sr-120611-3cYo City Council Report
Santa Mouiea
City Council Meeting: December 6, 2011
Agenda Item: 3-C.
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director of Planning and Community Development
Subject: Statement of Official Action upholding Appeal 11APP -008 and approving
Certificate of Appropriateness 11CA -005, allowing modifications to an
approved design for the Town Square park project located at 1685 Main
Street.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached Statement of Official
Action upholding Appeal 11APP -008.
Executive Summary and Discussion
This staff report transmits for City Council certification the Statement of Official Action
for Appeal 11APP -008. After holding a public hearing on October 25, 2011, the City
Council upheld the appeal and approved a Certificate of Appropriateness allowing
modifications to the design of Town Square park. The City Council's decision was
based upon the findings and conditions contained in the attached Statement of Official
Action.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The recommendation presented in this report does not have any budget or fiscal impact.
Prepared by: Scott Albright, Senior Planner
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
aL� vid Martin, Director Rod Gould
Planning & Community Development City Manager
Attachments: A. Statement of Official Action
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ATTACHMENT A
STATEMENT OF OFFICIAL ACTION
`a
CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
STATEMENT OF OFFICIAL ACTION
Appeal 11 -008
1685 Main Street
City of Santa Monica
City of Santa Monica
PROPERTY OWNER: City of Santa Monica
CASE PLANNER: Scott Albright, AICP, Senior Planner
REQUEST: Appeal 11APP -008 of the Landmarks Commission
decision to approve Certificate of Appropriateness
application 11CA -005, which allowed modifications to an
approved design for the Town Square park project,
subject to conditions.
CEQA STATUS: The Palisades Garden Walk/Town Square project was
contemplated as part of the Civic Center Specific Plan.
An environmental impact report for this plan was prepared
and certified by the City Council on June 28, 2005. The
EIR included a specific mitigation measure that requires
all work affecting the City Hall site be done in a manner
that is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with
Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and
Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995), Weeks and
Grimmer. The project as proposed has been developed in
consultation with a qualified historic preservation
professional and has been determined to be in
compliance with the Secretary of Interior Standards.
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION
October 25, 2011 Date
X
Appeal upheld and modified Certificate of Appropriateness
approved based upon the findings below:
Appeal denied and Landmarks Commission decision to
conditionally approve Certificate of Appropriateness is upheld
based on the following findings:
Other. '
EFFECTIVE DATE OF ACTION: October 25, 2011
After holding a public hearing, the City Council upheld Appeal 11APP -008 and approved
modified Certificate of Appropriateness application 11 -005 for the design of Town
Square park, located at 1685 Main Street.
Each and all of the findings and determinations are based on the competent and
substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the
Project. All summaries of information contained herein or in the findings are based on
the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any
such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that
fact.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FINDINGS (SMMC 9.36.140)
1. The proposed project would not detrimentally change, destroy or adversely affect
any exterior feature of the Landmark or Landmark Parcel upon which such work
is to be done. The proposed project includes redesign of a portion of the City Hall
site, in conjunction with the development of a new public open space that is
being created. The project design includes the retention, rehabilitation and /or
relocation of certain existing historic character defining elements of the City Hall
site, in addition to reconfiguring the site topography and grade, the installation of
new landscaping and hardscape materials, a central water feature, new benches
and seat walls, and lighting. The design successfully balances existing historic
fabric with contemporary design. It maintains a strong sense of symmetry and
order, whiles still respecting the overall design approach, which is less.formalized
and more organic. All work proposed will be done in a manner that is consistent
with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards.
CONDITIONS
1. This approval is for the proposed project at 1685 Main Street as shown on plans
titled "Town Square" received on September 29, 2011, which are on file in the
City Planning Division, except as amended by City Council action.
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2. The applicant shall prepare a Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS)
report that documents the existing conditions and features of the City Hall site.
This document shall be prepared in accordance with the Standards and
Guidelines established by the Secretary of the Interior, and shall be submitted to
the Landmarks Commission liaison prior to the issuance of any permits, or the
commencement of any park construction - related activity that affects any of the
character defining features of the City Hall building or site.
3. Prior to the commencement of any excavation activities, an archaeologist shall
be retained to monitor the excavations for archaeological deposits or
concentrated subsurface historical building materials.
4. This Certificate of Appropriateness shall be in full force and effect from and after
the date of the rendering of the decision by the City Council. Pursuant to
Landmarks Ordinance Section 9.36.170(h), this approval shall expire within one
year if the authorized work is not commenced. Should the applicant be unable to
comply with this restriction, an extension may be granted pursuant to Section
9.36.250 for an additional 180 days maximum. The applicant must request such
an extension prior to expiration of this permit. After that time, the applicant will
be required to return to the Commission for approval. In addition, this Certificate
of Appropriateness shall expire if the authorized work is suspended for a 180 -day
period after being commenced.
5. All required Planning and Building Permit approvals shall be obtained.
VOTE
Ayes: Davis, Holbrook, McKeown, O'Connor, O'Day, Shriver, Mayor Bloom
Nays: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
NOTICE
If this is a final decision not subject to further appeal under Article 9 of the Santa Monica
Municipal Code, the time within which judicial review of this decision must be sought is
governed by Code of Civil Procedures Section 1094.6, which provision has been
adopted by the City pursuant to Municipal Code Section 1.16.010.
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I hereby certify that this Statement of Official Action accurately reflects the final
determination of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica.
Aa�r,a,C�V, ,BIfw1w-(lw)
MARIA M. STEWART, City Clerk Date
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