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City
Council Report |
City Council
Meeting: October 27, 2009
Agenda Item: 8-A
To: Mayor and City Council
From:
Subject: Exposition Light Rail Phase 2
Maintenance Facility Update – Expo Construction Authority Consideration of
Verizon Site and
Recommended Action
Staff
recommends that the City Council:
1.
Authorize
the City Manager to continue to work with the Exposition Construction Authority
(Expo) to further explore and mitigate the effects of the proposed Phase 2
Exposition Light Rail maintenance facility, including the proposed alternative
concept “hybrid” maintenance facility site which consists of the Verizon
property and the Santa Monica College (SMC) parking lot as the location for the
maintenance facility (Attachment A).
Such an alternative will include a tightly configured storage and
maintenance facility on the Verizon/SMC site adjacent to the railroad right of
way, and a linear buffer of 100 – 110 feet for most of the frontage facing
residents on
2.
Request
Expo to continue working with the City and community to ensure that, if the
alternative hybrid concept is accepted by Expo, any environmental impacts
associated with the hybrid concept are fully mitigated. Direct staff to work
with Expo to minimize the visual and environmental impacts of the maintenance
facility and enhance its aesthetic interface with the community.
3.
Direct
City staff to work with Expo and other agencies on layout and financial issues associated
with the newly proposed hybrid alternative. Efforts will include discussion
with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and SMC.
4.
Direct
City staff to work with SMC on the identification of property on Airport
Residual land as replacement parking and possible terms for a land swap.
5.
Direct
staff to work with Expo to develop any necessary agreements regarding the
hybrid site if it is adopted by the Expo Board as the recommended site and
adjust the final budget for the Expo Phase 2 project as appropriate.
Executive Summary
Expo will make decisions on the
maintenance facility in consultation with the Operations group at Metro. The Expo Authority Board of Directors is
responsible for deciding on the final project, not the City Council, which can
only make recommendations. The
project budget in the Phase 2 DEIR currently assumes that Expo will acquire
only the Verizon site. The City is requesting that the
Expo Phase 2 budget be adjusted, as necessary, for the hybrid alternative if it
is selected by the Expo Board.
The DEIR, issued in January 2009, summarizes the
review of a number of candidate sites for a Phase 2 maintenance facility, but
concludes that the Verizon site is the only viable alternative. The City Council and neighbors expressed concern about
locating the proposed maintenance yard adjacent to a residential area and
requested Expo to continue to look for an alternative location. The City hired real estate and design
consultants to evaluate options. Several alternatives were explored including a
“split alternative” using Verizon, SMC and
At the August 11, 2009 Council
meeting, the Expo Authority and the City’s Real Estate consultant, The Maxima
Group, provided additional information regarding sites considered. Council
requested further exploration of a site between 9th and 11th
Streets while continuing to explore a hybrid alternative utilizing Verizon, SMC
and a portion of the City Yards. After
further exploration Expo has concluded that the site between 9th and
11th Streets would not be considered as a recommended alternative
for the maintenance facility. This site
creates additional safety and environmental impacts, including socioeconomic
impacts and dislocation as well as costs ranging from $152 million - $203
million.
Expo and the City have continued
to explore the hybrid alterative utilizing the Verizon site and the
Use of the SMC property, a 2.35
acre site at Stewart and Exposition, allows for the creation of a 100 – 110
foot buffer area along
Background
In January 2009, Expo issued a DEIR for the Expo
Light Rail Phase 2 project. The DEIR
included the proposed maintenance yard just east of
The Authority and its environmental/engineering
consultant had examined potential locations within reasonable proximity to the
alignment and narrowed the possibilities to 20 different locations. Most of the
potential sites were eliminated due to inadequate size. The remaining locations were then analyzed to
greater detail based on criteria including location, shape, topography, access,
ownership and potential environmental impacts. Six sites were eliminated due to
various reasons such as engineering challenges, multiple parcel owners, and
project development by others of the site. The last site, the Verizon property
located in
The City also hired both real
estate and design professionals to perform an independent review of possible
sites.
Proposed Maintenance Facility in
the DEIR
On July
14, 2009 Council considered a “split” maintenance facility alternative
cooperatively developed by the City and Expo.
The “split alternative” site failed to win community support and was
opposed by the long-term lessee, Lionstone, who threatened legal proceedings
that would potentially delay the project.
Thus, the “spilt alternative” did not mitigate community concerns,
generated additional opposition and could have resulted in additional impacts. In addition, Metro Real Estate staff
determined that the full cost of the “split alternative” was prohibitive since
it included at least a $30 million lease-hold investment, as well as the value
of current site improvements and a potential substantial sub-lessee investment. Given these factors, Expo informed City staff
that this split alternative was not a preferred option that they could
recommend.
