ITEM 8-C
Council Meeting: April 14, 1992
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Recommendation to the City Council to Certify the Final
Environmental Impact Report and Approve an Ordinance
for First Reading to Amend the Official Districting Map
for the City of Santa Monica, and Direct the City
Attorney to Prepare Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments
Establishing the R3R District, R2B District, Beach
Parking District, and Designated Parts Zoning District.
INTRODUCTION
This public hearing will be the fifth and final to be conducted
on the citywide redistricting process. To date, four public
hearings have been conducted before the Planning Commission on
redistricting. The recommendations from the Planning Commission
are provided in this report. Staff is recommending adoption of
the Districting Map as approved by the Planning Commission with
the exception of the Coastal Zone Overlay District. Staff
recommends the Council defer action on the Coastal Zone Overlay
District until the Local Coastal Plan (LCP) is certified.
The process of updating the Districting Map, or "redistricting",
is essentially administrative in nature. Its purpose is to
formalize the interim zoning district boundaries adopted by the
City Council in 1988 in order to eliminate inconsistencies
between the County Assessor's zoning designations and the City's.
This report discusses the purpose and content of the proposed
Draft Official Districting Map, the findings of the Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) and the process that produced the Districting
Map presented for City Council review. This report is organized
as follows: Project History provides a brief history of the
development of the proposed Districting Map; Project Description
describes the proposed Final Districting Map in general terms;
Public Hearing Process describes the public participation and
public hearing process; Area Rezonings provides a more detailed
discussion of individual areas that are subject to redistricting;
and, Environmental Review Process summarizes the findings of the
EIR, the alternatives studied and the public comments.
It is recommended that the City Council conduct a final public
hearing on the proposed Official Districting Map, make any final
changes to the Map, adopt for first reading the attached
ordinance implementing the Final Districting Map, and direct the
City Attorney to prepare the ordinances necessary to implement
the new R3R District, R2B District, Beach Parking District and
Designated Parks District.
PROJECT HISTORY
The Citywide redistricting project is the culmination of a
lengthy process that began in 1981. At that time, the City
Council initiated an update to the Land Use and Circulation
Element. As part of the update, the City Council adopted a
development moratorium and created a Citizens' Task Force to
study existing development policies and to recommend changes.
After an extensive public process, the City Council approved the
Land Use and Circulation Element on October 23, 1984.
Once the new Land Use and Circulation Element was adopted, it
became evident that the Zoning Ordinance, the primary
implementation mechanism of the General Plan's goals, policies
and standards, needed to be revised. Furthermore, the numerous
changes and modifications made to the Zoning Ordinance between
1948 and 1988 resulted in internal inconsistencies. On January
28, 1986, the City Council initiated a comprehensive revision to
the Zoning Ordinance. After more than 30 public hearings before
the Planning Commission and extensive City Council review, the
Zoning Ordinance was adopted by the City Council on August 9,
1988.
As part of the Zoning Ordinance adoption, new zoning districts
were created and the boundaries to some of the existing zoning
districts were changed. To reflect these changes, the Council
adopted an Interim Districting Map on August 9, 1988. The
Interim Map was to be effective until such time as the revised
zoning boundaries and new zoning districts could be formally
adopted by the Planning Commission and City Council through the
redistricting process.
Between August 9, 1988 and the present, the Interim Map
originally adopted by the City Council has been revised to
incorporate the following changes:
o 1548 9th Street - R3A to M1
o 1621 7th Street - C3 to M1
o 1448 24th Street - R2 to C4
o North of Wilshire Rezoning - R3 to NW-R2 and R4 to NW-R3
o Ocean Park Rezoning-R2, R3 and R4 districts to OP-1,
OP-Duplex, OP-2, OP-3 and OP-4.
Between May and October, 1991, the Planning Commission conducted
four public hearings on the adoption of the new Districting Map.
All property owners, merchants, and residential tenants were
notified of the Planning Commission hearings. The Planning
Commission recommended several modifications to the Districting
Map as originally proposed by staff. Those changes are supported
by staff and are presented within this report.
PROPOSED ZONING DISTRICT MODIFICATIONS
The 1988 Zoning Ordinance, and its subsequent amendments,
eliminated five zoning designations and added sixteen new zoning
districts.
