concept design community outreach summary report
Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square, Santa Monica james corner field operations august 2010
CONTENTS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH SUMMARY REPORT
executive summary. 4 survey. 5 workshop stations. 13 on-site comment cards. 19
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Survey Results. 21 Appendix 2: Workshop Stations. 93 Appendix 3: Comment Cards. 107 COMMUNITY OUTREACH SUMMARY REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Concept Design Community Outreach for Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square consisted of a quantifiable survey and on-site Open House and Workshop held on July 24, 2010. Feedback has been solicited on a range of topics including park uses, park themes, challenges, opportunities, and the site. Results from 435 surveys and approximately 200 community members who attended the open house are summarized below. Data analysis and comprehensive additional comments can be found in a series of appendices attached to this summary report.
Uses A clear majority of both survey respondents and workshop attendees envision Palisades Garden Walk as a place for passive recreation with “Areas for Picnicking, Lounging, Sitting, Reading, Relaxing and Viewing” as the primary use. Survey respondents rank “Pathways for Walking, Running, and Cycling” and “Areas for Cultural Events” as second most desirable uses, while workshop attendees favor “Horticulture and Display Gardens,” “Public Art,” and “Cafes.” For Town Square, both survey respondents and workshop attendees identify “Areas for Organized Civic Events and Activities” as the park’s most important use. The design team will develop alternative design schemes, which all support passive recreation for Palisades Garden Walk and flexible civic event space for Town Square. Various ratios of additional uses will also be explored.
Themes “Sustainability and the Environment” is identified by survey respondents as the most important design theme to be explored for both Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. Workshop attendees, however, identify “Views and Topography” as the most important theme for Palisades Garden Walk and “Civic Engagement and Public Discourse” for Town Square. Additional themes including “Innovation and Progressive Design,” “Access and Connectivity,” “Local and Site History,” and “Identity and Destination” were identified and will be incorporated into concept design schemes for both parks.
Challenges The most significant design challenge identified by survey respondents for Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square is “Designing a space that works for multiple uses at different times of day.” Based on other comments and explanatory feedback, implicit in this challenge, is concern for the city’s homeless population and its use of the parks. Another significant challenge identified for each park is parking availability, traffic, and noise associated with adjacent roads and vehicular circulation. While parking is not in the scope of this project, this challenge is being addressed by the city through larger scale planning initiatives that consider the entire civic center campus.
Opportunities The two most significant design opportunities identified by survey respondents are “The Creation of a New Destination in the Heart of Santa Monica” and “Strong Adjacent Destinations.” These and other design opportunities will be capitalized upon in the concept designs for the parks.
Site Community members provided valuable feedback on the future physicality of the site-- its context, its edges, and its core. Comments include the desire for wind breaks and buffers to block noise from adjacent roads; the desire to protect existing trees, provide additional shade, and maintain flexible open space; and, the desire to provide both visual connections to the ocean and city hall as well as physical connections to the site’s adjacent destinations.
Santa Monica residents are playing a critical role in the design of Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square. Their valuable and extensive feedback will be used by the city and the design team to inform project program and concept designs, which will be presented at a second Workshop to be held on September 19, 2010.
4 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report
SURVEY
435 surveys containing 12 questions were submitted both electronically (utilizing survey monkey) and via paper collection. To represent the data for questions 2, 3, 6 and 7, responses are graphed from most popular on the left side of the page to least popular on the right. Actual number of responses to these questions has been graphed; however, popularity has been determined by weighting the value of individual responses. A value of 4 was assigned for “very important” rankings, and a value of 1 for “not important”. The total number of responses was then multiplied times its respective value (1-4) and then divided by total response to produce weighted values for each response. Questions 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11 required respondents to select one response out of a series of options. In order to represent the data, a percentage value has been assigned to each response to assess its popularity. Summaries for each of the responses are below:
Question 1: To get you started, think about what best characterizes Santa Monica and complete the sentence below. Santa Monica is...?
Many community residents expressed their desire to have the Civic Center Parks reflect the character of Santa Monica. Narrative responses to this question varied significantly; however, a number of trends and shared values can be extrapolated from the 388 responses and will help shape design thematics for the project.
Most residents would describe Santa Monica as: • committed to being green and sustainable. • diverse, inclusive, vibrant, and active. • a close community within a large scale urban context. • a beautiful place with significant contextual assets that include the beach and the Santa Monica Mountains.
The comprehensive set of individual responses can be found in the first part of Appendix 1.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 5 Question 2: For PALISADES GARDEN WALK (SITE 1), please rate the following USES, from not important to very important:
Respondents were asked to rate uses for Palisades Garden Walk based on the categories identified in the table below. The responses show that a majority of respondents believe “Areas for picnicking, lounging, sitting, reading, relaxing and viewing” and “Pathways for walking, running, and cycling” are the best uses for the site. Café and refreshments, received the lowest ranking of all possible uses with the majority of respondents (53.9%) ranking this as “not important” or “somewhat important” Significant other comments related to USES included support for shaded spaces, an amphitheater for events, viewing spaces, quite spaces for meditation, and family oriented spaces. Support was expressed for and against active recreation, high speed circulation, playgrounds, and large (and potentially noisy) events.
GRAPHIC SUMMARY
6 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 3. For TOWN SQUARE (SITE 2), please rate the following USES, from not important very important:
Respondents were asked to rate uses for Town Square based on the categories identified in the table below. “Areas for organized civic events and activities”, “A gateway and main entrance to City Hall”, “Areas for sitting, reading, and viewing”, “Areas that enhance and complement City Hall and its history”, and “Areas for informal gathering” all received high ranking, with approximately 70% of all respondents specifying these uses as “important” or “very important.” Public Art was also seen as important. “Water Feature” received the lowest ranking. Significant other comments related to Town Square USES include the need for shaded seating and the importance of preserving and not overshadowing city hall’s historic nature.
GRAPHIC SUMMARY
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 7 4. There are many OPPORTUNITIES for Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. Which of the following is the greatest OPPORTUNITY (select one)?
Respondents were asked to identify the biggest opportunities for Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. The overwhelming majority of respondents indicated that the two biggest opportunities for the sites were the “Creation of a new destination in the heart of Santa Monica” and “Strong adjacent destinations”. The next highest ranked opportunity was “Integration into existing pedestrian and bike networks.” Many respondents also found the relative flatness of the site as an opportunity to create elevation changes that provide users a great view of the ocean, beach and pier. In general, additional comments focused on the desire to have a park that is both environmentally sustainable and critically rooted in the local culture.
GRAPHIC SUMMARY
8 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 5. There are many CHALLENGES for Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. Which of the following is the greatest CHALLENGE (select one)?
Respondents were asked to identify the biggest challenge for Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. “Designing a space that works for multiple uses at different times of the day and week”, “Parking availability”, and “Traffic” were identified as the three greatest challenges for park design. Significant other challenges identified in the comments included maintenance and the negative perception of a threatening homeless population.
GRAPHIC SUMMARY
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 9 6. For PALISADES GARDEN WALK (SITE 1), please rate the following THEMES that you would like to see explored, from not important to very important:
Respondents were asked to identify the most important themes they would like to see explored for Palisades Garden Walk based on the categories identified in the table below. “Sustainability and the Environment” was the highest ranked theme with 55.4% of respondents ranking it “very important.” “Views and Topography,” “Access + Connectivity,” and “Innovation and Progressive Design” also ranked, on average, as being important. A broad range and comprehensive range of other comments are included in Appendix 1 of this report.
GRAPHIC SUMMARY
10 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 7. For TOWN SQUARE (SITE 2), please rate the following THEMES that you would like to see explored, from not important to very important:
Respondents were asked to identify the most important themes they would like to see explored for Town Square based on the categories identified in the table below. Sustainability and the Environment was the highest ranked theme with 52.3% of respondents ranking it “very important.” “Civic Engagement and Discourse” was a close second with “Innovation and Progressive Design” and “Identity and Destination” also ranked as being important. A broad and comprehensive range of other comments are included in Appendix 1 of this report.
GRAPHIC SUMMARY
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 11 8. Your additional comments may be added here:
The on-line survey provided space for any addition comments respondents might have. 180 survey respondents provided additional comments. The most significant trend in the responses was the general enthusiasm of the community for a park that is both unique and progressively designed, as well as a meaningful reflection of Santa Monica’s identity. Other comments included but were not limited to:
• the need for shade • the need for preservation of trees on site • problems associated with traffic, noise, and parking • concerns about the city’s homeless population and their use of the future park • desire for horticultural plantings that reflect seasonal change • desire for an amphitheater • desire for athletic fields • desire for food carts • desire for design simplicity • desire for the absence of playgrounds
Detailed respondent demographics and answers to questions 9-12 can be found in Appendix 1.
12 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report WORKSHOP STATIONS
An on-site Workshop and Open House included six thematic stations that solicited community input, feedback and comment in a variety of ways. The stations were: “Community Context”, “Park Uses”, “Park Themes”, “Places”, “Town Square”, and “The Video Project”.
Community Context
Community members were asked to map the places they go and routes they take within Santa Monica. Maps are included in Appendix 2, and reveal the park as being centrally located and along the primary routes many respondents take within the city. Significant comment conclusions include:
• Views to the ocean are desirable. • Connection to primary bike routes within the city is desirable. • Adjacent shopping areas, the Pier, and Palisades Park are frequently visited. • Parks within walking distance offer dog runs and playgrounds. • Western breeze from the ocean is desirable, but sometimes too strong. • Noise from adjacent Ocean Avenue is strong and should be blocked.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 13 Park Uses: Palisades Garden Walk
Community members were asked to identify and mark their two favorite park USES for Palisades Garden Walk. 177 responses from this interactive table survey show that consistent with the on-line survey, “Areas for Picnicking, Lounging, Sitting, Reading, Relaxing, and Viewing” is the highest ranked use for Palisades Garden Walk. Other responses differed slightly were as follows:
• Areas for Picnicking, Lounging, Sitting, Reading, Relaxing, and Viewing: 38 responses, 21% • Horticulture and Display Gardens: 28 responses, 16.5% • Public Art: 22 responses, 12.5% • Café and Restaurants: 21 responses, 12% • Play Elements (geared toward children): 18 responses, 10.5% • Pathways for Walking Running and Cycling: 15 responses, 8.5% • Areas for Cultural Events (concerts, markets, and festivals): 15 responses, 8.5% • Water Feature: 13 responses, 7.5% • Other (please specify): 5 responses, 3% (Chez Jay, dancing, forest, rest rooms)
14 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report Park Themes: Palisades Garden Walk
Community members were asked to identify and mark their two favorite park THEMES for Palisades Garden Walk. 208 responses from this interactive table survey show a different set of favorite themes from the on-line survey. While “Sustainability and the Environment” was the highest ranked theme in the on-line survey, “Views and Topography” and “Innovation and Progressive Design” were the highest ranked themes for Palisades Garden Walk. Quantified responses are as follows:
• Views and Topography: 37 responses, 18% • Innovation and Progressive Design: 35 responses, 17% • Play and Discovery: 24 responses, 11.5% • Identity and Destination: 23 responses, 11% • Habitat and Horticulture: 22 responses, 10.5% • Art and Culture: 20 responses, 9.5% • Sustainability and The Environment: 19 responses, 9% • Water and Hydrology: 15 responses, 7% • Local History and Site History: 13 responses, 6.5%
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 15 Places
Community members were asked to identify and mark their favorite PLACES on site. The design of Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square will respond to these existing site features. Favorite places, in general, were at the center of the park, shaded areas of the park, the base of “Morty,” the site’s large Moreton Bay Fig tree areas that offered views of the ocean, and the rose garden at Town Square.
rose garden
ocean views
site center
shaded areas
16 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report Town Square
Community members were asked to identify and mark their two favorite park USES for Town Square. 161 responses from this interactive table survey show that consistent with the on-line survey, “Areas for Organized Civic Events and Activities” is the highest ranked use for Palisades Garden Walk. Other responses differed slightly were as follows:
• Areas for Organized Civic Events and Activities: 49 responses, 30.5% • Public Art (concerts, markets, and festivals): 22 responses, 13.5% • Areas that Enhance and Complement City Hall and Its History: 19 responses, 12% • Areas for Sitting Reading and Viewing: 18 responses, 11% • Water Feature: 16 responses, 10% • Horticulture and display gardens: 13 responses, 9% • A Gateway and Main Entrance to City Hall: 11 responses, 8% • Areas for Informal Gathering: 9 responses, 5.5% • Other (please specify): 4 responses, 2.5% (Café, Café, Walking Paths, Music)
Community members were asked to identify and mark their two favorite park THEMES for Town Square. 193 responses from this on-site survey show that consistent with the on-line survey, “Civic Engagement and Public Discourse” is the highest ranked theme for Town Square. Other responses were as follows:
• Civic Engagement and Public Discourse: 35 responses, 18.5% • Identity Destination: 27 responses, 14% • Local History and Site History: 23 responses, 12% • Innovation and Progressive Design: 23 responses, 12% • Art and Culture: 21 responses, 11% • Sustainability and The Environment: 19 responses, 10% • Horticulture and Habitats: 15 responses, 7.5% • Views and Topography: 15 responses, 7.5% • Water and Hydrology: 15 responses, 7.5%
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 17 The Video Project
Community members were asked what Santa Monica means to them. Varied narratives and a range of personal responses from adults and children of all ages were in line with responses to the on-line survey and are attached to this report as a viewable DVD.
18 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report COMMENT CARDS
Community members were asked the following questions about the site’s features and adjacencies.
1) Community Context: Take some time to get acquainted with the Civic Center Specific Plan. Look at the survey flag line on site to understand that Olympic Boulevard will continue through the site to Ocean Avenue. Imagine the future of this edge of the park and tell us what you think. Comments varied and included (in order of occurrence), but were not limited to: • The desire for bike racks at entries, multi-speed paths, and bike connectivity. • The desire for a central open space. • Concern about shade and the protection of existing trees. • The desire for viewing hills and / or a tower. • The desire for noise buffers. • The desire for pedestrian connectivity to Samohi. • The desire for wind breaks. • The desire for an identity rich entry.
2) Park Themes: Experience the noise of the freeway within the context of the trees. Walk along the freeway edge next to this station to see views of the Holiday Inn, Main Street Bridge, Third Street Promenade and the McClure Tunnel. Tell us what you think about this edge of the site. Comments varied and included (in order of occurrence), but were not limited to: • The desire for some way to screen views of the freeway. • Appreciation of Morty, the site’s large Moreton Bay Fig tree. • The possibility for future connections to be made over the freeway.
3) Park Uses: Walk out onto Ocean Avenue to understand this important intersection and potential future connections to the Santa Monica Pier, Palisades Park, and Bayside. Notice transit stops and experience the noise of the street. Tell us what you think about this edge of the site. Comments varied and included (in order of occurrence), but were not limited to: • The need for and overhead crossing to connect Palisades Garden Walk with Palisades Park. • Pedestrian crossing is critical at this location. • The desire for lights to be present, but not too bright. • The desire for noise buffers to block out sound associated with traffic. • The desire preserve and promote views to the ocean.
4) Places: Visit the central viewing station next to this station to get an overview of the entire site. Notice key site features and views. Tell us what you think about the interior of the site. Comments varied and included (in order of occurrence), but were not limited to: • The desire for viewing hills and / or a tower. • The desire for green / garden / shaded spaces. • The desire to preserve and capitalize on the existing location of Chez Jay. • The desire for wind breaks. • The desire for noise buffers to block out sound associated with traffic. • The desire for community gardens.
5) Town Square: Walk out onto Main Street to understand the connection between these 2 new parks. Notice transit stops and experience the noise of the street. Tell us what you think about Town Square and how it relates to Palisades Garden Walk. Comments varied and included (in order of occurrence), but were not limited to: • The desire to keep the area open for civic use. • The desire to keep the design simple. • The desire to support the architecture of City Hall.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 19 20 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report APPENDIX 1 SURVEY RESULTS QUESTION 1 To get you started, think about what best characterizes Santa Monica and complete the sentence below: Santa Monica is....
SUMMARY
Response
Count
388
answered question 388
skipped question 47
DETAILED RESPONSES 1. Easy. 2. Outdoor living. 3. a diverse city with a small town feel, full of people who enjoy a relaxed and active outdoor lifestyle. 4. Gateway to nature. 5. Beautiful, inviting, exciting and one of those very blessed cities, with tons of different kinds of people, a clean environment, progressive thinking and a loving populace. 6. My home. 7. An unpretentious neighborhood that values rustic beauty, peacefulness and community. 8. Down-to-earth, rustic, unpretentious, geared toward children. 9. a place to be free and escape while also being very connected to the environment and conscious of our impact on it. 10. Where I grew up and in fact, still growing. 11. a small town in a big city 12. Beverly Hills by the sea. 13. Forward thinking, clean, beautiful, conscientious, diverse, inclusive... 14. A city by the beach 15. A small beach city with access to incredible cultural/art facilities in nearby LA and the vast open space of the Santa Monica Mountains 16. For the Homeless. Affluent. Expensive. Green-leaning. Liberal. Desirable and Coastal. 17. The beach and the environment! 18. Comment: think about not providing/including bikes in this park. 19. Unique, welcoming to all, progressive, concerned, crowded, hard to park in and great to visit! 20. Beautiful. Iconic. A leader. A destination. A home. An oasis. 21. Small beach town threatened by development. 22. The beach. a community. Great schools. Beautiful. Great air, temperature. Lively. Diverse. Safe. Progressive. Sustainable 23. City of classical music. www.classicalmusicmanagement.com 24. A wonderful and dynamic city, and also a community of friends, involved citizens who are bright, opinionated people. 25. Diverse and progressive. 26. Hands down one of my favorite cities, encompassing eclectic niches suitable for anyone.
22 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 27. A world class city with a small town feeling. 28. A hub of activity, technology, culture and innovation... SM is a destination for the curious and knowing; for those focused and those seeking a distraction from the chaos of their everyday lives. 29. An eclectic beach community. Los Angeles’ front lawn. A special place that still hasn’t lost its soul. an international iconic city. A mecca for the homeless. A walking community 30. Open in all areas to residents and tourists, etc. 31. A progressive and inclusive Californian city, respectful of its location by the mountain and the coast. 32. A place where you can enjoy a happy, healthy lifestyle. It is constantly stimulating your mind, especially walking in the park is like a day at the spa (I am talking about Palisades Park). Meditation for me. I also love the Pier. Its so much fun, and I meet people visiting from everywhere! 33. A wonderful outdoor playground that promotes a healthy lifestyle for its inhabitants. 34. Breezy, healthy, delicious, walking, shopping, young, old 35. Family friendly. 36. A wonderful place to live with sundry niche neighborhoods. My wife and I love the distinct Montana shopping district, 3rd Street Promenade and adjacent mall to open in August, and the eclectic Main Street. I’m excited for a genuine park to fill the void around the civic center. These Areas make Santa Monica feel like a vacation every time I come to this beautiful city I call my home. 37. In a lot of trouble. It has almost ceased to exist due to over development for 15 to 20 years - less light, less breeze, more stench. Open space is more important than ever; as are large canopy evergreen trees, and respect for wildlife. Santa Monica is always killing our wildlife (squirrels,pigeons, other birds, etc.). Also, it is obvious that the road can go around the trees. 38. A town of and for the people. 39. a community by the sea that embraces diversity and sustainability. a city with unique history. 40. A community with progressive, energetic, environmentally conscious and education-minded ideals. We have residents who care deeply about where they live and about global issues and impact. Our City provides excellent basic and unique services and strives to innovate while appreciating its history and character. And of course we have all this in a most beautiful natural, seaside setting. 41. A great community for people to work and visit. 42. Close to everything 43. A laid back beach city. 44. The perfect blend of beach and city. 45. Fun, beachy, healthy, sunny, friendly, and casual. 46. Environmentally focused, beach community that strives to provide a clean and green place to live, work and visit. 47. A beautiful, easy place to live with good food, fun shopping, and fabulous beaches all wrapped up in a sustainable consciousness. 48. Innovative, sustainable, tourist destination, home to the wealthy. 49. A world class destination. an oasis in Los Angeles. a beach town. the place Los Angeles plays a great place to live, work and play 50. Keep the Morton Bay tree as is. It is beautiful. 51. A seemingly very well run city that is beautiful and expensive. 52. The place to be! 53. A place like dreams 54. On the cutting edge of sustainability, environmental responsibility and protecting our future resources and generations. 55. Healthy, green, and cultured in a friendly beach community. 56. Healthy, green, and cultured in a friendly beach community.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 23 57. Healthy, green, and cultured in a friendly beach community. 58. A beautiful city, where so many different cultures come together as one. Santa Monica has so many different programs and events that offered to the community. Santa Monica has one of the best shopping centers!! 59. A tourist attraction 60. Home 61. The most beautiful city in southern California. 62. A beautiful City on the Pacific Ocean populated with healthy, outdoor oriented people. True 63. Casual, friendly, international, sophisticated 64. Fun 65. A unique community that is extremely responsive to the needs and desires of its residents while trying to balance the fact that to be a financially sound community, it must also be highly attractive to business and tourists. 66. A “great place for people.” A city that focuses on sustainability! 67. An open minded city with great diversity. 68. A PLACE TO CALL HOME! IT IS MY HOMETOWN! 69. Upscale beach community 70. A place for kids to grow up 71. Laid back and sophisticated 72. An iconic representation of LA to the world. 73. A beach city with way too many homeless people, who harass visitors and residents constantly either by asking for money, screaming and taking most of the benches in and around 3rd Street Promenade. How are you going to control it so they do not make it their home? 74. A forward moving beach community that is still without a truly usable and efficient public transit system. The culture is here and the town is lively, but the lack of public transportation and easy parking is stifling its growth. 75. A progressive place that has the power to effect change. 76. The city by the seat. a hotbed of political activity. on a bluff. on 2 levels. Please don’t make it flat (section in front of City Hall) 77. Charming small city by the ocean. Diversity is encouraged. Ecological education is more visible than in other parts of the US. Unfortunately, it has gotten overbuilt and the road were not built to accommodate the traffic. Measures to lower noise: - New leaf blower enforcement which makes the residents responsible not the gardeners -Not more than 1 construction project in neighborhoods north of Montana per block 78. A seaside city small enough to feel a part of it and have an impact, large enough to attract players, giving it an educated and cultural life 79. Welcomes all tourists, residents, because of availability of beaches, parks and all local interests 80. Beautiful and unique. It is located next to the Ocean with a very connected community. I separate Santa Monica with the rest of LA. Santa Monica surely is one of the best cities in LA 81. Diverse in terms of people activities, amenities, cultures, economic base, and job opportunities 82. A beach side oasis in the heart of an urban landscape. 83. A once sleepy, now urban beach side community, historically a playground for the stars, home of the homeless, considered progressive politically, but disproportionately affluent, iconically beautiful and my home. 84. Rather insular... and uptight when compared with its neighbors. 85. A lovely city by the beach 86. A neighborhood still small enough and friendly to enjoy 87. A nice city that could evolve into a world class city if its potential is realized. 88. A happy beach community with personality.
