This is the email that was just sent to the membership. If you disagree with any portion of the letter you might want to call Carl and have a discussion with him. We may be the small and vocal group he is referring to. Dear Chamber Members and Friends: The upcoming November 4th City Council Election marks a pivotal moment for Santa Monica’s future. A small group has organized around a misinformed agenda that would be detrimental for local business and would hinder our community’s ability to address a growing housing shortage, and our transportation and environmental concerns. It is essential that all of our city’s residents--from our business owners to employees, our teachers to our students, our artists to our activists, our newest parents to our seniors--vote in this crucial election. We encourage you to share this email with your friends, family, and employees who live in Santa Monica. Together we can help ensure that Santa Monica continues to evolve as the vibrant, walkable, beachside community we all love. With the sincere wish of fostering transparent community dialogue, weve organized a series of events and compiled a list of myth-busting facts, both of which aim to improve electoral preparation and participation. Please read and consider the following facts as you vote. And join us for any of all of the following events, where your input is most welcome and where your informed choice on Election Day is our only goal: UPCOMING EVENTS AND IMPORTANT DATES - Tonight, Tuesday, October 21st at 6:30pm– SM Chamber and Mirror Council Candidate Forum at Cross Campus (929 Colorado) [Register for free here]. Park at the Main Library and take the free shuttle over. - Wednesday, October 22nd – SM Chamber and Mirror - School and College Board Candidate Forum at 6:00pm at the Santa Monica Main Library. - Tuesday, November 4th – Election Day [find your polling place] FACTS: Development, Traffic, Parking The biggest issue being discussed this year is development and the resulting concern over its impacts on our growing traffic and parking problems. Concerns about traffic and parking are completely reasonable. We at the Chamber are worried too, and it is important that we as a community seek solutions that address these concerns about traffic, the growing housing supply shortage, and the environment, while maintaining a more nuanced attitude about development. Regionally we need to support urban transportation solutions which support infill housing projects located near major transportation routes. The solution to our “development problem” is not stopping all development, but rather developing the right mix of uses in the most appropriate locations where the next generation can access regional mobility alternatives thru rail, bus, bike, walk and ride sharing. Myth – Santa Monica is under threat of overdevelopment. Fact: 96% of Santa Monica is protected from any increase in intensity of development. In 2010 (after a 6 year public process -with hundreds of hours of community input) Santa Monica updated the key element of its General Plan -The LUCE (Land Use Circulation Element), which addresses our transportation and housing supply problems by focusing new growth in only 4% of our city (our downtown and along strategic transportation corridors). The LUCE is a zero-growth document for the vast majority of our city – protecting our neighborhoods from changes in the intensity of development and providing transportation solutions. Fact: Santa Monica’s Downtown has approximately 28,000 employees and only about 2,850 housing units. This represents a major need for housing, and presents a great opportunity to eliminate car trips, pollution and increase quality of life by building more residential units near jobs. Myth – Smart growth development (as the LUCE envisions) in our downtown and along our boulevards will increase traffic, be bad for the environment, and decrease our quality of life. Fact: According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, “residents of communities designed using smart growth strategies drive as little as one-fifth as much as their counterparts in conventional sprawl developments. This reduced dependence on automobiles means less money spent on gas, increased outdoor activity like walking and cycling, improved rates of public transit ridership, and less global warming pollution released into the air. In fact, if all new communities were designed using smart growth strategies we could slash emissions by about 595 million metric tons after 10 years, or 10 percent of total U.S. emissions of global warming pollution.” Santa Monica is an environmental leader, regionally and nationally. We need to continue our investment in transit-oriented development strategies, as opposed to low-density projects that increase car traffic and pollution. (nrdc.org/smartGrowth/files/smartgrowth.pdf ) Myth – Our current City Council and City staff do not understand the concerns of our residents. Fact: Councilmembers and City Staff have worked extremely hard to protect and implement the strategic development strategies that the community drafted in the LUCE. Due to their efforts, Santa Monica is enjoying a surplus City budget, high level of police, fire and community services which is appreciated and recognized by residents, business leaders, and visitors alike. Even during the recent financial crisis, thanks to prudent financial governance by the City Council and City Manager, Santa Monica remained one of a small handful of California cities to maintain a Triple A bond rating. Please appreciate the challenge we face, there is a small vocal group who seeks to undermine the long term view and successful management of our City resources by our leading political leaders in the City. With the information above, we invite you all to participate in our upcoming events and urge you to go to the polls on November 4th. YOUR VOICE AND VOTE COUNTS!!! See you tonight at the Candidates Forum! Carl Hansen | Director of Government Affairs Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce 1234 6th Street, Suite 100 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310.393.9825 x 116 smchamber
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:13:20 +0000
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