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SR-11-C (33) 1c z -co':: I f I II-c.. OCT ~ 1990 Santa Monica, California C/ED:PC:PB:SF:DK PC/pierccl Council Mtg: October 2, 1990 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: City staff SUBJECT: Recommendation to Authorize City Manager to Negotiate and Execute a Contract for Preparation of an ErR on the Proposed Redevelopment of Santa Monica pier and Related Parking INTRODUCTION This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute the contract for preparation of an EIR for proposed development on Santa Monica Pier and related parking, and authorize funding for the ErR in an amount not to exceed $121,000.00. This report also describes key elements of the EIR, including analysis of two proposals that would decentralize the redeveloped pier's parking supply and an alternatives analysis of the adjacent Aquarium proposal. BACKGROUND In 1983, winter storms destroyed over 100,000 square feet of the Santa Monica pier platform. That same year, the pier Restoration Corporation (PRC), a non-profit, public benefit corporation was created to coordinate reconstruction of the Pier platform and new development on the Pier. Earlier this year, reconstruction of the pier platform was completed. In 1988, the city Council approved a conceptual program for new development on the rebuilt /I-C- - 1 - OCT :: 1990 Pier. After a period of refining the plan, the PRC has finalized a working plan to implement its redevelopment program. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The PRC's working plan includes 69,300 sq. ft. of new construction and a permanent area for amusement rides covering 70,000 sq. ft. of Pier deck area. Approximately 49,000 sq. ft. of existing buildings will remain or be renovated, while 11,300 sq. ft. of floor area would be demolished. Existing public parking spaces on the Pier would be removed and replaced in greater numbers at nearby parking lots. The proposal has four components: o Pier Central Plaza: Demolition of existing buildings and construction buildings totaling 53,300 sq. ft. food, retail, and entertainment uses. 11,300 sq. ft. of of four, two-story of restaurant, fast o Fun Zone: 70,000 sq. ft. of outdoor deck area to be used for permanent amusement rides, games, and ancillary uses. Rides will include a 65' high, wooden roller coaster, boat swing, Ferris wheel, and kiddie play area. o Future Phase Development: Two-story building totaling 16,000 sq. ft. of commercial uses to be developed later at the southeast end of the Pier. During the initial phase, this area will be utilized as a valet parking lot. o parking: Discussed below. - 2 - PARKING ANALYSIS Providing adequate public parking has always been a major issue in assessing the potential for development on the pier and adjacent beachfront area. Since the 1983 storms destroyed a portion of the Pier, the California Coastal Commission has required that replacement of commercial facilities upon the reconstructed pier platform include 471 parking spaces that existed on the pier prior to the storms. The reconstruction of the pier platform was finished earlier this year. Because the PRC I S Development Program calls for removal of public parking from the Pier, staff and the PRe have studied several scenarios to relocate all 471 parking spaces within reasonable walking distance of the Pier. Many of these parking solutions have been studied in conjunction with an adjacent proposal, the Santa Monica Aquarium. In 1988, the City Council initiated study of a parking garage that would replace all of the Pier parking and provide required parking for an Aquarium proposed for the Deauville and city Beach Maintenance lots north of the Pier. Council directed staff through a performance objective in the FY 1988-89 budget to assess the feasibility of building a centralized parking structure on the largely vacant parcel bounded by Appian Way, Seaside Terrace 1 Ocean Avenue, and the PCH off-ramp, and extending directly west across Appian Way to an existing surface parking lot. However, such a 600+ space, multi-level structure posed problems with massing, geological instability, traffic circulation, replacement of on-site housing, and overall financial feasibility. While - 3 - some of these problems are attributed to the centralized nature of the parking structure, others arose due to the sheer structural mass necessary to supply parking for two large uses. The Coastal Commission staff has stated that they will require replacement of the 471 pier spaces, but not require additional spaces for redevelopment of the Pier. However, the Aquarium or other non-Pier development must provide its own additional parking. A centralized structure for both the Pier and the Aquarium created several negative impacts and problems and has been put on hold. In the interim, City staff and the PRC have developed two decentralized parking solutions that would provide parking for only the Pier's redevelopment. A decentralized parking scheme appears to be superior to a centralized structure in several ways. First, construction costs will be significantly lower, as surface parking and a smaller structure will require less excavation and less stabilization of soils (both parking structure sites have a high water table and are susceptible to liquefaction). Second, decentralized parking may diffuse traffic circulation impacts on the surrounding neighborhood. Third, a decentralized plan eliminates the large scale and mass inherent in a centralized parking structure. staff and the PRC identified two potential parking solutions for the Pier, both of which are discussed below. However, an EIR requires a preferred parking solution as part of the "project" description. At its meeting of June 6, 1990, the PRC Development Committee reviewed the two scenarios and, for the purposes of an - 4 - EIR analysis, voted to support a less intensive parking solution (outlined below) in conjunction with the Pier redevelopment. They also voted to study a more intensive scenario as an al ternative in the EIR. Both parking solutions are outlined