Re: Support for Proposed IZOs - Council Agenda Items 8B and 8C

May 11, 2020

Re: Support for Proposed IZOs - Council Agenda Items 8B and 8C

Dear Mayor McKeown and City Council Members,

Santa Monica Forward strongly supports the IZOs proposed by staff in items 8B and 8C of your agenda. COVID-19 has created a tremendous burden on our local businesses and workers. A successful economic recovery will require quick action and outside-of-the-box thinking. We are incredibly encouraged to see city staff’s fast response to the situation. These IZOs, which as staff has indicated may be revised to respond to emerging conditions during the public health emergency and the recovery, will give Santa Monica’s local businesses the flexibility they need to reopen, rebuild, and thrive.

Santa Monica’s restaurants have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and physical distancing rules will present unique challenges as these businesses reopen. The proposals before you are a necessary first step - and, indeed, only a first step - in supporting our local employers in reopening and adapting to the COVID-19 era. We encourage the city to continue to work with the BIDs and local stakeholders to as soon as possible, consider further changes and to assess the need for future, perhaps district-specific, zoning changes.

With respect to the proposal that a Parking and Loading Operations Plan (PLOP) be submitted to the Director of Planning for approval, we request that Council specifically direct staff to minimize conflict between motor vehicles and bicyclists with respect to parking (both items), alleyside access (Item 8B), and curbside access (Item 8C), insofar as cyclists use 2nd Ct and 4th Ct to travel between Wilshire and Colorado, and vehicles citywide must cross bike lanes and sharrows to reach the curb.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Abby Arnold and Carl Hansen

Co-Chairs, Santa Monica Forward