CITY PLANNING AT ITS WORST

Eureka: I've discovered the key to immortality! Just show up to a meeting of the City of Santa Monica's Planning Commission. You'll feel like you've been around forever. I attended a meeting on Wednesday night, to support a group of neighbors who have been trying to prevent Verizon from building an industrial cellular tower on top of their building. It's a long story, which I first reported last July 16, but -- in a nutshell -- the condominium owners at 404 San Vicente made a terrible mistake. They agreed to allow Verizon to build a high-capacity transmitter on top of their building, a first for the City, without realizing what they were getting themselves into. As soon as they learned about the medical risks involved -- risks so great that even Verizon's own employees admitted they'll be wearing radiation suits when they come to visit-- they tried to pull out of the deal. But, alas, the City Planning Commission ruled against the homeowners in favor of Verizon and on Wednesday they upheld that decision. If that's not enough to get your blood boiling, the Commission also sided with the developer over local homeowners regarding construction of a grocery store in a proposed "mixed use" complex near Stanford and Wilshire. For more than three hours, a parade of local homeowners -- some so upset they could barely speak -- complained that traffic and street parking were already major problems in their neighborhood and that a grocery store would only make things worse. But the Acting Chairperson of the Commission -- Hank Koning -- knew better. "I ran a Google search," he said, "and saw available street parking in the area." How nice to know that Mr. Koning took the time to run a Google search. Maybe one day he can also search for his group's own mission statement. Its main objective is "to promote the health, safety and general welfare" of the community.