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CouncIl Mtg December 16,1997
Santa Momca, California
TO Mayor and City CounCil
FROM City Staff
SUBJECT' Recommendation to Adopt an Emergency Ordinance Establishing a
Moratonum on SubdivIsions In the Area Bounded by Ocean Avenue,
Seventh Street, the North City Limits and Montana Avenue
INTRODUCTION
At Its meeting on November 25, 1997 the City CounCil directed the City Attorney to prepare
an ordinance that would prohibit subdivISions In the area bounded by Ocean Avenue,
Seventh Street, the northern city limits and Montana Avenue until such time as the pending
text amendment concerning lot dimenSions In thiS area IS conSidered by the Planning
CommiSSion and City CounCil In response to thIS direction, attached IS an emergency
Intenm ordInance for Council conSideration
DISCUSSION
On November 25, 1997 the City CounCil held a public heanng on an appeal of the
Planning CommIssion's approval of Vesting Tentative Parcel Map 24847 to allow a two
parcel subdiVISIon of an eXIsting parcel at 502 Georgina Avenue In the Palisades Tract
The CIty CounCil upheld the appeal and denied the vestIng tentative parcel map As
detailed In the Statement of OffiCial Action, In denYing the appeal, the City Council
emphasIzed the Importance of maIntaIning the character and scale of thiS neighborhood
A text amendment has been filed to modify the mimmum lot Width standards In thiS area
from 50 feet to 100 feet Dunng the Intenm penod new subdiVISion applications In thiS
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DEe 1 6 1997
area as of November 25, 1997 wrll not be permItted until such trme as a decIsion IS made
concerning the pending text amendment since approval of such requests could irreversibly
alter the essential character and scale of the Palisades Tract If adopted, the attached
emergency ordinance would prohibit subdivIsions In the area bounded by Ocean Avenue,
Seventh Street, the northern city limits and Montana Avenue
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The recommendation presented In this report will have mlnlmal budgetary Impacts In the
prevIous fiscal year no tentative maps were flied for properties In the area In questIon
RECOMMENDATION
It IS respectfully recommended that the City CounCil adopt the attached emergency
ordinance placing a moratorrum on subdiVISions In the area bounded by Ocean Avenue,
Seventh Street, the northern city limits and Montana Avenue
Prepared by
Suzanne Frick, Director
Karen Ginsberg, Planning Manager
Planning and Community Development Department
Attachment A
B
Ordinance
Map of Area Affected
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ATTACHMENT A
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City Council Meetmg 12-16-97
Santa Monica, Califorrua
ORDINANCE NUMBER 1892 (CCS)
(Cny Council Senes)
AN INTERIM ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
ENACTING A MORATORIUM ON SUBDIVISIONS IN THE AREA BOUNDED
BY OCEAN AVENUE, SEVENTH STREET, ADELAIDE DRIVE,
AND MONT ANA A VENUE PENDING REVISIONS TO THE
ZONING ORDINANCE CHANGING THE MINIMlTh1 LOT
WIDTH FROM FIFTY FEET TO ONE HUNDRED
FEET FOR AN R-l LOT WITHIN THE ABOVE-
DESCRIBED AREA, DECLARING THE
PRESENCE OF AN EMERGENCY
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS
SECTION 1 Fmdings and Purpose The City Council finds and declares
(a) The area of the CIty bounded by Seventh Street, Ocean Avenue, AdelaIde Drive, and
Montana Avenue is located within the Palisades Tract which was originally subdivided in 1905
and IS a unique and distinctive neIghborhood
(b) Among the Palisades Tract's special charactenstlcs are 100 foot Wide streets, as
opposed to the 60 foot to 80 foot wide streets tYPIcal for other Rl zoned areas ofthe City,
parcels with 100 feet of street frontage, as opposed to the typical RI parcel street frontage of 50
feet, 200 foot parcel depths, as opposed to the tYPical 1 SO foot deep parcels found throughout
most of the City, 40 foot front yard setbacks, as opposed to the 20 foot to 30 foot front yard
setbacks in most ofthe other Rl areas of the CIty, and parkways and Sidewalks which are on
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average 25 feet in width Each of these features has a dl.rect and substantial Impact on the
character and scale of the neighborhood
(c) The PalIsades Tract was deSigned to accommodate large homes with large yards and It
was developed consistent with tlus deSign Consequently, the Palisades Tract presently contains
large, old homes surrounded by substanual yards and gardens
(d) As a result of Its broad streets and pathways, large lots, old homes, ample yards and
gardens, and substantial setbacks, the Palisades Tract provides more open space than any other
residential neighborhood In the CIty
(e) The character and scale of the ongmal Pahsades Tract make It unique in the CIty The
CIty itself IS extremely dense wIth a land area of Just 8 square mdes and a populatIOn of
approXImately 90,000 people Moreover, the combmatlOn of an ocean side locatIon, fine clImate,
vIgorous economy, and urban facilIues, services and entertamment venues make the CIty an
extremely deSirable place to work or VISit Consequently, on any weekday, approximately
200,000 persons are present 10 the City, and on weekends, thIS number frequently clImbs to
400,000 or more Population density and congesl1on both present threats to the qualIty oflife In
the City
(1) Given the City's denSIty, the Pahsades Tract and the open space It proVides are umque
recreational and aesthetic assets CIty residents and VISitors frequently walk and bICycle in tlus
neighborhood due to Its speCial ambience
(g) The Palisades Tract was subsequently expanded in 1912 eastward However, that
