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SR-072408-8A~ Supplemental ~'~~~ y ~'t °' City Council Report =_ Santa Monica -•+ -~ n ~ - City Council Meeting: Agenda Item: _-~-- To: Mayor and City Council 8 From: Eileen Fogarty, Director of Planning & Community Development Subject: Review and Provide Direction on the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) Strategy Framework (Continued from the June 10 and June 17, 2008 Council meetings) Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council consider the information and Planning Commission recommendation attached during the Council's continued review of the LUCE Strategy Framework. Discussion The PowerPoint attached reflects the actions and recommendation taken by the Planning Commission on June 23, 2003: The PowerPoint (Attachment A) reflects the Commission's recommendation to endorse the approach and concept in the LUCE Strategy Framework and proceed to the next phase in the LUCE process. It also incorporates the Commission's specific recommendations and modifications to the LUCE for land use, urban design, transportation, neighborhoods, boulevards, and districts. Additionally, Attachment B contains a summary of comments from individual Planning Commissioner's compiled during the prior seven meetings. In addition to Planning Commission recommendations, Boulevards and Districts will be presented for Council discussion tonight. The Transportation discussion will continue at the July 8t" meeting. Time permitting, residential Neighborhoods will also be presented at the July 8t" meeting. Approved: ~Eil n Fogarty, Planning & Communi De pment Dept. Attachments: Forwarded to Council: P. L nt 1_well City f~Aanager A. PowerPoint of the Planning Commission's recommendation of the LUCE Strategy Framework B. Summary of Planning Commission Comments: Public Hearings May 22, 28, & 29, and June 3, 4, 9, & 11, 2008 -2- s.~m ~s.. c.: General Cornrrments Public Benefits Provide a list of public benefits, simple definitions, an explanation of how public benefits apply to different parts of the city and level of benefit to be provided to obtain next level of height/FAR. See revised chart of public Benefits Mom and Pop • Need to add as public benefit subsidizing mom and pop shops after redevelopment (especially affordable grocery and retail) Housing and Mixed Use • Define workforce housing and the relationship to affordable housing. • The City should not subsidize workforce housing, it should be incentivized by commercial and market rate development. ;.` „ -- ~~.~ Ut ~ 4 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 %wuta rc.~nd General Commends Economic Analysis Conduct economic analysis to incentivize a fair percentage of truly affordable new housing. Conduct economic analysis to determine how market rate residential development will incentivize workforce housing. Conduct economic analysis to evaluate how smaller residential projects can provide public benefits. Phasing Create a phasing schedule for when development can occur in key transitareas and generally throughout the City Monitor • Measure and monitor Plan's performance • Provide for adjustments • Identify thresholds to enforce Plan's provisions Transit •Consider adding density within % mile radius of major transit stops. r m5 t~•-~ r ~~~ tax + LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23,.2008 ;:ed.~,~~.~.. General Comments FAR Explain why the LUCE uses aunits/acre formula for density in the residential districts rather than an FAR formula as in the mixed use districts -Recommendation -staff to evacuate using an FAR formula and evaluate in the next phase of tits work Transfer of Development Rights ~~ ,;,;: r~~rar~ . ,., 6 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 Building Envelope ~ku[n rcuo~u~.° Gen~C1l G®~1rY1@11tS Land Use • Support of "Complete Neighborhoods" concept.-Incentivize local serving morn and pop operations Added • Include policies to retain affordable grocery stores and other retail goods (such as drug stores) throughout the City so that people don't have to leave the City to shop. • Prioritize rehabilitation of existing buildings as long-term care facilities, and consider them a public benefit. Aelded • Adult day care should be considered a public benefit. Added • Senior Citizen Center could be considered a public benefit Profect affordability of existing multifamily buildings ~r {A~' PB~: C..i~14 7 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 ~~ W..N.= General Comments Urban Design • Ensure flexibility in building heights to create variation. Streetwa/l should reflect stepbacks and/or building envelope angles to encourage articulation. • Ensure that the height of ground floor is sufficient for retail and other ground floor uses. • Examine shade from buildings on adjacent residential uses and on boulevards under proposed LUCE. Examine opportunity for some increased height on south side of boulevard for solar access. l?ecommendation: Staff has studied shadows and does not believe that the shadows are art issue. Summary of the shadow anafysis will be included ir- the next phase of the work t~~ r~rre 8 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 fsufn Wuu[fx` General Comments Urban Design of the work ® ~xpfore allawing parking to extend under the sidewalk, providing that it doesn't impede growth of street trees both a boulevard and side streets. ecornrrrendation: Staff wil8 include in the next iteration of tine plan ;,. v 0.°0~9~. 9 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 Future development must contribute to, not detract from the community ® Performance Incentives and Workforce housing `^ v~,; as~ar~ FF~ for Public Benefits & for Affordable Height & FAR wl Affordable/ Height & FAR w/ Public Benefit Base Height FAR 11 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 mu~o,..w~.~,. :>' ~, r~~a~e~ Traffic Reduction Base Public Affordable/ Workforce ® ~! ir°~utati l I°~~~ ants us ~s, s ~lt~r niti~~ ® ~i f~ rft try t i r~~e ~rtt~ Tea ~ ite aten General Public Benefits ® /° ataat7 ®~®rs~ trt~~tur°~s Required 12 LUCE Strategic Framework Review ~ June 23, •su~n l~unisu" ~~ lY I C^F B 9 d Affordable/ Workforce Reguireds 13 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 xwrn rca. ~..•: :.,,~; ,-A ~~~ ~r~ H®using ffor-c~abla orkfarae hausirtg Base Pubic Affordable/ Workforce 14 LUCE Strategic Framework Review ~ June 23, }.~yiu ~4uult/ Y~~ fl vj!l l°t® p9"A • PC suggested looking at streetwall heights as a function of street widths, stepbacks, sidewalk widths, cumulative effect on Boulevard and street character • PC suggested that streets and boulevards should be thought of as a whole and not dividers of neighborhoods -Plan incorporates fhis approach • Re-look at areas where base height and public benefits are the same. Recommend changing language to make it clear that in certain areas additional height and FAR is not available in exchange for the provisions of public benefits -Text will be added to clarify. flee intention. • On Boulevards,. surface parking lots should be mindful of adjacent residential areas. Textlpolicy will be added to make this point • Include a statement about permeable pavement along the Boulevards as a method of helping Santa Monica Bay. Text/policy will be added to make this point • Add local serving office to uses at 14th and Wilshire Activity Center- Text will. be included • Extend the following Boulevards to Ocean Avenue Wilshire Boulevard Pico Boulevard Ocean Park Boulevard Staff will extend in flee next iteration of the plan Ocean Avenue should be identified as a Grand Boulevard. Staff will so identify 16 LUC6 Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 .,u~.,...~.. S • Evaluate street classification alternatives for 26~" Street. Traffic needs to be addressed on this street. Do not put bike lanes on 26t". Staff will explore in next iteration of the plan • Consider Olympic Boulevard as Parkway, similar to San Vicente. Staff will de~igr-ate • Concern over the loss ofmom-and-pop retail, especially on Broadway. Staff added subsidy for mom and pop local serving retail stores to Public Benefit list (see list) • Incentivize mixed use residential in area across from SMC • Incentivize residential on 14t" Street across from Woodlawn Cemetery. Staff to explore • Ground f/oor uses on mixed use boulevards should be commercial, not residential • Support subterranean parking underneath Residential A lots (but does not want to limit tree growth) @, t. ~;. ~~~ 17 LUCE Strategic Framework Review Jurie 23, 2008 fuuu Rau Na` {~~'~~ ~....~. ~~~~tp ( Me C 2 S. Vices Olympia Parkwa ~ediest Extend Ocean Add Oc "Grand' ocean ve 18 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 u., ~.aw~... • .Planning Commission expressed concern over the allowable building heights at Activity Centers and Wilshire Boulevard/East End of Santa Monica Boulevard • Important to ensure sufficient density of population to achieve better planned and better built complete neighborhoods that are complemented by services and amenities RECCE ENAT/CN • Evaluate aesthetics, practicality and economics of the viability of heights and Iov~er streetwall/stepbacl~s (e.g. existing stepbacl~ formula modified to eliminate current administrative difficulties ,w~a ~'~~; ~as~, 19 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 BOULEI/ARD - .Height of Buildings aauu~ ~COaI~~.' boulevards -- Heights BovLEVaR® - He~gnt ®t Busoa®ngs • Planning Commission suggested flexible height in the following areas: • Ocean Park Boulevard 16th to 18th (PC had mixed opinion on this) • Pico Boulevard across from College • 14th Street between Pico and Michigan and adjacent to Woodlawn Cemetery • Area around Memorial Park • Lincoln Blvd. across from and adjacent to Ocean Park/Lincoln Activity Center R~'COMME~ATION • Evaluate providing modest increases to the height in the above areas ~;~,~~' ,,; i^Y ®B~N Yf 20 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 %.u~.u fauut..` • Given future transportation possibilities, consider whether an Activity Center at 26th and Wilshire is appropriate and feasible as compared to Activity Center at Centinela and Wilshire • Consider a range of heights including lowering height at the Activity Center at Centinela and Wilshire • Ensure that Activity Centers have sufficient development potential to work and provide community services and amenities T~ ®Staff to explore i~a detail the opportunities in both locations - Especiallythe depth of iota to accommodate required parking •~ { t } +? ~{~~ 21 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 ..`:~ u.a~..re m r'. &+1~T3~pi+~ • Given future transportation possibilities, consider whether an Activity Center at 26th and Wilshire is appropriate and feasible as compared to Activity Center at Centinela and Wilshire • Consider a range of heights including lower heights at the Activity Center at Centinela and Wilshire • Ensure that Activity Centers have sufficient development potential to work and provide community services and amenities T~ -Staff to exp/are in detail the opport~rnities in both locations - Especially the depth of lots to accommodate required parking 21 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 Xsun f{w.[r w` oulevards Lincoln Boulevard ~~ i1~._'~ ~ ~i.. ~~~ x~ ® Lincoln is the most challenging street in the City. LUCE policies should focus on making Lincoln Boulevard more effective and beautiful rather than drastically changing it into a different type of place. Two strategies to do this are increasing parking opportunities and streetscape beautification. Staff Agrees ® Beautification of street should be the highest priority for Lincoln Boulevard and would make a big difference in the visual attractiveness of the area. Staff Agrees • Lincoln functions like a residential boulevard north of Wilshire; this should be labeled as such and there are significant enhancements that could be included on this stretch of the street. Staff Agrees • The LUCE should make sure that Lincoln Boulevard is not redeveloped such that there is a loss of affordab/e retail. Staff Agrees • Consider working with the School District fo create a shared parking facility in conjunction with the school facility at the corner of Ocean Park and Lincoln. This facility could be used to support new uses near the intersection of Ocean Park and Lincoln Boulevard. Staff will discuss with the Seho~l District • Need to examine the ground water table in the area and whether it is a barrier to the creation of underground parking. Projects in Los Angeles County south of the City have encountered problems because of a high water table. Evaluated as part of E/R' 22 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 Km~~o,...H... Boulevards Lincoln Boulevard Land Uses • Focus residential development around key intersections including intersections with Arizona, Santa Monica, and areas where there are small strip malls. ill be noted for tlZe Downtown Specific Plan • Explore opportunities for assisting with parcel assembly to ensure some redevelopment opportunity along Lincoln. 7"ext will be added ~~ s>: , ;::~ ~~~~ • PC supported encouraging the redevelopment of the existing Albertsons site at the corner of Ocean Park and Lincoln and suggested it should be a priority for the City. PC noted that an attractive project in this location could serve as a catalyst for adjacent development, could provide shared parking to allow redevelopment of smaller, nearby parcels and could serve as the visual gateway to the City along Lincoln Boulevard even though the actual border is several blocks south. Staff concurs fully • PC discussed changing the land use designation from Ocean Park south to Ozone to a higher density. Staff will explore Mixed-Use. Commercial or General Commercial options. • PC suggested a "gateway" treatment for the City's southern border near Ozone. Staff mill explore the op~orturtities. 23 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 Boulevards Pico Boulevard Land Uses • Explore opportunities to create mixed use by adding appropriate retail uses. Consider incentivizing housing over the commercial to overlook Wood/awn on 14t" Street between Pico and Michigan. Staff will explore - see discussion. of Eoulevard l-!eights above • Explore the potential for an opportunity to incentivize housing on the northeast corner of the intersection with Cloverfield. Staff will explore • .Emphasize diverse Inca/ neighborhood services like a Post Office and bank as well as local office uses ;~~° y,~, ~a~a • Explore the potential for allowing higher intensity uses to incentivize public benefits and get appropriate land uses across from the College that include residential, including possible shared or reduced parking with SMC. Staff will explore -see dissuasion of Eoulevard !-!eights above • Explore the potential for slightly higher intensity between 14t" and Cloverfield to allow for more residential development opportunities -Staff will explore • Explore the potential for higher density on the south side of Pico between Cloverfield and Stewart. Staff will explore • Underground utility lines 24 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 Asx.n ~4ux[~n` oulevards Ocean Park Boulevard • Steps should be taken to beautify the. John Adams school frontage. The City should explore opportunities to soften the look from a chain link fence to a more attractive environment. Ideas that should be explored include moving the fence back to create a greenway of open space and public seating, building a more attractive fence and adding landscaping, such as vines. Staff wilt add text indicating collaboration with S USD n~ ,~ - 25 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 , »a~<<, ,ao~..~ ^ PC expressed concern about heights in Bergamot Transit District -but also indicated that density should be increased within % mile of the transit stations ^ PC suggested increasing the heights for development around the park in the Memorial Park District ^ PC questioned the large boundary for the hospital Specific Plan - 7"ext will be added to determine the boundary of the Specific P{an at the three that the planning begins to ensure the protection of the neighborhood ^Ensure sufficient density around transit stations to support transit ridership and to reduce vehicle dependence. ^District lines need to be drawn to include both side of the street. Done .,a 27 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 vn:~o ee..w.° , PC understands trade-offs between development ®IStI"ICtS ;potential height & desire for creative arts with workforce & affordable housing BERGAMOT STATION •The overall character and primary use is creative arts •Mix of market rate, affordable and workforce housing •Desire for height & mass to be varied •Desire for significant consolidated open space •lnclude City Yards into the Transit Village Area. •Allow some park and ride parking •Protect adjacent residential neighborhoods •Ensure sufficient heightldensity incentives to create a complete neighborhood @ Bergamot with infrastructure, amenities and affordable/workforce housing T{ r ~~ 28 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23,.2008 uum rco~u.x Districts 29 MIXED USE CREATIVE • A significant open space area should be included in the Mixed Use Creative Area. • if Village Trailer park site is redeveloped, there should be dedicated affordable housing on the site • Concentrate housing in select areas to preserve the existing character of the Creative Arts Districts. DOWNTOWN • Make the Downtown Specific Plan a high priority • Improve pedestrian connections from Promenade to adjacenf streets • Activate streets outside of 3~d street. • Improve downtown alleys; create active environment • Improve appearance and functionality of downtown parking structures. Incorporate them into the urban fabric • Bicycle facilities and amenities should be required for new development. Consider as a transportation mitigation factor. • Expand Downtown boundaries from Wilshire to include Huntley Hotel. LUCE Strategic Framework Review A~ _.. ~~~~ June 23, 2008 %su~o KuuFw` Districts MEMORIAL PARK •Evaluate increasing the heights for housing as funding mechanism around the park in the Memorial Park District • Ensure permeability of larger blocks •Focus workforce/affordable housing for families •Joint use potential with SMMUSD •lncentivize housing on all 4 corners facing park HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BEACH & OCEANFRONT DISTRICT •Allow existing (Prop S) hotels to be remodeled and rebuilt •Address Sea level rise in this area '~'~;: ~- Pf® Y~'..62 d~ 30 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 %au~a fleµ4~~` Districts: enr®usTReaL coerrsERVar~on- •Important to retain local industrial services MAIN STREET •Improve porosity between large blocks to allow better connection to the beach •Seek more effective and efficient use of narrow Main Street parking lots. Consider technological applications. •Preserve the integrity of the Main Street Plan •Create connections to the beach through breaks in parking lots, cleaner aNeys, and facades oriented toward the beach ®NTA111,4 AVENUE •Improve parking. options on Montana <}~;~~ 66yy , ._ M'~..4 4!'li PY ~ 31 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 %.mn~u fl.pA«` Districts c~v~c cEn-rER •Enlarge proposed pedestrian and bicycle bridge at 7th (over freeway) for greater open space •Joint use potential with SMMUSD S~4Ti4 IVI®NICA A/RP014r and (I$lE$S P~ RK •Create a Specific Plan for the airport and the business park before 2015. when 1984 agreement expires. •After 2015, use of airport land will be a local land use matter •~ n~~-;; ,; ~;.--y,c. i'Y® tfl"B 32 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 ..:~ s.o.H.~ Neighborhoods ' NORTH OF MONTANA - • Connect neighborhood to parks and schools, not just commercial areas • Create community gathering places • Transportation options needed • Promote resource conservation, particularly in large lot areas EAST WILSHIRE • Need to address 26t" street as more than a minor avenue • Safe crossings for pedestrians at 26tH CENTRAL CITY • Need for design standards to address the number of buildings where all units face the side yard in multifamily neighborhoods • Need to clarify relationship to hospitals in terms of mass and scale, and neighborhood preservation • Clarify boundaries of Health Care district n~"~ ._, ~~ ~ W54#t~ 34 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 .u;~,..~~..~ Neighborhoods PICO NEIGHBORHOOD a ®ssu • Need for bike and pedestrian connections across Pico Blvd. • Power lines detract from visual quality of the area • Neighborhood safety issues • Lack of pedestrian level lighting; add more • Add greenery and landscaping • Add walking connectivity and improved pedestrian crossings at Pico and 28th and at Delaware and 20th • Traffic impacts on 20th & Stewart • Add public services such as Post Office, Library to retail/services • Deficient in parks and open space • Impacts of freeway on neighborhoods WEST WILSHIRE NEIGHBORHOOD ss~u~s • Need for design standards to address the number of buildings where all units face the side yard in multifamily neighborhoods • .Parking challenged streets • Large streets -consider diagonal. parking ,~. <'~,_: _=~ ~cv~ea x~ 35 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 .u«,.~.~... Neighborhoods OCEAN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD t is~c~s • Need for design standards to address the number of buildings where all units face the side yard in multifamily neighborhoods • Mitigate the impact of commercial development on the adjacent residential • Maintain the eclectic character of the neighborhood -lot assembly with larger projects should be avoided • Reference the existing Ocean Park Guidelines in LUCE • PC position on View Corridors needs to be discussed at zoning stage MULTIFAMILY NORTH NEIGHBORHOOD a 9SSLt ~'S • Need for design standards to address the number of buildings where all units face the side yard in multifamily neighborhoods •Lacks transit access • Needs facilities at the north end of Palisades Park to provide ,for the large numbers of small children 36 LUCE Strategic Framework Review <.: v, ;:~: June 23, 2008 %We~m AExutru" Neighborhood Goals MODIFY THE GOALS N1.11 -Neighborhood Streetscape - •Good place to state the sustainability goals -run off control, permeable pavement •Need to "green" the alleys -convert dead ends as small park •N1.5 Protect and Preserve .•Need a policy on the preservation of trees (also in N1,9) -Tree policy should consider more than 2 for 1 replacement -suggested 6 to 1 with additional trees planted throughout the City. Should incorporate a "tree cover" methodology in the zoning •Protect existing housing stock (especially affordable housing) in multifamily neighborhoods •Strengthen existing language on the preservation of the traditional courtyard residential buildings and affordable existing structures •Strengthen design requirements •Flexible and site appropriate adaptive use to encourage "organic quality" of neighborhoods N4 Pedestrian/Bike •Could add pedestrian friendly educational elements to pedestrian ways, e.g, identification of trees, history •Include low speed neighborhood electric vehicles 37 LUCE Strategic Framework Review A~ f~ I ~~~[I~~ py June 23, 2008 :~:~o nn.i+..• Neighborhood Goals:- GENERAL COMMENTS • Clear policy requiring GROUND LEVEL open space for multifamily development projects • Identify ways to allow the residential stock to regenerate, allow/encourage improvements • Add pocket parks to create more texture to the community. • Identify areas throughout the city that are animal friendly -where they do not have to be on leash • Compatibility- should ensure that the eclectic character of City's neighborhoods is not compromised • Encourage. access from alleys to improve streetscape ;.~;~~ ~$~~(~~ 88 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 ~.~ ...,.ca° Transportation • Focus moving people from cars into transit • Examine the potential for the use of more roundabouts • Determine the feasibility of Bike. Lanes on all boulevards • Create viable north-south commuter routes for bicycles • Explore removing parking from Lincoln during peak periods for transit routes • Add Alta as an east-west bike route on map. • Allow flexibility in defining peak period for no net new trips • Promote alternative vehicles • Incentives for existing businesses to reduce trips (TDMs) • Look for separated bike lanes wherever we can • Add as a goal: shuttle buses/mini-buses to neighborhoods • Emphasise safe routes to school (i.e. pedestrian and bicycle routs to Lincoln and John Adams middle schools) • Require bicycles amenities for all projects t-~R~ea. w=~ ~~YiAi r 39 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 x..~ ,...~..~ Transportation • The following Boulevards change character as they enter residential areas: • Lincoln Boulevard, north of Wilshire • Broadway, east of 26th Street • Colorado Avenue, east of Stanford Street • Ocean Avenue Should be identified as a Grand Boulevard • Consider adding 26th Street/Cloverfield as a Boulevard • Consider San Vicente as a Parkway • Require bicycle amenities for ail projects ,~~` ,,~:. ~n~~t~ r 40 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 xsuro ~.w.tir• A~ nom: ~~ x~ ~'he l!~lanning Comrr~ission following its review of the LUG Strategy Framework endorses the spirit:,.. approach and concepts: embodied in the Strategy Framework subject to the following recommended list of changes and topics. for further analysis during: the next phase of the work. Further, the Commission recommends that the council endorse the Strategy Framework and direct the staff to initiate appropriate economic, traffic and environmental analysis.. 42 LUCE Strategic Framework Review June 23, 2008 ,~zaae ~- ..~ , a. ~. - ®8~ z 1 ^ 11 Community Workshops ^ 9 Planning Commission Sessions ^ 8 Council Work Sessions ^ Input and support: Planning ,~ Arts Commission Commission - Sustainable City Task Landmarks Force Commission - Childcare & Early Architectural Education Task Force Review Board Recreation & Parks ,~,ooa Commission ~s°ir~ ~ L or~~~l hart, C3~y ~o~~i hay; ® Reviewed the Strategy Framework's Vision/Policies -developed through community outreach process ® Received community input ® Received comments, recommendations and support from the Planning Commission and the City's Boards and Commissions ® Reviewed and discussed the Neighborhoods, Boulevards and Districts I22204B 3 4 2 Actiona 1. Endorse the Strategy Framework - Confirm/provide direction on the City's Vision of the Future 2. Provide direction to staff regarding heights and mix of uses for the Boulevards and ®istricts. 3. Provide additional specific direction for analysis and evaluation for next ,~=aoa phase. 