SR 01-24-2017 7C
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : January 24, 2017
Agenda Item: 7.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director, Planning and Community Development , City Planning
Subject: Amendments to the Civic Center Specific Plan to Accommodate the City
Services Building at the Rear of Santa Monica City Hall
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Council consider the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR Sixth
Addendum with the Final EIR and adopt a resolution to amend the Civic Center Specific
Plan to locate the City Services Building at the rear of Santa Monica City Hal l.
Executive Summary
On August 31, 2016, the City of Santa Monica Publ ic Works Department submitted an
application to amend the Civic Center Specific Plan in conjunction with Development
Review Permit (DRP) 16ENT -0140 for a three -story, 50,200 square -foo t, 45 -feet high
extension to the east of Santa Monica City Hall located at 1685 Main Street. The
project, known as the City Services Building (CSB), would create an enclosed courtyard
with City Hall, with its rear elevation facing Avenida Mazatlan and the Public Safety
Building.
The CSB project requires a n amendment to the Civic Center Specific Plan (CCSP),
because the CCSP currently specifies that a 40,000 square -foot structure with an 84 -
foot tower should be built in a different location to accommodate the need for additional
government office space . The proposed amendment would allow a building addition up
to 55,000 square feet in size and 45 feet in height at the rear of City Hall. The small
amount of additional building area beyond the amount reque sted in the project would
provide a small amount of flexibility within the scope of the specific plan. The Plan
would require parking for City Hall and the CSB to be provided in the Civic Center
parking structure and lot. Project a nalysis includes specia l consideration of the historic
context of the City -designated Landmark City Hall building and parcel.
On November 2 , 2016 , the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the CSB and
the proposed CCSP amendment and continued the hearing to allow time f or the
applicant to evaluate potential project revisions and provide clarification to the
Commission on certain components of the project . On November 16, 2016, the
Planning Commission voted 4 -2 , with one abstention , to approv e the Development
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Review Permi t and adopt ed a resolution recommending amendment of the CCSP to
accommodate the project .
In recommending the CCSP amendment, t he Planning Commission also considered an
addendum to the CCSP Environmental Impact Report along with the 2005 CCSP EIR .
The addendum preparation involved review of the full CEQA checklist required by the
California Environmental Quality Act, with a particular emphasis on consideration of
potential impacts on Cultural Resources . The addendum analysis concluded that the
proposed modifications would not reduce the significance of City Hall as a historic
resource and would not generate new significant environmental impacts or a substantial
increase in the severity of impacts previously identified in the 2005 CCSP EIR .
A draft re solution to amend the CCSP is provided as Attachment A to this report.
Background
Planning Commission Action
On November 2, 2016, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and considered
the Development Review Permit (DRP) application for the propos ed City Services
Building and the recom mended amendments to the CCSP. Following extensive
discussion, t he hearing was con tinued to November 16, 2016 to allow time for the
applicant to evaluate potential project revisions that would minimize the visual impa ct of
the proposed solar structure and reduce the amount of equipment proposed in the north
parking lot. The Commission also requested clarifications on certain components of the
project, particularly views from Olympic Drive and whether alternative locat ions for the
equipment and solar panels were considered . A fter further testimony and presentation
by representatives of the Public Works Department (the applicant), and additional public
comment, the Planning Commission recommended that the Council amend the CCSP
and approved the DRP by a vote of 4 -2, with one abstention The resolution
recommending a CCSP amendment is provided as Attachment B to this report .
An appeal of the Planning Commission’s action to approve the DRP was filed on
November 29, 201 6, and is scheduled for Council’s consideration independently from
this action .
Previous Related Council Action
The City Services Building project has been developed based on Council discussion
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and direction, including the following specific actions:
Oc tober 13, 2007 - Staff presented a City office space needs analysis to Council
at a special meeting, which included five alternatives. Council expressed a
preference for the option of an enhanced Civic Center.
July 8, 2008 - Council endorsed the short te rm strategies identified in a February
11, 2008 , Information Item. Strategies included reducing leases and moving staff
closer to City Hall, developing office space in the former jail wing and on Fourth
Street within the Civic Center Parking Structure.
Se ptember 16, 2008 - Council approved a contract with Gensler Architects, Inc.
to complete a space needs analysis for City administrative space as an update to
the April 2002 Sares Regis Group of Northern California’s feasibility study. The
completed analys is report recommended the following :
A “one stop shop” model for public counter functions.
Optimizing the effective use of the historic City Hall building.
Implementing specific departmental office space designs to support and
enhance the variety of work processes required within the City’s
administrative functions.
Constructing an administrative services building on the City Hall campus .
March 27, 2012 - Council authorized staff to seek proposals for initial design and
cost estimates for a City Services Building located on the site east of City Hall
after considering alternative sites, including the north slope site originally
contemplated in the CCSP . Council expressed preference for the site east of
City Hall over the north slope site because the nort h slope site has development
constraints due to the adjacent freeway, and would be non -contiguous to City
Hall.
