O1907
f\atty\muru\laws\bany\C3-C wpd
CIty Council Meet10g 3-24-98
Santa Maruca, Cahfornia
ORDINANCE NUMBER1907 (CCS)
(City Councd Senes)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
MODIFYING THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN THE C3-C DOWNTOWN
OVERLAY DISTRICT ON AN INTERIM BASIS
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS
SECTION 1 Findings and Purpose; The City Councd finds and declares
(a) The CIty has a long-standmg policy of encouragmg residenttaI development or mIxed
use development 10 Its commercIal zones
(b) In 1993, the CIty amended the Zoning Ordmance to condttlOnally permit residentIal
development In the SpecIal Office Commercial (C5) and Industrial Conservahon (Ml) Districts,
and to permit residentIal uses as a matter of nght m most other commercial distncts, 10cludmg the
City's downtown district, the C3-C Downtown Overlay DIstnct ("C3-C Dlstnct")
(c) ReSidentIal development m the CIty'S C3-C Dlstnct helps to create an achve and
VIbrant central commercial district
(d) In addItion to penruttmg residential development 10 the C3-C DIstrict as a matter of
nght, any floor area devoted to reSIdential use IS eligible to receIVe a FAR (Floor Area Ratto)
dIscount offifty percent (50%)
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(e) Discounting floor area devoted to reSidential use in commercial distncts to encourage
residential development is consistent with the CIty's Land Use Element
(f) To further encourage new residential development in commercial zones, the City
desires to streamline the approval process for such development 10 companson to other projects,
where appropriate
(g) Presently, the C3-C DIstnct standards reqUire a development reVIew penrut for any
new development of more than thirty thousand square feet of floor area No discounting for
residential use is authonzed
(h) The reqUIrement of a development reVIew permIt adds additIOnal time and expense to
the reView ofa project and also subjects a project to enVironmental reView
(i) Given these Circumstances, the Zoning Ordmance reqUIres review and revision as it
pertains to the development review permit threshold m the C3-C Dlstnct for projects with floor
area devoted to residential use to ensure that the approval process for these projects is
streamlined as a way to further facilItate residentIal development
(j) Pendmg the study and possIble amendment of the Zoning Ordmance, It IS necessary, on
an interim basIs, to modify the eXlstmg special project design and development standards in the
C3-C District to provide that for the purposes of assessing whether a development reView permit
IS required for new development, floor area devoted to residential uses shall be discounted by fifty
percent (50%)
(k) Discounting the floor area devoted to residential use wIll raise the threshold at which
residential projects must obtain a development review permit, thereby reducmg the number of
residential projects subject to this reView
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(1) There IS a current and Immediate threat to the pubhc health, safety, or welfare because
opportunities to develop new housmg in the CIty without demohshmg eXIsting housing are very
limited glVen that the CIty encompasses only eight (8) square miles and IS fully butlt out and
project applicants may choose to undertake commercial development rather than residentIal
development unless the review process for resIdential development is streamlmed Such a result is
counter to the City's goal of encouragmg resIdentIal development and could lead to greater traffic
Impacts and congestIOn in the CIty'S downtown For these reasons, fadure to adopt this intenm
ordinance would result m a threat to the public health, safety, or welfare
SECTION 2 Intenm Zoning
No development or pennlt shall be approved pursuant to Chapter 1 of Article IX of the
Santa Maruca MUniCipal Code for land m the C3-C Downtown Overlay DIstnct unless the
following findings are made
(1) The project complies WIth eXIsting C3-C Downtown Overlay District development
standards except, for purpose of determimng whether a development review pennit IS required
pursuant to Santa Momca MuniCIpal Code Section 9 04 08 20 070(b), floor area devoted to
residential uses shall be dIscounted by fifty percent (50%)
(2) The application for a project was deemed complete on or after February 17, 1998
SECTION 3 This ordmance shall be of no further force and effect forty-five (45) days
from the date of its adoptIon, unless pnor to that date, after a public hearing, noticed pursuant to
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Santa Monica Municipal Code SectiOn 9 04 20 22 050, the City Council, by majonty vote,
extends this mtenm ordmance
SECTION 4 Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto
mconsistent With the proVlsions oftrus Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no
further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of thts
Ordinance
SECTION 5 If any sectlOn, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase oftrus Ordinance is
for any reason held to be Invahd or unconstitutional by a decIsIon of any court of competent
jurisdiction, such decisLon shall not affect the validIty of the remaining portions of this Ordmance
The City Council hereby declares that It would have passed this Ordinance and each and every
section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared mvalid or unconstItutional without
regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or
unconstitutional
4
SECTION 6 The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage oftlus
Ordinance The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper
within 15 days after its adoptiOn This Ordmance shall become effective thirty (30) days after its
adoption
APPROVED AS TO FORM
r~; 11.". J
, iL-tL" 1rLa.trx-.-..
MARSHA JO S MOUTRIE
City Attorney
5
L-~
Robert T Holbrook, Mayor
State of Cahforrna )
County of Los Angeles) S5
CIty of Santa MOlllca )
L Mana M Stewart, CIty Clerk of the CIty of Santa MOlllca, do hereby certIfy that the foregomg
Ordmance No 1907 (CCS) ,vas mtroduced for first readmg on March 3. 1998. and was adopted
on March 24, 1998 by the follO\~ang vote
Ayes
Councll members
Ebner, Femstem. Genser, Greenberg. Holbrook, O'Connor.
Rosenstem
:-..Joes
CounCIl members
~one
Abstam
CounCIl members
None
Absent
Councll members
None
ATTEST
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Marla M Stewart. CIty Clerk