THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN Maintaining character and vitality at the historic crossroads of community, culture and commerce. Planning and Community Development Department ADOPTED JULY 2017 THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN Dear Friends, After an extensive community • We must maintain our sense of history – historic preservation engagement process, we are excited is important to present the Downtown Community Plan! Based upon direction from the • Let’s keep it local – a preference for small-scale and local City Council, Planning Commission businesses and listening to the many perspectives • It should be easy to get around – people mostly get around and voices that have an interest in by walking, bike, or car and there should be convenient and Downtown Santa Monica, this adopted reliable transportation choices Plan includes: • There are many ideas about height – support for the general • A predictable process to encourage housing, both market- strategy of protecting the historic core and establishing rate and significantly more affordable housing density near the Expo station but divergent ideas about • New protections for historic resources and incentives for exceeding 84 feet their adaptive reuse We would like to thank the thousands of community partners and • Eliminated parking minimums making it easier for local residents that have given their time to attend workshops and discussions, businesses to thrive join walking tours, take a questionnaire, and send us written comments. • A rigorous process for projects on three Established Large Your dedication has undoubtedly resulted in a better Plan. Sites allowing no more than 130’ As planners, it is our job to be a filter for the many voices that have Sincerely, shaped this Plan and it is our responsibility to balance these interest and provide our best recommendation. Six years ago, we set out with a goal for the Plan to bring the community together around a shared set of expectations. We asked and you answered loudly that: David Martin Director of Planning and Community Development • You love Downtown – locals visit Downtown with great frequency and prefer social activities • We need more public space – creation and enhancement of public space is the top priority THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CITY COUNCIL DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN TEAM Ted Winterer, Mayor Jing Yeo, AICP, City Planning Manager Gleam Davis, Mayor Pro Tempore Francie Stefan, Mobility Manager Sue Himmelrich Peter D. James, Principal Planner - Technical Director Robert Holbrook (2014) Travis Page, Senior Planner - Project Manager Kevin McKeown Cary Fukui, Assistant Planner Pam O’Connor Elizabeth Bar-El, AICP, Senior Planner Terry O’Day Cat Callaghan, Strategic Planning Intern Tony Vasquez Kyle Ferstead, Staff Assistant III Michelle Glickert, Principal Transportation Planner (2017) CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE Linda Huynh, Associate Planner Rick Cole, City Manager Tony Kim, Principal Planner Elaine M. Polachek, Assistant City Manager Rachel Kwok, Environmental Planner Rod Gould, City Manager (2015) Sarah Lejuene, Principal Planner (2015) Debbie Lee, Chief Communications Officer Steve Mizokami, Senior Planner Constance Farrell, Public Information Officer Shira Moch, Strategic Planning Intern PLANNING & COMMUNITY Stephanie Reich, Design and Historic Preservation Planner DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT Beth Rolandson, AICP, Principal Transportation Planner David Martin, Director Ariel Socarras, Associate Planner Salvador Valles, Assistant Director Roxanne Tanemori, AICP, Principal Planner Ellen Gelbard, Assistant Director (2014) CONSULTANT TEAM Torti Gallas and Partners, Inc. AMEC PLANNING COMMISSION RCLCo KPFF Engineering Amy Anderson, Chair Fehr & Peers Dudek Nina Fresco, Vice Chair Nelson\Nygaard Architectural Resources Group Mario Fonda-Bonardi HR&A Historic Resources Geroup Jennifer Kennedy Strategic Economics Leslie Lambert Richard McKinnon Gerda Newbold (2016) Jason Parry Jim Ries (2015) ii CITY OF SANTA MONICA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN CITY DEPARTMENT TEAM These City departments are gratefully acknowledged for their contribution and efforts in developing the Downtown Community Plan Big Blue Bus Office of Sustainability & the Environment Ed King, Director Shannon Parry, Sustainability Administrator Tim McCormick, Transit Planning Administrator Garrett Wong, Senior Sustainability Analyst City Attorney Office Police Department Joe Lawrence, Interim City Attorney Jacqueline Seabrooks, Chief Marsha Moutrie, City Attorney (2016) Clinton Muir, Lieutenant Susan Cola, Deputy City Attorney Public Works Heidi von Tongeln, Deputy City Attorney Susan Cline, Director Community and Cultural Services Dean Kubani, Assistant Director Karen Ginsberg, Director Martin