24 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 89. a community where people are engaged in (re-)building for the future. 90. A great city to live and work in. 91. A city of participation: participation in its governance, participation in its neighborhoods, participation within its parks and participation by and through its businesses. Santa Monica is a place where everyone belongs and all are welcome. 92. A cool place to live where residents care about their city. The city provides services for our families, our elders, our homeless. We are a multi-ethnic vibrant caring community. We care for our environment, our homes, our schools, the arts and our citizens. In the next decade, I hope we will reach beyond our borders and begin educating others to help transform the planet. 93. A funky beach town. 94. A cool, sunny, breezy beach community. 95. Full of park-hungry residents. 96. Great weather, small friendly city, new and interesting architecture. 97. Resident friendly, thoughtful, small town vibe, progressive 98. Magical and unique. 99. Magical and unique. 100. Magical and unique. 101. Ocean breezes, growing environmentally conscious population, outdoor activities, overcrowding, too many cars, the best of both for youth and elderly, wonderful City services for privileged and under-served populations alike, serious economic challenges for small businesses, 102. A sustainable great place to live 103. TOO POPULATED--WITH CARS AND PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS!!!!!!!! YOU CALL IT “VIBRANT”, SO “SMALL” AND “QUIET” HAVE NO PLACE IN S.M.’S FUTURE...... 104. Close to the ocean 105. Blessed with natural beauty (the beach and Palisades Park), neighborhoods of varying character, and residents who are engaged in community life. 106. A beach-side community, small enough for people to be involved, large enough to attract major players. 107. A community-minded city, committed to the promotion of quality education, diverse cultural experience, and social justice. 108. A small, vibrant city, a watercolor, where the ocean embraces us in a coolness that uplifts the landscapes and graces the human scale living. 109. My city by the sea that strives to achieve and maintain a decent quality of life for its residence through progressive community and civic outreach. 110. Wasting their money like they always do. 111. Becoming sustainable. 112. Community friendly 113. My town. 114. The Hub of the westside. 115. A beautiful place to live and visit. And it is expensive. 116. Iconic 117. A beach side community evolving into a vibrant urban city. 118. A very unique multilevel city. 119. A City by the beach with nice weather and clean air. Many residents are involved in improving and maintaining Santa Monica as a livable City for the local residents. Many tourists like to come here and outside investors want to make money here without concern for what the residents want. 120. A great place to live and raise a family. 121. Culturally rich, citizen-driven, green, creative, socially and fiscally responsible, and values diversity.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 25 122. A small urban city with great schools, parks, businesses, and employment opportunities. 123. Ocean front 124. An eclectic, progressive, walkable seaside community 125. One of the best places in the world to live. 126. The epitome of Southern California living; sun, beach, amenities within walking distance, friendly people, everything you need is right here. 127. Eco-friendly. Encourages a healthy lifestyle. Fiscally responsible by encouraging recycling, sustainability,etc. 128. Historic, Fun; a Complete city. 129. a vibrant engaging beautiful place to live 130. The most popular oceanfront tourist destination on the west coast and focuses on maintaining a high quality of life, through the implementation sustainable, environmental, cultural and open-minded programs. 131. Sunshine, beach, optimism, compassion. 132. Home by the sea 133. Like no other place... 134. A nice place to work but you can’t afford to live here 135. Rich in personality 136. Sun 137. Crowded, noisy and disruptive to one’s ability to quietly enjoy nature 138. Cares about the need for park in this increasingly dense urban environment 139. City of beauty located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. 140. A beautiful, small beach city. 141. An alluring place for many different types of people who seek sun, fun, beaches, upscale shopping and dining, recreation such as beach volleyball, surfing, skateboarding, biking, hiking, stair climbing, etc. 142. the place I wanna be. 143. Unique! 144. Energetic,congested with traffic,filled with activity. 145. A creative and welcoming city. 146. A city on the beach, with vital cultural amenities. 147. An oasis within the concrete desert of Los Angeles 148. A beautiful community to live in 149. Growing very quickly. 150. A great place to work and play 151.1 Environmentally friendly 2) Beach city 3) Promotes the Arts 152. a progressive beach community. 153. Like a small town within a big city, a community of people who look after each other 154. A great combination of city and town that is filled with people who care intensely about everything. 155. A happy place for happy people...and all that encompasses. 156. A friendly, progressive, creatively responsive community that is host to so many different people from many places in the world, who come to visit this lovely beach front town. It is both a sophisticated city and an intimate, people friendly town, with it’s own unique character and beauty that we, as citizens, love and cherish and want to share with others. The thrust of the planning for the new Civic Center and it’s green park areas, should be to include innovative artistic events that are free to the public and can provide a center of cultural interest and activities that can appeal to a wide cross section and ages of people, both visitors and Santa Monica residents. I would say that the area of the parks can provide all kinds of continuous, almost spontaneous feeling small events, such as music, puppet theater, dance and performances, workshops and ongoing outdoors classes for children and adults. Tai chi and Yoga and meditation groups as a meeting place and practice place. Also instructional courses in landscape; plant identification, native plants, and even small
26 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report gardens if tropical plants, maybe a greenhouse for special rare or endangered plants, an orchid garden or other plants of rare beauty. I am a sculptor, so I am very interested in parks that also can be places to exhibit temporary outdoor works, installations and other art forms like dance and music, and video presentations that are interesting to the general public in an outdoor setting. 157. Environmentally friendly. 158. The beach most characterizes Santa Monica. 159. About community, family and being sustainable or “green.” 160. Where I live, work, and play. 161. A green, family friendly, pleasant place to live. 162. Defined as the People’s Republic.... 163. My favorite city 164. An animated, conscious seaside small city of avant-garde thinkers 165. A beautiful, family friendly beach city. 166. A healthy, livable, sustainable community that is an oasis to Greater Los Angeles for locals, tourists, business and transients too. Steeped in the arts and balanced in ecology and sensibility, I have been proud to contribute to the social fabric of the area and to call Santa Monica home. 167. A welcome relief, albeit only limited in scope, from the tumult of Los Angeles. 168. A friendly, small scale beach city. 169. A nice town with sea breezes, beautiful beaches and views of the Pacific and SM mountains. 170. Perfectly situated, inhabited by people addicted to an inflated self worth 171. The natural choice for work and play. 172. A beach town with green trees 173. A beach town with green trees 174. A very special place! 175. A city of contrasts: wealthy and homeless, scenic and unsightly, classic and contemporary, for residents and tourists alike. 176. A vibrant beach community that is connected to the adjacent major metropolis, but has it’s own historic character. 177. A vibrant, culturally diverse, progressively minded beach community that celebrates and loves life. 178. The most exciting city in the LA metro area 179. Too tourist oriented 180. The City where persons of all diversities of wealth and ethnicity can feel welcome, and find activities that are fun & affordable. 181. An exciting, fun and beautiful place to be. 182. A great small City or big Town surrounded by a large metropolitan area. 183. A diverse beach town. 184. Awesome! 185. Cool, comfortable, green, and laid back... 186. An eco-thoughtful community which invests in our infrastructure and citizens 187. Beach, young, alive, current. 188. A community with a strong sense of identity and many opportunities. 189. My home. Both accessible to tourists and comfortable to locals. People are really passionate about living here and for good reason. 190. The best city in the La area 191. Seaside urban community that excels at serving the needs of its residents, visitors, and the natural environment.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 27 192. A vibrant, diverse, weather-blessed city perched on the Pacific. 193. Relaxed and walkable; a great place to live and to show off to visitors. 194. A community of residents, visitors and workers that value this special place and its cultural resources. 195. Great! 196. An eclectic community 197. An urban beach city 198. Beach side commercial city 199. A small town surrounded by a large city. 200. A dense city woefully lacking in bicycle infrastructure and choking to death on motor vehicle traffic and over- development, but still an OK place to live 201. Great 202. A great So Cal beach city. 203. A magical village near the ocean, surrounded by the metropolis of Los Angeles. 204. Hoity toity. 205. My home town for the past 41 years. Its changes have brought the problems of success especially in the realm of automotive traffic. 206. Palm trees, beaches, nice clean streets and neighborhood Starbucks stores with lots of bikes and people 207. The place I call My Home! 208. Open, healthy, progressive 209. A forward thinking, sustainable, cutting edge, green city where creative people live and thrive and constantly try to improve quality of life lifestyles and choices. 210. Ever present ocean, breezes, recreation, international, farmer’s markets, bike riding, surfing, traffic, shopping, affluent 211. Progressive, diverse and pushing sustainable design boundaries to new levels. 212. Community 213. Beautiful, beach 214. Santa Monica is a complete city with enriching opportunities for children and adults. Since 1979 it has changed from a quiet ocean town that supported seniors to a dynamic beach haven. 215. The large mature canopied trees. 216. A Beach City 217. The ultimate fusion of coastal living and world economic prowess 218. A township 219. A great place to move about on foot. 220. A safe, green, family oriented, artistic community of very diverse residents. The beach culture and numerous art and musical buskers make this my home that I will never leave. 221. Congested 222. Urban but relaxed, beautiful and outdoorsy 223. A perfect place to be outside in the afternoon breeze. 224. a wonderful beach side community (but is getting too crowded!) 225. Progressive, yet marred by the alienating, ugly hotels and commerce on Ocean Blvd. 226. One of the best communities to live in because it is responsive to the community! 227. Clean air and open space. 228. A beautiful seaside city. 229. Sustainable, visionary and brimming with energy and enthusiasm 230. Clean
28 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 231. Vibrant, dynamic, diverse, engaging, stimulating 232. A beautiful, friendly community. 233. My hometown. 234. A GREAT LITTLE BEACH CITY WITH AN ACTIVE POPULATION THAT IS VERY INVOLVED. 235. A wonderful City, however astoundingly disconnected from it’s amazing beaches and ocean. 236. Lively, has fresh air at the coastline and inviting green parks too 237. Next to the ocean, filled with entertainment and art, lovely to walk in, has great services, goods, and protects its diverse community. 238. Safe,beautiful gardens,tree’s and weather-great for walking,biking and shopping. I love having everything close and convenient. I love Santa Monica!! 239. At ease, friendly, beautiful, well-cared-for, concerned with citizens and likewise. 240. Pedestrian and bike friendly. 241. Home, welcoming locals as well as travelers from around the world to the pier, the promenade and farmers market to list just a few of the many reasons to call Santa Monica home. 242. Fun, Open, Community, Friendly, Healthy 243. Our home; clean, cool & friendly. 244. A cosmopolitan small town that welcomes people from everywhere and of every background who want to mingle peacefully and enjoy the beauties that S M and its setting have to offer. 245. The best place to live in LA. 246. A small, forward thinking, enlightened, affluent ocean side city. 247. Beautiful, but unfortunately a mecca for the homeless. 248. Turning into Miami - I can’t wait to move - after 34 years! Too crowded, too commercial, too many perfectly fine 2 lane streets turned into 1 lane streets - creating unbearable traffic, promenade used to be a quiet, pleasant place with a few shops, a movie theater and some offices and now is a Disney like attraction, I hate going there, too noisy, intrusive, horrible amateur “entertainers” making a racket, too noisy to possibly eat there. Who goes there? Not people who live here! The problem is, our City Council wants to make these “cute country” scenes in an urban area. Ocean Park Ave., for instance, should not be a 1 lane street west or east of Lincoln, but our planners want to pretend it is a country lane - it isn’t - it is a major artery in a crowded, growing urban area, no amount of cute stuff is going to change that. They want as much development as possible (brings in revenue) but they want to pretend it is a cute little coastal city - sorry that’s over forever. I remember the large numbers of people in the 80’s begging the city not to build the mall and promenade - traffic, density, etc. But our lying SMMR Candidates - who all ran on a “We Are You Slow Growth Candidates” lying slogan voted for every development possible - the nonsense on Olympic Water “Gardens” the Mall the Promenade - all the stuff that has turned this place into a congested, polluted, traffic bound place to live. All Santa Monica has going for it now is the weather, tourism and development. Soon there will be a haze of smog over Santa Monica each day - the wind can only blow a small amount away - can’t wait to move - after 34 years! We have a wonderful house - somewhere else, hopefully SMMR won’t get their hands on it. 249. Progressive, hip, funky, young. 250. Crowded and clean 251. A well-run little city 252. A beach city. 253. A jewel-like small city with a great sense of community on the edge of LA county, which, in contrast, has little sense of the public realm. 254. Comparable to the best on the south coast of France 255. A beloved city. I have always enjoyed 3rd street. I recently dined at George’s Bistro on 3rd street. Great food. 256. An interesting and unique community situated in a beautiful spot along the Pacific Coast. 257. A progressive and “green” city recognized for its art and culture.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 29 258. Laid back casual beach lifestyle 259. Beach and liberal community 260. Community 261. Peaceful 262. Paradise, because it’s beautiful and coastal, and because the community is richly diverse, engaged, and alive, and because the City works to keep it so. 263. An elegant ocean-front community. 264. Resident-friendly, environmentally-conscious community. 265. Cool 266. A happy combination of a beautiful , exhilarating cosmopolitan city with leafy residential neighborhoods where the residents experience a unique quality of life. 267. The gateway to the Pacific. 268. An innovative beach city that nurtures it’s diverse community. 269. An escape from “LA”, its a great place to do things as a family with small kids as well as date night as a couple. 270. A fun beach city. 271. An urban area beside the sea. 272. Looking at a clear blue sky, feeling ocean breezes, visiting vibrant urban districts 273. Unique, fun and has great weather 274. A great City to live and work in- but transients make enjoying the parks/public places unsafe. 275. Innovative, Stylish and Active! 276. A small, safe, walkable community with good schools and a variety of public events. 277. A beautiful and well-managed city 278. Socially and politically aware and active 279. A wonderful beach town with an open, warm spirit 280. Unique with a combination of its iconic pier, 3rd Street shopping, and famous farmer’s market to provide the perfect mini-getaway from Los Angeles. 281. A great place to spend a day at the promenade or at the beach 282. A tourist attraction in a great location. 283. Now a product not a place that residents come first. 284. The ultimate West Coast destination 285. A wonderful place to live and to visit 286. A unique retreat within the sprawling chaos of LA. It is a sophisticated and at the same time beachy. A place where all types of people should feel welcome. A place where “being outside” should be part of every day. Where people feel there is a place to sit, congregate, relax and play whether they are 3, 30 or 90. 287. A fun, innovative, caring, unique city. 288. Beautiful, appealing, innovative, progressive and GREEN. 289. A place of diversity - diversity of things to do, places to go, people to see. 290. Beautiful but urban. The best of both worlds 291. a pleasant experience on a sunny afternoon or warm summer evening. 292. a city controlled by SMRR and in the firm grasp of land developers. Occasionally, the City Council members listen to their constituents. 293. a wonderful place to live and work. 294. a an urban city with small town/village vibe. 295. Eclectic
30 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 296. An outdoor city 297. A splendid bay, a cherished past, a challenging but confident future 298. An exciting, progressive community. 299. A beach town, a town with a beautiful coastal environment. It’s a small town, with a vibrant and bustling downtown that is full of pedestrians. It’s a town with cherished historical landmarks and a blend of old and new. It has a tradition of innovation and creativity. A town that values its trees and landscapes. 300. A friendly, laid-back, environmentally-conscious and entertaining place to live. 301. A low-rise beach town. 302. A kid-friendly, beautiful place. 303. Beautiful and laid-back but expensive. 304. Picture perfect 305. A beautiful coastal city. 306. Where I work. 307. Green, fresh, cutting edge, political 308. A beautiful, diverse, and fun beach city. 309. Fresh air, ocean breezes, native plantings and an eclectic community 310. Diverse, artsy and outdoor fun. 311. A welcoming, vibrant, and engaged diverse community by the sea with varied and wonderful amenities, options, and eclectic citizens. 312. A relaxed beach community turning into an entitled city frenzy 313. A unique and friendly town 314. Friendly, beautiful, open-minded, a place with a great school district...my home. 315. A safe, clean place that is very friendly. 316. A crowded urban community with lots of diverse people and places 317. My town 318. Serenity. 319. An ideal community. Well managed and livable. 320. Culturally diverse, green, creative and welcoming 321. Laid back, beautiful, safe 322. Is home. 323. A mix of tourists and residents 324. A mixture of industrial, office, and residential structures with no unifying design aesthetic 325. A unique urban beach community with a rich cultural and architectural history 326. Home 327. A beach town dating back to 1875 in a spectacular setting by the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Mountains. 328. Rich and full of money yet accessible to anyone and a leader in being green 329. Is too crowded! Not enough parking downtown. Not enough enforcement of smoking and dog rules. 330. Crowded 331. Diversity. 332. A magnet that attracts homeless from all over southern California, due to funding of social services for non residents 333. Progressive, beautiful, friendly and child-friendly, and should be a leader in environmental sustainability. 334. Human scale city by the ocean with lots of trees, boardwalks, a beautiful pear, and mild climate.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 31 335. Lively with personality 336. A nice place to live 337. A small beach town with lots of trees. 338. A destination point for people outside of Santa Monica. It is increasingly dense with large buildings. 339. A city with an incomparable view and a conscience. 340. A place to be outside and active, enjoying life together. 341. Our lovely City Hall 342. A very diverse and interesting place to live and visit. 343. Whimsical, constantly changing, over crowed 344. Being “given” piece by piece to the moneyed developers by our city hall reps like Bobby Shriver, etc. and ruining the once wonderful laid back small 2 story building beach town it once was. 345. a lovely city, governed by a clique chosen mostly by the Santa Monicans for Renters Rights organization. It’s climate and location make it the best place to live in the Los Angeles area, even if the city fathers and mothers tend to go overboard on some things -- like removing driving lanes from streets like Ocean Park Boulevard to make room for bikes, lanes that are very lightly used, while the car lanes stack up at rush hours many blocks farther than before this great “experiment.” But even the enviro-extremists can’t ruin this town. It’s just too pretty, with too nice a climate. 346. Old and new forging into a “GREENER” future along the Santa Monica bay. 347. A mix of small town and big city, next to the beach. 348. Where I live, work, and play. 349. Pleasant, easy-going, family friendly 350. A beautiful ocean side community. 351. A great place to live. Don’t screw it up any more than it already is....too crowded, too commercial 352. A great place to live and work 353. Beaches 354. A dream and paradise heaven on earth until you live there, congested, disjointed, expensive, pretentious 355. A wonderful place to live. 356. A great place to live and work! 357. Not only beach resort but also modern designed smart city. 358. A vibrant, environmentally conscious and friendly city. 359. The best city in the world in promoting family, youth, community, and a healthy active lifestyle. And, I want to keep it that way. 360. A seaside oasis. 361. Family and tourist friendly. 362. Beach, clean air, smaller community and sustainable with a homeless population problem. 363. A beach town 364. Hip. 365. Environmentally aware, healthy living, caring people 366. My home. 367. A beautiful and diverse beach community. It has become an increasingly family oriented city from North to South, with a great variety of opportunities for children to experience many different sport activities from an early age through Recenroll, encouraging an active, healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle in all it’s residents. 368. A congested city by the ocean with much to offer residents and tourists, but in need of more open space. 369. A beautiful, fun, abundant, clean, vibrant, and safe place I call home. 370. My home. 371. Human scaled, the last best hope for community in southern California!