5 ® duly Council ndrsernent arad direction fir analysis aci evaluation Fall Analysis - Economic and Fiscal Analysis • Feasibility Analysis • Prototypes -Affordable Housing and Public Benefits. - Transportation -Methodology and Trip Reduction Analysis - Environment - CEQA 1222008 6 3 '! THE VISION /,', •Mixed-Use -Ability to walk bike to work and services and amenities • Opportunities around transit • affordable and workforce housing • Active gathering spaces • Neighborhood preservation • Greening/Open Space , • Preservation of our heritage • Arts/Culture and expanded community services ~ X00 ~ I~Or~OC~ ~r~0~ Six Fran'seor Eles~°ients ; • Neighborhood Preservation and Enhancement • Integrated Land Use and Transportation • Pro-Active Congestion Management • Public Benefits • Urban Character and Form • A Sustainable Santa Monica zzzzooe 8 4 ~~~ the L~l is ifferel~to • Performance Planning tied to Public Benefit ® Criteria for Urban Form and Character • Proactive review process to ensure community involvement and conformance with plan • Neighborhood Preservation • Transportation and Land Uselntegration • Mix of housing along boulevards and transit ways and nodes • Congestion Management • Socially/Environmentally/Economically Sustainable City • Measures to monitor and tools to manage for success zzz zooe y ~ o ha# are the Trar~spo-r#a#ion Requirements for Phew t?evelopmen#~ Base Impact Fees to Mitigate Trips ® Methodology will be developed • Set of Improvements to be defined (based on Circulation Element) zzzzooe Public Benefits • Participation in Transportation • Demand Management (TDM) District • Trip Reduction Goals 50% commercial • Transit Facility enhancements • Pedestrian enhancements • Bicycle facility enhancements • Shared parking facilities • Flex-car parking spaces • Neighborhood Traffic Improvements ~o 5 ~ :How does the LuC~ Integrate Transportation and Land Use to Achieve the Goal of "No Net New Trips?" Improvements to "Tip the Scale" • Better Alternatives to Auto ^ Aggressive TDM Districts -transit pedestrian and for new and existing trips bicycle #acilities • Park once options (shared ^ Im act Fees from New parking) Development ^ Mobility Improvements • A portion funded by new development based on their fair share Additional improvements rovided as "public benefit" • City identifies funding from grants and other sources ~.222aae • "Smart Growth" Benefits - Locate Development. Along Transit Corridors • "C"omplete" neighborhoods -services within walking, biking and transit. • Supports increased transit • Efficient parking -shared & reduced opportunities • Will attract people that want "Smaller Footprint" lifes4vle ii ~~ What are the Beneti#s that can be Achieved from I~erformance Planning? • Future development must contribute to, not detract from,. community • Performance Incentives for Public Benefits & for Affordable and Workforce housing Height & FAR w! Affordable! Height & FAR w! Public Benefit Height & FAR By Right ].222048 6 ~~ ha# Benefits care be Achieved through Perforr~tance Planning? °:• New York City & Chicago: extensively used In California... Examples °:• San Diego: Open Space, large units, eco-roofs •:° Davis: Underground parking, plazas °:• Berkeley: non-profit organizations on ground floor °:° Pasadena: public space, pedestrian design features •:° San Francisco: transit 1ZL ]QaB _. °:• Palo Alto: historic protection, affordable housing, open space °:° EI Cerrito: open space, shared parking, transit use incentives °:°Santa Barbara: currently considering °:°San$a Monica: Preferred Projects (affordable housing) ~s Publicly subsidized projects provide the vast majority of the new. affordable housing units being built • Currently, virtually no incentive exists to .include affordable or workforce housing in privately funded mixed-use projects that do not also apply to market rate housing ,~~aaa ~a 7 RECENT EXPERIENCE IN COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS Typical Privately Funded- Projects :• Downtown ^ 5 stories, 50 market rate units over ground floor commercial ^ 4 very-low income units Typical Publicly Funded Projects %~ C4, BCD, Downtown Areas ^ 4 to 5 stories, 100% moderate & Lower Rates ^ Token ground floor commercial or none at all izzzooe AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE LUCE • Currently, affordable incentives (i.e. 55') are given to 100% affordable. housing projects • LUCE expands incentives to apply to market rate and mixed use projects at essentially the same height • Percentage of affordable and workforce housing to be achieved determined by Council with analysis and prototype zzzzaae 15 Height & FAR / Affordablef Workforce Housing Height & FAR wl Pubtic '. ,„ Base 16 Positions Salary Examples: Social Worker: $59,200 Teacher: $44,000 Police Officer: $74,000 Civil Engineer: $88,000 ~n.iooa ~- ~~T ' is ~€~ s ' a ~ . a' s~m ~ i ~ '~ a ~ 81 i e ;a g as r ~ :w t ~p _ 50 7_ B: ai as e:'i 1~: ` s~ s: Sb a ®' :Q i ll s. ~~u~n~w~ m .. .. a Y= ; n 9 • We need your guidance on height and mix of uses on the Boulevards and Districts • Your direction will serve as the parameters used for the forthcoming evaluation of the Strategy Framework zn zoos 19 10 5'increase 10-15'increase 20'increase 21 teduction in leight 22 11 • Boulevards are Key Element of City's Public Open Space • lntegraf Part of Circulation System • Parf of hisforica( pattern • Part of LA Basin circulation system • Former Pacific Electric Railway System Re-emerge in LUGE as important necessary for: • Housing - a wide variety • Transportation, • Open space • Pedestrian ways • Neighborhood refaii! services ,,,poa • Piacemaking 24 12 Overall Vision for the Boulevards'. • Active Gathering Places • Pedestrian Oriented • Residential • Local Retail/Services • Enhanced Transit Facilities • Boulevard Activity Centers • 14 fh and Wilshire • Centinela and Wilshire rsz.zooe 25 Basic Prirlcipfes Stepback above Height @ Street Stepback above Height @ Street Maximum Street ]222008 26 13 Basic Principles ,n~oaa Vision: A LivableMValkable Boulevard A vibrant, high-quality pedestrian and transit corridor; with a mix of local serving uses, housing, open space, wider sidewalks, landscaping and a cohesive urban form Pedestrian Oriented not Auto-oriented Ffey Issues • Auto-oriented; hostile pedestrian environment • Small parcel sizes hinder shared parking and other opportunities • Poor transition from commercial to adjacent residential • Retail do not serve adjacent residents • Lack of urban form and visual interest 222008 2~ 28 14 0.5° 6ui/tling envelope LUCE ""II P/y Sfepback II ' 18' average Sfepback 9'avemge 35' maxs St. At Recommended zzzzooe FAR Max Existing 2.0 LUCE 2.75 Recommended 2.75 land Sfepback 9'aveage Recommended ].133888 58' 55' Mixed•USe USE Boulevard Ground Floor- Active local serving retail 5: Pub/ic Benefit Base 29 so 15 Pub/ic Benefit Base Vision: Activity Centers High qualify community places -centered around new housing opportunities, local serving retail including grocery stores and the cross roads of transit services. High quality pedestrian and gathering spaces to encourage walking from the adjacent residential neighborhoods. Location Criteria i' Nlax. Height t Street 31 Ability to: • Support surrounding neighborhoods with retail, services and public facilities including agrocery/druo store as an anchor • Support neighborhoods through the creation of a gathering place and a sense ofp/ace - •Support and be supported by transit @ intersection of N/S 8 FJW transit routes • Support a parking district with shared parking -Sufficient depth of parcels to create efFcienf below grade parking • Aggregate parcels with sufficient depth to create fo accommodate parking • Condition, age of structures would support revitalization zzz.zaae 32 16 i a3' max (a] Sf. cueE MixedUse Activity C enter 8 ~ Active Retail -~-i-I[u I AHOrtlab/~HOUSIng ) - l Recommended Public Benefit Base nzz zoos 33 Mixed Use FAR MdX Activity Center USE Centinelas Ground Floor- Active local s~{{Nffg Existing 2.0 retail. LUCE 3.5 Above the First Floor- Residential - Recommended 3.5 Except 40% of area above the ground floor may be local serving office Note: Structures with a grocery Land Use store may exceed max height by T Sfepbaek 9'avemge 35' max @st. ~K( Recommended ~ Publie eenefif Base zzz.zaoa 34 17 Pub/ic Benefit Mixed-Use Base s e, re ~.zz.zooe Ahigh-qualify mixed-use pedesfrian and frans~t corridor; with redeveloped auto showrooms and healthcare services; street enhanced with landscaped, shady sidewalks. Keylssues • Suburban form and character detract from cohesive urban form • Lack of affordable and workforce housing for healthcare employees. • Lack oflocal-serving retail and dining opportunities ¢n zoos ht dable of 27' ax. t ~et 35 36 ~$ 45° building envelope LucE Slepbaek ~ ]8'ave2ge Stepback 9'avemge~ SY max St. Ac(!ve Retai[ Recommended zzzzoos FAR Max Existing 7.5 LUCE 2.75 Recommended 2.0 Land Use Stepback ]8' average 18' max @ St. Recommended zzzzoaa 88' Benefit 48' - Affortlab/ - Public Benefit - Base Mixed-Use USE B/vd-L041 Ground F/oor-Active local serving retail Above the First Floor- Residential - Existing 48' Pubfic Benefit Base Downfown Specific Plan Downfown Specific Plan 37 38 19 ~zzzooe 31' mar @ Sf. Luc Stepba 9'aver 15' may @ 5f. Ree ezz zoos 26' ~+lax. Height at Strest 39 40 20 FAR Existing' 1.5/1 LUCE 1.75 Recommended 1.5 Land Use Stepba 9'aver. 25' maM @ St. Rec. zzzz°°e ~zzz°ae USE Ground Floor- All uses currently allowed in General Commercial Zone -Automobile dealers and related facilities Above the First Floor- General Commercial and Auto dealer related facilities l~l Roof top parking counted as 50% of roof area 47 42 21 Vision: AMixed-Use Neighborhoad Street A unique, slow paced two-lane street with improved bike lanes and pedestrian oriented creative and local-serving businesses with residential above 4 Sub-Areas Kay Issues Buildings do not address the street Loss of small creative arts offices and studios Lack of cohesive urban form and land uses. ].232008 45° Psi ~ 45°buirpmg 3'max~- enve/o e ), SG ~ ~ ~ I fixed-Use ~ d ivd. LO } 3Z' 38' 48'. f tlng s:~• f~ 1 I 10' 10 , ing - ff:: c AHOrdable Housing ....v , LUt^.p Pub/ic Bene/if Base ..:.._.::__.... ........ Stepback 18'average @Sf ar Active Retaily~ IJ'J$I 4$ Recommended '/22.2008 Base 44 22 FAR Existing' LUCE Recommended Land Use Sfepback - 18'average _ 4 Sfepback -: 9'avemge _:_. SS'max @St. -- ~. Recommended zz zaoa i zzzooe Mixed-Use Max USE en.d-pow Ground Floor- Active local serving 1.5 retail, small creative commercial uses 2.0 Above the First Floor- Residential 2.0 Exisfing 45' 45 46 23 Stepback 9'aversge 35' max @ St. FAR Max USE ' Ground Floor- Active local serving Existing 1.5 retail/Service Retail/Medical LUCE 2.75 gbove the First Floor- Residential Mixed-use Recommended 2.75 cenieiv LOW hand Gse EX(S$dnQ Stepback 9' averzge 55' Recommended zzz.zaoe Base 47 48 24 Recommended I Pp°" Base r.zz.zaae ~zz.iaae Vision: An Attractive, Local-Serving Boulevard Create a cohesive pedestrian environment as the street passes through various existing and potential environments Keylssues • A street of changing character -from residential on the east, through large scale commercial and residential to the potential for a Memorial Park Transit Village to a street accommodating a new light rail line Pages 3.3 - 57 inzooe Resitlential - Mixed-Use - Creative Existing DA - Site w/ 5 story creative arts Memorial Park Transit Village abbe 18' 49 50 25 45° builtlin'g ' envebp2 LUGS Sfepback f8'avemge Sfepback ~ 9'avemge 1 ~Y~ I AcGVe Refai! 1 L ReGOmmended ]22.1008 FAR Existing' 1.5 LUCE 2.0 Recommended 2.0 Land Use Sfepback f8'avemge Sfepback . 9'ave2ge ZY max Sf. ReGOmmended zzz zoos 45° 45' USE Ground Floor-Active local serving retail Above the First Floor- Residential or Studio, Small Office Existing Zoning Base 51 52 26 Z2240B 53 27 i nzooe 56 28 Vision: An Activity Center Anchor for Lincoln Boulevard A high quality community place -centered around new housing opportunities, local serving retail including a grocery store and the cross roads of transit services. Potential for shared district parking to serve the site and adjacent blocks. Potential to incorporate joint development with high school. 'High quality pedestrian and gathering spaces to encourage walking from the adjacent residential neighborhoods. Keylssues • Curb cuts interrupt pedestrian paths • Shallow lot depths hinder improvement • Development does not engage the street High • Difficult transitions from residential to commercial zaaa 45° LUCE 58' - Affortlab/e Housing -Public Bene/it -Base ~~ ~ 45° em 55' Recommended I Pub/i~ Base ~sz.iaaa 57 58 29 FAR USE ' Ground Floor-Active local serving Existing . 1.0 Retail/Service LUCE 2.75 Above the First Floor- Residential Recommended 2.75 Note: A building with a grocery store may exceed max height by 7' Land Use „I ~X1StInQ LOntn~, a5^ 35' 55' Recommended ~! _ ""°' Pub/i Base ].222008 59 30 Each district is addressed individually, including the key public benefits desired for the district with change • Location, existing character, issues The boundaries of the district and current situation to se# up the challenge • Vision Future land uses, #ransportaiian connac#ions and design • Goals and Policies Primary goals and actions to carry them out ~zzzooe 62 31 BERGAMOT TRANSIT VILLAGE Vision: A New, Vibrant Transit-oriented Neighborhood Anew mixed use creative arts/residential neighborhood centered around the new Exposition Line light rail station that preserves and enhances the creative arts job base and includes a strong residential balance. Keylssues • Large parcel sizes inhibit connectivity to surraunding s#reet grid and visual permeability of sites • Teed #a integrafe Expositian tighf rail s#ation P/lissing or unsay"e pedestrian pathways -connectivity to LRT Meed to retain creative arts uses Lack of open space z.zz zaae n__~.:'_ zzz zaae 63 64 32 45° bltlg_ envelope 75' Max (03 si Base WCE 75' Ilh o°m .... Recommended Building may not exceed an average height of 65' & Maximum height of 75' shall not exceed 50% of the building footprint /.Y1.2008 Recommended n ~a°a 65 . 1~~~~~~~I~~' ~, ' d., Recommended w/ three commercial floors ss 33 Vision: An eclectic creafivearts and residential neighborhood A mixed use commercial/residential neighborhood -. near Bergamot Station where opportunities for ( ~ !' creative arts jobs are balanced with a variety of (1 market rate and affordable workforce housing and °' neighborhood serving retail and services. Potential ~:__~~_ to reduce existing and new taps with TDM district Keylssues • Lackbfneighborhood commercial services for surrounding residents • Need for affordable and workforce housing near jobs • Large parcel sizes inhibit connectivity to surrounding street grid • Need to maintain vitality of creative arts uses • Ad hoc, unrelated "''°08development proposals sa 34 MIXED USE CREATIVE Mixed use Creati~ j 45° bui/tling enve/ope 48' max ' @Sf. puce P/~ Sfepback 18'avemge ~~ Sfepback R si ~ 9'average Resida Reside 33' max @ Sf. S Reside Recommended ~'ub/ic BeneTir Base zzz.zaae 70 35 FAR Existing' 2.0 LUCE 2.5 Recommended 2.5 Land Use P/~ Sfepback - 18'average Stepback ~ m 9'average t ~s Recommended 222008 USE Ground Floor- Active local serving Retail/Service, Creative Commercial and Residential Ahove the First Floor- Residential/ Creative Commercial Existing Zoning 55 Public BeneFrt Base ~~~~~~~~I~ ~~' ili, 7~ 36 e2z.zaae 72 Vision: A new neighborhood centered around a city park Create a geographical and functional central pads for Santa Monica within a new urban neighborhood focused around the proposed Midtown station on the Exposition light rail line. ~.n.~aaa 73 7a 37 Keylssues • Integration with Expo light rail alignment, • Maintaining Memorial Park as an ac recreational center featuring sports facilities • Poor urban form detracts from park. r.naooe Park Use Below Close 161 for park Extend the park over School District Joint use /the freeway Development ` ~ d//// Existing uses 122.2008 45° 45° 58' L ~ Public Benefit LUCE ~ Base 55' Recommended ].22.2008 Base 75 ~6 38 FAR Existing' 2.0 LUCE 2.5 Recommended 2.5 Land Usel P/l.~ Btepback I ~M1 fa'average Stepback 9'ave2ge 35' max @ St. Recommended zzz.zaae 35' Max. Height at Street USE Ground Floor-Active local serving Retail/Service, Creative Commercial and Residential Above fire First Floor- Residential/ Creative Commercial Existing Zoning 55' Base Memorial Park District 55' ~'dlax. Heightw/Affordable Housing set back 18' xzzzoos 77 78 39 Land use designation: j 1'~ ~i v 2 I ~~ LUCE Strategic Framework - Recommends preparation of a Specific Plan for Downtown Land Uses and intensities to be determined b the Downtown Spe Plan 1 Z2244B Land use designs#ion: Downtown Core Create a Specific Plan to address: New Theafers Updated parking Revitalized ~ SM Place Station Alt 1 New 2"a to Main Bridge Potential to cover the freeway Housing Opportunifies Expo LRT Co/orado Alignment Station Alt 2 V 79 Potential Plaza Development Opportunity elop -retain ao 40 PG Comments - Downtovun Downtown • Make the Downtown Specific Plan a high priority • lmprove pedesfrian connections from Promenade to adjacent streets Activate streets in addition to 3rtl stre2f. • lmprove downtown alleys; create active environment (see Chicago Green Alleys program) • lmprove appearance and functionality of downtown parking structures. /ncorporate them into the urban fabric • Bicycle facilities and amenities should be required for new development. Consider as a transportation mitigation program. • Expand Downtown boundaries to include Huntley Hotel • OK for Toyota dealership to remain and expand. ]22.2008 Airport and Business Bark Strategy: Create a Specific Plan for the area before 2015. Reexamine the land uses at the Business Park. After the 1984 FAA agreement expires, incorporate the Airport into local land use planning PC GOmment 81 Keylssues • Compatibility between Airport and surrounding residential uses; • Future of Santa Monica Airport property; and . • Need fo retain low-scale of commercial uses on the north side of Ocean Park Boulevard. Goals • To integrate Santa Monica Airport land into the City's Land Use Plan 41 )nclude Airport in LUCE Districts • Civic Center • Montana Avenue • Main Street • Beach and Oceanfront District • Industrial Conservation ,~zzaaa Specific Plan Boundary ~~. r__.(. ~"..~ ~ ~f~ ~ F ~~ ~ ~ ~- ~:.... Land Uses and intensities are specified by the Civic Center Specific Plan LUCE Strategy Framework recommends updating Specific Plan to refine overall vision and incorporate improvements beneficial to District. - 83 ezzzoaa - as 42 PC Comments -Civic Center = Enlarge proposed pedestrian and bicycle bridge at 7r~ (over freeway) for greater open space • Capifalize upon joint use potential with SMMUSD zzzzooe ~iOa~S 1. To preserve the low-scale character and appearance of the Beach and Oceanfront area ensuring its continued role as Santa Monica's defining open space. 2. To strengthen physical and visual connections between the City and beach by overcoming physical barriers such as the bluffs and depth of the beach with improved pedestrian, bicycle, and open space linkages. ®^o z.zz zaoa 85 86 43 PG Comments - beach and Oceant'ront District • Allow the. existing (Prop S) hotels to be remodeled/rehuilt - without any expansion • Recognize potential impact of sea level rise - to be addressed in thb E1R Y12008 Goals 1. Preserve and balance uses on Montana Avenue that allow the District to provide for daily shopping and service needs. 2. Protect and enhance Montana environment ;' ~ ~~ 22.2008 PC Comments - It~ontana • Improve the parking options for Montana 87 as 44 Goal 1. To preserve and enhance the distinctive qualities of Main Street that allow it to be a vibrant local and regional shopping and dining destination. PC Comments-Main~treet ~~ __ • Improve the "porosity" (between the large blocks to allow better connections to the beach Seek more effective and efficient use of narrow Main Street -Consider technological applications • Preserve the integrity of the existing "Main Street Plan" • Create connections to the beach through breaks in parking lots, cleaner alleys and facades oriented foward the beach ~z ~ooa Vision: Preservation and protection of Yraditional industrial uses Assure that the City maintains an area where land costs are relatively low so that existing and small businesses can be incubated and supported. Western area of the District will be reserved for industrial uses and exclude residential. Area between 17~h Street and Cloverfield Boulevard will allow some limited residential if found to 6e appropriate and beneficial to the community. Keylssuss. PC Comments -Memorial Park Districfi Important fo retain existing industrial services ,~~ooa R WOPU' AWAY IYtOk7t s u ~ 1 ~ Lia6 -; wnnrm/ten.. d residential, if d appropriate.;_. 14~"' fo Lincoln indusfrialogty,.} residential -- excluded'.' sa 45 CURRENT INCENTIVES Residential Districts •:• STATE/CITY DENSITY BONUS ORDINANCE ^ 20-30% density increase 45' ^ Additional lot coverage 40 ^ Reduced Setbacks 30' ^ .Reduced Parking ., •:• CITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT (100% OF UNITS) Includes State/City Density Bonus, Plus... ^ 50% density increase ^ Additional story within height limit zzzzaae RECENT EXPERIENCE IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS Privately Funded Projects • R2 (Low Density Multifamily) pre-2006 ^ Pay in-lieu fee (on-site affordable is rare) 4• R2 post-2006 - - ^ 4 market rate units + 1 affordable (per state%ity bonus) ^ Several projects in pipeline, none currently entitled Publicly Funded Projects • OP2 (Ocean Park Low Density Multifamily) ^ 50% density bonus, additional story, reduced packing R2 ^ 50% density bonus, additional story, reduced parking, reduced setbacks zzzzooe 92 46 RECENT EXPERIENCE IN COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS Privately Funded Projects :• Downtown ^ 5 stories, 50 market rate units overground floor commercial ^ Only 4 very-low income units •:• M1 (existing Industrial Conservation District) ^ 4 stories if...100% moderate rate AMI ^ Typical development is Single Room Occupancy units (SRO) at 150-375 SF Publicly Funded Projects •:• C4, BCD; Downtown Areas ^ 100% moderate to very-low income ^ Token ground floor commercial ornone at all 222008 93 CONCLUSION • Private sector needs additional incentives in return for building affordable and workforce housing. ® Curren#ly, virtually no incentive exists to include affordable or wrorkforce housing in privately funded Infixed-use projects • Publicly funded projects provide affordable housing units, but their number is limited. ,222°°0 94 L}7 AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE LUCE • LUCE maintains current affordable incentive policies such as additional story for 100°/a affordable housing projects • Through the LUCE process the community overwhelmingly supported the allocation of additional affordable housing in the City • LUCE policies give City Council ability to adopt additional incentives to create more affordable housing in commercial districts ,zzzaas 95 48 ~-~ 7'a a °d Area Median Income/Housing Affordability Family Size 1 person 4 people Annuallncome 80%AMI 42,450 60,650 Monthly Income /12 3,538 5,054 Housing as 30% of income 1,061 1,516 Housing as 35% of income 1,238 1,769 Annuallncome 100%AMI 53,100 75,800 Monthly Income /12 4,425 6,317 Housing as 30% of income 1,328 1,895 Housing as 35% of income 1,549 2,211 Annuallncome 120%AMI 63,720 90,960 Monthly Income 112 5,310 7,580 Housing as 30% of income 1,593 2,274 Housing as 35% of income 1,859 2,653 Annuallncome 150%AMI 79,700 113,700 Monthly Income /12 6,642 9,475 Housing as 30% of income 1,993 2,843 Housing as 35% of income 2,325 3,316 Annuallncome 180%AMI 95,580 136,440 Monthly Income /12 7,965 11,370 Housing as 30% of income 2,390 3,411 Housing as 35% of income 2,788 3,980 Annuallncome 200%AMI 106,200 151,600 Monthly Income /12 8,850 12,633 Housing as 30% of income 2,655 3,790 Housing as 35% of income 3,098 4,422 $ ~ ~-- `1~a~.f o July 15, 2008 Citv Council Meeting -Heights and Uses Blvd/District Comment WILSHIRE BLVD Boulevard • Is there sufficient ground floor height for retail if it's reduced from 18ft to 15ft? How did we arrive at the 15' ground floor retail height? • It's not meaningful to be lower than existing zoning because existing zoning is still too high. • There should not be any commercial above the first floor. By right allow one level of housing and third floor should be affordable housing. Plenty of room for more residential at Bergamot and Mixed Use Creative. Room for housing Downtown and at Activity Centers (maybe on Broadway). Streets like Wilshire and Santa Monica are boundaries for neighborhoods. People don't want this on the edge of their neighborhoods. They don't want it in "their back yards. People don't want to feel like they're living Downtown" -i.e. like they're living in an urban area. • Lowering retail height aft does not make better buildings, and does not reduce traffic. If we could add just one level of housing on top of commercial it would add a lot of housing. If we went to 2 or 3 levels how many units would it generate -would like to have some idea. • How do you define local serving retail, and how do you protect against chain or formula stores? Difficult to do. • Doesn't think Wilshire heights are too high. It promotes residential, and protects adjacent neighborhoods by offering new locations for housing. This type of residential development will help the retail. This is the strongest corridor for transit and it is served by strong transit line already. • It is appropriate to have greater heights in the General Plan. It allows for more flexibility and a variety of articulation. It addresses a long period of time going forward. The zoning will provide additional controls. • Wilshire is the major east-west thoroughfare from Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica and is the "mother boulevard" for Santa Monica. Agrees that proposed heights are appropriate and allows a reasonable development for this boulevard. It will provide housing opportunities. • Believes that there is room for more activity, but we need to ratchet down the heights. Other than in a Specific Plan or Activity Centers, we should allow 2 stories with 2"d floor residential, and allow additional limited height with significant public benefit. • Will there be any renewal at 32'? It's extremely difficult to park on Wilshire Boulevard.. A benefit to some redevelopment is possible additional shared parking. • Wilshire is 100 ft wide which can accommodate some height. When you look at a building like the Jans development on 3rd Street Promenade it doesn't look too tall because of the step backs. The height would provide for variability and would not "fill up the envelope." Over a 20-year period the whole street is not going to redevelop. The proposal provides for flexibility and what's being proposed is a propriate: • City heard from a variety of people over the 4 years, some who thought a fair amount of height on Wilshire Blvd was appropriate. The sense is -that we're frying to find the `sweet spot" and there is a suggested compromise that doesn't go so far as to eliminate the various public benefits but also seeks to address the concerns of some. Supports staff's revised recommendations. • The majority of people are not involved in the