SR-120208-3A~®
City of
Santa Monica
City Council Repo
City Council Meeting: December 2, 2008
Agenda Item:
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Barbara Stinchfield, Director of Community & Cultural Services
Subject: Annenberg Community Beach House Operations Plan
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council review and comment on the attached proposed
operations summary for the Annenberg Community Beach House.
Executive Summary
Construction of the Annenberg Community Beach House is nearly complete with a
celebratory event and public opening scheduled for late April 2009. To support year-
round operations, in June of 2008 the City Council approved an annualized operating
budget of approximately $3.3 million offset by approximately $2.0 million in revenue.
This significant commitment of City funds supports a full range of visitor services as
envisioned during the planning process as well as a high level of maintenance and
security. In refining the operations plan in preparation for the Beach House opening,
City staff have reached out to community members, stakeholder organizations, and the
Recreation and Parks Commission to test assumptions in key operational areas. The
attached Operations Summary for the Inaugural Year (May 2009 -April 2010) presents
an opportunity for the City Council to provide comment on these key areas.
Background
Planning for a unique public beach facility at 415 Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) began
over 15 years ago when the City assumed responsibility for five historic acres on Santa
Monica State Beach. Since the 1920s, the site has played an important role in
Southern California life, first as the Marion Davies Estate, then as an ocean-front luxury
hotel and later as a private beach club. Spurred by a local initiative in 1990 that
restricted major new development along Santa Monica's beachfront and facing
significant costs due to damage sustained during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, in
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the mid-1990s the City developed the "415 PCH Reuse Plan" that envisioned a vibrant
public space that would:
• Preserve the history of the site
• Encourage a "light touch" on the site
• Create acommunity-oriented destination
• Provide public recreational activities
• Increase public access to the beach
• Create a range of uses
• Encourage diverse users
• Provide for year-round use
• Link to the regional open space network
In February 2005, realization of this vision was assured when the Annenberg
Foundation granted the City $27.5 million at the direction of Foundation Vice President
Wallis Annenberg. In January 2006, after extensive community input and guided by the
approved project goals as noted above, the design of the Annenberg Community Beach
House was approved by the City Council. In May 2007, construction began and is now
85% complete.
Discussion
In June 2008, the City Council approved support for Beach House operations from the
City's Beach Fund. Funding levels were based on a range of assumptions about the
expected level of community use, hours of operation, desired staffing levels and the
amount of revenue to be generated from a range of fee-based services. This significant
level of support provided by the City Council points to the City's commitment to
community-responsive programming, quality visitor services and a high level of
maintenance and security.
The refinement of proposed Beach House operations has involved significant input from
a range of City departments, concessionaires and contractors, the Recreation and
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Parks Commission and interested community members. The challenge has been
determining how to offer the full range of services and programs that has been
envisioned throughout the planning process while conforming to the approved budget
and the multitude of restrictions imposed during the development review process. The
numerous iterations leading to the proposed operations plan have been tested against
the goals approved by City Council over a decade ago -goals that still resonate with
the community - as well as more recent community input.
Given the uniqueness of the Beach House (City staff has found no comparable facility in
the country), the initial operations plan must be flexible and highly responsive to actual
use patterns, seasonal demand and desired programs and services. Nonetheless,
getting prepared to open such along-awaited and multi-faceted facility requires detailed
upfront planning as well as transparency regarding the benefits and limitations during
the initial launch period. Review of the attached Operations Summary provides the City
Council with an opportunity to respond to the initial approach and identify any
operational issues that City staff should pursue further prior to the Beach House
opening.
Commission Action
The City's Recreation and Parks Commission has reviewed specific aspects of
proposed Beach House operations at three of its public meetings during the summer
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View across fhe courtyard toward the Marion Davies Guest House.
View from fhe Guest House looking southwest.
and fall of 2008. In addition, the Commission took public input and unanimously passed
the following motion at its November 20, 2008 meeting:
"The Recreation and Parks Commission supports the proposed Annenberg
Community Beach House Operations Plan with the following comments: (a) that
the proposed range for Pool Pass reservations (50%-75% of pool capacity) be
closer to 50% during the inaugural year, (b) that the two Tide Shuttles serving the
Beach House during summer weekends go in opposite directions, and (c) that
maximum flexibility should be encouraged so that the Beach House operations
can be responsive to situations as they arise."
Public Outreach
In addition to public input at meetings of the Recreation and Parks Commission,
presentations on the emerging operations plan were made to six community
organizations during October and November. An initial community workshop in
November 2007 gathered ideas from over 40 participants. A final workshop was held
on October 25, 2008, with approximately 60 community members attending. Notice of
both workshops was publicized in local newspapers and invitations were sent to
approximately 850 individuals on the project mailing list, including Beach House
neighbors.
