santa Monica Airport. These Guiding Principles were endorsed by City Staff and are based on the City's extensive community outreach.

I urge you to support your fellow Santa Monica citizens by voting to create a Great Park at the Santa Monica Airport.

Thank you very much for considering my request.

Sincerely,
Katharine (Kit) Dreyfuss
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
108
David Yakobson
From: Suzanne4455 <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:47 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 Honorable Mayor Negrete and Honorable City Council Members,
I have been a resident of Santa Monica since 1969. My husband and I raised our children here. We are committed to this City and to the well-being of its residents.

Since 1988, I have worked to preserve the land at the Santa Monica Airport with the goal that the land at the Airport could one day become what those who went before us intended it to be - which is parkland. I can, if you so desire, send you all the documents referencing the FACT that the voters of Santa Monica purchased that land with park bond funds so that it could be parkland, which would benefit ALL the people of Santa Monica. I am sure you are aware that compared with other communities, Santa Monica is lacking in park space.

Additionally, I believe that climate change is REAL, and that we need less concrete and more trees and greenery to help ameliorate the impacts of climate change. Having the land at the Santa Monica become green open space could help accomplish that.

Please do all that you can to ensure that the Airport land returns to park land and support the concept of The Great Park.

Thank you for your consideration.

Suzanne Robertson Brewer
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
109
1127 12th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
110
David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:46 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
NO PARK, great or otherwise. Keep the airport.

Joseph Palazzolo
Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
111
David Yakobson
From: Anya Pertel <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:41 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:

My name is Anya Pertel and I grew up in Santa Monica and went to Santa Monica public schools.

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

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Anya Pertel
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
112
David Yakobson
From: Jennifer Kashdan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:40 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 you to halt the Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) 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. I think re-evaluation is needed as well seeing how the Airport has been used as a second staging for support operations for the latest Palisades fire and going forward we have to consider the impact of Climate Change & the necessity for this space & airfield for future disasters.

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 Santa Monica airport (KSMO) “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?

5. In light of the recent disaster, does Santa Monica have any other area like KSMO that could be used to support local disaster operations or recovery? What is your plan in the future without such an airport & large space to assist in landing or staging of critical supplies & personnel.

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,
Jennifer Kashdan
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
113
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
114
David Yakobson
From: Susan Jain <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:38 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Fwd: Support for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project and the Future of Arts & Culture

EXTERNAL
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Susan Jain <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Subject: Fwd: Support for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project and the Future of Arts & Culture To: [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>
Dear Distinguished Council Members,
I am writing to express my full support for the "Guiding Principles" developed by City Staff and Sasaki for the Santa Monica Airport Conversation Project (SMACP) and ask you to allow the process of reimaging the space to move forward.

As a 20+ year resident of Sunset Park, I personally look forward to the closing of the Airport. On Jan. 1, 2029, our kids can finally play on the structures in the southeast corner of Cloverfield Park, uninterrupted by noise and air blasts from landing and taxiing planes. We will no longer be jolted awake by planes taking off and landing outside regulated hours, and the pollution from small aircraft will cease raining down on our homes, gardens, schools, and habitats.

Today we face the overwhelming reality of the fire's devastation, a social and environmental disaster. The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project provides our community a much-needed opportunity to heal, hope, and imagine a better future. Being part of a large-scale civic and creative project like this will allow us to work together to realize a "gift " for all living beings, now and after we are gone. The Guiding Principles provide a meaningful pathway, so let's get the ball rolling and be ready to dance, skate, play, run, bark, sing, and play soccer on the site on Day 1 of our Land's Liberation! Best regards,
Susan Pertel Jain, Ph.D.

Sunset Park Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
115
Vice Chair, Santa Monica Arts Commission
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
116
David Yakobson
From: Tracey Hom <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:36 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Santa Monica City Manager's Office; Christine Parra; Amber N. Kim; Caroline Torosis; [email protected]; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; Lynn Sturgis; Betty Mednick; Roni Crichton Subject: City Council-1-28-25 Item 7A SMAC project

EXTERNAL
Council:

We, our family and friends DO NOT support the "guiding Principles for the Great Park" This park will cost us a fortune and it is subtrifuge for you to allow 8,000 to 10,000+ housing units to built there. A there would be so much congestion on or road but aso we do not have the water for these units. Have you not heard that we go in and out of droughts and water allotments already.

We do not want you caving in to allowing thousands of units. Why arent you collaborating with other beach cities.

NO NO NO
Tracey P. Hom Esq.
10850 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 825
Los Angeles, California 90024
310 749 5343
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
117
David Yakobson
From: Leslie Lambert <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:32 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; [email protected]; Dan Hall
Subject: Item 7A, January 28, 2025 Agenda
Attachments: airporthousing.docx

EXTERNAL
Attached please find my letter regarding disposition and development of the Airport Property. Thank you.

Leslie Lambert
Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 January 27, 2025
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and Councilmembers:

I strongly encourage the City Council to direct the Sasaki consultant team to include housing and related neighborhood land uses in its phase 3 report to the City. I also recommend that the City Council direct staff to identify the specific steps necessary to allow for the development of housing on the airport property and to expedite these processes.

Why is expediting important? Santa Monica and the Los Angeles Region have a housing shortage crisis, made worse by the recent fires. I believe it would be unconscionable for the City to forego the opportunity to use public land for the development of housing, particularly housing that is affordable to lower and middle income people. Given the shortage of housing funds to subsidize the development of lower housing, publicly owned land is the best alternative for making these projects financially feasible. Further, I believe the shortage of housing funds at all levels of government will become even more extreme in the foreseeable future Any housing planned for the airport property will hopefully be included in the next Housing Element cycle (10/2029 – 10/2037). HCD counts building permits issued when it considers RHNA compliance. This means that all planning and zoning changes must occur in sufficient time to allow for housing to be built on the property. In the best of times, it takes up to three years from submission of a project application to the building permit stage. We do not live in the best of times, given interest rates and skyrocketing construction costs, which will be made worse with rebuilding after the fires.

Approach. I believe that the following steps are necessary to allow housing development on the airport property and suggest that you ask Staff to comment on and provide timelines for steps 2 through 4.

1. If necessary, in light of the Surplus Lands Act, place an initiative on the ballot asking voters to approve development of residential uses on the airport property. An affirmative vote would justify the City’s spending resources on the planning, rezoning and environmental work necessary to make this happen. I strongly discourage language in an initiative that states the number of housing Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 units anticipated. Although I support maximization of housing production on the property, we simply do not know how many units the land will accommodate given the magnitude and cost of new infrastructure that will be needed nor do we know potential environmental issues. Second, I suspect that including the number of units projected will have a negative impact on the success of the initiative.

The language of an initiative should include a vision for the new community to be developed. Specifically, this new community could provide mixed income, multi-generational housing and opportunities for first time homebuyers, most of whom are now priced out of the Santa Monica housing market. If the new housing is to provide a portion of revenues necessary for park maintenance, then it must be a mixture of low income, middle income and market rate housing.

2. The staff report (page 4) says that an amended Sasaki contract will include planning for residential use and the necessary EIR work. Will this work be sufficient to incorporate into the LUCE and, if so, to proceed with rezoning? This is a question for staff. If the Sasaki plans and environmental work do not suffice as a basis for rezoning, then a specific plan and accompanying EIR must be done prior to rezoning the airport property. Rezoning must be consistent with land uses adopted in the LUCE. At this point, there are no reuses for the property included in the LUCE. Finally, I ask the City Council to ensure that meaningful involvement by the Planning Commission and Planning staff be part of this process.

3. A new residential community will require a substantial infrastructure investment. Specifically, power, communication and water connections and new streets, signing lighting, etc. What are these infrastructure needs and costs and how will they be covered? I suggest the City explore the issuance of Mello-Roos bonds when it reaches that point. Debt on these bonds is covered by the property owners or lessees, which argues in favor of some market and middle income housing on the property.

Unanswered Questions

1. There is thinking, based on language in the LUCE, that a specific plan for the airport must be done in tandem with planning for redevelopment of the Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
3 business park. However, no specific plan for the business park is necessary if redevelopment consists of residential uses rather than commercial uses. It is my understanding that Boston Properties is pursing residential development at this time. I would conclude from this that planning for reuse of the airport need not include a master plan for the business park. That said, access and egress to a new residential community will likely require extension of business park streets from Ocean Park Boulevard to the airport property.

2. If surplus airport property is sold or leased to a private entity, the property must also be made available for affordable housing pursuant to the State Surplus Lands Act (page 42 of the staff report). How does this comport with Measure LC? Specifically, does the SLA override Proposition LC? If so, is a ballot initiative necessary?
The airport property offers a unique opportunity for the City to meet its housing needs while providing quality open space and recreational opportunities for its residents. I look forward to a robust discussion in the future. Thank you for your consideration.

Leslie Lambert
Sunset Park Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
118
David Yakobson
From: Sanjeev Jain <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:34 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 20+ year resident of Sunset Park neighborhood in Santa Monica, I would like to take this opportunity to express my wholehearted agreement with and support for SMAC Project Guiding Principles. I have participated in the SMAC Project process by attending their education and engagement sessions. I am excited about the multi-faceted public use possibilities the airport conversion to a park will open up for me and my fellow Santa Monicans.

I understand 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,
Sanjeev Jain
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
119
David Yakobson
From: Jim Lipschultz <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:30 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:

I am a resident, property owner and business owner in the City. I live and work on 30th Street, just north of the Santa Monica Airport. We have waited many years for the Airport to be closed and now is not the time to change course. It is incredibly noisy, creates congestion, and is unnecessary for our community. What is needed in our community is a REAL park. A Great Park that our community can be proud of. It was done at the old El Toro Marine Base in Orange County and it can be done here, but even better.

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 Airport.

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

Thank you,
Jim Lipschultz
Law Ofϐice of James D. Lipschultz,
a Professional Corporation
3019 Ocean Park Boulevard, Suite 325
Santa Monica, California 90405
tel: 310.820.3311 x203
[email protected]
This e-mail message is conϐidential, intended only for the named recipient(s) above and may contain information that is privileged, attorney work product or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you have received this message in error, or are not the named recipient(s), please immediately notify the sender at 310-820-3311 and delete this e-mail message from your computer. Thank you.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
120
David Yakobson
From: Anthony Brockliss <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:27 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Do not destroy the airport

EXTERNAL
Keep the planes flying in and out.