32 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 372. A lovely small city in which we are all fortunate to live. It combines the features of a diverse urban environment with a culturally sophisticated sea-side community. 373. A former small town and popular summer spot which has lost much of it’s charm but is working towards preserving it’s rich history. 374. A high tech beach city 375....My home. 376. A beautiful beach city that cares about its residents and has a sense of history. 377. Wholesome, all-American, traditional town named after a Christian Saint. 378. A diverse community and tourist destination, which needs to consciously and carefully maintain and plan it’s expansion. 379. Crowded and unfriendly to it’s residents. 380. The best place in Los Angles area to call home. 381. A progressive small city that is the western anchor of the Los Angeles region. 382. A beautiful place to live. 383. A beautiful seaside city with lovely parks, people, and civic offerings. 384. Cool ocean breezes 385. Delightful 386. A haven for homeless people. 387. Down-to-earth, liberal, beautiful, family-oriented. 388. A sustainable, bucolic, urban beach town.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 33 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
34 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 2 For PALISADES GARDEN WALK (SITE 1), please rate the following USES, from not important to very important:
SUMMARY not somewhat very Rating Response important important important important Average Count
Pathways for walking, running and 5.0% (20) 10.0% (40) 25.2% (101) 59.9% (240) 3.40 401 cycling
Areas for picnicking, lounging, sitting, reading, relaxing and 1.7% (7) 6.0% (24) 22.9% (92) 69.4% (279) 3.60 402 viewing
Water feature 21.1% (85) 30.1% (121) 27.6% (111) 21.1% (85) 2.49 402
Public art 15.0% (60) 27.9% (112) 31.7% (127) 25.4% (102) 2.68 401
Play elements (geared towards 14.7% (59) 27.2% (109) 32.7% (131) 25.4% (102) 2.69 401 children)
Horticulture and display gardens 8.0% (32) 26.6% (106) 36.9% (147) 28.4% (113) 2.86 398
Areas for cultural events (concerts, 14.3% (57) 16.8% (67) 30.3% (121) 38.8% (155) 2.94 400 markets and festivals)
Café and refreshments 27.2% (103) 26.7% (101) 24.9% (94) 21.2% (80) 2.40 378
Other (please specify) 164
answered question 405
skipped question 30
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 1. Should be a timeless gathering place... not one that will feel dated in five or ten years... simplicity in the vein of Olmsted... and not overdone. 2. It's very important for there to be plenty of shade trees--at least 60% should be fully shaded, especially the children's playing area--and that the quiet places for relaxing and reading have lots of shade 3. SHADE!!!!!!! And let's not have cyclers and lots of runners. That's what the bike path and walk path by the beach is for. Let's make this a more natural, rustic area, not for cyclists. There are too many exercisers around. We need a quiet, contemplative place for quiet, shady walks, where children can wander and look at flowers and not have to be looking out for a cyclist coming around the corner and knocking them over, or a bunch of joggers training for a run. We need lots of shade, something that is woefully lacking in most Santa Monica parks. An enclosed, SHADY, pretty, rustic children's play structure is important, with lots of shade, nothing too dangerous (all high areas should be protected, unlike at the horrible marine park, where there are platforms six feet up that are not barred and children can fall off of. 4. Living extremely close to this area. I am hoping that there are NOT a lot of concerts or festivals as I feel there already too many of them at the Pier right now. I have been here for 16 years and as time goes on, there seems to be more and more special events scheduled at the Pier. I am hoping this space is more geared for a place to relax, picnic, and exercise instead of having loud concerts and festivals as noise is becoming a REAL issue. I moved into this area (Seaside Terrace in between Appian Way and Ocean) knowing that I would need to be tolerant of noise
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 35 and I am OK with that, but it seems over the years it is getting more and more frequent. I am completely cool with Twilight Dance Series and the Drive in Movies!! Love them!! So when I hear organized civic event and activities... it does not sit well with me. If concerts, markets and festivals were to take place in the new space, I would prefer it happen in Palisades Garden Walk as I am farther removed from this space. 5. Bicyclist I think should have their own path apart from walkers. 6. Easy accessibility by public transit 7. Parking! This is wasted without more parking. 8. The park should be engaging in the evening as well. 9. I really like the idea of being water conscientious with the gardens that are chosen. Also, I wonder if landscape could include plants that would attract humming birds & butterflies. These two winged creatures really make a beautiful day even more special... 10. Soccer fields 11. This is an opportunity to bring some great public art to Santa Monica. Chicago's Millennium Park is the best example. For a City with so many residents employed in the arts, our public art is somewhat under whelming. The key challenge for designers is giving people a reason to visit the park as there are many intervening options including the beach, Palisades Park, Santa Monica Place (which will have better views) and the pier. What is the key feature that the Civic Park will have to attract residents to this park. It's a huge site and well located but it will need a major draw to get the use it deserves as our "Central Park" Millennium Park had a similar challenge and rose to the occasion eclipsing the lake shore, Grant Park and other nearby attractions. 12. Some "anchor" activity to bring people in the first place. Some activity that is both attractive to tourists as a "destination" AND to residents as a repeat experience 13. Connect somehow to ocean 14. Interactive public art, user-generated art, like rock sculptures, public furniture that discourages use by homeless people 15. Trees, trees, trees 16. Bike Parking. Hills Topography. Raise site to connect to ocean. 17. Bandshell and stage 18. Croquet lawn 19. I am excited to see the development of these two parks, and give my input. It looks like there is a ton of land to create some much needed recreational space. I think it would be very cool if Santa Monica got there own iconic statue of some sort similar to Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture. A statue of this nature would really help brand Santa Monica and could really help the overall atmosphere of the space. I would like to see a pond or water feature of some sort that incorporates fish or birds... maybe Koi Fish, ducks, swans, flamingos... haha something of that nature. Something a little more contemporary and cutting edge. It would be nice to have a variety of concession stands, cafes, juice shops, so food is accessible to eat in the park. I think cultural events are also a key ingredient. Thus maybe an Amphitheater that could be suitable for movies, concerts, entertainment would be cool. Lastly, I'd love to see a walkway with a flower Abhor or something similar to The ENERGEX Arbour at South Bank, Australia. Overall I think "South Bank" in Brisbane, Australia is a good source of inspiration for this park. 20. Simplicity 21. We in Santa Monica are known for our music concerts on the pier....would it be possible to design a projection screen to broadcast these events? Ideally the screen would disappear into a storage space in the ground when not in use. My vision of this park is a beautiful green space filled with surprises. Public art is another feature that should be incorporated. A water feature with interesting lighting and movement would be great too. 22. Outdoor cinema 23. Farmers market? Tree climbing. Weekly workshops (photography, growing herbs, spaces for public yoga or stretch). 24. Visibility, shade, emergency access, wind break, security fence 25. Water feature for wildlife 26. Playing fields 27. Running and cyclists do NOT mix for a relaxing atmosphere. Cyclists NEVER follow road rules either, VERY dangerous to have bikes and cars on the same road when rules are not obeyed
36 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 28. Make this area for adults 29. Santa Monica needs a place that is a sanctuary where people can relax, walk, picnic and meet, close to the bustling 3rd street. 30. Please limit or ban street performers in this area. An outdoor venue that can be reserved for events. 31. The area should harmonize with City Hall. 32. IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PLACE FOR READING OR JUST MEDITATING 33. Since homelessness is such a problem in the parks of Santa Monica, the attractions must not be too inviting or comfortable to encourage transients to spend their entire day and repel other park patrons 34. Skateable, Santa Monica is the origins of skateboarding! 35. Good security 36. Education boards, re: organic gardening + safe waste disposal 37. Ocean theme 38. The water feature/play element/public art items should be combined into 1 thing. 39. Concerns are for vagrants groupings. Must be very well lit with Police patrol. 40. Community gardens ... Play and education for children ... Relaxation and activities for all ... 41."Orchard Park" a community fruit tree orchard and sustainable self contained demonstration edible garden. Sunken winter sun garden / story telling / community meeting space / ...in summer a lightly shaded canopy / trellised area. Demonstration native plant community including bees, butterflies, bugs and birds...perhaps a marsh land (maybe not)? Consider a dog park area for residents and visitors. 42. i wish there could be permanent lawn chairs, both lounge chairs and sitting chairs, looking at the view. It would be so cool if they had a small table. Next to each one. I'm thinking of cement ones that could be hosed down and that some or all would be under an awning so people could come, sit and read and have a cool drink by their side. 43. SHADE!!!! For children playing and for adults watching. It would be great to have a running stream that kids could play in and be safe with shoes on ---with blocks to make bridges and block the water and buckets to fill them up. A paved bike path is essential and hope fully it would connect up with other bike paths in the city. A Japanese garden for meditation and group yoga classes. A swimming pool with a gigantic slide for children. A playground with WiFi so parents can check their e-mail and surf the net while kids play. 44. A new modern senior center would be a welcome addition to our city. 45. I would like to see an area for children that was a natural setting build for exploring nature, not just another area with a play structure. Lots of trees, plants to touch and smell and water and sound to explore. 46. Because the area is blessed with a beach for running, cycling, and picnicking, and the Promenade with plenty of refreshment choices and "street fair" opportunities, these parks will reflect a more specific role. The theme of both parks is to proudly and gratefully express the city of Santa Monica as a generous host to those fortunate to live and visit here. The larger park is designed to encourage expression: there shall be a charming band shelter/ stage (as in English parks); in another area there is a speaker's corner (without a sound system!) and here and there you will find private spaces where secrets are shared and books read; finally, there is a friendly booth that dips right off of Ocean to serve the many tourists who want to know other things to do after they have ridden the Hollywood tour bus. Plants and pathways naturally define the park's various different uses - quickly and concisely, much like how successfully Disneyland creates different lands. In front of City Hall, the park is more serious and stately, honoring those, rich and poor, who make up this fine democracy. It would be nice to see a board with pictures of the current mayor and team. Somewhere, there is a cool, electronic "bulletin wall" of what's happening: road closures/ polling stations/opening dates of colleges and schools/ hospitals, parks - every place governments do work for their citizens. There are sculptures and mosaics which are pleasing in form and material- to most. The circular water fountains in the town square of old Europe is always a favorite place to sit and people watch. It may not be necessary because of the ocean - maybe a functional art piece which securely locks all the bikes we want to encourage people to ride. Everything about these parks is simple and stately. These parks allow Santa Monica to share her best with citizens and visitors alike. 47. Some of these choice are NOT mutually exclusive.....For example, you an have one piece of iconic public art within a garden setting. OR the public art could be the play area for the kids. The bike path should be allowed to continue. Walkway. People have the 3rd Street Promenade to buy food, but there are few picnic places, just in case the weather is warm and not windy. 48. Water fountain, shade, rest rooms, seating
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 37 49. Public rest rooms 50. KEEP IT SIMPLE; KEEP IT QUIET; SHADE IS PARAMOUNT; BENCHES W/ BACKS--CHAIRS THAT CAN BE MOVED AROUND (LIKE IN L.A.'S NEW PARK); BIG BIG BIG SHADE TREES. A SIMPLE SMALL ESPRESSO TAKE-OUT; LOTS OF GRASS; NO MUSIC; PLEASE FORGET "VIBRANT", FOR ONCE!! 51. Community gardens, community gardens, community gardens, where people can cultivate good food and flora as much as good neighbors. 52. why call it the Palisades Garden Walk when Pacific Palisades is the next town over? I don't like the name. 53. Sustainable Edible Art Sculpture (S.E.A.S) by Environmental Arts and Research SEAS provide living edible sun screens/shade area. Eco Garden Area, with butterfly and beneficial bug interactive area for kids, and edible oasis of earth designs. 54. There are plenty of places to walk, run and cycle such as Palisades park, San Vincent grass area, beach, 7th street stairs, etc. We have art on the beach, soon "Glow" is coming. 55. Well lighted at night for obvious reasons and well patrolled for the same reasons. 56. Cafes and refreshments can be provided by the adjacent existing and new developments (the Village project) 57. Adequate accessible maintained rest rooms; security for nighttime or total closure after a time to be determined; parking must be considered--they will not come if there is difficult or expensive parking; learn from what happened at the Hollywood/Highland Avenue 58. Keeping area free of undesirable elements and panhandlers. 59. COMMUNITY GARDENS!!! Please don't spend money on "Don't Touch" gardens designed by expensive professionals and maintained as living monuments to a frozen moment of garden design ethos. Instead, have landscape designers create frameworks for community flower gardens (including cut-flowers), pick-your-own fruit orchards, vegetable plots, teaching gardens for xeriscaping, etc. NO "MUSEUM"- STYLE GARDEN BEDS! Citizen access to use of public land, please!!! 60. All of us dog lovers (& owners) wish Santa Monica was more dog-friendly. 61. Restaurants, especially those with a Santa Monica history would be essential. 62. Pathways for walking, running and cycling: Remember that there will be roller bladers and skateboarders who will want to be in the bike paths. They should not be denied access to the Garden Walk or Town Square like they are from the Promenade. Create pathways that by design, do not exclude users - complete pathways. Ensure input from bikers and skaters on design. Areas for picnicking, lounging, sitting, reading, relaxing and viewing/ Areas for cultural events (concerts, markets and festivals): For cultural and public events, consider a sunken amphitheater with backless seats facing the Pier so that sun can set behind the stage. Seating could be grass-based with perhaps some concrete to hold it all up, or some other comfortable but more environmentally enlightened design). The seating on each step up could be deep, so that we create a series of dynamic spaces to sit and gather at all times, making this serve both daily needs and special events. If the Farmers Market is going to be moved to the Garden Walk, consider how the amphitheater can be integrated with it, including how the amphitheater seating could be used for people taking their food from the market to seat. If the Market will be there, look hard at the recycling and waste management issues as part of the design, so that there is no refuse where people are sitting. For all creative seating/spaces like these, please don't ruin it by making them anti-homeless to prevent people from laying down. Water feature: Ensure the water feature uses the same recycled water from the SMURF as does RAND, otherwise people will rightly criticize the use of water in a desert. Still we have to think about 'how does the water element show we are a Sustainable City?' By teaching about the history of the bio-region. Use the water feature to remind/ educate people of the arroyo and other old water patterns that used to run through the area (these were explored in the 1994-1995 City Civic Center design charette). Give people a sense of the region they are in, underneath the concrete. Educate about the changes to the arroyo and other elements of the land of the city since before its founding to the present. Consider a photo exhibit like at the end of the pier documenting the arroyo turning into the 1-10 and before that, all the pics before the bridge at Ocean Ave. went over the arroyo and the connection to the Pier. Consider photos/history of how the Civic Center and surroundings evolved (pre-RAND WWII, etc to today) and perhaps other photos of the city's history. Consider some written history of SM tied in, including how the 1-10 led to commuting to downtown, which led to higher land values, which led to rent control. And maybe that the I-10 connects to Florida, etc.
38 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report Play elements (geared towards children): Had the Child Care Center been located next to the Garden Walk instead of near 4th/Pico, it would've made that much more sense to have play elements for kids. Still there should be something meaningful for kids so families feel welcome. It is the most integral to make the play elements fit into the topography of the park (like earth mazes) rather than free standing play equipment like in a regular park. (see Horticulture and display gardens). Horticulture and display gardens: Create two earth mazes, one scaled primarily for children and one for adults (http://www.earthsymbols.com/). Examine spiritual traditions of indigenous peoples of region to see if a design is suggested. Consult other sources for design that connects earth, sky, spirit. In this way, the earth mazes combine the garden element with a purpose and expression behind the design, and provides a synergistic option for children to play that blends with nature, rather than depending upon space-eating stand alone play equipment, like in a regular park. Make this into a world-cool destination of nature on multiple levels. Café and refreshments: Expand the outdoor seating for Chez Jay on its north side so that it can serve refreshments,taking advantage of an existing vendor and their existing kitchen, obviating the need to take more public space with new construction. Work with Chez Jay to expand their offerings (salads, other healthier options including vegetarian and vegan) to fit a daytime crowd and more broadly Westside demographic. Allow alcohol on the outdoor seating so we can be adults like in Europe. Consider free standing street carts throughout the park, but only for refreshments, not for sales like on the pier. Promote healthy, organic, regionally based foods on the carts that minimize food miles and educate the public about how that is a climate change strategy. Consider connect the carts to the farmers markets. Ensure no sales of plastic water bottles (as is practiced on the pier.) Provide drinking fountains instead. 63. Bike path connecting Main St. & Ocean Ave. intersecting Ocean Ave, at Moomat Ahiko Way adding a left turn traffic signal for the bike path that would allow cyclist to cross Ocean Ave. safely to access southbound Ocean Ave. and the beaches at the same time vehicles exiting the PCH to make a left onto northbound Ocean Ave. or not, The bike light would activated by a bike box and would only operate for a brief period, 64. There is no place in Santa Monica to be quiet. We have too many mixed-use areas - parks that are shared with swearing basketball players next to dog parks adjacent to tot lots. The few pocket parks around are usually dominated by people giving karate lessons or guitar lessons - not quiet places to enjoy nature. In fact, there are few places for nature to take hold. 65. Would like picnic areas but want restriction to prevent encampment. Maybe limit use to one hour without a permit 66. A continuation of Palisades park would be nice. Especially the northern part of the park. Make the Colorado and Ocean/2nd street area nicer. Colorado from Ocean to 4th st. is an EYESORE and needs beautification. The Garden Walk should be a peaceful place with a view of the Ocean and Pier. Quiet. No concerts or festivals. 67. I would to see this area remain very open to ocean views, a gateway to the pier area. The openness of Virginia Park is a very successful example of open areas. My greatest unease is that it is not a safe and pleasant place to relax. I find the courtyard of the main library is a very pleasant place to be. I don't want it to be a sleeping area for homeless people, where one tries to move through as quickly as possible, especially with children in tow. This does happen in the Palisades Park near the pier. 68. There needs to be at least one dramatic feature in this area that Santa Monica will forever be known for -- preferably an art piece that allures people from all over the world to visit Santa Monica. 69. Roller blading, skateboarding, ice skating, street performances, LA Marathon - finish line, etc. 70. For such a large location, try not to do too much. I feel like the pier can be overwhelming with everything on it. Do NOT use this space for any type of parking and please put in multiple bike racks. I rode my bike to the promenade on Saturday and could not find an open bike rack. 71. A teen center 72. Connect Main Street and downtown in a pedestrian friendly way. 73. An outdoor stage with also a screen for large scale projection capacity for an outdoor theater and presentations. Temporary art installations, music and puppetry, children's workshops for learning about all kinds of topics related to nature,. Yoga and Tai Chi meeting places for practice, activities like chess, bocci ball, maybe an area for native plants, rare or endangered plants, an orchid garden, a bamboo grove. A place for contemporary sculpture to be exhibited on a rotating basis. 74. The area should seem safe at night. I would use this area to WALK from north Santa Monica to my home in Ocean Park. Ideally there would be many people at ALL hours so the cafes should remain open late and the main paths should be adequately lit, with the lights aimed at the ground, not at the sky or into the trees. I would like to see an all-hour dog park or two there. I do not have a dog but enjoy watching their antics, and dog parks bring out people. I would like to see at least one edible tree: perhaps a Valencia orange, or a sapote, or an avocado. The fruit would
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 39 belong to everyone. Ideally the area should have a little bit of a slope; I personally consider flat grassy areas with trees and nothing else boring. 75. a universally accessible playground such as those provided by the shane's inspiration organization http:// shanesinspiration.org/content/view/2/69/ 76. Informal open space to relax. An inviting space for visitors, a refuge from the traffic of Ocean Ave and an inviting destination to draw people from 3rd St. Promenade and SM Place. 77. People can run, walk, cycle etc. very well on the bike path, as I often do. What we need most is an area where people can just go to relax outside and get rejuvenated and relax. you cannot read a newspaper on the beach... wind, sand etc. it is a big production and expensive to park. We need a place where one can go and relax for a little while, and that is easy to get to. 78. Use size to develop sufficiently sized open space areas for sports and for free play. Think of Sheep's Meadow in New York's Central Park. Keep it simple. 79. No cycling here! Keep those fast-riders that run us over on the beach bike path. This area should be for walking, sitting, enjoying the view and sea breezes. Bike paths for commuting purposes are definitely needed, but keep them to the side or separated from the rest. Especially with little children, it can be dangerous. 80. Proper recreation field sized for soccer; i do not know of *any* fields aside from limited access near airport, Will Rogers (amazing but a bit pricey @$12/car); and Santa Monica airport (poorly maintained + bad air quality) there is plenty of strolling and tourist friendly space but adult recreational area seem to missing. 81. Parking must be considered. 82. We have enough development and noise - what we need is a safe, green shady place where people can get away from noise pollution and homeless people panhandling.. 83. Everything must be universally accessible. 84. Quiet area with a nice water element, Koi perhaps, and secluded benches or seats for meditation or just contemplation. 85. Community gardens should comprise 1/3 of area at least 86. Let Chez Jay open a full service patio area. Have some plaques highlighting the history of the Rand building on the site, mutually assured destruction theory, etc. 87. Don't water features use a tremendous amount of electricity? If so, then I think it should be avoided and use the money you save to donate to Santa Monica's public schools. I think Santa Monica has the ultimate water feature-- the Pacific Ocean! 88. The overall planting scheme (and, therefore, the irrigation system) should be a 'display garden' for sustainability. If a small Garden/Garden type of installation is contemplated, that would be okay. Water feature would be okay if it were extremely conservative in its water use, and solar-powered. We've talked the talk enough. Now, let's walk the walk. Cafe and refreshments should be kept simple and run in a sustainable fashion. 89. Landmarks are important. 90. Wouldn't mind an area for stationary exercise where people can do yoga. 91. I would like to see this area as a refuge from the noise and crowds found around the area. This is why I want the park to be as serene as possible and free of noise producing events. Besides we have plenty of other locations that cater to festivals, playgrounds, etc. 92. A sports field for use for Baseball and Soccer etc... 93. Hopefully won't be a homeless magnet 94. Drinking water fountains - very important bicycle racks – important rest rooms – important shade trees – important 95. Chez jay is not changed in any way 96. It's not that big, so it would be sad to cram too much stuff in the space. Open is better. Maybe have some areas that are quiet spaces and some that are busy/walking/playing spaces. Walkways need to be wide enough for 4 people (people and strollers passing w/out having to dodge). Please make a main wide paved relatively straight area for cutting across from City Hall to Ocean! 97. Educational features informing visitors about flora and fauna, sustainable design elements. 98. No retail like 3rd Street Promenade...more emphasis on cafes, etc. 99. A meditation garden would be great.
40 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 100. Relocating large mature trees from property in Santa Monica to the park for shade that would otherwise be destroyed by development. Some more community gardens would be nice. 101. We need restful green areas to be able to commune with nature. 102. Ideally, the park should be filled with plants native to California showcasing the natural environment of the CA, as well as sustainable parks. 103. A nature trail with volunteer guides to point out the local flora. A small skateboarding area. A summer wading pond replete with water falls and colored lights. A kite flying area (away from power lines and other structures). A mini forest where young people can plant saplings that will be transferred to local parks and the Santa Monica mountains. A small koi pond with frogs, turtles, lily pads and foot bridges. A sculpture area where local artists can demonstrate their craft with "hands-on" instruction for our younger locals. Etc. Etc. 104. Parking for those beyond walking distance. 105. Public safety officers will be key to keeping the riff raff out and making is a desirable place for families, not just a nice place for some to loiter. 106. Well-lit and safe park space for evening outdoor activities, such as walking 107. I think we should put the park off for a while use the money for something a little more important. We can make do with the parks we have now. It in not just "poor people" who need to cut back it is the governments, like us the City of Santa Monica, that need to be spending responsibly now too. I will be happy to take the survey in a year or two when I think we might be in a better place financially. 108. What about putting a Labyrinth on the site? 109. Pathways to ocean front area 110. The water feature may be beneficial only because the sites are adjacent to the freeway. The sound of roaring cars is anything but tranquil. 111. Lots and lots of parking!!! 112. The Pacific Ocean is a terrific water feature already! 113. A family bike path away from traffic is very important. The bike path on the beach is too intense for children and the paths along traffic streets are unsafe. 114. A commitment to keep the homeless away so the area can be enjoyed by everyone. 115. Whatever it is, it will be stupid, I'm sure their will be truly idiotic public art. 116. Viewing platforms to the beach, connections to public transportation. 117. I'd like to see the public art/play/water feature elements merge into something to entice participation by all ages. It should tie into the site's relationship to the ocean. 118. Lavatories 119. Make it friendly for people who want to relax and enjoy the area. It should have lots of shaded areas with beautiful trees. It doesn't need "art-sy" spots for the elite few to self-congratulate themselves on how modern or eclectic the area is - those spots are usually uncomfortable and hot. 120. Areas sectioned off safe for small dogs and dogs 121. Art should be of high quality--not the usual Santa Monica fare. . . Trees and naturally-shaded areas would be inviting for all. 122. This is quite a tall order to design a park that serves all needs. I visualize a park where a person might find a quiet refuge. I am proposing that Arcadia Bandini Stearns de Baker, the Godmother of Santa Monica, be honored by having the park named after her. 123. It would be nice if the play elements for the children were geared with one area specifically for toddler and pre- schoolers and another area was separate and designed for the older kids, this way the little ones don't get hurt by the bigger kids. Trees would also be great! If a water feature is put in please include ducks and geese for everyone to enjoy especially the kids. 124. Uniqueness is important...call buttons for safety summons. Wheelchair accessible. Shade elements 125. A few cabanas would be nice for use as refuge from the sun or large shady trees. A refreshment stand with beverages, snacks or even ice cream would be nice..Especially if it was reasonably priced ...rest rooms too. 126. Safe public bathrooms
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 41 127. Outdoor open space without pre programmed activity - more than 'areas.' Places to view the environment around us. 128. Why can't you finish Memorial Park? 129. Pathways for walking(running and cycling sometimes conflict with lounging sitting reading relaxing and viewing) Interpretive historic elements Play elements incorporated as exploration of natural elements, water, etc; not necessarily play structures Cafe and refreshments as exist historically;ie Chez Jay 130. I would love to see a park that has nothing to do with buying anything. I love SM and I love the promenade but I feel like the only thing to do there is spend money. There is no formal public meeting place that is also a green space close to the action. No place to sit (except a few benches) and just sip a coffee and watch people and have your kids run around. I would love to see this park have a place to sit and buy a drink (cheaply) like coffee but be near nature (grass, trees, etc). 131. Secure bike parking - such as modular bike station. REST ROOMS. Cycling and walking paths for access between Main St. and Ocean - not just meandering recreational paths but a relatively direct path, separate for bikes and walkers. How about a skate park, community gardens, dog park areas? Along freeway side would be good place. 132. Lots of trees please! 133. It is important that this park provide connectivity between the Expo Station, the Pier, Palisades Park, the Civic Center, Downtown, and Main Street. There should be lots of ways to traverse it and there should be a visual permeability so that folks know what's on the other side. It should be human scale and relate to its close neighbor, the ocean. 134. Area really needs a quiet place to retreat from area chaos 135. Make it a haven, not a zoo. Thanks 136. Open green space is very important to me, esp with all the buildings getting taller and all the traffic. 137. PARK: an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation. No fountains needed due to proximity to the Pacific Ocean. No Public Art, cafes, eateries due to proximity of the immediate downtown Santa Monica area. 138. You should check out the imaginative parks they have in Paris geared for children. I was amazed by the creativity and how many children LOVED playing in these parks, both young and old. They have amazing rope zip line activities, they have bouncy areas, water bed walks, and more. And then there is the traditional sailboats on a man made pond that children sail from one side to the other. Ice cream vending machines. 139. SPECIAL REQUEST: PLEASE do not allow whomever selected that "art piece" that everyone calls the "phallic symbol" which is located in Palisades Park at the California Incline to have the role of selecting any public art in either of these areas! Everyone makes fun us with that thing in the middle of our most publicly-used park. I'd love to see it removed and something appropriate in its place. 140. I'd like to think of this site as a small version of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park 141. Blah no. 142. Beer garden anyone? 143. I think these parks need to first be an example of sustainable and appropriate landscape for our area. We could show our visitors and also be an example to our residents of how low-water and native landscape can be beautiful. I think a kids play structure here would be great for our visitors especially since there are no kids play parks in the main downtown area. Art would be awesome as I feel there isn't much in our parks. 144. Lots of plants!! 145. Abundant large canopied trees 146. Provisions for shaded areas could be vines or structures (with benches and/or picnic tables) and some roofed areas with solar panels (to power lights at night etc.) on top and collection of rain water for irrigation. Instructions and warnings in case of a Tsunami!!! 147. Community gardens.