details of the zoning. They are concerned with place and character, and what the Wilshire corridor will look like and how to make it better. Where will young people live? The LUCE strategy provides for reasonable growth and moderate size buildings. • What types of public benefits are in jeopardy if the heights come down? Activity Centers " • Could be room for change at Activity Centers, they are a good idea, but scale needs to lower. Should have grocery store and drug store as anchor and it's a way to provide some shared neighborhood parking and park once. • The majority of the people where concerned about creating a desirable place. • Why was the Activity Center eliminated at Centinela? The interest was to remove some of the scale at this location, not remove it completely. Why the south side only for some office? • If the. activity center designation were to be eliminated at Centinela and Wilshire, would the Albertson's/Big 5 site need a development. agreement to redevelop? Public Benefit, Affordable Housing & Uses • City Attorney: there are issues to address with public benefits outside of the development agreemeht process. There-are always ways to do it, but there will be limits. • Will the affordable housing placed on the boulevards be subsidized by the City? • Questioned height for affordable housing. Extra height is given to 100% affordable housing projects. How will it work for mixed-use projects: • How can we actually provide "local serving office" and keep it local serving. • Small offices cater to lots of different people. SANTA MONICA East of 20`h -what is the rationale for additional height in this area? BLVD Answer; this is a great place for housing. We can get active retail.that is supported by new residents. • Unless it is a 100% affordable project, the height should not be higher than what it is today. • Very little visual impact of top two floor's because of step backs. • Regarding automobile dealer envelope, it is reminiscent of historic urban forms. • Need more information on how the affordable housing component works. Does City money get put into these projects or is it funded by the developer? BROADWAY What kind of projects are eligible for additional 10 feet? AND . Why are Broadway and Colarado given the same designation if one is a COLORADO bike street, and one is a light rail street? PICO OCEAN PARK LINCOLN . Would like to see the hill height at the activity center (at Ocean Park . Blvd) to understand how it is "nestled" into the hillside. BERGAMOT • Likes the idea of variability -create an interesting skyline. TRANSIT Variety in height is good- allows for open space. VILLAGE Doesn't like the use of the words "Village' to describe the area. MIXED USE • Believes that heights are too high. Thinks concept needs to be CREATIVE rethought. Prefers variety in height. What kinds of projects are eligible for extra height? Needs further definition. • Inquired about the jobs/housing split. Answer: should remain more than 50% creative arts. • Disagrees with mix. Believes that there already exists a lot of commercial in the area. Believes that this is an area for residential growth. MEMORIAL . How dependent is this district on the light rail? PARK Good place for new neighborhood given proximity to SMC and' Downtown. DOWNTOWN . OK with the boundaries of the Downtown • Agrees, but would like to call out Lincoln as a transitional street between the Downtown and the residential. • What is the purpose of including the Huntley in the Downtown boundary? What is the impact on the residential neighborhood likely to be, if any? They need to have their own parking so as not to impact the residential neighborhoods. AIRPORT • Consensus on including it in the LUCE CIVIC CENTER . Specific Plan process will address this area. BEACH AND . Can Propisition S hotels remodel already or does the LUCE need to OCEANFRONTZ change that? MONTANA Is the Montana Avenue Master Plan to be codified to the LUCE? Is the prohibition for underground parking still in place or will that be reconsidered? • More parking brings more pressure for regional stores. MAIN STREET Parking is the issue. INDUSTRIAL No discussion. CONSERVATION Qn June 23, 2Q08 the Planning Commission, on a 6 to 1 vote, passed the fallowing motion: Council Review July 1.2008 Plane Council Review .E1GE's Details are Described in Chapters • Future development must contribute to, not detract from, community • Performance Incentives for Public Benefits & for Affordable and Workforce housing Height & FAR w( Affordable! Height & FAR w/ Public Benefit Base Height & FAR Council Review July 1.2008 Traffic Reduction • Transportation Management • TDM District where applicable • Bike sfations (public) & bike improvements • Local Circulation lmprovemenfs • Bus stops, shelters & amenities • Neighborhood traffic improvements Traffic Mitigafion Fees 3 9 to Housing • ASordabfe Housing • Workforce Housing Council Review Julv 7.2008 Council 4 • Enhanced Pedestrian Environment with Coordinated Land Use Strategy to promote walking • Bicycle network and facilitieslamenities to promote bicycling • Coordination of bus and light raiFtransitsystems • Focus on reduction of vehicle trips 71 Council Review 5 Neighborhood Goals • New buildings compatible in character and scale • Create "Complete" neighborhoods by assuring walkable retail, services, parks and schools • Streets and sidewalks recognized as important open space; improved qualify • Improvements to enhance connectivity • Preserve older apartment buildings • Use of Conservation Districts as a preservation tool 13 Council Review 16 • Local Serving Retail • Services • Public Facilities • Parks/Recreation Council Review 7 Walkable Neighborhoods n • Districts implemented through Specific Plans • Downtown • Civic Center • Healthcare • Districts "triggered" through detailed public planning and intervention, e.g. establishing parking districts, establishing open space/pedestrian programs • Activity Centers -Wilshire & Lincoln • Districts supported by transit im • Bergamot Transit Village • Mixed Use Creative • Memorial Park • Downtown • Market and Economic Forces Council Review Monitoring Program ta: • Identify Performance Targets and Thresholds • Identify key elements of Plan to be monitored • Design methods to monitorlreport findings 18 • Monitoring Program • Establish program and responsibilities for monitoring • Report findings fo PC/Council • Analyze Impacts • Recommend Necessary Adjustments • Recommend Plan/policy adjustments to PC/Council 2008 Council Review July 1, 2008 • LUCE pravides a sound framework thafi outlines a positive VISION for Santa Monica's fature LUCE creates gams, policies and strategies to assure the implementation of the VISION E,UCE pravides methods far measuring performance and recommending adjustments to meet changing needs, markets and economies 19 Council Review Mom and Pop • Add subsidizing mom and pop shops as a public benefit after redevelopment (especially affordable grocery and retail)' Housing and Mixed Use • Define workforce housing and the relationship to affordable housing. • Workforce housing should be incentivized by the City, but not subsidized Economic Analysis • Conduct economic analysis to determine how to provide truly affordable new housing. • Given the ability of commercial development to support workforce housing, conduct economic analysis to determine how market rate resldentia! development can also provide workforce housing. • Conduct economic analysis to evaluate how smaller residential projects can provide public benefits. • Consider adding density within''/a mile radius ofmajor transit stops. 2U Council Review 9 FAR •- Ezplafn why the LUCE uses a unHs/acre formula for density in the residential dfsfricfs rather than an FAR formula as in tire mixed use disfricts - Recommendafion -staff to eva/uate using an FAR formula and evaluate in the next phase of the work Land Use • Consider adding density within'/, mile radius of major transit stops -Explore • Include policies to retain affordable grocery stores and other retail goods (such as drug sfores} throughout fhe City so that people don'f have to leave the City to shop • Protecf affordability of existing multifamily buildings 21 Council ~.i ,, r-. ( „~ ~~ ... ~~ ~'~ - " ~... \ ~,,~. Urban Design • Ensure flexibility in building heights to create variation. Streefwa!l should regect stepbacks and/or building envelope angles to encourage articulation. Staff agrees • Examine shade from buildings on adjacenf residential uses and on boulevards under proposed LUCE. Examine opportunity for some increased height in south side of boulevard for solar access. z2 ymponEVroN~t ~ r-I ~'- ~ ~~- ~ : "+.. . ~~€aa,~. e~~s~ .~~ ~. ~ M Recommendation: Staff has studied shadows and does not believe that the shadows are an issue. Include design standards forbuildings that front both a boulevard and side streets. Recommendation: Staff will include in the nexf iteration of the plan Council Review 10 Urban Design • Develop more solutions to allow for redevelopment of shallow parcels on Boulevards. Recommendation: Staff will explore potential parking solutions for shallow lots in the next phase of the work Parking under the sidewalk Parking under d~~~e.,~ .o~~ae.,e~i Council Review • Add Historic Preservation as an element of Sustainability in the "Core Values of the Community -Text will Ire added • Add Historic Preservation as a "Public Benefit"- Text added as well as adaptive reuse • Add the concept of reducing, the use of raw materials through adaptive reuse of existing buildings and preservation of historic structures -Text will be added • Add the concept of adaptive reuse and historic preservation fo the policy language in relevant sections -Text will be added • Add text to the appropriate sections to assure the preservation of mature trees -Text will he added • Utilize "Transfer of Development Rights" concept to assist in historic preservation. 2a Council Review July 1.2006 11 'TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RlGM7S Qualified Historic Restoration of a Registered building may be considered a "Public Benefit" Zoning advantages for Public Benefits may be transferred to a another parcel within the City 25 ~_ Qcean f L ~,~ 4 26 Public Benefit zoning advantages must conform to zoning conditions for the property to which the advantages are transferred Council Review 2008 BQtt~eVc'tt"t~ ~; j35 _- Council Review 1.2008 I 12 zr __. Overall vision for the Boulevards" Page"3.3 - 3 • Important Part of City's. Public Open Spaee * Integral Part of CircWation System • Part of historical pattern • Part of LA Basin circulation system • Former Pacific Electric Railway System • Re-emerge in LUGS' as important & necessary for: • Housing - a wide variety • Transportation, • Open space • Pedestrian ways • Neighborhood retail/ services • Flacemaking Council Review Julv 1.2008 Overall Vision'#or the Boulevards Page 3.3 - 3: • Active Gathering Places • Pedestrian Oriented • Residential • Local Retail/Services • Enhanced Transit Facilities • Boulevard Activity Centers • 14 th and Wilshire • Cenfinela and Wilshire 1850 households_ w/in'/a mile of 14'h & Wilshire 8500 households ~ , w/in % mile radius sa Council Review 13 ~~ ?_ - ~ • ® • boulevards - PG Genera C~e~r~ertts E a 3 q o o - v ConSidel N ~?i$e '° ~ e ° 0 Santa onica 26TM-C/ovedle/tl asa =~ w A~n'O 8 Busin ss Park Boulevard 'mo m 9 ~ n. 'sit illa .. o.@. m u S. Vicente 8 ® e- ndust I Olympic as @_.,,„..- ---m~x.r~ p ajion Parkways ~ - a ~~ `- e ~ - orial rk k a ivity G` ter _ n _.__._..._._ ~ _ ...._~.~~ mac. _ ._._._~..x:.. "' a tine In is the neediest y ~ e oft Blvds. o 'P Lincoln E#end ~Ishire to ~ '"~ ~ ® Ocean p E entl Pico & Ocean - 6 p rk to O n A ~ _ Add Ocean as - ~ ~ cea ve -. w "Grand"Blvd "` 29 Council Review July 1, 2008 Boulevards - PG Caenerat Comrtaerots • PC suggested looking at streetwall heights as a function of street widths, stepbacks, sidewalk widths, cumulative effect on Boulevard and street character • PC suggested that slreefs and boulevards should be thought ofas a whole and not dividers ofneighborhoods-Plan incorporates this approach • On Boulevards, surface parking lots should be mindful ofadjacent residential areas. Text/policy will be addedYO make this point • Include a statement about permeable pavemenP along fhe Boulevards as a method of helping Santa Monica Bay - TexP/policy will be added to make this point • Adtl local serving office to uses at 14r^ and Wilshire ActivityCenter-Text will be included • Evaluate street classiTication alternatives for 26°i Street. Traffic needs to be addressed on this street. Do not put bikelanes on 26~^. Staff will explore in next iteration of the plan • Ground floor uses on mixed use boulevards should be commercial, not residential 30 Council Review 14 a1 32 Page 3.3 5 Vision: A Livable Boulevard A vibrant, high-qualify pedestrian and transit corridor; with a mix of local serving uses, housing, open space, widersidewa/ks, landscaping and a cohesive urban form Pedestrian Oriented not Auto-oriented Keylssues • Auto-oriented; hostile pedestrian environment • Small parcel sizes hinder shared parking and other opportunities • Poor transition from commercial to adjacent residential • Retail do not serve adjacent residents • Lack of urban form and visual interest Council Review July 1.2008 Wilshire Boulevard Page 3.3 - G Mixed Use Boulevard Designation Height: Base: 32' With Public Benefits: 48' Intensity (PARS: Base: 1.50 With Public Benefits: 2.25 Deed restricted affordableJworMOrce housing will be permitted an additional 10' of height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of State density bonuses .Goals Page 3.3 • To transform Wilshire into a livable boulevard • To create a premier multi-modal boulevard • To create focal points of activity at Centinela and 14'" Street Council Review July 1.2008 15 33 34 Council Above Streetwall -Building Setback w/in 40 degree plane (45 degree?) Max height Streetwall 4 Bonus Height 48' w! Base Public Height Benefit 32' Typical Mixed Use Boulevard Designation WILSHIRE Council 16 Height requirements biased toward residential use Retail + 3 levels of residentiatin 48' WILSHIRE 35 Council Review July 1.2008 Wilshire Boulevard T Gal 1984 General Plan Ala 84' w! Site Review LUGS Existing LUCE 8 Proposal Zoning 55' Zoning w/ Affordable Housing 9'average setback @30'&45' 36 Council Review ~7 Retail + 2 levels of office iri 48' PG Gomments-UVilshire Boulevard Planning Commission expressed concern over the allowable building heights at: • Wilshire Boulevard • Wilshire Boulevard Activity Centers Planning commission recommended using 45 degrees as front building envelope plane rather than 40 degrees. RECOMMENDATION • Evaluate a range of heights in the Wilshire Boulevard and on the Wilshire Activity Centers -Consider lowering heights by 10' (which is below heights allowed with the current zoning) Evaluate the economics to determine if base requirements, public benefits and workforce/affordable housing can alt be achieved • Evaluate how population density supports retail, and a befterplanned/built community • Evaluate aesfhetics, practicality and economics of the viability of heights based upon the currentaoning heights and with the lower streetwalUstepbacks (e.g. exisfing stepback formula modified to eliminate to current admintsfrative difficulties • Change the bui(dmg envelope angle to 45 degrees 37 Council Review FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 40/45 degree 45 degree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope r 32' base 48' 10' Building Envelope 38 Council Review 18 FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 40/45 degree 45 degree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope 32' base 39 BASE Building Envelope Height 32' FAR 9.5' Council Review 10' FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 40/45 degree 45 degree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope 32' base ao PUBLIC BENEFIT Building Envelope Height 32' FAR 1.5' Council Review 10' 1.2008 19 41 FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 40/45 degree 45 degree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope 32' base 10' PUBLIG BENEFIT Height 32' Building Envelope FAR 1.5' Council Review 2008 20 FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 43 40 degree Building Envelope 45 degree Rear Building Envelope 58' affor ..a . ............., ous °'.~ 48' height .,... ,oy ............. ., ..oe „ ,®w'A, 32' base PUBLIC BENEFIT Height 48 ~--.~ 1o'setback Building Envelope FAR 2.25' Council Review July 1. FAR Analysis ~ Wilshire Boulevard 40 degree 45 degree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope 48' 44 PUBLIC BENEFIT+AFFORDABLE h--~1o'setback Building Envelope Height 48+10' FAR 2.75' Council Review Julv 1.2008 21 45 46 FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 40 degree °®~., 45 degree Building ,: °°, Rear Building Envelope°.' °.a Envelope 48' BA8E Height 32' Building Envelope FAR 1.5' Council Review 10' FAR Analysis - Wilshire Boulevard 40 degree 45 degree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope 48' RUBLIC BEPlEFlT Building Envelope Height 48' FAR 2.25' Council Review 32' base 10' 1.2006 2008 22 FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 40 degree 45 de ree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope 1 ~2 PUBLIC BENEFIT + AFFORDABLE Building Envelope a7 10' 32' base Height 48 +10' FAR 2.75' July 1.2006 Council Review FAR Analysis -Wilshire Boulevard 40 degree 45 degree Building Rear Building Envelope Envelope 1 48' PUBLIC BENEFIT + AFFORDABLE Building Envelope 10' Height 48 +10' FAR 2.75' as Council Review 23 Alexandria 66' ROW 50' Streetwall 49 so Santa Cruz 80' RQW 50' Streetwall Small Scale Communities with w! 50' Streetwall Council Review Julv 1.2008 Small Scale Communities with w! 50' Streetwall Council Review Julv 1, 2008 24 57 52 Mixed-Use Boulevard Activity Centers Centinela & Wilshire I Planning Commissic suggested 26th Stree f4t^ 8 Wilshire Blvd Criteria Ability to: • Support surrounding neighborhoods H retail, services and public facilities including agrocery/druo store as anal • Support neighborhoods through the creation of a gathering place and a sen place • Support and be supported by transit intersection of N/S & FJW transit route; • Suppport a parking district with shared parking-Sufficient depth ofparce/s to create efficient below grade parking •Aggregate parcels with sufficient depti create to accommodate parking • Condition, age of structures would sup, revitalization Council Review 74t^ 8 Wilshire Activity Center Mixed-Use Activity Center Designation Height Base: 32' With Public Benefits: 4S' Base:ltY 1.50 ~`gr~tE With Public Benefits: 2.50 Deed restricted affordable/workforce housing will be permitted an additional 2a' of height antl 1.0 FAR inclusive of State density bonuses Council Review 25 110' RIGHT OF WAY 10' wider 53 Council Review 54 - Council Review iegree Iding elope brdable using 26 Existing Zoning LUCE Progosal 55 56 Council Review Julv 7.2006 Centinela @ Wilshire Activity Center Mixed-Use Activity Center Designation Height Base: 32' With Public Benefits: 48' Intensity (FAR) Base: 1.50 With Public Benefits: 2.50 Deed restrictetl affordablehvork/orce housing will be permittetl an additional20' of height antl 1.0 FAR inclusive o/ Sfaie density bonuses 27 PG Gamments - V~ilshire Activity Center's • Given future frartsportatiort possibilities, consider whether an Aefivify Center at 26th and bYilshire is appropriate • Consider towering heights for fhe Ac6vify Center at Cenfine/a and ~lsh/re (see eommenf above) 57 RECOMMENDATION- Staffto explore in detail the opportunity around 26h Street. - Especially the depth of lots to accommodate regwred parking Councib Review , 2008 Wilshire Boulevard Page 3.3 - 13 • To transform Wilshire into a livable boulevard • Mid-price hotels encouraged • Exisfing auto dealers may remain & expand within the urban pattern • Each block is encouraged to have a mix of uses to ensure 17/7 activity • Sidewalk dining encouraged • Max. height of streefwatl 48' - Height above 48'stepped back at 40 degree slope • Buildings on Wilshire should face Wilshire - • Building height may increase by l o% for no more than 1/3 the width of the property to provide for an interesting skyline ss • Buildings facing residential shallbe setback within 45 degree plane from point 20' above the prop. line To create a premier multi-modal boulevard • Landscaped widened median • Widened sidewalks • Extend sidewalks • Enhanced cross walks • Site access controls To create focal points of activity a4 Centinela and 14th Street • Mix of local/neighborhood serving uses • Small floor plate offices @Centinela • Shared parking Council Review 1,2008 28 Vision: A Livable Boulevard Ahigh-qualify mixed-use pedestrian and transit corridor with redeveloped auto showrooms and healthcare services; street enhanced with landscaped, shady sidewalks. 3 Keylssues • Suburban form and character detract from cohesive urban form • Lack of affordable and workforce housing for healthcare employees. • Lack of local-serving retail and dining opportunities 59 Council Review - ~ July 1 2000 60 Centlnela t0 26th St.: Mixed Use Boulevard Designation Height: Base: 32' With Public Benefits: 48' Intensity (FAR}: Base: 1.50 With Public Benefts: 2.25 26th St. to 20th St: Health Care Mixed Use Height: Base: 32' With Public Benefits: 48' Intensity (FAR): Base: 1.50 With Public Benefts: 2.25 20th St. to Lincoln Boulevard: General Commercial Height: Base: 32' With Public Benefits: 48' Deed restrictetl af(ordable/workforce housing will be permitted an atltlifional f0' of height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of State tlensify bonuses 2008 Intensity (FAR): Base: 1.25 With Public Benefits: 1.75 Council Review Pages 3.3 - 18-20 29 61 sz Council Review Goals 1. To transform Santa Monica Blvd. into an attractive, mixed-use boulevard by encouraging concentration and aesthetic improvement of healfhcare and auto-related land uses vital to the City's economy. 2. To create amulti-modal boulevard with an inviting pedestrian environment, while maintaining fhe boulevard's function as a major east-west transit & traffic corridor. Council Review +48' 16' - +32' 30 PC Gommen4s - ~anYa BViattica ~aulevard Hedgh~s Planning Commission expressed concern over the allowable building heights at the eastern end of Santa Monica Boulevard (Mixed Use Boulevard Designation) RECDMMENDATlON • Evaluate a range of heights similar to Wilshire Boulevard -Consider lowering heights try f 0' (which is below heights allowed with the currentzoning} Evaluate the economics to determine ifbase requirements, public benefits and workforce/affordable housing can all be achieved • Evaluate aesthetics, practicality and economics of the viability of heights based upon the current zoning heights and with the tower streetwatl/stepbacks (e.g. existing stepback formula moditred to eliminate to current administrative difffcufties sa Council Review July 1.2009 Vision: AMixed-Use Neighborhood Street Continue as a unique, slow paced two- lanestreet with improved bike lanes and pedestrian oriented creative and local- servingbusinesses. 4 Sub-Areas Keylssues • Buildings do not address the street • Loss of small creative arts offices and studios • Lack of cohesive urban form and land uses. Pages 3.3 - 18-20 64 Council Review 31 Centinela to 26th St.: Pages 3.3- 22 Low Density Housing Height: 30'; Density: 29 units/acre Deetl restricted affordable/work/once housing will be permitted an atltlhional f0' 01 height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of State density bonuses C 26th St. to Clovertleld: Mixed-Use Boulevard Low Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.25 /FAR W/ Public Benefits: 38', 1.75 FAR Office Campus Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.50 FAR W/Public Benefits: 48', 1.75 FAR Deetl restrlctedaffordable/workforce housing will be permittetl an additional 10' of height and 0.5 FAR inclusive o)State density bonuses C Parks & Open Space 9v Council Review Julv 1, 2000 Cloverfield to 20th St.: Mixed Use Activity Center Low Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.5 FAR W/ Public Benefits: 48', 2.25 FAR Deetl restricted affordable/workforce housing will be permitted an addffional 10' of height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of State density bonuses C 2gth $t. t0 LInCOIn: Mixed Use Boulevard Low Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.25 FAR W/ Public Benefits: 38' 1.75 FAR Deed restriciedaffordable/workforce housing will be permitted an additional f0' 01 height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of State density bonuses C Pages 3.3 - 22 66 -0ouncil. Review 32 67 se ~~ 45 degree setback 40 degree setback ~~ ~ /Affordable housing 10' 48 ~ ~, ~~38' streetwall 18' Mixed Use Blvd I~QW Council Review Goal To develop an integrated pattern of land uses along Broadway that preserves existing low density residential neighborhoods and creates incubator spaces for the creative arts and opportunities for affordable and workforce housing that supports nearby employment centers. Council Review JUIV t, 2008 33 Trader Vision: An Attractive, LocalServing Boulevard A more cohesive pedestrian environment with good choice of quality retail, improved north- south connectivity, shared parking districts and workforce housing. 4 Sub-Areas Keylssues • Limited parking availability for residents and businesses • Shallow lot depths inhibit ability to provide parking and redevelopment of properties • Automobile-oriented land uses are inconsistent with desired pedestrian character. 69 Certtirlela t0 $teWart Stewart t0 Zdth .r1. t. 20th St. to '16th St.: Mixed-Use Boulevard Low Height, Intensity (FAR):' Base: 32', 1.25 /FAR W/ Public Benefits: 38', 1.75 FAR Neighborhood Commercial Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.50 FAR W/Public Benefits: 32', 1.50 FAR Cehtinela to 20'^ Street- Deed restricted affordable/workrorcehnusing will be permitted an additional f0' of height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of State density bonuses C ~o Page 3.3 - 61 Pages 3.3 - 57 Council Review Council Review 34 16th St. to Lincoln BBvd.: General Commercial Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.25 /FAR W/ Public Benefits: 38', 1.75 FAR Neighborhood Commercial Height, Intensity (FAR): Base:. 32', 1.50 FAR W/Public Benefits: 32', 1.50 FAR High Density Housing Height: 45'; Density: 49 units/acre Pages 3.3 - 64 Deed restrictetl affortlable/worMorcehousfing will be permdtetl an addifiona/ 10' of height and 0.5 FAR Inclusive of Stafe tlensity bonuses C 71 Lincoln Blvd. to Main St.: Mixed Use Boulevard Low .Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.25 FAR W/ Public Benefits: 38', 1.75 FAR High Density Housing Height: 45'; Density: 49 units/acre Pages 3.3 - 64 Review July 1.2008 Deed restricted of/ordable/worklorcehousing will be permitted an additional f0' of height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of Sfate density bonuses C 72 Council Review Julv 7. 