April 8, 2014 - Council authorized staff to execute an agreement with design -
build contractor Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company (includ ing design
firm Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects), for initial design, cost estimation
services, and feasibility analysis for the City Services Building in an amount not
to exceed $258,500.
January 27, 2015 - Council reviewed and provided commen ts on the feasibility
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analysis, concept design and financial options for the City Services Building and
authorized the design phase for an approximately 50,000 square foot building,
with three stories above grade and a basement level. Additionally, Counci l
requested that the project team move forward with the design of the facility and
endeavor to meet the Living Building Challenge, internationally the most rigorous
and ambitious environmental performance standard for buildings (more
information can be fou nd at <http://living -future.org/>). The overall project cost
for this option was estimated to be $56,385,130, not including previous
allocations for the feasibility phase.
April 28, 2015 - Council authorized the City Manager to execute a contract with
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company for design services for the City
Services Building for a Guaranteed Maximum Price of $7,064,501 and to
authorize direct owner’s costs associated with the design phase in the amount of
$540,000.
May 24, 2016 - T he schematic design and cost estimates for the City Services
Building were presented to Council, along with information that achievement of
the Living Building Challenge would cost more than $74,566,000 rather than the
initially estimated $56 million. Fina ncing options were presented and after
discussion, Council authorized the Public Works Department to proceed with
design development of the project.
A full description and analysis of the project are included in the November 2, 2016
Planning Commission re port (Attachment E ). An abbreviated summary of the project is
provided below for context followed by discussion of the proposed CCSP amendment .
Discussion
Project Site and Description
The proposed amendment is to allow a project located east of City Hall on th e City Hall
parcel at 1685 Main Street, which currently contains three buildings: City Hall, the Public
Safety Facility (PSF) and the Civic Center Parking Garage. B etween City Hall and the
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PSF is a three -sided courtyard of approximately 8,000 sq uare feet that opens toward a
service road (Avenida Mazatlan). The courtyard includes landscaping (installed as
“temporary” in 2005), picnic benches, bike parking and a semi -circular walkway that
pays homage to the original road behind City Hall. Also on the site to the north of City
Hall is a 30 -space surface parking lot, mechanical equipment, and refuse/recycling bins.
The I -10 freeway borders the property on the north.
Aerial View and Map o f Site Location
Zoning District: CC
Land Use Element Designation: Institutional/Public Lands
Parcel Area: 7.36 acres
Existing On -Site Improvements (Year
Built):
City Hall (1939), Public Safety Building (2003), Ken Genser
Square (2014)
Adjacent Land Uses: Tongva Park; County Courthouse
Historic Resource I nventory Designated City Landmark (1979)
The City Services Building (CSB) would add a three -story plus basement (45 ’), 50,200
square -foot addition to the rear of the 1939 Moderne Style City Hall Building, along
Avenida Mazatlan, situated on some of the e astern portion of the City Hall courtyard to
create a 6,700 square -foot, four -sided interior courtyard (Figure 3). Although it will
appear to be part of the building, the CSB is being designed as a structurally separate
building . Other accessory structure s prop osed on the site include a car port in the North
Parking support ing solar panels for the CSB and equipment enclosures located near the
north ern edge of the property.
The CCSP & Civic Core Special Use District
The CCSP (Attachment D) was first adopted in 1993, revised substantially in June 2005
and last amended in October 2015 . The CCSP’s Civic Core Special Use District is
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comprised of City Hall, the Public Safety Building , the Civic Center Parking Structure ,
and the County Courthouse and Tongva Park. The CCSP envisioned a cohesive
governmental concentration in this district, enhanced by open space and entertainment
uses to bring the community together .
The Civic Core is also the most important subarea for achieving the Plan’s goal to
connect the C ivic Center with the beach and Downtown. The Civic Center’s centrality
and connectivity have been significantly boosted as key CCSP projects have been
constructed including: pathways through Tongva Park, the Olympic Drive extension
between Ocean Avenue a nd Fourth Street, vehicular and pedestrian roads through
RAND and the Village, and the Main Street -2 nd Street alignment over Colorado Avenue.
Building Out the CCSP
In addition to the Civic Core projects that the City has built to implement the CCSP, t he
relocation of RAND Corporation headquarters and development of housing units with
restaurants and cafes at the Village at Santa Monica project have transformed the Civic
Center and significantly changed its dynamic . R egular users of the Civic Center area
h ave diversified, with an increase in the area’s activity level and hours of active use .
Another important community need will be met when Santa Monica College constructs
its planned Early Childhood Education Center (recently renamed as the Early Childhood
Lab School) over the next two years.
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In terms of specific development regulations, CCSP policies limit height and total
building area, but do not specify setbacks, floor -area ratio (FAR) or parking
requirements. Each individual Civic Center project that has been implemented has been
guided by the strong urban design concept contained in the CCSP. However, in most
cases by the time project s are fully designed, they have been at odds with some of the
CCSP’s more specific requirements, which were establish ed without full benefit of the
level of analysis undertaken in the project design process. Because of this, most of the
projects in the CCSP area, like the CSB, have necessitated specific plan amendments.