The five zoning districts eliminated were:
CA COMMERCIAL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT
C4A LIMITED HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
CR COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
M2 INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
S-Overlay SITE REVIEW OVERLAY DISTRICT (M2S)
The sixteen new zoning districts created are:
RMH RESIDENTIAL MOBILE HOME DISTRICT
OP-1 OCEAN PARK SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
OP-2 OCEAN PARK LOW MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
OP-Duplex OCEAN PARK DUPLEX RESIDENTIAL
OP-3 OCEAN PARK MEDIUM MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
OP-4 OCEAN PARK HIGH MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
RVC RESIDENTIAL-VISITOR COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
CC CIVIC CENTER DISTRICT
C3C DOWNTOWN OVERLAY DISTRICT
C5 SPECIAL OFFICE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
C6 BOULEVARD COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
BCD BROADWAY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
PL-Overlay PUBLIC LANDS OVERLAY DISTRICT
N-Overlay NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT
NW-R2 NORTH OF WILSHIRE NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY DISTRICT/R2
NW-R3 NORTH OF WILSHIRE NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY DISTRICT/R3
District boundary modifications included the following:
o San Vicente Boulevard between Ocean Court and Seventh
Street, R4 and R3 changed to R2.
o The beachfront area bounded by the Promenade, Pico
Boulevard, Seaside Terrace and parcels fronting on Ocean
Avenue, changed from R4 to R3 and RVC.
o Parcels within the M1 (Industrial Conservation) District
along the Colorado Boulevard - Santa Monica Freeway
industrial corridor formerly zoned M2 will be changed to
M1 and C5.
o The Santa Monica Business Park, M2S changed to C5.
o Pico Boulevard between 31st Street and the eastern city
limits, changed from C4 to C2.
o The area incorporated in the Hospital Area Specific
Plan, bounded by Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway between
20th Street and Cloverfield Boulevard, changed from CA
to a mixture of CP and R3, and from CP to a mixture of
R2 and R4.
The Draft Official Districting Map presented by staff to the
Planning Commission for review reflected the district
designations and boundaries changes outlined above in the
addition to the following changes:
1) Boundaries were shifted around St. John's Hospital and
Health Center, and Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center
to accommodate the provisions of the Hospital Area
Specific Plan (HASP) adopted by the City Council on
September 27, 1988;
2) the A-overlay (surface parking overlay) was removed from
parcels currently developed with a residential or
non-parking use and added to the beachfront public
parking areas;
3) Properties in the Coastal Zone reflected the Zoning
designations approved by Council in the Local Coastal
Plan.
4) Minor zoning boundary adjustments were made in the Ocean
Park neighborhood, Special Office District, and other
commercial districts to reflect existing land uses on
the ground.
Figure 1 shows the Draft Official Districting Map as it was
presented to the Planning Commission in May, 1991. Figure 2
shows the proposed Final Official Districting Map incorporating
the changes approved by the Planning Commission. These changes
are highlighted on the map.
The changes recommended by the Planning Commission are as
follows:
1. Eliminate the PL-designation from private property adjacent
to Muir and Washington Elementary Schools.
2. Rezone the 16 Hollister Avenue parcels between Barnard Way to
Neilson Way to OP-2, not OP2A.
3. Add the Beach Parking District (BPD) designation to that area
of Ocean Park west of Neilson Way.
4. Remove the Off-Street Parking (A) designation from the R4
parcels in Ocean Park along the 1900 block of South Ocean
Avenue, Pico Boulevard to Bay Street.
5. For simplicity of recognition on the Districting Map, add the
letters "NW" throughout the North of Wilshire Overlay
District.
6. Revise the Districting Map to reflect the accurate RMH
district boundary of the Village Trailer Park at 2930
Colorado Avenue.
7. Rezone the 1800 square foot City-owned parcel at 3300 Pico
Place from R1 to C2.
8. To create a special designated parks district to include all
City-owned parks, including Clover Park. The intent of the
zone is to preserve these parks.
9. To rezone the 612 Colorado Boulevard site to C3.
10. Designate all beach area parking lots south of Santa Monica
Pier with the Beach Parking District (BPD) designation.
11. Designate the zoning districts as adopted in the Local
Coastal Plan.
The redistricting process rezones over one-third of all parcels
in the City. Rezonings will occur throughout the City, however,
the major rezonings are concentrated in Ocean Park, and the
Wilshire/Montana neighborhoods. All zoning districts, with the
exception of the R2R and CM zones in Ocean Park, are affected by
this redistricting process. Approximately 81% of all parcels
affected are in residential zones, 15% are in commercial zones,
3% are in the industrial zone and 1% are in the public lands.
The following outlines the Specific changes included in the
proposed Districting Map.
Ocean Park Rezonings
Area Boundary: Lincoln Boulevard (E)
Pico Boulevard (N)
Pacific Ocean (W)
South City Limits (S)
After over two years of study and community workshops, the Santa
Monica City Council approved the Ocean Park Rezoning Plan on
September 19, 1989. The plan created five new residential zones
(OP-1, OP-Duplex, OP-2, OP-3, OP-4) and new development standards
which are unique to Ocean Park. The five new OP-residential
zones were added to the Interim Map in September 1989.
Neither the Interim Map approved by City Council in 1988, nor the
amended 1989 version which reflected the Ocean Park rezonings,
altered the area zoned R1 and CR along the beachfront. Because
the Commercial Residential District (CR) has been eliminated from
the Zoning Ordinance, a new designation for this area is
necessary. Consistent with Planning Commission direction, the
zoning for this area consists primarily of the Beach Parking
District (BPD) zone for the surface parking lots and some OP-3.
