Broadway in eastern Santa Monica is a leafy, suburban Mayberry, save for the desiccated, boarded-up bundle of hideousness at Stanford Street. For a myriad of reasons, work on a four-unit senior apartment building at the corner has been stalled out since 1997, but it might finally be taking a step forward. Residents may be dubious about that news, though, since owner Naren Desai has piled on 17 years of excuses related to bureaucracy, parking requirements, and shoddy contractors, according to the Lookout.
The complaints regarding bureaucracy might be somewhat valid, since the next step now is the Planning Commission's possible consideration of a design compatibility permit this month—just the first of many measures before construction can restart. If the commission approves, there will be a two-week appeals period, then the Architectural Review Board has to sign off on building materials, then that decision is subject to 10 days of appeals, and then Desai could submit for a plan check. Considering how pissed off neighbors are, city officials are "considering expediting the process once the Planning Commission green lights the permits."
· After Nearly Two Decades Stalled Santa Monica Apartment Still Unfinished [Lookout]
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