Santa Monicans for Responsible Growth (SMRG) announced its endorsement of current Santa Monica Planning Commissioners Richard McKinnon and Ted Winterer for Santa Monica City Council today. The endorsement of McKinnon and Winterer represents the first endorsements for the PAC, which was founded in August 2012.

“SMRG was established to support candidates who will ensure that new development is truly in residents’ best interests, in terms of the livability and atmosphere of Santa Monica,” said Ivan Perkins, SMRG Chair. “The members of SMRG believe that Richard McKinnon and Ted Winterer are the candidates who most closely share our concerns about the ways that major new developments can negatively impact traffic, parking, aesthetics, the character of neighborhoods, and the economic vibrancy of the City.”

The endorsement committee evaluated candidates based on their answers to a questionnaire and/or interviews with them about development, their vision for the City, and their priorities in office. The five candidates who neither filled out the questionnaire nor interviewed with SMRG were evaluated based on what committee members knew of them through the media and public forums. McKinnon and Winterer were most closely aligned with SMRG’s values of livability and sustainability.

“We were impressed by Ted Winterer’s and Richard McKinnon’s depth of experience, leadership, and their commitment to the livability of Santa Monica’s neighborhoods,” said Carla Finnerman, a member of SMRG. “We are looking forward to helping ensure that they become the next new members of the Santa Monica City Council.”

Perkins continued, “We were looking for candidates who will make all-around great Council members, including in areas other than development. Ted and Richard both have the vision and the track record to show where they want to take the City, and both have a long list of accomplishments. Ted is a champion of scaling back development and advocating for the schools. Richard has a “Deep Green” vision of our city as an arboretum, and has been a warrior for making Santa Monica more bike-friendly. Both candidates have creative ideas about how to start scaling back activity at the airport now, on the path to eventual closure in 2015. In short, they are candidates whose track record on development resonated with us, and they impressed us as the ones we want to guide Santa Monica in the coming years.”

SMRG will work to get support from other like-minded Santa Monica individuals, groups, local businesses, and others. It plans to reach voters through door-to-door contact, telephone, social media, mailings, and small group meetings, in order to introduce the candidates to the growing group of Santa Monica residents who seek to slow down the pace of development in the City.