Increase access to aircraft.

Planes are getting safer, cleaner and less noisy.

If the airport closes it will bring upon us decades of heavily-polluting over-development.

The equipment used to make this happen will mostly be powered by fossil fuels.

To convert that equipment to battery power will require six new copper mines a year to be opened every year for the foreseeable future.

Montana Avenue, Ocean Park Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard, etc will get turned into huge versions of Century City. Or DTLA. Or Manhattan Beach.

Santa Monica could use more parks, but it needs to have an airport.

Very truly yours,
Anthony Brockliss
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
121
David Yakobson
From: Katharine Dreyfuss <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:24 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; [email protected]; David White; [email protected] Subject: CitiCouncilmtgItem 7-A-1/28/25 SMAC Project Guiding Principles

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

I am a
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
122
David Yakobson
From: Anthony Mindlin <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:23 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Great Park

EXTERNAL
I am in favor of the “Great Park” as proposed for the Santa Monica Airport property. We are “park poor”, and this is an opportunity to substanƟally reduce the deficiency. If we don’t take advantage of this opportunity, and build commercial or residenƟal units on it instead, the opportunity will be lost, essenƟally, forever.

Thank you,
Anthony Mindlin
833 7th St.

SM 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
123
David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Lutz <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:23 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7

EXTERNAL
Housing need vastly different than 100 years ago:

The vast majority of Santa Monica residence want there to be affordable housing and possibly affordable home ownership around the park and want to modify the charter.

Security-other cities
If we don’t have dense housing around the park, how are we going to have security for the park? Every major city that has an in-city park has this additional density of people which helps keep the park safe.

Housing density in SM:

And of course we need to add so much housing into our city. How can we continue to put massive prison block like buildings along Wilshire Boulevard and pico Boulevard when 20% of the land is completely open right now and we only want a small part of it for housing.

Realistic ratio:

Let’s put aside 10% of the airport land for affordable housing and below market rate homeownership where the land remains in a trust zone by the city. The 10% ratio is just like we do when any new buildings are developed.

Elizabeth Lutz
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
124
David Yakobson
From: Kollyn Kanz <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:20 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Santa Monica Airport

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
Thank you for your prompt and professional response during the past couple of weeks of crisis. During this time, 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. The idea of converting the airport into a much richer and varied experiential space continues to make compelling sense, but the idea of converting the airport only into a park simply does not seem prudent for Santa Monica either financially or practically.

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.

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 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
125
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.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Kollyn Kanz, 934 2nd Street
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
126
David Yakobson
From: Karen Croner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:19 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 –
Given the loss of accessible nature due to the fires in the SM mountains, making sure we have a park at the airport is of even more importance.

Please instruct staff to immediately seek an outside legal opinion, NOT SOMEONE WORKING FOR THE CITY, that is selected and approved by the community and residents 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.

Karen Croner
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
127
David Yakobson
From: John Greene <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:08 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
Hi, my name is John Greene, I live and own a home in Sunset Park. Please continue to plan for and build the Park as voted on by the People of Santa Monica.

Please don’t waste anymore time or funds on pro aviation interests. They have wasted enough of our time. I don’t understand why they are STILL allowed to speak at this upcoming meeting. The people have spoken, we need to move forward.

Thank You,
John Greene
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: ALICE ELLIS <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:08 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 Importance: High

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,

I have lived in the Sunset park neighborhood of Santa Monica almost 25 years.

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. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time! Thank you,
Alice Ellis
310-779-0438
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Sandra <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 11:01 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:

We are parents of Autobahn Soccer Club players, live less than one mile from Santa Monica Airport, are regular dog park goers, and generally, Airport Park has been a key part of our community for ten years.

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,
Sandra and John Bainter
Residents: 3759 Boise Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: John Greene <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:59 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
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Meagan Dawson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:58 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 Members of our City Council,
Firstly, thank you for your leadership during the past couple of weeks of crisis. 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.

While the Great Park concept would be a wonderful resource for Santa Monicans, offering outdoor space and an opportunity to restore some ecosystems lost to development, it is clear that the utility of the airport is still needed. We need to maintain at least a portion of the 190 acres for emergency preparedness for the sake of our citizens. Creating and maintaining areas for emergency response and the transportation of aid is a necessity, as we saw with the use of SMO by FEMA and CalFire for the Palisades Fire.

The Santa Monica Airport is a lifeline for our community when we need it most. Even if reduced to a smaller scale for the sake of the park, maintaining this lifeline for the sake of the community in the face of unforeseen tragedies like the Palisades Fire is critical. Consider helicopter landing zones, low emission electric aircraft, and bunkers or structures to act as command or aid distribution centers when designing the park.

More than ten years have passed since Measure LC passed, and a lot has changed in that decade that indicate the possibility for harmonious use of SMO.
 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, significantly impacted the city's financial condition and highlighted further possible disasters and tragic events that threaten our community and our access to the world. These unforeseen events could require the airport's service as an important base.

In short, dissolving the airport completely is not the only 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 a resource for emergency preparedness. If not the Santa Monica Airport, then where? Where will aid be directed to? Where will CalFire refuel? Where will FEMA make their base? The solution is ready made, all we need to do is rework the land a bit to optimize the public use, without cutting off our lifeline.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
5 Sincerely,
Meagan
Meagan Dawson
Sullivan-Dituri Realty
DRE: 02231800
Phone (310) 453-3341 ex. 112
Email [email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
6 David Yakobson
From: Annabel Warren <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 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]
Subject: City Council Meeting - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles (01/28/2

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

I am a member of TSM Aquatics, where my child competes in swimming. Swimming has boosted his confidence, made him stronger and healthier and provided a safe environment for him to get to know other teenagers and compete in a constructive way. Outside swim practices, we struggle to find access to local pools where he and his two brothers can practice their swimming - and enjoy healthy exercise outside. We are fully in support of the Great Park proposal, and hope very much that it will include aquatic facilities, which will be hugely welcomed by the local population.

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,
Annabel Wright
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
7 David Yakobson
From: Julia Thayer <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:52 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

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 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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
8 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 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,
Julia J. Thayer
(310)948-9698
https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliathayer__;!!OfuUnHCITYtmmjM!qVfjdLRrUfcFulKKm SE5vOeENr-MIHyZuo8eLX1MIcjssm39wDPB0_oS8Ft2G6ZpP4EzmMLn7GklRilHsfph4xgtjv71ng$ [email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
9 David Yakobson
From: David S <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: Support Santa Monica's Great Park

EXTERNAL
How many tiny homes or interim housing are being planned for SMO? On Mon, Jan 27, 2025, 8:54 AM Wilshire-Montana Neighborhood Coalition <[email protected]> wrote:

View this email in your browser
To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. ar Wilmont members, residents and friends,

Let our City Council know you support Santa Monica’s Great Park! The Santa Monica community strongly embraces the creation of a Great Park on public land currently occupied by Santa Monica Airport. How do we know? It has been confirmed by the comments and survey data gathered during the City’s engagement process.

Historically, this land was planned to be a park. It was purchased by a park bond passed by residents. The original Great Park existed from 1928 to Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
10 1941, when the federal government took control of the property for the war effort.

We will need to continually communicate with the City Council during this park-making process. This is one of those times. WE NEED YOU TO SEND AN EMAIL supporting the Santa Monica Great Park by 11 AM on Tuesday January 28th! Why? The City Council will be considering the Santa Monica Airport Conversion (SMAC) Project’s “Guiding Principles” at their Tuesday, January 28th meeting. We also encourage you to come and speak at the meeting on that night.

If you support efforts to make the Santa Monica Great Park a reality, please send an email to the City Council. For your convenience, a short sample email has been provided below.

Please send your email no later than 11 AM on Tuesday, January 28 to ensure that your written comment is reviewed before the meeting and becomes a part of the public record.

Click here
https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1428 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
11 for the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting, which includes the staff report on the Guiding Principles for the Great Park project, Item 7-A.

Address your email to the following city emails:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

The Subject line of your email MUST include:

City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Thank you for adding your voice to our neighborhood!
________________________________________
Sample email
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
[If you want, provide brief information about yourself and why a Great Park is important to you]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
12 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.

[YOUR NAME}
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
13 This email was sent to [email protected]
why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences WILMONT · PO Box 607 · Unit 8 · Santa Monica, CA 90406-0607 · USA Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
14 David Yakobson
From: Sherna Berger-Gluck <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:49 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell
Cc: Sherna Berger-Gluck
Subject: Agenda item #7-yes 4 affordable housing + park space at Airport site

EXTERNAL
As a Santa Monica resident (90402), I am a firm advocate of affordable housing and believe that the SM Airport location is an ideal opportunity to provider both affordable housing andspace for a park and other amenities.
for
Sherna Berger Gluck
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
15 David Yakobson
From: Mark SmithTV <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:49 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Casino and housing at the airport
Attachments: PastedGraphic-2.tiff

EXTERNAL
Based on city attorney documents there is a certainty of selling airport land for a housing development.

There is also concern that there will be a casino on this land.

Can the city council confirm that there will be a park and no development and no casino? Can the city council confirm that an environmental study shows the land can be safely converted into a park?
Is city council aware that the community is overwelmingly in favor of keeping the airport (with all the FAA protections in place) to prevent development?
Mark Smith
310 213 0790
http://duenorthproduction.com
"Truth is the fuel of democracy."
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
16 David Yakobson
From: Garey Wittich <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:49 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Future of Santa Monica Airport

EXTERNAL
Times have changed in 10 years since the Measure to repurpose the Airport. Noise levels are down, less jet traffic, less general activity, etc.

The City (over time) has done "very little" to make the Airport a viable asset - rent only month to month ( no new leases ) so businesses can plane for the Future. Scareing away businesses like Bill's Air Service and others because the future in uncertain.

The City needs to face reality with the use of it's limited resources - make the Airport a Viable Entity ( self supporting revenue )
OR
turn it into a park. So far the City has not been able to control the activities in existing parks ( homeless, drugs, etc. ). So why would this park be any different ??? The Airport - as can be seen NOW - is an asset to Emergency Responders and any future Emergency needs - like an earthquake. other fires.

