SR-410-014 (5)
RMD:BT:F:RESOURCE/STAFFREPORTS2005/SantaMonicaCollegeBundyCampus.doc
City Council Meeting: June 14, 2005 Santa Monica, CA
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City Staff
Subject: Santa Monica College Bundy Campus and Associated Access and Impact
Issues
Introduction
This report discusses vehicle and pedestrian access issues related to the new Santa
Monica College (SMC) Bundy Campus and recommends an interim pedestrian access
to the facility from Santa Monica Airport during the SMC 2005 summer session.
Background
In May of 2001 SMC purchased the 10.4 acre BAE Systems facility located at 3171
South Bundy Drive (located in Los Angeles and immediately to the south and adjacent
to the Santa Monica Airport) with the intention of converting the facility into an
independent satellite campus.
SMC is in the final stages of retrofitting a 66,000 square foot four-story building (located
near the center of the facility) for classrooms, faculty offices, labs, library, multipurpose
room, cafeteria and student services space. There is also a 30,000 square foot two
story building fronting Bundy Avenue. SMC indicates that it will not be using that
building for classes and intends to demolish it and construct a new similarly sized
building near the four story structure.
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SMC created a new driveway and access way off Centinela that connects the “upper”
campus at Bundy with the central and lower campus. SMC has also maintained a
Stewart Avenue driveway as an emergency only access point. SMC is completing its
initial construction which includes parking lot and internal roadway improvements. SMC
intends to hold summer session classes at the new satellite campus facility
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(commencing on July 5) with existing improvements in place.
Discussion
There are four matters to be addressed regarding the new Bundy Campus:
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The SMC 2005 Summer Session. SMC intends to begin limited operations at the
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site using 11 classrooms for 6 weeks beginning July 5and ending on August
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11. SMC is currently enrolling students for that session. Staff has explored with
SMC a one-time only, temporary arrangement for pedestrian access from the
shuttle lot on the Airport, if it can be safely developed and operated in a timely
manner. SMC will need to provide a plan, schedule for sidewalk improvements,
and demonstrate readiness to implement a controlled safe crossing corridor
program that addresses ADA issues and SMC operational staff deployment (e.g.
crossing guards). SMC students would continue to use the Airport shuttle lot
during the summer. No vehicular access to the site from the Airport would be
created.
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Long-Term Vehicle Access License Agreement. As a separate long term policy
question for the City Council, SMC is requesting that the City grant a license for
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vehicle access to the Bundy Campus from the Airport. This would require
significant infrastructure changes to realign the 3200 parking lot (and its access),
Donald Douglas Loop, and the intersection of Donald Douglas Loop and Airport
Avenue. It would potentially change the traffic levels and flow on Airport Avenue
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and its intersecting streets – Bundy and 23/Walgrove – with associated
neighborhood impacts.
A controlled outbound-only access arrangement from the Bundy Campus onto
Airport Avenue would address the SMC safety concerns about left turn exits onto
Bundy from the campus while minimizing the likelihood of inbound vehicles
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selecting Airport Avenue from the 23/Walgrove route to the campus or backing
up at the 4-way stop in front of Airport Park. A Donald Douglas Loop campus exit
should have a right turn only provision to keep traffic from exiting toward
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23/Walgrove.
Vehicular access is a complex policy issue that will require significant analysis
and input for City Council consideration. Staff will work with SMC to gather the
appropriate data, evaluate the various options, take neighborhood and Airport
Commission input and recommend a solution that will mitigate traffic and parking
impacts.
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Environmental Process. Authorizing a vehicle access agreement and its
associated infrastructure changes and traffic adjustments on the Airport, would
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constitute discretionary acts by the City and may be subject to CEQA
requirements and consequent time frames. The first step in determining the level
of review will be defining the project. Part of that definition will be establishing
what the access demand in the near and long term will be from the SMC uses
sited at the Bundy Campus (this would also be important in structuring a license
agreement). SMC is in a planning process for the Bundy Campus. They have
provided staff with a concept drawing of the near and long term plans but their
public process is expected to continue into the summer with an environmental
review of the plan to follow.
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Shuttle Lot. A closely related matter is the relocation of the stand-alone SMC
shuttle lot currently on the Airport. Construction of Airport Park at that site is
expected to begin in November and will displace the college shuttle site.
According to SMC, the Bundy Campus does not have sufficient parking to fully
support the activities to be sited there and in addition the existing number of
shuttle spaces. SMC identifies this as an interim problem as the College seeks to
locate a new site for shuttle parking. Until a new comparably sized shuttle site is
fully operational there will be a parking shortfall at the Bundy Campus and
associated impacts.
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Airport Commission Review
The Airport Commission at its September 27, 2004 meeting recommended no vehicular
access to/from the Airport due to the lack of a defined master plan for the site.
At its May 23, 2005 the Airport Commission indicated a willingness to further explore the
issue and perhaps form a committee to study the matter. The Commission scheduled
further discussion (and possible action) for its June 27, 2005 meeting.
The Airport Commission is concerned about traffic and parking impacts at the Airport
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and on 23/Walgrove and the adjacent community.
Budget/Financial Impact
No budget or financial impact is incurred as a result of action on this recommendation.
Recommendation
At this time, staff requests authorization to enter into a one-time interim pedestrian
access agreement with SMC to facilitate the 2005 summer session and approve
associated pedestrian safety improvements on Airport property to be funded by SMC.
Prepared by: Jeff Mathieu, Airport Director
Bob Trimborn, Airport Manager
Rod Merl, Senior Administrative Analyst, Special Projects
Reference Contract No. 8485 (CCS)
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