City Council Meeting: October 23, 2007

Agenda Item: 7-C  

To:                   Mayor and City Council 

From:              Eileen Fogarty, Planning & Community Development

Subject:          Introduction and adoption of an Emergency Interim Ordinance Extension to require a Development Agreement for projects over 7,500 square feet of floor area or projects containing more than 5 or 15 housing units, artist studio units, or single room occupancy units, respectively for the Industrial Conservation (M1) and Light Manufacturing Studio (LMSD) districts, and for changes in land use on parcels that exceed 32,000 square feet in the LMSD and 15,000 square feet in the M1 district.

 

Recommended Action

Staff recommends that the City Council introduce and adopt the subject emergency interim ordinance extension subject to specified exemptions:

1.                  establishes a Development Agreement for projects over 7,500 square feet of floor area or projects containing more than 5 or 15 housing units, artist studio units, or single room occupancy units for the Industrial Conservation (M1) and Light Manufacturing Studio (LMSD) districts, respectively; and,

 

2.                  establishes a Development Agreement requirement for certain changes in land use on parcels that exceed an area of 32,000 square feet in the LMSD and 15,000 square feet in the M1 districts.

 

Executive Summary

The attached proposed interim emergency ordinance extension will add several discreet modifications to and continue for an eighteen month period the provisions adopted on August 28, 2007 addressing development within the industrial areas. To become effective, the proposed emergency ordinance requires five affirmative votes from the City Council. 

On August 28, 2007, the City Council adopted Ordinance Number 2238 (CCS), effective for 60 days, to control the piecemeal development activity that was occurring in the City’s industrial districts thereby providing the City the opportunity to adequately plan for the future of this area as contemplated by the City’s Land Use and Circulation Elements and Zoning Ordinance comprehensive revision and update. Concerns included:

·        development of large, dense blocks of a single residential type without adequate infrastructure, amenities and services,

·        lack of adequate roadway structure,

·        lack of neighborhood environment,

·        increased conflict between housing and existing uses,

·        increased speculative development pressure,

·        precluded opportunities for improving traffic conditions through the development of the light rail

·        revised the street grid

·        lack of usable open space and public spaces

 

Ordinance Number 2238 (CCS) only authorizes development that does not exceed 7500 square feet of floor area or 15 units in the LMSD or 7500 square feet of floor area or 5 units in the M1, excluding density bonus units, unless the project is developed pursuant to a development agreement, or is a school existing before September 1988.   Auto dealerships remain subject to Ordinance Number 2186 (CCS) rather than this interim ordinance.  In addition, Ordinance Number 2238 (CCS) provides that no change of use shall be authorized on parcels in the LMSD that exceed 32,000 square feet and parcels that exceed 15,000 square feet in the M1 District unless the development is a City project, developed pursuant to a development agreement, or the Director of Planning and Community Development makes a written determination that the change of use within an existing multi-tenant property will not constitute a substantial change in mode or character of the property as a whole.  

 

Staff continues to study the current development market in light of the planning issues identified for the area through the LUCE process and has identified additional provisions to improve administration and better achieve the goal. This report outlines the following proposed modifications to the August 28 ordinance in relation to regulating existing buildings:

·        Single tenant buildings. Extend the Director’s authority to allow changes in land use without obtaining a DA (previously authorized only for changes in multi-tenant buildings) to single tenant buildings;

·        Minor changes in land use. Projects less than 7,500 square feet.   Exempt changes in land use up to 7,500 square feet from the DA requirement;

·        Significant changes in land use in existing buildings. Expand administrative review to permit projects that result in a change of land use, based on specified, objective criteria; and

·        Time period for Director’s decision. Establishes a 45-day review period by the Director to determine if a change of use should be exempted from the DA requirement.  

 

Discussion

Background

The August 28, 2007 staff report and accompanying ordinance contain significant information and analysis supporting adoption of the interim ordinance and provides background information as to the intent and character of the industrial districts and recent development activity in the area, and provide an update on the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) project; all of which are key considerations in assessing the value and importance of the subject ordinance. Subsequent to the ordinance

 

Since the Council’s action, staff has further analyzed the ordinance with the broader planning objectives and recommends the following modifications.