In general, the community has been highly supportive of the proposed Operations Plan
and expressed an understanding and appreciation of the complexity of the operation
and the intent of the proposed measures. Some concerns identified during community
presentations include the cost of pool access, limitations of the proposed Big Blue Bus
shuttle service, and the proposed reservations policy. In most cases, staff was able to
address ideas and concerns as reflected in the initial operating plan.
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Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Ongoing operating costs and projected revenues for the Beach House have been
approved in the FY 2008-09 City Budget and the FY 2009-10 Budget Plan. The
annualized operating pro forma presented below reflects an annual operating subsidy
from the City's Beach Fund of approximately $1.3 million. No further budgetary actions
are necessary at this time. Any necessary fee resolutions will be brought to Council in
early 2009 for approval.
Expenditures
Activities and Programs $ 893,861
Special Events and Meetings $ 244,396
Site Management $ 695,765
Maintenance $ 1,460,497
Total Expenditures $ 3,294,518
Revenues
Concessions and Parking $ 445,014
Activities and Programs $ 233,300
Special Events and Meetings $ 1,306,249
_~__._ Total Revenues ~ ~$ 1,984,563
Balance $ (1,309,955)
Prepared by: Callie Hurd, Open Space Manager
Approved: Forwarded Council:
Barbara Stinchfield P. L ont Ewell
Director, Community & Cultural Services Cit Manager
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Attachment
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AT SANTA MONICA STATE BEACH
OPERATIONS SUMMARY
Inaugural Year
May 2009 through April 2010
The Annenberg Community Beach House will provide the public with a rare opportunity
to enjoy a quintessential Southern California beach experience in an unparalleled.
historic oceanfront setting. In the summer, the Beach House promotes "A Great Day at
the Beach" by providing traditional beach amenities and services such as showers,
changing rooms, take-out and cafe-style food service, beach equipment rental, as well
as access to the historic swimming pool, children's play areas, and sand areas for
beach volleyball, tennis and picnicking. The winter months will focus on more
contemplative pursuits such as indoor retreats, meetings, social functions and cultural
programs as well as continued access to the sand, gardens and beach cafe.
Transportation and Access
Visitors to the Beach House may face significant challenges in accessing the site by
car, especially during the peak use periods. Congestion on PCH, the limited number of
on-site parking spaces and high user demand will require that many visitors rely on
alternative modes of transportation. A positive initial visitor experience will depend upon
advance awareness of "how best to get to the Beach House." Alternative modes will be
aggressively promoted on the City and Beach House websites with links to websites
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such as ExperienceLA.com, which promotes cultural destinations in the Los Angeles
region and access to them through the region's public transportation system.
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Traffic Signal: A new demand-activated traffic signal is currently being installed on PCH
at the entrance to the Beach House and will be operational upon opening in April. The
signal will facilitate movement into and out of the site at the south lot. Aright-turn only
exit will be provided for vehicles exiting from the north lot.
Public Parking: The Beach House parking lot will be open daily for public parking from
approximately 6 a.m. to dark and can accommodate 277 vehicles. Daily parking rates
will be based on the current rates for central beach parking lots and short-term rates are
being proposed for visits of two hours or less. In addition, senior and disabled parking
permits will be accepted. Given the projected parking demand, acceptance of beach or
residential parking permits is not being proposed. During the peak season (May
through September), advanced reservations for approximately 100 parking spaces will
be accommodated.
Bicycle Access: Parking for 100 bicycles will be provided at racks located at key
locations on the site. In addition, the Beach House concessionaire is exploring the
possibility of offering a bike valet service for a nominal fee during peak season. Staff is
considering various ways to deal with possible conflicts between bicyclists and
pedestrians using the beach bike path, particularly where it intersects the site's new
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Beach Walk that extends from the Beach House, across the bike path toward the water.
One option that will be tested is the use of portable signage adjacent to the intersections
of the Beach Walk and bike path to alert pedestrians to cross the bike path with caution.
Consideration is also being given to enhancing the stenciling along the section of the
bike path in front of the Beach House to alert bicyclists to watch for pedestrians.
Tide Shuttle: Contingent upon field-testing shuttle buses once the Beach House parking
lot is striped and available, the Big Blue Bus will revise its Tide route to serve the Beach
House. While a new Beach Ride was initially considered, shrinking transit funding has
necessitated a change in approach to avoid service reductions in other needed areas.
The current recommend approach is to expand the Tide route as show below.
