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City Council Meeting July 1, 1997
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Santa MOnica, California
TO Mayor and City Council
FROM CIty Staff
SUBJECT Recommendation to Approve In Concept the Draft Open Space Element,
Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and Airport Non-Aviation Land Use
FeaSibility Study and to Direct City Staff to Proceed WIth the Required
Environmental Review for the Open Space Element and Parks and
Recreation Master Plan
INTRODUCTION
This report requests conceptual approval of the Draft Open Space Element, the Draft
Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Airport Non-AViation Land Use FeaSIbility
Study, including the recommended changes as specified In thiS staff report and Its
attachments, and recommends that the City staff proceed With the reqUired environmental
review of the Element and the Master Plan Conceptual approval Will proVIde formal
direction to City staff to work closely With other public entities and community organizations
to refine these concepts and to conduct the necessary environmental review for final
approval In December of 1997
BACKGROUND
On June 10, 1997, the City Council held a public hearing on the above referenced
documents With over 100 mdlvlduals proViding public comment Prior to the hearing,
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Council members received the attached staff report (Attachment A) that provided
background on the planning process to date, Identified key themes and obJectives, and
transmitted recommended changes to the documents from City Commissions and City staff
(see Attachment A-2) Upon completion of the public heanng, the City Council requested
that Council action be rescheduled from June 24, 1997 to allow for additional review time
by Council members
DISCUSSION
Public comments on the draft documents have focused on the follOWing areas
Off-leash Dog Areas
The public debate regarding the siting of off-leash dog areas presents a particular
challenge Public testimony focused on the positive public benefits for dogs and dog
owners as well as the negative Impacts on reSIdents adjacent to off-leash areas The Draft
Parks and Recreation Master Plan, With the additional recommended changes In
Attachment A-2, proposes a multi-pronged approach
o Creation of a 1 4 acre off-leash dog area on non-aviation land at the Santa MOnica
AIrport
o Retention of the off-leash area at PaCific Street Park until the area at the Airport IS
available for community use
o Retention of the off-leash area at Joslyn Park pending conduct of a park master
planning process to determine ItS long-term uses
o Siting of any new off-leash dog areas In non-residential areas
o Development of regulations governing eXisting and new off-leash areas that are
senSitIve to the needs of adjacent neighbors Including the hours of operation and
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number of dogs allowed per human park user
o The development of Innovative solutrons to worn turf areas
o Enhanced site mOnltonng and enforcement of off-leash areas, funded In part by
user fees
Staff Recommendation The above strategies are recommended for inclusion In the
Master Plan In addition, staff recommends that an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
neighborhood mitigation measures described above occur SIX months follOWing their
Implementation
Camous Promenade
Since the public hearing, a number of commUnications have been received by City Council
members and staff regarding the concept of creating a <'Campus Promenade" In the Sunset
Park area The draft documents propose the creative use of public lands In Sunset Park
to address the defiCiency of parks In the neighborhood -- one of the few areas In the City
where many reSidents must walk over 1/2 mile to the nearest park The proposed concept
Includes the enhancement of the grassy lawn area at John Adams Middle School In Phase
I of the Master Plan and the pOSSible narrowing of Pearl Street between 16th and 17th
Streets to prOVide for a more pedestnan-onented environment at times when vehicular
access IS not required ThiS concept was proposed for further study In Phase II of the
Master Plan (a five-year period beginning In Fiscal Year 2002-3) In recognition that a
collaborative planning effort involVing Interested parties would be needed to further assess
thiS proposal The draft Master Plan refers to the process on page 25 as follows
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"This action would be contingent on the Identification of additional parking to serve
college needs and collaborative planning between the City, School Dlstnct, College
and neIghborhood residents"
Staff Recommendation Add language to the draft documents to c1anfy that the concept
of narrowing Pearl Street would undergo a separate feasibility analYSIS that Included the
assessment of traffic, parking and other Impacts on the neighborhood
MTA Rlaht-Of-Wav
The Draft Open Space Element Policy 43 recognizes the potentIal of the MTA COrridor to