Two graphic errors on the Draft Official Districting Map have
also been corrected with Planning Commission approval. These are
as follows:
1. Eliminate PL-designation from private property adjacent to
Muir and Washington Elementary Schools.
2. Rezone the 16 Hollister Avenue parcels, Barnard Way to
Neilson Way, to OP-2, not OP2A.
North of Wilshire Rezonings
Area Boundary: 14th Street (E)
Montana Avenue (N)
Ocean Avenue (W)
Wilshire Boulevard (S)
The North of Wilshire zoning was made part of the Zoning
Ordinance in September 1990. The City Council, on May 9, 1989,
enacted a moratorium on residential development in the North of
Wilshire residential area pending formation of a strategy to
address problems of development. During the moratorium period,
staff worked with a task force of neighborhood residents,
property owners and developers to develop a strategy to address
the issues. An EIR was prepared in 1990 to assess the impacts of
several alternative development controls. The Final FEIR was
certified in the summer of 1990.
With the adoption of the new zoning standards, the City Council
amended the Interim Districting Map to reflect the new North of
Wilshire zoning district. The Council added the NW - North of
Wilshire Overlay to the Interim Districting Map and reduced
zoning densities in the North of Wilshire Overlay District by
downzoning the R4 district to R3 and the R3 to R2.
Approximately 1,932 parcels in the North of Wilshire Neighborhood
are subject to rezoning through the redistricting process.
San Vicente Boulevard Rezonings
Area Boundary: 100 through 600 Blocks of San Vicente
Boulevard North and South sides
Approximately 165 parcels on San Vicente Boulevard, from Ocean
Court to Seventh Street, are subject to rezoning. The San
Vicente Boulevard rezoning downzones the R3 and R4 districts to
the R2 zoning district. This R2 district has been in effect
since the Interim Districting Map's initial adoption in 1988.
Mobile Home Parks (RMH)
Area Boundary: Mt. View Trailer Park (1930 Stewart Street)
Village Trailer Park (2930 Colorado Avenue)
The RMH zone district was created to preserve and protect
existing residential mobile home park developments. Five
parcels, with two existing Mobile Home Parks, will be rezoned to
RMH through the redistricting process.
Related Map Revisions:
The Interim Map approximated the locations of the two mobile home
parks, resulting in imprecise boundaries. The final Official
Districting map has been revised to reflect the accurate
boundaries of the parcels where the mobile home parks are sited.
Off-Street Parking Overlay (A)
Area Boundary: Citywide on existing Residential parcels
Approximately 384 parcels citywide are to have their A-overlay
(Off-Street parking) designation removed as a result of this
redistricting process.
The following outlines the number of parcels affected and the
zoning district for these Off-Street Parking parcels:
A-Parcel Rezonings Pre-1988 Zoning No. Of Parcels to Rezone
R1 R1A 15
R2 R2A 104
R3 R3A 29
CP R3A 1
The following text outlines where the specific changes will
occur:
Exposition Boulevard
The 41 R2 residential parcels along the south side of
Exposition Boulevard will have the "A" classification removed
since parking does not exist on any of these parcels.
Ocean Park Boulevard
Approximately 13 parcels (8 R2 parcels, 5 R3 parcels) located
on the north side of Ocean Park from 28th Street to 34th
Street will have their "A" designation removed since parking
does not exist on any of these parcels.
Pico Boulevard
Approximately 34 R2 parcels along both sides of Pico
Boulevard will have their "A" designation removed since
parking does not exist on any of these parcels.
Lincoln Boulevard
One R2 parcel along Lincoln Boulevard, at Lincoln and Wilson,
will have the "A" designation removed since parking does not
exist on any of these parcels.
Colorado Boulevard
Six R3 parcels along the north side of Colorado, between 10th
and 14th Streets, will have their "A" designations removed
since parking does not exist on any of these parcels.
Santa Monica Boulevard
Approximately 20 parcels (8 R2 and 11 R3) along both sides of
Santa Monica Boulevard will have their "A" designation
removed since parking does not exist on any of these parcels.
One R2A parcel is to be rezoned to CP, in accordance with the
Hospital Area Specific Plan (HASP).
Wilshire Boulevard
Along Wilshire Boulevard, 22 parcels will have their "A"
designation removed. These parcels consist of 7 R1, 8 R2,
and 7 R3 parcels.
Montana Avenue
Four R2 parcels on the south side of Montana Avenue, between
15th and 17th Streets, and 8 R1 and 2 R2 parcels on the north
side of Montana, between 7th and 14th Streets, will have
their "A" designation removed since parking does not exist on
any of these parcels.
