sr-012412-3lCity of City Council Report
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: January 24, 2012
Agenda Item:
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kathryn Vernez, Deputy City Manager — Special Projects
Karen Ginsberg, Director, Community and Cultural Services
David Martin, Director, Planning and Community Development
Martin Pastucha, Director, Public Works
Subject: Expo Maintenance Facility Buffer Zone Update
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Support the community's preferred use of the buffer site as open space /park;
2) Direct staff to issue a request for proposals for design services for the buffer as
open space /park;
3) Direct staff to continue working with the community on buffer zone design;
4) Direct staff to continue to work with the Expo Construction Authority, Metro, and
their consultant teams on the design and construction of the Maintenance Facility
to be a "good neighbor" to the community.
Executive Summary
Since receiving direction from Council on November 23 2010, staff has been
collaborating with the community on the creation of a buffer area adjacent to the Expo
Maintenance Facility. Simultaneously, the Expo Construction Authority (Expo) and their
consultant team Maintenance Design Group (MDG) have been working with the
community on the design of the Maintenance Facility. Significant progress has been
made on the Maintenance Facility design, as staff reported to Council on October 25
2011. Design Scenario 2 was selected as the preferred Maintenance Facility design and
MDG is further refining the design, with continued community input.
Progress on the Maintenance Facility allowed staff to advance discussions with the
community on the adjacent buffer zone. At a community workshop held on November
29, 2011, the neighborhood solidified its preference for open space /park as the
preferred use of the buffer. Staff is seeking Council direction to support the community's
preferred use and move forward with next steps to design the open space /park,
including preparing a request for proposals to hire a design team. The community will
continue to be integrally involved in the project throughout its design, and staff will
continue to work with Expo and MDG on design and construction of the Maintenance
Facility so that it is a good neighbor.
Background
On November 23, 2010, Council directed staff to work with the community to create a
buffer area facing the residential neighborhood along Exposition Boulevard,at Stewart,
adjacent to the Expo Maintenance Facility. Staff proceeded with a City and community
run process to define potential uses of the buffer zone. Staff proposed a Capital
Improvement Project (CIP) for the buffer, and $2 million was requested through the FY
20011 -2013 budget process for that purpose.
The first community workshop, hosted by City staff and the Pico Neighborhood
Association, on the buffer zone was held on April 28, 2011 to solicit feedback on
potential uses for the buffer. The community outlined several goals for the buffer,
focusing on community involvement in a high quality design, noise mitigation,
integration with the neighborhood, environmental sustainability, and local control. Initial
use preferences were dominated by open space and park uses, with some discussion
of community uses such as a community center, day care center, or collaborative
reuse /recycling center. The neighborhood also expressed desired constraints on use,
including that the buffer not be a destination point but that it primarily serve nearby
residents; that parking be limited as to not increase traffic to the site; and that no new
development of housing or retail occur. It was determined that further visioning for the
buffer prior to more information being made available about the maintenance facility
design would be premature.
Expo and MDG held community workshops on the Maintenance Facility design on June
30, 2011 and September 6, 2011. The design team solicited community input regarding
concerns and issues that they wanted addressed in the design. Primary concerns
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included traffic mitigation, sound mitigation, and protection of community views. A
design charrette held by MDG with Expo, Metro, and City staff in July 2011 incorporated
community feedback and Metro's operational needs into site plans for the Facility. Two
site concepts were developed that both improved upon the concept plan in the Final
EIR. At the September 6t" community meeting, MDG presented the two site plan
scenarios, which incorporated community feedback from the first workshop. The
community preferred Scenario 2, and Council supported the community's preference for
Scenario 2 on October 25, 2011.
Progress on the Maintenance Facility Design, which is now being further refined by
MDG, has achieved the following, largely in response to community input:
• The buffer zone stretches along Exposition to Stewart rather than in front of the
Verizon site only, meaning that the corner of Stewart/Exposition is included in the
buffer.