2008 35 CiOaIS Pales 3.3 - 65 1. To transform Pico into. an attractive and cohesive boulevard with local- . serving land uses supported by shared parking and pedestrian amenities. 2. To create a "complete" boulevard with high quality pedestrian and bicycle connections to the Pico, Sunset Park and OP neighborhoods. 3. To create a transit crossroads at Lincoln and neighborhood centers near SMC and east of Stewart for gathering, shopping, entertainment. 73 Council Review RG Comments -Pico Boulevard Fleights 7a Council Review 36 Gomments -Pico Boulevard Pico Boulevard Land Uses • Consider incentivizing housing over the commercial to overlook Woodlawn on 14'^ Street between Pico and Michigan. Staff will explore -see discussion of Boulevard Heights above • Explore the potential for an opportunity to incentivize housing on the northeast corner of the intersection with Cloverfield - Staff will explore • Emphasize services like a Post Office, a bank, etc.... • Explore the potential for allowing higher intensity uses fo incentivize public benefits and get appropriate land uses across from the College that include residential, including possible shared or reduced parking with SMC. Staff will explore -see discussion of Boulevard Heights above • -Explore the potential for slightly higher intensiiyhetween 14u and Cloverfield to allow for more residential deve/opment opportunities -Staff will explore • Explore the potential for higher density on the south side of Pico between Cloverfield and Stewart. -Staff will explore • Underground utility lines 76 Council Review - July ~ Business Park Vision: A "complete" neighborhood-serving street with two vibrant centers supported by the adjacent residential area Enhance the connection between the Business Park and the boulevard to foster a more vibrant neighborhood center; enhance the center around 17~n St. with landscaping, street lighting, better crosswalks. Keylssues 4 • Undefined street edge and suburban character created by Santa Monica Business Park surface Tots • Uninviting pedestrian environment around 171h Street John Adams School Pages 3.3- 69-75 76 - Council Review 37 Centinela to 25th St., 77th St. Neighhorhood Center Neighborhood Commercial Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.5 FAR W/ Public Benefits: NIA 5M Business Park Office Campus Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.5 FAR W/Public Benefits: 48', 1.75 FAR 77 Council Residential Areas (25th St. to 18'h gt.. 7gm St. to Lincoln Blvd. Medium Density Housing Height: 40'; Density: 35 units/acre Deed restricted affordable/workforce housing will be permitted an additional 10' o/height and 0.5 FAR inclusive of State density bonuses C 78 Pages 3.3 - 73 38 Pages 3.3 - 71 Goals • To establish OP Blvd. aslocal-serving boulevard with distinctive neighborhood centers. • To encourage ongoing maintenance and beautification of OP Blvd: s residential uses. • To create aneighborhood-oriented, secondary avenue with an improved pedestrian and cycling experience.. • To enhance the two neighborhood centers. Existing Praposetl T8 Council Review July t 2008 Caanments - Qcean Park Boulevard • Planning Commission su99esfetl Uexible height on Ocean Park Boulevard between f 6'^ and 18r" Streets (mixetl opinion). RECOMMENDATION -Evaluate providing modest increases to the height M this tocaUon • Steps should be taken to tieaudfy the John Adams school frontage. The City should explore opportunittes to soften the took from a chain link fence io a more atUactive environment Ideas that should be exploretl include moving the fence back fo create a greenway of open space and public seating, builtling a more attractive fence and adding lantlscaptng, such as vines. Staff will add text 80 Council Review 39 Page 3.3 - 43. Vision: A Distinct Commercial District Improved streetscape and variety of commuter and neighborhood serving uses that bridges the SunsetPark and Ocean Park neighborhoods, while serving its regional transportation role. at Page3.3 - 46 South of the 1-10 Freeway: General Commercial Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1.25 /FAR W/ Public Benefits: 38', 1.75 FAR Parking antler the sidewalk Parking antler atljacent residential Keylssues • Curb cuts interrupt pedestrian paths • Shallow lot depths hinder improvement • Development does not engage the street • Difficult transitions from residential to commercial Council Review July t. 2008 will be Council Review 40 Ocean Park/Lincoln Activity Center Mixed-Use Activity Center Low Height, Intensity (FAR}: Base: 32', 1. 5 /FAR W/ Public Benefits: 48', 2.25 FAR Deed restricted affordable/work/orce housing will be permitted an atlditlonal f0' of height and 0.5 FAR inclusive o/State density bonusesC Page 3.3-48 83 Page 3.3 - 50 Lincoln/Pico Transit Crossroads Mixed-Use Boulevard Low Height, Intensity (FAR): Base: 32', 1. 25 lFAR W/ Public Benefits: 38', 1.75 FAR Deed restricted affordable/workforce housing will be permitted an atld~tlonal f0' of hetyht and 0.5 FAR inclusive o/State density bonuses C 84 41 Council Review Julv ~_ pp Goals 1. To redevelop as a distinct and visually cohesive boulevard serving visitors, transit passengers and nearby neighborhoods. 2. To create amulti-modal boulevard with a safe, engaging environment. 3. To create a focal activity point @ OP Blvd. as a signature development for the neighborhood. 4. To create opportunities @ Broadway intersection. 5. To create a vibrant gathering place @ Pico based on transit patrons. Page 3.3 - 54 _ 85 Council Review PC Comtvtents - Lincoln Boulevard Land Uses • Focus residential development around key intersections including intersections with Arizona, Santa Monica, and areas where there are small strip malls. Will be noted for the Downtown Specific Plan • Explore opportunities for assisfing with parcel assembly to ensure some redevelopment opportunify along Lincoln. Text will 6e added • PC supported encouraging the redevelopment of the existing Albertsons site at the comer of Ocean Park and Lincoln and suggested it should be a priority for the City. PC noted that an attractive project in this location could serve as a catalyst for adjacenf development, could provide shared parking to allow redevelopment of smaller, nearby parcels and could serve as the visual gateway to the City along Lincoln Boulevard even though the actual border is several blocks south. Staff concurs fully + PC discussed changing the land use designation from Ocean Park south to Ozone fo a higher density. Staff will explore Mixed-Use Commercial or General Commercial options. + PC suggested a "gateway" treatment for fhe City's southern border near Ozone. Staff will explore the opportunities. 86 Council Review Judo 42 ~C Comments -~ L.inccaln Bc~u9ev~rti Lincoln Boulevard • Lincoln is the most challenging street in Ehe Ciiy. LUCE policies should focus on making Lincoln Boulevard more effective and beautiful rather than drastically changing if into a different type of p/ace. Two strategies to do fhis are increasing parking opportunities and streetscape beautification. Staff Agrees • Beautification ofsfieet should be the highest priority for Lincoln Boulevard and would make a big difference in the visual attractiveness of the area. Staff Agrees • .Lincoln functions like a residenfial boulevard north of fMlshire; this should be labeled as such and there are significanf enhancements that could be included on this stretch of the sf~eet. Staff Agrees • The LUCE Should make sure that Lincoln Boulevard is not redeveloped such ttiat !here is a loss ofaffordable retail. StaffAgrees • Consider working with the School District fo create a shared parking facility in conjunction with the school facility at the corner of Ocean Park and Lincoln. This facility could be used to support new uses near the intersection of Ocean Park and Lincoln Boulevard. Staff will discuss with the School Districf 87 Council Review Julv 7. 2008 43 ATTACHMENT B Summary of Planning Commission Comments: Public Hearings May 22, 28, & 29, and June 3, 4, 9, & 11, 2008 -3- Planning Commission Summary Comments Neighborhoods Cont'd & Summary Discussion -June 11, 2008 NEIGHBORHOODS - CONT'D Pico Neighborhood • .The local community serving uses should include public amenities such as a library, post office, bank, etc. • There are social issues not typical of other neighborhoods in City. • The area suffers traffic and environmental issues -the power lines should be prioritized for undergrounding. • More lighting for pedestrians is needed. • More greenery and landscaping are needed in the area. • Clovertield is a real divide. • Bike path on Michigan ends at Cloverfield -how it continues and connects east Pico will be important. West Wilshire Neighborhood • The new buildings are oriented toward a walkway down the side of the property, which makes for an odd situation. Anything that can be done with regard to design standards to change the orientation would be good. • There needs to be a general emphasis on strengthening design standards. • The area is very "parking challenged." Fourth Street is very wide -why not create angled parking on at least one side (although it was noted that it could conflict with bicycles). Should have someone look at it sooner rather than later. Ocean Park Neighborhood • Important to make a .point that every commercial development must minimize impacts on residential neighborhood -should be a Principle. • The integrity of the Main Street Plan needs to be preserved over time. • Ocean Park is a very fine-grain texture, which is what makes it vvonderful -its eclectic nature and visual variety. The standards appropriate for this neighborhood might not be appropriate elsewhere -very small lots. Encourage the lots to stay small (avoid assembling lots) within the neighborhood. The Ocean Park Design Guidelines should be referenced as they were "hammered out" by the community. • The neighborhood is the hilliest in the City - it makes it difficult for bikes and peds. There`s a need to connect the neighborhood safely. • The narrow streets do allow bikes and cars to coexist better than some areas. • There was a discussion of view corridors. One commissioner mentioned the need for-view protection guidelines or standards. Another commissioner mentioned that 1 he has concerns about such standards because it's an equity issue and it favors those who were there first. • The neighborhood markets are real assets -the LUCE should reference the need to protect existing neighborhood mr;rkets. Multi-Family North Neighborhood • There's a need for transportation that will link the neighborhood to main transit lines and other parts of the City. • A lot of families with young children live in this area -need for a play area in the Northern part of Palisades Park GOALS N1-11 Neighborhood streetscape -incorporate ecosystem measures such as managing run-off. Alleys should be specifically called out for streetscape treatments - green them. Also cul-de-sacs ahd dead-ends- are places where asphalt can be removed. N3.8 The use of the words "green" and "sustainable" are used interchangeably. Should make language consistent. N-4 Include electric vehicles. N1-9 Presence existing trees -need to refer to preserving the canopy. Add to the pedestrian experience by creating an outdoor learning environment -label a tree, add signs about the wildlife for young children. N1-5 Add language about preserving courtyard buildings and discouraging demolition. Roundabouts -there needs to be an assessment of stop sign locations. Encourage roundabouts where logical -where there are: high traffic patterns: very sustainable. Good for bicyclists. Require driveway access be from alleys. Require ground level open space in multi-family developments. N1-1 Allow our housing stock to regenerate -can help preserve by allowing people to improve and make minor additions. N1-2 Add pocket parks to thelist. They add texture to the community. N7-4 Not just "existing" neighborhoods, its all neighborhoods. 2 N1-5 Flexibility and site appropriate adaptive use provides texture. The LUCE needs to encourage "organic quality" of neighborhoods through flexibility. N3-2 Including porches is too specific. Need to encourage 4-sided design. Encourage diversity and superiority of design. Encourage animal friendly environment. The neighborhoods should be friendly to children, the elderly and pets. We are a creative community and have eclectic neighborhoods . "Compatibility" in character does not need to lead to a narrow view. Need to allow flexibility. Bob Odermatt's Presentation - PC Comments: • Stepback Requirements- a suggestion was made to use the existing step back (articulation) requirements rather than the proposed 45 degree set back and address the issues where the developers have manipulated or "gamed" the requirements. • TDRs -Would like to consider dividing the City into areas so that the development rights could only be transferred within a certain area. Another commissioner commented that this is the Strategic Framework and at this point it's a concept. It could be worked out in more detail later in the process. A comment was also made that TDRs are a tremendous tool to encourage owners to voluntarily designate their properties for Landmarking. • Public Benefits -The City needs to ensure that there is sufficient staffing capacity to carry out aperformance-based approach. There was also a concern raised about whether the approach might lead to only getting the low base and none of the benefits. • Heights -One commissioner noted support for the performance-based approach but had a general concern for the heights, noting that the community already has concerns about the current standards. Another commissioner responded that he recalled hearing community members saying that they would support heights in appropriate locations to get more affordable housing. There was a suggestion raised for a sliding scale on benefits so if the building went to 3 stories instead of 48' the City would still get some benefit. There was general consensus that some photo examples would be helpful. Bob Odermatt proposed the idea of having a working session at a later point in time involving local architects to explore height and massing issues and work on details for areas of flexibility to achieve the variation desired by the Planning Commission. 3 GENERAL DISCUSSION There was a discussion about the decision making process and it was ,decided that the meeting could be continued to an additional night: • A suggestion was made to analyze the proposed heights in the Framework but also examine lower heights and the consequences- i.e. the economic viability. One commissioner noted that the Zoning Code is what really regulates -- it is more accessible and available for adaptive management. The question was raised as to whether the Framework, and ultimately the General Plan sets the outside boundary. The economic analysis is going to be important to determining what is feasible in terms of benefits. The discussion about benefits is very important. • Concern was expressed about the potential effects of Activity Center commercial development, combining lot sizes and reducing parking requirements. A concern was also expressed about the amount of market rate housing that might be .generated. • it was proposed -that many Public Benefits should simply be required for all development. A further comment was made that all new development should have significant public benefit at the base height and benefits for additional height should be extraordinary. (At some point during the discussion the PC attorney cautioned that there needs to be a nexus). It was proposed that the extraordinary benefits could be divided into 3 categories: 1) Infrastructure: such as streets and roundabouts 2) Space displacement: dedicated space for public use such as adult or child day care, shared parking, TDRs, libraries, schools 3) Housing: a concern was raised that if the same benefit is provided for affordable as workforce, it would likely produce more workforce than affordable. Staff clarified that the benefits are not equal. City .and state law provides an additional 10' for affordable and subsidies are reserved for affordable housing. • List of Public Benefits: Need to add TDRs, paseos and ways to make blocks more permeable (i.e. transitions between streets). • A comment was made that ultimately there will need to be a clear definition of workforce housing. A concern was raised about an upper limit that would be too high. • There is a need to conduct economic analysis on alternatives and determine the "tipping points" to know what is viable. .Several commissioners noted that a "Goldilocks" approach was needed for the economic analysis -the desire is to get the right balance: not too little or too much. 4 • Doesn't think developers can do "bus stops' (i.e. remove from the Public. Benefts list). Answer: a developer could provide an easement or set-back (i.e. additional space) in a high demand transit node area. Enhancements such lighting could be provided.. • Workforce housing is very important, particularly to address the traffic issues - people working here are not making enough to live here. •. A concern was raised about SCAG's population projections and-the correlation with the amount of_housing that might be generated out of the plan. SCAG's projections are very low and the housing generated could be higher. Answer: The discussion on population projections from the Opportunities and Challenges report is included on page 2.1-4 of the Strategy Framework. The Framework discusses . a range of projections, with the SCAG forecast falling in the mid-range. The SCAG forecast is a regional model that relies on a series of assumptions. While the City is required to comply with SCAG's RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Assessment) goals, as explained in the Housing Element, it does not have a broader obligation to.meet the SCAG population forecast. The intent of the RHNA law encourages Cities to exceed their goal, which is consistent with City housing policy. Corrections to the 6/9/08 Notes: • Civic Center Area: the joint-use SMMUSD-Civic Center work was mentioned during PC's discussion of this area. It's an important and exciting process with tremendous potential for both the City and the District. 5 Planning Commission Summary Comments Districts Cont'd & Neighborhoods Discussion -June 9, 2008 REVISED A general caveat. was made at the outset that the comments over the span of evenings were made by individual members and all members didn't necessarily agree with everything being said and also things that were issues for some might be lower priority for others. For example, one commissioner stated he did not agree with another commissioner's suggestion about redeveloping on Ocean Park Boulevard between 16th and 18th Street. DISTRICTS - CONT'D Memorial Park District The transit stop on the Expo Line has tremendous implications for what might happen. Once we know if and where a station would be located we would need to look at the appropriate level of housing. Residential buildings proposed for the south side of Olympic Boulevard break up the park as it is expanded over the freeway by placing the buildings between the existing park and the expansion over the freeway. It was suggested that it would be preferable to put the buildings on the far side of the "green" across the freeway -however, it was pointed out that this was not practical because the buildings would be on the freeway bridge. Another thought was to ensure that there was permeability through the buildings. There was a suggestion to use TDR's to encourage developmenttowards the ends and leave the middle open. There was a suggestion to consider more height along 14th that backs up against the industrial area. We're missing an opportunity to create a node around the transit stop...in many other transit cities there is a radius around a station. However, the commissioner noted that he could understand why it wasn't being proposed. • There is potential to work with SMMUSD with respect to their District Office property. Possibly there could be teacher housing (workforce) included in a development. It was noted that this site was not part of the District's Facility Master Plan for the very reason that the District may decide to explore opportunities with the City. • The provision of affordable and workforce housing in this area should focus on "family oriented" housing because of the proximity to the park. A suggestion was made for additional benefit in this area to encourage this type of housing as opposed to SRO-type housing. • SMMUSD has recently discussed a 400-500 student specialty High School and the Memorial Park area might be an opportune location. • Threshold revenue analysis is needed to assess the type of public benefits that could be funded. In response, it was noted that the apparent lot sizes of 100x150' are a realistic size to be viable with regard to funding public benefits such as affordable and workforce housing. It was noted that it would likely be primarily market housing rather than commercial driving the project. • The City should ensure that affordable housing is "quality" housing and developers are held to high standards or have the housing developed by non- profits. INDUSTRIAL CONSERVATION DISTRICT • Some. uses such as the concrete plant might need a height exception (for the tower). It was noted that the use could be conforming but the tower would be non-conforming. • A suggestion was made to consider including a .statement about new industrial uses that are pro-sustainable and it was noted that there is already a policy with wording to this affect. • A question was raised as to what comprises "industrial" since. some of the. current uses have a retail component. It is important to retain these uses as they provide local services. There should be some flexibility because the intent is to keep this mix. • The auto dealers need to be accommodated in this area. • The zoning code should address the- need for a tightly crafted definition to allow an artist to live in his/her industrial art work space. CIVIC CENTER DISTRICT • Circulation improvements should be superimposed on Civic Center map. For example the bike map shows Olympic Drive next to the high school as a bike lane. • Would like to see the bike bridge over the. I-10 Freeway at 7th Street enlarged to the east to became another green open space for the community. 2 The joint-use SMMUSD-Civic Center work is an important and exciting process with tremendous potential for the high school, the civic center area and possible infrastructure improvements such as a continuous Michigan "spine" for peds and bicyclists. HOSPITAL DISTRICT Both adult day care and child care (extended hours to accommodate nursing shifts) should be included as public benefits for this area. • A concern over the size of the district was raised and whether it was squared off to include more than needs to be included in the southwest part of the district (i.e. all the way to Broadway and 14th Street). There is an inherent conflict with the need of the health care sector and the desire to preserve the residential character of the neighborhood. One suggestion was to move the southern boundary to '/z block north of Broadway. A related concern was the potential effect on rent controlled housing. Consider moving the eastern boundary further east to include additional existing medical related facilities. It was noted that this area will be addressed in a Specific Plan. The area could use more pedestrian friendly improvements and uses such as hotel, restaurants and retail to serve employees and visitors to the health care facilities. Low speed electric vehicles and technology such as a segway are well suited to hospitals where personnel may need to go from one facility to another. These types of vehicles don't take much space to park. BEACH AND OCEANFRONT DISTRICT Consider finding ways to recapture the flat open beach parking lots for other uses such as fields and Creative Capital opportunities. A responding comment noted that the parking provides accessibility for people who want to go to the beach -they come from all parts of the region and not only is important to accommodate them but Coastal Commission is very protective of the parking for this purpose. • Need to recognize that with global warming the sea level could rise 2-3 meters in the next 20 years. • A question was raised as to whether the Pier Restoration Corporation (PRC) has provided input about their future ihterests. • .Allowing pre-existing (to Prop S) hotels to be renovated and rebuilt since we won't have others. • Provide a "tot Ice" in Palisades Park. • Recognize in LUCE the people who come to Santa Monica for the day and the value they add to the City economy. This is part of the fabric of the community. We serve all income levels. MAIN STREET DISTRICT • The blocks are very long -look for opportunity to break them up and make them more porous. • Ldok at technology such as parking to make more efficient use of narrow Main Street parking lots. There was a brief discussion as to what happened to a previous proposal to add above ground levels of parking. MONTANA DISTRICT • Montana needs open space such as a pocket park. • Merchants feel that parking is a problem and that they would get more business if parking were accessible. Parking is an issue that needs to be addressed through a shared parking district or some parking management mechanism: NEIGHBORHOODS North of Montana • Need for neighborhood serving transit. Currently not much BB service. The middles schools are served by a very infrequent cross town bus that is a one- way loop. Doesn't work well for most needs. • Needs open space and community gathering spaces. San Vicente • How can this area be more connected to the Gity? East Wilshire 4 • How people-cross 26~h Street is an issue for this neighborhood. 