SR-6-L (3)
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JAN 2 6 1988
Santa Monica, california
CA:RMM:lldl99/hpc
City Council Meeting 1-26-88
STAFF REPORT
TO:
Mayor and City Council
FROM:
city staff
SUBJECT:
Request for Approval of Findings for One pico
Boulevard Project (DR 325, EIA 814, CUP 417,
ZA 5l69-Y)
At its meeting on December 1, 1987, the city council
reversed the Planning Commission denial of DR 325, EIA 814, CUP
417, ZA 5169-Y, a project involving the construction of a 196
room hotel with associated meeting rooms, restaurants, and health
club at One pico Boulevard.
In addition, the City Council
directed City staff to prepare amended findings for this project.
In response to this direction, the findings contained in Exhibit
A, which is attached to this Staff Report, have been prepared and
are presented to the City Council for approval.
RECOMMENDATION
It is respectfully recommended that the City council
approve the attached findings for the hotel project at One pico
Boulevard.
PREPARED BY: Laurie Lieberman, Deputy city Attorney
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JAN 2 6 19B8
EXHIBIT A
FINDINGS FOR ONE PIca BOULEVARD PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW FINDINGS
1. The development is consistent with the findings and
purpose of Ordinance Nmllher 1321 (CCS) as set forth below.
2. The
structures on
harmoniously to
buildings along
feature elements
bungalows in the
Way is designed
scale and mass.
physical location and placement of proposed
the site are compatible with and relate
surrounding sites and neighborhoods in that the
the Promenade frontage are low in scale and
which reflect the design qualities of beachfront
area and the building on the east side of Appian
in a horseshoe configuration to mitigate its
3. The existing and/or proposed rights-of-way and
facilities for both pedestrian and automobile traffic will be
adequate to accommodate the anticipated results of the proposed
development, including off-street parking facilities and access
thereto, in that a total of 495 on-site parking spaces, including
21 metered replacement spaces, will be provided on the site.
Additionally, a cul-de-sac will be added at the foot of Pico
Boulevard and the traffic flow at the intersection of pico
Boulevard and Appian way will be improved by an increase in the
width of the curb return and the installation of stop signs at
each corner of the intersection.
4. The existing and/or proposed public and/or private
health and safety facilities (inClUding, but not limited to,
sanitation, sewers, storm drains, fire protection devices,
protective services, and public utilities) will be adequate to
accommodate the anticipated results of the proposed development.
5. The proposed development is consistent with the General
Plan of the City of Santa Monica and the Zoning Ordinance in that
the project will conform to the height, bulk, use, and urban
design policies for the Oceanfront District as specified in the
Land Use Element of the General Plan and conform to the
appropriate R4, R4A standards contained in the Zoning Ordinance
subject to approval of variances for setbacks and for the use of
exterior entrances directly to the commercial uses within the
hotel.
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FINDINGS FOR ALCOHOL USE
1. The proposed use and location are in accordance with
good zoning practice, in the public interest, and necessary that
substantial justice be done in that the proposed alcohol service
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is designed to accommodate the needs of hotel visitors through
the availability of alcohol through room service, within the two
restaurants, seafood bar, lobby bar, and pool area.
2. The proposed use is compatible with existing and
potential uses within the general area~ traffic or parking
congestion will not result~ the public health, safety, and
general welfare are protected, and no harm to adjacent properties
will result in that the use will be fully contained within the
hotel and be part of the overall hotel operation which will have
a total of 495 on-site parking spaces.
3. The welfare of neighborhood residents will not be
adversely affected based on the findings above.
4. There will be no detrimental effect on nearby
residentially zoned neighborhoods considering the distance of the
alcohol outlet to residential buildings, churches, schools,
hospitals, playgrounds, parks, and other existing alcohol outlets
in that the alcohol use will be an incidental component of the
hotel operation and is designed to serve the needs of hotel
visitors.
CEOA FINDING
1. The City Council finds that the Final Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) has been prepared in compliance with CEQA,
the state EIR Guidelines, and the City of Santa Monica CEQA
Guidelines, and that it has reviewed and considered the contents
of the Final EIR in its decision-making process, and hereby
certifies the Final EIR. The project as approved will not have a
significant effect on the environment. All potentially
significant impacts can be reduced to a less than significant
level through implementation of appropriate mitigation measures,
as incorporated as conditions of approval herein.
FINDINGS FOR SETBACK VARIANCES AND REAR YARD ADJUSTMENT
1. The granting of these variances and adj ustment is
desirable to the public convenience and general welfare and not
in conflict with the policies of the General Plan and will not be
materially detrimental or injurious to the property or
improvements in the immediate neighborhood in which the property
is located in that:
A.
beachfront site
parking. said
development.
