City Council Meeting: June 19,
2007
Agenda Item: 8-A
To: Mayor and City Council
From:
Subject: City Council Endorsement of Neighborhood Conservation and Placemaking Principles for the Land Use and Circulation Elements
Recommended
Action
Staff
recommends that the City Council
endorse the Neighborhood Conservation and Placemaking
Principles as a component of the Land Use and Circulation Elements.
Executive
Summary
In
November 2006, when the City Council endorsed the LUCE Goals, the Planning and
Community Development Department recommended a new approach for advancing the
Land Use and Circulation Elements (LUCE) project. This approach utilizes a “building blocks”
methodology that builds the plan from the bottom up. Each
“building block” will contribute to a plan that respects the City’s
neighborhoods, offers creative transportation alternatives, provides new
services and focuses on assuring benefits to the citizens of Santa Monica, all
while preserving the existing neighborhood character.
Central to the process is an extensive
community participation program. The
Department has recently completed three neighborhood workshops and a
community-wide meeting addressing neighborhood conservation and “Placemaking.” The
neighborhood workshop series was an unqualified success with over 220
participants who conceptualized opportunities for neighborhood benefits with new
“Places” at strategic locations along Wilshire, Pico and Lincoln Boulevards. More than 100 community members participated in
the final community meeting and expressed very positive support for all 55
Principles.
This
report and its attachments outline the Principles which respect the existing
housing stock, encourage quality, landscaped streetscapes to improve aesthetics
and minimize the impact of the automobile, assure that buildings are well
designed and compatible in size and scale with the neighborhood, and recognize
the need for appropriate transitions in scale and height to assure compatibility
with the neighborhood. Of equal
importance is the need for quality pedestrian connections, shuttle transit and
creative solutions to parking concerns. The
Placemaking workshops centered on ensuring that future change will enhance and
create community benefit rather than produce negative impacts. Community benefits could range from a project’s
provision of open space to a mix of desired uses and activities or options for
shared parking.
During
the course of the workshops, the community was asked to identify short-term
programs or actions that would support the LUCE planning goals, but could be
implemented prior to completion of the LUCE.
Development of a Design Principles Manual for use in discretionary
project review and the Department’s proposed implementation of four
neighborhood enhancement projects are discussed in the report.
The
Planning Commission and the Architectural Review Board have both unanimously
recommended that the City Council endorse the Principles. There is no direct
budget or financial impact associated with proceeding with the recommended
action.
Discussion
Background
Progress
toward development of the Land Use and Circulation Elements has accelerated
over the last six months, since the Council’s endorsement of project goals in
November 2006. This advancement has been based on the Department’s new
“Building Block” approach.
The Building Block Concept
The
Building Block planning approach engages the community on a broad range of
planning, urban design and transportation principles, actively exploring the
opportunities and challenges facing the City. From these hands-on exercises,
Principles are expressed to guide the development of broad policies and more
defined plans for the City’s future. Building Block topics included:
·
Neighborhood Conservation
·
Placemaking/Boulevard Vision
·
Future of Industrial Lands
·
Transportation and Parking
Strategies
·
Economics and Housing Affordability and Diversity
The new approach resonated well with the
community as it provides the opportunity to participate in the forming of a
plan rather than just reacting to other’s proposals.
Neighborhood
Character and Conservation
Placemaking begins with neighborhoods
as the essential foundations of the City.
Key elements that define a neighborhood in its broadest sense include:
·
Residential Areas;
·
Commercial & Mixed-Use Areas;
·
Churches, Schools and Community Centers;
·
Pedestrian Amenities and Open Space/Parks;
·
Community Transit;
·
Connectivity between Users & Places.
Neighborhood conservation
involves preserving the scale and character of existing housing, enhancing
street landscaping and promoting walkability, whereby the pedestrian is given
parity with the automobile. Additionally, new buildings should transition in
size and scale towards adjacent residential structures. Good architectural
design with quality materials should be assured. Parking options should be
considered to meet the neighborhood’s needs. Connectivity between residential
neighborhoods and nearby boulevards is essential and should be enhanced through
a range of transportation and circulation options, such as community transit,
safe bike paths and continuous pedestrian connections.
Placemaking
and Community Benefit
Good planning should focus
less on just processing and more on creating places that support the
neighborhoods and add value to the community.
To that end, the initial Building Block component first examined and
identified the characteristics of good residential neighborhoods. The workshops
then focused on assuring that as the City evolves over time, new development
respects the City’s neighborhoods and brings with it community benefits. This process was approached through the
concept of Placemaking, examining various sites at strategic locations (where
there was adequate parcel depth) along the boulevards adjacent to the
residential neighborhoods and identifying the physical, environmental and
social elements that are inherent in a quality “Place.” Creating good Places
that add value to the community involves enhancements in both private
improvements and the public domain. A variety of desirable land uses and
gathering places can be combined with public improvements in infrastructure and
transportation to improve access and enhance mobility. Specific tools such as
the strategic placement of parking, use of landscaping, wider sidewalks and
breaking up of blocks using paseos and plazas can also be used to achieve the
desired pedestrian environment.