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Existing Tide stops will be used on Barnard Way and the existing Line 8 stop will be
used on Ocean Park Boulevard and Main Street. This route will provide for two trips to
the Beach House hourly with a 30-minute headway. The service is proposed for
weekends May through September from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will cost $.50 each
way ($.25 for seniors and persons with a disability).
BBB staff will be discussing this proposed change at upcoming community meetings
scheduled for December 8, 9, and 13. At the end of the first season, ridership and
travel patterns will be analyzed to determine if route modifications are necessary.
Big Blue Bus Route 9: Big Blue Bus Line 9 currently stops approximatelyone-half mile
north of the Beach House at West Channel Road where there is an existing pedestrian
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tunnel under PCH with access to the beach and the Beach House via the beach bike
path, which may be used by pedestrians as well as bicyclists in that location.
Paratransit Services: The City's Dial-a-Ride service will also be available for residents
60 years of age or older and disabled persons 18 years and older.
Other transportation options being evaluated for future summers include a possible
"bike park and ride" marketing campaign, cross-marketing with the Perry's beach bike
rentals, the possibility of piloting a pedi-cab program, as well as refinement of the "Sand
Tram" concept to carry beach goers on the sand with a stop at the Beach House.
Community Access
Year-round, a significant portion of the site will be open and available to the public, free
of charge, from 6 a.m. to dark daily. This area includes the boardwalks, children's play
area, beach volleyball and tennis courts and, of course, the sand. The Splash Pad and
the gardens east of the board walk will be open from 8:30 a.m. until dark except for
permitted evening events. During the inaugural summer, the View Deck on the second
floor of the Pool House will be open to the public from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to
sundown. Priority access to the View Deck between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. will be for pool
users. Priority access to the Splash Pad by those using the pool may be established
once use patterns become apparent.
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Access for Persons with a Disability: The Beach House is fully ADA compliant providing
access for all throughout the site, including children's play areas. Disabled placards will
be accepted in the Beach House parking lot, providing free daytime parking. Anew
elevator has been installed in the historic Marion Davies Guest House to provide full
accessibility to the second floor. An elevator and ramp is also available for access to
the pool and pool deck as well as the second floor of the Pool House including the View
Deck. A lift is available to provide pool access and the new Ocean Walk extends across
the bike path toward the water, providing an accessible means of travel closer to the
water's edge than any other location on Santa Monica State Beach. In addition, a
beach wheel chair will be available at the Beach House concession stand, free of
charge, to provide access to the sand.
Visitor Services
Visitor Orientation: Visitor orientation will be provided daily by aguest-centered team of
four full-time City staff at the Guest Services office. This team will promote the highest
level of customer service and will be joined by year-round maintenance staff and
seasonal recreational staff to provide a "five star" experience to all visitors.
Food Service and Beach Concessions: The Beach House master concessionaires,
Fred Deni and James Christel, will provide a variety of on-site concession services. The
popular Back on the Beach cafe has been refurbished and a new take-out window will,
enable take-away food service in addition to the traditional sit-down cafe. Anew
concession stand is located on the north side of the site to provide beach equipment
rentals and the sale of beach-related sundries. Other possible programs and services
are being finalized and may include remote ordering, pool-side food delivery, mobile
food carts, and seasonal programming such as tea service in the Guest House.
Community Programming
Recreation: The Beach House will offer free and fee-based recreational opportunities
throughout the year and throughout the site. Recreation during summer months will
focus on the public's use and enjoyment of the historic pool and its deck areas,
volleyball and beach tennis courts, sand and children's play areas. Informal, drop-in
fitness classes will be scheduled based on visitor. interest and demand. During non-
peak seasons, classes may be offered over multiple weeks and provide more in-depth
learning opportunities and activities. At all times of the year, programming will be
targeted to the wide variety of youth, adults, and seniors expected to visit the Beach
House.
Recreational Swim. During the summer, the pool will be a popular recreational
gathering place, especially for families. A daily Pool Pass will allow visitors to
use the Pool and adjacent deck, changing rooms, showers and lockers as well as
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priority use of the View Deck and possibly the Splash Pad during specified peak
use periods.
Based on the budgeted number of hours for lifeguard staffing as well as a
projection of when visitors will be most likely to use the pool, the following initial
schedule is proposed:
May-September: Weekends 10:OOam-6:OOpm
LateJune-August: Weekdays 10:OOam-6:OOpm
October-April: 40 Weather-driven weekendda noon-4:OOpm
Dollar Days @ The Pool. To promote the Pool Pass as well as to ensure that
lower-income families will have the opportunity to participate, a discounted entry
of $1 per person will be piloted during the inaugural summer, probably every.