The project is an appropriate re-use of a
currently partially vacant and partially used for
parking will be replaced on-site within the
B. The project incorporates reduced setbacks in
order to reinforce the site's property lines and while preserving
the waterfront view down pica Boulevard, the project creates a
prominent focal point at the western terminus of Pico Boulevard,
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a major east-west street in the City, consistent with Policy
3 .5.2 of the Land Use Element. The reduction in setbacks is
mitigated through the incorporation of ample articulation on all
elevations with open corridors~ and the bridge above Appian Way
features a landscaped trellis. Additionally, considerable open
space improvements of benefit to the project and surrounding
neighborhood will be provided along Pico Boulevard, the
Promenade, and Vicente Terrace.
c. The project is consistent with Policies 1.5,
1.5.1, 1.5.3, 1.5.4, and 1.5.8 of the Land Use Element in that
the proposed hotel is a visitor-serving use which by its nature
and architectural design will encourage day and evening
pedestrian activity along the Promenade frontage.
D. The project will generate city tax revenue
through a variety of tax sources, including transient occupancy
tax revenue from the hotel.
E. The proj ect is designed as a complex of three
separate buildings with a low scale beachfront which anchor the
foot of Pico Boulevard and the Promenade by being built adjacent
to the property line which visually reinforces the street,
consistent with Policy 4.3.3 of the Land Use Element.
F. The proj ect, wi th its siting adj acent to the
Promenade, provision of pedestrian amenities, and articulated
facade along the beach frontage, is consistent with Policy 3.3.1
of the Land Use Element.
G. The reduced rearyard setback west of Appian Way
is adjacent to a vacated portion of Vicente Terrace which will be
improved by the developer with landscape treatment, thus
benefiting the surrounding community. The reduced rearyard
setback east of Appian Way abuts Vicente Terrace, thus visually
reinforcing the street.
2. There are exceptional circumstances or conditions
applicable to the property involved and to the intended use and
development of the property that do not apply generally to other
property in the same zone or neighborhood in that the hotel, by
the nature of its use, has particUlar circulation requirements
which are best facilitated utilizing a plan which sites the
building adjacent to the property lines and provides ample open
space within the interior of the site.
3. The strict application of the setback requirements of
the Zoning Ordinance to this proj ect would result in practical
difficulties and/or unnecessary hardships inconsistent with the
general purpose and intent of the Zoning Ordinance and the
General Plan in that:
A. The hotel constitutes a commercial
visitor-serving use, one which is encouraged in the ocean front
area by Land Use Element Policy 1.5.8, that would not be subject
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to setback requirements but for the fact that it is located in an
R-4 zone.
B. The configuration of the lots on which this
development is to be built creates practical and unique
difficulties in providing setbacks since the hotel is situated on
two lots with a street running between them.
c. The project design provides usable terraces and
balconies consistent with Land Use Element Policy 3.5.1 and a
variety of setbacks and articulation. To require strict
compliance with setback requirements would cause unnecessary
hardship since the number of hotel rooms would have to be reduced
so as to threaten the viability of the project.
FINDING FOR MONETARY CONTRIBUTION
1. The city Council finds that the proposed development
will be of public benefit to the city of Santa Monica and in
conformance with Policies 3.1.4 and 3.4.3 of the Land Use Element
in that, as a condition of approval, the developer will donate a
total of $540,000.00 to be used for public open space
improvements to the beachfront directly in front of the hotel and
for the selection, acquisition, and installation of a public art
piece to be located in the specified area at the foot of pico
Boulevard or within the improved beach area adjacent to the
project. The proposed development, while providing many benefits
to the city, will also have negative impacts in that it will
affect existing open space and views northward from Pico
Boulevard to the Pier. The donation of $540,000.00 for open
space improvements and public art will mitigate those impacts.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
1. The Architectural Review Board, in its review 1 shall
pay particular attention to the project's pedestrian orientation
and amenities particularly along the Promenade; scale and
articulation of design elements; exterior colors, textures, and
materials; window treatment; glazing; and landscaping. To the
extent feasible, the Architectural Review Board shall require the
use of drought-resistant plants where appropriate.
2 . As part of proj ect approval, the developer shall be
required to make improvements to pico Boulevard west of Appian
Way and the vacated portion of Vicente Terrace and to repave the
Promenade area directly in front of the project.
3. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the portion of
the si te on the west side of Appian Way shall be reverted to
acreage in order to expunge a final Subdivision Map on the
property.
4. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the developer
shall execute a license agreement for use of portions of Pico
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Boulevard west of Appian Way and Appian Way adj acent to the
proj ect. Said agreement shall be in a form acceptable to the
City Attorney and approved by the City Manager. Revenues from
these agreements will be approximately $553,000 and shall be
payable prior to the issuance of a building permit.
5. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the vacation of
Pico Place north shall be approved.
6. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the developer
shall enter into an agreement for terms and payments of $540,000
into an account for the funding of beachfront and public art
improvements to be directly located on the beach area in front of
the hotel and on Pico Boulevard. Said agreement shall be in a
form acceptable to the Ci ty Attorney and approved by the City
Manager. The agreement shall establish a process for the
selection, acquisition, and installation of a public art piece to
be located in the specified area at the foot of Pico Boulevard
and possibly within the improved beach area immediately adjacent
to the project. Maintenance of art work may be required of the
hotel developer. All art work shall be public property owned by
the city.
7. Construction hours shall be limited to those
established in Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 4314.
8. Prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, the
developer shall enter into a maintenance agreement for the
maintenance of the area of pico Boulevard west of Appian Way, the
vacated portion of vicente Terrace, the beach area in front of
the project, and for maintenance and operation of the public art
work. Said agreement shall be in a form acceptable to the City
Attorney and subject to City Manager approval.
9. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the developer
shall submit a plan for maintaining access along Appian Way
during construction. The plan shall be subject to approval by
the Director of General Services and the Traffic and parking
Engineer.
10. During construction, the portion of the eastern side
of the site adjacent to the Drake Hotel shall be screened by a
solid eight foot minimum high fence to mitigate construction
noise.
11. Public entrances directly from the exterior of the
building to the restaurant facilities, bars, and retail shops
shall be subject to approval of a variance.
12. The underside of the bridge over Appian Way shall be
finished with a rough surface to mitigate sound reflection and
noise levels in this area.
13. During construction, use of the Promenade/Bike Path
shall not be obstructed.
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14. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the developer
shall submit a plan for the staging of construction vehicles
subject to approval by the Parking and Traffic engineer and the
Director of General Services. The plan shall also indicate where
construction workers will park their vehicles.
15. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the clearance
height for the bridge above Appian Way shall be approved by the
Director of General Services.
16. The developer shall confer with the city and the Los
Angeles County Department of Public Works to coordinate the
design and construction schedule of the pico Boulevard
improvements with the Pico/Kenter storm drain approval.
17. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the developer
shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Director of General
Services that the project includes a wastewater reclamation
plumping system which saves and recirculates a minimum of thirty
percent (30%) of the wastewater within the project.
18. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the developer
shall submit a plan specifying how access will be provided for
trash service to the Drake Hotel. The plan shall be subject to
the approval of the Director of General Services and the service
alley shall be maintained by the developer.
19. Signage shall be provided prior to issuance of a
certificate of Occupancy at the end of Pico Boulevard and at
Appian Way to indicate that there is self-parking available to
the public in the project garage. Siqnage within the garage
shall indicate that the spaces are not for employee use.
20. A four way stop shall be provided at the intersection
of Appian Way and Pico Boulevard and pedestrian crosswalks shall
be installed at this intersection subject to the approval of the
Director of Parking and Traffic.
21. All fountains shall be operated using a water system
which is approved by the Director of General Services.
22. The developer shall with with the city's accessibility
consultant to ensure that the pico Boulevard improvements are
handicapped accessible and meet Title 24 requirements. Signage
shall be posted indicating that the area is accessible.
23. Confirmation stating that there is available capacity
in the sanitary sewer system at the time of connection shall be
obtained by the developer from the Director of General Services
prior to issuance of a Building Permit.
24. Prior to issuance of a Building Permit, the developer
shall submit a copy of the agreement for replacement parking
totaling 90 spaces for the pritikin Center. Said agreement shall
be binding and shall exist for the length of time that the
pritikin Center or its successor continues to operate in the
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existing building with the current or similar use. The developer
shall not be required to provide such replacement parking for any
new development on the pritikin site. The agreement shall be in
a form acceptable to the city Attorney and subject to City
Manager approval.
25. The project owner shall contact the Police Department
in order to identify and implement appropriate design and
operational features which maximize security.
26. To mitigate fire safety impact, appropriate fire
suppression, emergency access, and construction design features
shall be implemented as required by the City Fire Department.
27. To mitigate parking and traffic impacts, the project
owner shall:
A. Arrange for appropriate van or bus service to and
from Los Angeles International Airport for hotel guests.
B. Provide local public transit displays on-site
identifying routes and headway schedules along with promotional
information concerning destinations within walking/transit/biking
distance from the hotel.
c. Provide maps to hotel patrons Showing locations
of restaurants, shopping areas, beach facilities, pier
activities, etc. that can be reached easily by walking.
D. Give first priority to city residents for all
hotel jobs not otherwise filled by then-existing hotel employees
subject to the requirements of state and federal laws.
E. Regulate timing of deliveries to the service
driveway to avoid peak traffic periods.