The workshop attendees participated in hands on exercises to plan an appropriate Place along a boulevard in their neighborhood. They examined how the new Place could better serve the adjacent neighborhood, suggested uses and activities, potential mixed-use concepts, concepts for open space and/or gathering places, appropriate heights and massing and transitions to protect and preserve the residential neighborhoods. Integral to all of the efforts was enhanced transit and better connections from the neighborhoods. An important task was addressing ways to develop appropriate levels of shared parking that was accessed from secondary streets or alleys and located underground or hidden from view. Additionally, tools such as the use of landscaping and wider more attractively landscaped sidewalks, were also discussed along with options for community transit, safe bike paths and continuous pedestrian connections.
Two of
the areas chosen for workshops, Wilshire and Pico Boulevards, represent streets
that have commercial activities but lack significant community amenities, a positive
pedestrian environment and uses that cater directly to the pedestrian and the neighborhood.
The third focus, the intersection of
Lincoln and Ocean Park Boulevards, is a challenging location with considerably
more regional traffic. However, this
location represents an area of the City that has a strong need to incorporate
retail and services for the surrounding residents and could potentially serve
as a bridge between the residential areas to the east and west.
What We Heard:
The proposed Principles were reviewed at a
community meeting on May 7, at which time more than 100 participants were asked
to indicate their support for 40 general Principles and 15 Principles specific
to one of the three boulevards.
Attachment A lists each of the Principles by category and shows the
overwhelming support of participants in the vote.
In addition, we heard the following from the
community:
·
There is opportunity and desire to create neighborhood centers
within the City;
·
Incentives should be given to local merchants and neighborhood
serving uses;
·
Active uses such as restaurants, cafes and outdoor dining will
attract people and create desirable pedestrian activity;
·
The landscaping and streetscape should be greener;
·
There should be exciting and walkable pedestrian places. Wider
sidewalks and gathering spaces are desirable;
·
There need to be appropriate transitions to neighborhoods and to
adjacent buildings in terms of use, height and mass.
At
each of the workshops, the concept of allowing a building envelope similar to
that currently permissible for preferred affordable housing projects was
discussed by the participants. In
general, many participants supported the concept of only considering this
building envelope at strategic points along the boulevards where Placemaking
Principles could be met. A project would
need to provide specific Community Benefits and the building configuration
would transition appropriately to the neighborhood.
A range of
transportation enhancements was also discussed, with a broad consensus that
multiple transportation modes should be embraced to enhance mobility. The
emphasis was on improving the pedestrian environment to encourage a more
walkable community. In addition, a safe
network of bicycle routes and related bicycle facilities is needed. With regard to transit, it was generally agreed
that the focus should be on moving people, and improved transit is the most
appropriate means to move more people.
Small shuttle buses to link the neighborhoods to the boulevards should
be considered, such as the City’s new “Mini Blue” service. Parking districts and other shared parking
options should be explored, including those that reflect the neighborhood’s
desire to find ways to utilize existing commercial parking lots for residential
parking at night. The approach of
utilizing a parking district to facilitate implementation of shared parking and
the ability to control the parking policy in the future was thought to be
desirable. There was broad support for
shielding on-site parking from view by either placing the parking underground
or behind street-front pedestrian friendly uses. In order to facilitate vehicle
movement, traffic signals should be synchronized city-wide.
Previous Council Actions
The Placemaking workshop series followed earlier Council
endorsement of the project goals in November 2006.
Planning Commission Action
The Planning Commission was presented with the outcome and
analysis of the community workshop series on June 6, 2007. The Commission supported the neighborhood
conservation Principles and the concept of Placemaking with the recommendation
that there should be an emphasis on creating places that promote
sociability. Other Commissioner comments
suggested that the other Principles be adjusted to reflect the importance of
open space, and specifically encouraging opportunities to create pocket parks. Additionally, they recommended language to
reflect the need to abate noise
or odor impacts within a project, consideration of impacts to
views, maintaining the “fabric” of the neighborhood, and encouraging workforce
housing. The Commission recommended that
the Council endorse the Principles with some revisions, which are reflected in
Attachment A. The Commission also endorsed the concept of developing a Design Principles
Manual utilizing the Principles endorsed by the Council and putting the Manual into
effect to guide applicants while development of the LUCE advances. The Manual
would document the community’s expectations and design intent, serving as a
valuable tool to developers and designers as well as the general public, while
providing consistency in the development review between Department staff, the
ARB and the Planning Commission.
The Commission concurred with a public comment regarding the
importance of performing an in-depth economic analysis for any proposed future
scenario.
Architectural Review Board
The Architectural Review Board reviewed the Principles at their
meeting of June 4, 2007. The ARB unanimously
supported the Principles as well as the Design Principles manual. The ARB added the concept of “sociability” to
the conversation, meaning actively pursuing the creation of “people places” through
City projects, and not relying entirely on private enterprise to create these
important components. The Planning Commission has included this concept
in its recommendation to Council.
Landmarks Commission
Staff will present the outcome of the workshop series to the
Landmarks Commission at its July 9 meeting.