42 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 148. Water feature? The ocean is across the street. Palisades Garden Walk should draw people over to Palisades Park and the pier. 149. I would like a forested i.e. heavily planted treed park site with tall grass lands between tree groves. The other ares would be tall grass. People would walk in unplanned paths created by use. A water area to create an aviary pond. No bath rooms or buildings. 150. As a parent, homeowner and concerned citizen --- I really REALLY don't want this to become another place for the homeless to hang out 24/7. I also think that since this is such a touristy area of our town I'm not into spending millions of dollars on this project just so the tourists come use it. I'd rather that our money be spent on OUR SCHOOLS. HELLO. 151. Santa Monica government will never authorize a "Pops" Orchestra that would provide concerts like the famed Boston "Pops" and in an environment like the very famous community involved Ocean City, NJ "Pops" concert pier. Where are the people in government that have the wherewithal to bring these things to fruition? 152. Plenty of benches, with shade, would be a great thing. 153. Protected from the carbon emissions of the very nearby I-10/PCH and heavy traffic of Colorado and Ocean Ave 154. Sick and tired of parks for young children. My kids are tweens and there's not much for us to enjoy together. 155. I think that incorporating public art into all new projects in the city of Santa Monica (such as the initiative in Culver City) adds another dimension and cultural element to park space, allows for opportunity to showcase local artists and exposes our children (as well as the adults) of our community to the beauty of art. 156. Playing fields (bocci, baseball, soccer, etc.) 157. This would be a fabulous space for a play park with a fantastic water feature. The only parks with water features in SM so far are Douglas Park, and Virginia Park - it would be really nice to have one closer to the beach, pier and promenade. The water feature should be the CENTRAL and biggest feature of the park, possibly expanding on the dinosaur theme of water fountains on the promenade, but obviously being accessible for children to play in. 158. This site should NOT be commercialized - minimal buildings, if any (and only one story), mostly outdoor space/ park so that the RESIDENTS (all ages) of Santa Monica can enjoy it. It should be for picnicking, lounging, sitting, reading, relaxing, viewing, etc. There should be a play area for children, pathways for walking, running, cycling, etc., a couple of well-maintained tennis courts and definitely bicycle racks of which Santa Monica is definitely lacking and needs since parking is so scarce and expensive. 159. Focus on places for 2 or more to meet and enjoy themselves seems most important to me..Palisades Park does the horticulture, walking, etc very well, and group events in Santa Monica probably need to be in other places or it could easily dominate this space. Could there be underground parking? that would make it more accessible as a meeting place. 160. Public rest rooms. 161. Places for residents and visitors to see great view of the bay 162. Zero potable water footprint 163. This park will be taken over by the homeless and will be mostly unusable by the general public. 164. Parking is needed.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 43 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
44 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 3 For TOWN SQUARE (SITE 2), please rate the following USES, from not important to very important:
SUMMARY
not somewhat very Rating Response important important important important Average Count
Areas for informal gathering 8.6% (34) 19.2% (76) 40.0% (158) 32.2% (127) 2.96 395
Areas for organized civic events 9.3% (37) 15.6% (62) 32.0% (127) 43.1% (171) 3.09 397 and activities
Areas for sitting, reading and 8.6% (34) 15.9% (63) 35.4% (140) 40.2% (159) 3.07 396 viewing
A gateway and main entrance to 11.7% (46) 19.5% (77) 27.2% (107) 41.6% (164) 2.99 394 City Hall
Areas that enhance and complement City Hall and its 10.6% (42) 21.7% (86) 29.3% (116) 38.4% (152) 2.95 396 history
Water feature 31.7% (124) 30.4% (119) 22.0% (86) 15.9% (62) 2.22 391
Public art 16.5% (65) 26.4% (104) 31.0% (122) 26.1% (103) 2.67 394
Horticulture and display gardens 16.5% (64) 25.4% (99) 33.7% (131) 24.4% (95) 2.66 389
Other (please specify) 99
answered question 403
skipped question 32
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 1. Residents of the surrounding neighborhood (esp. Pico Union) should be able to easily access this space by bike or as pedestrians. Bike lanes/pedestrian friendly streets leading up to the park would encourage residents to use the open space and not drive to it. Accessing these areas by car should be discouraged in any type of parks development. 2. Would be a great location for informal meetings and to showcase local art and history. 3. Community Gardens We have a waiting list of 175 4. Shade is also important here. It can get very hot on summer afternoons, and well into the fall. 5. SHADE, SHADE, SHADE! 6. Living extremely close to this area. I am hoping that there are NOT a lot of concerts or festivals as I feel there already too many of them at the Pier right now. I have been here for 16 years and as time goes on, there seems to be more and more special events scheduled at the Pier. I am hoping this space is more geared for a place to relax,
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 45 picnic, and exercise instead of having loud concerts and festivals as noise is becoming a REAL issue. I moved into this area (Seaside Terrace in between Appian Way and Ocean) knowing that I would need to be tolerant of noise and I am OK with that, but it seems over the years it is getting more and more frequent. I am completely cool with Twilight Dance Series and the Drive in Movies!! Love them!! So when I hear organized civic event and activities... it does not sit well with me. If concerts, markets and festivals were to take place in the new space, I would prefer it happen in Palisades Garden Walk as I am farther removed from this space. 7. Water feature or public art should be commissioned by a world-renowned architect. 8. My suggestion would be to include artwork that displays community-unity; racial harmony; global awareness & courtesy for international partners. I have to say that every time i ride by the current piece of art, the chain link atomic bomb tree, I wonder why that piece was chosen. To me, all i think about is political dominance and fatalities. It strikes me as dark and brooding. 9. Something that does NOT overshadow City Hall, that does not block the view of it or from it 10. Shady entrance 11. Dignified 12. The City Hall is a beautiful building and the area in front of it needs to compliment the architecture and history. It would be nice to provide some informal seating for those who work there. I do not believe it is necessary to have more public art here as the space is smaller and really needs to be the gateway to City Hall. A water feature would be wonderful if the money is available but seems to be much more critical as a design element across the street. 13. No noise 14. Schools could have a portion of a garden that the students are involved with, planting, upkeep etc. AND labelling of plants. 15. Make this area for kids. 16. This should represent what Santa Monica is. A forward thinking community, that has strong historical roots. by recreating the beauty that was once the Santa Monica area (which it still has in some aspects) in terms of plant life, and architecture it will help people understand where we came from and where we are trying to go. 17. This area should welcome people into City Hall. Could there be a way for people to view the que system from outside if they do not want to wait in the lobby (even from the courtyard side)? Please limit or ban street performers in this area. 18. Like a Zocalo. Good to allow vendors, from carts perhaps, ice cream, coffee, etc. 19. I would hope that the rose garden would be preserved, even if not at it’s current location. I believe the roses were planted in honor and memoriam. 20. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A FRIENDLY MEETING AND GREETING PLACE FOR ALL WHO LIVE AND WORK IN SM 21. Aesthetics are important but not at the cost of being ruined by transients storing belongings and or setting up camp in horticulture displays and water features could be used as public wash rooms 22. Sport field 23. Ocean theme 24. Please keep All the trees as well 25. A public garden for picnicking and weddings/family celebrations would be fantastic. We are so unusual with the way we care for our environment. Let’s express that in a garden that we all can enjoy. 26. See above - 27. Safety 28. Public rest rooms 29. EVERYTHING I SAID BEFORE. MY IDEAL PICTURE IS ONE OF UNDULATING GRASS, MANY TREES, A GURGLING BROOK; ONE OR TWO WINDING PATHS. AND THAT’S IT!!!! 30. Sophisticated public art, please 31. This space needs provide models for sustainable living. 32. Design with Feng Shui awareness so the acre can hold an energy for the highest potential of peace and prosperity for the enhancement of experience in the vicinity of City Hall.
46 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 33. The city could use more space for gatherings instead of using the North pier parking lot. 34. Make the area representative of the great City of Santa Monica! 35. the lawn in front of city hall is presently a beautiful addition to the city of Santa Monica; i cannot help but hope that the welcoming spaciousness will not replaced by a feeling of mishmash urban clutter;please see above comments for site 1 above 36. Keeping area free of undesirable elements using it for their living quarters. 37. By this point in our history, the use of water for water features and “designer” gardens is a criminal waste. PLEASE omit water features throughout the parks. Please make this area an educational opportunity that helps citizens learn about government in action. Make it an active learning environment whose lessons educate the public about the civic activities, rights, and privileges that animate the work inside City Hall. Our weather makes this a year- round classroom. Please make it teach! 38. Areas for informal gathering/Areas for sitting, reading and viewing: The space should feel inviting and should combine large open spaces for organized and spontaneous events, along with smaller defined spaces to provide a different sense of scale and intimacy. (Mexican zocalos are good at this). Areas for organized civic events and activities: Depending upon how the space is designed, the Town Square could become a truly monumental public forum, becoming a regular and well-known and respected place for public events, demonstrations, press conferences. Ensuring the space could play this role would also fit with the city’s political culture and fill a gap that is not currently provided by the city’s other public spaces. The Town Square with City Hall as backdrop would also become a regular image people would associate with Santa Monica on TV, like the Pier sign and the Pier itself - good for tourism and city image. The challenge to designing this part of the space would be ‘how to design a space that could efficiently and safely accommodate speakers, crowds and cameras, and perhaps be connected to the city’s fiber network for broadcasting, but also be functional for other uses all other times?’ The City Attorney would need to do a lot of work to be able to define and draw lines between what types of events are permitted in what way and what are not, as the potential for free speech multiplies the complexity of managing the space. Even when events per se are not happening, the free speech issues will be present. A gateway and main entrance to City Hall/Areas that enhance and complement City Hall and its history: This is de facto the gateway and main entrance. The back of City Hall is never going to take its place. That being said, the elegance of City Hall should be allowed to speak for itself, with the Town Square complementing it, not competing with it. The Town Square should be a gateway in terms of the sight lines and walking paths it promotes, to lead to and view City Hall. But it should not attempt to do so with any new structures. Certainly the history of how City Hall was created should be included. How the history of City Hal and the entire Civic Center is accomplished should be comprehensively considered. I’ve posted more about that in the Palisades Garden Walk section. Water feature: I don’t feel a major water element is in place here compared to the Palisades Garden Walk. Public art: Yes there should be, but I’m not informed enough about the options to say what should happen. Horticulture and display gardens: I think some green life within the Town Square is healthy, but not to dominate it. 39. Please make the display examples of sustainable gardening and a demonstration blvd garden. 40. Large evergreen shade trees. Not deciduous trees, unless native Sycamore are chosen. Coast Live Oak would be wonderful choices that honor our native environment. 41. The entrance to City Hall should be understated compared to the garden walk area. 42. Cafes, coffee? The front of City Hall is currently a very dead space, needs activation - farmer’s market? 43. Save the roses 44. The area should be people friendly and encourage activities that bring people there, live events, people friendly spaces like sitting areas maybe a small pond, landscaped to encourage gatherings and rest places, rather than a grand vista for City Hall. It should invoke the ideals of this unique city, and provide a friendly welcoming atmosphere, where all peoples can find a variety of interests and learn and grow. 45. Hopefully the old roses will be incorporated into the plan. 46. Plenty of places to sit please. Yes, it would be nice to see a waterfall or something of the sort. 47. To glorify and highlight the City of Santa Monica as an independent entity from Los Angeles. 48. People can run, walk, cycle etc. very well on the bike path, as I often do. What we need most is an area where
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 47 people can just go to relax outside and get rejuvenated and relax. you cannot read a newspaper on the beach... wind, sand etc. it is a big production and expensive to park. we need a place where one can go and relax for a little while, and that is easy to get to. 49. Add trees to existing area, that’s already formed and works nicely. Make few permanent installations but allow for portability so that a “grandstand” could be rolled in as needed but does not stand always. 50. The larger of the two parks should be an exceptionally beautiful, sophisticated, contemplative park that also has the ability to be used for occasional large civic and cultural events like art shows and small music events. It has a unique setting in the city in that it is away from and not required for significant pedestrian traffic and due to its size, it has lots of open sky and largely unobstructed views especially to the west and the setting sun. The city has many other parks, including beaches and other areas for sports and other active forms of recreation yet relatively few contemplative places where one can feel the tranquility of being surrounded solely by trees, plants and nature. This area might be thought as a park where the emphasis would be more on relaxing and exercising one’s mind rather than the body. And so it would follow that the park should also have the most diverse and interesting plant and tree species as well as the ability to host occasional large events to relax and also stimulate one’s mind. However, the single largest draw back to this concept would be that this park could easily become hobo/homeless central and then no one else would want to use it. 51. Keep the cost down at this time. People are TAXED OUT and hurting financially, so the money might be better spent on quieting the very vocal cries for funding schools!!! 52. Everything must be universally accessible. 53. Informative placards, etc, about Santa Monica history and culture, mission statement or the like. 54. Have trees that can keep city hall in shade to keep AC bills down. 55. Ditto what I said above about water feature. 56. Perhaps the smaller of the two tracts could have the more intensely social design, suited to organized civic events & concerts. Perhaps the larger tract could be given over to the less-structured possibility of simply enjoying the outdoors with fellow citizens. 57. I would put more energy and resources into the Palisades Garden. You need to get some direction from the city on whether the homeless are going to be allowed to aggregate here on the weekends like they currently do. 58. Cafe and refreshments. Important to energize the space, as all good town squares do, with cafes at the periphery. Otherwise the destination value of the place is minimized. 59. The funds for these projects should not be wasted on “vanity items” such as public art, display gardens etc.. These expenditures only benefit minor parts of the Santa Monica Community and the Greater population of the City is shortchanged as a result. Do not waste the Investment Capital on these poor long term investments!!!! 60. Town Square should complement, not duplicate, palisades walk. Make it open and calming with less pointy plants. 61. Again, our city is becoming overdeveloped and we need contemplative green spaces. 62. Perhaps small cart vendors selling hot dogs, candy apples, popcorn, peanuts, pretzels, cotton candy, ice cream, fresh fruit and health drinks (smoothies. protein drinks, etc. 63. Parking 64. It should be the best city hall in the country. 65. This site too, could have a labyrinth, perhaps a smaller and different version than the one offered at the larger site. 66. Pathways to ocean front area 67. Public art that takes up very little space can be delightful. It shows the spirit of the community. I don’t like “modern” art that is cold and uninviting. 68. Same lots of parking!! 69. I think City Hall is a wonderful building, and I, personally, would like to see it enhanced with features that are not architectural--e.g. a gateway or different entrance. 70. Same as above. 71. Whatever it is, it will be stupid, I’m sure their will be truly idiotic public art. 72. Shaded areas for small group gathering.
48 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 73. This is a smaller space with a visual orientation and ceremonial function. It requires a formal, architectural approach. A small garden area for civil weddings and televised interviews would be appropriate as part of a balanced, formal garden design with an elegant entry sequence both from parking and pedestrian approaches. I would like to see our homeless services handled more “back of house”. 74. Let’s keep it an area that’s useful to all Santa Monicans, not just the political fringe or soapbox orators. 75. it should to support local artists. if the water feature would be artistic like the one in Chicago i would be more interested. if the water feature is just another fountain like at the grove... Its not necessary. 76. Possibly these two design concepts would complement each other. One a park for quiet time and one a community gathering place for concerts and other Civic functions 77. I think having a garden in the town square fits, it would be great if it was designed so that we can help our kids appreciate nature, make it green all the way! This space should also show how diverse this community is and it should definite show its history. 78. Areas of shade, forest like patches 79. Safe places to sit and enjoy the park in safety 80. Outdoor open space; commons areas of at least 1.5 acres. The importance of open space cannot be overemphasized. 81. Why can’t you finish Memorial Park? 82. Right now the space in front of city hall is not “usable” on a daily basis. It would be so nice to see it redesigned to be inviting with seating, trees or shading structures. There is something so appealing about using the open space in front of city hall for “living” and seeing people congregate. Right now it is so staid and boring and just lawn. 83. Welcoming, accessible, well-signed entrance to City Hall, Bike parking 84. This really is the City’s political front lawn. With the park across the street, it does not need to be another park. It should serve a more specialized role as a gateway to the civic and a place for activity that relates to the work of governing the City. 85. Keep the rose garden and the dedication plaque! Leave it the way it is! 86. A water feature would be a bad example of water resources, if we want to show excess we could pave the walkway in gold. 87. This should be the hub of activity and be inviting. 88. PARK: an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation. No fountains needed due to proximity to the Pacific Ocean. No Public Art, cafes, eateries due to proximity of the immediate downtown Santa Monica area. 89. JUST TO EMPHASIZE THE POINT: PLEASE do not allow whomever selected that “art piece” that everyone calls the “phallic symbol” which is located in Palisades Park at the California Incline to have the role of selecting any public art in either of these areas! Everyone makes fun us with that thing in the middle of our most publicly-used park. I’d love to see it removed and something appropriate in its place 90. Informative, functional and relaxing 91. This park is there to basically serve the tenants in the low income housing projects adjacent to the park..Looking to the experience of Chicago and Cabrini Green, we need to be sure the park does not become a gathering place for gang members from the Projects...Actually you can contact the LAPD for advice regarding parks in LA near Nickerson Gardens, Ramona Gardens and other low income housing projects .. 92. I love the Sunday night music on the lawn and think that any changes here should be geared toward keeping a space for that sort of thing. Either here or in the other new park. Sustainable and native landscape is of great importance as well as public art. This could be the more “zen” of the two spaces. 93. Provide space for the young artist (from preschool to College as a rotating art exhibit) 94. In this area, horticulture/display gardens should punctuate the space, not dominate it. 95. Same as above in individual comments- in essence a forested park with tall grass lands. 96. Again, PLEASE do not go overboard with public arts, gardens and water features for this park. I’m glad we’re fixing up this part of town -- but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT OVERSPEND FUNDS. Being fiscally responsible is what is MOST IMPORTANT for BOTH PROJECTS. Don’t WASTE our MONEY!!! 97. Serves the purpose of City Hall
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 49 98. Celebrate the history and pride of Santa Monica, create community 99. Not much wrong with this space now 100. Use the front lawn of City Hall for feeding the homeless - NOT THE PARKS. 101. A space for democracy! Sounds great! If that’s the priority, do it. Like if there’s a city council meeting topic that sparks a lot of interest, the park area could be an adjunctive space with a screen and speakers, and people could have fun being part of the actual workings of the city. (Not to complicate stuff too much for our public officials....) 102. This is where the homeless should hang out.
50 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 51 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
52 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 4 There are many OPPORTUNITIES for Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. Which of the following is the greatest OPPORTUNITY (select one)?:
SUMMARY
Response Response
Percent Count
Proximity to the ocean and beach 7.0% 27
Strong adjacent destinations(Santa Monica Place, Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park, Santa 25.3% 98 Monica Pier, Santa Monica High School)
strong adjacent neighborhoods 3.1% 12
Views and horizons 8.5% 33
Connection to future Expo Light 7.5% 29 Rail station
Existing trees 5.9% 23
Integration into existing city 10.3% 40 pedestrian and bike networks
Creation of a new destination in 27.6% 107 the heart of Santa Monica
Potential for large civic gatherings 4.9% 19
Other (please specify) 65
answered question 388
skipped question 47
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 1. Trees, shade, nature are very important. We need a place that is quieter and less commercial, someplace where people can have quiet time, enjoy the breeze, the nature, and not have to hear loud music over a loudspeaker, not have hordes of athletes training. 2. It could be another place to enjoy the great climate we have here in Santa Monica. Palisades Park gets really crowded and this could be another outlet to relieve the use of that park. 3. The opportunity to celebrate the many famous architects who are Santa Monica based or residents. 4. I wasn’t aware that this will be a future destination for the Expo Light Rail station. This priority would be strongly related to pedestrian/bike networks in my view :) 5. Strong adjacent destinations are a challenge for this park. Ocean Boulevard and Colorado separate these big attractions from the park. Creating a new destination on such a prominent site is the opportunity!! 6. All of the above apply in my opinion ...we want to make this park a destination and an extension of the adjacent spaces. It is prime property and if designed well will facilitate all of the purposes outlined above!!!!!!!
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 53 7. Must stay in place and rescue for transplantation all other plants on sites. 8. size and location 9. This is the connecting piece in between the shopping area on Main Street and the rest of downtown Santa Monica. 10. I like many of them but if I have to pick 1 11. Environmental education on landscape, water efficiency 12. Views, air, place to have a cup of coffee. Think Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, or a Mexican Zocalo 13. Another strong adjacent destination is the Civic Auditorium. 14. Area set aside for community organic garden 15. If these connections to adjacent destinations are made well, they will be visual and spatial. 16. Please keep all the trees 17. A destination for community and visitors alike. Flexibility for future public space uses & needs. 18. Could one of the spaces have a ‘portable’ ( or something) big screen projection or TV for simulcast of the pier music events, maybe even have a movie night? 19. OF COURSE “EXISTING TREE”!!! OTHER THAN THAT I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DRIVING AT. WANT IT TO BE ANOTHER WORLD, NOT CONNECTED TO ANYTHING ELSE. IT’S OWN WORLD; THING “NATURE RULES!!!!” 20. All of the above are important opportunities and all of the circulation connections need to be made 21. This civic park can be the heart from the city from which our values and commitments flow. Imagine it as a place that sets the beat and pulse of our commitments as residents, who welcome the world to engage with us in a democracy where human and natural life sustain each other. 22. All of the above too. 23. More parking; the new high end stores can not be supported by tourists and local residents alone--people from the east of Santa Monica are not going to come here on their bikes to shop at Nordstrom’s--if it’s too difficult to park and too congested and expensive they won’t come in their cars either; the OPPORTUNITY to avoid these mistakes is important 24. Trees, trees, trees, as a source of pick-your-own produce, as the centerpiece of educational installations, as planned stops on docent-led tours, as a source of much-needed shade, as a laboratory for trying out street trees so that the public can interact by contributing preferences, etc. Trees, trees, trees, please. 25. Necessity for eateries, and bar/snack bar(s) 26. The connections between the Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square to the Pier, downtown, rail line and high school should be natural and obvious. An attractive design will naturally create a new destination. Yes we should keep the existing trees. They have a continuous spirit with the area. They can anchor the new space. Connect in every direction, to the beach, the downtown, the rail line, the schools 27. A new civic open space destination. 28. As a sustainable city, we should have a large park space that is comprised of native trees, shrubs, and plants. They should be beneficial to butterflies, hummingbirds, and native insects. A native botanical garden would be perfect in this area. 29. Promote community activities. 30. Counteract the way the freeway cuts thru the city. Encourage walking from the promenade/downtown to Main Street & the beach 31. By developing these parks into an integral part of Civic Center, Santa Monica confirms its commitment to the importance of balancing nature and green living with urban growth. It offers a great opportunity to define Santa Monica on the basis of its relationship to nature, the ocean, the air we breath, the plants and natural growth we preserve around us. How we facilitate our transportation and moderate the use of energy, and how we interact as a community is revealed in this plan. Green parks are not just a simple pleasure, but a necessary and fundamental part of our lifestyle as a healthy, caring, nurturing, and peaceful city that responds to all aspects of urban development, not only by planting more buildings on a concrete and asphalt plane. We need to be more holistic in our approach to our future as a city. How we see our public parks and the relationship to the public is a testimony to this commitment, AND SHOULD ACT AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CITIES AS WELL. 32. It is nice to walk past Chez Jay and I hope it stays. I walk past it in the morning once a week. I go north along the beach to Casa del Mar, up and over to Seaview Terrace, to Ocean. I hope Seaview Terrace stays open. Once, in Paris, I found myself walking with my suitcase past a big area of government buildings, late at night. I didn’t see a soul. Fortunately nothing happened. It’s possible that the people getting off the Expo could find themselves in the same situation. I hope you
54 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report will build in plenty of activity at all times. 33. Potential for green lawns and fields 34. All of the above are integral part of this key piece of property. 35. Why do I only get to select one of the above when so many UNIQUE opportunities apply? 36. Potential to add community garden space thus boosting city’s eco-image 37. Unable to select just one. Done right, these projects may capitalize on all of the possibilities listed above. Thinking about views and horizons, please don’t be afraid to create elevations!!! 38. I live nearby, but this should be a self-contained experience. 39. To become a vibrant, casual public gathering place where folks can meet, hang out and engage in civic life. 40. I feel the pedestrian and bike networks is also important. The city is too auto-centric and future designs will be successful and more sustainable if they acknowledge and incorporate alternative forms of transportation, and encourage walking, biking. 41. I worry that the area will be infiltrated by the homeless, so many people will avoid the area. Most parks along the beach are not very nice because of the situation. I know they deserve a place to be, but it needs to be regulated somehow. 42. An opportunity to create an atmosphere of peace, love and nature which exemplifies what Santa Monica used to portray. 43. Parking 44. Santa Monica doesn’t need to draw more people here. It was not built to be a metropolis. 45. SM already has parks for festivals and large city gatherings. I suggest you think about why everyone loves the Palisades Bluffs park along Ocean Avenue, starting from San Vicents Blvd. down. It nourishes the soul with mature greenery, has uncluttered open green lawns for doing whatever people might like to do (read, yoga, picnics, etc), and is serene. There are no big festivals or gatherings...just nature. 46. Cannot wait for the light rail so i can go downtown by rail!!! 47. These are all important and desirable features--hard to pick just one! 48. Let dogs walk there. 49. Short cut to beach/pier instead of walking around large blocks. 50. Near the heart of Santa Monica 51. Why can’t you finish Memorial Park? 52. People having a place to congregate in a big open space like a town square is not available right now in SM so having a place like that close to the shops and movie theaters is, I believe, a huge opportunity. Having a “different destination” like the park near the other public areas has such potential to have people from all ages and parts of SM to come together. 53. The opportunity to find a quiet place to relax in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. 54. Whatever can be done to retain this natural setting without obstructing views and horizons would be optimal. 55. Palisades Park and Olmsted’s classic parks should be the primary inspiration. 56. Try to avoid making it a flop house for the homeless 57. Including the Expo Light Rail station 58. Question: what will happen to the existing trees in the area and the “three amigos”? 59. Followed closely by strong adjacent destinations and proximity to expo and beach. 60. Forested area 61. Civilized old fashioned band concerts in the park in a turn of the century design concert pavilion open on all sides with seating around the area. 62. Greatest opportunity? They are ALL GREAT AND EQUALLY NEEDED 63. I also like to have a feature of ‘Views and Horizon’ ,but for making greater identity of Santa Monica,we need a new creation represents our city’s beautiful and modernized feature. 64. Keep some open space in Santa Monica for residents to enjoy before there is none - no development, no commercialism 65. Not a clear question
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 55 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
56 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 5 There are many CHALLENGES for Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. Which of the following is the greatest CHALLENGE (select one)?:
SUMMARY
Response Response
Percent Count
Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) 9.0% 33
Isolation 6.0% 22
Safety 8.7% 32
Noise 3.3% 12
Parking availability 17.4% 64
Traffic 16.9% 62
Pedestrian crossings (Ocean Ave. and Colorado Ave. intersection and 7.1% 26 Main Street)
Designing a space that works for multiple uses at different times 18.5% 68 of the day and week
Designing a distinctive space with different attractions/uses than 13.1% 48 those offered at adjacent destinations
Other (please specify) 92
answered question 367
skipped question 68
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 1. The design of the park and it’s access routes needs to encourage people to bike, walk or use public transit to access this space. 2. SHADE! 3. Noise and foot traffic are my greatest concerns. Noise is by far the largest concerns. Also lighting. If large stadium lighting is put up, it really has a negative impact. This was done about 10 or 12 years ago in the large parking lot for the Santa Monica Pier and I look out on this parking lot. It really changes the impact on my view and wish it could be changed, so I am really sensitive to stadium lights as well. 4. Creating a space that attracts the numbers expected from light rail so as to reduce the addition of traffic and crowds 5. Ownership - making the residents and community feel that it is theirs. Palisades Park fails in this - people feel that it has been “taken over” by homeless and tourists and don’t see it as a desirable place to go. 6. Homeless
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 57 7. Keeping the park clean, safe and preventing it from becoming a campground for the homeless. 8. Of course pedestrian crossings are vital as this is one of the busiest traffic areas in the downtown area..... a turnout for the Big Blue Bus and anticipating the light rail and building an innovative connection hub would be brilliant. 9. Homeless 10. Calm place to just be 11. Getting our city to realize the trees on the sites are living things and should be left in place. This for our and their well-being. 12. Overall access issues. 13. Traffic and Parking go hand in hand, both of these issues will be an extreme challenge. We are already short of parking with a new draw to the area this will just add to the problem. This should be addressed prior to any finalization of plans. 14. Homeless. 15. Too many transients will use this and make this an undesirable spot. 16. Homeless 17. Homeless 18. Becoming over run with homeless such as the pier area and palisades park. 19. Keeping the space free from homeless and other people looking to make quick money from tourists (especially because of the proximity to the new Expo station). 20. Homeless 21. Keeping it from becoming a homeless hang out 22. Keeping out the homeless population which will ruin this area. I cannot have a picnic at Reed Park because it is not safe for my children to be in the middle of a homeless encampment. You need a permit to camp at Yosemite National Park, why not our beautiful Santa Monica Parks. Make sure you engineer the new open space so that it is for all people to use and is not ruined by the homeless. 23. Homeless people may be loitering 24. Unfortunately, to me it seems the greatest challenge is to create a space this is for everyone, including transients, while not creating a “haven” for transients. 25. Homeless 26. Bridge to the beach 27. Essential to have a welcoming bridge to the beach 28. Although the great opportunity here is to make the park a connector, it is quite cut off currently by the freeway, traffic and obstructing structures. The challenge will be to both inure the park to noise/traffic while also providing visual and spatial access to our ocean, pier, palisades park, promenade, etc. 29. Bums will overtake the park like they have done at many other parks in Santa Monica. 30. Making a Sustainable Park: It seems like a real challenge to make the growth and transformation into these great new Santa Monica City Parks a low impact & sustainable activity. I expect it will require an extended time frame for the transformation, as most ‘work’ is done on site primarily utilizing local resources & featuring natural processes. Including on site bioremediation, should it be necessary. I believe it’s worth the effort. 31. Creating an icon that truly represents the spirit of Santa Monica 32. You must plan in such a way to get people biking and walking and taking buses and, eventually, the train. The way to do this is NOT to provide more parking structures. Provide more safe places to store and lock up your bikes. Provide clean, patrolled public toilets. Provide places for buses to park, such as the Hollywood Bowl does. 33. Keeping the homeless from taking over. 34. It was very difficult to choose just one! 35. YOU’RE OVER-THINKING THIS. 36. All are problems that need to be solved 37. Keeping people open to the space without abusing it. 38. cuts off the city.