Pastucha, Director (2016) Shannon Daut, Cultural Affairs Manager Gil Barboa, WAter Resource Manager Jessica Cusick, Cultural Affairs Manager (2016) Rick Valte, P.E., City Engineer Greg DeVinck, P.E., Principal Civil Engineer Finance Tom Watson, Water Resources Protection Programs Coordinator Gigi Decavalles, Director David Carr, Assistant City Treasurer Rent Control Tracy Condon, Rent Control Administrator Fire Department Bill Walker, Chief Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. Kathleen Rawson, CEO Information Services Department Steven Welliver, Deputy CEO Joseph Cevetello, Chief Information Officer Mackenzie Carter, Director of Marketing and Communications Jory Wolf, Chief Information Officer (2016) Collette Hanna, Community Outreach Manager Kevin Herrera, Sr. Marketing and Communications Manager Gary Carter, Community Broadband Manager Kenneth Bales, Assistant Community Broadband Analyst DTSM, Inc. Board of Directors Bruria Finkel - Vice Chair Elaine Polachek - City Appointee Housing & Economic Development Joshua Gilman - Zone 1 Rob Rader - Secretary / Treasurer Patricia Hoffman - Vice Chair Scott Schonfeld - Zone 3 Andy Agle, Director Noreen Husain - Zone L Barry Snell - Vice Chair - City Appointee Jason Harris, Economic Development Manager Julia Ladd - Zone 2 Barbara Tenzer - Chair - At Large Jennifer Taylor, Economic Development Administrator Juan Matute - City Appointee Johannes Van Tilburg - City Appointee Alan Mont - At Large iii THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS The City of Santa Monica would like to thank the members of the City Boards and Commission for their ongoing contribution and participation in workshops, meetings and the review of the Downtown Community Plan. Architectural Review Board Disabilities Commission Recreation and Parks Commission Maegan Pearson, Chair Nanci Linke-Ellis (Chair) John Cyrus Smith, Chair Margaret Griffin Marielle Kriesel Lori Brown, Vice-Chair Craig Hamilton Mariana Bidart Deborah Cohen Barbara Kaplan Thomas John Hill Albin Gieliecz Therese Kelly Marti McCarty Maryanne LaGuardia Joshua Rosen Neil McClean Kurt Schwengel Patrick Tighe Audrey Parker Alan Toy Glenda Berg Arts Commission June Hagen Social Services Commission Michael Robert Myers, Chair Kathryn Kosmeya-Dodge Shawn Landres, Chair Corin Kahn, Vice Chair Christy Hobart Anthony Perez, Vice-Chair Michael Baroff Christofer Arroyo (2016) Elaine Barringer Phil Brock Tania Bradkin (2017) Carl Cheng (2016) Housing Commission Nancy Coleman Frederick Keith Fiddmont (2016) Michael Soloff, Chair Anne Dobson (2017) Roger Genser Richard Hilton, Vice-Chair Jacqueline Kalish (2016) Ed Horowitz Loren Henry Bloch Bill Parent Linda Jassim Rene Jean Buchanan Anita Prentice Iao Katagiri Sue Keintz Winnie Wechsler Michael James Masucci Anjuli Rachel Kronheim Katz George Minardos Joanne Levit Senior Commission Anne Troutman (2016) Paula Fern, Chair Laurie Yehia Landmarks Commission Barbara Browning Laura Elizabeth O’Neill, Chair Jennie Braun Commission on the Status of Women Dolores Sloan, Chair Pro Tempore Barry Engelman Sylvia Ghazarian, Chair Margaret Bach Elliot Goldberg Nicole Phillis, Vice-Chair John Charles Berley Kathryn Kietzman Joni Byun Richard Brand Willa Wells Madeleine Brand Amy Green Leigh Brumberg Melissa Goodman Ruth Shari Elizabeth Wilson Gauri-Brienda Ramnath Nel Steele (2016) Elena Christopoulos Nancy Pierandozzi Diane Miller iv CITY OF SANTA MONICA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY PLAN THE SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY City staff is grateful for the participation, advice and wisdom of many members of the Santa Monica community, with particular thanks to those working or living in the Plan area, who generously shared their perspectives on the area’s future in person, online and at many community events over the years. Participation and assistance from a wide range of organizations, including:: Christian Towers Senior Residences Community Advisory Group on the Downtown Community Plan Climate Action Santa Monica Iao Katagiri Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) Kathleen Rawson, DTSM, Inc. Downtown Study Group Elizabeth Vandenburgh, Wilmont Friends of Sunset Park Richard McKinnon, Planning Commission North of Montana Association Mario Fonda-Bonardi, Planning Commission Ocean Park Association Elena Christopoulos, DNA Pico Neighborhood Association Mike Salazar, OPA Residocracy Natalya Zernitskaya Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Santa Monica Conservancy Santa Monica Democratic Club Santa Monica Forward Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City Santa Monica Mid-City Neighbors Santa Monica Next Santa Monica Northeast Neighbors Santa Monica Spoke Santa Monica Travel and Tourism Silvercrest Senior Citizen Residences St. Monica Catholic Community UNITE HERE! Local 11 Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) v THE DOWNTOWN