After a proposal to build a 62-stall Tesla V3 Supercharger passed in Santa Monica, the future of the project was thrown into murky water after the City Council used a zoning loophole to delay the proposal’s full approval.
On Friday, however, the Santa Monica Supercharger project was given new life by the council, with the plans prepared to move ahead after all.
Santa Monica City Council approved Tesla’s 62-stall Supercharger station to move forward on Friday in a unanimous vote, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press (via CleanTechnica).
Following approval, the facility is construction is expected to move forward as soon as possible.
Tesla supercharger project receives green light https://t.co/NPDHqAgChx
— Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP) (@smdailypress) April 25, 2021
The Santa Monica Supercharger station will become one of the world’s largest V3 Supercharger stations, with a new Supercharger station in Fresno County set to claim the title’s top spot when it’s finished, with at least 80 stalls.
Tesla EV Charging Policy Head Noelani Derrickson said, “We appreciate the council’s thoughtful approach to addressing such important issues as housing and housing affordability in Santa Monica.”
Derrickson continued, “In total, we have 29 Tesla employees who work in Santa Monica today and plan to double that in short order when our new service center opens in July. Additionally, we’ve been collaborating for over a year now with the city on a Tesla electric vehicle charging station in Santa Monica’s Mid-City neighborhood.”
Original council concerns of being able to develop the land for other uses, specifically those that are mixed-use facilities rather than wasteful land use of a surface parking lot, later prompting Tesla to thank Councilmember Kevin McKeown, as the company agreed to work towards a compromising solution following the vote.
Derrickson said, “You have flagged several good points over the past couple of months and we’re interested in working with you and others in Santa Monica to figure out what types of solutions might be better, moving forward, for our EV charging stations.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Santa Monica Supercharger will include a 50s-style diner upon completion. Tesla also signed a $12 million (USD) lease for a new service center in Santa Monica earlier this month.