The Airport CAN BE both Profitable, Good Neighbor, Asset to the Community, Asset for Emergency use - if "managed properly".

Garey Wittich. S.M. Resident for over 80 years
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
17 David Yakobson
From: Allison Greene <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 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: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and council members:

I am a resident of Sunset Park in Santa Monica. I am writing this email to reaffirm that I fully support the SMAC Project Guiding Principles, as voted on in Measure LC. I hope that you will do everything in your power to support it as well and ensure that the citizens of SM get the park that they want and deserve on January 1, 2029.

We have waited long enough! Thank you, Allison Greene
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
18 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:34 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]; Carol Golden; Chris Low; Grace Benn; MJ Hamada; Tina Wang; Vicki Findlater
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 very much in favor of the plan to create a Great Park for the city of Santa Monica! What an amazing plan for our future! I learned to fly when I was 16 and I’m still an aviation enthusiast but the opportunity you have to create a benefit for so many more people cannot be ignored.

I am the secretary of the SM Pickleball Club, a non-profit that promotes the activity that is benefitting over a thousand people of all ages in our area. Please allow us to expand our activities with the much needed space that this Great Park will provide.

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,
Victoria Findlater
Secretary,
Santa Monica Pickleball Club
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
19 David Yakobson
From: Tregg Rustad <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:32 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,
As a longƟme owner and resident of Sunset Park, I am wriƟng to express my steadfast support for the closure of the Santa Monica Airport and the development of a Great Park, as envisioned by Measure LC and supported by the majority of Santa Monica voters in 2018.

It has been disheartening to hear of efforts to reconsider this plan, whether to keep the airport open or to pursue alternaƟve uses for the site. We now have a rare and extraordinary opportunity to create something that will leave a lasƟng legacy for our City—a City that, as we all know, has long been in need of addiƟonal park space.

The data gathered through the City’s Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project process clearly shows overwhelming support for restoring our City's original vision of a Great Park on this land. Moving forward with this plan would honor the will of the voters, fulfill our community’s need for accessible open space, and create a publicly owned asset that benefits residents for generaƟons to come.

I urge you to support the proposed Guiding Principles and to prioriƟze the creaƟon of a Great Park that aligns with Measure LC, is financially feasible, and is ready to be opened to the public on Day 1 aŌer the airport closes on January 1, 2029.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to our City’s future.

Sincerely,
Tregg Rustad
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
20 David Yakobson
From: Sherry Martini <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:31 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Gabrielinotongva Info; [email protected]; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Elaine Polachek; Dan Hall; [email protected]; [email protected]; Editor santamonicalookout.com; [email protected]; Ellis Raskin; Sue Himmelrich; Caroline Torosis
Subject: Re: For Tuesday Council Meeting re what to do with AIRPORT LAND-return to Tongva tribe

EXTERNAL
Addendum re Tongva land burned in Eaton fire:

With the Palisades fires, the Alta Dena fires (see attached article re Tongva land in Alta Dena) and the Trump Presidency, we need to be the ones to help heal our relationship with the First People and the Planet. We've screwed up the land. The Tongva can save the land and also use the land to educate students all over Los Angles County about their history and how to save our planet. Again, it's a WIN WIN for all of us.

The Tongva's land burned in Eaton fire. But leaders say traditional practices mitigated damage To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

The Tongva's land burned in Eaton fire. But
leaders say traditional prac...

Tongva community leaders credit traditional stewardship practices, including the removal of fire-prone eucalyptu...

Thanks.

Sherry
On Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 04:32:46 PM PST, Sherry Martini <[email protected]> wrote:

Let's return the Airport to the First People -- the Gabrieleno/Tongva. The land will be highly contaminated from the airport and will need to be remediated -- the EPA may even need to step in. Why not let folks who know how to care for and nourish land take it over. It was taken from them. Let's give it back. It would also allow one concentrated piece of land where the First People can preserve their heritage and assist us in healing the planet. They have already been great educators on sustainability and caring for our planet at the springs by University High.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
21 One of President Biden's last and most profound speeches was about the wrongs we have perpetrated against these First Peoples. Let's take the first to towards healing. Please read the information below on what the tribe is trying to accomplish and what they have done in past to educate and heal the planet.

It also may be financially beneficial, if that's important to some folks, because if the tribe is granted acreage in Los Angeles County as may happen (which would include Santa Monica), other cities/Los Angeles County may reimburse the City for contributing almost the total acreage (227 acres).

See further documentation below.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
22 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
23 From city’s airport workshop this weekend. Let’s give the airport land back to the First People as a way to begin healing of those who are caretakers of our planet. Who understand our planet is a living entity. Who have elder knowledge on how to save it. The airport is the only place in Los Angeles county where a large swath of land can be returned for a united space.

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 10:57 PM, Sherry Martini <[email protected]> wrote:

Just saw new councilmembers, especially Dan Hall, speaking eloquently about fixing wrongs.

Let's not forget the Tongva tribe, upon whose land many of us live.

The Airport is Tongva land. That's documented in the City's own presentation at the workshop this weekend.

In 2025, a bill sponsored by U.S.Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (H.R. 6859), "the Gabrielino/Tongva National Recognition Act of 2023", will go before the House.

Hopefully it will pass and it will demand 300 acres of land for the last surviving members of the Tongva Tribe.

Even if it doesn't pass, let's start 2025 right by giving the Tongva back their land at the Airport and letting them develop it as they see fit without the intervention of white people who have long participated in horrific acts against them, including taking their land. What we did not kill was this people's spirit.

Let's give this piece of land back to them. I don't think we can correct other wrongs until we try to at least correct this original wrong committed against the true original residents of this beautiful city.

It is also a WIN/WIN because the tribes know how to care for our planet. We need them now more than ever.

Attached is an article re this and also below is my communication with the tribe.

Thank you.

Sherry
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Sherry Martini <[email protected]>
To: Info @ Gabrielino/Tongva Nation <[email protected]>; Media @ Gabrielino/Tongva Nation <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2024 at 12:49:21 PM PDT
Subject: Re: Santa Monica considering giving back land to original owner: If we are giving back land, we need to consider the original inhabitants who still have living relatives Of course I will sign. Fight for the land because you are caretakers and we need that now more than ever.

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Monday, May 20, 2024, 10:52 AM, Info @ Gabrielino/Tongva Nation <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi Sherry,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful message. Our tribe is currently working to secure federal recognition as a sovereign nation, which will provide us the full rights of a tribal nation and the opportunity to reclaim land for our tribe.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
24 As we go through this process, we would love to have your support! Right now, we have a petition set up on our website asking Congress to pass the Gabrielino/Tongva Recognition Act. Anyone can sign it, and it would mean a lot if you did! Here is the link: Support Our Cause - Gabrielino/Tongva Nation: First Aboriginal People of Los Angeles
Support Our Cause - Gabrielino/Tongva Nation:

First Aboriginal People of...

Marginalized communities like ours have learned to survive with tenacity in the face of prejudice, a strong comm...
_______
More info on the Kuruvungna Village springs by University High School in Los Angeles:

The Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to preserve and protect the Kuruvungna Village Springs site located at University High School in Los Angeles.

The Foundation is a community organization dedicated to preserving the heritage site and educating the public about the history as well as preserving the natural and cultural resources of the area.

Fact Sheet – Kuruvungna Springs History 2021 (download pdf) The Foundation conducts outreach programs in which teachers educate high school and college age students as well as the public about the environment and California Indian history with special attention given to the indigenous Gabrielino-Tongva Indians which once made the site at University High School their home.

The Foundation has created a cultural center at the site which now serves as a repository of artifacts, historical documents, photo collections and other historical resources directly associated with the history of the Tongva people as well as the High School.

History
In 1992 the 2-acre site had been abandoned and neglected.

Descendants of the Gabrielino-Tongva, alumni of University High School and local volunteers began a campaign to preserve and protect the springs and began the cleanup and restoration of the site. Alliances Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
25 created with State Senator Tom Hayden and other community activists led to the formation of the Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation (GTSF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring the Sacred Springs and surrounding area. The foundation now maintains the site under a lease agreement with University High School and LAUSD.

In 1998, the efforts of the foundation resulted in Senate Bill 1956, sponsored by Senator Tom Hayden and signed by Governor Pete Wilson, which provided $250,000 for the preservation of the Springs.

A Task Force of professional consultants, including Hydrologists, Planners, Architects as well as Native Americans and LAUSD staff was formed to create a framework for restoring and preserving the sanctity of the historic Gabrielino-Tongva village site. The Task Force recommendations included the removal of invasive plants and replacement with native plants, use of spring water for irrigation, the creation of a Tongva village and gardens for education and cultural preservation, and the establishment of a museum and visitor center.

In 2021, a restoration phase was implemented with volunteer and inkind contributions from community members and local businesses.

Abandoned structures, debris, dead trees and brush, invasive plants have been removed and hundreds of local native species are being planted throughout the site. The ponds were cleaned and restored; invasive crawfish were eradicated allowing for the introduction of threatened native creatures. Gardens, orchards and landscapes have been established using a solar powered system for irrigation with spring water. The village of Kuruvungna is being revitalized with the communal construction of a traditional thatched kiiy. The foundation is maintaining the existing cultural center in a re-purposed former classroom to exhibit artifacts, maps, photographs, and displays of the remarkable history of the site.

About Us – Kuruvungna Village Springs
About Us – Kuruvungna Village Springs
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
26 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
27 David Yakobson
From: Jeffrey Nord <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:30 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 - Item 7.A. -SMAC Project Guiding Principles (01/28/25)

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

I am a member of TSM Aquatics, where my child competes for the swim team; he is a breast stroke specialist and he trains every day. I swim recreationally, play tennis 3x a week, and have used every park in Santa Monica while raising kids.

Santa Monica is the best place to raise a family and now we have a chance to make it even better for the next generation of parents. Santa Monica is missing high quality indoor/outdoor sports/recreation facilities. I believe that two large multi-use sports facilities should be built at the great park. One for aquatics and one for basketball/volleyball with a full turf field on the roof. There needs to be a tennes/pickleball area that allows RESERVATIONS and gives priority to Santa Monica tax payers. It is almost impossible to get a tennis reservation, that system needs a complete overhaul badly.

