By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff

August 19, 2011 – In an unprecedented move, the Santa Monica Planning Commission approved an innovative structure that has garnered international attention Wednesday night with no public hearing.

A public hearing on plans for the first new building on the Third Street Promenade in many years, which city insiders say is the site of a new Apple store, was the only item slated for hearing by the commission. Other items on the agenda had been postponed.

The hearing was published on the commission's agenda, but the item was moved to the consent calendar with no objection from the commissioners. It was approved within minutes without discussion.

“I was very impressed by the design,” Planning Commission Chair Jim Ries told The Lookout Thursday.

“Staff felt that the project was code compliant and was very well designed,” he offered when asked why it was moved to the consent calendar.

Despite the design's innovative structure, none of the commissioners thought discussion was necessary, he said, adding “each of the commissioners were comfortable with their understanding of the staff report.”

Senior Planner Tony Kim said “It's up to the planning commission to pull an item off the consent calendar.” Kim said staff placed the item on the consent calendar because the project “has no major issues to be discussed.”

But some say that projects rarely pass through the planning commission without any discussion, especially those of this magnitude and innovation.

City Council Member Bob Holbrook told The Lookout he was surprised that such a big project didn't get discussed.

And former commissioner and architect Gwynne Pugh told The Lookout “Relatively few projects ended up on the consent calendar, at least while I was a commissioner.”

“When an item is placed on the consent calendar, it's considered to be a very routine development and well within development standards,” Pugh said.

But the building has garnered international attention for its unique design.

It is over 8,000 square feet and features a facade and ceiling made entirely of glass, replacing the building that housed Borders book store.

The Atlantic, PC World, the Washington Post, Fortune, and Forbes, as well as Canada's International Business Times and Australia's Gizmodo are just some of the news sources buzzing about the new Apple store on the Promenade.