SR 04-26-2022 5B
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: April 26, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.B
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Denise Anderson Warren, City Clerk, Records and Election Services
Department
Subject: Appointment to one unscheduled vacancy on the Planning Commission for a
term ending on 6/30/2025. (CONTINUED FROM 4/12/2022)
Prepared By: Esterlina Lugo, Deputy City Clerk
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Applicant List - Planning Commission
B. Written Comment
C. Written Comment
5.B
Packet Pg. 690
Revised 4/7/22 at 10:30am
City of Santa Monica
Board and Commissions Applicants
Planning Commission
Name Application Date
Josh D. Hamilton 2/24/2022
Ryan Hass 5/25/2021
Yu-Ngok Lo 5/17/2021
Samuel Tolkin 11/23/2021
TOTAL APPLICANTS: 4
*Incumbents listed in red
*Currently Serving on the Building
Fire-Life Safety Commission and not
a Santa Monica Resident
5.B.b
Packet Pg. 691 Attachment: Applicant List - Planning Commission (5094 : Planning Commission Appointment 5.B. (5 mins))
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Josh Hamilton <joshua.hamilton1@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, April 11, 2022 4:23 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:April 22 2022 City Council Meeting - Agenda item 13.A - Planning Commission Vacancy
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Councilmembers ‐
It is my pleasure and honor to submit my name to fill the vacant seat on the Planning Commission. I am sorry that I
cannot personally attend the City Council meeting, but I am camping with my children in Joshua Tree for their Spring
Break.
I have had the pleasure of meeting with six of the seven members of the City Council, and I hope letter reiterates and
further describes my reasons for seeking a seat on the Planning Commission.
This is my opportunity for public service, and I come to this Commission with no personal agenda, other than to serve
Santa Monica, which has provided tremendous benefit to me over my lifetime. I currently serve on the Housing
Commission, and have lived in Santa Monica for most of my life. I want to play my role in helping Santa Monica remain a
strong and healthy community. Serving on the Planning Commission is a good way for me to weave together my
professional experience, with my sense of responsibility back to my community.
From my perspective, how we manage our housing stock is of paramount importance in sustaining our diversity, in all of
its forms. How we work with a changing world, while maintaining our unique neighborhoods, is a challenge that I am
ready to take on. To do so, we need to make sure that Santa Monica preserves our existing affordable housing stock,
while also building the right amount of homes affordable for low and middle income families. Otherwise, we can easily
loose our eclectic character, over time.
I understand and appreciate the contribution that homes, affordable to a broad range of households, make to the fabric
and wellbeing of a community, which is an important consideration for a City like Santa Monica, with high land values,
high market rate rents but with few housing opportunities for middle income families.
For the last 20 years, I have worked to provide financing for affordable housing properties, either to rehabilitate and
preserve their affordability, or to help build new homes. I have spent the bulk of my career focused primarily in
California, and I now manage the lending platform for Century Housing, a leading Community Development Finance
Institution ("CDFI") that provides early stage acquisition and predevelopment financing for housing affordable to low
and middle income Californians.
We work with a broad range of organizations, from small regional mission driven non‐profit developers to housing
developers active throughout California. We provide early stage financing for a range of projects, from transitional
housing and permanent supportive housing for individuals transitioning from homelessness, all the way up to middle
income housing for households that do not qualify for traditional deed restricted affordable housing. Each type of
housing is vitally important for our community.
I am familiar with the real estate development process and land use law, CEQA, the entitlement process, TOC
regulations, and the range of financing available from City, County, State and Federal sources, including Low Income
Housing Tax Credit equity and Project Based Rental Vouchers.
Item 13.A 04/12/22
1 of 3 Item 13.A 04/12/22
5.B.c
Packet Pg. 692 Attachment: Written Comment (5094 : Planning Commission Appointment 5.B. (5 mins))
2
On a personal level, my wife and I both grew up in Santa Monica, and we have spent a good portion of our adult lives
here. We have put down roots and are raising our children in Santa Monica. Our family constructed an ADU that allows
us to live on the same property as my mother‐in‐law. We are realizing the benefits of living in a multigenerational
household thanks to the recent changes in legislation regarding ADU's. I am a proud graduate of Santa Monica College
with a transfer to UCLA. I hold a Masters in Real Estate Development from USC. I am the father of two young children
enrolled in elementary schools (one private and one public) in Santa Monica and who are active in SM team sports (Little
League, AYSO and YMCA).
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to serving the City in a greater capacity.
Regards,
Josh
Item 13.A 04/12/22
2 of 3 Item 13.A 04/12/22
5.B.c
Packet Pg. 693 Attachment: Written Comment (5094 : Planning Commission Appointment 5.B. (5 mins))
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Elizabeth Lerer <elerer@elizabethlerer.com>
Sent:Tuesday, April 12, 2022 3:33 PM
To:Sue Himmelrich; Christine Parra; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Lana
Negrete
Cc:councilmtgitems
Subject:Item 13-A. Appoint Samuel Tolkin to Planning Commission
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayors and Council Members,
Please appoint Samuel Tolkin to the Planning Commission.
Thank you,
Elizabeth Lerer
Resident
Item 13.A 04/12/22
3 of 3 Item 13.A 04/12/22
5.B.c
Packet Pg. 694 Attachment: Written Comment (5094 : Planning Commission Appointment 5.B. (5 mins))
1
Vernice Hankins
From:jpal@rpgla.com
Sent:Monday, April 25, 2022 4:02 PM
To:councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete;
Christine Parra; Phil Brock
Cc:David White
Subject:4-26-2022 Council Meeting - Planning Commission Appointment
EXTERNAL
April 25, 2022
TO: City Council Members and City Manager
RE: Planning Commission Appointment
I have reviewed the statements of the three individuals seeking appointment to the Planning Commission. There are
four listed but one seems to be misfiled as she is seeking re‐appointment to a different commission.
I appears that two of the prospective appointees would be considered special interest individuals, representing housing
development and real estate investment. Given all the controversy that has raised its ugly head over commission
appointments lately I would hope that the Council would stay away from the spectacle of another special interest
appointment.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe Palazzolo
Real Estate Broker (retired)
40 year Santa Monica resident
jpal@rpgla.com
Item 5.B 04/26/22
1 of 2 Item 5.B 04/26/22
5.B.d
Packet Pg. 695 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (5094 : Planning Commission Appointment 5.B. (5 mins))
1
Vernice Hankins
From:zinajosephs@aol.com
Sent:Tuesday, April 26, 2022 12:56 PM
To:councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Lana
Negrete; Christine Parra; David White
Cc:zinajosephs@aol.com
Subject:City Council 4/26/22 item 5-B: Samuel Tolkin for Planning Commission
EXTERNAL
April 26, 2022
To: Mayor Himmelrich and City Council members
From: Zina Josephs
RE: 4/26/22 agenda item 5-B—Planning Commission appointment
I urge the Council to appoint Samuel Tolkin to the Planning Commission.
Sam earned a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard. He has worked on master plans, and he
has designed office, commercial, and industrial buildings.
Honored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Sam has focused on environmentally sound
development. In my view, that is what we need in Santa Monica.
As an aside, I notice that Josh Hamilton is one of the other applicants. Josh currently serves on the Housing
Commission. With 3 new appointees lately, the Housing Commission is currently in tumult.
I believe that keeping Josh Hamilton on the Housing Commission at this time might help calm the waters.
Thank you for your consideration.
Item 5.B 04/26/22
2 of 2 Item 5.B 04/26/22
5.B.d
Packet Pg. 696 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 1] (5094 : Planning Commission Appointment 5.B. (5 mins))