Monday during the summer period. Dollar Day entries will be available to those
entering the pool between 10 a.m. and noon and they will then be available to
enjoy a full day there. Fees for later entries will not be discounted. Reservations
will not be available on those dates.
Lap Swim. Based on community input, there may be adequate demand for a
cost-covering lap swim option on summer weekday mornings from 8:30 to 10
a.m. It is estimated that the pool could accommodate approximately 16
swimmers at a time. Because lifeguard hours have not been budgeted for this
option, an early morning lap swim program would need to be cost-covering.
Accordingly an advance purchase system would be needed to ensure the receipt
of adequate Pool Pass fees to cover direct lifeguard costs. Staff will continue to
assess demand and the feasibility of providing this either during the inaugural
season or in the future.
Private Pool Rental. The pool and deck will be available for rent outside of
normal public hours, September through May.
Day Camp Visits. City Youth Day Camps will be provided with a Club Room in
the Event House to serve as home-base fora "Great Day at the Beach." These
visits will be integrated into the day camp's overall program and curriculum and
will afford opportunities for education about the history of the beach and the
Beach House as well as to study contemporary issues related to the beach
environment.
Cultural and Interpretative Programs: Cultural programs will be supported and
enhanced by the site's interpretive elements, which transform the Beach House into a
portal to the past as well as to the present and future. To be implemented in phases,
the interpretive experience will inform and delight visitors with magical experiences that
individuals can discover and create on their own. The rich stories and memories of the
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history of Santa Monica, its beach and the Beach House will be conveyed through non-
traditional environments that foster elements of surprise.
Seven interpretative elements will be completed for the Beach House opening. In
selecting these elements from an Interpretative Master Plan that can be implemented
over time, priority was given to those that would visible to the public whenever the site is
open as well as to those that contribute to the use of the historic Guest House as a
visitor center. Elements include:
• Amulti-faceted installation at the south entry to the Beach House that provides a
site overview and a glimpse of all the interpretative element and themes
• An audio tour with distinctive markers based on an historic artifact
• A viewfinder that allows the viewer to see the site through time
• A display of historic photos in the Guest House
® An interactive electronic guest book rich with historic postcards and photographs
• An evocative installation of the Marion Davies era in the Guest House dining
room
• The interpretative program website with additional content and stories
Cultural programs reflecting the site's three main interpretive themes ("Three
Remarkable Individuals: Davies, Hearst and Morgan"; "A Beach Like No Other"; and "A
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Concept rendering of interpretive website content
Public Place Henceforth") will be scheduled throughout the year and may include
docent-led tours, intimate concerts or performances, silent film screenings, culturally-
oriented talks or lectures, and changing installations and exhibits.
Reservations and Fees
Community Use Fees: Fees have been established for public access to facilities with
limited capacity and high operational costs including parking and pool access. Fees
were established based on fees for comparable City facilities as well as market rates for
similar activities and services in the region.
Reservations: Most fee-based services and amenities will be available by advanced
reservation as a service for those visitors who desire a level of certainty about their use
of specific Beach House amenities. Online and in-person reservations will be available
up to 3 days in advance with full non-refundable payment due at the time the
reservation is made. An online credit card option will be offered. Reservations must be
claimed by noon the day of the reservations. Unclaimed reservations will then be
released to the public on a first come first served basis.
Reservations will be available for approximately 100 parking spaces, for 50% to 75% of
the total capacity for the pool, and up to three beach volleyball/tennis courts. The
maximum reservations that can be made by one person for any given day is for one
parking space, six Pool Passes, and one court time of 1.5 hours.
Beach, Play Area & Gardens: Free
S lash ad, Viewing deck*: Free
Guest House/Visitor Center: Free
Beach Courts: Free/$5 reserved
Pool, Changing Rooms & Viewing Deck: $10 Adults
$5 Seniors
$4 Children*`
$24 Family***
$1 Ent /Dollar Da
Parking: $6-10/day
$3-4/hour
'txcept for specified peak pool times.
**Financial assistance program available for Santa Monica youth.
~"`lncludes 2 adults, 2 children
Affordability: A major goal of the Beach House is to welcome a diverse group of
visitors. The following will invite broad participation:
• Low-cost Tide shuttle service on summer weekends
• Free access to a significant portion of the site, including children's play area,
sand courts, picnic areas, and gardens
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Free access to the Splash Pad and Pool House View Deck except during times
of peak pool use
• Free access to the Visitor Center at the Marion Davies Guest House
• Dollar Days @ the Pool on summer weekdays
• The availability of the City's Youth Financial Assistance Program for youth Pool
Passes and classes
• City day camp visits
Making all Beach House visitors feel welcome and involved in all that the site has to
offer will be a priority in rolling out a comprehensive communications program, including
bi-lingual materials to ensure a sense of inclusion and access.
