Our latest Santa Monica Pulse poll asked residents what they thought about two development projects in the city. The first was the recently approved plans for the redevelopment of the 100-year-old Miramar Hotel. The development would include larger guest rooms and the addition of 60 luxury condos, a new affordable housing complex on 2nd Street, and three levels of underground parking, along with street-level improvements like a public green space. 46 percent of residents said they opposed the development. Another 31 percent said they approved, and about 20 percent said they weren’t sure. 

We also asked about the fate of Parking Structure 3. Our February poll showed the majority of residents did not believe turning the structure into affordable housing would help solve homelessness. Now, a proposed housing development for homeless individuals at the site of Parking Structure 3 has received $2 million under a federal spending bill signed into law. When asked if an affordable housing structure was the best use of this space, the vast majority (81 percent) of residents said no. Only 13 percent said yes and another four percent were unsure. 

When asked what they would rather see the area used for, most respondents said they wanted it to remain a parking lot. One respondent said, “Parking! Adding more units to the area without parking more is insane.” Another said, “Keep it as parking! We need to house the homeless away from the downtown businesses!” Most responses were similar in nature, with another resident adding “this proposed new use of the site does not address the real problem facing the city.”

We also asked if residents thought LA County should reinstate more stringent mask mandates in response to rising COVID-19 rates. 74 percent of residents said no, while 15 percent said yes. Another nine percent weren’t sure.