To:                Mayor and City Council

 

From:           City Staff

 

Subject:       Santa Monica College Bundy Campus and Associated Access and Impact Issues

 

 

Introduction

This report discusses vehicle and pedestrian access issues related to the new Santa Monica College (SMC) Bundy Campus and recommends an interim pedestrian access to the facility from Santa Monica Airport during the SMC 2005 summer session.

 

Background

In May of 2001 SMC purchased the 10.4 acre BAE Systems facility located at 3171 South Bundy Drive (located in Los Angeles and immediately to the south and adjacent to the Santa Monica Airport) with the intention of converting the facility into an independent satellite campus.

 

SMC is in the final stages of retrofitting a 66,000 square foot four-story building (located near the center of the facility) for classrooms, faculty offices, labs, library, multipurpose room, cafeteria and student services space. There is also a 30,000 square foot two story building fronting Bundy Avenue. SMC indicates that it will not be using that building for classes and intends to demolish it and construct a new similarly sized building near the four story structure.

 

SMC created a new driveway and access way off Centinela that connects the “upper” campus at Bundy with the central and lower campus. SMC has also maintained a Stewart Avenue driveway as an emergency only access point.   SMC is completing its initial construction which includes parking lot and internal roadway improvements. SMC intends to hold summer session classes at the new satellite campus facility (commencing on July 5th) with existing improvements in place.

 

Discussion

There are four matters to be addressed regarding the new Bundy Campus:

  • The SMC 2005 Summer Session. SMC intends to begin limited operations at the site using 11 classrooms for 6 weeks beginning July 5th and ending on August 11th.  SMC is currently enrolling students for that session. Staff has explored with SMC a one-time only, temporary arrangement for pedestrian access from the shuttle lot on the Airport, if it can be safely developed and operated in a timely manner. SMC will need to provide a plan, schedule for sidewalk improvements, and demonstrate readiness to implement a controlled safe crossing corridor program that addresses ADA issues and SMC operational staff deployment (e.g. crossing guards). SMC students would continue to use the Airport shuttle lot during the summer. No vehicular access to the site from the Airport would be created.

 

  • Long-Term Vehicle Access License Agreement. As a separate long term policy question for the City Council, SMC is requesting that the City grant a license for vehicle access to the Bundy Campus from the Airport. This would require significant infrastructure changes to realign the 3200 parking lot (and its access), Donald Douglas Loop, and the intersection of Donald Douglas Loop and Airport Avenue. It would potentially change the traffic levels and flow on Airport Avenue and its intersecting streets – Bundy and 23rd/Walgrove – with associated neighborhood impacts.

    

A controlled outbound-only access arrangement from the Bundy Campus onto Airport Avenue would address the SMC safety concerns about left turn exits onto Bundy from the campus while minimizing the likelihood of inbound vehicles selecting Airport Avenue from the 23rd/Walgrove route to the campus or backing up at the 4-way stop in front of Airport Park. A Donald Douglas Loop campus exit should have a right turn only provision to keep traffic from exiting toward 23rd/Walgrove.

 

Vehicular access is a complex policy issue that will require significant analysis and input for City Council consideration. Staff will work with SMC to gather the appropriate data, evaluate the various options, take neighborhood and Airport Commission input and recommend a solution that will mitigate traffic and parking impacts.

 

  • Environmental Process. Authorizing a vehicle access agreement and its associated infrastructure changes and traffic adjustments on the Airport, would constitute discretionary acts by the City and may be subject to CEQA requirements and consequent time frames. The first step in determining the level of review will be defining the project. Part of that definition will be establishing what the access demand in the near and long term will be from the SMC uses sited at the Bundy Campus (this would also be important in structuring a license agreement). SMC is in a planning process for the Bundy Campus. They have provided staff with a concept drawing of the near and long term plans but their public process is expected to continue into the summer with an environmental review of the plan to follow.

 

  • Shuttle Lot. A closely related matter is the relocation of the stand-alone SMC shuttle lot currently on the Airport. Construction of Airport Park at that site is expected to begin in November and will displace the college shuttle site. According to SMC, the Bundy Campus does not have sufficient parking to fully support the activities to be sited there and in addition the existing number of shuttle spaces. SMC identifies this as an interim problem as the College seeks to locate a new site for shuttle parking. Until a new comparably sized shuttle site is fully operational there will be a parking shortfall at the Bundy Campus and associated impacts.

 

Airport Commission Review

The Airport Commission at its September 27, 2004 meeting recommended no vehicular access to/from the Airport due to the lack of a defined master plan for the site.

 

At its May 23, 2005 the Airport Commission indicated a willingness to further explore the issue and perhaps form a committee to study the matter. The Commission scheduled further discussion (and possible action) for its June 27, 2005 meeting.

 

The Airport Commission is concerned about traffic and parking impacts at the Airport and on 23rd/Walgrove and the adjacent community.

 

Budget/Financial Impact

No budget or financial impact is incurred as a result of action on this recommendation.

 

Recommendation

At this time, staff requests authorization to enter into a one-time interim pedestrian access agreement with SMC to facilitate the 2005 summer session and approve associated pedestrian safety improvements on Airport property to be funded by SMC.

 

Prepared by:  Jeff Mathieu, Airport Director

                        Bob Trimborn, Airport Manager

                        Rod Merl, Senior Administrative Analyst, Special Projects