Short Term Actions
During the course of the workshop, the community was asked to
identify short-term programs or actions that would support the LUCE planning
goals, but by their nature would not require the adoption of the LUCE
plan. The Department would be pleased
to share this list with the Council to determine if there are specific programs
for which the Council would recommend action prior to the completion of the
Plan.
Next Steps
Incorporating
the Principles
Based on the broad community support, it is
recommended that the Principles be endorsed so that they may be incorporated
into the LUCE and adapted appropriately to respond to the needs of residential,
commercial and mixed-use districts.
Additionally, given this strong support and community desire to obtain public
benefits and improve the quality of projects under consideration prior to
adoption of the LUCE, staff will be developing a strategy to apply the
Principles to discretionary projects, consistent with existing law. Elements of that strategy may include:
·
Development of a manual that illustrates
the Principles and recommends that applicants incorporate the principles into
the projects in order to ensure that they are meeting the City’s expectation
and thereby facilitate the design review process;
·
Revising the findings in the Architectural
Review Board Ordinance to require compliance with Principles developed out of
the LUCE process and endorsed by Council.
The Next Building Blocks
Similar to the successful Placemaking
workshops, staff will be developing the other major components of the LUCE with
extensive community involvement. Each of
these components will be consistent in centralizing the goal of developing land
use and transportation plans that respect the character of the City’s
neighborhoods.
Exploring a future vision for the city’s
industrial lands is the next topic to be undertaken, and community involvement
on this issue is anticipated to begin in July and continue into the fall. These industrial lands workshops will consider
some critical issues for the city’s future, including:
•
Preservation of industrial uses
•
Exposition light rail
•
Opportunities for housing and other land uses
•
Street grid layout and parcel size
•
Street congestion
•
Open space, landscaping and streetscape improvements
In the Placemaking workshops, the
approach to boulevards focused on their transition to adjacent neighborhoods
and providing desirable neighborhood amenities, services and gathering places
at strategic locations. Likewise, the
Industrial Lands workshops will consider opportunities for neighborhood
conservation by examining how this area might be able to incorporate a diverse
range of housing to meet the City’s future needs, thus relieving pressure on
existing neighborhoods.
The remaining Building Block workshops will be held later
this year and into early 2008. It is anticipated that a draft LUCE document
will be available for public review in late Spring 2008. Environmental analysis
and zoning ordinance revisions will follow.
Alternatives
As an alternative to
the recommended action, the Council may suggest a different approach to
incorporating the Placemaking Principles into the LUCE effort and implementing
the Placemaking Principles during discretionary project review, or other short
term implementation strategies.
Budget/Financial Impact
There is no direct budget or financial impact associated with proceeding with the recommended action. The potential development of a Placemaking Principles manual and incorporation of the Principles into the LUCE may be accomplished with existing staff resources, funded contracts and proposed FY07/08 budget enhancements. Implementation of the neighborhood enhancements discussed is proposed in the FY-07-08 budget.
Prepared by: Elizabeth
Bar-El, AICP, Senior Planner
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Department
of Planning and Community Development |
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P. City Manager |
Attachments
A.
Placemaking Principles and Vote Results
B.
Land
Use and Circulation Element Project Goals
ATTACHMENT A:
ATTACHMENT B:
Land Use and Circulation Element
Project Goals
Effective Transportation System: For everyone to get where
they need to go comfortably, and where walking, bicycling and using transit
replace as many auto trips as possible to reduce congestion and maintain
mobility as travel demand grows
Universal Safety: For pedestrians,
cyclists, transit-riders and drivers to feel and be safe regardless of their
age or ability
Well Designed Spaces: For quality designed
pedestrian-oriented public spaces so people can travel quickly and comfortably,
can enjoy the outdoors and interact with other people
Local and Regional Mobility: For people to be able to
travel easily within
Environmental
Responsibility: For a transportation system that minimizes, and where possible
eliminates, pollution, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle
congestion
Community Care: For a transportation
system that links conveniently-placed land uses and amenities to enable people
to be healthy, to pursue fitness, cultural, educational and commercial
opportunities and to participate in the community
Land Use Element Draft Goals
Balanced
Growth: For
a pattern of development that promotes diversity,
inclusiveness and a variety of transportation choices other than single-driver automobile
use and which is compatible with the surrounding community.
Enhance
and Protect Resources: To protect and enhance the quality of our
natural and cultural resources for their scenic, economic, social and
environmental values.
Connected
and Protected Neighborhoods: For safe, secure, walkable
and unique neighborhoods that are connected with quality public spaces and
amenities and are protected from the encroachment of incompatible uses and
activities
Community
Design: For
attractive, interesting and inviting places, spaces
and activities that enhance our quality of life.
Local
Identity / Regional Context: To be a distinct local
community that is regionally connected and manages regional pressures in a way
that provides maximum benefit to the local community and to visitors.
Environmental
Responsibility: For sustainable human activity that respects
the environment and protects it for future generations by reducing our
ecological footprint.
Community
Care: To
be responsive to the diverse social, cultural, educational
and creative needs and interests of its residents, business community and
visitors