The City Services Building in the CCSP
Although the City began planning the City Services Building withi n the last couple of
years, the need to provide more space for City operations has long been understood,
and the 1993 CCSP included the building in concept . The building , envisioned north of
City Ha ll , was contemplated with a maximum size of 40,000 square feet, and a general
height of 45 feet , with an 84 -foot tower. Since that time, the number of employees
working in rented office space has grown substantially. The current assessment
estimates the n eed for 25% more office space and an integrated City Hall public
counter. The City’s architects and engineers considered many options and concluded
that the current CCSP location for the CSB was not optimal for a number of reasons,
including impacting the views of historic City Hall from the Main Street Bridge and the
lack of space to accommodate the 50,000 square feet required for the consolidation of
staff and operations .
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T he proposed CCSP amendment would permit up to 55,000 square feet , to allow some
flexibility without need to amend the CCSP again. The maximum height of 45 feet
would remain the same, but the 84 -foot tower would be eliminated. This will also
address concerns that the City’s Landmarks Commission and other community
preservation advoc ates have expressed for over a decade about the impact that placing
a building between the Main Street Bridge and City Hall with an 84’ tower element
would have on the view of City H all from the Main Street Bridge . At a May 2005
meeting , the Landmarks Com mission expressed these concerns as they considered
other alterations to City Hall.
Proposed CCSP Amendment Language
To amend the specific plan for the CSB project , figures and descriptions of the City
services building and Civic Core Special Use District would be revised to remove
references to the separate building along Main Street and to show instead a rear
addition to City Hall as described above. The development parameters for the size and
height of the City Services Building would be adjusted. The a mendment would clarify
that drivers to City Hall will have parking provided in the shared Civic Center public
parking structure and surface lot and that bicycle parking must be provided as required
by the Zoning Ordinance but with some flexibility in regar d to its placement on the site.
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The existing parking lot north of City Hall, currently restricted to specifically -assigned
users, would close during construction of the CSB. Following the construction period, it
is anticipated that it may be repurpose d or redesigned either for parking or other public
purposes. The proposed CCSP language is flexible to allow inclusion of no parking,
less parking or restoration of the same amount of parking as currently provided. Access
around the building on Fujinomiya Douri will continue to be provided. The future
configuration of this area will be determined at a later date under separate permit.
The proposed amendments are included in the draft Council resolution (Attachment A ).
General Plan Consistency
The vi sion for the Civic Center is discussed in the General Plan Land Use & Circulation
Element, (LUCE, page 2.6 -19), which emphasizes improved connectivity between the
Civic Center, Downtown and Oceanfront Districts. The LUCE calls for updating the
CCSP to ref lect the emergence of the district as an open space link with the
surrounding area. The proposed relocation of the CSB to the rear of City Hall supports
the LUCE open space concept while providing more needed office space for City staff .
The General Pl an Historic Preservation Element (HPE) Objective 4.5 calls for City
policies to “Protect historic views and landscapes.” The proposed project is consistent
with this HPE Objective in that adding the additional space to the rear of City Hall
assures the pr imacy of the historic building on Main Street by maintaining the openness
and views between the Main Street Bridge and City Hall .
Environmental Review
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the Civic Center Specific Plan
(CCSP) project in accordance with Section 15087 of the State CEQA Guidelines. The
CCSP EIR, certified on June 28, 2005, analyzed the development of a mix of future land
uses as well as circulation improvements in the Civic Center Specific Plan area. The
CCSP EIR included the analysis of a potential City Services Building up to 100,000 sf
and 56 feet in height on Fujinomiya Douri, north of City Hall. Subsequent to certification
of the EIR, five addenda were prepared and published to address changes in the Civic
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Center Speci fic Plan.
Per Section 15164 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines, an
Addendum to a certified EIR is required if minor technical changes or minor
modifications to the proposed project occur. Preparation of an addendum is appropriat e
unless subsequent changes proposed in the project or changed circumstances will
result in new significant impacts or a substantial increase in the severity of previously
identified significant impacts will occur.
To determine whether the proposed alter ations to the CSB would have new or more
severe significant environmental impacts that were not previously analyzed in the CCSP
EIR and the five addenda, a Sixth Addendum to the CCSP EIR (Attachment C ) was
prepared for the proposed project. All potential a reas of impact were studied, with
particular discussion on some including Historic Preservation, Traffic and Circulation,
and Construction Effects. This included a technical report prepared by Historic
Resources Group that fully analyzed the potential his toric resource impacts of amending
the CCSP to move the CSB’s location to the rear of the Landmark City Hall building,
including demolition of some components of the existing building (see Appendix A of
Attachment C).
As analyzed in the Addendum, the pr oposed project retains the overall historic integrity
of City Hall to continue to convey its historic significance, and the proposed
modifications to the CCSP would not generate new significant environmental impacts or
a substantial increase in the severit y of previously significant impacts identified in the
2005 Civic Center Specific Plan EIR. Therefore, pursuant to CEQA, preparation of a
subsequent or supplemental EIR is not required.
