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SR-102307-8Ac7_ ~;t.o, City Council Report Santa Monica City Council Meeting: October 23, 2007 Agenda Item: To: Mayor and City Council From: Jim Hone, Fire Chief Timothy Jackman, Chief of Police Subject: Construction of Public Safety Storage Facilities for the Fire Department and Police Department Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council: 1) as client, approve the project locations of public safety storage facilities on Airport property for the Fire Department south of Fire Station #5, and for the Police Department at the east end of an existing hanger row near the Airport access gate at Centinela Blvd. ; 2) as client, approve the proposed schematic design for both public safety storage facilities; 3) direct staff to proceed with a Request for Bid process and return with a recommendation for aDesign/Build consultant; Executive Summary The Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) and the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) provides the community with increasing emergency services, disaster preparedness and safety training. 1 These services are integral components to providing our community with the highest level of public safety and disaster preparedness requiring larg er, more specialized vehicles in greater quantities. Additionally, the City must increase the volume of vital disaster supplies for effective response and recovery efforts in the event of a local emergency such as a significant earthquake, pandemic flu outbreak or terrorist attack. As a matter of public safety, there is a critical need for the City to provide adequate interior storage space for emergency response vehicles, equipment and disaster supplies which have exceeded the capacity of our existing Fire Stations, storage buildings and containers. To address this critical need the Fire Department and Police Department are proposing the construction of two public safety storage facilities on Airport property of adequate size, in the most strategic locations to meet their emergency response requirements and provide the highest level of service to the community. Background Over the past year, staff conducted extensive evaluations of City-owned properties to determine the most appropriate location(s) to construct or acquire public safety storage facilities large enough to accommodate the requirements of the Fire Department and the Police Department while maintaining their ability to provide the community with exceptional emergency services and disaster preparedness. Staff evaluated five locations that included: 2 • Fisher Lumber site- not selected because location is fully programmed for open space park use and recreation functions • Rear parking lot at Fire Station 5- not selected because the area is not large enough to meet all Fire Department requirements and would be incompatible with the neighborhood • Open Airport space near the Centinela gate- is just large enough to meet all the Police Department requirements and would provide immediate taxiway access for their surveillance aircraft • Open space at the Northeast corner of the Airport- not selected because this remote location would increase Fire Department emergency response. times by approximately 5 minutes when conducting weekly reserve vehicle inspection and maintenance functions; places the reserve Aircraft Crash Response Vehicle in a remote location and not readily available for use during an aircraft emergency; increases the project cost by about $530,000 to install all infrastructure elements and roadway improvements to accommodate the size and weight of emergency apparatus and an additional $365,000 for the Police Department Public Safety Storage Facility because the cost to construct a completely new Fire Department Public Safety Storage Facility of adequate size in this location would consume all existing project funds plus a $54,000 annual FAA rental obligation for no direct airport function if the SMFD facility is built separately from the Airport Maintenance building; and the property is in the City of Los Angeles • Current site of the Airport Maintenance/Police Department Surveillance Aircraft storage building on Airport property just South of Fire Station 5- is just large enough to meet all the Fire Department requirements During the evaluation process of City-owned properties the Fire Department and Police Department began using a vacant aircraft hanger located at 3011 Airport Av. to store some of their vehicles. This vacant hanger is one of the sites being considered for the future Museum of Flying. Use of this hanger was done as a temporary measure to secure public safety vehicles that would otherwise be parked outside exposed to the elements and possible theft and damage. 3 The vacant hanger storage area is approximately 6,700 sq. ft. which is about half the size of what the Fire Department .needs for the number of reserve apparatus and volume of necessary disaster supplies. The hanger is also located on the South side of the airport and causes the Fire Department to be out of optimum position when conducting weekly required reserve apparatus inspection and maintenance functions which extends response times to emergency incidents. Following staffs analysis, it was determined the most operationally effective and fiscally responsible location for the SMFD public safety storage facility is at the northwest side of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport and provides immediate access to Fire Station #5 (Location "A"). This site is currently occupied by a sizable storage building that has existed in this location for more than 20 years and contains Airport Maintenance staff work space, supplies and equipment, and the Santa Monica Police Department