became an Important linear open space element Within the CIty. Without compromising
potential transit use It proposes a dedicated bicycle lane and continuous landscaping that
designates It as an Important open space The Draft Master Plan further refines this
concept and proposes to "develop a recreational pathway along the MTA cOrridor" This
strategy recommends Improvements which make recreational activities possible Without
dIminishing the future potential of the COrridor for transit The Viability of these uses were
reViewed Informally With MT A staff They noted that the development of a regIonal bikeway
system for transportation purposes IS consistent With the goals of the MT A, however
broader recreational uses would Jeopardize the MTA and City'S ability to use the nght-of-
way In the future for a transit project They also requested that reference to MTA's goal
of generating revenue from other temporary uses be Included
Staff Recommendation The draft documents clearly acknowledge the need to ensure that
the nght-of-way be available for future transit uses Given MTA's concern about broader
recreational uses at this time, staff recommends that the Master Plan strategy be changed
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to read >'Develop a Bikeway along the MT A Corndor and Explore the FeasIbility of a MultI-
Use Recreational Pathway that Does Not Diminish the Future Potential of the COrridor for
Transit" Staff does not recommend that the Master Plan Include reference to the MTA's
goal of revenue generation from the nght-of-way as this IS outside the scope of a parks and
recreation strategy document
AlrDort Non-AViation Land Studv
ReSIdents irving near the Airport and users of the Airport expressed concerns regarding the
development of recreational faCIlities at the Airport and the pOSSible Impact of future Airport
development Several of the comments focused on the relocation of facllrtles located In
the northwest corner of the Airport and the expansion of Clover Park
Staff Recommendation See Attachment A-2 for staff recommendations
Phasmg and Funding
Public Input from reSidents and the Santa MOnica Youth Athletic FoundatIon requested
accelerated fundmg for a range a proposed projects Including ImplementatIon of the
school/park concept and recreational uses on non-aviation lands at the Santa MOnica
Airport (Plannmg proposed for Year 2), and Initiation of the Memorial Park Master Planning
process (proposed In Years 3-4) As Indicated In Attachment A-3 and A-4 of thIS report, the
total cost of Master Plan Implementation over 20 years IS approximately S 142 5 million
Net capital costs (after deducting proJects With Identified funding sources or other funding
strategies) are estimated to be between $70 and 80 million, necessitating a bond measure
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of approximately $15 million to fully Implement the 20-year program Prior fiscal year
appropnatlons, the City's FY 1997-98 Operating Budget and the Three Year Capital
Improvement Program, adopted by the City Council on June 24, 1997, proVide for $41 8
million to support speCific projects over the next three years Priority was first given to park
Improvement or expansIon projects that can readily be Implemented and for which funds
are available, given that several Important park Improvement proJects were delayed due
to the 18-month long-range planning effort Other proposed master planning projects were
then phased beginning m Year 2, allOWing additional time to refine the proposed funding
strategies for these prolects An additIonal $59 million was set-aside to address
parkland acqUisition and development for a total commitment to date of $477 million
Staff Recommendation The schedule of projects should not be altered due to funding
conSideratIons and the number of major projects In progress
BUDGET AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The City's FY 1997-98 Budget, adopted on June 24, 1997, Includes all necessary
appropriations to Implement prog ram priorities of the Master Plan for the coming year The
approved Capital Improvements Program mcludes all necessary appropriations for those
capital projects priOritized for Implementation In the first three years of Implementation No
addItIonal appropnatlons are reqUIred
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STAFF RECOMMENDA liON
City staff recommends that the City Council approve In concept the Draft Open Space
Element, Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and Airport Non-Aviation Land Use
Feasibility Study With the additional staff recommendations. and direct staff to proceed WIth
the required environmental review for the Open Space Element and Parks and Recreation
Master Plan
Prepared by
Barbara Stinchfield, Actmg DIrector
Brett Horner, Senior Admlmstratlve Analyst
Department of Community and Cultural Services
Suzanne Frick, Director
Karen Gmsberg, Planning Manager
Department of Planning and Community Development
Jeff Mathieu. Director
Bob Tnmborn, Airport Manager
Department of Resource Management
Attachment
Staff Report - June 10, 1997
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