Public Outreach
Public notice for the November 2, 2016 Planning Commi ssion hearing (and its
continuance to November 16, 2016) and for this Council hearing was provided as
required by the Zoning Code. Notices were mailed to surrounding properties within
1000 feet of the project site and an advertisement was placed in the Sa nta Monica Daily
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Press. Two notices, one on each street frontage of City Hall, were posted as required
prior to each public hearing.
Alternatives
As an alternative to the staff recommendation , the Council may choose to:
Deny the proposed CCSP Amendment , m aintaining the Main Street location
as the planned location for a City Services Building ;
Modify the proposed CCSP Amendment to adjust the standards or location of
the City Services Building
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate fina ncial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action.
Prepared By: Elizabeth Bar -El AICP, Senior Planner
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Resolution
B. Planning Commission Recommendation Resolution
C. CCSP EIR Addendu m #6 with appendices
D. Civic Center Specific Plan
E. Planning Commission Staff Report 11 -2 -16
F. May 24, 2016 CSB Council Staff Report
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G. Written Com ments
Planning Commission Meeting November 2, 2016 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 16-005 (PCS)
(Planning Commission Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE AN AMENDMENT
TO THE CIVIC CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN THAT WOULD MOVE THE LOCATION OF
THE CITY SERVICES BUILDING FROM MAIN STREET NORTH OF CITY HALL TO
THE REAR OF CITY HALL AND REQUIRE PARKING FOR CITY HALL AND THE
CITY SERVICES BUILDING IN THE SHARED CIVIC CENTER PARKING FACILITY
WHEREAS, the City Services Building (CSB) is a planned component of the Civic
Core Special Use District in the Civic Center Specific Plan ("CCSP"), adopted on June 28,
2005;and
WHEREAS, the CCSP envisions the CSB as an important new facility to provide
office space for City operations to consolidate City department staff for improved operation,
service and public convenience; and
WHEREAS, the City no longer desires to locate the CSB building in the location north
of City Hall on Main Street envisioned in the CCSP for reasons of feasibility, potential conflict
between the 85' tower of the envisioned building with views of the historic City Hall building
and other considerations important to the siting and qevelopment of the building; and
WHEREAS, the City has identified the rear portion of the parcel behind City Hall as
a preferable location to build an independent structure that is contiguous to City Hall based
on a design concept for a building that will be submitted to the International Living Future
Institute for certification under the Living Building Challenge; and
WHEREAS, the proposed amendments ·to the CCSP ("Proposed CCSP
Amendments") are attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporated herein by this reference;
and
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WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on November 2, 2016,
to consider the Proposed CCSP Amendments and found that they are consistent with the
General Plan as required by SMMC 9.45.130; and
WHEREAS, a Sixth Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR ("Sixth
Addendum") has been prepared to analyze the impacts of the Proposed CCSP
Amendments; and
WHEREAS, because the Proposed CCSP Amendments do not significantly alter the
program envisioned in the previously adopted CCSP, the Sixth Addendum concludes that
the Proposed CCSP Amendments would not generate significant environmental effects or
increase the severity of impacts identified in the 2005 Civic Center Specific Plan EIR.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Planning Commission has reviewed and considered the Proposed
CCSP Amendments and Sixth Addendum with the Final EIR, and respectfully submits its
recommendation to the City Council to consider the Sixth Addendum with the Final EIR and
adopt the Proposed CCSP Amendments.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
16th
Adopted and approved this 2 ~ day of November 2 16.
ning Commission
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I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 16-005 was duly and regularly
introduced and approved at a meeting of the Planning Commission on the ~ay of
November 2016 by the following vote: · 16 th
Ayes: Anderson, Fonda-Bonardi, McKinnon, Parry
Noes: Fresco, Kennedy
Abstain: Lambert
Absent:
ATTEST:
Planning and Community Development Director
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Exhibit 1
Proposed Amendments to the Civic Center Specific Plan
In order to make the proposed City Services Building project consistent with the Civic
Center Specific staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend that Council
adopt the following CCSP amendments:
1. Page 4: The following will be added following the fifth (last) paragraph on the page:
Update for the 2016 Amendment
In 2013. Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square (in front of City Hall) were
completed. This milestone was followed by construction of the Village Housing
project. with 158 luxury condominium units. and 160 deed-restricted affordable
apartments, the last of which was occupied in 2015. The Village project included
the final segment of Olympic Boulevard between Main Street and Ocean Avenue.
Olympic Boulevard now serves as a connection from the coastal area to the 1-10
Freeway on-ramp on 4th Street.
Over the last few years. the City reconsidered configuration of the City Services
Building and proposed to move the project to become a rear extension of City Hall
instead of a separate building on Main Street. This 2016 update reflects the
revised siting of this important element of the Civic Core Special Use District.
2. Pages 7, 10, 12, 18, 38, 49, 57: All figures on these pages will be revised to remove
the City Services Building shown north of City Hall and to show instead the building
as a rear extension to the primary City Hall building.