below: PROPOSED PARKING SOLUTION As a result of the PRe Committee's preferred parking plan, staff recommends abandoning the single parking structure in favor of a decentralized solution that replaces the 471 spaces which existed on the pier prior to the 1983 storms and creates 96 additional parking spaces. This parking plan would be studied in the EIR as "the project" in conjunction with the Pier redevelopment. Public parking on the Pier would be removed, except for 82 tandem spaces to be retained for valet parking. The pier bridge would be closed off to public vehicle access and would be accessible only to emergency and service vehicles and valet parking. Remaining parking would be located at three adjacent sites: o 1640 Appian way: construct a two-story, partially subterranean parking structure with roof-top parking (244 spaces) and 5,200 sq. ft. of retail. The site is bounded by Appian Way, Moss Avenue, Ocean Front Walk, and seaside Terrace, and currently contains a 75-space surface parking lot and a "Hot Dog on a Stick" concession stand that would be relocated in the structure. A net increase of 169 spaces is obtained. - 5 - o 1550 PCH: Restripe the existing 706-space state parking lot and pave a residual unpaved area, resulting in 817 total spaces. This increases the existing parking supply by 111 spaces. Access for this lot would be via Appian way only. An outdoor performance stage for special events would be located at the northwest corner of the lot. o 1590 Appian Way: The Deauville property and City Beach Maintenance Facility lots east of Ocean Front Walk would be paved to gain 205 net parking spaces. This parking lot would be accessible via the adjacent 1550 PCH lot. The existing city Beach Maintenance Facility would likely be relocated to the north end of the Deauville lot, though the ultimate location will be recommended in the pier EIR. This approach is superior to a centralized parking structure in many ways. First, construction costs will be markedly lower, as much of the parking is provided through surface lots with minimal grading necessary for the semi-subterranean parking structure at 1640 Appian Way. Second, decentralized parking may diffuse traffic circulation impacts on the neighborhood. Third, this option greatly reduces the scale and mass of a centralized parking structure. Fourth, it does not involve demolition and relocation of existing residential units on the mostly vacant lot on the northeast corner of Appian and Seaside. However, it must be reiterated that this decentralized plan does not include parking for the Aquarium use. Staff is negotiating with the developers of the Aquarium to resume that EIR process. - 6 - Should the project resume, a new plan to fulfill its parking requirement will be analyzed. This may consist of a separate parking structure solely for the Aquarium's use, or a return to a centralized parking structure of some type near the Pier. The pier EIR will include an alternative analyzing the impact of building the Aquarium and its respective parking next to the redeveloped Pier. ALTERNATIVE PARKING SOLUTION with regard to the PRe Board's other parking solution, staff plans to study it as an alternative in the EIR. This parking plan is more extensive than the preferred option in that it requires an extension of the Pier deck, and creates 104 more spaces than the preferred parking plan. The differences from the preferred solution are as follows: o A one-level, above grade, parking platform (152 spaces), covered with a wood-plank surface similar to the Pier I would be built on the 1550 PCH lot adjacent to the north side of the Pier, with access ramps to the parking lot below. This would cover a portion of the 706-space state parking lot and serve as an "event deck" for special events, and as additional parking otherwise. Combined with restriping of the lot, this would result in 921 total spaces, a net increase of 215 spaces over the existing supply. o This event deck and the 1550 PCH parking lot below would be accessible via the Pier bridge, which would remain open - 7 - to general vehicle traffic, though perhaps made one-way to improve circulation. Both parking facilities would also be accessible via Appian Way. o This option replaces the 471 Pier spaces and provides 200 addi tional parking spaces (104 more than the preferred option) . EIR PROCESS A Request for Proposal to prepare an EIR for the pier redevelopment and this preferred parking plan was issued by the Communi ty and Economic Development Department, which is responsible for preparing City environmental documents. Three proposals were reviewed. staff has selected Environmental Planning Associates (EPA) as the environmental consultant, based on its recent experience with EIR's in the Santa Monica coastal zone and thorough knowledge of relevant issues. Total cost for preparation of the EIR will not exceed $121,000.00. Upon entering into a contract with EPA, staff will facilitate a public scoping meeting to elicit concerns and study issues from the public for incorporation into the EIR. BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT The city will provide the funds to prepare the EIR from the Pier Capital Improvement Budget. The city's consultant costs will not exceed $12l,OOO.OO and be paid out of pier capital account number 30-740-625-22488-8912-99097. - B - RECOMMENDATION It is respectfully recommended that the Council: 1. Approve the direction staff has outlined in this report and authorize commencement of an EIR to study the project's impacts; 2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and award a contract with Environmental Planning Associates for preparation of an EIR for the proposed redevelopment of Santa Monica Pier; 3. Authorize funding for the EIR in an amount not to exceed $121,000.00. Prepared by: Peggy Curran, Director of Communi ty and Economic Development Department Paul Berlant, Director of Planning Suzanne FriCk, Principal Planner Douglas Kim, Assistant Planner John Gilchrist, Executive Director Pier Restoration Corporation Judith Meister, Pier Division Manager - 9 -