"A" Parking Overlay - North of Wilshire
The Interim Map amendment that reflects the North of Wilshire
downzoning and boundaries of the North of Wilshire Overlay
did not amend the area's A-overlay (off-street parking)
parcels to reflect the actual existence of a surface parking
use. Staff review has discovered that 107 A-overlay North of
Wilshire parcels are not currently utilized for surface
parking. Therefore, the proposed Official Districting Map
has removed the A-Overlay designation from one parcel on the
north side of Montana and on 12 parcels along the south side
of Montana (6th to 14th Street). All of these parcels are
proposed for R2-NW zoning.
Along Wilshire Boulevard, the A-designation on 47 parcels
fronting 2nd and 3rd streets was removed, and 47 parcels
between 4th Court and 14th Street had the A-designation
removed.
Neighborhood Commercial
Area Boundary: 3100 through 3400 Blocks of Pico
Boulevard,north and south sides
The C2 district is intended to protect and enhance neighborhood
commercial areas by promoting the concentration of businesses
that provide convenience goods and services used frequently by
local residents. Consistent with the Land Use and Circulation
Element policies, the area was rezoned on the Interim Map from C4
to C2.
Approximately 30 C2 parcels are subject to rezoning. This number
includes an 1800 square foot City-owned parcel at 3300 Pico Place
North, adjacent to the Santa Monica Freeway. Due to the parcel's
size and location between the freeway and Pico Boulevard, this
parcel is not desirable for residential purposes. City staff
recommends, and the Planning Commission concurs, that this parcel
currently used for parking should be rezoned from R1 to C2.
Related Map Revisions:
The rezoning of the R1 parcel to C2 is among the proposed
revisions approved by the Planning Commission to the Official
Districting Map.
Downtown Commercial (C3 & C3C)
Area Boundary: Ocean Court (W)
Santa Monica Freeway (S)
Seventh Court (E)
Wilshire Boulevard (N)
Approximately 250 parcels within the Downtown area are subject to
rezoning.
District Boundary Locations:
C3C Downtown Overlay District
The C3C district was created from 208 C3 parcels and one C4
parcel through the 1988 Zoning Ordinance adoption process.
The C3C district is bordered on the north by Wilshire
Boulevard, on the east by 5th Court, the south by Colorado
Avenue and the west by 2nd Street. The district is intended
to provide for a concentration of comparison retail and
cultural uses in addition to uses such as hotels, offices and
housing. The C3C district encompasses the Third Street
Promenade and Santa Monica Place.
C3 Downtown Commercial District
The "Downtown Frame" concept in the City's Land Use and
Circulation Element is defined as the entire C3 district
minus the area mapped with the C3C designation. The C3
district borders have not changed except that the block
bounded by Arizona Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard, 6th and 7th
Streets has been changed from CP to C3. In addition, 12 M1
parcels along Colorado Avenue and on Palm Court were rezoned
to C3.
N Neighborhood Commercial Overlay
Seven C3 parcels along the 1400 and 1500 blocks of 7th Street
were given the N designation on the Interim Map. The N
designation will preserve the existing and future
neighborhood commercial uses located on these sites.
Highway Commercial (C4)
Area Boundary: 1400 through 1600 blocks of Lincoln Boulevard,
and 1700 through 1900 blocks of 14th Street
Approximately 60 C4 parcels are subject to rezoning.
District Boundary Locations:
C4 Highway Commercial
Twenty six parcels on 14th Street and 16 M1 and M2 parcels on
Lincoln Boulevard will be rezoned to C4.
N Neighborhood Commercial Overlay
The N designation was added to 13 parcels along the 1400 and
1500 blocks of Lincoln Boulevard. The N designation will
preserve the existing and future neighborhood commercial uses
located on these sites.
Wilshire Boulevard (C6)
Area Boundary: 800 through 3300 Blocks of Wilshire Boulevard,
north and south sides
The Boulevard Commercial District (C6) was created through the
1988 Zoning Ordinance adoption. The C6 district is designed to
recognize Wilshire Boulevard's role in the City and distinguish
it from the automobile-oriented highway Commercial District (C4).
Approximately 167 parcels on Wilshire Boulevard, from Lincoln
Boulevard to East City Limit, are subject to rezoning. All C6
parcels were rezoned from C4 parcels. The C6 rezonings include
22 parcels with an N-overlay designation.
Broadway Commercial (BCD)
Area Boundary: 800 through 1900 Blocks of Broadway, north and
south sides
The Broadway Commercial District (BCD) was established to promote
neighborhood serving commercial uses and pedestrian oriented
development while providing incentives for residential uses in
mixed use developments.
Approximately 132 parcels on Broadway, from Lincoln Court to 20th
Street, are subject to rezoning. The majority of the BCD parcels
were rezoned from C4 parcels. However, the creation of this
district includes the rezoning of 16 parcels at 12th and Broadway
from R3 to BCD, and 18 parcels rezoned from C4A to BCD on
Broadway and 14th Street.