3. Page 9: The first paragraph will be revised as follows:
In the future, the area will no longer be seen as a number of disparate elements
but as a multifaceted urban district with many layers of activity that reflect the
maturing form of the city. The new parkland and recreational, community and
cultural facilities will augment the shopping, governmental and institutional uses
and create additional reasons for residents to visit the area. At the same time, the
civic identity of the area will be revealed,. not through a single governmental
building or set of buildings, but instead through the setting of the historic City Hall,
now connected directly with its coastal environment by open space for civic
gathering and enhanced through a modern addition based on environmentally-
sensitive principles that preserves the predominance of the City's historic seat of
government. focused on a new Tovvn Square which will provide unique
opportunities unavailable elsev1here in the city for civic gatherings and special
events. To the north of the Tovm Square, a nevv City Services Building will create
an appealing gate 'Nay from the north and counterpoint the cultural role of the Civic
/\uditorium with the service functions of city government.
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4. Page 19: OS-2 will be amended as follows:
OS-2. Public accessibility to and within the Town Square will be reinforced
by streets and public ways on three sides -Olympic Drive, Sesond Main
Street and Fujinomiya Douri the existing setviGe lane to the north, which
would remain. Parking is provided along the surrounding streets-=-and under the
City Services Building. The pivotal location of the Town Square requires that it
play an important role in realizing pedestrian connections -linking to the historic
Main Street Bridge and its pedestrian interface with the Downtown, providing for
pedestrian pathways across the park linking the site to surrounding areas, and
accommodating the pedestrian movement along the Olympic Drive Promenade,
with special views and access to the Beach.
5. Page 42: The section entitled Fujinomura Douri will be corrected to Fujinomiya and
amended to read:
Fujinomw:iya Douri will be retained as an accessway for public safety vehicles.
deliveries. bicycles and others authorized to access the area. If parking is
maintained on-site. it shall include ADA-compliant spaces. Some long-term bicycle
parking shall be provided with access from this street. is enhanced to provide
access to the Town Square, City Hall, and the City Services Building. It will be
designed as a narrmv street with one vehicular lane in each direction and curbside
parking along both sides of the street to provide for drop off along the Tovm Square
and the City Services Building. ·
6. Page 58: The City Hall policies will be amended as follows:
CC-2. Major additions and modifications made to the historic portion of the building
including the rear addition formerly occupied by the Police Department
(approximately 44 ,000 square feet) shall be removed. City Hall's historic integrity
shall be maintained and the addition of the City Services Building at the rear shall
be designed in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the
Treatment of Historic Properlies.
CC-3. A central courtyard and garden of approximately at least g,(}6,500 square
feet shall be created between the two projecting wings along the east face of the
historic City Hall building with low 'Nalls or other design features that provide spatial
definition and nighttime security along the exposed portions of the space and the
facing wall of the City Services Building. The City Hall courtyard shall be
landscaped and revitalized with a design that sensitively accommodates
accessibility from the lobby of City Hall to the new City Services Building ground
floor permit center.
7. Page 50: The building program will be revised to reflect a maximum allowable new
size for the City Services Building of up to 55,000 square feet..
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8. Page 55: The section entitled "Civic Core Special Use District" will be amended as
follows:
Like the Auditorium District, the Civic Core is characterized by a significant open
space. The new Town Square is the focal point within the area, and adjacent to it
are a grouping of civic and governmental buildings including City Hall, the County
Courthouse.1a00 the Public Safety Facility. A new parking garage and the Civic
Center Parking Structure . immediately east of the Courthouse along Fourth Street
is currently under construction. While the historic City Hall structure contributes
significantly to the identity of this area, and while the area contains many of the
traditional activities of a Civic Center (i.e., city government, public safety, courts),
it has lackeds a strong sense of place and cohesion. A key objective of the Plan +s
as it has been implemented over the years has been to reinforce this area as the
core of the Civic Center, and as a majo'r public gathering place within the
community.
Specifically, the Plan provides for preservation of City Hall and restoration of the
original 62,000 square foot envelope through removal of the Police wing and
restoration of the original courtyard. This was accomplished in 2005. and facade
restorations to return the building to its original appearance were implemented
along with the development of Town Square. (now known as Ken Genser Square),
and deferral A landscaping plan for the courtyard was deferred. In order to bring
city services. currently scattered throughout the Civic Center and Downtown.
together into one complex. +!he Plan also provides for the consolidation of ~
public these services within a new City Services Building of up to 4-55,000 square
feet attached to the rear of the existing building. that provides a strong northern
edge to the Town Square and creates a civic gateway to the downtown. In addition
to these structures, the Plan incorporates the new Public Safety Facility of 120,000
square feet, and the 1,000 car Civic Center ~arking Structure. The District will also
include a strong visual focal point at the northern end of Main Street, achieved
through measures such as building elements, open space design, public art or
circulation features.
9. Pages 58-59: The section entitled "City Services Building" will be amended as
follows:
The Plan calls for the construction of a separate City Services Building along the
northern edge of the Tovm Square to be connected to the rear of the historic City
Hall building to meet the operational and space needs of city government. The
building is envisioned as a distinctive civic structure that reflects the City's
philosophy of sustainability and customer service excellence. provides a dynamic
northern anchor and terminus to Main Street, and strong spatial definition to the
Square. Just as the existing City Hall conveys a strong civic identity befitting of
the 1930's, the City Services Building will express the progressive, creative and
artistic character of modern-day Santa Mani .ca, while complementing the historic
structure in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the
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Treatment of Historic Properties. and reinforCing the Town Square. The following
standards are intended to guide the design of this important structure.
