Transit Mall Rolls Past Coastal Commission; Opponents
Vow Lawsuit
By Jorge Casuso
Despite last-minute opposition, the proposed $11.6 million downtown Transit
Mall continued to roll through the approval process, obtaining a building
permit from the California Coastal Commission at its meeting in San Luis
Obispo Tuesday.
But opponents -- who argue that the City did not adequately study the
project's impacts on parking and traffic before City Council approval
last month -- quickly vowed to sue the City, virtually assuring that the
next, and final, stop will be the courts.
Despite opponents' contentions, the Coastal Commission voted 7 to 3 to
grant a construction permit for the project, after a motion to delay a
decision until next month's meeting in San Diego failed 4 to 6.
After lengthy discussion, the commission placed several conditions on
the Transit Mall project, which will widen sidewalks, create dedicated
bus lanes on Broadway and on Santa Monica Boulevard and add trees, transit
shelters, benches, bike racks and information kiosks.
Construction of the federally funded project, which is slated to begin
next month, can proceed as long as the City leaves at least 39 of the
64 existing parking spaces in the Coastal Zone that fall within the project
area. The City also must inform the Coastal Commission of any changes
in parking hours or rates.
In addition, the City must show the Coastal Commission in five years
that the Transit Mall has not created any traffic or parking problems.
Opponents -- who include residents, as well as business and property
owners -- argued that the City Council never approved a preliminary design
nor specifically analyzed the impacts of the Transit Mall, either in its
construction phase or after it is completed.
They worry that the project will further snarl already congested streets
and add to an already difficult parking problem, resulting in the closure
of small businesses.
"We're giving notice to the City that we're going to sue them,"
said Tom Larmore an attorney who represents the Santa Monica Transportation
Council, a newly formed group representing the project's opponents. "We
think that they did not comply with CEQA (California Environmental Quality
Act)."
City officials counter that they analyzed the environmental impacts of
the project in the City's downtown circulation study and in its Bayside
District Specific Plan.
They add that they have a plan in place to mitigate construction impacts.
The plan would maintain front and alley access to all businesses, bar
equipment when construction is not taking place, leave no open trenches
during weekends, add traffic enforcement officers on overtime duty and
halt all work during the holiday shopping season.
Heeding staff's recommendations, the City Council voted on January 23
to approve the transit mall, noting that the project had been in the works
for years.
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