Civic Center (CC)
Area Boundary: Ocean Avenue (W)
East side of 4th Street (E)
Santa Monica (I-10) Freeway (N)
Pico Boulevard (S)
The Civic Center (CC) District was created in August 1988 with
the adoption of the Zoning Ordinance. The purpose of the CC
District is to encourage the concentration of government and
cultural facilities, and the development of administrative
offices for non-profit educational and research institutions.
The Ordinance deferred the decisions regarding development
standards, precise uses and the scale and character of the
district to the Civic Center Specific Plan process.
Approximately 33 parcels within the Civic Center area are subject
to rezoning.
Hospital Area Specific Plan
Area Boundary: Wilshire Boulevard (N)
Euclid Avenue (W)
Broadway Avenue (S)
Chelsea Avenue (E)
The Commercial Professional (CP) development standards proposed
in the adopted Hospital Area Specific Plan (HASP) were
incorporated into the 1988 Zoning Ordinance. However, the zone
district boundary changes were not incorporated into the Interim
Districting Map. The CP development standards were divided
between a more intensive medical facility development district
which allows five stores and a 2.5 FAR (CP-5) and a decreased
medical facility development district which allows three stores
and a 1.5 FAR (CP-3). In addition, all parcels zoned Commercial
Administrative (CA) were rezoned in the HASP because the CA zone
was eliminated in the revision of the Zoning Ordinance.
Approximately 71 parcels within the HASP area are subject to
rezoning.
District Boundary Locations:
R2 Low Density Multi-Family Residential
The HASP requires rezoning of 19 parcels at 21st Street and
Arizona Avenue, and along the east side of 20th Street,
between Wilshire Boulevard and Arizona Avenue, from CP to R2.
This low density housing designation reflects the land use
proposed in the HASP for these blocks.
R3 Medium Density Multi-Family Residential
Seven parcels are located at 23rd and Schader Drive. These
parcels are currently developed with a mixture of single and
multi-family units. The rezoning will change the zoning from
CA to R3.
R4 High Density Multi-Family Residential
Six parcels are to be rezoned from CP to R4 along the west
side of the 2000 block of Arizona Avenue.
CP Commercial Professional
Approximately 22 parcels are to be rezoned to the CP
designation. Most of the CA parcels between 20th and 23rd
Streets, and Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard, are to be
rezoned CP to reflect the medical-related and commercial land
uses on these parcels. In addition, parcels on the 1300
block of 23rd Street (west side) will be rezoned from R3 and
R4 to CP to accommodate the expansion of the St. John's
Hospital and Health Center campus.
The CP district has been divided between the CP-3 and CP-5
subdistricts on the Draft Official Districting Map. The more
intensive development subdistrict, CP-5, will be located on
parcels fronting Wilshire or Santa Monica Boulevards,
whereas, the CP-3 subdistrict will provide a transitional
boundary to the adjacent residential districts.
Special Office Commercial (C5)
Area Boundary: (1) Business Park - Ocean Park Boulevard (N)
along Ocean Park Blvd. 25th Street (W)
Santa Monica Airport (S)
East City Limits (E)
(2) Colorado Avenue/ - Broadway Avenue (N)
Olympic Boulevard Area West side 20th St. (W)
Michigan Ave./
Exposition Bl. (S)
East City Limits/
Olympic Bl./
Stewart Street (E)
The Special Office District (C5) was created through the 1988
Zoning Ordinance adoption. The C5 district is designed to
promote office, research and development type uses, as well as
small scale manufacturing, in a campus setting. This district is
concentrated in two areas of the City - at the business park
along Ocean Park Boulevard and along the Colorado Avenue and
Olympic Boulevard corridor. The Water Garden and Colorado Place
developments are located within this district.
The Santa Monica Airport was originally supposed to be zoned C5.
However, no zoning changes will be made to the Airport site until
a public process occurs to determine the appropriate zoning. The
Airport is not included in this redistricting process.
Approximately 137 parcels in these two areas are subject to
rezoning. The business park parcels were previously zoned M2.
The C5 district along the Colorado/Olympic corridor was created
from 26 M1 and 89 M2 parcels.
Industrial Conservation (M1)
Area Boundary: 1) Colorado Avenue (N)
Sixth Street and Bus Yard (W)
Olympic Boulevard (S)
East side of Nineteenth Street (E)
2) Santa Monica Public Works Yard at
Stewart Street
3) Colorado Avenue (N)
Stewart Street (W)
Olympic Boulevard (S)
Eastern City Limits/Berkeley Street (E)
The Industrial Conservation District (M1) is the only industrial
zoning district for the City. This district is intended to
preserve existing industrial uses and provide a location for
future small-scale industrial operations. The M1 district is
concentrated in three areas, all located along the
Colorado/Olympic corridor, and divided by the C5 district in the
eastern part of the City and the Lincoln Boulevard C4 district in
the western part of this corridor.
Approximately 143 parcels within the Industrial Conservation
district are subject to rezoning. All M1 parcels were rezoned
from M2 parcels.