The future Great Park represents a phenomenal opportunity for Santa Monicans, please don't allow it to turn out like Tongva Park which is a gorgeous but ultimately useless open space. This massive paved space can become a beacon of recreation. We do not need more housing and we definitely do not need aviation.

I am writing to specifically advocate for an aquatics facility to be part of that future, in my role with TSM Aquatics.

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,
Jeffrey Nord, MFT
_______________________________
310.300.3835 (Call or Text)
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
28 www.Jeffrey-Nord.com
2730 Wilshire Blvd #600
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Laurie Irwin <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 9:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Park Vote

EXTERNAL
I would like to see a park at the original Santa Monica air field. That was what it was intended for and should be planned for in 2028. There should be no housing or other plans. We are crushed with traffic, parking crisis, and problems with infrastructure- water, sewer, electric, gas, evacuation pathways, etc. to even consider housing.

There was not enough water for the fires, how will there be enough water for the future? Please stop the madness before it starts and make sound decisions! Lincoln is a nightmare right now and no one has moved in yet! Just think of them getting out in an emergency with no cars because they don’t have parking spots.

Permitting needs to be sound for any new projects.

There are so many challenges for even considering housing here.

You’ll have another disaster on your hands if too many people live in a small area.

Please do not consider housing in this area!!!
Thank you,
Laurie Irwin
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: Harriette McCauley <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 5:35 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: CARS

EXTERNAL
I was a member and chair of the Santa Monica Arts Commission/Foundation during the African American/Latino Festival ...Card was more than instrumental in the success of that week long event. They were successful on getting great news coverage...center fold of the Lis Angeles Times Sunday edition..as well as other local publications...

They were thorough, finding and interviewing local treasures to have an accurate of life here for those ethnic groups...

I absolutely support them in applying for this position.

Harriette McCauley
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2025 1:25 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: PLEASE TELL SMO "NO FLYING TAXIS"

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
I oppose development of infrastructure for use by Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), including Flying Taxis, at Santa Monica Airport (SMO), as well as any AAM operations to and from SMO.

The aviation industry promises to transform aviation by flooding the congested air above us with many thousands of low-flying Air Taxis over Southern California. The aviation industry provides unsupported claims that Air Taxis are safe, have no significant negative impacts, and will reduce traffic on the ground. They have also spent more than $22B developing and lobbying for Air Taxis, cloaked in secrecy, and with not one shred of evidence that people on the ground want or need them.

SMO would be the key to the beginning of AAM implementation. Agreeing to move forward in any way would have wide reaching impacts throughout the region! It would also make the intended use of the former airport land, a public park, unbearable for visitors.

Please consider the community on the ground and firmly reject any implementation of AAM/Flying Taxis at SMO.

Thank you for your consideration!
Thank you
Sandra
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Brodsky, Michael <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 3:32 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7a - Support for our Great Park!

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council members,
How fortunate! You now have the rare opportunity to be a true visionary in order effect positive change in Santa Monica - for generations to come!
I am asking you to 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!
A hundred years ago, our Santa Monica City Council were visionaries too.

In 1926, Santa Monica passed a Parks Bond to build Clover Field Park. It was our city’s largest park and the people of Santa Monica knew that a rapidly growing city needed a Great Park to support our community’s recreation and open space needs. Clover Field was our true Great Park and was considered, “The Brightest Jewel in Santa Monica’s Crown” according to our local newspaper.

Unfortunately, the Federal Government took control of our Great Park in 1941 and never gave it back.

This decimated our park space. Our missing park space was never replaced. Today, Santa Monica lacks park space:

Park acres per 1,000 residents:

National - 10.6
Santa Monica - 1.4
Parkland % of City Land
National - 9.8%
Santa Monica - 2.5%
Largest Park
26 Acres
10 Minute Walk
72%
Santa Monica is Severely Deficient in Parkland
We now need to plan for our future city growth and as we strive to meet our future housing demands, the demands on our parks will only skyrocket. If we continue to meet our housing requirements, our city Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 population could actually DOUBLE in the not to distant future and our park acres per 1,000 residents would continue to plummet by half - to an even more to disastrous 0.75% per 1,000 residents.

Just image how little park space there will be to support our community for another 100 years.

This lack of park space will constrain growth and burden our future residents forever.

That is why we need to reclaim our Great Park
Be a visionary!
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,
Michael Brodsky
Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Harris Gabel <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 11:59 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Great Park

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

As Santa Monica Resident, I would benefit directly from the recreational opportunities that would be afforded by the restoration of a Great Park. It would be fine enhancement to 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,
Harris Gabel
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
6 David Yakobson
From: Andy K. Liberman <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2025 3:04 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Guiding Principles for the Great Part Coalition

EXTERNAL
Living in Santa Monica now for 20 years, I do support the Great Park Coaliton’s Guiding Principles.

I hope we have a great, expansive, air refreshing park where the airport is now.

Andrew Liberman
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
7 David Yakobson
From: Daniel Gilbertson <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2025 1:31 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: SMO Gotta Go

EXTERNAL
Dear Council,
This is just a brief email to stress my support for a Great Park that is Measure LC compliant.

Having lived under SMO's flight path for more than 40 years, I'm very much looking forward to this noisy, dangerous, polluting airport going away.

In brief, I would simply urge you to adopt the guiding principles as written. It is, of course, entirely appropriate to start with Nature. This wonderful new park will be a centuries-spanning testimony to the farsightedness of our city’s leaders.

On a related topic, after years of extremely poor audio on channel 16 and 20 which often made it difficult to follow your proceedings, I finally cracked and filed an official complaint about the poor audio (and often poor video) on these community access channels. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but I can't help feeling disappointed that in response, BOTH of these channels went dark. It really is unfortunate as many senior citizens who can no longer attend your meetings in person, rely on Channel 16/20 to keep abreast of local developments. Surely something could be done to restore these valuable communications channels.

Many thanks.

Your sincerely,
Daniel Gilbertson
(310.452.3644)
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Laurie Irwin <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 9:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Park Vote

Permitting needs to be sound for any new projects.

There are so many challenges for even considering housing here.

You’ll have another disaster on your hands if too many people live in a small area.

They were thorough, finding and interviewing local treasures to have an accurate of life here for those ethnic groups...

I absolutely support them in applying for this position.

Please consider the community on the ground and firmly reject any implementation of AAM/Flying Taxis at SMO.

Thank you for your consideration!
Thank you
Sandra
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: George Guttman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:19 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 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?

Thank you for your time and consideration,

George Guttman
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
2 Santa Monica, SAMO high parent
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: Randy Ziglar <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:13 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. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

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

I'm a community gardener at Main Street Santa Monica Community Garden. I strongly support the community work so far on creating 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,
Randy Ziglar
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Dan Cobbett <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:08 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: I support a great park at the SM airport!

EXTERNAL
I think it's a great idea to turn the airport, or at least most of it, into a park. Would be very cool to merge it with Clover park, and create a nice greenspace that stretches from Clover Park through to Airport Ave and potentially Airport Park. A nice walking/running path that connected Clover park, Bundy Drive and Walgrove Ave would be amazing!
However as a community, and in light of our housing crisis, I think we would be remiss if we didn't use this opportunity to create more housing. The airport is such a huge space, it should be possible to create lots of nice green space, as well as add some much needed housing. And please no single family homes, and no high-rise condos. I think medium density housing is the way to go. We don't need more 4 million dollar homes in Santa Monica.

I think a medium density development, or maybe 2, might make sense. Maybe one housing-only section on the West end of the airport, and one mixed with retail on the East end along Bundy? I think we should look at examples of where medium density housing with some retail, like grocery, restaurants, coffee shops and community spaces intermingle with housing, and see how successful they are at providing reasonably priced housing (eg not 4 million dollar single family homes or 10k/month condos), (and ample parking please!) The Runway in Playa comes to mind, although I'm not sure how successful that is from a housing standpoint. I'm sure there are many more examples, and better ones.

I think as long as at least 50% of the current airport space becomes publicly accessible green space, and the rest used for some mix of medium density housing and other community spaces, that would be a good compromise.

Hey, if you made it to the end of this email, thank you for reading! Much appreciated. Looking forward to seeing what we as Santa Monicans do with this huge opportunity! Best,
Dan Cobbett (Sunset Park)
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
5 David Yakobson
From: Danny Guggenheim <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:07 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 - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
We have been residents in Sunset Park for the past 19 years, and continue to raise our family here, with two kids having gone through Grant Elementary and currently at JAMS and Samohi. The vast majority of SM residents do not enjoy large private yards, and depend primarily on public parks for time outdoors. In addition, we all depend on public parks for wide open space and related relaxing, exercising, enjoying or interacting with nature, recreation, and gathering, which is more important now than ever to counterbalance the impacts of significant new development and increased density in our relatively small city. These parks and public spaces are particularly important for families, many of whom are multi-generational and wanting to spend their whole lives here - but regardless of what demographic you happen to fall in at the moment, we all need safe places to take a stroll, sit on a blanket, celebrate milestones with family, practice and play sports recreationally and competitively, and gather as a community - now and forever.

I am writing to encourage the City Council to adopt the staff’s proposed Guiding Principles as written, consistent with the overwhelmingly public support for a Great Park on the current SM airport as reflected in the data from the City's Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project.

I also wish to encourage the City Council to pursue a Great Park plan that is fully compliant with Measure LC and includes an incremental buildout for a financially-feasible, publicly-owned Great Park that begins with some form of public access on January 1, 2029 (the first day after the airport closes), with staff being directed to explore (i) the feasibility of three alternative scenario concepts for Phase 3 based on the draft Guiding Principles, (ii) the feasibility of the spectrum of community preferred land uses including one scenario that is consistent with Measure LC without a vote, and (iii) the feasibility of traditional and innovative financing structures as well as alternative organizational structures and/or partnerships to construct, operate, maintain, program, and manage the site in stages over time.

Lastly, I wish to strongly discourage the City Council from considering any further ballot measures prior to closure of the SM airport, given that the community has already shown its support for the current approach through prior ballot measures and the results of the extremely thorough Conversion Project.

In any case, please know that we are very grateful and appreciative for the excellent public outreach process to date, and for staff having brought recommendations that are so well aligned with what the public has clearly asked for.

