SMCLC call to action re Zwick COI
Dear Friends of NOMA,
As many of you have seen, our letter calling out Councilmember Zwick's potential conflicts-of-interest was recently published in the Santa Monica Daily Press. They also just published their own article about COI on City Council.
Our neighbors at the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City are also urging Zwick to recuse himself from development related votes or to resign.
Please take a look at their email below and consider their request to add your name to their letter if you support their call to action.
The Board of NOMA
November 5, 2025
Dear SMCLC Supporter:
Recently, Councilmember Zwick voted to doom the future of the Civic Auditorium and adjacent soccer field by inviting developers to bid on that publicly owned land. He also voiced objection to the idea of Santa Monicans landmarking their homes.
Zwick's agenda exactly mirrors that of the developers who pay his salary.
Zwick is a paid employee of HAC, an organization that advocates for high-density development without regard for Santa Monica residents, burdens on traffic or infrastructure, destruction of cultural institutions, historic preservation, or quality of life.
None of those values meet the "highest and best use" criteria Council members—including Zwick—insist the city apply when making future development decisions.
Ask yourself: "highest and best use" for whom?
This term is used to justify the monetization of every space, every neighborhood, every block of our city. Is your home or apartment the "highest and best use" of the land on which it sits? What about cultural institutions? Sports fields?
Nothing meets that standard except the ultra-high-density developments that Zwick's employer pays him to promote.
Zwick should not be voting on matters that affect his employer—which includes anything related to development. Yet he continues to do so.
Please authorize us to add your name to this open letter urging him to resign. https://smclc.net/Zwick10-27-25.html
And pass it on to a friend. Santa Monica deserves better.
Victor, Diana, and Jeff
Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors to sign up for updates and join in our efforts.