By David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer

The owner of the Lincoln Center has proposed replacing the 1980's era parking lot and stores, with 521 residential units. The building would be 5 stories in height--around 65 feet. It would also contain 36,000 square feet of retain and restaurant space, 880 automobile parking spaces and 816 bicycle spaces.

Balboa Retail Partners owns the complex and Cypress Equity Investments (CEI) is the development company behind it," explains one opponent. "CEI is also behind many massive developments in Santa Monica including the Bowlmor Project on Pico.

"I believe this developer is applying for Administrative Approval (according to a community member): similar to the Bowlmor project on Pico (which also has the same MUBL zoning), the project seeks Administrative Approval (i.e. to not require discretionary review – to not go before the Planning Commission) pursuant to Santa Monica Interim Zoning Ordinance No. 2633 and the 12th Supplement to the Executive Order of the Director of Emergency Services Declaring a Local Emergency. Administrative Approval projects are still required to obtain Architectural Review Board (ARB) approval," writes a local resident who opposes the project.

"As part of the Administrative Approval process the developer simply needs to have a Community Meeting. Gleam Davis said that when a developer applies for Administrative Approval a project can start development in 12-18 months and does not undergo much scrutiny vs. longer when going through the normal development city planning process," he says.

A Community Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at 7-830PM via Zoom.