Respectfully,
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
6 Danny Guggenheim
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
7 David Yakobson
From: Brent Myers <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:04 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Santa Monica Airport is needed for our community.

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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
8 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,
Brent Myers
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
9 David Yakobson
From: Brent Myers <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 10:00 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: SMO Santa Monice airport Please keep it open.

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica
Please keep this historical and vital safety facility open and available for disaster relief efforts. Be it wildfires or earthquakes, bringing relief supplies and personnel quickly via airlift is vital. We can keep the airport and still have lots of park space.

Thank you,
Brent Myers
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
10 David Yakobson
From: Jeannine Oppewall <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:56 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: City Council 1/28/26 Item 7A SMAC project guiding principles - Airport to Park, please

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council -
I live on Dewey St. and it seems to be that our lives would be greatly improved should we be able to organize a proper city park where the airport is now. Our lives would also be greatly harmed if it is decided to put a development in there - whether condos, commerce, retail, etc., as the traffic during rush hours at the corner of Dewey and Walgrove is already absolutely unbearable. It takes us as much as 20 minutes to just get out the street at that time. This is really pretty unacceptable for a decent quality of life in this city.

Jeannine Oppewall
1631 Dewey St.

Santa Monica
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
11 David Yakobson
From: Barney Alfs <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:53 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: the subject line should read: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

EXTERNAL
I support the guiding principles for our publicly owned land.

Bernard Alfs
632 Pacific Street
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
12 David Yakobson
From: Janet Heinle <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:47 AM
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
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I voted for this ….why do elections not matter?
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.

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
immediately opened for public use after the airport closure on December 31, 2028. A park that includes walking,
skateboarding, rollerblading, and biking could open
on Day 1 after Santa Monica Airport closes. When does a vote matter to you people?
Janet Heinle
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
13 David Yakobson
From: Thomas Berquist <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:47 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Please support the Great Park concept

EXTERNAL
Please be responsive to your constituents.

Tom and Ellen Berquist
913 17th ST #5
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
14 David Yakobson
From: Kenny Fields <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:46 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 Kenny Fields and I have lived at 1740 Cedar Street since 1992. My wife and I raised our kids in Santa Monica, sending them to Grant, JAMS and Samo High. I owned and operated a business in Santa Monica for 17 years. We live close enough to the airport that I hear much of it’s aviation activity very clearly from my house. I have appreciated the reduction in jet noise over the past number of years, since the runway was shortened.

For me, creating a Great Park on the airport land will be a positive change and opportunity to create amazing open space for our whole community as well as the surrounding communities. Personally, I will make use of the expanded park for walking my dog, riding my bike and also to be able to enjoy a large open space in our ever more crowded City.

I have participated in the planning meetings as the City prepares to undertake this unprecedented project to improve the quality of life for the residents of Santa Monica and the surrounding communities. Though I have heard developers and community activists talk about using the airport site for retail development and low income housing, neither of these uses is in agreement with the data gathered so far which shows that the people of Santa Monica overwhelmingly support the restoration of our City's original Great Park on the land currently occupied by the Santa Monica Airport.

As our society moves further and further into a have's and have not's scenario, it is important to me to make sure that this park does not become a “pay to play” type of development which allows those who are able to pay extra for certain activities or amenities (like parking, court reservations etc.) to enjoy the park at a much higher level than others who cannot afford to pay.

Though housing the homeless is a needed and noble goal, I think that this is a flawed idea for this location for a number of reasons. Most importantly, the public overwhelmingly voted to close the airport to create a Great Park, not to provide space for other critical needs of the City. If there are existing buildings on the airport site that could be used for small amounts of low income housing, I would be open to hear those ideas. But building a Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
15 large number of new housing units to house a large concentration of homeless, many of whom have severe mental illness and can be violent, into the new great park will create a situation similar to what we see on the Venice Boardwalk and areas of Santa Monica where the residents do not feel safe.

I urge you to 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,
Kenny Fields
1740 Cedar Street, Unit B
Santa Monica, CA 90405
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
16 David Yakobson
From: Cathy Shepard <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:41 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: SM Airport

EXTERNAL
I can't believe that after the fires, SM is not re-evaluating the closing of the SM Airport.

I understand the airport served as a major hub for some planes & for supplies.

Please, please, reconsider this. Thank You!
Cathy Shepard
2920 Neilson Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405 (yes, I'm in the flight path for the airport, but think fire safety is more important)
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
17 David Yakobson
From: Laura Silagi <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:41 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7a support for the Great Park

EXTERNAL
Please support a fully 'LC compliant' Great Park & Guiding Principles!” We are totally behind this. We live in Venice and have been plagued by the SM airport for years. Instead of poisons and noise from jets and prop planes we can have a beautiful great park. What could be better than that.

Thank you
Laura Silagi
Dennis Hathaway
Mindy Taylor Ross
Jack Ross
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
18 David Yakobson
From: Alex Novakovich <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:36 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 lived in Santa Monica for over 50 years and look forward to having a beautiful open green space where I don't have to worry about being run over by a car.

Sincerely,
Alex Novakovich
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
19 David Yakobson
From: Kenneth Young <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:31 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; 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.

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 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
20 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.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Ken and Ana Young
128 Georgina Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
21 David Yakobson
From: barry engelman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:28 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
We are writing to strongly request that any decision you make adhere to the guiding principles for the Great Park as recommended by City staff and outreach surveys.

Barry Engelman
421 California Ave #301
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
22 David Yakobson
From: Scott Zuber <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:24 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Please keep the SM Airport!

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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
23  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 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 - MAINTAIN THE AIRPORT! Then, 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,
Scott Zuber
Mar Vista Hill Resident

S C O T T Z U B E R

STUDIO Z DESIGN
16514 Arminta Street
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Mobile: (310) 292-2666
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.studio-z.design
WARNING: This e-mail is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521. It contains information from Scott Zuber which may be privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. Dissemination or copying of this e-mail and/or any attachments by anyone other than the addressee or the addressee's agent is strictly prohibited. If this electronic transmission is received in error, please notify Scott Zuber immediately at (310) 292-2666. Thank you.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
24 David Yakobson
From: Chuck Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:13 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

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

I am a 30+ year resident of Santa Monica and have raised two children who went through our public schools and our local sports & enrichment programs.

The airport to park conversion is a once in a city history opportunity and 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.

Additionally, park space is complementary and necessary for our community's goal of creating more housing, since density necessitates more open spaces where people can enjoy outdoor activities. A park at the airport will support the density happening throughout Santa Monica (and the Westside of Los Angeles).

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Chuck Hoover
m 310 895 0849
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
25 David Yakobson
From: Anna Kobara <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 9:10 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7 - Santa Monica Airport Converstion Project

EXTERNAL
Santa Monica City Council,
We all know that there is an unbelievable need for affordable housing in Santa Monica. The Airport Conversion Project poses an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity to build affordable housing for people who are priced out of the Santa Monica market. There is enough room for both an amazing park and affordable housing on the airport land.

As the consultants head into Phase 3 of the community engagement process (determining three reuse options), I am asking you to direct them to look at affordable housing options in an earnest way, engage with housing advocates in a serious way, and study the economic feasibility in a creative way.

Sincerely,
Anna Kobara
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
26 David Yakobson
From: Miles Cotton <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:58 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; David White; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
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 Miles Cotton and I am a longtime board member of Santa Monica Rugby Club. Our club and it's 250+ members, overwhelmingly support the establishment of a Great Park to bring Santa Monica's park/field/open space into line with other communities.

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,
Miles Cotton
Board Member
Santa Monica Rugby Club
________________________________________________________ To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
27 Shop SMRC Gear

Support our Sponsors
Michelob Ultra
Follow our Social Media Pages for Up-To-Date News
Facebook | Instagram | Website | Twitter |
Youth Facebook | Youth Instagram | High School Instagram Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
28 David Yakobson
From: MICHAEL OSMENT <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:32 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 Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
As a family of four people living very close to the future Great Park, I strongly urge you to support 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.

All the families in the Sunset Park neighborhood are excited to celebrate on Jan. 1, 2029 Thank you, Michael Osment

MICHAEL OSMENT
Osment Productions & Photography
[email protected]
310-291-1272
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
29 David Yakobson
From: Shelley Corwin <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:27 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

EXTERNAL
The airport should be kept functional.
there are no funds to manage a great park.
i do not want housing.
there is no mention of long term art studios available, particularly to those being evicted. there should be studios with public programs that can pay rent.
the sham and superfluous “survey’s which don’t in reality encompass enough sm residents is useless because of the small sample.
there are many alternatives to ONLY a
"great park” that can include a huge amount of park like spaces. and please do not hire rick caruso for any planning with his gaudy insensitive designs.

PLEASE:
- 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.
s corwin, resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
30 David Yakobson
From: Lisa Pound <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:25 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Please please please listen to your citizens and build the GREAT PARK

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I am a Sunset Park Homeowner and a 35 year resident of Santa Monica.

Lisa Pound
1010 Pacific St.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
31 David Yakobson
From: Vik Sasi <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:16 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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
32  We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.  The city’s financial condition is precarious.

It is also important to note that Measure LC did not mandate that the airport be converted to a park.

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,
Vikram Sasi
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
33 David Yakobson
From: Kaveh Hosseini <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:12 AM
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members,
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.

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.

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 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
34 110 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,
Kaveh Hosseini
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
35 David Yakobson
From: Jaelene Tyrrel Levi <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:08 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

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
My family and I have lived in Santa Monica for 25 years and love it. We've volunteered with other families to support the schools while our kids attended, and now continue friendships and neighborliness to maintain our community.

As our families grow and grow up, as our parents age, it's important to have an area like the Great Park to help keep and improve our neighborhoods. As the city and nearby cities get more congested, let's have a useful and beautiful area for everyone.

Best regards,
Jaelene Levi
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
36 David Yakobson
From: Diana Bianchini <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 8:08 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

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
The expansion of parks in our beautiful city allows for more community and brings less air and noise pollution. The Great Park restoration would provide us with so much new opportunity and promotes health and well being. I am a resident and business owner in Santa Monica and have been here over a decade.

