Should Bergamot Transit Village Plans Be Redesigned?
The City Council will discuss the controversial project on Tuesday night. What's your take?
On Tuesday night, the Santa Monica City Council will discuss the controversial Bergamot Transit Village, a mixed-use development planned for the site where the Papermate factory used to be (1681 26th St.). Council members are set to begin Development Agreement negotiations and talk about how the project would adhere to the specifications detailed in the city's Land Use and Circulation Element.
Santa Monica Patch columnist Gary Kavanagh has expressed doubts about how transit- and sustainability-oriented the project would be, given its current schematics. SM Patch reader Allen Frankel agreed, saying the project should be developed in such a way that it would promote walking and bicycling.
In anticipation of the City Council meeting, Santa Monica neighborhood group the Friends of Sunset Park has said the project is too big and should be redesigned prior to the start of the Development Agreement process.
Another neighborhood group, the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City, has taken an even sharper line, saying the project should be scrapped altogether.
City Councilman Bob Holbrook, on the other hand, told Santa Monica Patch last year that the project is inevitable.
What do you think about the Bergamot Transit Village? Do you think the plans should move forward, be redrafted—or be scrapped altogether?
In This article
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Santa Monica City Council
1685 Main St, Santa Monica, CA -
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Allen Frankel
Joined Patch Thursday, February 17, 2011 -
Gary Kavanagh
Joined Patch Friday, December 3, 2010
Paul Dunn
8:40 am on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The problem I see with this proposal is that the station will mainly serve the people that work at the Water Garden as the location is sort of in a no-mans-land with respect to residential development. Olympic is not a pedestrian friendly street and the other side with the 10 Frwy is even worse. Not sure who will use this other than the people that work at the Water Garden. Sort of reminds me of the light rail system that ALMOST goes to LAX.
Paul, Santa Monica resident.
Fred Alexander
9:37 am on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The name should be changed to the Unsustainable Traffic Congestion Village.
naydn
3:22 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
I live two blocked away and can tell you traffic already sucks at peak travel hours. A development project that along with half dozen other projects in the neighborhood that will potentially bring another 30,000 cars to the hood is disastrous to any of us who work or live nearby and even for those of us who want to see our city grow realistically, with regard for all those impacted.
john printy
7:45 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
MY thought on this project, is that I think santa monica can make it work, and no I dont think it should be scraped, again I think it can be made to work, all thats needs to be done is the people of santa monica need to put there heads together, and find some way to make it work for everyone who lives in santa monica, and in the surrounding area, being a former resident, I think that area around there dose need some revidelizion, and that I think that this project can be made to work for everyone who lives, and works in the area as well, so again my thought on the project is I think it should be given the go ahead, because I think it will bring more jobs to the area, and commerce, and yes I do think it can be made pedesterion friendly, as well, and on that thought I do think it would be good for the area of santa monica itself......