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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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