F. In that the 4th street Hotel and the hotel at
1700 Ocean Avenue are required to develop a shuttle system
serving the major local areas of hotel user destinations, the
developer shall participate in this shuttle system with shared
expenses. The shuttle shall be available for hotel and general
public uses. The shuttle shall operate on a schedule established
by the City for at least eight hours daily with the understanding
that the minimum eight hour block of time could be broken into
two parts to coincide with peak hotel demand. participation in
the program shall begin when the hotel reaches an initial seventy
percent (70%) occupancy rate for three consecutive months, or
wi thin two years from issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy,
whichever is sooner, based on monthly reports provided to the
planning Director by the project owner. In lieu of participating
in a shuttle service, the City will reserve the right to
unilaterally require annual payment to the city of annual shuttle
operating costs, including replacement reserves and depreciation
for funding of a City-sponsored shuttle system.
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G. Establish and operate a ride-sharing program for
employees.
H. Provide bus tokens to employees at one-half cost.
Appropriate signaqe shall be posted stating this requirement.
I. Upon taking meeting/banquet room reservations,
hotel management shall routinely encourage that vehicle occupancy
among attendees be maximized in any written materials provided to
persons making reservations.
J. Regulate meeting/banquet schedule to group sizes
that can be accommodated with on-site parking capacity.
K. Provide a valet parking system in a portion of
the parking garage during peak events to obtain additional aisle
and tandem spaces. The layout shall be approved by the City
Parking and Traffic Engineer.
28. on-site parking shall be made available without cost
to employees at the site. Appropriate signage shall be posted
stating this requirement.
29. Appropriate pool drainage hookups to a sanitary sewer
line shall be provided and pool drainage shall only occur during
low flow periods.
30. Trash areas and facilities shall be enclosed.
31. Low flow shower heads and faucets shall be installed
throughout the project.
32.
Boulevard
bicyclists
Promenade.
Signage shall be installed at the intersection of Pico
and the Promenade to direct people to watch for
and proceed wi th caution onto and across the
33. Prior to any street or alley vacation, developer shall
enter into an agreement in a form acceptable to the City Attorney
to pay for all costs incurred by the city as a result of the
vacation, inclUding any damages the City is required to pay any
property owner as a result of the vacation.
STANDARD CONDITIONS
1. Plans for final design, landscaping, screening, trash
enclosures, and signage shall be subject to review and approval
by the Architectural Review Board.
2. Minor amendments to the plans shall be subj ect to
approval by the Director of Planning. A significant change in
the approved concept shall be subject to Planning Commission
review. Construction shall be in substantial conformance with
the plans submitted or as modified by the Planning Commission,
Architectural Review Board, or Director of Planning.
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.
3. The rights granted herein shall be effective only when
exercised within a period of one year from the effective date of
approval. Upon the written request of the applicant, the
Director of Planning may extend this period up to an additional
six months.
4. The applicant shall comply with all legal requirements
regarding provisions for the disabled, including those set forth
in the California Administrative Code, Title 24, Part 2.
5. Final parking area layout and specifications shall be
subj ect to the review and approval of the Parking and Traffic
Engineer. The garage entry shall be designed to permit cars to
queue within the interior to mitigate queuing along Appian Way.
6. Refuse areas, storage areas, and mechanical equipment
shall be screened in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal Code
Sections 9127J.2-4. Refuse areas shall be of a size adequate to
meet on-site need.
7. The operation shall at all times be conducted in a
manner not detrimental to surrounding properties or residents by
reason of lights, noise, activities, parking, or other actions.
8. Openable windows shall be provided throughout the
project, in a manner consistent with applicable Building Code and
energy conservation requirements.
9. street trees shall be maintained, relocated, or
provided as required in a manner consistent with the City'S Tree
Code (Ordinance Number 1242 (CCS)), per the specifications of the
Department of Recreation and Parks and the Department of General
Services. No street tree shall be removed without the approval
of the Department of Recreation and Parks.
lO. street and/or alley lighting shall be provided on
public rights-of-way adjacent to the project if and as needed per
the specifications and with the approval of the Department of
General services.
11. Any outdoor lighting shall be shielded and/or directed
away from adjacent residential properties, with any such lighting
not to exceed 0.5 foot candles of illumination beyond the
perimeter of the subject property.
ALCOHOL OUTLET CONDITIONS FOR RESTAURANTS. SEAFOOD BAR. AND POOL
BAR
1. The premises shall serve food to patrons during all
hours the establishment is open for customers.
2. The premises shall maintain a kitchen or food-serving
area in which a variety of food is prepared and cooked on the
premises.
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3 . No alcoho11c beverage shall be sold for consumption
beyond the premises.
LLD199/hpc
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