10. Page 59: The following standards are eliminated in their entirety: CC-6, CC-10,
CC12, CC-13, and CC-14. The following standards are amended or added:
CC-7§. The massing of the building shall create a strong three dimensional profile
befitting its prominent gatev1ay location and that is subservient and responds
appropriately respond to the historic City Hall and creates a transition to the
adjacent Public Safety building so that the cluster of civic buildings is perceived as
a cohesive grouping. The building's program shall include well-defined entrances
that are user-friendly for the public and significant sustainability features to make
a clear statement of the City's commitment to environmental health and
sustainability. the Main Street axis, and the Tovvn Square.
CC-8Z. The maximum height of the building shall be 45 feet and three floors as
measured from the segmented average natu ·ral grade. Fujinomura Douri sidevvalk
elevation.:., with the exception that a portion of the building, not to exceed 5,000
square feet, may be constructed to a maximum height of 85 feet, provided that this
portion of the building is designed to create a distinctive vertical silhouette that
reinforces the civic identity of the structure on the Town Square.
CC-#§.: Fenestration shall be carefully composed to reinforce the building
massing and volumetric composition. An . artful combination of punctured wall
treatments 'Nith deeply set windows, horizontal window bands, and larger
expanses of glass is encouraged.
CC-+a~. Public art shall be incorporated as an integral element of the building
design.
CC-10: Parking in the Civic Center parking structure and surface parking lot facility
shall be shared with other Civic Center uses and available for general public use.
The parking lot on the north side of City Hall, which has been restricted for
assigned parking only, may be removed in conjunction with site improvements to
meet the needs of City staff and customers. Ancillary structures, including
photovoltaic parking shade canopies. may also be constructed in this area. Bicycle
parking for Civic Core uses shall be provided in the amount required by the Zoning
Code. but with flexibility in regard to location and proximity to building entrances.
In addition to the above, any other references to the City Services Building that
would remain in contradiction to the revised tocation and parameters set forth in
this amendment may be revised accordingly in order to ensure consistency within
the Civic Center Specific Plan document.
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ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
Page 1 of 54
SIXTH ADDENDUM TO THE CIVIC CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN EIR
OCTOBER 2016
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
1685 MAIN STREET
SANTA MONICA, CA 90401
ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
Page 2 of 54
INTRODUCTION
This document is the Sixth Addendum to the Ci ty of Santa Monica Civic Center Specific Plan
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) [SCH #2003011074]. This Addendum has been prepared in
accordance with the relevant provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of
1970 (as amended) and the State CEQA Guidelines as implemented by the City of Santa Monica.
According to Section 15164(a) of the State CEQA Guidelines, an addendum to a previously
certified EIR is the appropriate environmental do cument in instances wh en project changes and
additions are necessary, but no there would be no new or substantially more severe significant
environmental effects beyond those identified in the EIR.
As discussed below, the changes being contemplated involve minor revisions to the previously
proposed City Services Building that was included as an element of the Civic Center Specific Plan
project. Specifically, the proposed City Services Bu ilding (CSB) within the Civic Center Specific Plan
area is proposed to be relocated from its origin al contemplated location north of the existing
Landmark City Hall building (on Fu jinomiya Douri) to east of City Hall (over a portion of Avenida
Mazatlan). Furthermore, the building is proposed to be up to 55,000 sf maximum and 45 feet as
compared to the 100,000 sf and 56 feet analyzed in the CCSP EIR. As supported by the analysis in
this addendum, with the implementation of miti gation measures, the proposed revisions to the
CSB would not result in new or substantially more severe significant environmental effects. As such,
the addendum is the appropriate environmental document under CEQA. All mitigation measures
identified in the previously certified CCSP EIR shall also apply to the CSB. In addition, the adopted
Mitigation Monitoring Plan from the previous CCSP EIR shall remain effective for the proposed CSB.
This Addendum includes a description of the CSB as it is currently proposed and a comparison of
its impacts to those identified in the CCSP EIR pr eviously certified/adopted by the City of Santa
Monica on June 28, 2005, and as amended in 2008, 2010, and 2011.
BACKGROUND
P ROJECT L OCATION
The proposed project would be located adjacent to existing City Hall building on Olympic Drive
and Avenida Mazatlan in the Civic Center Specific Plan area of the City of Santa Monica (see
Figure 1 ). The Civic Center Specific Plan area cons ists of approximately 67 acres in downtown
Santa Monica. The Civic Center Specific Plan Area is bound by Fourth Street to the east, Ocean
Avenue to the west, Pico Boulevard to the south and Colorado Avenue to the north. Main Street
bisects the Plan Area in a north to south direction (see Figure 2 ).