58 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 39. Keep the Park uncluttered with homeless folks as they always seem to come back if not herded away. look at the palisades park now after tons of money went into redoing it 4 years ago, the Bums are back!! 40. Pedestrian crossings; safety at nighttime; gathering for transients 41. Please minimize the amount of new parking you build. Please concentrate on teaching the public about connections to existing public transit and RESIST the urge to create a new, distinct public transit system just for these parks. Expand the summer shuttles to include this. Take the high interest in the park as an opportunity to drive people to use existing public transit. 42. Traffic (congestion) is a very close 2nd. 43. Ease of parking, and safety of parking. 44. I would combine the last two - multiple uses, but also serve functions not found elsewhere. Also, cover the freeway sooner than later 45. Homeless people camping. 46. The biggest challenge for the Palisades Garden Walk is our leaders’ constant desire to please everyone. Whey you try to do that, no one is happy. Santa Monica needs a contemplative space. Go to Descanso Gardens or the LA Arboretum. They have a beautiful plant focus that allows the visitors to breath and relax. Where in Santa Monica do we have that? We have designed this city to serve many purposes and the result is a jangling cacophony of non-stop noise and disruption. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could take our earbuds and listen to birdsong? 47. I would check at least 5 of these - But would select areas to walk and getting from one place to another without a car. 48. Making use of the precious green areas in the most innovative, public friendly, and flexible ways possible to encourage more people to enjoy them, bring their families, using it also as a learning place and discovery opportunity about our unique place in nature here by the ocean, it should be a place to discover, learn, see new things, experience the unique qualities of Santa Monica in an outdoor setting. The weather is so nice in Santa Monica for a good part of the year, the outdoor areas, in a natural setting should be used as gathering places and places of enjoyment and personal growth. Also to experience peace and harmony, and a chance to feel integrated with nature without having to travel two hours by car to get out of an urban setting. Italian gardens often are designed with many various smaller gathering places or points of interest for variety and delight. Also Japanese gardens make use of limited land size to create the illusion of a mountain retreat. I’d like to see a variety of different experience opportunities and maximize the land use as much as possible. 49. Fortunately for me, I never take my car there or I would have selected traffic or parking. 50. Flatness of site - consider adding small hill(s) or berm(s) with some articulation of topography here and there to create greater intimacy and interest 51. The ability to ‘bridge’ the freeway undercut - whether or not a pedestrian bridge cap is approved - is perhaps one of the most important aspects to acknowledge and perhaps even embrace in order to tie all of the surrounding parcels of important land use and architecture into a space that unifies and connects. 52. HOMELESS PEOPLE 53. Tourists don’t need to get mugged by the sleeping-bag brigade. 54. Protecting its use from public abuse, e.g. overnight sleepers, homeless, etc 55. Have the design integrated with the freeway cap. 56. Creating a space that is not so overtaken by the homeless that other people feel uncomfortable to spend time there. If the homeless issue is not given careful consideration this whole venture could be an enormous waste of money at a time when it is in especially short supply. 57. Of course these are all reasonable challenges to limit and address. None is insurmountable. 58. Extremely important that this area works well after 5 p.m.. In certain times of the year, the sun will set beyond the mountains and this will be a great spot to watch it from. Make it inviting to go for a walk there even if you can’t see all the flowers. 59. Usability: I don’t feel comfortable actually spending time in many of the parks especially if I’m by myself 60. Transients taking over the area and driving the locals and tourists away. 61. The influx of a criminal and unproductive population who will homestead these premises 62. All of the above represent significant challenges. Also cost and long term maintenance costs. 63. City dollars being funneled into other projects
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 59 64. As I explained above 65. Having to look forward to more years of disruptive construction work. Santa Monica for years has looked like a bombed out war zone. 66. I think there are many challenges listed above, I would say all except the last two, they are B.S. 67. The freeway brings noise and air pollution. 68. Well, if you build it, they will come...My thinking is that the best feature of the current Palisades walk is the gathering of many different people enjoying the fresh air and view of the beach...I would love to see that feeling continue. 69. Keeping the park free of those who would use it as their home. I sympathize with the plight of the homeless, but seeing, smelling, and hearing these unfortunate individuals ruins any possible enjoyment of public spaces. 70. Yes, we need lots more cars coming to Santa Monica. Great idea! We don’t have enough traffic yet. We will avoid this area as much as possible. 71. There needs to be a place where the parking allows MORE than just two hours free. You can not relax and go to the beach or have a picnic or do anything frankly in two hours when you have driven all the way to the west side to spend the day. it sucks to have to stress out about that. 72. I think something that resembles New York’s Central Park, a unifying element with many uses 73. I would be very dismayed to see either of these new parks become encampments for transients. 74. Why can’t you finish Memorial Park? 75. The area where the new parks will be has become isolated by the 10 freeway and the mall, etc. So the design challenge is huge. The walkways in and out or the space will have to be wide and inviting to have people take the time to walk there. How the place flows will be so important. 76. Keeping it clean and safe 77. It was a toss up between parking and safety. 78. Greatest Challenge: allowing a Park to exist. Not a site for a historical retrospective os the City of Santa Monica, not a Stop-Station for a Metro, not a “Show Case” for the final Park Designers, not a Multi-Use Area, but a PARK. A natural area of land, in as natural a state as possible, created for the enjoyment of the PUBLIC, with facilities for rest and recreation, owned, set apart, and managed by our city. 79. Creating a truly special place, not a generic overly-built-up flat public park. What would Olmsted do? 80. Traffic, noise more cars, more cars. BE BIKE FRIENDLY! 81. Note potential for aforementioned flop house 82. City Hall unfriendliness to Ficus trees. 83. Being successful at activating the space throughout the day and week will help to overcome safety and isolation challenges. It argues for a cafe/restaurant use to extend the population of the park into the evening. 84. a forested area to attract people; then allow their use to occur naturally 85. Not having this another hang out for just tourists and homeless.... I’d much rather see our money spent on things that our taxpayers are going to benefit from. Not another park that doesn’t bring us any revenue or creates WAY more traffic in our already congested city. Ugh! 86. This space has the potential to be a tranquil island in the middle of the city. Putting too many activities in it would take away from that potential. 87. Preventing homeless from taking control of park and frightening away other potential users. 88. Safety will be the greatest challenge for a new public space in Santa Monica. Given the spaces proximity to major street - any children’s area should be set back significantly from the street and consideration should be given to fencing the area as has been done with Reed Park. Also, I think there should be concern regarding the use of the public space by the homeless population of Santa Monica for gathering for food distribution and sleeping which will make it less desirable and safe for our community. 89. Homeless population. I fear this will become an extension of the homeless population already taking over Palisades Park on Ocean Avenue from Wilshire to the Pier. Santa Monica needs to have a plan for keeping this new park clean where residents can bring their children and we all feel safe. 90. Santa Monica is definitely not it once was and unfortunately there is no turning back the clock - keep what remaining open space we have in Santa Monica before there is none!!
60 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 91. Homeless using it to sleep in. 92. Parking availability and traffic are NOT challenges. People should not be driving to these parks. 93. The homeless will own this park.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 61 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
62 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 6 For PALISADES GARDEN WALK (SITE 1), please rate the following THEMES that you would like to see explored, from not important to very important:
SUMMARY
not somewhat very Rating Response important important important important Average Count
Horticulture + Habitats 10.6% (40) 21.6% (82) 36.4% (138) 31.4% (119) 2.89 379
Views + Topography 6.3% (24) 15.8% (60) 36.9% (140) 40.9% (155) 3.12 379
Art + Culture 11.5% (43) 28.7% (107) 32.4% (121) 27.3% (102) 2.76 373
Access + Connectivity 8.2% (31) 19.4% (73) 37.1% (140) 35.3% (133) 2.99 377
Local History + Site History 16.4% (62) 32.6% (123) 34.2% (129) 16.7% (63) 2.51 377
Play + Discovery 13.5% (51) 29.6% (112) 35.9% (136) 21.1% (80) 2.65 379
Innovation + Progressive Design 11.6% (44) 21.4% (81) 28.5% (108) 38.5% (146) 2.94 379
Water + Hydrology 16.8% (63) 32.7% (123) 28.2% (106) 22.3% (84) 2.56 376
Identity + Destination 19.7% (73) 25.9% (96) 27.5% (102) 27.0% (100) 2.62 371
Sustainability + the Environment 4.8% (18) 12.6% (47) 27.2% (101) 55.4% (206) 3.33 372
Other (please specify) 53
answered question 389
skipped question 46
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 1. Community Gardens 2. The desert setting of Santa Monica means that lots of big shady trees may not be indigenous, in that sense I’m more worried about sun exposure than sustainability, though I do believe sustainability is important, just not at the expense of lovely, shady trees, which may require a lot of water, such as those that make Hotchkiss Park, on fourth and strand street such a special place. 3. Beautiful shade trees everywhere. 4. Design innovation trumps all the themes. Give us reasons to visit this park often. I run three times a week in Palisades Park and visit the pier for Twilight Dance Series and other events. Santa Monica Place has the potential to increase my visits to Third Street Promenade. Your challenge is to attract us to this new location. 5. Consider a high point viewing area to take in view of all that Santa Monica has to offer. Build ONE tall structure as centerpiece 6. Urban forest 7. Dog friendly 8. Bandshell and stage 9. I would like to see a modern cutting edge designed space. 10. History is most relevant in front of City Hall
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 63 11. Easy to clean and secure 12. Wildlife 13. Sporting fields with access for adults. 14. Community organic vegetable garden 15. Coffee Cart!!! 16. ‘Innovation + Progressive Design’ means to me featuring and utilizing natural processes and materials... 17. I think it is important that we explore use availability for all ages. Thus a Senior Center would be very important. 18. A CIVIC Cultural and Arts Center. The Beach gives play. The Promenade gives shopping and food. The Pier gives more play and some arts. This place will give more structured artistic expression - School Choirs. Bands. Sitting on steps and just soaking in the sun while watching people. And some islands of quiet benches behind a wall of trumpet vines. 19. it is hard to really understand the sites relative to City Hall and the Civic Center so answers are based on general area and desire for public space in the city. 20. Let’s make this a welcoming place! 21. Eco Gardens - SEAS - Sustainable Edible Art Sculptural Installations - shade areas - 22. Access for the public to garden in these spaces. Production of pick-your-own fruits and vegetables -- especially as part of a larger, city-wide initiative for public-space “Victory Gardens” -- victory over the trials of the recession and over the terrible and highly visible poverty of the homeless. I know, I know, vandalism will be a challenge. It always is. It can be solved. 23. We would like to see the city advance beyond organic. Please investigate how to make these new parks bio- dynamic. Not only would you see dynamic results in whatever you plant, but it would heal the soil (any soil type benefits), reduce water use/need, eliminate need for pest control, plant food and fertilizer. Bio-dynamic amendments helps your soil absorb moisture and increases the vital humus content. It protects against erosion, produces higher soil microorganism activity, improves plant health and yield, reduces weeds (naturally), and more. 24. Sustainability of existing historical features. 25. It would be great to have a Santa Monica Garden Club. I’d love to be a member and work on at least a small portion of the Palisades Garden Walk as part of a fund raising and working group. 26. See above statements 27. I would like to see edible plants included but not in a “farm” setting with the plants in rows or raised boxes. I envision curvy lanes shaded by avocado trees, many kinds, so there would always be avocados, Valencia oranges, sapotes. Edible perennials. Yes, the fruit will likely bring undesirable elements to the scene (squirrels, crows, and rats). I will look for and eat the fruit they leave even after they have taken a little bite out of it. About the “local history + site history” - you leveled the buildings that must have been there. Let’s just start over. 28. Relaxing green spaces is what we need most. 29. See previous comments 30. The idea that there is a history to maintain is fantasy (aside from M.A.D. and rand’s involvement). also please keep the art to a minimum . 31. People come to a beach town to see the sea 32. Sustainability and environmental improvement thru gardening by the community e.g. community garden space 33. Make it pretty, not a history lesson. 34. Plan the 7 acre to supplement the City’s existing land assets .Inventory these existing assets see their shortcomings, wants or needs and incorporate this area as a solution . Do not re-invent the wheel and have the City land assets as a whole a mismosh!! 35. Limit the use of pointy plants. 36. It would be great to have a “green” space. 37. I don’t know what “Access + Connectivity” means. 38. Try not to make something truly idiotic, please try to keep the stupid public art to a minimum. At least let us see nature without more crappy “sculpture.” Please don’t use our money on silly “Innovation + Progressive Design” - aggrandizing the “artist” and making more crap for the public to have to contend with.
64 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 39. An outdoor gathering and entertainment venue that by virtue of law cannot be shut down by nimbys! 40. Safe parking access 41. The name reveals you already determined a theme. How about 2 acre site? 42. Why can’t you finish Memorial Park? 43. Use of recycled materials and use of containers for recyclable waste would be great. 44. Community 45. PARK: an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation. Design to be as natural a state as possible, natural as in Nature. No ‘connectivity’, historical sites, water themes, identities, educational booths or area, just a Park. Open space. Land; trees, bushes, grass... 46. Most important - that south, north, and pier are all tied together for both residents and tourists. Must really enable walking - want to enable walking from Main Street to Palisades Park and 3rd St. 47. SPECIAL REQUEST: PLEASE do not allow whomever selected that “art piece” that everyone calls the “phallic symbol” which is located in Palisades Park at the California Incline to have the role of selecting any public art in either of these areas! Everyone makes fun us with that thing in the middle of our most publicly-used park. I’d love to see it removed and something appropriate in its place 48. Reuse reduce recycle! 49. Since we have a water shortage in southern California water and hydrology are only important if the use is recycled water 50. Trees and grass is sufficient 51. Play and recreation areas (bocci, baseball, soccer, etc.). 52. Do not develop - keep the open space for all Santa Monica residents 53. To design a simple unpretentious ecological multi-use space for the residents of Santa Monica, not for visitors and “branding” and that kind of stuff 54. Sports
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 65 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
66 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 7 For TOWN SQUARE (SITE 2), please rate the following THEMES that you would like to see explored, from not important to very important:
SUMMARY
not somewhat very Rating Response important important important important Average Count
Civic Engagement + Public 8.8% (33) 12.7% (48) 30.0% (113) 48.5% (183) 3.18 377 Discourse
Horticulture + Habitats 16.4% (61) 32.5% (121) 28.8% (107) 22.3% (83) 2.57 372
Views + Topography 17.7% (66) 33.2% (124) 27.6% (103) 21.4% (80) 2.53 373
Art + Culture 13.4% (50) 22.8% (85) 38.7% (144) 25.0% (93) 2.75 372
Access + Connectivity 8.8% (33) 17.6% (66) 38.6% (145) 35.1% (132) 3.00 376
Local History + Site History 10.0% (38) 21.4% (81) 35.6% (135) 33.0% (125) 2.92 379
Play + Discovery 40.3% (150) 30.9% (115) 18.3% (68) 10.5% (39) 1.99 372
Innovation + Progressive Design 15.0% (56) 23.6% (88) 28.2% (105) 33.2% (124) 2.80 373
Water + Hydrology 24.8% (92) 34.8% (129) 22.4% (83) 18.1% (67) 2.34 371
Identity + Destination 15.6% (58) 20.7% (77) 30.9% (115) 32.8% (122) 2.81 372
Sustainability + the Environment 6.9% (25) 14.9% (54) 25.9% (94) 52.3% (190) 3.24 363
Other (please specify) 30
answered question 387
skipped question 48
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 1. Connect to neighborhoods, especially the Pico neighborhood, Ocean Park, Sunset Park. It would be great to create a walk/bike zone from these neighborhoods to Palisades Park/the Promenade via these new parks. That would make the city more livable, walkable, bike-able, green. Reduce car trips, parking issues, congestion, etc. Right now these areas are blocked from downtown/the Civic Center area by ugly, pedestrian unfriendly streets like Lincoln and Pico and even the north end of Main St. 2. This meeting area should address culture, arts, history, meeting place, etc. The park should be aimed at a creating a natural, shady habitat for long, quiet, pretty walks, with discovery areas for children. 3. Shade! 4. What views? There’s really only 1 view point of the ocean and it’s between two buildings. 5. Please don’t replicate the boring gardens under the City Hall windows, or the misplaced ice plant and “poker” plants that someone thought were beautiful. Make something awe-some. 6. Community organic vegetable garden 7. Coffee Cart!!!
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 67 8. Parking. 9. Out door town hall. 10. Again, this needs to be a place that models what we value. 11. Make it pretty as its doorway to SM city hall. 12. Please provide a Free Speech stage. Yes, such venues are always fraught with problems. Lack of opportunity for Free Speech is fraught with much graver problems with far-reaching long-term consequences. 13. We would like to see the city advance beyond organic. Please investigate how to make these new parks bio- dynamic. Not only would you see dynamic results in whatever you plant, but it would heal the soil (any soil type benefits), reduce water use/need, eliminate need for pest control, plant food and fertilizer. Biodynamic amendments helps your soil absorb moisture and increases the vital humus content. It protects against erosion, produces higher soil microorganism activity, improves plant health and yield, reduces weeds (naturally), and more. 14. Make sure the Space complements the city hall architecture and reflects the era in which it was built. Think Santa Barbara city hall not Los Angeles city hall. 15. See previous statements 16. I don’t know what the “town square” is to be. I am assuming a combination of services for the people in the new condos/apartments, and a place for people to demonstrate in front of City Hall??? So for the people in the condos/apts: a coffee place, a laundromat, a small market, a shoe repair shop, a neighborhood pub, a community garden specifically for the people in the new buildings, a soda fountain if they want one, and anything else they might want. 17. Less is more 18. Replace that huge area of almost never used grass with something more useful and environmentally responsible. ( And that includes the not at all attractive “historic” rose garden and all the new but not attractive and completely unusable areas now devoted to succulents and aloes along Olympic Drive. 19. Play & Discovery, Horticulture & Habitats, & Views & Topography might be given their great importance in the larger site. 20. How the space is “energized” by opportunities for relaxing, people watching, refreshment, social interaction. Ways to make it an inviting destination. 21. Choosing beach town style architecture, not the ugly modern anonymous structures that are currently being built. 22. Try not to make something truly idiotic, please try to keep the stupid public art to a minimum. At least let us see nature without more crappy “sculpture.” Please don’t use our money on silly “Innovation + Progressive Design” - aggrandizing the “artist” and making more crap for the public to have to contend with. 23. Other than the beach, I feel Santa Monica lacks a 24/7 wonderful public SPACE, we are a very densely built city. 24. Again, the 2 acre site is the garden and the 6 acre is the town square? Seems like pre-answering the survey. Change it around. 25. Why can’t you finish Memorial Park? 26. Information for citizens, eg where are cities facilities, what services are where, when are public meetings, maybe info kiosk for locating services and staff, even paying bills Information for visitors: how to get around (transit, etc.), walking map of area, find out what info people need and make it available Make it a “gateway” to the City in virtual terms 27. PARK: an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation. Design to be as natural a state as possible, natural as in Nature. No ‘connectivity’, historical sites, water themes, identities, educational booths or area, just a Park. Open space. Land; trees, bushes, grass... 28. SPECIAL REQUEST: PLEASE do not allow whomever selected that “art piece” that everyone calls the “phallic symbol” which is located in Palisades Park at the California Incline to have the role of selecting any public art in either of these areas! Everyone makes fun us with that thing in the middle of our most publicly-used park. I’d love to see it removed and something appropriate in its place 29. Water should be recycled 30. Trees and grass is sufficient 31. Coffee Cart!!! 32. ‘Innovation + Progressive Design’ means to me featuring and utilizing natural processes and materials...