Diana Bianchini
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
37 David Yakobson
From: Joyce Urode <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:54 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 - 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. 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. 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. 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, andeconomically - 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, Joyce Urode
Santa Monica Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
38 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
39 David Yakobson
From: KT schneider <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:53 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 long time resident of Santa Monica I have been hoping for the airport to finally become an area that “ALL” people of Santa Monica can use, not just a privileged few. This city deserves a gathering place that has multiple purposes where it brings the community together and is a showcase for others around the world.

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.

Sincerely,
K. Elyce Schneider
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
40 David Yakobson
From: Hope Morris <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:48 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: Re: Take Action: Santa Monica Airport ❤

EXTERNAL
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Here is sample language you can use in your email:

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
41  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 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,
Hope Morris
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
42 David Yakobson
From: Lisa Sandbank <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:47 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 and council members,
To speak in favor of Measure LC and the Great Park, I am a longtime resident of Sunset Park and supported the efforts towards this park along with a majority of Santa Monicans, including a great share of reputable groups such as League of Women Voters and PTA, a supporter of Measure LC.

As the Great Park Conversion is underway, representatives from aviation interests outside of the community are trying to sabotage the will of the city in keeping its promise to the voters.

Do not be taken in by these desperate attempts. We have bided by the FAA’s compromise to extend our obligations to the end of 2028 and will not secede to outside interests.

The Great Park is the will, and the rights, of the people of Santa Monica.

The Great Park is the future of Santa Monica.

The Great Park is the shining star of a green, happy, vibrant community and tourist destination.

Lisa Sandbank
Sunset Park
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
43 David Yakobson
From: Kim Drobny <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:38 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:

I am a long time resident of Santa Monica and strongly believe a Great Park would be make a valuable asset to the community of Santa Monica. Everyone would benefit from the resources available, unlike the airport which serves only the very wealthy and enthusiasts. Not only is the airport a source of pollution but it will put us in jeopardy of being a central location for new air taxi operations, which would again suit the very rich.

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,
Kim Bodner-Drobny
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
44 David Yakobson
From: Kelli <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:34 AM
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

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. 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, andeconomically - 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, Kelli Urode
Santa Monica Resident
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
45 David Yakobson
From: LASteven Brady <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 7:34 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White; 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:

We are residents of Santa Monica, and we voted for Measure LC to reuse the airport by creating a lifetime opportunity for a magnificent park in our city. Not only will this park be an asset to the City and region, but it provides a multi-use environment that provides active spaces for all. We love living in Santa Monica, and this park will allow us a unique and active experience, which helps create and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. It is time to make this transition from a single use that creates noise and air pollution to a green and active use for the entire region.

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,
Edmond Winston & Steven Brady
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
46 David Yakobson
From: Gayle Gilman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 4:25 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:

I have lived in Santa Monica for 25 years, my children attended the public schools, and my husband grew up here before that. It has been a beautiful place to raise a family.

However, the last 5 years have been challenging. So many lost businesses, the skyrocketing price of housing and higher taxes, and the decline in school enrollment have contributed to the erosion of the social fabric. We need to bring the community that made this City great a reason to stay here. A Great Park is important to achieving this.

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!
Gayle Gilman
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
47 David Yakobson
From: Cathy Larson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:11 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 Jan 28, 2025 SMAC Guiding Principles Item 7-A

EXTERNAL
Councilmembers,
Many compliments to SMAC Project Staff and Sasaki excellent job moving the Airport transiƟon process forward.

The results of the public outreach have confirmed that the public overwhelmingly desires a park compliant with the goals of Measure LC.

I support the recommended draŌ guiding principles for the creaƟon/reversion of the airport land to a Great Park.

I support a Great Park compliant with Measure LC and with the City AƩorney’s report indicaƟng that craŌing a unique zoning overlay, some common park ameniƟes (Farmer’s Market, Amphitheatre, etc.) currently considered non-LC compliant, can become LC compliant allowing Staff and Sasaki a broader spectrum of design opƟons without triggering a ballot measure.

Great Parks are not created in a single day. It took God six days. It will probably take us longer but we can swing the gates open day one, Jan 1, 2029 and get started.

Thank you,
Cathy Larson
For idenƟficaƟon purposes:

Airport 2 Park, Boardmember/Treasurer
FOSP Boardmember, Airport Chair
Great Park CoaliƟon, Advisory CommiƩee
Measure LC ExecuƟve Board
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
48 David Yakobson
From: Judy Branfman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 12:00 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7 - Affordable Housing in the SM airport redevelopment

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica Councilmembers,
I’m wriƟng as a Santa Monica resident to urge you to place affordable housing at the top of your list of uses for the Santa Monica Airport redevelopment plan.

The area is 100 acres, which is plenty of room for thoughƞul housing as well as other uses, hopefully passive, park-like uses.

I can’t for the life of me figure out why the city of Santa Monica is fighƟng this idea! Your “Survey” for community feedback on potenƟal uses was really long and difficult to fill out - and housing was difficult to prioriƟze. It appeared that water features (in the middle of a drought and climate change), horseback riding (on 100 acres?), and zip lines were on equal fooƟng with affordable housing. This makes no sense. Santa Monica is not obligated to provide another amusement park, unless your goal with this space is to aƩract more tourists. But you do have residents, their families, and people who pay taxes and work here every day who cannot afford rising rents – and this should be one of your very top prioriƟes for this park.

Thanks for your consideraƟon,
Judy Branfman
Santa Monica, CA
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
49 David Yakobson
From: Greg Klinger <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 11:05 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

EXTERNAL
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. Santa Monica airport demonstrated its usefulness to the community by servicing many helicopters and aircraft used in fighting the crisis. Airports that are close to areas that are susceptible to natural disasters such as fire and earthquakes are extremely valuable assets to the community and must be preserved and used as such.

In normal times, airports such as Santa Monica serve aircraft from all over the region, nation, and world, serve as places of employment for people of various professions, and generate much needed revenue for the city of Santa Monica. Recent opinions have called for the airport to be converted into a park, a situation that is unrealistic. Converting the airport into a park is economically unviable.

Taxpayers would not vote (or stand for) the tax increases such a venture would require. An operation that is currently generating revenue for the city would become an expensive liability. Currently the city is struggling with maintenance and safety issues in its existing parks and Downtown Santa Monica.

To add more property for the city to maintain and police in the current environment would be highly illogical.

Finally, the closing of Santa Monica Airport would close the accompanying airspace above the airport above it thereby allowing and encouraging large jets flying to and from LAX to fly lower and closer to the city of Santa Monica resulting in an increase in noise and pollution. The threat of this possibility is occurring at a time when recent modifications to Santa Monica Airport and Airport operations have decreased jet aircraft traffic and associated noise by 81%. Additionally, Electric passenger aircraft are nearing certification. Well before Santa Monica Airport's current "closure date" promising clean, quiet, electric flights that will routinely operate from Santa Monica Airport to destinations throughout the region, with seats available and affordable for almost everyone in our community.

Santa Monica Airport must remain open. It is a vital resource to the community both in "normal times" and in natural disasters. Converting the airport into a park is an expensive option the city of Santa Monica cannot afford, and recent modifications to the airport and electric aircraft promise (and are delivering) quieter operations. I ask you do everything in your power to keep Santa Monica Airport open.

Sincerely
Greg Klinger
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
50 David Yakobson
From: diana hinek <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 10:49 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 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? 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.

Diana Hinek
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
SMMUSD/ parent
Birth Doula and Photographer
www.dearbirth.com
www.facebook.com/dearbirth
https://www.instagram.com/dearbirth
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
51 David Yakobson
From: Rebecca hogan <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 10:43 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

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members
Your leadership during the crisis and trauma caused by the devastating Palisades fire, was exemplary.

For 25 years I’ve lived in my current home, which is less than one block from our SM Airport. I’ve raised 3 children here and over that time we have seen how vital this airport is. We’ve had friends fighting cancer that were flown to alternative therapy by a company that flew in and out of SM Airport.

We also had a friend years ago that received a kidney transplant with an organ flown into SM Airport in order to get it too the hospital much faster than flying into LAX or Burbank ever could. We have had the privilege of watch many motorcades drive down Centinela after vehicles and personnel land at SM Airport - such an honor for our city of Santa Monica.

And over the last two weeks we watched first responder aircraft lift off from Santa Monica Airport to fight the catastrophic fires, I’ve never doubted how critical this space is for our city’s survival, but that fact was so much more evident during this fire crisis.
190 acres is an area large enough to incorporate such multifaceted the use. The idea of converting the airport into a much richer and varied experiential space is an exciting idea, especially if envisioned as a sustainable, inclusive and financially prudent space that benefits the residents of Santa Monica, since they will be paying for it. But the idea of converting the airport only into a park simply does not seem prudent for Santa Monica either financially or practically, and there are already large space parks on both sides of the airport.

While the Great Park concept may seem exciting, is worth sacrificing an airport that has proven to be a source of security, safety and service to our city? Would this fire disaster been even worse had we not had the airport as our command center and a base for firefighting aircraft? And, is adding a park economically viable?
It seems that we’ve been given a shocking wake-up call about the necessity of our airport.

It’s seems clear that it’s time to take another look and reconsider possibilities for this land that include maintaining something as vital as an airport.

The impact of these plans and the motivation behind them should be made completely transparent to Santa Monicans. Please reconsider any plans that have been presented.

Besides losing something that may have been the saving grace of our city just over a week ago, our 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 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
52 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 seems unwise and a path toward 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 can remain an airport and also 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.

I ask that you 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 not turn a blind eye to the realities of recent events. Let’s be teachable and learn from the crisis we have been and still are enduring, let’s continue to protect our city by having an airport, while also incorporating other Great ideas.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Hogan
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
53 David Yakobson
From: Wendy Dembo <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 10:39 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 –
I am writing to ask if you could 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 have staff develop scenarios for developing the airport land.

While we all 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 the City process or 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 was another city council vote 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 confirms local control, it is reckless and irresponsible for the city council to continue to move forward with a conversion process that could cause irreparable harm to Santa Monica and its residents.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Wendy Dembo
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Wilmont Board Member
SAMO Parent
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
54 David Yakobson
From: Ann Bowman <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 10:25 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
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
55 David Yakobson
From: Nathan Siahpush <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 10:23 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

EXTERNAL
Dear Members of our City Council,
The past few weeks have been extremely unpredictable, terrifying, and saddening to see what has happened to so many in our community. Your swift and professional response has brought muchneeded clarity and comfort during these challenging times.