 

Affordable Housing Projects

At the August 28th hearing, the City Council directed that the proposed revised ordinance contain a provision establishing exemption to the DA requirement for 100 percent affordable, low and very low deed-restricted housing projects with fewer than 51 units. Qualifying affordable housing projects would be exempt from the interim ordinance.  Instead, the projects would be subject to the underlying zoning district development standards. In the M1 District, affordable rental housing projects up to 50 units would be permitted by right. Similarly, qualifying housing (artist studio and single room occupancy) projects in LMSD, whether rental or ownership housing, would be permitted by right; discretionary tract map approval would be required for ownership housing.

 

Effective dates.  As proposed in the ordinance, the affordable housing exemption will not become effective until on or after August 1, 2008.  The delayed implementation of this exemption will provide the public and decision-makers an opportunity to assess the results of the upcoming industrial lands workshop and review the draft LUCE document. The long range planning goals and infrastructure evaluation established in the endorsed draft plan will enable the Council to determine the appropriateness of certain housing opportunities in this part of the City based on a future vision. If inappropriate due to lack of infrastructure or other planning objectives, the Council will have sufficient time to direct staff to make modification to the subject ordinance to remove the exemption. If there is a clear direction and consensus for the future land uses and infrastructure in the industrial areas, Council could choose to address these issues in late spring.

 

Single Tenant Buildings

The change of use provision in existing buildings established in the adopted and proposed ordinances apply to exceptionally large properties. Specifically, properties containing more the 15,000 and 32,000 square feet of land area in the M1 and LMSD, respectively, are subject to this provision. The adopted ordinance further applied this change in land use exclusively to multi-tenant buildings. The proposed ordinance extends this standard to single tenant uses. In both ordinances, the Director retains the authority to evaluate when a project results in a substantial change to the mode or character of operation and, therefore, requires a DA.

 

Minor Changes in Land Use

The proposed ordinance includes a provision exempting land uses that occupy less than 7,500 square feet of floor area from the ordinance. Uses meeting this threshold would be allowed to change use without evaluation of the change in mode or character of operation. The City has previously established 7,500 square feet as a development threshold that ensures preservation of the scale and character of existing neighborhoods.

 

Significant Changes in Land Use in Existing Buildings

To improve administration and ensure that future land uses are consistent with broader community objectives, it is recommended that additional criteria be established to better evaluate changes in land use. Using the previously adopted change of use standard applied to large parcels, it is recommended that the Director also evaluate projects in existing buildings that result in a substantial change to the mode or character of operation. The objective of this provision is to ensure that projects for which the community has already articulated support for can continue to be allowed without a DA and subject to existing development standards. Projects would only be exempt from the DA process if the Planning and Community Development Director finds that:

·                    The change of use is permitted in the district in which it is located (i.e.; no conditionally permitted uses)

·                    No additional floor area is added to the existing building

·                    The proposed use, given its location, would not impair the LUCE process by unduly restricting the City’s ability to plan the future development of neighborhoods with appropriate mixes of uses, adequate infrastructure, streetscape, services and other amenities essential to quality of life, and would not interfere with resident and business owners’ present quality of life

·                    The change of use results in the property complying with all current development standards (parking, setbacks, open space, eliminates a nonconforming land use, etc.)

·                    The change of use does not result in a substantial remodel

·                    The change of use does not result in remodel construction costs that exceed four million dollars cumulatively over the life of the subject ordinance. (This figure is based on a $200 per square foot valuation of a 20,000 square foot building).

 

Time Period for Director’s Decision

The change of use provision requires the Director of Planning and Community Development to assess whether certain projects represent a substantial change to the mode or character of operation or does not fulfill other criteria and, therefore, subject to a DA. The previously adopted ordinance did not establish a time period to render this determination. The proposed ordinance establishes a 45-day review period. This time period is reasonable to prepare a written determination and provides applicants with a measure of predictability in this review process.

 

Previous Council Actions

Over the past sixteen months the City Council has taken the following actions with regard to the industrial area:

April 11, 2006:           Implemented the City’s state density bonus (Ordinance 2180 expires May 11, 2008, citywide)

April 24, 2007            Adopted Interim emergency ordinance requiring housing projects over 50 units to obtain a DR permit. (Ordinance 2226 expired June 23, 2007)

May 22, 2007:           Adopted Interim Ordinance 2226 extended (Ordinance # 2226 (Ordinance 2232 Expires May 8, 2009)

July 24, 2007:            Directed staff to prepare subject interim ordinance for industrial lands

August 28, 2007:       Adopted Interim Emergency Ordinance establishing DA requirement in the industrial districts adopted / effective