68 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 33. I think it is important that we explore use availability for all ages. Thus a Senior Center would be very important. 34. A CIVIC Cultural and Arts Center. The Beach gives play. The Promenade gives shopping and food. The Pier gives more play and some arts. This place will give more structured artistic expression - School Choirs. Bands. Sitting on steps and just soaking in the sun while watching
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 69 QUESTION 8 Your additional comments may be added here:
SUMMARY
Response
Count
178
answered question 178
skipped question 257
OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 1. Residents need a safe way to access their open space. More bike routes, share rows or even a bicycle boulevard on Michigan will allow local residents and families to access the Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square. The project design needs to take into consideration ways to discourage people from driving to these public parks/open spaces. 2. The renderings show new buildings that look like apartment dwellings. I am opposed to this space being used for erecting high-end living space. IF that is what will be going in, I implore the team to involve the community when selecting the design of the building structures. In the recent past many apartment/condo buildings have gone up that are an eye-sore and take away from the natural beauty of Santa Monica. 3. Hotchkiss Park in Santa Monica is one of the rare parks in Santa Monica with lots of beautiful shade trees (Douglas Park, has some lovely trees, too.) There should plenty of grand trees in in the walking, strolling part of the park you are designing, since trees provide shade, shelter from wind and noise, and great beauty. Good luck in your planning! It sounds like a lot of fun! 4. Please address shade. Think of shady Mediterranean parks. Think of siesta time, quiet time, the magic of discovery of flowers or an innovative play structure. Think of families on a quiet Sunday. 5. I would like to see more parking added. This is the biggest problem in this area of Santa Monica and there is a great opportunity here to put in something underground and still leave the park area on top. Any additional costs would be made up with parking fees so its a win win situation. The city keeps pushing for events next to the Pier in the parking lot and that doesn’t work for anyone if there is no where to park. 6. I am hoping to see something that is unique, and that is not found anywhere else in the world! 7. I sent an e-mail before completing this survey: Just wanted to say how joyful I became after seeing the announcement posted on the fence near the civic center, “Coming Soon: 2 New Parks” made me this morning! I mean really, how often do municipal districts put parks as a priority! So much more uplifting than ‘new strip mall’. I’m a new resident to SM, since Oct ‘09, and everyday I love Santa Monica more! Thanks for the Seascape and all you do. Warm regards, Elly Jaresko 8. We are excited that you have been chosen to design our new “central park” It’s a large space and like Olmsted’s Central Park you can probably create a lot of smaller spaces that invite exploration, surprise and the desire for repeated visits. Our subtle seasons should be showcased with different plantings. Disney Hall’s park has flowers that bloom every month of the LA Phil’s season. WE already have some fabulous destinations both in Santa Monica and close by. The Getty Center has an incredible garden. We need something unique and world class for this once in hundred year opportunity. 9. Please do not make this a playground for children. It needs to be a place that fosters community engagement and ownership, exchange of ideas, public discourse, visioning, and interactivity. Users need to be engaged and feel
70 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report ownership. It should build pride and community. It needs to consider the challenges of proximity to the freeway, use by the homeless and how to balance freedom of expression issues. It should reflect the natural landscape and remind us of the land pre-development. It should be historic and forward-thinking at the same time. It should be able to evolve over time as users and needs change. 10. Keep all existing trees where they are. Do not move or kill any existing trees. 11. A bandshell and stage would provide patrons for the promenade and Main Street and for the hotels. Santa Monica city of classical music. www.classicalmusicmanagement.com 12. Connecting the park to the City so that it becomes the heart of the City. It should be of the highest design excellence, but also relevant and usable. 13. Let’s remember that we are a world class city presently. We need to build upon what makes Santa Monica Santa Monica presently and position it for the future accordingly. 14. Keep it simple. The space really isn’t so big that the spaces can be all things to all people. Breaking it up into too many spaces/uses will diminish the overall space. In terms of landscaping, it would be nice if trees could be used to screen some of the uglier surrounding elements (parking structures, the random motel) and frame the better sight lines. 15. Thank you for providing a forum to voice our opinions. 16. Garden amphitheater for small presentations 17. My biggest concern is the draw for homeless. It’s a nexus to the Pier. 18. I think it’s important to create an architectural/design destination here. The designers did an amazing job with the high line in NYC. It gave new life to an abandoned area. Let’s get people walking more in S.M.!!! Also gardens: native plants in CA are so beautiful and water conserving. Let’s start with a local plant palette. 19. I love being here and look forward to the new park! As well, lit places are important to me for safety reasons. 20. I’d love to see a cluster of reachable and sturdy trees to climb (4 plus year olds). Comfortable places to read. Benches don’t allow a slight recline. I think a slight recline is needed. Water fountains - drinking fountains as works of art. 21. Signs and maps at entrances and key points. Homeless. 22. There is serious problem with this survey. It is formulated so that it is not possible to be against any of possible features/etc. that you are polling about. Is this a joke? You are too experienced not to have been aware of this. 23. As the Civic Center plans are further developed and implemented, the intelligent and very important concept to keep in mind is the adjacent opportunity on the Santa Monica High School campus. By creating a way to integrate the elements of the Civic Center with the many features that are possible at Samohi, we will truly have a gem for future generations. We will also be able to meet the many different needs of the many different members of our community, making for harmonious (rather than competing) inter-related uses. Athletic and arts are the two most obvious complementary facilities that Samohi offers, and with good thinking going into the design, we can look back and know how prescient we were in decades to come. 24. This is a very big space. It should be open for adults in the community to play sport. 25. Palisades Garden Walk should be like Dolores Park in SF or Central Park’s Great Lawn. 26. I’m excited for this project. Please, do it right. I find that Culver City has done a much better job with their downtown area than Santa Monica has done. The new Santa Monica Place gives me hope. Maybe hire the guy who did the Grove to do this. 27. Make sure the design is based from the pedestrian view not just how great the plans look. This site needs to function properly so that the space is actually used and not just published in magazines. 28. These two parks can’t be everything. Only when you combine all of the areas in the Civic Center will you fulfill all needs. The Civic Auditorium meadow (now a parking lot) should be the place for arts and events. Samohi offers the athletic and other cultural spaces. The Town Square is the center of SM and a place for discourses. The Palisades should be gardens and recreational spaces. 29. Santa Monica has a severe homeless issue. One only has to look at Reed Park to understand that open space invites homeless which creates an unappealing area for all residents. I would never feel safe spreading out a blanket in the middle of the day and having a picnic lunch with my 3 kids as they run around the grass. It would be a huge waste of time and money if these 2 new City Parks turn into homeless encampments. I have seen too many vagrants smoking and sleeping along Palisades Park. Please do not use my hard earned tax money to create a homeless sleeping area. My children deserve a beautiful park and area to run around. I still see homeless people
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 71 sleeping the specially designed benches along SM Boulevard. How much money was spent for the homeless to sleep upright?? Let’s see how fast the homeless take over these 2 new parks – please ensure that they are safe and clean for resident and visitor use. 30. Make a beautiful public space, usable, places to sit, places to gather, a refuge. Something that will change with the seasons. 31. PARKS ARE AN IMPORTANT TO PLACE TO LIVE, GROW AND PLAY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE HAS THE FEELING OF OWNERSHIP OF OUR PARKS IN OUR COMMUNITY; UNLIKE THE ANNENBERG BEACH HOUSE. IT SEEMS ONLY THE ELITE AND POWERFUL OWN THAT! IT IS NOT FRIENDLY TO ALL CULTURES IN PARTICULAR MINORITIES; AS WITH MANY PLACES IN SANTA MONICA, MINORITIES DO NOT FEEL WELCOME IN THOSE PLACES; EVEN THE MIDDLE CLASS MINORITIES; AS WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE CITY. A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE SM CHAMBER; NOT A GOOD FEELING WHEN DEALING WITH THOSE FOLKS; ONLY THE A FEW MINORITIES THOSE USUAL SUSPECTS ARE RESPECTED; NOT GOOD; CHANGE IS NEEDED 32. Parks are for kids. We need another sports field. 33. Great meeting the design team. Looking forward to the next meeting! 34. As I stated on the front, the homeless situation is out of control. When I mentioned a new park was going to be built the commend were...Why, so the homeless can have another place to live? 35. We have so much noise near the Pier 36. In spite of what I may have written, this is a wonderful opportunity to create a large space for civic gatherings and play up our connection to the beach and ocean as well as our emphasis on the environment. Priorities: -Separate from freeway/minimize noise -if this is the light rail end, make it comfortable for people waiting, i.e. shade -Community gardens have a large waiting list. Couldn’t some land be set aside and attractively fenced off for a new one? -Views towards the water and some palm trees -A gateway feel to the beach -Native and drought tolerant plantings to attract birds -A place to gather; shade trees -Hadn’t thought about it until it was raised here, but I like the thought of a place for civic gatherings Are shade and parking a concern here, though? 37. I hope the park can turn into a great tourist attraction just like the pier with great views and a place to relax. Beside the park can also be a good relaxing place for location residents to hand out and a break to the busy neighborhood of downtown SM. 38. 1. Coffee Cart!!! 2. Bandstand 3. Water Feature 4. Prevent Transient/Homeless sleeping/lounging area!!!! 5. Maximize views 39. I am grateful and happy that you are planning this new park for our charming city... To keep it open and safe for our children and residents... Hopefully the homeless will not be able to take over this park as they have our others... Thanks 40. Cap the freeway! It will help connect and integrate all of the best features in this area (including the light rail station). Adding a nice cafe in the park would be a great asset for people to meet at. Look to the cafe in St. Jame’s Park, London for a great example of such (www.innthepark.com). Fast-track the development of the park. It has been vacant for way too long! 41. Thank you for taking the time to ask us our opinion and thank you very much for looking for ways to make this Great City even better. 42. Please include some type of animal that kids can visit and feed. Something like parrots -- that then become a
72 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report symbol of Santa Monica. Please include a place a pond with a robotic boat remote control toy boat rental so kids & adults can build and play with toy boats. I would like to see some mosaic tile work in the park. Also to have large scale art works where the public is invited to participate and then can see their work installed. 43. I think that both of these park areas will bring more traffic to our area. I recommend not narrowing down the existing street to two lanes. I wonder where all the cars will park, because I do not think people will use the available public transportation. I would like to see the city of Santa Monica establish a new senior center. The existing center on Ocean Avenue is soooo out dated and old. We need to strive to keep our air quality as clean as possible by planting trees and grasses and plants that will contribute to the breezy ocean feel that has always been here. Low water features would be nice, maybe one with the pop up fountains that children could play in. I think we should discourage dogs from being allowed in the park. It is amazing that so many dogs are allowed in the parks where children are allowed to play. I think it is a health hazard. Other than the above I look forward to a new era for our city. 44. Thank you for the opportunity to make comments. I am looking forward to site 1 being a park with shade, small quiet places to set and read. A place for children and adults to explore nature and have adventure walks. 45. What a great opportunity! This is going to be great! Please do try to openly discourage more parking spaces and encourage more Big Blue coverage. Yes, there are going to be the homeless and the hooligans, but so does every city. That is what it is. This new park(s) is a chance for the city to make itself as a destination point that both citizen and visitor enjoy. 46. At the workshop, I heard/read a number of good ideas that are informing what I now want: one piece of iconic art, a good play place for children, change in elevation, a raised place to view the ocean, interesting garden to walk through, informal seating and eating areas. A cafe/market is not needed, I think, but a smaller place with coffees, teas, ice creams, would be nice. Maybe I’m not talking about a full scale cafe, but would rather have a PARK, with greenery and open spaces. We have a farmers market 2x a week and the 3rd Street Promenade. BUT, in case the weather is not breezy and chilly at that location, picnic areas would be nice. A strong view of the ocean is mandatory. So is connection to Palisades Park--would be lovely if you could walk between the two. Also important not to let the homeless take over. Where’s parking? Is the Civic Center Garage supposed to take the existing Civic Center parking lot PLUS the Park? 47. TOO MANY COOKS WILL RUIN THE SOUP. 48. These areas should be smoke-free with designated smoking areas. Also, if food concessions are available, nutritious food choices should be available, including choices for vegetarians. 49. I love this project. I am eager to remain truly engaged in it. Let’s create not only the plans but a piece of the public art together, perhaps a mural? Let us plant some of the gardens together. October 10, 2010 is a HUGE international day of working in one’s community for true sustainability called together by 350.org. Let’s bring this project alive that day and put it at the heart of what we are doing in Santa Monica to work in our community. 50. Thank you for your attention to the development of these two new place/parks for the public to meet, greet and retreat. In great gratitude and appreciation, Jon Beau Lee Executive Director Environmental Arts and Research, Inc. 1011 Pico Blvd. #1 Santa Monica, CA 90405 310 383 0605 51. Please add tennis courts since JAMS and SMC no longer have tennis courts. 52. The Garden Walk and Town Square will be a bridge to nowhere if SM traffic and parking aren’t addressed. It is already gridlock downtown and with the opening of Santa Monica Place, the only people crazy enough to attempt going there are unsuspecting tourists. Residents don’t even get to enjoy their own city because traffic and parking are the first things you think of. Also, the homeless population has completely kept us from venturing through the park downtown at night -- that aspect must be factored in, no matter how beautiful and progressive the designs look on paper. 53. Get a good design team from our area in Calif. or even SM itself, no designers from NY, or other areas 54. Make it special, make it uniquely Santa Monica, make it unexpected.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 73 55. Parking parking parking; don’t lose the beauty and trademark spacious look City Hall now conveys 56. I would prefer this park not have children specific areas. We have lots of parks with play areas - let’s make this one for adults, workers, tourists... 57. I’ll be there tomorrow at the workshop. 58. We would like to see the city advance beyond organic. Please investigate how to make these new parks bio- dynamic. Not only would you see dynamic results in whatever you plant, but it would heal the soil (any soil type benefits), reduce water use/need, eliminate need for pest control, plant food and fertilizer. Biodynamic amendments helps your soil absorb moisture and increases the vital humus content. It protects against erosion, produces higher soil microorganism activity, improves plant health and yield, reduces weeds (naturally), and more. 59. Would be nice to have designated walking paths. 60. Thank you for doing this survey 61. I believe that it is extremely important pedestrians and cyclist can safely access the area from Town Square to the beach, pier and Palisades Park. 62. Good luck to the team. 63. Thanks for the opportunity to comment. The Garden Walk, in the name of sustainability, should be California Native Plants. It should be a garden destination (like Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens). Those of us in the community with a love of gardening would be grateful for an opportunity to form a Garden Club and have input into the plants and trees - as well as fund raising opportunities to maintain the botanical garden - even for just a portion of it. The Garden Walk should not be a soccer playing, screaming, kite flying, dog barking space but one of exploring native plants and butterflies, family strolls, quiet contemplation, and just enjoying a nice walk in a beautiful place. I go on vacation specifically to go to botanical gardens. They are a treasure for all ages. The westside sorely needs a botanical garden for such purposes. Let’s have winding paths through native trees and plants, water features, sculpture, and some peace. 64. I would like to see this area be part of string of green park area that carries through the city. Think of Frederick Law Olmsted park design with a relationship to the ocean. I do not want to see something so new or radical that it looks dated in 25 years. This should be an open park area that people want to spend time in, not just walk through on the way to the pier. The long, narrow Palisades Park offers a wonderful running, strolling area, while this large square area could offer a more sedentary, contemplative experience. 65. Please make the corridor from ocean to 4th and the new light rail station more attractive. The facade of Bloomingdales looks terrible. Colorado Blvd. is an eyesore. Holiday Inn, McDonalds. Just look terrible. 66. This project should result in a unique worldwide known landmark that represents the international “Allure” of Santa Monica. 67. Please include some contemplative spaces if possible-it would be great to have a quiet area to be with nature and relax 68. The park should be the new center of Santa Monica and link to both the pier / beach and the 3rd street area. Also, this area is also very, very congested so connections to public transportation could be enhanced and added parking could help make it a destination. 69. Have a previous commitment, but will definitely attend the next meeting. 70. There are not enough places for teens in Santa Monica to go to. There are no Gyms or basketball court areas that offer community league sports. 71. I walk from ocean park to downtown regularly. 72. The public gardens offer the most exciting innovative, and potentially most flexible land use for the Civic Center. Please don’t create a soccer field or a dog park, keep it as versatile as possible for the most people, both residents and visitors. 73. How about NO PARKING? The people who will live there are near the Expo Line and the Big Blue Bus. If they absolutely need a car, they should find another place to live. I don’t see these parks as Destinations for others who won’t live there unless there are dog parks and they have a dog. Others will go through the parks, not to them. I will not even go through them if they don’t have anything interesting, which for me would be things to eat, fruit trees, tomatoes, maybe a bakery with delicious French pastries. Yes, these parks will be near the beach, but you can’t see the water from there, and if you want to see the water you would walk ALONG the beach. 74. I am very excited to have a great parks within walking distance and I look forward to what it turns out becoming!