portion ofthe Pahsades Tract was not developed m the same scale and character as the ongmal
Palisades Tract and IS not mcluded 10 the moratorium
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(h) Between 1947 and the early 1970's, a number ofsubdlVlslons of the parcels occurred
m the Paljsades Tract These lot splits were approved administratIvely as a matter of right In
1976, the City CounCil adopted Ordmance 1024 which repealed the nght to subdiVIde lots as a
matter of right and required public notIce of a variance apphcatlon to approve lot sphts under
certain conditions In 1984, the City CounCil adopted Ordinance 1294 to Implement the State
SubdivisIOn Map Act and requrre Planning CommissIOn approval of subdiviSIOn requests Since
1976, no lot spht has been approved 10 the Palisades Tract Consequently, the majonty
of the ong1Oal 100 foot parcels in the Palisades Tract are stlll mtact and the ongmal character and
scale of the tract has been maintamed However, the loss of any additional 100 foot parcels
would adversely and Irrevocably serve to change the character and scale of the Palisades Tract
Reducmg lot width from 100 feet to 50 feet would reduce the reqUlred sldeyard setback by 500.10,
resulting In less open space between homes and greater development density Reducing lot width
would also result m the removal of older homes In the neighborhood AdditIOnally, reducmg an
eXIstmg 100 foot Wide parcel mto two 50 foot wide parcels would be mconsistent With the
onginal deSIgn and plan for the character and scale ofthe Palisades Tract
(i) Witlun the past six months, real estate values m the City have risen Significantly, and
the CIty has received two apphcatlons for subdivisions of lots in the Pahsades Tract The City
antiCIpates other apphcatlons Will be forthcoming
(J) A text amendment has been filed to modify the mlmmum lot Width standards in tlus
area from 50 feet to 100 feet Before the Zomng Ordmance IS amended, the potential for
approval oflot splits poses a current and nnmedlate threat to the pubbc health, safety, and welfare
of the residents The approval of pennlts for such development would result m a threat to public
health, safety, and welfare 10 that such approvals could IrreverSibly alter the essential character
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and scale of the Pahsades Tract and depnve the City ofa uroque and essential resource, as
detailed above
(k) Pendmg the study and possible amendment of the Zoning Ordmance, It is necessary, on
an interim basis, to establish a moratorium on subdiVisIOns 10 that portion of the Pahsades Tract
described above
SECTION 2 Moratonum
(a) A moratonum IS hereby placed on the acceptance for proceSSIng of any application for
approval ofplanrung, buddmg, engmeenng, or other City permIts for subdivisions in the area
bounded by Ocean Avenue, Seventh Street, Adelaide Dnve, and Montana Avenue
(b) City Stafl'ls hereby dIrected to dIsapprove all applicatLons filed after November 25,
1997 for approval of planrung, bUlldmg, engmeenng, or other CIty penmts for subdivIsions m the
area bounded by Ocean Avenue, Seventh Street, Adelaide Dnve, and Montana Avenue
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 heanng, notIced pursuant to
Santa Moruca MUnICipal Code Sectton 9 04 20 22 050, the City Council, by maJonty vote,
extends the moratonum for up to an additIOnal 50 months and 15 days
SECTION 4 Tlus ordmance 15 declared to be an urgency measure adopted pursuant to
the proviSIons of SectIOn 9 04 20 16 060 of the Santa MOnica MUnICipal Code and Sectton 615 of
the Santa Monica City Charter As set forth m the findmgs above, thIS ordmance IS necessary for
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preservmg the pubhc health, safety, and welfare, and the approval of any addluonal subdlVlslons
would result in a threat to public health, safety, or welfare
SECTION 5 Any provision of the Santa MOnica Municipal Code or appendices thereto
InconSistent with the proVISIons of thIS Ordmance, to the extent of such mconslstencies and no
further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provislOns of this
Ordmance
SECTION 6 If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is
for any reason held to be mvahd or unconstnuttonal by a declSlon of any court of competent
junsdlCtlOn, such deCISion shall not affect the validity of the remammg portIons oftlus Ord1Oance
The CIty Council hereby declares that It would have passed thiS Ordmance and each and every
section, subsectIon, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalId or unconstitutional without
regard to whether any portIOn of the ordinance would be subsequently declared Invalid or
unconstitutIOnal
SECTION 7 The Mayor shaH SIgn and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of thiS
Ordmance The CIty Clerk shall cause the same to be published once 10 the offiCial newspaper
within 15 days after its adoptIon ThlS Ordmance shall become effecuve upon Its adoption
APPROVED AS TO FORM
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MARSHA J01SiS MOUTRIE
City Attorney
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Robert Holbrook, Mayor
State of Califorma )
County of Los Angeles ) ss
CIty of Santa Momca )
I, Mana M Stewart, CIty Clerk of the City of Santa Momca. do hereby cenrfy that the
foregomg Ordmance No 1892 (CCS) had Its first readmg on December 16. 1997, and was
adopted on December 16. 1997 by the followmg vote
Ayes
Council members
Femstem. Genser. Greenberg, O'Connor, Rosenstem
Noes
CouncIl members
None
Abstam
CouncIl members
None
Absent
Counctl members
Ebner, Holbrook
ATTEST
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Mana M Stewart, 6ty Clerk
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ATTACHMENT B
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