5 Planning Commission Summary Comments Boulevards/Districts Discussion -June 4, 2008 REVISED Boulevards -General Comments • A question was raised on the borders of Redevelopment Area and the impact that this would have on revenues generated from office uses within Redevelopment Area. • The discussion of public benefits should be clarified and additional benefits to be added. • Traffic Demand Management should be applied to all projects at the base level and impact fees should be applied to projects that generate impacts and exceed the base height. identified in the LUCE. These measures also apply to residential development. • Planning Commission needs diagrams to understand FAR, height and density on Boulevards. • It was noted that commercial development was likely to subsidize workforce housing in the Districts and Activity Centers and market rate residential might be more likely along the boulevards. BOULEVARDS Lincoln Boulevard General Comments • Lincoln is the most challenging street in the City. • The LUCE policies should focus on making Lincoln Boulevard more effective and beautiful rather than drastically changing it into a different type of place. Two strategies to do this are increasing parking opportunities and streetscape beautification. • Beautification of street should be the highest priority for Lincoln Boulevard and would make a big difference in the visual attractiveness of the area. • Lincoln functions like a residential boulevard north of Wilshire; this should be labeled as such and there are significant enhancements that could be included on this stretch of the street. • The LUCE should make sure that Lincoln Boulevard is not redeveloped into to something that does not contribute to the community. Transportation and Parking • Guidance is needed on how to accommodate disabled parking with shared parking facilities to ensure that the disabled can park close to their destination. • Consider working with the School District to create a shared parking facility in conjunction with the school facility at the corner of Ocean Park and Lincoln. This facility could be used to suppgrt new uses near the intersection of Ocean Park and Lincoln Boulevard. • Need to examine the ground water table in the area and whether it is a barrier to the creation of underground parking. Projects in Los Angeles County south of the City have encountered problems because of a high water table. Land Uses • Some of the existing uses ate community-serving, such as auto service. It's not desirable to eliminate these because residents will have to drive to other locations outside the City to get these services. • Encourage neighborhood serving uses in~the Activity Centers. • Beautification of Lincoln is needed. Add trees; improve types of buildings and streetscape rather than wholesale change. • A comment made about adding open space to Lincoln but another commissioner stated that they did not agree. • Focus residential development around key intersections including intersections with Arizona, Santa Monica, and areas where there are small strip malls. • Explore opportunities for assisting with parcel assembly to ensure some- redevelopment opportunity along Lincoln. • Encouraging the redevelopment of the existing Albertsons site at the corner of Ocean Park and Lincoln should be a priority for the City. Anew, attractive project in this location could serve as a catalyst for adjacent development, could provide shared parking to allow redevelopment of smaller; nearby parcels and could serve as the visual gateway to the City along Lincoln Boulevard even though the actual border is several blocks south. • There was some discussion about changing the land use designation from General Commercial to Neighborhood Commercial from Ocean Park south to Ozone. • Evaluate the land use designation of the parcels on the south side of Lincoln across from the Activity Center to General Commercial instead of Neighborhood Commercial .Urban Design/Streetscape An entryway treatment or gateway is suggested for a border near Ozone and .incbin. Pico Boulevard Land Uses Explore opportunities to create mixed use by adding housing over the commercial to overlook Woodlawn on 14th Street between Pico and Michigan. There was a suggestion to consider. o The northeast corner of Clove~eld as an Activity Center. o Opposite Santa Monica College allowing for higher intensity uses that included residential development and possible parking options including reduced or shared parking with the college. o The area between 14th and Cloverfield - consider a slightly higher intensity to allow for more residential development opportunities; o The south side of Pico between Cloverfield and Stewart. Transportation The City should work with SMC to create a parking district with shared parking. The City needs to address the major traffic problem on the east end of Pico that results from I-10 backing up onto City streets. This is a regional problem that impacts the City. Ocean Park Boulevard Steps should be taken to beautify the John Adams school frontage. The City should explore opportunities to soften the look from a chaih link fence to a more attractive environment. Ideas that should be explored include-moving the fence back to create a greenvvay of open space and public seating, building a more attractive fence and adding landscaping, such as vines. A commissioner suggested considering more height on the Ocean Park Boulevard neighborhood retail area between 16th and 18th on south side. It was suggested that there could be potential for a maximum height of 3 stories but with design standards that allow only 2 stories on front and back of the buildings. This would allow for more residential while maintaining the overall lovv-scale character of the area. Other commissioners did not support this proposal and commented that the neighborhood commercial is fine the way it is now: DISTRICTS Downtown General • Specific Plan should include open space, transit, redevelopment around stations, park over I-10, development on LincolnM/ilshire and an implementation and financing mechanism. Transportation • Information was requested on the use of the Transit Mall in the Downtown before and after the modifications. • Bicycle amenities and lockers should be a requirement for all new development projects in the Downtown • Bicycle amenities would also serve a traffic benefit and therefore could count as a Transportation Mitigation. The LUCE should ensure that this occurs. Sidewalks and Pedestrian Environment • With new Housing should come a push for street furniture, sidewalks, etc. • Take steps to activate streets outside of'3`d Street. Make the streets nicer and add new uses too bring people to these areas. • Parking should be allowed under the sidewalk to make parking more efficient. • Wider and enhanced sidewalks should be a requirement based on project impact and. not just public benefit: • It was suggested that it would be worth studying the concept of allowing balcony projections over sidewalks. • Improved pedestrian connections are needed from the Promenade to adjacent streets. This will help to connect pedestrians and spread the activity from the Promenade to a larger area in the Downtown. • Opportunities for mid-block Paseos should be explored. • The alleys in the Downtown need improvement. The LUCE should add policies for how this can be achieved. The Specific Plan should also develop strategies for improving the alleys. • Street furniture should be included on the list of public benefits for the Downtown. • Parking structures are physical and psychological impediments. Steps should be taken to improve the appearance of the structures and perhaps move some to more peripheral locations in the Downtown so people will walk & enliven other streets in the Downtown. -Urban Design • All lobbies on side streets don't need tc be eliminated. Land Uses • The LUCE policies on the Downtown should encourage ground floor uses that' activate the street. There are more uses than just retail that activate the street. On some streets, lobbies can help to activate the street. Bergamot Transit Village Land Uses • The overall character of Bergamot should be creative arts. • The Bergamot Transit Village has a great deal of potential for incorporating concepts that the Planning Commission wants to implement. The area is a tremendous opportunity. for the city to create a great new neighborhood with creative arts as the base. • The housing being added should include a mix of market rate, affordable and workforce housing: Some market rate housing should be allowed but with emphasis on workforce and affordable. • A recommendation was made to include the City Yard into the Bergamot Transit Village area because of its proximity to transit. • The Transit Village should include a significant community-oriented open space or park. The Plan should be clearer about this point. Building Heights • The Commission would like to see variations in height in the Transit Village and not just 78 feet. • There were mixed perspectives about the 78 foot height limit in Bergamot - 1) This is too high without large setbacks and 2) This is where height could be tolerated. • Massing diagrams will be provided to illustrate the heights across the Bergamot Transit Village area. • The economic analysis has indicated that development is feasible with the requested public benefits and building heights for commercial development. The analysis will inform the feasibility for market rate housing. • Consider a sculpture garden in the Bergamot Transit Village area. This could be one, of the public benefits. Transportation • There should be some parking to serve the arts community. • Some of the new streets should be considered for non-auto streets. Mixed Use Creative • The overall character and texture of the Mixed Use Creative Arts should be preserved. • A significant open space area should be ihcluded in the Mixed Use Creative Area. Area could be a sculpture garden. • If Village Trailer park site is redeveloped, there should be dedicated affordable housing on the site. • Concentrate housing in select areas to preserve the existing character of the Creative Arts District. • Youth programs should be added to public benefits for the Mixed Use Creative and Bergamot areas. General Urban Design Comment: the need for flexibility in massing. 6 Planning Commission Summary Comments Transportation Discussion -June 3, 2008 Pedestrian Add walking connectivity and improved pedestrian crossings at Pico and 28tH and at Delaware and 20tH Bike • Add Alta as an east-west bike route on map. This should be identified as Bike Boulevard in parallel with bike lanes on Montana. • Explore opportunities for separated cycle paths in concert with similar efforts in other cities. • Add policies to explore design treatments for cycle paths. • Make bikes a top priority for residential streets. Transit • Include stronger encouragement of small, intra-city shuttles. Auto • .More roundabouts, particularly on Minor Avenues • Ensure strong text about prioritizing quality, safety investments on Residential Secondary Avenues, particularly on 26tH and 23~d TDM • Add encouragement of home delivery services. • Allow flexibility in defining peak period for no net new trips Phasing • May need to front load shared parking prior to actual development. 5 Planning Commission Summary Comments Boulevards Discussion -May 29, 2008 REVISED Boulevards -General Comments • Look at street wall heights as a function of street widths and sidewalks. • Streets and Boulevards should be thought of as a whole and not dividers of neighborhoods. Re-look at areas where base height and public benefits are the same. Recommend changing language to make it clear that in certain areas additional height and FAR is not available in exchange for the provisions of public benefits, • On Boulevards, surface parking lots at rear of parcels should be mindful of adjacent residential areas. • Include a statement about permeable pavement along the Boulevards as a method of helping Santa Monica Bay. Districts -General Comments • Concern to ensure sufficient density around transit stations to support transit. • All Districts need to be drawn to include both sides of the streets. • Airport should be part of the LUCE. • Undertake future studies on the intermodal connections at proposed light rail ' stations. • Create sufficient flexibility for residential buildings to be designed to help create a sense of community and neighborhood. Districts -Downtown • Identify the significance of the redevelopment of the Fairmont and its linkage between the Downtown and Oceanfront. • Consider decking over freeway east of 4th Street by the high school. Urban Design Comments • Clarify language and drawings to show the design intent and flexibility to ensure that there is variation in height, reduced mass of buildings and buildings with smaller footprints. 1 • Please examine the concern that projects will not go above 70 feet to take advantage of extra height and additional public benefits. • Clarify intent to see variation in heights along Boulevards and on District so that. all buildings are not built to the maximum height: • Need to coordinate building code requirements for different building types with the proposed heights in the LUCE and then, later, the zoning code. Santa Monica's code defines high rise as starting.at 55'. • Revisit setback angle of upper floors in the future. Determine whether 40 or 45 degrees is the correct angle or whether it should be less thari this. Consider variation based on street width. • Include some~fiexibility where on larger parcels height and FAR can be transferred on-site. This will allow for variation in height along Boulevards and in Districts. • Include "elevated levels of design" and high quality architecture as a public benefit. • Look at easements instead of dedications for sidewalks. • Consider on-street parking for ground floor retail in front of building to allow for convenience parking. Land Uses • .Include policies to retain affordable grocery stores and other retail goods (such as drug stores) throughout the City so that people don't have to leave the City to shop. • Explore locations in the City for movies and entertainment uses besides the downtown. • Prioritize rehabilitation of existing buildings as long-term care facilities. These should be spaced citywide. This should be considered a public benefit. • Adult day care should be considered as a public benefit. Additional Topics • Examine noise from the train operations in relation to the location of land uses. • Examine whether market rate residential can subsidize workforce and affordable housing. • Include flexibility in LUCE for areas where Districts and Boulevards meet. Address the possibility of conflicting visions for the different areas. • Ensure that the plan prevents gaming in the city. Wilshire Boulevard • Concerned about widening median on Wilshire thus making lanes narrower and taking bikes of Wilshire. • Continue discussion about whether bikes are encouraged on Wilshire and the relationship to the bicycle network. • Additional, new automobile dealers should not be allowed on Wilshire. • Make sure that Activity Center at 14th Street can support the identified uses. Santa Monica Boulevard • Additional,.newautnmobile dealers should not be allowed between Centinela and 26th. Broadway • Base on Broadway should be 32 feet and not 30 feet. • Explore issue of access to and from alleys on Broadway and Colorado. Need to avoid "T" alleys. • Consider making area around Broadway and 20th part of the Hospital District. • Ensure that LUCE proposal is reviewed by UCLA Medial Center and St. Johns Hospital Olympic Boulevard • Retail should mostly be located around Bergamot transit station; the LUCE should make this point clearer. • Pathway down median in graphic should be removed. • Proposed park over freeway should connect with existing Memorial Park. • Consider adding taller buildings around Memorial Park if they are away from existing residential neighborhoods. This is an area that could tolerate larger development projects to create a new neighborhood with open space and take advantage of the park. It could also help subsidize the open space over the freeway. Main Street • Make sure there is an identifiable conriection between Main Street and the Beach. Montana • Explore sufficient opportunities for open space and sidewalk dining. 3 Planning Commission Summary Comments Boulevards Discussion -May 2$ 2008 Boulevards • Extend the following Boulevards to Ocean Avenue o Wilshire Boulevard o Pico Boulevard o Ocean Park Boulevard • Ocean Avenue should be identified as a Grand Boulevard. • Consider adding 26~'/Cloverfield as a Boulevard. • Consider San Vicente as Parkway, similar to Olympic. , • Concern over the loss of mom-and-pop retail, especially on Broadway. • Consider adding residential in area across from SMC. • Lincoln is the neediest Boulevard in the City. Activity Center • Consider adding an Activity Center at 26t" and Wilshire • Consider removing the Activity Center at Centinela and Wilshire Building Height/FAR • Provide information on the height of buildings relative to street width, particularly with respect to comparison between Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard. • Explain use of FAR versus dwelling units acre. Design • Consider TDR program for the LUCE. • Is the height of ground floor retail sufficient? • Examine shade on boulevards under proposed LUCE. • Develop more solutions to allow for redevelopment of shallow parcels on Boulevards. One potential solution is to allow projects to develop a multifamily parcel behind the boulevard as part of the project so that there is enough depth to build underground parking. • Include design standards for buildings that front both a boulevard and side streets. Transportation • Consider removing parking from Lincoln. • Look for opportunities for dedicated bike lanes on major roadways. • Alternative vehicles need a specific focus in the LUCE. • Incentives'for existing businesses to reduce trips (TDMs) • Create viable north-south commuter routes for bicycles. Additional Comments • Ensure that the LUCE provides flexibility to allow "organic" changes to the community over time. • Consider adding density within '/< mile radius of major transit stops. • Provide a list of public benefits, simple definitions, an explanation of how public benefits apply to different parts of the ci#y and how much benefit must be provided to obtain extra height/FAR. • Workforce housing definition. • Create a phasing schedule for when development can occur in key transit areas. • What are the future needs of the hospitals? • Add Idcal-serving office to Wilshire/14th Activity Center 2 Planning Commission Meeting May 22, 2008 Summary Notes: Review of the LUCE Directors Report • Upcoming Workshops: May 28, May 29, June 4 and either June 3 or June 5. Commissioners Report • Propositions on Ballot June 3a`. Can the Planning Commission Discuss? Eileen will give materials put together by City Managers office and review What the Planning Commission should look at • Is the overall strategy okay • Are there things to evaluate in the next stage Public Comments Motel Owner • Fully support the process - it has been well done and comprehensive • Want incentives to redevelop properties - • Want more development on Lincoln Boulevard -more heights and densities. Chris Harding -Chamber of Commerce • Want more time to work through the document - it is a substantial document and is very close to being a draft LUCE. • Will have comments by July L • It's a very good first draft but it's a first draft -its not a finished work product • Need to understand implications of Public Benefits • Planning Commission should take on responsibility and take time to make this a great document Jody Summers • Overall it's a positive document • What will be done to mitigate the traffic near Olympic and 4th Street • How much is considered what is going on along Rose and Lincoln Jean Dodson (Chair of Wilmot) • Want more parking in the neighborhood. To date there has been nothing new. • There are no easy answers to parking solution. There will be a lot of little changes that will need to be made to make positive changes to the parking problem. • Budget does not have any funds for parking improvements. • Has approached local businesses to share parking resources May 22, 2008 1 PC LUCE Review The LUCE and its ideas need to be implemented. Need someone whose job it is to make sure that this happens. Need a funded position. Jack Walter • Want to speak in support of the LUCE Document • Volunteer to discuss the detail of the document with a small group of the public • Would like a few more community meetings to discuss the LUCE document. Alan Epstein (partner with MSD Capital) e LUCE is a good piece of work e Want more time to review the document with great care 'Comments of the Planning Commission Julie Lopez Dad • Basic timeline of GP, EIR and Zoning. o All analysis will be back in December/January along with a draft Plan. • When does EIR and Zoning get started? o Eileen: Start Aug or Sept and then be done in December/January. Zoning will start in about one year from now. • Concerned about economic impacts of different alternative land use plans in various districts o Eileen: In the summer we will be doing fiscal analysis and some economic analysis • Workshops aze not necessarily representative of the entire community; its not a statistical sample of the community. • Is the city creating a viable traffic model as a pazt of the process? o Eileen's Response: A traffic model is being prepazed; consultant is now looking at different ways of measuring "impact" • Numerous topic-specific studies were done in the past few yeazs. Were these other studies incorporated into the Strategy Framework? e PC had a ntnning list of what they wanted to look at/include in the LUCE aze being addressed. Have these been included in the LUCE? o Eileen -the lazge majority have been included; will bring this back to the PC to review. Auto dealers -most was incorporated from the Interim Auto Ordinance but also came up with a few changes. • Want some defmitions of terms moving forward such as: workforce housing; affordable housing: o Eileen's response: Affordable o Hank's suggestion: Workforce housing could have 2 different categories o Gwynne: Workforce housing could also be defined as the types of people that the community wants to house. • Community benefits should include a "livable wage" and providing housing. May 22, 2008 2 PC LUCE Review Gleam Davis • Economic analysis is needed -existing analysis raised a lot of questions; implications of the plan on economics. o Projects with public benefits need to pencil. Need to delve into economics. o Need to be adopting a plan that is do-able • Unclear about the tools available as a community to reach these goals o Example Activity Center at Lincoln and Pico -what are the tools to convert this to achieve the vision? What incentives should be offered to achieve this goal? How do we get from where we are now to the vision? o Want a presentation on this to get a better picture of how realistic this is? • Eileen's Response: We know that workforce housing works with some commercial. Affordable housing is much more difficult. • Executive Summary -want to see lifelong learning in the Executive Summary. Need to include "alternative forms of personal transportation" in addition to bikes and walking. • Overazching comment: The LUCE talks a lot about an urban environment but the citizens have a suburban mentality. Need to keep this tension in mind between urban and suburban. Some of the citywide policies may be more appropriate in one area that may not be appropriate in other azeas. Jay Johnson • Transportation o LUCE has not dealt with the' impacts of regional traffic on the City. o Request an entity about how City interacts with impacts coming from outside of the city. o Want to get a better handle on the outside transportation impacts. • Housing o Disconnect between a summary and the actual goals and policies o Want more strategies to preserve existing housing stock -perhaps hire a consultant to look at this. o Acfion for staff: compile all of the strategies Small Service Businesses o Need to look at the impact of the plan on the small service business. Will the plan be pricing them out? o Need to preserve the resources in the city to keep the city functioning. How does this happen. o Eileen's Response: did not add housing to the Industrial Conservation - no incentives for changing use; LMSD has larger sites that redevelop and will be near transit -LUCE allowed for development in this area. Gwynne Pugh • What is the overall process? Give comments then do EIR then do draft document, which will be voted on by the PC and CC? May 22, 2008 3 PC LUCE Review o Eileen's Response: Give input on specific changes that need to be made to the document. • Have we provided alternatives that could be examined in the EIR or is it one consistent thread? o Eileen's Response: Its one consistent thread. o Expect that the commission will give input on specific areas that need to be looked at. • How would staff respond if the more information or changes were requested by the Planning Commission? • If we have a base with significant public benefits -need to understand that city will get benefits and wont disincentive providing benefits. Need to understand that it works and is reality based. o Eileen's Response: We are comfortable with approach in a good portion of the city. Hank Koning • Worried that it will get so expensive that people wont shop here because its too expensive. • -Want more detailed information about the economic analysis. o Eileen's Response: The detailed analysis-about how this pencils out will come at the next stage. Terry O'Day • Schedule and process o Expect to come back in December with additional information and analysis. - • What should the planning commission provide input on. Jim Reis • Economic Analysis- need to make sure its real; want to get developers to give feedback on whether. this plan can work or not. • Need to look at a public benefit to subsidize mom-and-pop shops after redevelopment. • Process - Want to take each topic on and then wrap it up. Should go topic by topic May ZZ, Z008 4 - PC LUCE Review ~ ;Y o, City Council Report ~~'"",' ~'`~~ Santa Monica ? l City Council Meeting: ~arre-t6; 2008-' Agenda Item: To: Mayor and City Council -. From: Eileen Fogarty, Director, Planning & Community Development Subject: Review and Provide Direction on the Land Use and Circulation Element ~-~ (LUCE) Strategy Framework Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council review the Land Use and Circulation Element Strategy Framework (Framework) and based upon the review and community input endorse the Framework with appropriate comments and direct the staff to proceed with economic, transportation and environmental analysis and evaluation. Executive Summary The LUCE Strategy Framework is a holistic vision and integrated set of tools to direct the City's future over the next twenty years. The Framework contains designations, policies and actions for managing and implementing the visions. It is comprehensive and sufficiently detailed. to enable the community and City Council to understand the approach and provide direction so the staff can proceed with the necessary economic, transportation and environmental analysis. This is the Council's and the community's opportunity to review and assess the vision before proceeding on to the next stage of analysis. Eleven community workshops provided the "building blocks" that have shaped this Strategy Framework. The highly transparent process involved a wide range of the City's residential, institutional, business, civic and non-profit groups as well as interested individuals in coming together to resolve issues and identify areas of agreement. The workshops were followed by four City council meetings that addressed the concepts and endorsed principles generated through the workshops. Examples of ideas brought forward include the vision for the neighborhoods, the industrial areas, "placemaking" principles for complete neighborhoods, policies for affordable. and workforce housing, and an innovative approach for managing transportation and reducing traffic. The attached. Chapter 1.3 of the Strategy Framework (Exhibit A) explains the plan's overarching approach and strategies. The full Strategy Framework document is comprised of three main sections: 1 ^ Overview -Introduction & Purpose; A History of the Process and Strategy Framework) ^ City Elements -Diversified & Sustainable Economy; Housing; and Transportation ^ Land Use - Lahd Use Policy & Designations; Neighborhoods: Boulevards; Districts; and Integrating the Plan The recommendations presented in this report do not have any direct budget or fiscal impact. Background Recently, at the April 29, 2008 City Council meeting, following an April 2, 2008 community workshop, the City Council endorsed "the Transportation, Economic and Housing strategies for incorporation into the Land Use and Circulation concept plan (now titled LUCE Strategy Framework). The Planning Commission began reviewing the LUCE Strategy Framework in the later part of May and will have met and discussed the document at multiple Planning Commission meetings prior to the City Council's first discussion. on the Framework. A supplemental report summarizing Planning Commission's comments and recommendations will be provided to the Council prior to the conclusions of the Council's review and action. Discussion The release of the Strategy Framework document is an exciting milestone in the City of Santa Monica's LUCE, process. The community's ongoing discussion about how the City should look, feel and function overthe next twenty years has been compiled in the comprehensive LUCE Strategic Framework that is now available for the community's consideration. While, the emphasis of the LUCE is naturally on circulation and the physical environment, the focus of residents in many ways has been on preserving. and enhancing those things that nourish the sense of community. The community's vision translates into a holistic approach for integrating land use, transportation, urban design, sustainability, housing and also the economic capability to support desired community benefits. 