SR-06-24-2014-13CItem 13 -C
Vernice Hankins
June 22, 2014
To: City Council
From: Board of Directors, Friends of Sunset Park
RE: 6124/14 agenda item 13 -C: Request of Councilmembers McKeown and Vazquez that the
Council direct staff to draft a possible ballot measure requiring that any development along Ocean
Avenue exceeding existing zoning shall require approval by the voters of the City of Santa Monica,
and return said draft to the Council on July 8th for consideration.
The FOSP Board of Directors supports putting a measure on the November ballot that would
require voter approval for any development along Ocean Avenue that exceeds existing zoning.
Santa Monica is known far and wide as a low -rise beach community blessed with clean air and
refreshing ocean breezes. We feel that continuing to add tall buildings in the downtown area,
especially along Ocean Avenue, will ultimately destroy the character of the city.
Background: The current zoning limits building heights on Ocean Avenue to 45 feet.
If this measure were approved by the City Council, got on the November ballot, and passed, the
Miramar Hotel /Condo expansion at Wilshire (320 feet), the Gehry- designed hotel at Santa Monica
Blvd. (244 feet), and the proposed new Wyndham hotel at Colorado Avenue (190 feet) would all
require voter approval.
Tall buildings in Santa Monica:
Silhouettes: httpr /(sl�scra_perpAe,c�m /dia ams / ?cttyi_1_207
JUN 2 6 2014
This shows how much taller the 100 Wilshire building is than the other tall buildings in the city.
The proposed 320 -foot Miramar would be 20 feet taller than the 100 Wilshire building.
Map of skyscraper locations in Santa Monica: http:( /�d<yscra „p,E t>a,0e_co 7icities /: }s ?ciI, =,207
Wyndham/Holiday Inn — htf a /sre>�c Gnifern�er- Folic; - _ir�,n could met ma o� facolift/ 1 23202 -- "would also include 25
condos i n the tallest of the three sections, a 15- story, 195 -foot building.,,
Gehry- designed hotel /condos -- htt,p/,js do_comLq ,hn/- dai'svers-the- wow -f ie_t, ri11 83, --,244-foot-tall tower”
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Revised Miramar plan htti� :. //mvw01_.inc of nE / manning /eir_/ Devisee! %2OPrr)L(c f % - ?_0D c iotiotjYc Krama0 /0205 -1-
2aiadf -- page 14: The proposed Ocean Building will be 320 feet high.
Santa Monica's tallest buildings:
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Note that the Huntley Hotel is 160 feet tali. The proposed 320 -foot Miramar would be twice as tali as the Huntlow.
Also note that, with the exception of the Clock Tower building, these buildings were all constructed between 1963
and 1981.
The data used for the statistics in this section is entirely based on content provided by Emporis.com
# Building
1 100 Wilshire (Wilshire & Ocean)
2 Pacific Plaza - 1431 Ocean Ave.
3 Ray_Cities G rarant.y � uilc)ing - 225 SM Blvd. (clock tower)
4 . First FedFral_Siare - 401 Wilshire
5 Ocean Towers-1 - 201 Ocean Ave.
6 Ocean Towers 11 - 201 Ocean Ave.
7 Radisson Huntley Hertel Santa Monica
8 1221 Ocean Avenue -
9 -The. Shores I - 2700 Neilson Way
10 The Shores„ 11 - 2800 Neilson Way
11 2,001 Santa Monica-Boulevard i<Vledical Center]
12 Westminster Towers - 1112 7th St.
13 Santa_ Nlonica_Medical -Plaza - 1260 15th St.
14 _Wilshire Palisades - 1299 Ocean (Ocean & Arizona)
15 Santa Monica Towers - 1233 6th St.
3
Floors Height Year
21
300 ft
1971
15
180ft
1963
13
173 ft
1931
12
160 ft
1981
17
160 ft
1971
17
160 ft
1971
17
160 ft
1964
16
159 ft
1971
17
156 ft
1965
17
166 It
1966
12
155 ft
1976
17
152 It
1969
14
150 If
1973
11
143 ft .
1980
13
125 ft
1964
Item 13 -C