C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN P ROJECT AND EIR
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the Civic Center Specific Plan (CCSP)
project in accordance with Section 15087 of the State CEQA Guidelines. The CCSP EIR, certified
on June 28, 2005, analyzed the development of a mi x of future land uses as well as circulation
improvements in the Civic Center Specific Plan area (see Figure 3 ). The various components of
the CCSP project that were analyzed in the CCSP EIR are listed in Table 1.
ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
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F IGURE 1 - P ROJECT L OCATION
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ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
Page 6 of 54
F IGURE 4 - C IVIC C ORE AND A PPROVED C ITY S ERVICES B UILDING A NALYZED IN THE 2005 CCSP EIR
ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
Page 7 of 54
T ABLE 1 - C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN C OMPONENTS
CCSP Improvement Program Details
Public Open Space 5.6 acre Civic Auditorium Park
Improvement of Courthouse Lawn and
creation of 0.8 acre plaza along Main Street
2.5 acre Town Square in front of City Hall
4 acre Palisades Garden Walk north of
Olympic Drive
0.7 acre Village Green south of Olympic Drive
Housing 325 units of housing within the Village across
three sites (sites A, B, C)
450 units of housing on parking garage sites
within Santa Monica Place
Community Facilities Restoration of City Hall
Development of a City Services Building up to
100,000 square feet and a height of 56 feet
(with tower element of 85 feet) on Fujinomiya
Douri)
Replacement of existing East wing of Civic
Auditorium with up to 20,000 net new square
feet of community uses,
Development of Early Childhood Center of up
to 12,500 square feet with adjoining play area
Public Parking Facilities Replacement of the existing Santa Monica
Place garages (Parking Structures 7 and 8)
with subterranean parking
Replacement of surface parking lots within
the Civic Center with subterranean parking
beneath the City Services Building, and
beneath the auditorium expansion
Street Improvements Extension of Olympic Drive to Ocean Avenue
Extension of 2nd Street to Olympic Drive
Closure of Main Street between Colorado
Avenue and Olympic Drive
Extension of Civic Center Drive to Main Street
Creation of a traffic circle at the intersection
of Main Street with the extended Civic Center
Drive
Commercial Redevelopment at
Santa Monica Place
560,000 square feet of reconfigured or
reconstructed commercial retail, 85,000
square feet of new office space, and 450
multifamily dwelling units (as listed above) on
the Santa Monica Place site
The CCSP EIR addressed the potential environmental effects of the CCSP for the following impact
areas:
Aesthetics
Air Quality
Construction Effects
ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
Page 8 of 54
Cultural Resources
Geology and Soils
Hazards and Hazardous Materials
Hydrology and Water Quality
Land Use and Planning
Noise
Population and Housing
Public Services
Shadow Effects
Transportation and Circulation
Utilities
Neighborhood Effects
The CCSP EIR analyzed the issues referenced above and identified potentially significant
environmental impacts, including site-specific an d cumulative effects of the CCSP in accordance
with the provisions set forth in the State CEQA Guidelines. The CCSP EIR also recommended
feasible mitigation measures, where possible. Less than significant impacts or less than significant
mitigable impacts were found in the areas of Aesthetics, Geology and Soils, Hazards and
Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use and Planning, Noise, and Utilities.
Significant and unavoidable impacts that could not be mitigated were identified in the CCSP EIR
and addressed in the adopted CEQA findings and statement of overriding considerations as
follows:
• Cultural Resources –significant and unavoidable impacts to cultural resources if a large
Moreton Bay Fig is removed or unsuccessfully relocated;
• Traffic/Circulation –significan t and unavoidable traffic impacts to nine intersections
including PCH / California Incline, Ocean Avenue / Colorado Avenue , Fourth Street /
Broadway, Fourth Street / Colorado Avenue, Fourth Street / I-10 Off-ramp, Fourth Street
/ I-10 On-ramp, Lincoln Boulevard / I-10 Off-ramp, Lincoln Boulevard/ Pico Boulevard,
and Fifth Street / Colorado Avenue; unmiti gable significant traffic impacts at one CMP
arterial monitoring intersection, Lincoln Boulevard / Pico Boulevard; unmitigable
significant neighborhood traffic impacts on Fourth Street between Pico Boulevard and
Ocean Park Boulevard and between Ocean Park Boulevard and the southern City
limits;
• Air Quality –significant and unavoidable air quality impacts related to ROG, NOx and
CO emissions from vehicle trips, natu ral gas use, and landscape maintenance
equipment;
ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
Page 9 of 54
• Construction Effects –significant and unavoidable impacts to air quality from NOx
emissions during demolition and construction and ROC emissions during application of
architectural coatings; and
• Neighborhood Effects –significant and unavoidable impacts identified above related
to Air Quality, Construction Effects and Transportation and Circulation.
The Final EIR for the Civic Center Specific Plan project was completed in October of 2004. The
CCSP, CCSP EIR and related actions were reviewed by the Civic Center Working Group on May
3, 2005 and by the Planning Commission on May 18, 2005. On June 28, 2005, the City Council
certified the CCSP EIR, adopted CEQA findings and a statement of overriding considerations, and
adopted the Specific Plan amendments which ultimately excluded Santa Monica Place.
