On July 12, Peter Naughton, a planner with a degree from Cambridge and resident of the Village Trailer Park, took a bus tour of Santa Monica.

His report on this bizarre event follows.

There were two buses in the tour, the passengers were virtually all developers, architects and the like, and the “Master of Ceremonies” on my bus was David Martin, Santa Monica’s Planning Director.

Following the tour, the group gathered in the community room in Santa Monica Place.

Martin’s message was simple: “As part of the downtown specific plan process we are undergoing now, hopefully there will be some simplified process for developers and others who are looking to invest in the city and a simplified process for individual businesses looking to open downtown…so there’s an ongoing effort, just trying to keep the bar moving up higher and higher in terms of the quality level and making life easier for those of you who want to come and be part of this.”

Peter concluded: “From what I have seen so far of the offerings by the zoning consultants on how to ‘implement a new zoning ordinance,’ we are on target to having the doors slammed tightly shut on participation in the planning process in Santa Monica by anyone other than developers or their agents.”