I am a civil engineer who is all too aware about the threat of significant disasters such as earthquakes which pose a sizable and real risk to all of us. The ability for the City to respond to disasters depends entirely on the resources and infrastructure it has available to it. These past few weeks has shown me clearer than ever how the Santa Monica Airport is instrumental for emergency response as a major part of our city's infrastructure. This experience has also reminded us of the potential for the 190 acres to serve in diverse, beneficial ways. Transforming this area into a multifaceted space that is sustainable, inclusive, and financially responsible would serve Santa Monica well, given the residents' investment.

However, converting it solely into a park seems neither financially nor practically sound.

The concept of a Great Park faces significant economic hurdles. We must confront the reality that funding such a project is beyond our current capabilities. No viable bond measure exists due to insufficient revenue sources for repayment, and property tax increases would likely be rejected by local owners. The expectation of billionaire philanthropy for this scale of project is unrealistic.

Shutting down the airport without a solid plan could lead to disastrous consequences, including:
 Increased noise and pollution from rerouted flights.
 Security concerns over large, unmonitored spaces.
 Overwhelming operational costs of managing a park that would attract millions from LA County.

Since the passage of Measure LC over a decade ago, much has evolved:
 Noise from jet aircraft has reduced by 81%.
 Electric training aircraft, which produce no noise or pollution, are now in operation.  We're on the brink of introducing clean, quiet electric passenger flights, which could soon be a regular, affordable option for our community.
 The airport has proven vital during wildfires and other emergencies.  The city has faced financial strain from a recent pandemic.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
56 It's crucial to clarify that Measure LC does not mandate turning the airport into a park. It requires voter approval for any significant development, with exceptions for parks or cultural spaces. The intent was to give control back to the community, not to predetermine the land's use as a park, a point often misrepresented.

There's a viable alternative: evolve the Santa Monica Airport site into a space that is ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable. It could offer a mix of recreational, educational, and entertainment facilities, become a hub for innovation, and potentially include residential areas. With 190 acres, we have more space than Paris's Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens combined, allowing for both parkland and economic growth.

My request is straightforward: keep an open mind. Sasaki's work on the Great Park is commendable, but we should also be open to other innovative proposals that could better serve Santa Monica.

Thank you,
Nathan Siahpush
Santa Monica Resident
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
57 David Yakobson
From: Jerry Rubin <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 9:49 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
Sent from my iPhone
Dear Council Members:

I’m not sure I will be able to attend Tuesday’s meeting due to some health concerns but I will try my very best (nothing serious). I want to personally urge all of you to unite in your support of the process, the guiding principles (I’m certain Mother Nature would love those principles) and the timely creation of a Measure LC-compliant Great Park.
걭걮걯거바밐밑밒박놅놆밓Thank you so much,
Jerry Rubin
Co-founder, Tree Hugging Friends
Member, Santa Monica Urban Forest Task Force
310-399-1000
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
58 David Yakobson
From: Samantha <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 9:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: SAMO City Council Meeting 1/28/25 - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles

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

I am a SAnta Monica resident. I live (and vote!) in Santa Monica. A Great Park is important to me because I am personally and deeply affected by the air and noise pollution from the Santa Monica airport. I urge you to decide to close it and turn it into a park to keep aircraft away from our. Now more than ever, we need fresh air to breathe and green space to explore. We need green space to be available to us all for generations to come.

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.

Your neighbor,
Samantha Buckingham
Sent from my iPhone
Please excuse any typos. They are unintentional.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
59 David Yakobson
From: Paula Mazur <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 9:36 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:

On Sept. 29, 2013, I was riding my bicycle around the southern loop of Clover Park, when a jet crashed just yards away, killing 4 people. It was horrifying. I live nearby with my children, as do many friends, and from that moment on I felt the airport was too dangerous to exist in our heavily populated area, and had to close. As it turns out, all the data supports this.

I am very heartened that we are now so close to closing the airport. We have a monumental opportunity to build a stunning and inspirational natural refuge for all to enjoy, restore the Great Park, and give Santa Monica (and the west side) the green space it so lacks.

I thank you in advance for your support of 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.

It will be a treasure for generations to come!
All the best,
Paula Mazur
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
60 David Yakobson
From: Ben Marcus <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 9:16 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

Closing the airport at the end of 2028 with no economically viable path forward is a bad idea. 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?
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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
61  We experienced a pandemic, which led to significant lost revenue for the city.  The city’s financial condition is precarious.

It is also important to note that Measure LC did not mandate that the airport be converted to a park.

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.

Few people know the extent of the economic development activities already happening at the airport site. One example is the venture capital firm I cofounded, UP.Partners, which invests in innovative sustainable transportation technology companies. We are based at Santa Monica Airport and invest approximately $75M per year into inspiring entrepreneurs and their small teams who are making mobility cleaner, safer, and more affordable. We could choose to base our business anywhere. We chose to locate at Santa Monica Airport because we and our portfolio companies are inspired by Santa Monica's unique industrial innovation heritage. We want to see Santa Monica continue to lead the world in this category. I was born and raised in Sunset Park, and continue to live in Sunset Park with my wife and daughter. Nothing would excite me more than to know that my daughter, her peers, and the generations that follow stayed in Santa Monica because this innovation ecosystem continued to be the best place in the world to make a positive impact on our planet.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Kind regards,
Ben Marcus
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
62 David Yakobson
From: Marc Buhaj <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 9:10 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 a family of 5 x who live in and love Santa Monica. We are active members of the local school and sports community. My work office is also located in Santa Monica.

Both the local community and 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.

We are hoping you will 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.

Sincerely,
Marc Buhaj
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
63 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 9:06 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
To My City Council,
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.

Adrian Harewood
2437 Pier Ave, 90405
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
64 David Yakobson
From: Uproar LA <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:56 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7 - The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
Studio City For Quiet Skies and UproarLA support The Great Park.

We oppose development of electrification for, and accommodation of, any infrastructure intended for aviation use by Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), including Air Taxis, at Santa Monica Airport (SMO), as well as any AAM operations to and from SMO.

People overwhelmingly prefer a park on the current airport land! Residents bought the land in 1926 for a park, reconfirmed the will for a park by voting for measure LC, and affirmed a park in the recent visioning process.

Aircraft operations, including eVTOLs or Air Taxis, are incompatible with park usage.

The aviation industry has promised to transform aviation by flooding the congested air above us with many thousands of low-flying Air Taxis, all over Southern California. We are all affected by operations at SMO. What happens at SMO doesn’t stay in SMO. The aviation industry provides unsupported claims that Air Taxis are safe, have no significant negative impacts, and will reduce traffic on the ground. This is all industry speculation. They have also spent more than $22B developing and lobbying for Air Taxis, cloaked in secrecy, and with not one shred of evidence that people on the ground want or need them.

SMO is the key to the beginning of AAM implementation. Agreeing to move forward in any way would have wide reaching impacts throughout the region! It would also make the intended use of the former airport land, a public park, unbearable for visitors.

You must not act counter to the vote for The Great Park to REPLACE the airport! Please consider your community who has waited years for their park, the democratic process of voting, and the larger Los Angeles/SoCal community on the ground by firmly rejecting any accommodation or implementation of AAM/Air Taxis at SMO.

Thank you for your consideration.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
65 Sincerely,
UproarLA
http://www.uproarla.org
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
66 David Yakobson
From: BARRIE LEVY <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:45 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item #7

EXTERNAL
To Members of the SM City Council,
I am one of many concerned neighbors of the Santa Monica Airport who feel that the conversation about affordable housing (from very low to middle income) has been excluded from the community process for the airport reuse. We know that almost 200 acres of airport land allows plenty of space for a great park AND below market rate housing accessible to people who are priced out of the Santa Monica market.

As someone who has worked in Santa Monica since 1982, as well as a neighbor who lives across from the airport, I know that many people who work in Santa Monica - nurses, teachers, police officers, hotel and restaurant workers - keep our Westside businesses and institutions able to thrive, but they cannot afford to live near their work. I have spoken with people who have to live in cars or RVs, or who have to drive 4 hours a day to get to and from work in Santa Monica. I met a family with 2 small children who take their children to school each day on their way to work, from an RV parked in the area. They need the work, but there is NO HOUSING that they can afford. This is not sustainable! Like many neighbors, I worry about traffic and congestion that can be caused by development of the airport, but I know that the majority of the traffic (and resulting pollution) is from commuters who live far away from their Santa Monica jobs. It is clear that local below market rate housing on the airport land (accessible to local public transportation) will REDUCE traffic and pollution, NOT make it worse.

Because I live close to the airport, I have also been concerned about the planning process for its reuse after it closes in 2028. As you know, the City Council requested three reuse options to be studied, one of them being 100% open green space (a park). The other two options are up to the staff and consultants to propose based on the community input process that is currently under way. I have attended all of the community meetings/displays, etc, and responded to both surveys, and they continue to focus only on a park, even after many people like myself have requested that affordable workforce housing be part of the plan. The Sasaki process makes it hard to include housing, or anything other than a park, and their reporting of survey results doesn’t indicate that housing was listed as a priority for a significant number of respondents. We informally learned that one third of respondents prioritized housing, but that hasn’t been reflected in reporting and in obtaining more community input.

Thank you,
Barrie Levy
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
67 David Yakobson
From: BARRIE LEVY <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Iten#7

Thank you,
Barrie Levy
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
68 Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
69 David Yakobson
From: Justin Ferriman <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: Great Park Coalition
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 Justin Ferriman. I'm new to this area of Los Angeles, having moved from San Clemente. I don't miss much about San Clemente, but what I do miss are the parks and green spaces. You can imagine that I was quite pleased to know 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.

I ask you to do your part as an elected official (the voice of the people) and support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC, financially-feasible, publiclyowned, and can be opened for public use on Day One, January 1, 2029.