Related Map Revisions:
The Community Development Department has requested, with Planning
Commission concurrence, that the City-owned 612 Colorado Avenue
which is currently zoned M1 be rezoned at this time to C3
(Downtown Commercial). The dimensions of this parcel are 320'
along Colorado and 165' along Seventh and Sixth Street. This
site currently houses a number of community and human service
organizations. The rezoning will allow future proposed
redevelopment of this site.
Coastal Zone
The Local Coastal Plan (LCP) establishes land use policies and
zoning standards for the City's designated coastal zone. Some of
the zone districts and zoning boundaries adopted for the area are
new and are therefore subject to redistricting. These include
the Coastal Zone Overlay District, the R3R Medium Density
Multiple Family Coastal Residential District, the R2B Low Density
Multiple Residential Beach District, and additional areas
designated for Residential-Visitor Commercial District. Also
applicable within a large area of the Coastal Zone is the Beach
Overlay District. Each of these designations is discussed below.
Staff is recommending creation of all the new zoning districts
with the exception of the Coastal Zone Overlay District since
this zone is not applicable until the City has a certified LCP.
The other districts are not directly related to the LCP and
should be adopted.
Coastal Zone Overlay District
The purpose of the Coastal Zone Overlay District is to
trigger the special requirement for a Coastal Development
Permit and to describe requirements for access dedication,
preservation of views and visual quality, and other special
requirements applicable within the Coastal Zone. The purpose
of the Coastal Development Permit is to ensure that all
development in the Coastal Zone conforms to the Santa Monica
Zoning Ordinance and the Local Coastal Program.
The Coastal Zone extends the entire length of the coast and
extends inland to Seventh Street between San Vicente and the
northern City boundary, to Fourth Street between San Vicente
and Pico Boulevard, and to Lincoln between Pico Boulevard and
the southern City boundary.
R3R Medium Density Multiple Family Coastal Residential
District
The implementing ordinance of the Local Coastal Program Land
Use Plan creates a new residential zone called the R3R Medium
Density Multiple Family Coastal Residential District.
Consistent with the Land Use Element of the General Plan,
this new district calls for the use of an FAR standard to
guide development in the R3R district. This designation will
apply to several parcels situated east of Appian Way. The
height limit in the R3R district is more restrictive than in
the R3 district. The R3R District is intended to afford
protection from deleterious environmental effects and to
maintain the existing character of the residential
neighborhood adjacent to the beach. The proposed zoning
ordinance language for the R3R District is contained in
Attachment 1.
R2B Low Multiple Family Coastal Residential District
The primary purpose of the new R2B District is to standardize
residential zoning along the Pacific Coast Highway, where
zoning previously included a mix of residential zoning
densities from R1 to R4. Development standards for this new
district are similar to those applicable in the R2 district
but allow height increase of up to 40 feet in cases where the
parcel is less than 40 feet wide. The R2B designations are
located along the west side of the PCH north of the Santa
Monica Pier. The proposed zoning ordinance language for the
R2B District is provided in Attachment 2.
Residential-Visitor Commercial District
The RVC-designated areas within the Coastal Zone include some
areas that were designated for residential-visitor commercial
use as part of the 1984 Land Use Element and other areas that
have recently been designated RVC as part of the Local
Coastal Plan.
The area along the east side of Ocean Avenue between
California Avenue and Colorado Boulevard was designated for
residential and visitor-serving commercial use as part of the
Land Use Element. Portions of the area west of Ocean Avenue
between Colorado Boulevard and Pico Boulevard were also
designated for this use as part of the Land Use Element.
However, the latter area was re-examined during the LCP land
use planning process and some RVC designations have been
changed. More specifically, the RVC designation has been
applied to only the parcels fronting on Ocean Avenue, and
those parcels that are in commercial use or vacant.
Portions of the area west of the PCH and north of the Pier
which were previously designated R4 high density residential
use have been re-designated RVC under the Local Coastal Plan.
Only those parcels currently occupied by a beach club will be
zoned RVC.
Beach Overlay District
In November 1990, the city voters approved an initiative
(referred to as Proposition S) prohibiting hotel and motel
development and restaurants over 2,000 square feet in the
area west of Ocean Avenue and Neilson Way (excluding the Pier
area), and limiting new development on the Pier platform to a
maximum of 140,000 square feet. Shortly after passage of
Proposition, the Beach Overlay District was added to the
Zoning Ordinance to implement the provisions of the
proposition. The Beach Overlay District area includes all
portions of the coastal zone located west of Ocean
Avenue/Neilson Way.
Beach Parking District
As part of the LCP approval, the Council directed staff to
create a new zoning district for the public parking lots
located along Pacific Coast Highway north of the Pier. The
new zoning district will be called the Beach Parking District
(BPD) and will permit public beach parking, open space, and
concession stands. As indicated above, the Planning
Commission has recommended that this designation be extended
to surface parking lots south of the pier as well. The
proposed zoning ordinance language for the BPD District is
contained in Attachment 3.