surveillance aircraft. This site is ideal for the Fire Department because it provides adequate space in which to construct a secured storage facility for reserve fire apparatus, equipment and. disaster supplies while maintaining effective emergency response times to the neighborhood. Following an earthquake compromising ground transportation routes, this site is also the perfect staging area for our Emergency Volunteer Air Corps (EVAC) program to fly City employees to work via aircraft and would serve as the primary medical evacuation center for patients being flown out to distant hospitals or the delivery and storage of 4 emergency supplies, such as the National Strategic Stock Pile (medical supplies for a bio-terror event). Utility infrastructure required for the SMFD public safety storage facility, including water, gas, sewer, communications, electrical and emergency generator electricity, are in place, significantly reducing the cost of construction. The existing storage building is 160 feet to the east and 250 feet to the south from residential property. To the east of the storage building is a large, one-acre paved open area that has been used as the emergency access way from Fire Station #5 to the Airport and equipment and maintenance staff parking. Directly to the west of the facility is the FAA leased Remote Transmitter and Receiver site. This is a secure area that adjoins the boundary of the Airport. To the south there is a paved area and a row of aircraft hangers that face south towards the airside of the Airport. The existing storage building (Location "A") measures 153' x 31', = 4,743 sq ft. and 17 feet high for the entire 153 feet length. Airport Maintenance currently occupies 3,130 sq ft and the Police Department occupies 1,613 sq ft. It is not large enough to also store Fire Department reserve emergency response vehicles, equipment and disaster supplies. Currently, storage of these, and other items including a large Fire and Life Safety training trailer, equipment and a small quantity of disaster supplies are stored inside and outside various locations throughout the city. 5 The ability to store these items inside the new SMFD public safety storage facility will eliminate the deteriorating impacts of keeping reserve emergency response vehicles, supplies and equipment outside, enhance security, shorten response times during extreme emergencies, and reduce visual blight. The proposed SMFD public safety storage facility (Location "A") measures approximately 125' x 100' = 12,500 sq ft. plus 20' x 30' = 600 sq ft. totaling 13,100 sq ft. The new facility will be joined to the existing storage building for a combined area of 17,843 sq ft. The height of the proposed facility is 26 feet for the northern 75 feet and 21 feet for the southern 50 feet. The interior space will be reconfigured to provide 4,085 sq ft for Airport Maintenance and 13,758 sq ft for the Fire Department. Joining the new SMFD public safety storage facility to the existing storage building will significantly reduce demolition costs and landfill waste that the construction of a completely new facility at this location would require. The size of the SMFD public safety storage facility is dictated primarily by the number and size of SMFD apparatus which range 12 feet in height and 30 to 55 feet in length and the large volume of disaster supplies necessary for public safety personnel to effectively serve the community. 6 The SMFD public safety storage facility will be permitted based on "Conditional Use" for the purposes as described above, with the inclusion of minor office functions for record keeping, a small kitchen and bathroom, and locker/shower facility for staff use. Any change or expansion of these "Use's" will require that those changes be made through this same approval process. Parking for Airport Maintenance employees will be provided along the southeast elevation and not visible to neighbors on the west. The numbers of Airport Maintenance workers parking at the existing storage building will not increase. Fire Department staff that perform vehicle and equipment inspection and maintenance activities in the new public safety storage facility will continue to park at Fire Station #5. The proposed location for the SMPD public safety storage facility is at the northeast side of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport at the east end of an existing hangar row near the Airport access gate at Centinela Blvd. (Location "B") measures 50' x 100'= 5,000 sq ft and 15 feet high. The storage facility will match the height, extend to the east and abut an existing row of light aircraft hangers. This site is ideal for the Police Department because it maintains immediate airport taxiway access for the SMPD surveillance aircraft, direct access to the surveillance aircraft from Centinela Blvd, and adequate space to store the SMPD surveillance aircraft, mobile command post, Special Entry Team Vehicle, safe driver training trailer and supplies and equipment currently stored outside on airport property and other locations throughout the city. 7 The SMPD public safety storage facility will also be permitted based on "Conditional Use" for the purposes as described above, with the inclusion of minor office functions for record keeping and a small bathroom for staff use. Any change or expansion of these "Use's" will require that those changes be made through this same approval process. Police Department staff that perform aircraft and equipment inspection and maintenance activities in the new public safety storage facility will park in the designated parking spaces to the north of the existing airport hangers. Discussion Consideration has been given to the compatibility of the proposed public safety storage facilities and relationship with the neighborhood in both locations. Comments received by the Airport Commission and the public have been incorporated into the size, location and design of the two public safety storage facilities. The SMFD public safety storage facility located next to Fire Station #5 (Location "A") has been reduced 4,000 square feet and the south wall of the new facility has been relocated about 48 feet to the north since being first proposed to the Airport Commission and the public. The new facility will extend 20' further to the north than the existing Airport Maintenance building. This sitting does not to encroach into the existing open space to the south of the existing storage building therefore preserving the view and maximizing future landscape potential. 