2 The community is embarking on a hew direction through the Strategy Framework. The Framework document focuses on how the City may evolve over the twenty year horizon of the plan while, meeting the community's strong desire for little change (areas for change comprise less than 10% of the City) and preservation of the City's existing character. It provides the structure to actively encourage desired benefits such as housing, open space, gathering and cultural elements, walking and biking facilities - in a holistic and sustainable manner that ensures a great quality of life, both now and in the future. While reviewing the document, it is important to keep in mind that the Strategic Framework: ^ responds to the community's desire to protect the residential neighborhoods while also providing sensitive tools and strategies to improve the neighborhoods by making them "complete," so that stores and services are within walking and biking distance;. ^ provides a clear performance zoning approach for development above. a minimum baseline to ensure that Santa, Monica reaps "public benefits" for the community as opposed to just impacts; ^ identifies the tools and strategies to focus desired change, such as affordable and workforce housing in areas adjacent to transit; and ^ defines and implements mechanisms to reduce traffic. Summary of Document The: Strategy Framework document is divided into three sections. Below is a brief overview of the document. The entire document can be viewed on the web at htto://www.shapethefuture2025.net/, the City Planning counter in City Hall or any City library. Section 1 -Overview • Introduction & Purpose: provides a description of the LUCE Strategic Framework planning approach; the purpose and statutory requirements; and the structure and contents of the document. 3 • History of the Process: explains the initial outreach, research and analysis; and describes the community workshops. process in detail. • Strategy Framework: addresses core values of the community and explains the six overarching strategies in the Framework: (1) Neighborhood Preservation and Enhancement; (2) Integrated Land Use and Transportation; (3) Pro-Active Congestion Management; (4) Public Benefits; (5) Urban Character and Form; and (6) A Sustainable Santa Monica. Section 2 -City Elements • Diversified & Sustainable Economy: summarizes issues that were raised early in the process through the Opportunities and Challenges report; describes the elements of the current economy and projections; provides an analysis of the predominant sectors in Santa Monica; and addresses the contributions to the City's fiscal health, particularly as influenced by land use decisions. The section also contains a "Vision" statement; goals and policies. • Housing: describes the current housing stock and the trends that have influenced housing affordability. in Santa Monica; the City's commitments to affordable housing; the need for middle-income "workforce" housing; strategies to preserve and create additional housing. The section also contains. a "Vision" statement; goals and policies. • Transportation: provides a comprehensive assessment of the components of congestion; .identifies twelve key. transportation .principles, including (1) measuring success, (2) managing transportation as a limited resource,. (3) the importance of streets as they relate to -land use, (4) the importance. of a quality experience, (5) recognizing streets as public open space, (6) transportation as a .solution to global climate change, (7) advancing health and .active. living, (8) affordability, (g) a healthy economy relies on good- transportation, (10) equity of resources, (11) safety, and (12) improved facilities through public benefit performance incentives; -and comprehehsively addresses the components of transportation in seven sub-sections that each contain a "Vision" statement, goals, policies and actions: • Streets (infrastructure) -streets provide many roles and this section defines the role of each type of facility, provides design guidelines and policies and includes a "Street Network" map keyed to each type of facility: 4 Walking -walking environments ranging from the major boulevards to recreational facilities are addressed and identified on a "Walking Network": map. Goals, policies and actions are identified. ^ Bicycle Network -the potential for bicycles as a sustainable and viable resource is addressed, followed by a description of the range of potential facilities that are also identified on a "Bicycle- Network" map. Goals, policies and actions are identified. Transit -transit streets ranging. from Regional Transit Streets to Local Access .Transit Streets are addressed and identified on a "Transit Network" map. Also addressed are bus stops and the potential Exposition Light Rail and Subway to the Sea projects. Goals, policies and actions are identified. ^ Automobile Network = distributing trips. through the street system (indicated oh an "Auto Network" map) and managing streets so they function well according to their purpose are discussed. Goals, policies and actions are identified. • Transportation Demand Management -strategies and approaches to incentivize the use of transportation resources are discussed, tailoring approaches to different types of users including employees, students and residents are explained and a map of proposed "Demand Management, Districts" is provided. Goals, policies and actions are identified. • Parking -six parking principles are discussed: focus on availability, share most parking, manage existing supply, unbundle the cost of parking from the cost of housing, use price to balance supply and demand, and help motorists find the nearest space. Goals, policies and actions are identified. Section 3 -Land Use Land Use Police & Designations: explains how this plan differs from the 1984 plan, the tools of performance-based zoning for public benefit, and an overview and map of the land use designations that are described in more detail in the subsequent sections. Neighborhoods: describes the ten vibrant neighborhoods within Santa Monica, vvith the emphasis on .preserving and enhancing them in the coming years. Descriptions, maps and key neighborhood issues are identified for each neighborhood. Goals and policies .are identified for the neighborhoods in general. 5 Boulevards: describes an overall vision for the. Boulevards, including active gathering spaces, enhanced .transit .facilities and boulevard activity centers. Identifies eight Boulevards: Wilshire, Santa Monica, Broadway, Colorado, Olympic, Pico, Ocean Park and Lincoln; provides a comprehensive assessment of each, including existing character, key issues, the "Vision" for the Boulevard or specific sub-areas, identification of Activity Centers, identification of height, development intensity and public benefit incentives for each Boulevard, sub-area and Activity Center. Goals, policies and actions are identified for each Boulevard. Districts: identifies eleven Districts throughout the City: Downtown, Healthcare, Civic Center, Beach & Oceanfront, Montana Avenue; Main Street; Santa Monica Airport & Business Park, Bergamot Transit Village, Mixed use Creative District, Memorial Park Activity. Center. and Industrial Conservation District.; provides a comprehensive assessment of each District including existing character, key issues; "Vision" goals, policies and actions are identified for all Districts; and identifies height, development intensity and. public benefit incentives for the Beach & Oceanfront, Montana Avenue, Main Street, Bergamot Transit Village, Mixed use Creative District, Memorial Park Activity Center and Industrial Conservation District. Integrating the Plan: describes how Strategic Framework supports the many adopted policies, principles and guiding documents that represent a core set of community values, outline community needs and serve as guides for identifying public benefits. The policies are organized into the following, with each including a "Vision", goals, policies and actions. ^ Sustainable and Healthy Living -incorporates the Sustainable City Plan, Open Space Element, Parks & Recreation Master Plan ^ Arts and Culture -incorporates-the Creative Capital Plan ^ Historic Preservation -incorporates the Historic Preservation Element ^ Education and Public Facilities -incorporates the Civic Center Specific Plan, Child Care Master Plan, Early Childcare Initiative. This section is divided into sub-sections with a "Vision," goals and policies for each: ^ Child Care Schools, Public Facilities & Services Lifelong Learning 6 Next Steps The Strategy Framework provides the basis for the community, Planning Commission and City Council to set the direction for the program that will undergo economic and environmental analysis. After the City Council has endorsed the Strategic Framework and provided comments and direction to staff, staff will proceed with the analysis and evaluation, including Council's confirmation of a transportation analysis methodology. Financial Impacts & Budget Actions The recommendations presented in this report do not have any direct budget or fiscal impact. Prepared by: EIIen Gelbard, Assistant Director Approved: Forwarded to Council: Planning and Community Development Department Manager Exhibit A: Chapter 13 "Strategy Framework" of the LUCE Strategy Framework document 7 ~... EXHIBIT A E.HAPTER 1:3 ~trfi~~y frrne~~v~arl~ Of the LUCE Strategy Framework CHAPTER 1.3 strategy raev~ror How should Santa Monica look and function 20 years from now? This is the question that the LUCE addresses. Based on the goals and values of the community, the plan provides the City with along-term framework for good decision making for far into the future. It provides flexibility for changes in the City's economy and land use, and establishes criteria and measurements for periodically assessing how well these goals are being met and if adjustments to the policy should be made. The Community Determines its Future through the LUCE For those engaged over the years in this planning process, tfie statement that: "The community determines its future through the LUCE" has a familiar ring. It has been repeated in workshops, presentations and. reports. But, what does it really mean? As this and the following chapters will demonstrate, it means that the fundamental values expressed by the, residents provide the foundation for the blueprint being constructed and the recommendationsfnr implementation. SANTA MONICA LUCE I 1.3-1 strategy framework Beneath the myriad details of land use, transportation, urban design and placemaking, this plan is truly about the benefits of life in Santa Monica and how to protect and preserve it now, and for future generations, in a sustainable way. One of the most important benefits, identified in'the LUCE, is the creation of new opportunities for housing where none currently exist. Over the past 20 years, the City, in implementing the recommendations of the earlier 1984 General Plan, has been highly successful in creating a vibrant jobs economy. The LUCE acknowledges the vigor of this economy and shifts City policy from the strong commercial emphasis of the earlier General Plan to a creatively balanced policy of incentivizing the construction of significant additional housing units to accompany all new investment. The LUCE does this by focusing on those areas, such as the existing Light Manufacturing Studio District (LSMD) and some of the major boulevards, with potential for commercial growth and converts this potential from solely commercial growth to one which includes housing in the mix. This is achieved by requiring that all new investment provide a range of community benefits, and provide specific incentives for the creation of additional workforce and affordable housing. The LUCE's conversion of commercial growth potential into one of residential and economic opportunity achieves one of the City's most fundamental values, that is; the creation of a range of housing for all its residents. THE LUCE CONVERTS COMMERCIAL GROWTH POTENTIAL INTO RESIDENTIAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. This approach also rrraintairis the City's financial flexibility into the future. The LUCE clearly identifies areas for the expansion of the creative arts and where additional local, small businesses could locate in new, vibrant mixed use neighborhoods. It proposes the creation of Transit Village communities in conjunction with light rail and ensures that the new housing created there is provided with the essential amenities of daily life such as local shopping, recreational and live/work opportunities. The decisions the community makes now on these broad issues will determine to a large extent, how those who live and work in Santa Monica will flourish during the next two decades. 1.3-2 SANTA MONICA LUCE cRapter 1.3 The City as Community In thinking about cities, what frequently comes to mind are striking buildings, physical symbols or magnificent natural locations. Mention Seattle, Santa Monica; New York or Paris and vivid images are recalled. However, in its. most profound sense, a city is none of these. In reality, a city acts as sanctuary, village and community for its citizens. At its best, it represents the organic relationship between people and their living spaces, and strives to achieve a balance among community, structures and nature. Santa Monicans are instinctively aware of this. Time after time, in work sessions, surveys and neighborhood meetings during this four year planning process, Santa Monicans raised the need to ensure that the greatest benefits of urban life be accessible now and in the future to all the residents of the City. While the emphasis of a land use and circulation plan is naturally on the physical environment, the emphasis of the residents, in many ways was on preserving and enhancing those things that nourish the sense of community and the human spirit. Planning has a Profound Communal Purpose This community process revealed clearly how urban planning arid design has social consequences. The community, in developing its "placemaking" principles, called for respecting the existing residential neighborhoods, encouraging landscaped streets that minimize the impact of the automobile, and assuring that buildings relate to each other in a harmonious manner. The goal. is to create urban places that are attractive, full of vitality and compatible in size and scale with adjacent residential neighborhoods. Buildings should not only be of high architectural quality, the community said, but should provide a mix of uses and services which support the needs of everyday life. Future changes, residents stated, must enhance and benefit the community, rather than create negative impacts. As change occurs, they insisted, it must provide a range of housing choices, particularly workforce and affordable housing. For Santa Monicans, the goals of this planning process have a profound communal purpose. They looked beyond the cityscape of buildings and streets to the vibrant network of human relationships that are cities' very reason for' being. As the Santa Monica community grappled with defining their values through a long series of workshops, they expressed a deep commitment to ensuring diversity and inclusiveness for all. Outrlaarfzezivals and farmer~t markets are cGervficrl nucitrarions in Santa Monica. SANTA MONICA LUCE 1.3-3 strategy framework Community concern about the loss of affordable housing units was reflected in their insistence that there be a full range of housing choices for all ages. They expressed the desire to encourage small businesses and protect the existing economy, while acknowledging that some of the larger businesses could and should provide the economic benefit needed to support the City's extensive array of community services. Residents were intuitively aware that cities, by creating connectivity and shelter, by providing open space and assuring public services, and by celebrating art and culture, define the fundamental character of their existence. How a city addresses these issues reflects its attitude toward the dignity of its residents and the importance it assigns to creating social equity. The recommendations of the LUCE reflect the citizens' insistence on retaining the fundamental existing character of Santa Monica. Echoing the. recommendations of the City's adopted Open Space Element and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the community carefully identified new opportunities for connectivity through improved sidewalks, bicycle trails and pathways, and in a visionary moment, recommended the potential decking over the I-10 to extend the beauty and benefits of Memorial Park to both sides of the freeway. Of equal importance, the citizens said, is the need for quality pedestrian. connections, gathering places which encourage sociability, and green streets and pathways that unite neighborhoods and eliminate a sense of cloister. Making cautious common cause, the community agreed to investment in appropriate areas as long as private investment supported public services in the form of additional workforce or affordable housing, support for transit and participation in transportation management programs designed to reduce the impact of the automobile. A Creative Community Life in the City should engage the imagination and lift the spirit. Santa Monicans definitely agree. The creative arts have always been an essential component of the character of a great city, and Santa Monica "boasts perhaps the. largest concentration of creative employment in theUS."~ The community sees itself as innovative, experimental and cutting edge, and has attracted arts and entertainment businesses, galleries and nonprofits. A recent poll found that Santa Monica's residents share a vision for their community that views "culture as an inseparable component of what makes Santa Monica exceptional, desirable and economically competitive." The LUCE builds upon this finding and provides an opportunity through its recommendations to encourage neighborhoods and their local amenities that are lively, playful and beautiful. The pedestrian realm, it says, should be safe, welcoming and attractive, and City's streets and boulevards are regarded as canvases for creating open, airy and green connections. New neighborhoods should be "complete", speaking to the need for family-friendly sidewalks, gathering places, a diversity ofjobs'and housing choices,and local goods and services. ~ Sre `Cmaree~e r'~apiaaP' A Ple.n-for Che Development of Santa Moniw's Arrs & Culture, 206. 7.3-4 ( SANTA MONICA LUCE bfftivx Su~eeis Edgerrear Ceneter emnbines caetnng neLre rtrchraecnare wzrG a yuralrtp Pubic rpnce for the commzuniry to gather in. ' chapter1.3 Perhaps as importantly, the residents of Santa Monica agreed that the LUCE process provided ari exceptional opportunity to nurture and support its creative arts community through the creation of incubator space and live/work units for its artistic workforce. Anticipating the arrival of Exposition Light Rail, LUCE identifies the Bergamot Station area as a great opportunity to maintain and enhance the City's art and cultural core with the addition of production space and a new livelwork environment, affordable and workforce housing, which connects to existing neighborhoods through a carefully delineated new street grid system. Implementing 5ustainability The City adopted the Sustainable City Plan in 2003, which addresses the ecology of Santa Monica as a community of interdependent parts and recognizes the interconnectiveness of all its policy decisions. Its principles begin with resource conservation and conclude with human dignity. The Sustainable City Plan identifies escalating demands on its resources -natural, human and social -on a local, regional and global scale. In no uncertain terms, it stated that these demands negatively impactthe natural environment, the sense of community and the quality of lives today and into the future. Dovetailing closely with these principles, the LUCE planning process provides the City its greatest opportunity for crafting along- term framework for accomplishing these goals. It offers the City the ability to make good, rational decisions based on community values far into the future. It looks at adaptive management of land use and the City's changing economy to ensure public benefits, as the City evolves, to all members of the community now and in the future. It takes seriously the concept of human dignity and addresses the basic human needs for housing, gathering spaces, mobility, and connectiveness. Mobility as a Resource There are probably few Santa Monicans who disagree with Lewis Mumford's famous statement about cities: "Forget the damned motor car and build the cities for.lovers and friends." While we can't entirely forget about the ".damned motor car", the LUCE offers the opportunity to design and implement a comprehensive series of transit and transportation programs and improvements that are designed to ameliorate its impact and improve the City for "lovers and friends." Today transportation, the motor car and congestion are Santa Monica's greatest challenge in maintaining its character and quality of life. In community surveys for the LUCE process, residents overwhelmingly ranked congestion as their number one concern. Surrounded by forces over which it . has :little direct control, Santa Monica finds itself enmeshed in a regional economy which is vigorous and growing. That is both a benefit and a burden. The City's own vigorous economy, coupled with a broad diversity of activities schools and shopping, also contributes to this congestion. Residents in the community insisted that the goals of sustainability be applied to this major challenge. The transportation goal of the Sustainable City Plan requires the "creation of amulti-modal. transportation system that minimizes arid, where possible, eliminates pollution and motor vehicle congestion while ensuring safe mobility and access for all without compromising our ability to protect public health and safety." It also requires that root causes be addressed and long-term solutions SANTA MONICA LUCE I 1.3-5 strategy framework be designed. Looking at Transportation in a New Way Over the course of multiple meetings and intense discussions, the community began to look at Santa Monica's transportation issues in a new way. Conceding the fact that the City could neither build its way out of congestion, nor eliminate all congestion, the approach was to begin to address the issue of new vehicle. trips, in accordance with the City's sustainability goals, at its source. This is accomplished in a variety of ways. Proximity to Transit First and fundamentally, the community, agreed that new activity should be located in the downtown; the focus of the City's transportation system, or on existing or proposed transit corridors. This inextricably links land use decisions to transportation recommendations. By merely locating TrrrnrportntioraDen~and lLfrCrta~emerxt dirnaett taall ya<ide the ~reduetiarn ofpe~ik period trier. the comrrlunity endorsed the concept of establishing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) districts for both new and existing areas. TDM, which the City has already employed to great effect at the Water Garden complex, mandates specific development near frequent transit service, reductions in peak period trips through peak period vehicle trips can be cut. in half. It follows that no longer should the City analyze new investment only from the perspective of zoning and regulation, but.more critically for its ability to provide such public benefits as access to transit, shared parking and enhanced pedestrian and shopping environments: Transportation Demand Management In tandem with that recommendation, alternatives such as employer-paid parking cash-out programs, free transit passes and car sharing. The Water Garden has reportedly complex reduced anticipated new vehicle trips by 50 percent through its TDM program. Residents also recommended that the City should consider incentives for establishing TDM districts throughout the City to provide existing residents and employees with better transportation choices. In response, the LUCE has identified areas that will benefit most from broadened transportation choices and identified three district levels according to each district's trip reduction potential. Parking An innovative aspect of this approach is that the community consciously acknowledges that parking is a valuable resource which must be paid for Residents spoke up strongly for reducing new surface parking footprints which degrade the visual and physical environment,. and locating any new parking requirement underneath or behind new structures, thus freeing up space for landscaping, trees and gathering spaces. Perhaps more importantly, they agreed that in the future such a valuable resource should be carefully managed and. shared. For example, in activity centers along -major boulevards, individual