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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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