8 The SMFD public safety storage facility will extend 100' further to the east than the existing Airport Maintenance building which is in the opposite direction from residential property. It is important to note that no residential property on the west side of this project faces to the east. The south view of the SMFD public safety storage facility will be blocked by Fire Station #5 for neighbors on Ashland Ave. and the new facility maintains a 30' setback from the Airport access gate at 25th Street. The materials and scale of the SMPD public safety storage facility located at the Airport access gate at Centinela Blvd. (Location "B") are compatible with the existing light aircraft hangers and covers in the area. Current Zoning regulations do not require Planning Commission or Architectural Review Board review or approval because these bodies have no jurisdiction on Airport properly. In lieu of these reviews and approvals, staff intends to apply a similar process used for constructing the Airport Administration Building and the newly completed Airport Park. Staff intends to bring this project back before City Council for review and approval of the exterior aesthetics. Staff will also return to Council twice before the construction of the public safety storage facilities exterior shells; once in January, 2008, for the authorization to negotiate and execute a Design/Build Contract, and again in March, 2008, fora 50% Design Development Study Session and GMP Amendment. 9 Commission Action Staff made a project presentation to the Airport Commission on September 25, 2006. The Airport Commission requested a public outreach meeting to present the project which was accomplished on November 4, 2006. Following the public outreach meeting on November 4, 2006 staff made a subsequent project presentation to the Airport Commission on November 27, 2006 where the results of the public outreach meeting were provided. The Airport Commission deliberated on the information presented by staff and voted to reject the proposed project. The Airport Commission also voted to draft and send a letter to City Council detailing their objections and listing five recommendations to be met before reconsidering the project. (Attachment #4) Staff. updated the Airport Commission on the status of the proposed facility on September 24, 2007 and announced that it would be conceptually presented to the City Council during their October 9th meeting. The Commission expressed its dismay regarding the lack of public notice/process/participation, lack of a written update report for Airport Commission consideration and reaffirmed its previous recommendation to City Council to reject of the site and the overall architectural design and construction. Staff will present this project again to the Airport Commission following City Council direction. 10 Previous Council Actions Staff provided an Information Item to City Council on October 18, 2006 describing the public safety storage facility project. As indicated in the Information Item, once the public safety storage facility project has been modified as practical to address the Airport Commission and public comments staff will submit the design and construction contracts to the City Council for consideration and approval. Environmental Analysis The storage building next to Fire Station 5 has existed for more than 20 years and does not change the use, only the public safety occupant changes from the Police Department to the Fire Department and the number and size of vehicles and volume of disaster supplies being stored inside. The Police Department public safety facility will store surveillance aircraft,. response vehicles and supplies which is consistent with the other light aircraft hangers it will adjoin. The project will be reviewed by the City Planning Department to determine if an Environmental Impact Report is required. Early indications are that only a Negative Declaration will be required for the project. 11 Public Outreach A public outreach meeting was held on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at Fire Station #5. Approximately 1000+ individuals were noticed of the meeting including individuals, Neighborhood Groups, local elected officials, local business, the Friends of Sunset Park, and direct mailing to residents in the targeted area bounded by 23rd St (West), Ocean Park Blvd. (North) 25th Street (East) and Pier Ave. (South). Notices were also posted at the Fairview Branch Library and at Bud's Famous Deli. A presentation was made demonstrating the need for the new building. Staff discussed the selection process used to determine the proposed facility location and discussed the manner in which the design concepts mitigated the visual impact of the facility. Three design options for the SMFD public safety storage facility were presented which provided options for roof line configurations. A public comments, and question and answer session followed the presentation and the meeting ended with a tour of the site. The 19 members of