developments should be discouraged from building their own parking. Rather, they should contribute in- lieu fees toward infrastructure improvements, including such things as improved bike paths, enlarged sidewalks and shared garages, providing public benefit to the entire community. Streets for Mobility And how should the City regard its streets? Are they only for the "damned motor car"? The answer was that the City transition from evaluating all its streets as the same in purpose 1.3-6 SANTA MONICA LUCE beginnings, the founders of Santa Monica recognized the necessity of easily moving large numbers of people "from the mountains to the sea." Today, Santa Monica possesses the spectacular opportunity to recreate the mobility of its earliest days in the construction of the Exposition Light Rail Tine. Designed to follow, in large extent, the alignment of the earlier Pacific Electric Railroad which followed Santa Monica's Industrial spine down to the waterfront, the Expo line holds great promise for addressing some of Santa Monica's most intractable transportation issues. and function. They aren't -even though current transportation measurements and methodology treat them as such. We must ensure that there is a cohesive strategy in place and that streets are no longer designed uniquely for the movement of autos, but also to serve the "person" capacity of the City§ transportation. network, and ensure the rapid movement of buses and the safe circulation of bikes and pedestrians. The City's focus should be on mobility and accessibility for all means of transportation, not just facilitating the through- movement of the motor car. Transit Service Mass transit is both Santa Monica's birthright and legacy. From its Tate nineteenth century The LUCE builds on this great promise. It locates new activity centers adjacent to the railroad. It proposes the creation of new neighborhoods, complete with parkland, gathering places, bike trails and transit. The alignment of this light rail system, as well as its station designs and locations will be critical to ensuring that the system serves Santa Monica, as well as others who come to the City for work, school, recreation and entertainment. ~~THE CITY~S FOCUS SHOULD BE ON MOBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, NOT JUST FACILITIATING THE THROUGH-MOVEMENT. OF THE MOTORCAR. chapter 1.3 SANTA MONICA LUCE. I 1.3-7 The city's rtreets can he cared for rnnre than mo¢~iio cars'. .Sancti Mnnrca't Daaoratowu rtrerti are fi'cyarritly packed with /inople tlttrlrrg Farnaerr Market earin4o end ftistivezlr. Plrtnreinq rtvousu/ opporturtrties lAke the F~paeition L;ghr Rail care yrnoide Genefztt nn the ro>nnaeinity in the form of ~neau hnu,in~ npeu spore es~nel a healthy economy. strategy framework. THE LUCE ST~ATEGV The strategy proposed by the LUCE is an integrated, proactive one. It unites comprehensive land use and transportation policies and programs. It directs and manages change by defining criteria for where and how it should be located. It actively seeks desired users and requires new measures to monitor and ensure on-going success. And it carefully weighs the long-term benefits of its integrated recommendations. In essence, is a holistic approach to create a truly sustainable community. to the City's identified social, ecological and sustainable goals. Requiring community benefits is an innovative and important component of the LUCE. One of the major issues over the past years has been that new development has been accompanied by negative impacts such as increased traffic congestion or deterioration of the community fabric. The LUCE approach now requires that any potential impacts be tied to specific public benefits; particularly the integration of land use and transportation, and the provision of housing. While comprehensive and far reaching in nature, the LUCE fits within the even larger policy context of sustainability established by the City beginning in 1994 when it determined that the City as a whole should begin to think, plan and act in a more sustainable manner. This approach identifies the fundamental interrelated aspects of decision making and calls for addressing root causes and designing long term, comprehensive solutions.. The LUCE links neighborhood stability and .urban character and form with issues of While in the past, the City required benefits such as public art, child care or LEED buildings, the LUCE takes this approach to the next level by focusing new investment towards existing or proposed transit corridors, assessing how well the project contributes to the community, and whether it provides housing, is well designed and compatible in size and scale with the area, and transitions well to adjacent residential neighborhoods. The plan modifies the pasYfocused approach for assessing new development and defines a comprehensive integrated program that incentivizes projects to create benefits for the City, such as affordable and workforce housing, quality pedestrian and biking connections, new gathering places, neighborhood-oriented transportation management and the reduction of congestion. It provides a comprehensive, coordinated approach to evaluating policy decisions and projects, requiring that all land use, design and development projects respond social services such as child care. Such an analysis provides the City with the capacity to judge: not only how it will change over time, but also how individual projects contribute to the City as a whole and contribute to its sustainability. The LUCE is designed to allow the City to manage its resources wisely, including: conserving and enhancing local resources; ensuring the 1.3-8 I SANTA MONICA LUCE retail, shared parking solutions, or space for chapter 1.3 provision of affordable and workforce housing; safeguarding human health and environment; maintaining a vigorous and diverse economy; and improving the livability and quality of life for all community members. Sustainability is at the core of the LUCE. Six Framework Elements Six Framework Elements collectively serve as underpinnings to the entire LUCE strategy. Because of the holistic nature of the LUCE plan, these elements closely relate to each other and various aspects of each issue are found in discussions of the other elements. Therefore, each element strengthens and reinforces the others. The six elements and the recommendations which stem from them were derived from community discussions and values, including the following: ® Preserve and protect neighborhoods by not allowing any development that conflicts with or detracts from the existing character of the area, • Promote retail and shopping opportunities within walking distances of all neighborhoods. • Support and enhance the existing neighborhood shopping areas of the City, such as Pico and Ocean Park boulevards and Montana and Main streets. ® Create new transit-oriented neighborhoods at Bergamot, Memorial Parl< and Downtown light rail stations. • Increase the amount and location of affordable and workforce housing in the City by creating incentives. • Support mixed use development along the major boulevards and encourage new activity centers along major bus transit routes in the City, such as Lincolh Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard. • Preserve and encourage the arts, film, and multi-media uses in the City. • Strengthen the Oceanfront, Downtown, Main Street and Montana as citywide and regional destinations. • Encourage new hotels in select areas of the City, but not along the beachfront area. • Create a set of development standards that are clear and easy to understand and provide a vision of the type, location and criteria for development that is allowed in the City. An overview of each element is provided below. 1. ~IEIGFIB~RI-1®~[7 PRE$ERVATI®IV ,4PVD E(uHANCEME~T The centerpiece of Santa Monica is its 10 vibrant neighborhoods from which the City draws its strength, vitality and diversity. Each neighborhood has a personality and appeal all its own, and collectively the neighborhoods personify the City's residential charm. The LUCE outreach process identified the citywide concern that inappropriate and piecemeal development was gradually eroding the unique character and quality of life within these neighborhoods. The community expressed a strong desire for greater control over development that affects their neighborhoods which make up almost 90 percent of the total land area of the City. Specifically, there was concern about addressing the increasingly frequent issues related to the demolition of existing houses and the size, scale and intensity of the new in-fill development which replaces them. The rich and varied history of Santa Monica is SANTA MONICA LUCE 7.3-9 strategy framework recognized by the Landmarks Commission through the designation of some of the City's most notable historic resources with 83 Landmarks and two Historic Districts. However, the community expressed concerns regarding smaller, more modest properties that are being purchased for demolition and replacement. The community decries the loss of these homes, which are viewed as important contributors to the character of the neighborhoods. In response to these concerns neighborhood conservation in the plan involves preserving the scale and character of existing housing, requiring that new in-fill be of a compatible scale and character with the existing neighborhood, and providing respectful transitions from the new property to the older ones. This approach also includes enhancing street landscaping, promoting wall<ability and providing for the needs of everyday life within walking distance. The LUCE recommends preserving and enhancing the identity, livability and sense of community in the neighborhoods through the creation., or enhancement of, a sense of community in the neighborhoods. The policies encourage the provision of ground level open space and appropriate set backs along neighborhood streets. They also acknowledge the dependence of the residential neighborhoods on the adjacent commercial boulevard or neighborhood street as a primary public space serving local and regional needs. The plan recognizes that the streets are significant elements of Santa Monica's open space pattern and are part of the "pedestrian realm" where residents and visitors should be able to carry out their daily business in e quality landscaped environment that promotes sociability and human interaction. The LUCE policy states that as change occurs within or adjacent to neighborhoods, the focus must be on the creation of "places" that benefit the community rather than impact it. The essence of this approach is to create "places" that nourish sociability and are ideal places ih which to play, work and live. The greening of the City's streets is recommended, with the provision of additional trees and landscaping. This element of the LUCE also encourages additional open spaces -including greenways, plazas and bike trails. Connectivity between and among residential neighborhoods and nearby boulevards is essential and should be enhanced through a range of transportation and circulation options, such as community transit and shuttles, safe bike paths, and continuous pedestrian connections. The strategy also requires that new buildings not encroach into, or adversely impact, existing neighborhoods. It recommends defining building envelopes that preserve access to views, light and air. Moreover, should new buildings be added to or adjacent to the neighborhood, they should transition in size and scale toward adjacent residential structures: The policy direction is also to monitor and manage development activity in existing neighborhoods and ensure that parking management measures are implemented. The City should actively pursue strategies to provide additional parking for existing residents and take measures to limit the impact of visitor and employee parking from nearby areas on neighborhoods. Thus, the 1.3-10 SANTA MONICA LUCE 7Le GY(/J/S residential tteigGhnrboado-posees't rattiqur ge~nlitees awd eHrtnv<tnrs z{iat make arrr{i one a desirable plceee t~~ call home. chapter 1.3 City should consider options to meet existing parking deficiencies by providing additional parking facilities in boulevard activity centers. Neighborhoods should be "complete" with easy access to all the needs of daily life within walking distance. Santa Monica's thriving neighborhood commercial districts are unique in southern California, placing many residents and employees within walking distance of their daily needs. The plan seeks to create the optimal array of local services within existing districts and create new retail areas in parts of the City that are currently lacking services. Thus, LUCE encourages the location of small scale commercial uses that provide goods and services to support daily life within walking distance of the majority of neighborhoods. 2. IIiITECsRAT1IVCa LAM® llSE ARJ~ TRAfiISP®RTATIOI~I The City's existing land uses create its form and character. The pattern of these land uses has an impact on almost every aspect of our daily lives-from the type of housing we live in, to where we shop, to the public services provided by the City, to our parks, our entertainment and schools. Its distribution determines how mobile we are and what type of transportation we use, whether we bike; walk or ride. To a great extent, the way differing land uses relate to one another structures how we spend much of our day -from walking to a nearby park to sitting in traffic. Perhaps the most substantive and ecologically important recommendation of the LUCE is to require the integration of land use and transportation policies. This is a comprehensive approach which capitalizes not only on the City's extensive transportation improvements to its well regarded. Big Blue Bus system, but also to the coming arrival of the Exposition Light Rail It is well documented that by locating development near frequent transit service, peak period vehicle trips can be cut in half and the City can begin to reduce its reliance on the automobile. Locate New Activity Centers Along Existing and Proposed Transit Corridors This element encourages environmentally sustainable development patterns and transportation decisions that encourage reduced driving and increased walking and biking, and the development of new buildings designed to reduce the impact of the auto and increase alternative transportation opportunities. New Activity Centers: The Boulevards Santa Monica's Boulevards represent the physical reality of the City's largest public space, a networl<of broad Streets, sidewalks, active buildings, crowds of people and enormous variety. The character of these Boulevards differs and frequently varies widely, often changing scale and function along their length. Tlie LUCE examines each of the City's major boulevards in detail and crafts location- specific recommendations. These will be found in the later chapter on Santa Monica's Boulevards: SANTA MONICA LUCE I 1.3-11 Combining land ~u~e mnd trarerpmattiave poliaic~r decerrrriner hom mobile zue are drnd vuh~al tNpe. nfn~a~npnwtatn>t me u~rt. strategy framework LUCE Guiding Principles The guiding principle of the LUCE policy with regard to the boulevards is to reorient the heavily auto-dependent retail and commercial services along the boulevards to a more pedestrian and bike friendly character through the creation of handsome public places where those on foot and on bicycle have equal priority with the automobile. This policy ensures that as change occurs, new green space and gathering places will be provided. New boulevard retail will offer attractive and interesting storefronts and may provide additional sidewalk or open space to expand the quality of the public realm. A wider array of goods and services oriented to the adjacent residential neighborhoods will encourage walking, not driving, and in most cases will be available within a 10 minute walk from home. New investment will be required to .provide shared parking for residents and other. businesses, and to respect existing adjacent residential neighborhoods by transitioning down in size and scale. Transit Transit is a critical part of the LUCE boulevard strategy. Bus transit facilities for both the regional Rapid Bus as well as Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus system will be enhanced on Wilshire, Santa Monica and Pico Boulevards with stations strategically located in proximity T.3-12 SANTA MONICA LUCE to public open spaces, retail and institutions. Transit patrons will be encouraged to stop and shop along the boulevards on their way home. The LUCE examined the approximately 4% of the City's commercial areas which may experience some land use changes and infill development over the next 20 years. The areas identified as to wheresome change may occur are along portions of Santa Monica's boulevards, including Wilshire, Santa Monica, Lincoln, Pico, Colorado and Olympic, and in districts including Bergamot and Downtown. To insure that this change is compatible with, and adds'to, the character and form of the City, the plan provides performance standards for differing levels of commercial and residential activity in precisely described and located districts. Performance Standards Rapid Bus routes along Wilshire, Santa Monica and Lincoln Boulevards and the future Exposition Light Rait line. create opportunities for incentivizing additional affordable and workforce housing and mixed use development with significantly lower auto use: To be viable, the plan recommends that the activity centers need to have the ability to assemble larger parcels to have enough depth from the boulevard for the upper stories to step back from the residential uses behind them and permit the development of shared parking facilities in subterranean garages. The LC/C6'seekr ra nnhrtmce the residential naighEoi'boncls by prn~Pdiazg ndelitzon2(snua+Jrers arr~el amereiaier 4.(mng existing rtnd propored rnunsifi corvador>. oriel wirfizn aoalkirag d~rrrd~,ndra afineat raezghborGodr. chapter t.3 Performance standards. reflect the expectations for the way the community wants to evolve. New development will be required to provide public benefits and capitalize on high-frequency transit service to reduce vehicle trips: Public benefits accompanying new development might range from wider sidewalks, to a rnix of neighborhood serving uses, the provision of public gathering places or.communityfacilities, and participation in Transportation Demand Management programs. The vision is to transform sections of the boulevards that are auto-oriented into walkable, vibrant, diverse and attractive boulevards that support retail, public spaces and a diversity of housing types, with substantial amounts of workforce and affordable housing. New Activity Centers: Transit Villages The Exposition Light Rail (LRT) is a catalytic project which will dramatically transform the City's industrial areas: The EXPO Authority is currently preparing plans and an environmental analysis for Phase 2 of the LRT which will terminate in downtown Santa Monica, and is projecting completion of this segment around 2015. Transit stations are being considered. for Bergamot Station, the area adjacent to Memorial Park, and Downtown near Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue. This provides the City with a unique opportunity to move a large number of people from automobiles to the LRT system. Bergamot Transit Village To capitalize on the large investment in this regional transit system, the plan encourages focused investment around the proposed Bergamot light rail station. Highlighting the significance of the arts in Santa Monica; this transit village district is envisioned as a High quality, mixed use, creative arts, residential neighborhood centered around the new light rail station: This provides the City with the opportunity to expand its creative arts job base while at the same time provide a residential. balance by requiring the incorporation of a variety of housing types. Responding to the recommendations of Creative Capital, the City's plan for the creative arts, this transit village will be a living-working- playing community designed. to create a complete neighborhood with local goods and services, public gathering places and connections to adjacent areas. Bergamot is designated as the location of arts and studio-related uses such as film and music production and post-production and provides space for arts studio live/work. More importantly, this area will incentivize significant new opportunities for affordable and workforce housing, acid all. new development will be required to meet stringent trip-reduction criteria, participate in a new parking district, and an interconnected grid of vehicle/ pedestrian streets. Area Adjacent. to Memorial Park The possibility of a mid-town LRTstation provides the City with an opportunity to serve both hospitals within the health care district, as well as; the Santa Monica College which has a total number of daily trips equivalent to downtown. Further, if a station were located here, it could provide the catalyst to significantly expand Memorial Park and create an opportunity for the City tojoint-venture with SMMUD School District in the development of a mixed use, vital, urban neighborhood surrounding the stop with local-serving retail on the ground floor and workforce SANTA MONICA LUCE I 7.3-13 This artiitrrc~u(Erin~ thnaut eGrr erah¢necd Bergamot Ssatiore three not only tornvaec'rr reeiAe»r~ rsncl emQloyeer ruftb tranrit, brst etlro rt(lntur fnr e+,pnsEded u~entive ~rtr ¢ctzvitiet a~rnd bnuaing. strategy framework housing. It could also potentially lead to the expansion of Memorial Park over I-10. In this area, even without a light rail station, there is an opportunity to create additional housing to serve the health care and educational professionals working in the area, with an enhanced pedestrian environment creating connections between the students and the faculty of Santa Monica College to the south and the large number of employees of the hospitals and health care centers to the north. The goal is the creation of a "complete neighborhood" with a mix of uses and local services, enhancing walking, biking, van pooling and ride-sharing. The plan calls for applying ecological best practices for public realm design to achieve green, beautiful, safe, accessible and engaging streets, parks and public places. A Transit Demand Management District will be required. Downtown The Downtown, the heart of the City, is the center of commerce, entertainment, visitor serving uses, and a new Tight rail station. The area is the City's major regional retail and employment district, adjacent to the Beach and Waterfront District, with a human scale arad pedestrian orientation at the street level. New development and infrastructure should strengthen the Downtown's connection with the civic center, the beach and the pier. The LUCE calls for expanding the boundaries of the Downtown to include Lincoln Boulevard, north of I-10 and Wilshire Boulevard..This provides for new mixed use and housing opportunities, and the creation of shared parking for local-serving offices and hotels. Enhanced beach connections and accessibility are recommended for the Downtown, particularly with regard to greater walking and biking opportunities that integrate the Beach with the Downtown core. The Districts In the analysis of land use and transportation, the LUCE examines Santa Monica`s commercial, civic, institutional and recreational/ open space districts, and provides policies and goals for treatment of the City's 10 distinct areas. These are the: ® Downtown District. • Healthcare District. ® Civic Center District. ® Beach and Waterfront District. • Montana Avenue District. ® Main Street District. The LUCE also calls for the preparation of an updated Specific Plan to ensure the downtown's continued vitality and evolution as the vibrant mixed use core of the City. ® Santa Monica Business Parl<and Airport. ® Bergamot Transit Village District. ® Mixed Use Creative District. • Memorial Park Activity Center District. ® IndustriaLConservation District. 