Designated Parks District
The Planning Commission directed staff to prepare draft text and
maps for a special designated parks zone for City-owned parks.
The purpose of the new zone would be to preserve the city's
parks.
Attachment 4 contains the proposed language for the DP Designated
Parks District. This district would permit parks, playgrounds,
playfields, athletic fields, community centers, auditoriums,
gymnasiam, and public parking for park use by right.
Conditionally permitted uses would include exhibition halls, and
civic theaters and museums. Residential, commercial, and
industrial uses would be prohibited.
Figure 3 shows the location of the City parks that would be
subject to this new zoning designation. The Public Lands (PL)
designation previously applicable to these parks will be removed.
The following provides a complete list of City-owned parks that
are proposed to receive the new DP designation:
DESIGNATED PARKS DISTRICT SITE*
PARK NAME DRAFT OFFICIAL MAP
1. Ashland Park DP
2. Barnard Way Linear Park DP
3. Beach Park #1 DP
4. Beach Park #4 DP
5. Clover Park DP
6. Crescent Bay Park DP
7. Douglas Park DP
8. Goose Egg Park DP
9. Hotchkiss Park DP
10. Joslyn Park DP
11. Lincoln Park DP
12. Marine Park DP
13. Memorial Park DP
14. Ocean View Park DP
15. Ozone Park DP
16. Pacific Street Park DP
17. Palisades Park DP
18. Park Drive Park DP
19. Schader Park DP
20. South Beach Park DP
21. Stewart Street Park DP
22. Virginia Avenue Park DP
Public Lands Overlay (PL)
Area Boundary: Citywide on publicly-owned property
The PL-overlay district provides long-term public institutional
and open space opportunities. The district is intended to assure
the protection and preservation of natural open space,
non-City-owned public parks, beaches and recreational areas, to
retain school sites required to meet future educational needs and
to provide land for public parking.
The Interim Map adoption added the PL-Overlay (Public Lands)
designation to about 112 parcels (44 sites) throughout the City.
The PL designation was applied to all parcels with a public
institutional or open space use on the property. However,
Figure 3 - City-owned public parks
consistent with Planning Commission direction, City-owned public
parks have been removed from the PL - Overlay District and
redesignated with a new Designated Parks District designation.
The following revised list provides all PL parcels proposed on
the Districting Map (excluding city-owned public parks), their
respective zoning, and the pre-1988 zoning classifications for
the same sites:
PUBLIC LANDS OVERLAY SITES
SITE NAME DRAFT OFFICIAL MAP PRE-1988 ZONING
1. Santa Monica State OP2A-PL R1,R3A,R4,CR,C2
Beach OP2-PL CR
R3A-PL R3A
R4A-PL R4A
2. Beachfront Public Parking
a) 4 Lots South of Pier RVC-PL R4A
b) Pier Parking Area RVC-PL CR, R1, R2
R4A-PL R4A
c) 8 Lots North of Pier C2-PL C2
R1A-PL R1
R4A-PL R4, R4A
C4-PL C4
3. Roosevelt Elementary R2-PL R2
School C2-PL C2
4. Franklin Elementary R1-PL R1
School R2-PL R2
5. Mt. Olivette Reservoir R1-PL R1
6. Lincoln Jr. High R2-PL R2
School R2-NW-PL R3
7. McKinley Elementary R2-PL R2
School C4-PL C4
8. Madison Elementary R3-PL R3
School C4-PL C4
9. SMMUSD Admin. Office M1-PL M2
10. Santa Monica High School R3-PL R3
11. Washington Elementary OP2-PL R3
School
12. John Muir Elementary OP2-PL R2
School C4-PL C4
13. Woodlawn Cemetery R2-PL R2
C4-PL C4A
14. Edison Elementary School R2-PL R2
15. Santa Monica College R2-PL R2
16. Will Rogers Elementary R2-PL R2
School
17. John Adams Jr. High R2-PL R2
School C2-PL C2
18. Grant Elementary School R1-PL R1
19. Los Amigos Park OP2-PL R2
* Los Amigos Park is owned by the Santa Monica Unified School
District. The Planning Commission specifically recommended
that this park receive the "PL" overlay designation, as
opposed to the "DP" Designated Parks designation assigned to
City-owned public parks.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
To help the public become more familiar with the Redistricting
process, a Redistricting Newsletter detailing the redistricting
process was mailed in November 1990 to the 6000 property owners
affected by this program and to over 400 other interested
individuals and groups. In addition, the Newsletter was
available to the general public at the Planning and Zoning public
counter and at the Neighborhood Support Center. Staff felt that
a detailed newsletter would be the most effective and efficient
method to inform individuals and groups of the redistricting
program and of ways to obtain further information.