Thanks,
Justin
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
70 David Yakobson
From: Peter Shultz <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:20 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

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.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
71 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,
Peter
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
72 David Yakobson
From: Robb Curtis Brown <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:15 PM
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 Councilmembers,
The struggle for the land at SMO has been long and costly. Thousands of residents have fought for decades to win back control of our land. We are beyond grateful to this council and councils past for being so responsive to the residents desire to close SMO. The visioning process now underway is the culmination of so much effort. We are grateful now for the guiding principles the residents have been asking for. Thank you for your unflagging efforts to build toward an LC compliant Great Park. Generations will celebrate your vision and your commitment to this great cause.

Onward!
Robert Brown
Santa Monica
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
73 David Yakobson
From: SUELLEN WAGNER <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7 The Great Park

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
I support The Great Park! We oppose development of electrification for and accommodation of any infrastructure intended for aviation use by Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), including Flying Taxis, at Santa Monica Airport (SMO), as well as any AAM operations to and from SMO.

People overwhelmingly prefer a park on the current airport land! Residents bought the land in 1926 for a park, reconfirmed the will for a park in Measure LC, and affirmed a park in the recent visioning process.

Aircraft operations, including eVTOLs or flying taxis, are incompatible with park usage.

You must not act counter to the vote for The Great Park to REPLACE the airport! Please consider your community who has waited years for their Great Park, the democratic process of voting, and the larger Los Angeles/SoCal community on the ground by firmly rejecting any accommodation or implementation of AAM/Flying Taxis at SMO.

Thank you for your consideration!
Suellen Wagner
Sent from my iPhone
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
74 David Yakobson
From: Jamie Dunham <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:09 PM
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,
I would like to reiterate that a Great Park at Santa Monica Airport is critical to our neighborhood. It is also what we voted on and passed.

The reduction in noise and pollution has been much improved compared to when we moved in. After the shortening of the runway, there are no longer jets spewing toxic chemicals straight into our backyard (we had engines literally pointed at us) - and with full closure of the airport, will be a wonderful, peaceful return to nature.

Please support the proposed Guiding Principles and creation of a Great Park that is compliant with Measure LC. I look forward to the airport closure in 2028, and visiting our new park in 2029.

Thank you,
Jamie Dunham
Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
75 David Yakobson
From: Daphne Dennis <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 8:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7A airport re-use study session

EXTERNAL
> Honorable Mayor and City Council members,
> I am a 50-year resident of Santa Monica. I lived in an apartment in the Montana neighborhood for five years and then was lucky enough to move into home ownership in Ocean Park. >
> Our family benefited from a good public school experience and extensive sports and musical performance options. We used every park, play area, field, court, pool, and auditorium available-public and private-and our largest park: the beach.
>
> So for our family, there is no question that parks enrich a community immeasurably. But what’s a community when it can’t house the next generation; loses racial, ethnic, and economic diversity; and can’t come close to housing its employees, all because of a lack of affordable housing? >
> I urge you to add affordable housing to the airport re-use planning process. Please don’t lose this opportunity to create a wonderful park along with a vibrant, affordable residential community. >
> Best regards, Daphne Dennis
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
76 David Yakobson
From: oesr <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 7:57 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
RE: City Council - 1/28/25 - Item 7-A - SMAC Project Guiding Principles” Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
I have lived in Santa Monica since 1976. I was active in the city for many years and served on the Board of the Friends of Sunset Park for over 15 years. I recall the early 1980’s talk that the Santa Monica Airport would close and become a much needed park for the residents of Santa Monica. Then it became an agreement about the Santa Monica Airport closing in 30 years.

Here we are in 2025, over 40 year later still discussing what would be there. The people have spoken. I would truly like to live long enough to visit the Park. Please act now! 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.

Thank you,
Jane Dempsey
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
77 David Yakobson
From: AYSO20 Women <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 7:56 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Cc: [email protected]; SMAYSO Regional Commissioner Subject: City Council Meeting (01/28/25) - Item 7.A. - SMAC Project Guiding Principles Attachments: SM AYSO City Council_Final.pdf

EXTERNAL
Dear Honorable City Council, Please see attached written comments from Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica. Thank you for your consideration! Melinda Mehringer
Volunteer Board Member
Director, Women's Coaching Initiative
Region 20 - Santa Monica AYSO
Lead...Inspire...COACH
[email protected]
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council Members:

I write on behalf of Santa Monica AYSO to urge you to prioritize multi-use fields and youth sports at the future Great Park.

Santa Monica AYSO serves Santa Monica’s Kids. Santa Moncia AYSO is a non-profit organization and the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, providing a low-cost and high-quality youth soccer program for around 1500 Santa Monica children every year. We serve a diverse, local community.

Our registration fee is modest for everyone and we grant over ten thousand dollars a year in financial aid to ensure that we are inclusive of all Santa Monica children. Many tens of thousands of Santa Monica kids have grown up in our program – including some of your own kids. They have learned how to play soccer, and also important life skills like teamwork, communication, goal-setting, and perseverance – all critical skills necessary for success in life. Our program is a true community cooperative -- run entirely by hundreds of unpaid volunteers – mostly parents of current players but also other Santa Monicans who had kids in our program and continue to pitch in years later. We even have former players who come back home to Santa Monica after college and pay it forward by coaching younger kids. Santa Monica AYSO is a crucial part of the fabric of Santa Monica’s diverse, inclusive, active, healthy community.

Kids Benefit Greatly from Youth Sports. Playing sports is good for children’s bodies, keeping them physically active and fit in the face of growing screentime and childhood obesity. Team sports are also good for kids’ mental health and help combat the mental health crisis impacting kids today. Studies prove that kids who play team sports have lower rates of anxiety and depression, lower stress levels, and lower drug use. They also have greater self-confidence, higher self-esteem, healthier body image, improved cognitive performance, better sleep, higher GPAs, higher test scores, and higher graduation rates. These physical and mental health benefits carry into adulthood, with adults who played youth sports having better health and more professional success than adults who did not. There is truly no better investment in our future than to provide field space for kids to play sports.

We have a Critical Shortage of Field Space in Santa Monica. There are not enough soccer/multiuse fields available in Santa Monica. Most of our field space is at the schools, so our use is conditional on the schools’ needs and holiday schedule. The schools typically use their fields for their own students after school, so we can only get field space in the evenings (starting at 5 or 5:30 at the earliest). We give priority to the very youngest kids (6–9-year-olds) for the earlier practice times, so we need to schedule the “older” 10-year-olds for late 7-9pm practices. We have hundreds of teams so our limited field space requires us to squeeze many teams together in close quarters, which is not ideal for training. Indeed, we often have six or more teams practicing simultaneously on one soccer field at JAMS or Lincoln.

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Because of the drastic shortage of field space in Santa Monica, we can only offer teams one practice a week in our fall season when most players participate. Most other AYSO chapters offer two practices a week in the fall season and club soccer teams practice 3-5 times a week. Our Santa Monica AYSO kids are missing out because there are not enough local fields. This is not right! We would need twice as much field space as currently available to give the kids a second team practice in the fall season.

The field crunch for soccer gets even worse in the January to June time frame, as baseball understandably gets permitting priority during their core, spring season. Unfortunately, this means we must limit the number of spring teams we can form, and we sadly turn away kids every spring who want to play soccer but there is no room for them to practice on our local fields. We can fix all these field access issues by building more multi-use fields in the Great Park! Multi-Use Fields at the Great Park would bring in Big Revenue to the City and Local Businesses If we had a large multi-use field space in the Great Park, it would also create opportunities to bring significant revenue into Santa Monica. Every year, there are dozens of tournaments sponsored by local AYSO chapters, in places like Torrence, Riverside, Mission Viejo, Camarillo, and even Beverly Hills, which use them to raise funds for financial aid and to keep registration fees modest. These beloved tournaments are well-attended by teams near and far, with many teams staying two to three nights in local hotels, eating out at restaurants and passing time between games shopping or experiencing other local entertainment. For example, every President’s Day weekend, Santa Monica AYSO sends around 10 teams to Riverside for the Locomotion Tournament. With each family spending around $2000, our Santa Monica teams alone provide $200,000 in revenue to Riverside. With over 100 teams attending this tournament, Riverside brings in millions of dollars of incremental revenue in just one weekend. If the Santa Monica Great Park had ten full size fields, we could host our own Santa Monica tournaments, showcasing our beautiful city by the ocean and bringing millions of dollars of incremental revenue to Santa Monica in a weekend (in addition to field permit fees). The fields would be much sought after by club soccer teams, rugby teams, football teams, and lacrosse teams too, which also host tournaments.

I implore you to invest in Santa Monica’s kids and our collective future and prioritize multi-use sports fields as part of a Great Park. The Great Park is the opportunity of our lifetime for Santa Monica’s kids, families, and future.

Respectfully,
Lisa Demsky
Santa Monica AYSO Regional Commissioner & Boys 2013 Coach Melinda Mehringer
Santa Monica AYSO Board Member & Director, Women’s Coaching Initiative Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
78 David Yakobson
From: Heather Thomason <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 7:34 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
I live in Santa Monica and support The Great Park! We oppose development of electrification for and accommodation of any infrastructure intended for aviation use by Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), including Flying Taxis, at Santa Monica Airport (SMO), as well as any AAM operations to and from SMO.

Aircraft operations, including eVTOLs or flying taxis, are incompatible with park usage.

You must not act counter to the vote for The Great Park to REPLACE the airport! Please consider your community who has waited years for their Great Park, the democratic process of voting, and the larger Los Angeles/SoCal community on the ground by firmly rejectingany accommodation or implementation of AAM/Flying Taxis at SMO.

Thank you for your consideration—
Heather Thomason
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
79 Concerned Santa Monica Resident and voter

Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
80 David Yakobson
From: Heather Thomason <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 7:30 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:

I live (and vote!) in Santa Monica. A Great Park is important to me because my children and I are personally and deeply affected by the air and noise pollution from the Santa Monica airport. We must close it and turn it into a park to keep aircraft away from our homes in this wonderful city we live in. Our children need fresh air to breathe and green space to explore. Especially with the disaster of the fires in the closest hiking trails, we need much more non-mountain green space to be available to us all for generations to come.

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,
Heather Thomason
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
Item 7-A
January 28, 2025
81 David Yakobson
From: Kimberly T. <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2025 7:12 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7 - The Great Park

Aircraft operations, including eVTOLs or flying taxis, are incompatible with park usage.

Santa Monica City CouncilJanuary 28, 2025

Santa Monica City Council
January 28, 2025