1 City Council Meeting: October 13, 2026 Santa Monica, California RESOLUTION NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF SANTA MONICA AMENDING THE
TEXT OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN TO MAKE MINOR TEXT
CORRECTIONS RELATED TO ADOPTED ENTITLEMENT PROCESSING
THRESHOLDS
WHEREAS, on July 25, 2017, the City Council of the City of Santa Monica (“City Council”) adopted the Downtown Community Plan (“DCP”) which sets forth the City’s vision of Downtown as a high quality, mixed-use district offering opportunities as a major public space framed by a mix of retail, restaurants, services, and housing that form unique experiences enjoyable to both residents and visitors; and WHEREAS, the DCP includes entitlement thresholds and procedures for housing and commercial projects located within the Downtown; and WHEREAS, on May 27, 2025, Council adopted Ordinance Number 2814 (CCS), which included amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to allow all “housing projects,” as defined by the Housing Accountability Act (Government Code Section 65589.5), in nearly all non-residential zones, including Downtown, to be processed through an Administrative Approval process regardless of the size of the parcel upon which the housing project is located; and
WHEREAS, while the Zoning Ordinance was amended, the corresponding revision to Chapter 2, Section 2A.4 of the Downtown Community Plan was inadvertently omitted; and
2 WHEREAS, minor amendments the DCP are required to eliminate the references to these entitlement thresholds and to align this section with the Zoning Ordinance and other sections of the DCP; and
WHEREAS, on July 15, 2026, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.45.060(A), the Planning Commission adopted a Resolution of Intention, Resolution Number 26-012 (PCS), declaring its intention to consider recommending to the City Council that the City Council amend the Downtown Community Plan to make minor changes, corrections, and clarifications as necessary; and WHEREAS, on September 2, 2026, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.45.070(A), the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing and adopted Resolution Number 26-014 (PCS), recommending to the City Council that the City Council amend the Downtown Community Plan to make minor text corrections related to adopted processing thresholds; and WHEREAS, City Council now desire to amend the Downtown Community Plan to make minor text corrections related to adopted processing thresholds as stated herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.45.080, the City Council hereby amends the text of the Downtown Community Plan as set forth in Exhibit A. In making this recommendation, the City Council hereby finds and declares that, for the reasons articulated above, and in the staff report dated October 13, 2026, the amendments promote and protect the public health, safety, and general welfare in that the amendments are necessary to cure inconsistencies, increase transparency and ease 3 of use of the City’s regulations, and otherwise maintain alignment between the policies, standards, and regulations of the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance that promote the public health, safety, and welfare.
SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
HEIDI VON TONGELN
City Attorney
4 EXHIBIT A
Chapter 2, Section 2A.4, Page 28
“Base” Administrative Approval Projects Typically, developments that conform to Tier 1 standards are referred to as “base” projects. Base Administrative approval projects must meet minimum project requirements for setbacks, design and open space, and pay adopted fees for items such as affordable housing, trip reduction, cultural arts, and childcare fees.
1. Housing Projects
Any streamlined housing project on parcel(s) up to 43,560 sq. ft. may be processed through an Administrative Approval.
2. Commercial Projects
Smaller commercial projects that conform to Tier 1 standards may be processed through an Administrative Approval.
Development Review Projects Certain commercial projects and housing projects on parcel(s) that are 43,560 sf or greater are permitted by Development Review Permit (DRP), allowing these projects to be approved through discretionary review and a Planning Commission public hearing that gives community members a venue to share thoughts and input on proposed projects. By law, Planning Commission decisions are appealable to the City Council. This system of project requirements is intended to ensure greater discretionary review for larger housing projects and commercial projects.
1. Housing Projects on Parcel(s) that are 43,560 Square Feet or Greater Housing projects on parcel(s) that are 43,560 sf or greater are considered nonnegotiated discretionary projects. These projects are required to comply with affordable 1 housing requirements and affordability mix as established in Zoning Ordinance Chapter
9.64. 2. All Other Projects Between 10,000-30,000 SF
Tier 2 projects between 10,000-30,000 square feet are considered non-negotiated discretionary projects that must contribute to the community benefits program at Tier 2 levels
2