74 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 75. Cover the I-10 and extend the park all the way to Colorado Blvd. 76. Please add a relaxing park. That is the one thing we lack, and nice art in it doesn’t hurt either. 77. Interesting choice of landscape architect- I question the choice in that the firm is from out of town and is know for the High Line, which is from what I understand spectacular BUT from where I sit, serves a VERY different set of goals than mine, which for SM would be to provide recreation and open space - more a sports orientation than an urban one, Looking forward to the success - perhaps the best of both worlds, with a High Line attitude including a formal sports element. 78. As a local resident and neighbor, i am very excited to see if Santa Monica can develop a unique identity in this very important location that may possibly compare to the great High Line Project in NYC. It seems that the city is off to an excellent start by making such a wise choice with the program’s park designer. 79. I find your possible selection of “innovative + progressive design” somewhat scary. Excellent, well thought out design is always very, very important but in this instance I don’t believe you need to “reinvent the wheel”. “Progressive design” is all too often in reality just “TRENDY DESIGN” and I think a project like this should strive to achieve the best of contemporary ideas while fully respecting and embracing successful romantic and historical design. 80. There really need to be vistas here and ocean breezes! This is what Santa Monica should highlight, and it should somehow connect seamlessly with the pier...... Don’t ask me how with traffic at Colorado and Ocean. 81. I’ll use this space to reiterate my previous rants --- there has to be a reason for people >11 and <65 to want to live here aside from shopping and lazily strolling. Transit and bike paths go a long way but require so much infrastructure that it’s almost a lost cause. Certainly this is changing with some amazing efforts on the city’s part. Children will find places to play and usually the more unstructured the better -- the box is always better than the toy. The promenade is world class, enjoyable and striking. What is generally missing is an area for folks to just play ball. It takes up a lot of room but it also doesn’t pander as art does. Sport doesn’t involve people in their government but i doubt anything aside from cutting cable/internet will do that. Thanks 82. First of all we must consider parking. Otherwise it will be a frustrating experience for all the people and families that would want to come and enjoy the space. Also I believe that clearly marked recycling stations should be just as prevalent as garbage cans. 83. Parking and rest/sitting areas for people with mobility disabilities. (Parking at the Civic Center may not be usable by people with these disabilities.) 84. This is an excellent opportunity to provide our community with a very special, sacred place for all to enjoy with friends and family and that will create a sense of identity for our city as well as fond memories for all future generations. 85. Some of the potential challenges listed were parking and traffic. Please don’t add parking, since that will encourage people to drive to the park. Santa Monica is filled with lovely parks in every neighborhood. Instead of worried about creating a destination with an Identity that will draw people from miles around, concentrate on designing a space that will benefit the people who already live, work, and play in the Civic Center area. 86. I would like the fig tree that is along the freeway to be a focal point of the design, especially as the freeway is capped. Also I would like to see the palm trees that are planted in what seems like a deserted Island in the parking lot area at the south east corner of the site be preserved. 87. Please keep us informed as the process continues! Sorry I will be out of town for the initial &/24 meeting. Dr. Amy Gelfand 1027 Princeton St. Santa Monica, CA 90403 310-453-8633 88. I’m excited about the park! 89. Excited to see what you come up with. I live a few blocks south and this project is part of why I bought in this area. Your team might benefit by visiting a lot of the things that locals love and try and utilize elements from them...vibe of Ocean Park, climbing the 4th street stairs, biking along the San Vincent trees, walking along the ocean, swimming at the college, bergamont, people watching at 3rd street, the pier, etc. What I am most confused by is why the Sears is staying put. It’s a dump inside and out of character with everything around it. The building itself is a landmark, but would make a perfect shell for the train station. There’s no way Sears is making enough there annually to justify not selling it. The freeway capping won’t happen. Seems simple to me. Tear down the Holiday Inn, buy the Sears and turn it into the Expo terminal, give the Sears parking lot
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 75 land to Holiday Inn for a new hotel, sell the old Sears Automotive land at 4th and Colorado for new retail. 90. This is a unique opportunity to showcase the spirit of Santa Monica and to create a welcoming, dynamic, and statement-making destination that draws a wide spectrum of humanity to our city. It should be well-integrated with existing venues and styles and be highly accessible for visitors using various transportation modalities. Please inspire! 91. I am proud to live in city that takes so much effort to make itself better. Thank you to the city staff for doing a great job. 92. All the memorable town squares that I have visited in the world are energized by access to cafes, comfortable places to sit and linger, shade and people coming and going. Without attractions like this, few people will have a reason to come and the place will feel empty. We need to program the space with things that will make it come alive with people. A new civic building may be located at the northern edge of Town Square. This edge could be the best opportunity for cafes, etc and locations for this should be incorporated into the ground floor of whatever building goes there. Steps can create amazing gathering places. Say, if there is a grade change between Town Square and the new building on the north (with cafes) a grand staircase there could provide a wonderful feature and casual gathering place. 93. I thought that covering the freeway was going to be a part of this project from the start. I certainly want that to happen as soon as feasible. 94. Please do not touch chez jay 95. Can we have a few food truck parking areas maybe instead of a static cafe? Shade is good. Picnic tables - something funky and fun, not icky wooden picnic tables. Can we limit or isolate play areas - don’t want to get hit by footballs or run over while reading or laying around. Any plans to vary the heights/views? Add hills or terraced steps? Or hey can we make the 3 trees into a cool tree house complex??? NO BEACH THEMES - please. Please enhance pedestrian safety - need elevated walkway between City Hall and park or a light. Can we move the camera obscura here and put it in a nicer building? Bike parking please. The chaise lounges at High Line are great Private little pockets Night friendly - pathway lighting - low, not spotlights! 96. Special attention should be made to keeping the parks safe and enjoyable for everyone. 97. Than you for activating our civic center! 98. Very exciting, I have great faith in Field Operations. I hope that sustainability is at the forefront of the design. 99. I look forward to this new venture. 100. Do NOT move the Three Amigo Ficus trees to put a a road. Do not build ugly modern chrome and glass boxes. Use local trees in the park that have been relocated from property destined for construction. 101. Think green and large canopied trees and areas to sit and view nature. 102. The problem with Santa Monica civic design is LACK of density, and isolation of uses (lack of mixed use). I agree that SM has better mix than other West Coast cities, but it is still too low to support this kind of open space. The 6 acre site is just WAY TOO BIG for SM. It will harm rather than enhance SM’s civic appeal. It cannot provide connections - because it doesn’t connect anywhere to anywhere! If there were important destinations that made this location an important civic connector, it would have a chance. People don’t avoid this area because it is open land; they avoid the area because it is an urban backwater. This isn’t the fault of the site - but the fault of the urban uses around it. Putting a park here will make it EVEN MORE of an urban backwater. The train will not help, either. I would rather see the 6 acres developed as a long narrow park with the rest of the site built up with actual dense usage (office/residential). This area of SM is currently a BUSINESS PARK (RAND, City Officials, high end business hotels, SaMoHi. The beach is a HUGE park and attraction, leading people away from the civic area. Why not make this site an opportunity to bring real mixed use to this important part of SM and connect 3rd street to Main Street. Instead we will create too much open space and kill this area instead of activating it. SM is not NYC. NY can support Central Park because of its density and it doesn’t have a massive beach. SM needs the
76 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report density, NOT the Central Park! I am a design professional who has worked in SM for 10 years. In summary, I like the idea of enhancing Town Square park, and think the 6 acre site could have limited open space on it - but the overall idea of the 6 acre park is simply ill-concieved. 103. I hope that this great opportunity to create an oasis in the city will not be tarnished with commercialism. It is extremely important to create an environment that is conducive to our younger residents. With an emphasis on protecting and preserving our home town, we should be a model to other cities. We can’t achieve this without giving support and education to the children that are the future of this world. 104. Please no dogs. You can’t even go into palisades park anymore without a dog trying to attack your children. People will be bringing their dogs from the inner city to beat the heat and it will be a nightmare, just another place locals won’t be able to enjoy anymore. 105. Thank you for seeking public input! 106. I’d like to see a labyrinth in one or both places. I think a feature that provides opportunities for reflection, contemplation and walking mediation, in a public setting is sorely needed in the hustling, bustling society in which we live; labyrinths promote happiness and well-being. 107. Santa Monica needs to step up or loose it. There is so much going for Santa Monica, but the City so often misses the mark. 108. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in such a well-thought-out survey--I really appreciate the chance to be a participating citizen! This is such a fantastic idea--I look forward to watching it all develop--we live within walking distance. 109. Thanks for doing this! 110. Anything you can do to help abate the traffic in the downtown area would be appreciated! 111. I look forward to seeing these new parks! They’ll be a great addition to the city! 112. As you can probably tell, I feel that the key need for any public park in Santa Monica (or greater Los Angeles, for that matter) is a commitment to deny access to those individuals, however sad their plight may be, whose presence destroys the enjoyment of a park for the great majority of citizens. 113. I don’t expect much. Whatever it is, it will cause more traffic, parking problems, a wonderful place for our homeless folks to call home, etc. 114. Can’t wait for the park! 115. Please keep in mind that maybe these locations could host the summer jazz series that we all totally love =] also maybe you can make the play area accessible to kids in wheelchairs too. 116. Parks always enhance; one can never have too many open spaces of beauty and places for contemplation and rest. 117. Fix the parking situation. it is not fun to drive from Hollywood or the valley to spend the day on the west side and have no free parking. Two hours is not enough for a family to do anything. By the time you unload the kids and get walking you have maybe a half hour to enjoy and then have to truck back to feed meter or you pay a fortune for the day just to park. There is no way to see a movie in under two hours. This city needs to stop raping people for the ability to park a car. Hollywood is no better. Southern California has become so NOT USER FRIENDLY its a turn off to go anywhere. Beach or no beach. Everyplace in southern California has turned into just a place to rip people off, piss people off and turn them away and turn them off from ever returning. They spend plenty of money on the over priced food and beverages, clothing shops and on entertainment. Shouldn’t that be enough? Isn’t there anyway to make them feel welcomed by not ripping them off for parking a car? 118. I’m excited about these projects for our community. I’m hoping that they will enhance the already positive image of Santa Monica, and will be an integral part of the various activities and public (or public-access) spaces in the beach, promenade, Palisades Park, pier, City Hall area. 119. Thank you 120. An innovative design that can integrate running and walking areas, play areas, and areas for relaxing and hanging out is essential. I think that a water feature that can give focus is important and providing natural shade with an abundance of trees is very important. Many parks are flat, hot and too open, but areas of trees with open space for sitting is very nice. Areas for cafe stands would draw people. I think that integrating the city hall area with the promenade is wonderful. It will enhance the city for all and help the economy as well. Art that is both interactive
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 77 and aesthetically pleasing would help establish Santa Monica as a more viable art community--something which the city prides itself on, but I don’t think is reflected in the public art so far. 121. We are in the early stages here and there will be new ideas presented and changes made as we go along. As a docent for the Downtown Walking Tour, The Annenberg Beach House and the California Heritage Museum, I am enthralled by the history of Santa Monica and in awe of all those who created this beautiful place and I would like to see more attention paid to our past. That is why I propose the Park be named the Arcadia Bandini de Baker park to honor the woman who is chiefly responsible for giving us Palisades Park and for donating the land for the establishment of the many churches and public buildings that are here today. We are inseparable from our past for we are the future those people dreamed. 122. I think this is a great idea for use of land, parking it the only thing that is of concern and would hate for it to take up too much of the available area. And as a fine artist I’d like to see the opportunity for public art given to artists like me who have not had the chance to do public art because we have never done it... Gee... what a concept giving people a chance... Maybe one big collaborative interactive piece by 10 or so artist who have never done it before and a sampling of mediums and ages. Well I can dream can’t I.... And send me the information of you do this [email protected] or I’ve been in marketing and advertising for 40 years... Let me know if you need ideas 123. I appreciate that you’re getting community feedback. Be aware that there are a few very vocal groups in the City. It’s important to hear what they have to say, but don’t assume they speak for all of us. We’re paying you a lot of money to come up with a great design. We’re counting on your expertise to give the City a wonderful new space. Do your best! We’re excited about the outcome. 124. I would like to see e-mail links of world famous parks that we can look at for other ideas theater on your list. Would like updates (minutes) of the meetings in case we can’t attend. Appreciate the e-mail outreach! Thanks! 125. Reduce traffic congestion. 126. Please do not waste any money on expensive interpretive art. Just plants and the great surrounding view are fine. 127. Unique opportunity to create two public spaces that will attract cross-generational users. Recognizing that the proposed Civic Center Village Project will construct play areas for the affordable housing units, my survey responses show less importance for child play areas in the new parks. Play and Discovery are important features for adults. 128. Thank you for adding more, environmentally and sustainable green space in Santa Monica. I believe these parks will make our community even more desirable. I just hope traffic issues are effectively addressed. 129. Excellent opportunity for more public art and a great location for occasional craft fairs for local vendors. SM has a large population of talented crafts people and no where for them to show their arts and crafts...Regularly scheduled crafts events would be welcome and would be very popular. 130. The 2 acre site should be the more dense and urban town square. The 6 acre site should be the open and unplanned garden. There are many gathering spaces and cultural amenities in Santa Monica. The opportunity here is for outdoor open downtown space that is not the beach or suburban Park. Think NYC Central Park, the Chinese Garden in Portland, or Seattle’s Volunteer Park or the USC quad. The opportunity in being outdoors in an unprogrammed space Santa Monica is huge. Don’t over-program. 131. Why can’t you finish Memorial Park? 132. I think that emphasis needs to be placed on pedestrian safety - my husband works for Santa Monica and is driving in the field daily. He constantly has to watch out for pedestrians, skaters, runners, and bicyclists not paying attention to traffic and jetting out in front of him. It worries him. 133. Santa Monica place will have plenty of junk food places, the garden walk area cafe, if there is one, should have healthy stuff, like real aquas frescas, fruit, etc. The term garden walk is confusing - the Palisades park along Ocean is a “walk”. consider calling it something else. 134. Cycling areas should be made somewhat minimal. This should primarily be a pedestrian area. 135. Expand this ‘civic center’ and get rid of the tall housing element !.. no need to clutter the city’s civic center park with market rate or affordable housing !.. please keep in mind that this park should also have a nice segue into the ocean park/main st neighborhood to the south for continuity ! 136. Both sites are at pivotal locations...adjacent to the Civic Center with our landmark City Hall, adjacent to an active commercial center downtown, adjacent to the Pier and Palisades Park, adjacent to views of the beautiful Santa Monica coast. There is an opportunity to create a special destination as well as to create connections.
78 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 137. I hope this park can be as innovative as the elevated park in NYC created by the same design group! I am very excited to see how it turns out and will handle the crowds that the expo line will surely bring. 138. I like the lawn and rose garden in front of City Hall, with the view to the ocean off in the distance. Don’t clutter it up with other stuff. 139. It is important to tie either of these spaces to the future expo line. 140. Need to ensure that venue for public expression events is VISIBLE to the gen’l public -- otherwise will not be used for such. People currently use the entrance to the Pier/Pal Park for these types of events since there is a captive audience in the area. 141. S.O.S...... Area needs desperately a place to retreat and relax read book or make phone call without loud background noise. People can unwind from train, beach, pier, school, city hall, county building, Rand, local hotels, and the general public. Try to regain the simple times in SM when the only background noise was crashing waves. Please do not make park another busy place with a list of duties, make it a place of retreat only quietness, relaxation, there is really no place left in city to unwind and hear yourself think. I am a concerned native watching a relaxed beach town crash and burn into hustle and bustle. 142. Palisaded Garden Walk = Peace and Tranquillity, Town Square = Active / Vibrant community gathering / connection 143. This is an exciting opportunity. Thank you for providing the opportunity to participate. 144. I am very concerned about the sites becoming too urban. I am also concerned about the homeless population keeping people away, but I am too afraid to bring it up. 145. I would imagine this City has or will contract some intelligent, creative individuals to “ design “ these Parks. It would be wonderful if all that creative, historical, need for Water Themes, Educational area.... was all left to the Ocean, the Public Pool, the Public Library... and Santa Monica installed a beautiful PARK. A natural, open plain-old’ - Park. This is what your taxpaying - voters would like to see done. 146. I would hope that this would be a place for creativity, community dialogue, performances, jugglers, picnickers rather than a sports park. This is a center and my hope is that we will create it as a service to the community and folks that live in Santa Monica, rather than gearing it towards tourists. 147. So happy to see new green spaces being developed! Please don’t let them turn into new bedrooms for the homeless! 148. A great opportunity to solve: - Disconnect between Main Street and Pier/Palisades Park/3rd St. Promenade - Isolation of civic center - Congestion around entrance to the pier Santa Monica needs more tourist attractions; a fantastic modern park in the spirit of the High Line will help. I’d really like to see all of this happen, without having to bridge the 10 Freeway (a separate project I’ve seen proposed). That seems like a huge expense and unnecessary. There is no lack of “FAR” in Santa Monica - plenty of infill opportunities. We don’t need more parcels. And I don’t find the 10 is what severs North from South - I believe it is simply the lack of any program. This new park promises to solve this. 149. Please make it pretty, usable and walkable and a place to be enjoyed by sitting for a while. I don’t want this precious location to be built with the idea that since it’s near the city hall that it has to be about protesting city council actions. I think it should be an adult oriented park, with children welcome, but without play structures taking up space, except if it’s necessary to a minor degree. I also don’t want to see picnic tables all over the place. 150. It would be excellent to recognize Arcadia Bandini Sterns de Baker, wife of a founder of the city and donor of many important aspects of the city including Palisades Park, in some way, such as by naming one or the other “Arcadia Park” 151. This is not really to do with this park opportunity, per-se, but adjacent, and perhaps to-do with the history of the area.... . I think you should bring back the old (mechanical) marquee sign at the Santa Monica Civic Center.... the one with the yellow dots that clicked on and off. The digital one is just not the same. It wrecks the historic landmark aspect of the beautiful Civic Center. 152. This should be a focal point for downtown Santa Monica and should serve those who live here and should add to the experience of those who come worldwide to see our city. 153. ALL the money for these projects should come from the redevelopment agency!
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 79 154. Hope no trees will be removed needlessly. The landscaping of the design of the place should be health and sustainability oriented. Will be nice to include trees that will filter the air, large, tall and shade bringing trees that have the capacity to bring filtration to the air particles and healing chemicals to the community. E.g. large black American walnut, oaks, Morton fig bay, sycamores, vines like grape vines for shade, some public fruit trees, maybe cherry blossom trees, or citrus blossom... Many opportunities like canary island pine... non-desidious trees from the pine family...I am sure you can come up with the rest of the good choices. 155. This is not New York City. We are not dealing with urban ruins here like James Corner Field Operations did with its New York project. We need to keep these parks consistent with Southern California and with our Palisades Park. It needs to be remembered that Santa Monica is a small beach town and these parks should be consistent with that, not some non-Southern California “hip” landscape architect’s or city staffers’ perceptions. These parks should not be modern abominations like the Civic Center parking structure. The parks should be very compatible with our lovely City Hall. 156. Living in the soon “Toxic Triangle” I would like that the City ( Council, City Manager’s Office, Planning Commission and other offices) will be equally involved in the design and providing funds for the Buffer Zone towards a healthier environment and green space. That they will engage in helping the affected Pico Neighborhood to be a livable space, and scale down future developments. Also consider that all the T-R-A-S-H, plus some of Beverly Hill’s will be driven, trucked-in, some sorted out, and - A-L-L T-R-U-C-K-E-D O-U-T of our Neighborhood!!!!!!!!! 157. The horizon has all but disappeared in this city. I would like to see a space where one can look across a large area of land without buildings obstructing the view. 158. What an opportunity! Think about naming the Palisades Garden Walk after founding mother Arcadia Bandini 159. I would like a similar park to the Light House Field in Santa Cruz which is 37 acres and is composed of trees and tall grass. People created their own paths, and uses. 160. The more I think about it the more upsetting this is to me. How much is this going to cost? Why are we spending money on another park close to the pier where this already major traffic congestion and no where to park? Plus, most people who go to the pier ARE NOT LOCALS. Are they going to use the park and trash it and not spend any money nearby to help justify the costs?? Where are you going to park to go to this park? The last thing I want to see is some $1M water feature like SMC built on campus. That just irritates me. We are having a budget crisis and yet we are building two new parks??? How much is this going to cost us??? Where are the funds coming from? How will you stay BELOW budget and not exceed what you have for it? If this goes WAY over budget like most of the projects the city oversees it will rub so many of us homeowners the wrong way..... WHY ARE YOU SPENDING MONEY WE DON’T HAVE????? 161. Follow MORE THAN just the money...... How about some integrity and civility? 162. Need a bridge over Main St. to connect the 2 parks. Also a bridge to connect to the new mall. It’s all so close to the ocean, who needs more water????? Kids play parks are on the ocean walk. Don’t need any more. 163. No homeless ppl, scare my child and ALL public areas have them. it’s not fair. 164. I hope the people on the freeway can recognize this new park with their first sight., Then we need something can be seen beautifully during both day and night( with lighting). 165. Making easy access to Ocean, the Promenade/Mall, and Main Street should be a primary concern. would like to see a nice pedestrian bridge over the 10 freeway. Water play park for kids! 166. Thank you for retaining this open space and using it to beautify our city and not just expand the commercial enterprise. Given the current economic times, more open space for the community to gather and enjoy seems most appropriate and we should consider our open spaces prized possession as they seem to be quickly dwindling. When planning the Village, please consider the value of open space. There are plenty of newly built apartments/ condos and many with vacancies....adding additional vacant homes to the city will not be of benefit...particularly given the economic times and inability of funds to support the social programs (such as public education) and traffic needs that this addition population would bring. 167. It would be great to emphasize Santa Monica’s youth as a theme in the park. There are plenty of education organizations and youth groups that may be interested in participating. Maybe some of the art should feature how our youth mature in the city.
80 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 168. Santa Monica has a real lack of adequate playing fields for children, adults and seniors. It would be a shame to create two new parks and fail to provide for additional recreation space. It could be everything from a bocci field or chess tables to a soccer field or baseball diamond. 169. I’m glad to see this project finally moving forward. I hope that traffic in the immediate area isn’t worsened by the location of a new destination for tourists and out of the area visitors. 170. I am very excited to see Santa Monica create a beautiful new park for the community to enjoy. Best of Luck! 171. Make the space a lovely park with outdoor activities and relaxing for all ages - not a commercialized developed pit! 172. My husband and I are very excited to see the possibilities being explored. We love the idea of a network of walkways and bike paths that are at the heart of the city. Please don’t integrate too much commercialism into the park areas. The new Santa Monica Place and the Third Street Promenade are enough for business needs. We’d love to see a great park area to surround our City Hall and Civic Center. 173. I am proud to live in Santa Monica because of carefully designed processes like this one. Thank you. 174. Santa Monica has many parks and public spaces scattered throughout the city, most with play areas for children, club houses and recreation. These two new sites offer Santa Monica the opportunity to do something unique and different from what most of the neighborhood parks have to offer. As a long time resident, who went to Santa Monica High School in the early 1980’s I have seen this city explode first with the Santa Monica Place and again with the renewed Promenade. Downtown has had a renaissance and consequently, the traffic makes downtown unbearable. Traffic and the flow of it is my main trepidation in attracting more people top the downtown area! 175. I see Santa Monica setting the standards for other cities to improve their environment. 176. Please do not do things that will increase traffic or increase commercialization of our city. 177. This area should be the “central park” of Santa Monica. Natural beauty to reflect the environment we live in and man-made beauty to reflect and honor who we are, the people of Santa Monica. 178. I have been a resident for fifteen years. I love Santa Monica and I mostly approve of it’s policies regarding the homeless but It is obvious to anybody who knows this area that the homeless will camp there all day just as they do on the palisades and the area will prove not a magnet for local citizens or an attraction for visitors but a somewhat frightening and blighted 6 acres of public expense that would be better used on the local schools, which are in dire circumstance. Prove me wrong. 179. Do not make it a haven for the homeless to gather. It keeps the local residents away. There needs to be plenty of parking.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 81 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
GRAPHIC SUMMARY
82 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 9 How old are you?
SUMMARY
Response Response
Percent Count
Under 18 years 0.3% 1
18 to 24 years 1.5% 6
25 to 34 years 14.1% 55
35 to 44 years 18.8% 73
45 to 54 years 27.8% 108
55 to 64 years 26.7% 104
65 years and over 10.8% 42
answered question 389
skipped question 46
QUESTION 10 If you have children, how old are they?
SUMMARY Response Response
Percent Count
Under 5 years 22.3% 48
6 to 10 years 20.9% 45
11 to 17 years 23.7% 51
18 years and over 52.6% 113
answered question 215
skipped question 220
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 83 GRAPHIC SUMMARY
84 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report QUESTION 11 What is your interest in or affiliation with Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square?
SUMMARY
Response Response
Percent Count
Santa Monica resident 78.4% 297
Work in Santa Monica 37.7% 143
Regional visitor 7.1% 27
Out of town tourist 0.5% 2
Other (please specify) 43
answered question 379
skipped question 56
QUESTION 12 Please enter the zip code of your home address:
SUMMARY
Response
Count
383
answered question 383
skipped question 52
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 85 ZIP CODES
2% 1 3% 2% 2% 5% 2 3 8% 44% 4 5 15% 6 19% 7 8 9
1 90405 142 44%Ocean ParkPark + Sunset Park MontanaBtwn Montana - Wilshire, and Wilshire,Ocean - 2 90403 61 19% CentinelaOcean to east edge of SM 3 90404 49 15% BtwnWilshire Wilshire - Pico, and 12th Pico - Centinela 4 90402 26 8% North of Montana 5 90401 16 5%Wilshire -Colorado,to Colorado Ocean-12th 6 90066 10 3% Mar Vista, Culver City West 7 90291 7 2% 8 90025 5 2% 9 90292 5 2%
86 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 90405
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 87 90403
88 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 90404
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 89 90402
90 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 90401
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 91 92 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report APPENDIX 2 WORKSHOP STATIONS COMMUNITY CONTEXTMY FAVORITE SANTA MONICA WEEKEND
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 1 COMMUNITY CONTEXTMY FAVORITE SANTA MONICA WEEKEND
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 2 PLACES PALISADES GARDEN WALK We want to create more memorable places. Identify your favorite place on the site and tell us why.
COMMENTS
•Prepare for realignment of 2nd street to main street in park design so park not so as to disrupted later •No decomposed granite (muddy), rubber walks, hard roads (bike/shade), broken concrete—all recycled •Keep Chez Jay, views (see), an open feel o Views of city hall and west view o Ocean form, main street and city hall o Bay from the south o From air-continue palisades park and pier connectivity o Wifi o Electricity o Seating tables for notebooks o Shade o Drinking water o Misters o Solar warmth •Tomatoes, mums, cucumber garden •24 hour open access o Police department patrols o cameras on viewing tower •Viewing towers, tall with open staircases, Eifel Tower-like to see in all points of the compass
96 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report PLACESPALISADES GARDEN WALK We want to create more memorable places. Identify your favorite place on the site and tell us why.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 3 USES PALISADES GARDEN WALK We want you to use this park. Tell us what you want to do at Palisades Garden Walk:
Pathways for Walking Running and Cycling: •With Knee friendly material and markers showing distance and exercise par-course •Outdoor café at Chez Jay •Bike path •Santa Monica has a lot of active people. It would be great to see a running path. Perhaps Rubber to reduce impact. •Currently there is very poor connectivity between the beach front bike path and cyclists riding in from the city. Would love for this park to be part of bridging that gap. •How do we connect to civic and SaMoHi by foot and bike?