• The building massing further envelops sound from maintenance activities,
effectively creating a triple sound buffer for residents with the buildings, sound
wall, and buffer area. There are no trains in between the building and sound wall.
This building configuration also minimizes light intrusion to the residential area.
• The facility will be accessed from Stewart Street, rather than Exposition Blvd.
• The greatest portion of the maintenance yard is blocked from view by
maintenance buildings.
• The design is configured for the fewest train vehicle movements possible.
• The facility will be LEED rated.
• There will not be a vehicle paint shop at the facility.
Achieving this progress on the Maintenance Facility design made it possible for staff to
advance discussions with the community about the use of the buffer zone.
Discussion
On November 29, the City of Santa Monica and the Pico Neighborhood Association
jointly hosted the second community workshop on the buffer zone. This workshop
incorporated feedback from the first buffer zone workshop held on April 28, 2011, as
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described above. Attendees heard a brief update from MDG on the Maintenance Facility
design, including how the design has been further refined to reflect community
feedback. The Traction Power Substation (TPSS) building was moved further away
from the residential neighborhood, and MDG committed that the facility would be LEED
silver or better. MDG will continue to solicit community input on the design, and will host
its next community workshop in early 2012.
City staff reviewed parameters and constraints about the City -owned buffer with
workshop participants, including its 2.35 -acre size and the $2 million budget that has
been allocated to date. City staff assured the community that the City would assume
maintenance responsibilities for the buffer if it were a park or open space, and that it
would continue to be City- owned.
Workshop participants then broke out into small discussion groups where they reviewed
previously identified goals for the buffer zone, and confirmed a preference for open
space /park as use of the buffer zone. Discussion groups also defined desired
characteristics of open space /park, including: passive, active, or mixed uses; site
connectivity to the neighborhood; trees and landscaping; and amenities. Participants
wanted to ensure that the sound wall from the Maintenance Facility have vegetation for
screening, possibly large trees lining the wall. They were interested in a "tree bank," and
expressed willingness to take trees being relocated from other, areas in the City.
Participants felt that landscaping should feel natural, and native plants should be used.
Pedestrian lighting should also be present. All groups were interested in community
garden space on the buffer. In addition, several activity- specific amenities were
suggested by participants, including a jogging /walking path, lawn bowling, a pickle ball
game court, a skate park, a bike and/or rollerblading lane, dog walking or a dog run (not
an off -leash Dog Park), a BBQ /picnic area, a free -cycle area, exercise stations and a
toddler play area.
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Finally, participants discussed project phasing and timing. The construction timeframe
would be reduced from approximately 36 months to 24 months if Expo were able to use
the buffer site during Maintenance Facility construction. Some participants were hesitant
about having to wait for the completion of the Maintenance Facility for the buffer zone to
be turned into open space. Other participants saw the benefit of a shorter construction
period, and were amenable to waiting until after the Maintenance Facility is largely
constructed to construct the buffer improvements. Construction mitigation
measurements will be required of Expo in any case. At the close of the workshop, the
community expressed satisfaction with the collaborative process being used to plan the
buffer zone.
All documents relevant to the buffer zone, including past staff reports, community
workshop notes and presentations, are available online at
www.smconstructs.org/ExpoYard.
Next Steps
If Council concurs with the community's preference for open space /park as the buffer
zone use, next steps will include preparation and issuance of a request for proposal for
design services for the buffer. The community will continue to be integrally involved
during the design phase of the project. Timing and phasing of the project will also be
refined in conjunction with construction of the Maintenance Facility.
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Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
If Council directs staff to proceed with an RFP for design services, staff will return to
Council with a recommended contract to be funded from previously budgeted funds for
the buffer in account number C200397.589090.
Prepared by: Sarah Johnson, Community Relations Coordinator
Approved:
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Kathryn Vernez
Deputy City Manager — Special Projects
Karen Ginsberg
Director, Community and Cul I
Services
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David Martin
Director, Planning and Community
Development
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Martin Pastucha
Director, Public Works
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Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager