On July 8, Santa Monica residents, workers, and community organizations will gather at City Hall to urge the City Council to include below market rate housing in the future redevelopment of the Santa Monica Airport site. The rally, organized by Cloverfield Commons in partnership with CLUE and UNITE HERE Local 11, will begin at 5:00 p.m. outside 1685 Main Street, just ahead of the Council meeting where airport redevelopment is scheduled early on the agenda. Supporters will be joined by a mariachi band and will decorate T-shirts before entering the chambers to testify in support of a mixed-use plan that includes both a large park and affordable housing.
The Santa Monica Airport is scheduled to close at the end of 2028, opening up over 200 acres of public land for new uses. In 2014, voters approved Measure LC, which requires that the land be converted to parks and open space unless voters approve other uses. City Council is now considering what scenarios should be studied in the legally required Environmental Impact Report. The City Attorney has already recommended that affordable housing be included among the scenarios studied, and organizers are mobilizing to make sure that happens.
Cloverfield Commons has proposed a balanced plan that includes a large 100-acre park and approximately 3,000 units of below market rate housing for very low to moderate income residents. Their proposal includes low- to mid-rise buildings clustered around green space, with pedestrian and bike paths and architecture designed to match Santa Monica’s traditional neighborhoods. They argue that the plan can provide urgently needed housing while preserving and expanding open space and ensuring the site remains fully accessible to the public.
Supporters point to the fact that over 90 percent of Santa Monica’s workforce lives outside the city, often commuting long distances to jobs in schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and public services. Many of these workers cannot afford to live in the community they serve, and younger residents who grew up in Santa Monica are increasingly being priced out. Advocates say that failing to include housing in the redevelopment of the airport site would be a missed opportunity to build a healthier, more sustainable, and inclusive city.
Opponents of housing development on the site have argued that it would violate the spirit of Measure LC and have pushed for a park-only vision. But housing advocates counter that there is plenty of room for both, and that without housing, the park may not receive the state and federal subsidies needed to be built and maintained. They also note that without a realistic housing plan, Santa Monica could face pressure from developers under state housing laws, including the builder’s remedy, which limits local control when cities fail to meet state-mandated housing goals.
The Council will hear a report from city staff on July 8 and is expected to decide later this year which redevelopment scenarios will be studied in the Environmental Impact Report. The public is invited to submit written comments urging the Council to include 3,000 units of below market rate housing in the study. Comments must be emailed to councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov by 5:00 p.m. on July 7 and should include “item number 7A Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project, Preferred Scenarios Review” in the subject line and the body of the message.
Organizers are urging residents to show up in person if they can, noting that this is a pivotal moment that will shape the future of one of the largest undeveloped sites on the Westside. For more information, including a detailed vision plan and endorsements, visit www.cloverfieldcommons.com.