City Council OKs Controversial Santa Monica Development Project

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — A controversial development project in the city of Santa Monica was closer to becoming a reality Wednesday after a City Council vote to approve the proposal.

The Hines 26th Street LLC project at 26th Street and Olympic Boulevard is one of the largest developments proposed for the city in 20 years and has drawn criticism from opponents who fear the mixed-use project would cause a traffic nightmare.

Some 100 Santa Monica residents attended the City Council meeting Tuesday to voice their concerns over the proposed 765,000 square-foot Bergamont Transit Village, which could bring an estimated 7,000 new car trips per day to an area already known for heavy traffic.

The City Council voted 4-3 to approve the project - which would be located near a planned Metro Expo Line station - but rejected proposals that would have trimmed the proposed 374,434 square-feet of creative office space in favor of more housing space.

"We've been trying to work with them to get the scale down to make it a residential project," said resident Trisha Crane. "We are very fearful of the impact on our community."

City officials say they will work with developers address residents' concerns about traffic and other development issues.