S UBSEQUENT A DDENDUMS
Subsequent to the CCSP EIR, addendums to the original CCSP EIR were prepared in April 2008,
July 2008, May 2010, and in June 2011. The addendums addressed modifications to the CCSP as
follows:
First Addendum (April 2008): An addendum was prepared to address changes to the Village
development envisioned under the CCSP that included:
Modifying the allocation of the proposed uses across the three residential sites (Sites A, B,
and C);
Reducing setbacks, including building separations;
Modifying building heights of between approx imately 67 feet and 110 feet on Site C,
generally becoming taller from west to east, as well as increasing maximum building
heights on sites A and B, from 56 feet/five stor ies to six stories with varying heights with
approximately 65 feet maximum height;
Reducing the amount of privat e open space provided per unit on Site B from 80 square
feet per unit to 48 square feet. Common op en space would be increased on Site B to
300 square feet per unit, from 100 square feet per unit as called for in the CCSP;
Changing vehicular circulation for all vehicles accessing residential Sites A and B to enter
and exit the proposed parking garage beneath the residential site via First Court Alley to
Ocean Avenue.
The addendum concluded that the above changes to the CCSP would not would not generate
new significant environmental impacts or substantia lly increase impacts identified in the CCSP EIR.
Second Addendum (July 2008): An addendum was prepared to address modifications to the
parking garages at Santa Monica Place (Parking St ructures 7 and 8) that were analyzed in the
CCSP EIR which included:
Restriping and circulation adjustments;
Converting the 4 th Street driveway to Parking Structure 7 to right turn outbound only,
Installing an attendant parking program;
Installing ground level pedestrian oriented improvements including retail and bicycle
parking facilities; and
Implementing façade improvements including solar photovoltaic panels.
The addendum concluded that the above changes to the CCSP would not would not generate
new significant environmental impacts or substantia lly increase impacts identified in the CCSP EIR.
ADDENDUM TO THE C IVIC C ENTER S PECIFIC P LAN EIR
Addendum to the Civic Center Specific Plan EIR
October 2016
Page 10 of 54
Third Addendum (May 2010): An addendum was prep ared to allow the City to temporarily use a
2.5 acre portion of the CCSP land (site of the fu ture Palisades Garden Walk park) on an interim
basis to absorb overflow parking for intermittent cultural and minor temporary events to be held
in the nearby beach parking lot and/or the Santa Monica Pier deck. The in terim parking use would
cease prior to construction of the park. The addendum concluded that the interim parking use
would not generate new significant environmental impacts or exacerbate impacts identified in
the 2005 Civic Center Specific Plan Final EIR.
Fourth Addendum (May 2011)
In 2011, a Fourth Addendum to the CCSP EIR was prep ared to remove the Main Street traffic circle
as part of the CCSP project and to modify the building location of the City Services Building from
the originally analyzed configuration and to increase the size of the City Services Building to 16,000
square feet, with no changes to childcare enrollment (remains at 100 children). The Addendum
reviewed development of the ECEC along Civic Center Drive directly across from the Civic Center
Parking Structure with the front entrance of the bu ilding to be oriented on Civic Center Drive.
The addendum concluded that the proposed remova l of the Main Street traffic circle from the
CCSP and the proposed modifications to the ECEC are minor adjust ments which would not
generate new significant environmental impacts or increase the severity of impacts identified in
the CCSP EIR.
Fifth Addendum (April 2015)
In 2015, a Fifth Addendum to the CCSP EIR was prepared increase the size of the ECEC from 16,000
square feet to a size of 20,000 square feet and a height of 40 feet to accommodate a minimal
increase in the number of children to be licensed from up to 100 to up to 110 along with increased
teaching space for Santa Monica College’s early childhood education program.
The addendum concluded that the proposed revisions to the ECEC from the CCSP are minor
adjustments to the previously approved EC EC which would not generate new significant
environmental impacts or increase the severi ty of impacts identified in the CCSP EIR.
CURRENTLY PROPOSED CITY SERVICES BUILDING
The CCSP EIR analyzed the development of a 100,000 square foot City Services Building (CSB) on
Fujinomiya Douri north of the existing City Hall building (see Figure 4 ). The EIR analyzed a building
that was proposed to be approximately 56 f eet in height (with 85 foot tower element).
Currently, City operations are divided among several locations in the City including at City Hall,
1901 Main Street, 1717 4 th Street, and 1437 4 th Street. The CSB is a proposed addition to Santa
Monica’s Landmark City Hall. The project’s goal is to reunite certain city functions and staff under
one roof and create a “one-stop” permit center to serve the general public. With the CSB, the
City would be able to eliminate leased office sp ace totaling approximately 43,500 square feet.in
the other various locations and re locate 239 staff to the CSB.
The proposed CSB consists of three floors with up to approximately 55,000 square feet of floor area
and 45 feet in height. The CSB is attached to the rear (eastern) elevation of City Hall and
cantilevers over a portion of Avenida Mazatlan . The CSB will include a basement and a first,
second, and third floor (see Figures 5 and 6 ).