the public who attended the presentation were asked to fill out a comments sheet which also asked for preference among the design options. The results were as follows: Design Option -Public comments indicated the preference • Option #1 = 7 -due to lower roofline • Option #2 = 2 • Option #3 = 0 • Would prefer NO building at this site = 4 • No written input = 6 12 Public Concerns- as expressed both verbally and written comments: Unmet promises over the years with other Airport projects make residents feel that this could result in other and expanded uses of the facility, other than storage and for emergency preparedness. • Some residents prefer other Airport sites where impact to residents is minimal (east end of Airport) • Insure the structure's design and aesthetics complement the design of Fire Station #5. Budget/Financial Impact This project was funded in the FY2005-06 Capital Improvement budget; there are sufficient funds to cover the costs of the project as described. Fire Department account #0010547.58900 in the amount of approximately $756,800. Fire Department account #M010594.589000 in the amount of $200,000. Police Department account # 01304.555210 in the amount of $50,000 The ongoing annual operating cost for the SMFD public safety storage facility is estimated at $9,600 for utilities and $2,400 for maintenance and supplies for a total annual operating cost of $12,000. The ongoing annual operating cost for the SMPD public safety storage facility is estimated at $4,800 for utilities and $1,200 for maintenance and supplies for a total annual operating cost of $6,000. 13 Staff recommends that Council approve; the project locations of public safety storage facilities on Airport property for the Fire Department south of Fire Station #5, and for the Police Department at the east end of an existing hanger row near the Airport access gate at Centinela Blvd.; approve the proposed schematic design for both public safety storage facilities; and direct staff to proceed with a Request for Bid process and return with a recommendation for aDesign/Build consultant. Prepared by: Alex Parry, Civil Engineering Associate Approved: Forwarded to Council: Jim H~e~ir~ fjfie~ ~ ~amont Ewell // ity Manager Timothy JacX'rfrafi; Chief of Police Attachme ti# Site plan Attachment #2- Location "A" Floor Plan and Exterior Elevations Attachment #3- Location "B" Floor Plan and Exterior Elevations Attachment #4-Airport Commission recommendations 14 city of January 8, 2007 Mayor and City Council 1685 Main Street Santa Monica, California 90401 Subject: Airport Commission Action Regarding Proposed "Public Safety Storage Facility" Dear Honorable Mayor and Council; The Airport Commission considered the "PSSF" project being proposed to City Council during our November 27, 2006 Airport Commission meeting and unanimously (5 - 0) rejected the Gity's proposed project. We are specifically addressing a letter to the Gauncil to stress our opposi#ion to the current proposed projecf and to inform you of deficiencies in the process. The proposed "PSSF" was first presented to the Commission at our September 25th meeting. There was no notification to the surrounding neighborhood as required by previous Gommission action relating to construction projects on Airport property. Staff proceeded to schedule a Community Outreach meeting for November 4, 2006 at Fire Station #5 and a folded paper mailer was sent to - the adjacent neighborhood (an area outlined by the Commission) during the last week of October. Three "schemes" were presented to the 19 public members who attended, All schemes had the same footprint with slight differences in roof shape and western fapade height. Each scheme was a metal systems building. The majority of those attending chose not to vote for any of the "schemes". The staff brought the matter back to the November Commission meeting for a public hearing. Again, a staff failed to notify the neighborhood of the public hearing as had been required by the Commission. Following the presentation by City staff at the November 27th meeting, the Commission took public comment and deliberated the merits of the proposed facility focusing on location, use and design. It was also noted that drawings and exhibits were incomplete and deficient for public discussion without showing fulE site, accurate use of spaces, or scale of adjacent properties. At the conclusion of its discussion, the Airport Commission took the following unanimous action to reject the current proposed project and fo reconsider the project with the following five recommendations: 1) Prior to Airport Commission approval and City Council review, the proposed project should be subjected to additional public review such as Architectural Review Board and the Planning Commission 2} It should be required that outside planning and design services are used for the project. 3) Detailed mitigation plans including landscape drawings and specifications should be provided. 4) Based an current information, the project appears too large for the site and insufficiently designed for its adjacency to the residential neighborhood. 5) The program should be analyzed for non-fire emergency related requirements that may be located elsewhere such as Airport Maintenance and long term storage. Please accept the considered deliberations of all five Airport Commissioners so that the concerns of the neighborhood and the Airport Commission are not circumvented. We respectfully request that the current project and process be rejected and that any proposed project and process include the above recommendations. Than%kq'/y/ou f ,e~ur consideration. N~ r. oung, Cth it oi~ mission - p ~~ Cc: Susan Hartley, Vice-Chair Ofer Grossman David Kaplan Yoram Tal Additional attachments available at City Clerk's Office.