Public Art: •Public art that is climbable and or usable •Honor great Santa Monica Artists •Sculpture garden but the work should be such that children can touch and/or climb on and should not be “do not touch” •Show case great artists •Trees instead of art •I think that site is ideal to create an iconic work of art. Something that can be a landmark which could come to define Santa Monica •Temporary and Permanent •Public art exhibition programming (ie. Temporary art) •Mini “storm king” art park
Areas for Cultural Events (Concerts, Markets, and Festivals): •Outdoor Theatre •Small performance spaces •Small bands or combo stage for small events •Jazz area for Musicians to play (old lighthouse concerts by the sea) •B-b-q’s •This should be space for inspiration and participation-visual arts yes, but music and dance too •Quiet music not amplified
Areas for Picnicking, Lounging, Sitting, Reading, Relaxing, and Viewing: •Some elevated views would be great to see the ocean •Quiet areas where I can read without children screaming nearby •Small tables with electricity outlets so notebook/lap top/handle use encouraged •Raise up the site to see the ocean •I agree some elevated areas please •Areas for sitting •With ocean view, no rush, shade and sun •Sheltered sun area for winter time •Play Elements (geared toward Children):
98 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report •Sounds like inviting more transient housing or tenting •Where are the rest rooms ? (with baby changing) •Dog area away from kid area •Wind breaks •Sight lines •You are making these mutually exclusive and they aren’t. You can have public art where you eat. You can eat where there is a water feature, so this isn’t a fair choice. •We have enough playgrounds (and I have four kids!) •Skate park feature for 7-12 year olds •I don’t think this is important at this location •I do (think this is important) •We need more playgrounds •Universally accessible playground so all children can enjoy playing together. Santa Monica does not have a playground for children with disabilities. •Please include an accessible playground-A La Shane’s inspiration. Talk to city staff Janet Hand for information. •Why not a bandstand? Everybody loves music •Yes bandstand is a great idea •Don’t make it too kid’s central-adults play here too! •Arboretum style with signage to teach about plants •Trees for climbing
Café and Restaurants: •Outdoor café at chez jays •Outdoor seating at chez jays tavern on the green •I love chez jays. Please keep It in its place and in its historical building •Not much better than good food in a pretty place •Something like tavern on the green •Not necessary the promenade and sm place are next door •New eateries are okay but keep chez jays and brunos-they are treasures-keep them here! •Places to sit drink and eat •Sources of higher quality food and snacks than the pier—(for example) •Oh boy yes •No unnecessary structures—as little as built as possible •Bridge across ocean avenue •Coffee, healthy snacks, and chardonnay •Bridge across ocean Ave •In and out burgers •Casual, inexpensive, relaxed place to get something to eat
Water Feature •Not necessary, we have an ocean. •Agreed interactive water feature –play, play, play •Restore natural stream
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 99 •Water play area for kids •Reflective pool meditation •Love water feature—if not waterfall •Reading relaxation area nearby
Horticulture and Display Gardens: •Community gardens •Community organic garden space with education for children •As much greenery as possible with trees and native habitat •Santa Monica needs a botanical garden and arboretum •There are many examples of contemporary art that incorporate gardens—please consider them •Community gardens need to be working opportunities to see sustainability come alive •Please more community gardens •Fruit tree lines •Show off area of SM sustainability •1,000 trees. Create a forest section
Other (please specify): •Don’t forget the cars need a place to park •Dog park, dog beach •Dancing •Place for informal dance, ballroom dance etc. •Dense forest •Viewing tower tall enough to see –north to mountains, south to palos verdes, and east and west •Please let there be a bit of open space-enough to kick a soccer ball around •Swing dancing floors with go go’s music •Must have rest rooms •Parking underground for pier and park beach go-ers •Community room for meetings, row of trees
100 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report USESPALISADES GARDEN WALK We want you to use this park. Tell us what you want to do at Palisades Garden Walk:
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 4 USES TOWN SQUARE We want you to use this park. Tell us what you want to do at Town Square:
Areas for Informal Gathering •Informal places for the public is good—serve food, drinks, festive •There are lots of people inside and it would be nice to bring them outside
Areas for Organized Civic Events and Activities •The city could serve ____ to visitors to make money! •Stage and band shell
Areas for Sitting Reading and Viewing •A feature that is tall enough to see all of Santa Monica that provides a monumental triumph arch type framing of city hall, the pier, main street on the side of the park mostly (see picture) •Lots of places to sit and enjoy the city •Places to sit will be okay but leave space for a fountain on each side
A Gateway and Main Entrance to City Hall •Maintain views to and from city hall and ocean
Areas that Enhance and Complement City Hall and Its History •Don’t do too much here and the space and trees and roses are so part of the façade •Compliment the history of the building •Keep the rose garden—lose the environmentally harmful fury-replace with dimmdia and stepping stones and recycled materials •The city hall and rose garden shall remain central pieces
Water Feature •Coins in the wishing well could be kept for the city
Public Art •I like this tony smith sculpture—lets get that! •Not just to look at, but let me touch it and move it and change it to climb on it
Horticulture and display gardens •Save the roses •Involve Suzanne Jett (her gardens at city hall) •Please more community gardens
Other •Café on back side of city hall or at least a couple of coffee cart options with chairs-> bring back the b and s paging system that will work outside the building •Live performances –music! •Cafe to help for sitting and people watching •More walking paths within space and more seating
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 101 USESTOWN SQUARE We want you to use this park. Tell us what you want to do at Town Square:
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 5 THEMES PALISADES GARDEN WALK We want the design to be inspired by themes that are important to you. Tell us what themes you would like to see explored at the Palisades Garden Walk:
Habitat and Horticulture: •Tier garden on slope to free way. Fruit and veggie, tomato, cucumber, mums (grown in salt water) •Keep the island with palms •Great opportunity to explore urban habitat •Community gardens •The habitat and horticulture are for sustainability and the environment •Beach grasses •Save all existing trees and plant many more—that are native trees and drought tolerant –plant native so cal plants and wildflowers. Create bird and wildlife habitat. •Attract migratory birds, nesting areas, indigenous plants and trees •Please accommodate as much wildlife as possible •The habitat and horticulture are sustainable to the environment
Views and Topography: •Levels into the park—features that bring you up and down •Elevated views to see out more ocean views •Please consider retaining any possible eye line to the ocean especially any that might exist from the town square park •Views please—east and west! •Sand dunes are a theme •Creating topography is important-like the idea of height in this are—if it doesn’t block air circulation •Levels and slopes •Connect mall to park •Achieve some height so the terrain is interesting and to achieve views of ocean
Art and Culture: •Live music, painting classes, yoga taichi classes •Quiet music, not simplified touchable art •Include local and folk art •A designed space for public programming and quality public art will create identity and destination along with cultural vibrancy •Small amphitheater for performance •Andy Goldsworthy type sculpture would be a great fit for SM •Natural process not a monument
Local History and Site History: •The history of native plants to native people •Relate to history of site •This site is adjacent to the former site of Arcadia Hotel and could be named after the founders wife and major local philanthropist Arcadia •City halls architecture needs to be brought into the town square area •Because the connection to palisades park is so important—certain elements could be threaded In something like the fencing—this would be a great opportunity to re-introduce the historic twig so prominent in historic
102 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report palisades •Pictures of underneath explanation of places to see and enjoy in SM like on stands held in plastic boxes maybe along the entrance walkway including the fishes, plants, etc. something no one can move or steal. •This site has been a hotel (Arcadia) , a rail yard, a trailer park, and the old site of the rand corp. Daniel elisberg, pentagon papers are probably buried here •Chez J outdoor restaurant
Play and Discovery: •Please incorporate bike lanes •I hope there is enough space to kick a soccer ball •Old fashioned French style merry go round •I love the idea of playful space for adults and kids •Would love to see spaces where people and their kids can enjoy biking or skating through perhaps not a full skate park but an open space where people can do some tricks •On second thought with Santa Monicas history—a birth place of skating. Id really love to see design constructed especially with skaters In mind
Water and Hydrology: •Water near freeway side to mask sound •Water fountain geyser shoot in the air 100 feet show tourists where the park is “just look for the geyser” •Bleacher seating to view of cars coming in and out of the tunnel
Innovation and Progressive Design: •Santa Monica has a great history of design/innovation •Please incorporate ramps and other accessible features so people with mobility issues and wheel chair users can enjoy the space as well •Surprise us! •Different trees, different chemicals, and different healing qualities. Please incorporate healing trees in appropriate places •The most progressive design is for people to realize they live in the forest •Use natural and renew the materials •A lot of manufactory materials and design are ugly. Just look at many new buildings in SM •Design that is respectful of history but still innovative •I want design that will change with our subtle seasons and invite us back time and time again •Lots of shade—skin cancer is very easy to get here •Lots of new tree planting by the city, schools, hospitals—where the appropriate trees are planted—lots of large canopy trees by the freeway to stop noise and pollution. •If we have the land of Arizona (4th and 5th street) as an additional park of informed kind would be very nice. That park can have some features that this one doesn’t have space for.
Identity and Destination: •Cultural destination: concerts and art walks •Most major city centers has an identity, watch is an open space for the community to be heard and hear each other •Meeting room accessible to all residents without charge. Recurring themes throughout park to integrate the whole •Please stay true to the history of Santa Monica (chez jays, the pier) •Make city hall park about history
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 103 •Don’t call it palisades garden. Make me think of pacific palisades (the palisades) Santa Monica
Sustainability and The Environment: •Sustainability and environment: needs to have ecological function and integrity •Lots more community gardens to grow vegetables and flowers •Benches and other resting areas that are built into the design •Ya can’t do a park in SM without making it sustainable. Please make a living breathing part of the community—community garden—keep us involved
104 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report
THEMESPALISADES GARDEN WALK We want the design to be inspired by themes that are important to you. Tell us what themes you would like to see explored at the Palisades Garden Walk:
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 7 THEMESOUR NEW PARK We want the design to be inspired by themes that are important to you. Tell us what themes you would like to see explored at the Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square:
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 6 THEMES TOWN SQUARE We want the design to be inspired by themes that are important to you. Tell us what themes you would like to see explored at the Town Square:
Civic Engagement and Public Discourse •Public space is my space •Free speech signatures
Horticulture and Habitats •Demonstrative gardens to promote sustainable practices; expansion of what’s already in front of city hall too
Views and Topography •Themes and sustainability and environment and horticulture and habitats are a part of another
Art and Culture •Since it doesn’t look like Eli will provide an art museum, we will need to include this component ourselves
Local History and Site History •Loose the ugly un-historic disturbingly wrong tile blue color and let the original beauty of C.H. live again •It has always been here and always should •Include history •Enhance historical info in Santa Monica
Sustainability and The Environment •Please more community gardens •Solar to power city it all and water, recycle
Innovation and Progressive Design •none
Water and Hydrology •Large fountain center •What is S.M. without water? •Filtered chilled free drinking water •Somehow incorporate the wind—its always present have water and wind and something interesting •21st century fountain sustainable •Wildlife should be accommodated in water features •Solar operated misters, heaters in park so comfy in all weather
Identity Destination •Stage and bandshell •This space is best served by creating a place that is flexible
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 105 THEMESTOWN SQUARE We want the design to be inspired by themes that are important to you. Tell us what themes you would like to see explored at the Town Square:
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk Santa Monica Concept Design Survey Report 8 james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 117 APPENDIX 3 ON-SITE COMMENT CARDS COMMUNITY CONTEXT Take some time to get acquainted with the Civic Center Specific Plan. Look at the orange survey line on site to understand that Olympic Drive will continue at the southern edge of the site to Ocean Avenue. Imagine the future edge of the park and tell us what you think.
•Have an area in the city to keep displaced for replanting. Have an organic forest, no clones, have a local nursery to grow exceptional trees from seeds. Experiment with new trees from other areas that can
survive in SM climate. Be H20 conscious. •Tall and large canopy trees, but not prohibiting entrance—blocking noise and pollution—keeping the view of the ocean. •Its essential that with every point of entry to the park there be bicycle racks for secure parking in a visible place. Some bike racks in the city also are installed incorrectly, such as the bike rack by the police substation in virgin park. This park will attract lots of cyclists and will have a lot of bike theft if good bike parking is not a consideration. •A big safe open field for letting your dogs loose and is far away from cars. •Great opportunity to develop a zone that is buffered from the traffic but close in the life of the street-like great Parisian café’s that inhabit that zone. Some topographic relief to create places and views from deep within the site. •I want colors that will last-I want an area that is inviting to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers at the same time, the park should be an escape from the city. I want performance spaces. •This is a tremendous opportunity to give Santa Monica an incredibly human identity-one that sends a message to the world in a city that can inter connect the environment, people, culture, and interaction and provide a place where one goes to feel all of the connections and contribute by simply being there by energizing more pedestrians bicycling and use of the light rail-the traffic and parking solution could possibly be exemplary here. •An observation tower that would offer people to climb up and view the ocean from the park would be awesome. And you could put a pole of rope to provide some extra fun. Also a pedestrian/bike bridge that started mid park and sloped gradually up and is over ocean avenue to provide access to the beach would be great. And dog friendly access! •This park, which should be renamed needs to integrate well with the green space, paths, streams etc. That will connect it to the park at the civic auditorium. •Create pedestrian path between SM place and the park. •Matilda wants a hill to slide down on your card board box like Santa Monica zoo. •Design Olympic to go around the three amigos. Don’t cut them down. •Hills to roll down, trees to climb. Playground space near new housing. Use natural materials and farms for an industry playground maze made from flat materials. •A little boy wrote “soft ground” on his comment card but I was afraid you may not have been able to read it. •Bandshell for the jazz concerts •Dog area. Shade-senior/kids sun. Shield noise, wind. Enjoy cool air. Water. •Community organic vegetable garden •How do you get here from the high school? •John would like a wall to play hand ball •Love to circle sm by bike, car , bus, walk-where can we park by car though? •Signs at each entrance. Signs to and from parking, shade, wind break, visibility, seating for seniors. •Make room for kids after school to have safe activities in park. •Warmer wind blocks, breezy and it is summer today and I am cold. •How can bikes get here from south sm? What about Michigan through school/ civic and to here? •Connection to city hall and grand park entrance
108 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report •4th street bridge over 405 is inhospitable isolating this park and city hall. •Great opportunity but needs to feel like a continuous pedestrian environment. Feels like a boarder between areas right now. Should feel like a people hub and not like a car hub. •Include civic center joint use—connection to samohi •Climbable trees •The edge of the park should be open without fences or bushes that make a border. Park should be visible from all directions and open. Maintain a welcome feeling •Why does Olympic need to go through? •Please don’t remove any of the trees. We have a wonderful city here and enjoy all of the open space.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 109 PLACES PALISADES GARDEN WALK Visit the central viewing station next to this station to get an overview of the entire site. Notice key site features and views. Tell us what you think about the interior of the site.
•Significant earth berms for elevation to actually see the ocean •I see access from main street to the pier along multiple paths. A fairly direct one with two handfuls of nodes of activity. One for minor bikers. A meandering area that is shut discovery and mending. •Being in an open space on a high point with a view of the setting sun, with peeks at the colorful Ferris wheel and the piers sign seem just right •Grade for ocean view •Save views from and to city hall from and to ocean lane •Some elevated structure to see a better view of the ocean •Utilize on site earth to minimize export •I see lots of landscaping interrupted by activity centers •Connections to pier and SM place •Nice to have a view of the ocean •Any point with an ocean •Baby boomer senior center •Lets view the mighty pacific ocean •View of sailboats on the ocean •City hall steps—not only for protests and participation in democracy but a place of natural beauty, fresh air, and green plants and shade •I think that the park would benefit greatly by having community gardens. Community gardens are a perfect expression of the city’s sustainability theme •Need height to see ocean and pier over Ocean Ave buildings. •Community organic vegetable garden with tours for school children •Chez jay restaurant-it would be wonderful to have a tavern on the green •I put it at the viewing station looking at the beach and ocean because SM is next to the ocean and that should be played up. I love looking at the ocean and feeling the breeze. •Homeless and control of vagrant park •Swimming pool •I’d love to have a viewing place from which to see the west and the east-on beautiful la days when there is a glorious snow layer on the mountains, there’s no good place to go see that. Please create it. •Keep Chez Jay •Playing cards area •The views of the ocean •Best spot with view of the ocean and seeing all the movements of the outside world moving along •There should be at least a view of the front of city hall from the park • Grand entrance with many smaller entrances along ocean avenue • Enhance bus stop • Shade trees on ocean avenue • Work chez jay into the plan • Build the viewing tower in the old plan • Please integrate the west facing view of city hall as a back stop. I know this is two parcels but lets integrate the two to the best of your abilities • I picked my spot and could see the beach ocean and sail boats • I like the closeness to the ocean. I am disturbed by the noise of traffic and names, but can’t be helped. Lots of canopy trees to block noise and shade area
110 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report • I like seeing far away so if we could have some hills that are strategically placed to use these spots • The lack of parking is going to kill S.M. the survey you need to do is to see how many people have been going out of SM to other malls-here is not a pleasant experience • Where I can drink my martini, watch people • Central axis point, ocean, pier, city hall, promenade gardens • 3-yr comment: please make stairs in the park • Southwest corner could use some elevation to give a nurturing bowl feeling to that corner. The flow naturally runs diagonally across parcel. • Needs to be view oriented—needs attractions. • I’d like a more panoramic view of city hall • I love flowers, trees, shrubs, the more the better! • Could topography be changed to allow better viewing of the beach? • Topography will be critical. I chose a spot that focuses northeast end looking west and south my back to freeway and commerce • Transparent wind breaks would be fun • My favorite spot is under the tree because I like to play under them • Bridge connecting park to sea • Love the Morten bay fig tree • Block the traffic from the street so it’s a real escape to be here • So much going on I feel overwhelmed-I just want to sit in the corner of the site and watch people and see the wind move across the site • I want to feel separated from the street but attached to the pacific • The site should be raised in some locations to provide a better view of the ocean. In addition a monumental structure should be better with a small footprint to offer a spectacular view spot for photos, etc • Keep all of the trees exactly where they are and move in more • We need a freeway cap • Walk up window at chez jays • The ocean view area in the middle should be wide open grassy area where we can picnic or play Frisbee. No stuff built there please. • I love the spot slightly north west of the central viewing station. You get the views but more important, it feels central. A botanical garden and arboretum would be ideal for this site. • With just a bit more elevation there is a great two corridor view of the ocean • Sunny low spot shelter from cold wind • Golf cart rides-shuttle-skate park • Sunny low spot shelter from cold wind • Maintain connections to the beach • New pay station close and ocean but farm from traffic-where one would walk going to the pier • No fences • Ocean avenue know entrance, wide open • Too windy-need some wind breakers • Topography-with views of the ocean • A quiet space area where people can sit, have plants and flowers • Create white noise to drown out traffic noise • I marked just in front of seaside terrace. It’s a beautiful vintage point and a critical connection for pedestrian and cycling crossing to connect to beach front walk and bike paths.
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 111 USES PALISADES GARDEN WALK Walk out to Ocean Avenue / Colorado Avenue to understand this important intersection and potential future connections to the Santa Monica Pier and Palisades Park. Notice transit stops and experience the streetscape. Tell us what you think about this edge of the site.
• The multi-leveled nature of the site is incredibly compelling. For at least ½ of the year, here be an remarkably dynamic condition that promotes the potential for a potent sectional juxtaposition as well as a juxtaposition of pace –the ability to have sanctuary by combining with movement • This intersection is critical for Santa Monica and an epicenter pedestrian flow. However it is ugly and dominated by cars and horn honking. I would love to see it becomes a scramble crossing to allow more pedestrian flow and reduce conflict between people and cars. I would also want to see a crossing at seaside with cyclists in mind in particular because seaside is an important connection to the beach bike path. The park itself is at major entry points such as this should have bike parking available and easy to see and access. • Keep up embedded in nature for we are a part of nature. Sweep us in the ocean’s view coolness, and embrace. Lets have elevated paths for views and call them sky paths. Create an archway to connect to palisades x 10 freeway so we can over look the pacific as we walk. At Colorado and ocean. Allow pedestrians to cross street at Co and ocean. • Concerned about mounting lights to trees impacting the health of the tree • Lighting is too bright at palisades park. Safe is good but not intrusive. • Please don’t screw lights into trees. • Landmark tower, open stairways with view platforms and café at top with beacon effect visible from PCH, 405 fwy, Venice, etc. View to all mountains =360 degrees. Elevator up center with stairs wrapping around. Visuals: Eifel Tower, Washington Monument, etc. • Wall to block the sounds at ocean avenue and the freeway. Views please. Topography would be great. • Don’t need another parking lot. Green space more important. • Lights that relate to the ferris wheel would be great. • Lighting is important for safety. • Please don’t screw lights into trees. • Critical link to pier park and beach. Missing Ocean Ave is very difficult as a pedestrian and bicyclist. Stop all motion traffic for crossing. • Minimal lighting please. Too much light spill is a problem for adjacent residents. • 2nd street under park or hallways under with gentle walkways over the top (no dark tunnel—let light in) • Don’t want to see the traffic along ocean blvd. • Please have benches. Lighting if important for safety. • Make Colorado a walk street. Pedestrian bridge from piers/palisades park to observation tower in new park. • I made the comment already in another context—build the viewing tower called for in the original civic center plan. Emphasize the point that this would decorate the view and you would need a tower path to walk up to see 360 views. • At the edge of Ocean and Colorado there should be an iconic entrance such as large arch or sculpture to welcome people from palisades park and the pier. The actual linking of the pier and pal park should be made as unobtrusive as possible. Right now crossing streets and walking through a bus stop might stop people from entering the park. • Security locked fence at night • Bathroom will be there • Lets not overwhelm the park with lighting as an anti homeless measure • Please make it open 24 hrs • Is it possible to create a sound barrier along the freeway? • You don’t want to make a mess in the park and people don’t want to come. Senior friendly because they call
112 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report police to keep bad things away. (written by police officer) • Lighting on sensors especially after closing • Keep dogs away from kids • Wind blows off the ocean between three and 5 and it is cold. Wind breaks would be nice. • Wind powered feature and corner of the park. Strong wind around 3pm from the ocean. • Actual community garden-shall last to include It in the park would help us feel like the park is for the residents as well as others. • A bandshell would be great-like central park. • Individual seats are good to prevent homeless sleeping on benches • Exercise stairs down to beach would be great • Drainage is really important when there is a short burst of rain • Any open area will draw soccer players and can chew up the grass • Affordable markets and vendors please • Water fountains and plazas • Walkway with overhanging trees and celebrating movement from urban into ocean context. • Educational area to teach about plants to have sculpture that we can touch and interact with • Take advantage of pier and ferris wheel views • Corner is noisy with all the traffic. Make somewhere quiet. • Can we have a tunnel to the beach? • Connect to transit? • Name: why palisades garden? If anything with a name like that—Santa Monica • Sustainability expressed through more community gardens • Food vendors that aren’t too expensive • Please come talk to the park rangers (police) •Appreciate the city’s gardeners (maintenance people) • Lunch area so people can get out for lunch from business • Parkways underground please • Connectivity! • Play area adjacent to restaurants that feel safe for both kids and parents • We need parking underground under the park for beach goers, pier goers, park visitors, and shoppers • Take cycling out • Cap freeway. Street trees and shade. Grand entrance. Wider Ocean Ave and sidewalk. Many entrances on ocean avenue. • State of the art park-line pier with newest rides and ferris wheel bigger/better/solar powered • Primary usage to enjoy nature, walk, and observe birds • Its not very pretty, hoping what you do here will spill onto ocean avenue, especially the western side. More connection to the water and natural beauty. Thank you • The intersection is both an important part of the park because of the pier city and at the same time loved and disruptive. The park somehow needs to feel peaceful. • This could be SM Millennium Park or Central park. It needs diverse uses and many different spaces. Public art, water features, and gardens should rule. • Please have good and safe access to the beach. • Don’t call palisades garden, sm garden
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 113 • Widen the sidewalk. Possible bridge over to pier/pal park community garden and orchard. Performance space, small amphitheater, save all trees on site/ tribute to tongva culture. New painting with emphasis on nature • Make it bigger over the parkway • Underpass to the beach and pier • People moving from bus need to be safe from one park to the other • A cultural structure that echoes the gardens of the site • I got run over by a bicycle avoiding the 30 people waiting for the bus • Key spot that is presently unfriendly-lots of room for improvement—please improve connection to palisades park • Bus stops on both main and ocean streets are important and should be welcoming • People need to get to the sea and this park without crossing the street (have a people bridge) • More community gardens please • Big challenge to connect with street and keep traffic out but keep connection to pier and Palisades Park as well as views open • Freeway isn’t much of a problem actually –don’t mind it at all actually • There is a lot of foot traffic in this area, close to the pier. A playground universally accessible will probably need handicap parking close by
114 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report THEMES PALISADES GARDEN WALK Experience the sound of the freeway within the context of the trees. Walk along the freeway edge next to this station to see views of the Holiday Inn, Main Street Bridge, Santa Monica Place and the McClure Tunnel. Tell us what you think about this edge of the site.
• Amazing city and pier views from old Morty. (View down 2nd) • Challenging… how to make this “urban” river of cement enjoyable • Good opportunity to plant tall tress for screening, maybe fruit trees. Save all existing trees on site. Trees help absorb carbon from freeway emissions and reduce noise. • Another great access point for business of sm place mall. Love the idea of using freeway as a resource public art opportunity • Lets enable us to have our gatherings include plantings, community stewardship embed us in mother earth. • Please belt of trees to stop the freeway noise pollution! Please also air pollution cleaning type of trees with large canopies. • In the late afternoon a palm tree casts a shadow on the west side of sears—showcase this view • Interested in having habitat space, linkage of other fragmented habitat around beach. • I’d like to see this side of the park well integrated to the edge. People can reflect on the bumper to bumper traffic, honking and environmental destruction below and drivers can look up and be jealous of life • Don’t make this area so edgy—this is a beach town—less plastic and colored moving lights • Nice views and most intrusive noise-masking needed • We need more gardens • I didn’t think about the freeway until reading this card—maybe its not such a big deal/influence after all • Traffic sounds are very annoying and not relaxing. Can a sound barrier wall be placed along the edge of the noisy section? • People place to be used and well loved • Walkways to take advantage of ocean views
james corner field operations | Palisades Garden Walk + Town Square Santa Monica 115 TOWN SQUARE Look across Main Street to understand the connection between these 2 new parks. Notice transit stops and experience the streetscape. Tell us what you think about Town Square and how it should relate to Palisades Garden Walk.
• Lets have our civic voices bounce off or stand on the shoulders of our civic ancestors who have contributed to making our city strong and lively. • I think the area in front of city hall and the court house showed the left as open as possible. The old architecture is beautiful and does not give a cluttered and crowded feeling and fits in with the beach town than the hard edge phony lights and sequins on the Bloomingdales building. Stop the construction I walk a lot and hear what tourists say—many wont come back –comments on ugly construction---we rate near/at bottom on travel and leisure guides. • The cost estimates must include the ecological capital costs and our generating resources. How are we honoring on our ecological debts. • Make the city hall building the main focus. Gardens, sitting and meeting areas for this site should simply support this building. • Sitting/meeting informal areas outside the city hall in a unique garden setting. • Keep the rose garden and flag pole. Consider a new special SM flag. Install a signal with cross walk over to garden walk. Lots of benches/seating areas. At least one stage area for speaker and events. • Create white noise to drown out traffic noise. • Always problem because the homeless take over spaces. • Well designed welcoming bus stops integrated into the design • Please, more community gardens • It should be more purposeful, functional space, while PGW can be more pastoral, recreational and educational
116 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report 106 Concept Design Community Outreach Summary Report