7.3-14 SANTA MONICA LUCE The reeighbm'bo;,;ds' avail commnxial nruna aG fr~lcerrA to Memorial Park would eraynv e,~panded operz rpace, acrerr to regioraa(tranait mad a wzder rtr;'ay of re~rvirer. '7he lig4rt rail's tenninrFr at the heart of~.Srz~nro Mnnica's damntavu~re diatrraa wmdd brirz~ vrntor directly to Jra oiean .hare, mtd mmelsl naake~ 2 sfrttx;xeru aboux thr Ciryi emnrr;fnaertt to ~u~tnatutbillty. Each of these is described in detail in the later chapter on Districts. Affordable and Workforce Housing There may be some who are surprised to find a discussion of housing located in a section devoted to land use and transportation. This surprise may be warranted, as typically the City has not in the past required that new afFordable and workforce housing be located near or adjacent to transit, or for new housing to have easy access to amenities like local serving retail, recreational spaces, and a green environment. This has created both a transportation problem and a social equity problem. The Center for Housing Policy estimates that working families who move out#rom the City center to find housing spend 77 cents more on transportation for each dollar saved on housing. Locating housing adjacent to services is I<ey to reducing vehicle trips. THE LUCE ADDRESSES THE COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT ISSUE OF GENERATING ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH ITS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LAND USE DESIGNATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION POLICY The LUCE addresses the complex and difficult issue of generating additional affordable and workforce housing through its recommendations for land use designations and transportation policy. The reality is that since the changes in rent control law; over 14,600 lower cost rent-controlled units have been converted to market rate rentals -more than one quarter of the City's entire housing stock. The City has strong programs in place for affordable housing and recommendations in the LUCEYeinforce#hese programs, while requiring additional amenities in terms of location and neighborhood services. The City has gone to extraordinary lengths in its consideration of the social factors related to the provision of all types of housing in the community, resulting iri a wide range of inclusionary programs that promote affordable housing for low income households. In recent years, the combination of land scarcity, the desirability of the City as a residential location, recision of rent control, regional growth pressures acid a multiplicity of other factors have led to a large underserved gap in the middle of the market. The term that is increasingly used to describe this middle layer of housing between affordable housing and market-rate units is workforce housing. chapter 1.3 The gap between the cost of new housing and workforce's ability to pay is growing. If the estimated price of a condo in Santa Monica ranges from $640,000 to $850,000, and the estimated price affordable to someone earning $75,000 per year is $300,000, the gap to be filled ranges from $340,000 to $550,000 per unit.' There are only two approaches for bridging this gap, either reduce the cost of housing, or supplement individual incomes through housing subsidies. ' C;iry of Santo Mmtica; Worl:fi>xci. Housing Committee, Srprrnd;+er, 2007; SANTA MONICA LUCE I 1.3-15 Ibe LULB rr co~ntmit<ed ro (n'a¢nc%iag rs f~ordrzble fiourtng npparnaura~es ro re~tidcnh ofall Gae~kgi narrrdr and iiunnze Levee. strategy framework The LUCE takes this challenge head-on. Committed to creating a sustainable. and equitable community for City residents, the LUCE proposes to use both public and private land more creatively. It does this in a variety of specific ways: • Creates new opportunities for housing along the City's boulevards and located in activity centers -going into areas not currently designated for residential. • Incentivizes the private sector to produce more housing through performance standards and bonuses -suitable for larger sites, Transit Villages, and the industrial areas. • Requires that new housing have access to transit and be supported by complete neighborhood services -not in piecemeal and scattered locations. • Separates the cost of parking from the cost of the housing unit, making the unit more affordable, and reducing parking requirements for projects near or adjacent to transit facilities. ® Recommends analyzing underutilized public land resources like parking lots and air rights for the generation of housing. • Recommends working constructively with schools, hospitals and utilities to make creative use of surplus institutional land for additional housing. The housing thus created must be in places that reflect the community's values of scale and height, quality pedestrian connections, open space, and walkability, livable and well- designed buildings and landscaping, and a range of circulation and transportation options. The City's Economy The vision in the LUCE is for the economic development goals to ensure a continued diversity of uses that support a high quality of public services in the City. From this perspective, the City's fiscal viability is essentially the balancing of local revenues with desired levels of municipal services. Santa Monica's commitment to quality public services is reflected in the fact that it spends approximately $1,900 per year per person on social services compared to the more typical municipal average of $500 to $700 per person per year for other cities in the area. The LUCE not only evaluates Santa Monica's key economic sectors, but it identifies those uses which generate the greatest economic benefit to the City, identifying which of those sectors can continue to grow throughout a changing economy. In essence, it explores the relationship between economic policies, development potentials and land use patterns, and their impacts on the social and financial well-being of the City. Additionally, it identifies those land areas in the City which are suitable for redevelopment and change to support the City's economy and social goals, particularly the provision of additional housing, the protection of Santa Monica's creative industry, and encouragement ofsmall business. The analysis in Chapter 2.1 shows that the hotel industry generates between 15 and 20 percent of total City tax revenues from the Transit Occupancy Tax. This revenue stream has grown substantially in the last three years. Market demand indicates a need for additional hotel rooms, particularly in the business and family-class hotel type of accommodations. The LUCE has identified the downtown and mid- town opportunities for additional hotel rooms to serve the hospitals, colleges and Bergamot Station. Retail sales, auto sales and service, and the Downtown are also important to the City's economy and provide the tax revenue needed to support the city's social services. There is.also room for growth in convenience goods and specialty retail. The economic analysis documents that there has been a substantial loss of potential sales from local residents who are making these purchases outside the city: The LUCE responds to this opportunity by requiring that new investment along the Boulevards, and at Bergamot and Memorial Park be accompanied by a range of local retail goods and services. 1.3.-76 { SANTA MONICA LUCE Santa Monica is home to two hospitals serving a regional population base with service areas that extend well beyond municipal boundaries to Palos Verdes, Ventura County and even northern Los Angeles County. As a result, as St. Johns Health Center and the Santa Monica- UCLA Medical Center grow to serve both primary and secondary markefareas, they will need to add outpatient clinics, staff housing and visitor accommodations. The creative arts industry is important to Santa Monica. It is estimated that 13 percent to 15 percent of total employment in the City is in the arts area. The typical average for U.S. municipalities is in the two percent range. Over 11,000 people; it is estimated, are engaged in some form of the creative arts, entertainment, production and post-production in Santa Monica. In all likelihood, this may - be an understatement of the total size of the local artistic community. The LUCE seeks to match jobs to people, and has designated the Bergamot Transit Village, already the-core of a burgeoning arts center, as the ideal location where the creative arts and post-production industry can flourish. The LUCE, through a new updated Specific Plan, will provide for the required expansion and for workforce housing with shared parking and a Transportation Management Program to minimize trips. The recommendations ensure that basic services for medical service employees, such as places to eat and shop, are also provided as part of this expansion so that they do not have to drive to satisfy local needs. Finally, specific office uses that support the City's broader goals and serve the local community can provide the economic resources for additional workforce housing. The LUCE locates such new investment along Boulevards and adjacent to transit, such as Exposition Light Rail, and provides workforce housing incentives for buildings which may go higher than the base height. chapter 1.3 SANTA MONICA LUCE 1.3-D Pflna nr:el taunt Qroe(mcxion are prorninertt intl~um~ies in Saatrt Morsicra. 7/ie city is borne <oprzivaEors, tou~torr„ jroet-, ybotno aphere) dnretarr a~ad nthe~r ryper ofartx~b~ ar rural/ 'lhPberxld~-eare acrd tuzerLsrrt tecmrs are important emnpmnPrttt nfSawfrt Mondca5 dis~m~rrifurd e~ovawrzy. Oe+er dirt enu~rrU nftbo LUCF, dt h prvjecrerl rbrrt bath ir~d~aa.m-des ¢uidl expn~nd to rrreet vzem dernarrdr. strategy framework In sum, the LUCE, in its integration of land use and transportation, housing and economic policies, creates a balanced mix of uses in the City, aimed at creating a green and sustainable land use pattern, and providing for the expansion of those economic sectors which will continue to fund the City's extensive. array of social services. 3. PRO-ACT1o/E COfVGE5Tl06il Ml~IVACaEEIVT OF COIVGESTIO~ Congestion is one of the factors that seriously affects the quality of life in Santa Monica and contributes to the global issues of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The sustainability approach of LUCE requires that the City address the issue of congestion directly and establish goals to move towards no net new auto trips at peak hour. The LUCE plan recommends the most aggressive, pro-active strategy to reduce. future work, shopping and residential trips by requiring a comprehensive Transportation Demand Management (TDM) approach throughout the City. Additionally, from a sustainability standpoint, the LUCE establishes a long-term goal of no new net trips as a goal the City should strive toward. Setting forth on this path requires a major new commitment from the City, its residents, employees and visitors. Basically, it requires an integrated transportation system that allows people to choose non-auto means for as many trips as possible. That requires that the City adopt policies which provide disincentives for using the car and rewards for using all other types of transportation. The approach the LUCE takes to accomplish. this goal is composed of a series of major strategies which must be implemented simultaneously: Location of iVew Development By merely locating development near frequent transit service, peak period vehicle trips can be cut in half. Tlie LUCE strategically focuses new investment and land recycling along transit corridors. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Aggressive demand management of existing', as well as, new employee trips is addressed through the creation of TDM districts throughout the City, working with trip-generating institutions such as large employers, schools, hospitals and Santa Monica College to create incentives to make the goals a reality. The program must include more rigorous requirements for new projects and new incentives for existing areas. Citywide Management Each neighborhood in Santa Monica needs different solutions for reducing auto trips and encouraging other transportation modes. The plan seeks to establish Business Improvement Districts, Transportation Management Associations and/or Community Benefit Districts throughout the City to help manage parking and minimize traffic. The goal is to implement measures, such as parking pricing; transit incentives; pooling ridesharing resources; providing facilities for flexcar, . bicycling and walking; and subsidizing passes on the Big Blue Bus. 1.3-18 SANTA MONICA LUCE 7Ge popsslrtr 13tg LJ6nea~ l3ur ryrem con~netas rarfdenls to ofherPrtrl~ nf'the crty and to lrm,~or reyinn~ LUC,'E,onlici~es mek to inn'ease rudest/yip 6y locaainy rreao ~uYiviT.ieg sarude'et macd boradvzy reeai~ fr¢trarFf~cidstlef. chapter 1.3 Complete Neighborhoods The LUCE seeks to create an optimal array of local services in existirg districts and create new retail districts in parts of the City that are .currently lacking services. This will place all daily needs within walking distance and provide a high level of pedestrian and biking quality on the streets. Public Benefits New development must provide public benefits, includes: wide and welcorrring sidewalks, new bike paths, and facilities making new and easy connections among neighborhoods. Santa Monica should become a City of green and landscaped streets. Impact Fees New projects shall be required not only to minimize the trips they generate, but also pay fees to mitigate their new trips by reducing current trips elsewhere in the City. Such fees could be used to provide bus passes for high school and college students, increase Big Blue Bus frequency, improve walking routes and implement an integrated bike network. An Integrated Approach This combined approach emphasizes: ® Making the most efficient use of existing transportation capacity by emphasizing modes that require the least roadway space THE LUCE REQUIRES AN INTEGRATED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO CHOOSE NON-AUTO MEANS FOR AS MANY TRIPS AS POSSIBLE. per person: walking, biking and transit, ® Creating greater transportation choices so Santa Monicans are not forced to depend on their cars for every trip they need to make, including service improvements to the Big .Blue Bus and regional "Rapid" bus service, and locating neighborhood goods and services in specified areas. ® Revealing the true cost of driving and parking and shift toward measures such as having employers subsidize transit passes rather than automobiles. Such program could include parking cash-out programs, car-sharing, and bicycle facilities. In adopting these measures, Santa Moriica acknowledges that transportation is not an end in itself. Rather, it is a means by which the City supports the larger goals of mobility andaccessibility. It means walkable and, bikeable streets, vibrant retail districts.and enjoyable access for pedestrians and bikes. It regards the City's streets as green recreational corridors which contribute not only to mobility and accessibility but to the public health of its citizens. This allows the Cityto evaluate . transportation as a contrlbiltorto quality of life rather than moving cars quickly. Success is measured by evaluating transportations's contributions to accessing goods, services and recreation. It also entails thinking about the City's streets in a new way. This LUCE approach furthers the integration between transportation and land use by linking street design, management priorities for land use; and different transportation means for each street. The aim is that together the streets will form complete, high quality networks for all types of transportation and support the overall vision of the place" Santa Monica wants to be. SANTA MONICA LUCE I 1.3-19 City reruiceg lake t!>e natianrxl/y recagnizzd bike valetprognrtn, gkUe penpFe chalcm' nLorrr getrirsg armeracl 3kie' city. strategy framework 4. PUBLIC BE(VEFLTS What makes a livable city? For Santa Monica, it is preservation of the vibrant, small town atmosphere; the enhancement of a sense of community; unique and diverse neighborhoods; walkable streets; easy access to transit; usable public open space, a range of housing choices; and greening of streets and corridors. The LUCE policy and goals assure that as the City evolves over time, both the City and the neighborhoods will benefit from all future change. The LUCE strategy requires that future investment must contribute to, not detract from, the community by providing an array of community benefits among which are: affordable and workforce housing; shared parking; community gathering and open spaces; new infrastructure, sidewalks and bike facilities; support for arts and cultural facilities and uses; historic and cultural preservation; parks; commuhity centers for youth, teens, adults and seniors; and child care centers. Performance-Based Planning Asa. means of analyzing new development, the LUCE proposes a perfbrmance-based planning approach. As a first step, this provides for an established low base allowance for building height and intensity which will be reflected in the land use designations and the revised zoning code. In order to increase this low base allowance, new structures must perform -that is, provide public benefits. The most significant incentives the plan provides are targeted to encourage affordable and workforce housing. This.. responds to the community's desire to foster a diverse community by creating opportunities for the least economically-able toJive and work within the City. The plan specifically recommends that workforce housing should be located near transit and near existing job centers such as the hospitals, Santa Monica College, the school district offices and entertainment industry offices. Tp ensure compliance, the plan proposes a series of performance measures for the public benefits required for any increase in height or development intensity above the established low baseline. As an example of the types of measures which may be employed, criteria for assessing new investment in boulevards and activity centers could include analyzing its ability to: ® Support neighborhoods with services such as ground floor retail providing for everyday needs. o Provide a mixture of uses and of housing choices. ® Support neighborhoods through the creation of "Place" and community gathering places. ® Support and be supported by transit. ® Generate and support a lively pedestrian and biking environment, and connections among green streets responding to the recommendations in the City's Open Space Element Parks and Recreation Master Plan. ® Provide appropriate transitions to residential neighborhoods. m Accommodate shared, publicly available parking, including having commercial projects share their available nighttime parking with existing residents. The chapter on land use districts and designations discusses the differing baselines for different geographic portions of the City. 7.3-20 SANTA MONdCA LUCE 71>e LUCE regr~iresfienare develapynena ro proroa~le 2 vwr tiety of puhlar benefit tl.,nt erFrecG rtncl nourish the comreurdry. Chapter 1.3 5. URBlLIV ~1-9ARACTER AfVD FORM Quality development will contribute to the character of Santa Monica. Through good urban design and architecture, new buildings and redevelopment can be a rich addition to the urban fabric, reflecting the community's values while creating special places in the City which enhance its strong character and the quality of life. The Beach and Waterfront District The City's form and character are derived from its physical and cultural relationship with the Pacific Ocean. The City meets the ocean on three levels, the wide sandy beaches, the historic and defining pier and the Palisades Park located an the bluff overlooking the ocean. Santa Monica is a beach community and it seeks to maintain and instill that character as it grows and evolves over time. The LUCE looks to identify further opportunities for connections with the oceanfront. Currently, there is weak connectivity between the City and the beach, especially in the north beach areas where the bluffs are a significant physical barrier. Additionally, the LUCE recommends that views and pedestrian access on existing walks be protected, and that shared use of the beach parking lots for parking, recreation and best practices in sustainability are promoted. It is also important to move people up and down the beachfront more easily and to provide improved accessibility for the handicapped. The Downtown The Downtown is the focus of the community. Strategically located with dramatic views to the ocean, it is the center of transportation, commerce, entertainment and the City's celebration of life. The downtown thrives, but it is not resting on its laurels. New housing, a revitalized Santa Monica Place, new up-to- date cinemas, new parking and a new light rail station provide. new stimulus for the downtown over the next two decades. The LUCE calls for the preparation of an updated Specific Plan to guide the evolution of the downtown and to ensure a thriving, vital mixed use urban place for people to live, work, be entertained and culturally enriched. The Neighborhoods Santa Monica's residential neighborhoods define the form and character for the City. Santa Monica is a residential community and its residential neighborhoods with their traditional grid pattern of streets occupy more than ninety percent of the land area. The LUCE calls for the preservation, protection and enhancement of the residential neighborhoods. The plan recognizes that the streets are significant elements of Santa Monica's open space pattern. Streets are identified as part of the "pedestrian realm" and they should be safe, well illuminated, and pedestrian/bike friendly designed to minimize the impact of the auto. Walkers and bicyclists should have parity with the car. Paramount is the need to enhance the pedestrian/bike and small shuttle SANTA MONICA LUCE I 1.3-21 hrryrovrd aacrs m the !~onc'h and in r+o-xeerfi~nnt arne~reiriet it a nuijor romporaerar of the LUCE. the beach niad euaerfj~nrt[ dirtrictpr'ovidet rt rpurdity zx¢+zr'orrme~n< nrz reeie~ral (ayer~: city, park acrd auate;: strategy framework connections from the neighborhoods to retail services at the boulevards. The neighborhood streetscape should include a quality landscape environrnent and avoid front yards visually dominated by the auto. The existing housing'stock should be respected and preserved. When new buildings are introduced into a neighborhood they should be compatible in scale and size with architectural elements that visually strengthen the overall neighborhood. Multifamily housing should provide a transition in scale to adjacent single family residencies. The Boulevards Santa Monica is blessed with dramatic boulevards tflat remain from the era preceding the development of the freeway and Interstate system in Southern California. Radiating out from the downtown, the City is the terminus of these boulevards that extend for many. miles and link it with the greater Los Angeles area. These boulevards provide structure and form to the City and provide opportunities for quality transit services, housing, local serving commerce and the potentia) for new pedestrian environments. The LUCE envisions enlivening the boulevards with new ground level, local serving retail and a variety of residential housing types. The introduction of pedestrian environments that feature green landscaping, enhanced paving, coordinated street furniture and lighting - in short, a new "streetscape" -will combine with quality transit amenities and services to elevate Santa Monica's boulevards to an active and landscaped level, such as can be found in the world's greatest cities. The boulevards provide excellent opportunities to create walkable residential based, mixed. use centers or "Places" at strategic locations along the boulevards. These places will include activities that bring neighbors together, facilities for all ages, goods and services for the neighborhoods, and transit. The LUCE' recognizes the importance of scaling the buildings and the sidewalks in a manner that is appropriate to the boulevard location, the width of the street, the shadow pattern and the pedestrian environment. 1:3-22 ~ SANTA MONICA LUCE Artist's rerndering ofott Finture view: ereteritag S~run 1Vlnruta on Lincoln Boulex:ard. tha pter 1.3 Activity Centers The form of the City will also be shaped by newly created neighborhoods around new transit centers and transit. routes. The Bergamot Transit Village and the Memorial Park Activity Center are two examples where opportunities for the creation of new neighborhood centers that will be defined by mixed use retail, commercial and residential uses in a pattern that supports pedestrian travel linked to transit. Each area will provide opportunities unique to its location to create a sense of place while providing opportunities for social interaction and/or recreation. Guidelines Care will be taken and standards and guidelines will be prepared to ensure that buildings and public spaces will be well- designed and contribute to the visual attractiveness of the City and the protection of existing neighborhood development. Mixed use buildings are encouraged to include retail, residential and public facilities to create vitality and support 17-hour per day, 7-day per week life and activity. It is here that small business can be encouraged and nurtured. Buildings will be appropriately scaled to the neighborhoods and street facades of large, assembled sites will reflect the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. The creation of parking districts are encouraged to assure shared parking and managed implementation of City parking policies. Parking should be either located below grade or shielded from view by active USes. b. A SUSTAINABLE SANTA IVIONICA A national leader on the issues of sustainability, Santa Monica is committed to allowing the community to thrive without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Santa Monica's Sustainable City Plan recognizes the interconnectiveness of policy decisions and the need to address their long- term impacts. It is concerned about the rates and types of change occurring within the City, upon the planet and in the lives of its residents. In response to these principles, the fundamental LUCE strategy is to incorporate environmental, land use, economic, transportation and social concerns into a single, flexible framework that champions new, holistic ways to align land use and transportation, density and transit, design and urban form to achieve mutual benefits. These benefits include strategies for affordable housing, neighborhood preservation; transportation and parking. Where the Sustainable City Plan calls for reducing the reliance on the automobile and creating amulti-modal transportation system, the LUCE responds by focusing and locating new development around transit, reducing auto trips at their source and emphasizing alternative modes such as walking, biking and buses. This has positive impacts on global issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and local issues such as air quality and traffic congestion. Where the Sustainable City Plan, Creative Capital plan, and the annual Affordable Housing Production Program Report promote a diverse, stable and local economy supporting the basic needs of all segments of the community, the LUCE identifies specific areas in the City where new investment could be accommodated and could contribute to the expansion of the local tax base for a continued provision of a high level of public services, promotion of the arts community, the creation of jobs, additional workforce and affordable housing, and new neighborhoods serving uses. In terms of open space and land use, the Sustainable City Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan recommend the creation of compact, mixed use projects, for urban villages designed to maximize affordable housing and encourage open space, walking, bicycling, and the use of existing and future public transit systems. Implementing this goal, the LUCE links the SANTA MONICA LUCE 1.3-23 strategy framework creation of transit villages to the Exposition Light Rail and activity centers at strategic places along the boulevards to create complete neighborhoods. The LUCE also. recommends a diversity of new public plazas throughout the City and the expansion of Memorial Park, ensuring that the City's most abundant public spaces are used to their fullest potential for recreation, transportation and social interaction. The long term completion of a comprehensive bike network throughout the City i5also proposed. The housing goal of the Sustainable City Plan is for a mix of affordable, livable and green housing types throughout the City for people of all groups. The LUCE addresses this need by assigning a low base allowance for height and density of new development, and providing significant incentives for including a range of housing types, particularly affordable and workforce housing to meet the needs of residents. The Sustainable City Plan also has goals for community education, social services, civic participation and human dignity. The LUCE contributes to these goals by addressing life- long learning, the provision of childcare, the expansion of public facilities and services, and a greater emphasis on arts and culture Finally, the LUCE outreach planning process revealed the City's commitment to its deepest values of inclusiveness and, diversity, echoing the Sustainable City Plan for ensuring that the greatest benefits of urban life be accessible now and in the future to all the residents of the City. Moving forward, the LUCE incorporates the goals and policies of the City as developed and adopted over the years and creates the broad policy framework necessary to guide their implementation for the foreseeable future. 1.3-24 SANTA MONICA LUCE