 

Alternatives

The City Council previously rejected alternatives that relate to a status quo (no changes to development standards) and moratorium options. Implementing any of the alternative actions has the potential to increase or decrease the number of projects that will be subject to a Development Agreement process.  Other alternatives the City Council may consider include:

1.                  Modify the thresholds at which a Development Agreement is required. 

2.                  Eliminate or modify specific components of the ordinance, such as the Development  Agreement requirement for changes in land use on large parcels  

 

Environmental Analysis

The proposed emergency interim ordinance is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State Implementation Guidelines in that CEQA applies only to projects having the potential to cause a significant effect on the environment. The proposed action to require a Development Agreement application for development over 7,500 square feet in area or more than 15 units, or for changes in land use on certain sized parcels in the industrial district does not have this potential. Rather, the proposed amendment will expand the number of projects subject to public review and evaluated pursuant to CEQA. Additional findings supporting this exemption are included in the attached ordinance.

 

The proposed ordinance is also exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, which provides that projects that are consistent with development density established by existing zoning or general plan policies for which an EIR was certified shall not require additional environmental review except as might be necessary to examine project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site.  The proposed ordinance modifies development application and review procedures by requiring a Development Agreement application for development over 7,500 square feet in area or more than 15 units, or for changes in land use on certain sized parcels in the LMSD and M1 zone districts.  Within these designated zone districts, projects below these thresholds will remain subject to existing development standards and procedures. Projects above these thresholds will require a Development Agreement application and approval. No change in the General Plan Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) is proposed. No parcel rezoning is proposed; all affected parcels will retain their current zone district classification. Thus, under the proposed ordinance, potential development will be the same or less than the density established by existing zoning and general plan policies for which the following environmental documents were certified pursuant to CEQA: Final EIR on the proposed Santa Monica General Plan LUCE, February 1984; Final EIR for the City of Santa Monica Zoning Ordinance, December 1986; Final Supplemental EIR for the City of Santa Monica Zoning Ordinance, June 1988. 

 

As stated above, the proposed ordinance makes procedural changes for development above identified thresholds; they do not change existing density-related standards contained in the LUCE or Zoning Ordinances and reviewed in the above-referenced EIRs. In addition, there are no project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the proposed ordinance or sites subject to it. There are no reasonably foreseeable project-specific significant effects caused by the enactment of the ordinance and the Development Agreement requirement since physical changes do not directly result from these ordinance amendments. Rather, these amendments are of general application and at least twice removed from potential physical changes. Future physical changes will not occur unless (1) a specific development project is proposed, and (2) the City grants its approval for that specific project by Development Agreement. The intervening project application and City review and approval prevent any impacts asserted to result from future projects to be characterized as peculiar to the ordinance amendments themselves.  Accordingly, the proposed project is categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines section 15183, and no additional environmental review is required.

 

Budget/Financial Impact

The recommendation in this report does not have any significant budget or fiscal impacts, however, the Planning and Community Development Department expects minor decreases in revenue generated from fees that may have been collected over the next two years related to permit activity. The City would not receive increased property taxes generated by a property that might have been redeveloped under existing zoning. Since it is unknown which properties may have been redeveloped and to what extent proposed improvements would contribute to a property’s valuation, it is not possible to calculate unrealized tax revenue.

 

 

Prepared by:

 

Jonathan Lait, AICP, Principal Planner

 

 

Approved:

 

Forwarded to Council:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eileen Fogarty

Director, Planning & Community Development

 

P. Lamont Ewell

City Manager

 

 

Attachments:

Exhibit A:        Emergency Interim Ordinance


EXHIBIT A

 

Emergency Interim Ordinance


 

City Council Meeting 10-23-07                                          

 

ORDINANCE NUMBER (CCS)

 

AN INTERIM ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA EXTENDING THE INITIAL INTERIM ORDINANCE MODIFYING THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN THE LIGHT MANUFACTURING STUDIO DISTRICT (LMSD) AND THE INDUSTRIAL CONSERVATION (M1) ZONING DISTRICTS TO ONLY AUTHORIZE DEVELOPMENT THAT DOES NOT EXCEED SEVENTY-FIVE HUNDRED SQUARE FEET OR FIFTEEN UNITS IN THE LMSD OR FIVE UNITS IN THE M1 UNLESS THE DEVELOPMENT IS UNDERTAKEN PURSUANT TO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT OR IS A CITY PROJECT, TO REQUIRE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TO AUTHORIZE CHANGES OF USE ON PARCELS IN THE LMSD THAT EXCEED 32,000 SQUARE FEET AND ON PARCELS IN THE M1 THAT EXCEED 15,000 SQUARE FEET, AND TO ESTABLISH  EXCEPTIONS AND DECLARING THE PRESENCE OF AN EMERGENCY

           THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

            SECTION 1.   Findings and Purpose.   The City Council finds and declares:

 

(a)  Santa Monica is a small, extremely dense, older, coastal city consisting of just 8 square miles of land bordered on one side by the Pacific Ocean and on three sides by the megalopolis of Los Angeles.

(b)  Approximately 87,000 people live in the City, on weekdays there are about 300,000 present in the City, and on weekends and holidays the number of persons in the City soars to between 500,000 and 1 million.

(c)  Santa Monica’s population density, eleven thousand two hundred persons per square mile, is the second highest among neighboring and nearby jurisdictions and is the densest among coastal communities in Los Angeles County.

(d)  Santa Monica has been fully built out for over 50 years, much of its development having occurred during, and immediately after World War II; the facts that the City is built out and already very dense make land use planning a vital and difficult challenge.

(e)  In the last 25 years, land values within the City have soared due, in large part, to the land’s scarcity and prime location, the excellent climate, and to the desirability of living and working in a community which offers a vast array of urban amenities and services, a unique sense of community, pedestrian-oriented scale, and economic and social diversity.  

(f)  In the past ten years, escalating land values, economic prosperity, and changes in state law have fueled a massive increase in development which has significantly altered the physical and social landscape of the City and necessitated that land use planning be undertaken with the utmost care to promote and protect the City’s welfare.  

(g)  In July of 2004, the City began preparing a new Land Use and Circulation Element of the General Plan (LUCE) and a comprehensive revision of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, a massive project, crucial to the community’s long-term welfare, which remains ongoing at this time.

(h)  The work on the LUCE update has included numerous public hearings and participation by thousands of residents, business owners, and visitors.  Participants have repeatedly articulated the goal that the City should carefully monitor future development – particularly large-scale development – to ensure that Santa Monica remains a livable city. 

(i)  In these public hearings, the City’s manufacturing and industrial area has been a critical focus and residents have raised concerns about the current development trends within this area.

(j)  The City’s current Land Use Element provides that this area, known as the Industrial Conservation District, “should continue in its role as a valuable location for industrial ‘incubator’ uses, existing manufacturing, and loft space for the performing and visual arts.  In recognition of the need for some artists to reside in their studios, consideration should be given to this mixed use on a case by case basis.  Allowable intensity should be the lowest in the City consistent with current building intensity, to protect the area from speculation.”

(k)  Land Use Element Objective 1.9 addressing the Industrial Conservation District provides:  “Preserve existing and accommodate future industrial and manufacturing use, particularly to provide employment for the low-skill and entry-level segment of the Santa Monica workforce.” 

(l)  The City’s industrial area is comprised of two zoning districts – the Light Manufacturing Studio (LMSD) District and the Industrial Conservation (M1) District.

(m)  These districts comprise a significant portion of the City – over 400 centrally located acres. 

(n)  The area serves as a vital economic engine for the City because of the many studios and manufacturers located there.

(o)  Because the industrial zoned lands were planned for industrial use and consequently, this area does not provide the public infrastructure – streets, sidewalks, open space, and other amenities – necessary for a significant number of people to both live and work there.

(p)  Instead, the street grid and parcel size in these industrial areas reflect the industrial pattern of development that supports large industrial uses, with few sidewalks, limited bike paths, few parks, and limited open space.

(q)  The current land uses include studio post production, construction support services, automobile related uses, warehouse/storage, distribution facilities, private schools, major utilities, bus and city yards, and limited housing.

(r)  These districts also have a substantial amount of entertainment related uses included film, radio, TV, visual arts, photography, performing arts, and design services and publishing.

(s)  As reflected by the current Land Use Element, the City’s intent for the industrial area is to provide opportunities for light industrial uses and post production work with limited discretionary opportunities for artist housing.  It has also long been envisioned as the principle location of the proposed light rail system.

(t)  The City’s Land Use Element did not and does not envision that the industrial zones’ existing large blocks would be redeveloped into a dense residential neighborhood.

