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SR-03-13-2007-8E~~ -~ ~,tY o; ~ City ~Council Repar# ~ 4anta Mon~ca ~A~ ~ 4 ~~~~ City Council Meeting: , Agenda Item: t~ ~ ~- To: Mayar and City Gouncii From: Gordon R. Anderson, Assistant City Manager Subjee#: Extensian of Motor Vehicle Egress and Pedestrian License Agreement Continuing Access to Airport Peoperty fram ~anta Monica Callege Bundy Campus Recommended Actian Staff recommends that Council authorize extension of the Mo#or Vehicle Egress and Pedestrian License Agreement with Santa Monica College to July 31, 2007. Executive Summary C)n July 12, 200~, stafF recommended that Council authorize a modification of the Motor Vehicle Egress License Agreement with ~anta Monica College to allow Pedestrian access under the same terms as the then existing License Agreement; and extend the License Agreement to February 28, 2007 with the option for an additianal extension ta Jufy 31, 2dQ7 if staff determines that sufFicient progress has been made an the installation of a signal at the Bundy Qrive entrance to the college campus. Based on concerns expressed by residertts and the Airport Commission, Council modified the recommendation directing staff to report to the Airport Commission prior to the February extension and return to Gouncil for approval prior to an extension to July ZC107. 1 an January 22, 2007 Staff updated the Airport Commission on the status of vehicle access toJfrom the Bundy Campus. The Commissian was concerned about the timing of the half signal installation and its location. The Commission unanimously recommended that the City extend the access agreement to June 30t" with further extensions predicated an SMC's satisfactary response to the City's comments on the Bundy Campus Master Plan EIR and the enforcement af no left turns from the campus onto Bundy. The operation of the egress and pedestrian uses from staffs perspective has been successful. L.A. Council member Bill RosendahPs staff has submitted a project timeline indicating that the technical traffic analysis has been completed and design plans for the proposed traffic control an Bundy Avenue at #he entrance ta the Bundy Campus have been submitted. The project timeline also indicates construction bidding and award in Spring 2007. with construction beginning in Summer 2007. City stafF is also aware that thet`e remain resident concerns in Mar Vista cancerning the proposed traffic controf. Discussion In May af 2401, SMC purchased the 1 Q.4 acre BAE ~British Aerospace Corporation, a defense cantractor) facility located at 3171 South Bundy Drive in Los Angeles and immediately ta the soutF~ and adjacent to the ~anta Monica Airpart with the intention af converting the site into a sateflite campus. 2 The site contained two buildings having primary vehicle access ofF Bundy Drive to the east and Stewart Street to the west, There were also two auxiliary entrances on the north side of the facility from Airport Avenue across Airport parking lots to the BAE on- site parking lots. These auxiliary entrances provided inter-connec#rng access be#ween the main BAE Facility and its 3400 Airport Avenue facility which BAE leased from the City prior to #he sale of the property to the College. SMC r~trafitted the larger of the two buildings (~i6,000 square foot multistory building located near the center of the campus site} for classrooms, faculty offices, labs, library, multipurpose room, cafeteria and student services space. SMC plans to replace the smaller 3Q,000 square foot two-story building fronting Bundy Avenue at a future date. SMC created a new driveway and access way off Bundy along the south side of the campus site connecting the "upper" campus at Bundy wi#h the "`lower" campus. SMC has maintained the Stewart Street entrance as an emergency-only access paint as part af the tri-party approach. C7n June 14, 2005 a temporary pedestrian-only access agreement was authorized by Council which was extertded on Jtaly 26, 2005 to inclt-de the fall term~ {Jn Rlovember 8, 2t}05, Cauncil discussed a tri-party effart between Santa Monica College and the Cities of ~anta Monica and Los Angeles and to address the issues associated with SMC Bundy Campus and access. As part ofi the tri-party approach, L.A. Councii member Rosendahl committed to seek approval of a half signal at Bundy Avenue entrance to the 3 campus, the City af Santa Monica would provide egress from the SMC Bundy Campus to airport prope~ty in the manner discussed above, and SMC would maintain closure of the Stewart Street entrance to the campus site and fund all agreed upon improvements to be done by Santa Monica and ~as Angeles. An extension of the pedestrian access was modified to add vehicle egress only from the cam~us alang with an agreement from SMC nat to pursue certain litigation against the City of Santa Manica. City and SMC staff warked together to implement the vehicular egress. It was recognized early on that pedestrian access was needed for students to go back and forkh ~etween the Bundy Campus and classes in the SMC facility at the western end of Airport Avenue. Barricades were added adjacent to the vehicular route to safely separate the two. Navember 8, 2005 Council autharized the provision of egress from the Santa Monica Callege Bundy Campus (SMC Bundy Campus) onta airport property via Donald Douglas Loop ~outh to Airpart Avenue. Vehicular turning onto Rirport Avenue is restricted by means that only allaw vehicles to continue east on Airport Rvenue to Bundy Avenue. This action was adopted in the context of a tri-party approach (Santa Monica College, City of ~os Angeles, and Gity of Santa Monica) to providing vehicular ingress and egress to the SMC Bundy Campus minimizing impacts to residential neighbors of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. In support of the action, l..A. Council member Rasendahl commit#ed #o move forward with the ar~alysis, design and rnstallation of a traffic signal on Bundy Avenue at the entrance to the SMC Bundy 4 Campus. Council later extended the license agreemenfi along with allowing pedestrian access. Staff proposed the initial extension terms ta February 28, 2007. 5fiaff continues to manitor the progress of the signal and #here is sufficient progress to extend the term of the License Rgreement to July 31, 2007. A tri-party agreement is also underdevelopment. Staff will pravide Council updates on the progress of the work. Budqe#1Financial Impact There is na fiscal impact ta the Gity associated with this item. RII improvement costs associated with providing the vehicular egress to airport property and pedestrian access to and fram airport property are borrte by SMC. 5 Rrepared by. Kathryn Vernez, Assistant to City Manager Forwarded to Council: Gord n R. Rnderson ~--~ mon# E~n As stant City Manager y Marrager e erence men e on rac o.