Private Evenfs
During non-peak times, specific Beach House facilities will be available for private rental
for social and business functions. Rooms in the historic Marion Davies Guest House,
the Event House and Pool House, as well as the adjacent gardens and the pool deck,
offer a wide variety of both small and large, and formal and informal gathering spaces.
Rental fees are projected to provide approximately $1.3 million in revenues annually to
partially subsidize the cost of public programs and services. During the inaugural year,'
a limited number of private events will be piloted during the month of May 2009. Full
booking will not be available until September 2009. This schedule will allow a better
assessment of public use patterns and provide for adequate planning to avoid conflicts
between public and private use of the Beach House.
A special events contractor will be responsible for promoting, booking and supporting
this aspect of Beach House operations in coordination with Beach House staff. In
addition to basic room rentals, it is anticipated that a wide range of special event and
meeting support services, include event planning and coordination, audio/visual
equipment and operation, and additional security or support staff, will be available at
market rates. "Green events" will be promoted and supported including possible
incentives for using carpools or alternative modes of transportation to and from the
facility. A list of approved caterers will be developed by the contractor to provide a
variety of food service options for clients and also ensure responsible use of event
facilities. In addition to the site's concessionaires, outside caterers and other outside
vendors will be required to share a percentage of their gross receipts with the City,
consistent with other City beach concession agreements.
As assumed in the approved Beach House budget, event rental rates will be set at
market rates for comparable facilities. Up to 25% of available hours will be discounted
by up to 50% for non-profit organizations. Interest in this aspect of the Beach House is
already extremely high and, accordingly, the special events contractor will work with the
City to develop a marketing approach, fee schedule and booking process that is
equitable and balanced for all user segments and compliant with the restrictions.
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imposed by the project's development review permit and settlement agreement with the
Palisades Beach Road Homeowner's Association.
Maintenance and Security
Maintenance: Staff is planning to provide the highest level of maintenance as
supported in the Beach House operating budget. Four full time custodial staff as well as
four full-time facility attendants will ensure the facilities are clean and well stocked
during all hours of operation. An Aquatics Maintenance Worker will ensure the pool and
water features are well maintained. Landscape and sand maintenance will be
contracted through the City's existing landscape maintenance contractor. A range of
vendors will ensure a high level of routine maintenance and prompt emergency
response for all facility systems.
Security: A total of 12 full-time staff will provide site supervision during daylight hours,
including staff with specific training in and responsibility for site monitoring and
coordination with the Santa Monica Police Department. Security cameras, mounted in
key outdoor locations, will be periodically monitored by onsite City staff. To ensure no
trespassing or vandalism at night, two contracted security guards will patrol the site from
dawn to dusk 365 days a year. The security guards will be required to make regular
patrols, "checking in" at electronic stations throughout the site. Using "Smart Card"
technology, a record will be compiled each time an electronic station is visited, thus
ensuring full and regular patrols across the site.
sustainability
A primary goal for the Beach House is to achieve the maximum in environmental
sustainability. Design strategies have included the use of building materials with high
recycled content and no or low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's), the use of natural
light and ventilation and solar heating for the pool. At a minimum it is anticipated that
the project will receive a LEED silver rating.
A recycling plan to provide for the collection of glass, cans, and paper is in development
and will involve both public and private events. Composting collection will be provided
at the cafe and in the caterer staging areas of the Event House and Marion Davies
Guest House. The Beach House special events contractor will promote and support
"Green Events" to distinguish this event venue as a premier "green" facility. The Beach
House concessionaire and approved caterers will comply with the City's green
ordinances and policies regarding the prohibition against Styrofoam containers and the
use of recycled or biodegradable products.
To assist with the City's sustainability efforts, the food service concessionaire -will
attempt to source foods that were grown by local farmers and ranchers who are
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dedicated to sustainable agriculture and are located at the closest practicable source to
minimize energy use. Other "healthy foods" efforts will include sourcing foods grown in
an environmentally beneficial or benign manner and without synthetic additives; do not
contain harmful biological or chemical contaminants; have been fairly or cooperatively
traded between producers, processors, retailers, and consumers; come from producers
that adhere to fair labor practices; meet the standards of the Humane Farm Animal Care
Program; and do not contain r-Bovine Growth Hormone.
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