No Warm Hugs for Bergamot Transit Village From Santa Monica Council

Still no love for the proposed Bergamot Transit Village, either from residents and now City Council folk, reports the Santa Monica Patch. At last night's city council meeting, unhappy residents accused councilmembers of bias over the Expo Line-adjacent mixed-use project, noting developer Hines donated to some of the politicians' campaigns. The council's Bob Holbrook and Pam O'Connor challenged one of the accusers, with O'Connor saying, “I’m frankly getting a little tired of these accusations about what is undue influence." Councilmen Kevin McKeown and Bobby Shriver voiced worries about traffic over the 969,000 square foot Village, while Mayor Pro Tempore Gleam Davis said "the proposal is too reliant on monolithic, rectangular shapes, and that the large space might be more aesthetically pleasing and more easily navigable by car if the design adhered to more of a city grid layout with five smaller buildings." Design revisions were encouraged but formal action was delayed for further review. Image from city of Santa Monica via Santa Monica Mirror
· Residents Raise Accusations of 'Undue Influence' During Debate [Santa Monica Patch]
· Newspaper Makes Its Feelings on Transit Village Known [Curbed LA]