Since the release of the Redistricting Newsletter, copies of the
proposed Draft Official Districting Map, consisting of one
overall 1" = 400' scale, parcel-specific City map have been
available to the public for their review and comment. In
conjunction with the Draft Official Map, the City and consultants
also prepared for public review a set of 40, 1" = 200' scale,
detail maps (covering approximately a 16-24 block area) which
clearly display the zoning districts boundaries and individual
parcel dimensions for every parcel within the City.
Approximately 120 comments and questions were received to-date
regarding the redistricting process. Of these, there have been
only eight written comments. Most comments have been inquiries
into the general purpose of the redistricting process. About
one-quarter have requested further information on individual
parcel zonings. No comments were related to the Draft SEIR.
About a dozen comments identified drafting errors on the Draft
Map that have been corrected in the proposed Districting Map.
Between May and October, 1991, the Planning Commission conducted
four public hearings on redistricting. Each of these hearings
were focused on a specific area (such as the "C5" district or the
North of Wilshire area). As a result of these hearings, the
Planning Commission recommended several changes to the
Districting Maps, which are enumerated in the preceding section
of this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS
Because this redistricting study and formal adoption of the
Interim Districting Map is the culmination of the Zoning
Ordinance revision process, the Official Districting Map's
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) supplements the Revised Zoning
Ordinance's Final Supplemental EIR which was certified by the
City Council on July 27, 1988. The "Supplemental EIR for the
Adoption of the City of Santa Monica's Official Districting Map"
evaluated the potential environmental effects associated with the
adoption of the proposed Official Districting Map.
An Initial Study was prepared by the City in March 1990 to
identify environmental issues to be studied. The issues
addressed in the Supplemental EIR are:
o Earth (grading, seismic concerns);
o Air Quality;
o Water (increased runoff, flood hazards);
o Noise;
o Light and Glare;
o Shadows;
o Population;
o Land Use;
o Housing;
o Off-Street Parking Reduction;
o Transportation/Circulation;
o Utilities;
o Public Services;
o Construction-related Effects;
o Fiscal Considerations;
o Parks and Recreation;
o Cultural and Historic Resources;
o Aesthetics; and
o Neighborhoods.
The Final SEIR did not identify any significant environmental
effects resulting from the adoption of the Draft Official
Districting Map. The FSEIR concluded that because the Official
Map does not provide for intensification of land use (or
reduction in intensity) beyond that permitted by the interim
zoning in-place since September 1988, this project will not
result in any new environmental impacts beyond those identified
in previous certified environmental studies. Mitigation measures
called for the continuation of existing City programs and/or the
enforcement of Ordinance provisions already in-place.
In addition to the environmental analysis on the project, the
SEIR reviewed five alternatives that relate specifically to the
adoption of the Districting Map. The five alternatives studied
included: 1) no project (maintaining the Interim Map), 2)
maintenance of the pre-1988 district boundaries (rejecting the
Interim Map and using the pre-existing Official Map), 3)
development of alternative boundaries in several areas of the
City, 4) selection of an alternative location for the project
(outside the City of Santa Monica), and 5) no additional new
development (existing land uses would remain indefinitely). As
with the project, the alternative analysis concluded there would
not be any significant impacts from implementing the
alternatives.
On April 2, 1990, a Notice of EIR Preparation was published and
provided to the California Office of Planning and Research.
Public comment on the scope of the EIR was encouraged for 30
days. No comments were received.
The Draft SEIR was completed in January, 1991 and the public
review and comments period began on January 30, 1991 and ended on
March 15, 1991. Two comments from state departments -- The
California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the
California Department of Transportation--were received. Both
agencies noted that they found no apparent impacts with this
project.
The Final SEIR, which was released in April 1991, is provided in
Attachment 5. At it's October 23, 1991 public hearing The
Planning Commission adopted a motion recommending certification
of the Final SEIR.
Staff has prepared an Addendum to the SEIR in order to address
the new zoning designations in the coastal zone and the new
Designated Parks District. The Addendum, which is attached to
the back of the Final SEIR in Attachment 5, concludes that these
zoing changes will have no significant adverse effect on the
environment.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
1) Conduct a public hearing on the Final Official Districting
Map.
2) Adopt the proposed resolution certifying the Final SEIR on
the official Districting Map.
3) Introduce for first reading the proposed ordinance adopting
the Final Official Districting Map.
4) Direct the City Attorney to prepare Zoning Ordinance
Amendments implementing the R3R District, R2B District, Beach
Parking District, and Designated Parks District.
Prepared by: Paul Berlant, LUTM Director
Suzanne Frick, Planning Manager
Tad Read, Associate Planner
Attachments
1 - Proposed R3R District Language
2 - Proposed R2B District Language
3 - Proposed Beach Parking (BPD) District Language
4 - Proposed Designated Parks (DP) District Language
5 - Final SEIR and Addendum
6 - Resolution Certifying the Final SEIR for Adoption of the
Proposed Districting Map
7 - Ordinance Implementing the Final Districting Map
8 - Large-scale (1" = 400') black-line copy of proposed
Final Official Districting Map