(u)  Until the past year, this area has been developed according to this vision.  For instance, over the past seven years, the industrial area had approximately 100,000 square feet of production development, 40,000 square feet of office commercial, 30,000 square feet of industrial, 60,000 square feet of auto related development, and 170 residential units.

(v)  However, this pattern has recently changed; and the City is currently experiencing a dramatic increase in application submittals for large, dense developments that lack significant amenities for the residents and virtually no services to support the housing use.

(w)  Within the past year alone, the City has received applications for over 1,000 housing units in or immediately adjacent to the City’s industrial area.

(x)  At the same time, community input has demonstrated significant interest in preserving and enhancing the residents’ quality of life and the city’s economic health through a variety of means. These include opportunities for industrial uses and support businesses, improving traffic conditions through the development of the light rail, significantly revising the existing traffic grid, creating usable open space, supporting housing at strategic locations and at appropriate scales and densities, and transforming large blocks into a more pedestrian scaled environment, ensuring the city’s economic diversity.

(y)  Continued piecemeal development of the industrial area will significantly constrain the City’s opportunity to adequately plan for the future.  It will likely yield large, dense blocks of a single residential type without adequate infrastructure, amenities and services, with a lack of adequate roadway structure, lack of neighborhood environment, increasing conflict between housing and existing uses, and increased speculative development pressure.

(z)  The City has previously established 7,500 square feet as a development threshold that preserves the scale and character of existing neighborhoods and protects residents’ quality of life and the environment.

(aa)  Since 1998, the average new housing project has contained fifteen units, excluding two atypically large projects.  

(bb)  Failure to adjust the development standards would pose an immediate threat to the existing character of the LMSD and M1 Zoning Districts.  Adjusting the development standards as provided in this Ordinance would ensure that quality of life, the environment, and the efficacy of the ongoing planning process are preserved.  Because existing educational uses are consistent with the desire to maintain cultural uses as well as the purpose of existing LMSD and M1 zoning, these uses should remain subject to the existing Development Review Permit process which includes public hearing, environmental, and public review.

(cc)  Adoption of this ordinance would not prohibit any uses currently authorized in the LMSD and M1 Districts.

(dd)  Adoption of this ordinance would also not materially alter the City’s substantial incentives for residential or mixed use development in non-residential zoning districts. These incentives would be preserved in local law and policy.  For example, residential development in all of the City’s commercial districts would remain authorized.  Thus, residential development could still occur in over 80% of the City. 

(ee)  In light of the above-detailed concerns, the City Council adopted Ordinance Number 2238 (CCS) to only authorize development in the that does not exceed 7500 square feet of floor area or 15 units in the LMSD or 7500 square feet of floor area or 5 units in the M1, excluding density bonus units unless the development is a City project or developed pursuant to a development agreement. 

(ff)  Ordinance Number 2238 also provides that no change of use shall be authorized on parcels in the LMSD that exceed 32,000 square feet and parcels that exceed 15,000 square feet in the M1 District unless the development is a City project or developed pursuant to a development agreement or the Director of Planning and Community Development makes a written determination that the change of use will constitute a substantial change in mode or character of the property as a whole.  Ordinance Number 2238 (CCS) will expire on October 28, 2007 unless extended.

(gg)  As detailed above and in the July 24, 2007, August 28, 2007, and October 23, 2007 City Council staff reports, there exists a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, and welfare should this interim ordinance not be adopted, and piecemeal development of this area continue with large, dense blocks of a single type of development without adequate infrastructure, amenities and services.  The continued development of projects inconsistent with contemplated changes to the City’s Land Use and Circulation Element and the City’s Zoning Ordinance and the approval or issuance of zoning permits, subdivision maps, building permits, or other any land use permit authorized by the City’s current Zoning Ordinance would result in a threat to public health, safety and welfare.

(hh) The City’s Land Use and Circulation Elements and Zoning Ordinance requires review and revision as it pertains to the development standards for development projects in the LMSD and M1 Zoning Districts in the City.  That process is underway. This ordinance hereby extends the provisions of Ordinance Number 2238 (CCS) up to and including April 23, 2009.  It also modifies certain of the standards that would govern the Director of Planning and Community Development’s determination that certain changes of use can occur without a development agreement.  Pending completion of the City’s review and revision, it is necessary on an interim basis to modify the Zoning Ordinance as set forth in Section 2 of this Ordinance:

SECTION 2.     Interim Zoning Regulations.

 

            The issuance of permits for new development or the expansion of an existing development in the LMSD and M1 Zoning Districts in the City that does not comply with the interim zoning standards set forth in Section 3 of this Ordinance is hereby prohibited.  Notwithstanding any provision of the City’s Zoning Ordinance to the contrary, no zoning permits or approvals, subdivision maps, building permits, or other land use permit shall be approved or issued in the LMSD and M1 Zoning Districts in the City, except as described in Section 3 below during the pendency of this Ordinance or any extension thereof.      

SECTION 3.   Interim Zoning Standards.

Notwithstanding the development standards specified in Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.35.050 and Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.34.060, the following development standards shall apply: 

(a)  Except for City projects and projects developed pursuant to a development agreement adopted in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 9.48, a development project or the expansion of an existing development shall not exceed seven thousand five hundred (7500) square feet of floor area or fifteen (15) dwelling units, artist studio units, or single room occupancy units in the LMSD, excluding density  bonus units, or seven thousand five hundred (7500) square feet of floor area or five (5) dwelling units, artist studio units, or single room occupancy units in the M1, excluding density bonus units. 

(b)  Except for City projects and projects developed pursuant to a development agreement adopted in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 9.48, no change of use shall be authorized on parcels in the LMSD that exceed 32,000 square feet and on parcels in the M1 that exceed 15,000 square feet if the change of use will involve more than seven thousand five hundred (7500) square feet of floor area within an existing building or buildings. 

(c)   A change of use shall not be subject to these interim zoning standards but shall remain subject to the property development standards of Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.35.050 and Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.34.060 if:

(1)  The Director of Planning and Community Development makes a written determination that the change of use will not constitute a substantial change in the mode or character of operation of the property as a whole.  Factors to be considered by the Director include, but are not limited to, occupancy, hours of operation, intensity of use, traffic, noise, odor, or other impacts, or. 

(2)  The Director of Planning and Community Development makes a written determination that:

(A)  The change of use is permitted in the district in which it is located.

(B)  No additional floor area is added to the existing building.

(C)  The proposed use, given its location, would not impair the LUCE process by unduly restricting the City’s ability to plan the future development of neighborhoods with appropriate mixes of uses, adequate infrastructure, streetscape, services, and other amenities essential to quality of life and would not interfere with residents’ and business owners’ quality of life.

(D)  The change of use complies with all current development standards, including but not limited to parking, setbacks, and open space.

(E)  The change of use does not result in a substantial remodel

(F)  The change of use does not result in cumulative construction costs that exceed four million dollars.

(3)  The Director of Planning shall make a determination pursuant to this subsection (c) within forty-five (45) days after receiving a written request to authorize this change of use. 

(d)  Public or private schools existing before September 1988 shall not be subject to these interim zoning standards, but shall remain subject to the property development standards of Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.35.050 and Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.34.060. 

(e)  Auto dealerships shall not be subject to these interim zoning standards but shall remain subject to the property development standards in Ordinance Number 2186 (CCS).

(f)  Commencing on or after August 1, 2008, affordable rental housing projects of not more than fifty units shall not be subject to these interim zoning standards but shall remain subject to the property development standards of Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.35.050 and Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.08.34.060.  For purposes of this subsection (f), an affordable rental housing project shall be defined as housing in which one hundred percent of the dwelling units are deed-restricted or restricted by an agreement approved by the City for occupancy by households with incomes of eighty percent of median income or less. 

            SECTION 4.     This ordinance shall apply to any application for a development project that is determined complete on or after August 28, 2007. 

SECTION 5.   This ordinance shall be of no further force or effect  after April 23, 2009, unless prior to that date, after a public hearing, noticed pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.20.22.050, the City Council, by majority vote, extends this interim ordinance.

SECTION 6.  This Ordinance is declared to be an urgency measure adopted pursuant to the provision Section 615 of the Santa Monica City Charter.  As set forth in the findings above, this Ordinance is necessary for preserving the public peace, health, and safety.

SECTION 7. The Council finds that the adoption and implementation of this ordinance are exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15061(c)(3) and 15183.

SECTION 8.  Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.

SECTION 9.  If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance.  The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.

SECTION 10.  The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this Ordinance.  The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption.   This Ordinance shall become effective upon its adoption.

 

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

 

 

_________________________

MARSHA JONES MOUTRIE

City Attorney