At the August
11 meeting staff
redoubled its efforts to review sites, including sites with multiple
ownerships. The City’s
evaluation process included information about ownership, size of site existing
uses, description of existing improvements, zoning and description of
surrounding neighborhoods. The Maxima
Group analysis confirmed the lack of feasible sites within the Phase 2 area
that met Expo’s relevant criteria, particularly with respect to safety, size
and operational considerations. Council
directed further reexamination of the site between 9th and
Discussion
The costs and potential impacts of
acquiring and redeveloping the site bounded by Colorado, Olympic, 9th
and 11th Streets into a maintenance facility for the Phase II Expo
Line is substantial. Metro Real Estate
has estimated that the total cost would be $152 to $203 million in order to acquire
the land and compensate for relocation and goodwill. This site would potentially displace
approximately 25 viable businesses based upon the visual reconnaissance
prepared by The Maxima Group LLC. The
displacement of this magnitude may constitute a significant socioeconomic
impact and would need to be analyzed and disclosed in the project EIR. The 25
businesses are located on 27 parcels and are held under 14 different owners.
Virtually all of the properties have been improved and some of these businesses
may be difficult to relocate to a comparable site within the City. The
businesses include the LA Car Guy Body Shop, Lexus Service Center, WIC,
Golftec, Christopher Grimes Gallery, ArmaGen Technologies, WW Grainger, Beryll
Corp, Mahalo, Jerry Bruckheimer Inc., Juice Studios, Secret Weapon, America's
Finest Products Corp, Klown Records, Konscious Studios, Hard Tail, Ear to Ear
Studios, Howard James Newton Inc, Brownstone Productions, the Framestore,
Fibermark, Guido Marcello LTD Imports, AF Performance, the Salvation Army
Thrift Store and the Bourget Brothers Building Materials. Access to this site
would require lead tracks across the eastbound lane of
Several community members
continue to raise questions regarding why Bergamot is not considered as an
appropriate site for the maintenance facility, particularly given that transit
money was used to purchase it. According
to Expo, Bergamot’s irregular shape and the added cost to make it functional,
which would require utilizing the adjacent
“Hybrid Alternative” Currently Being
Developed
Given the results of the first, second and third
property surveys that failed to identify another possible maintenance facility
site within the Phase 2 area, the approach has been to explore whether it is
possible to develop a maintenance facility while providing a substantial buffer
for the residential neighborhood, and also to move some maintenance facility
components as far away as possible from the residential neighborhood. Expo has
modified its parking solution so it is no longer necessary to plan for a
joint-use parking facility on a portion of the City Yards. Attachment A is a conceptual diagram of a
possible layout of the revised hybrid site.
·
The
storage tracks and traction power station are located behind a 100 - 110 foot
linear buffer. In addition, some facilities have been placed on the right-of-way,
moving functions away from the residential neighborhood. For example, the car
wash is now located on the Expo right-of way rather than in the Verizon yard.
The cleaning platform is on the right-of-way further east of the Verizon site.
·
Office
space and shop areas would be located in a fully enclosed structure in the area
currently occupied by SMC parking. The City has requested a buffer area in this
location as well but Expo cannot fit one into the site. Walls and building
treatments will be discussed with the community in a design workshop.
·
The 100
- 110 foot linear buffer facing most of the residential neighborhood could be
used for housing and neighborhood serving uses defined through an extensive
community process with recommendations for Council consideration since the
property would be controlled by the City.
·
The
bikepath has also been included on the north side of the right-of way.
Expo has begun discussion with the community on how to achieve a “good neighbor” facility. Several tours were conducted by Expo and Metro of the Green and Gold Line maintenance facilities. The community identified several concerns when touring these maintenance facilities on August 24, September 29 and September 30, 2009. Responses to address these issues are included below. Some of the solutions/mitigations will depend upon the forthcoming environmental analysis specific to the site:
1. Track loop
a. Issue: The Green Line has a tight track loop that produces
“wheel squeal”. Additional concern was expressed
about any tight turn that causes squeal.
b. Response: Both the DEIR and the latest recommended maintenance facility layout do not have the same type of loop as the Green Line. Expo/Metro have agreed to consider additional treatments on any curved tracks.
2. Alarm for vehicle lift
a. Issue: The Green Line has an extremely loud alarm for the
vehicle lift inside the maintenance facility building.
b. Response: Metro is willing to look into reducing the volume,
making it directional, or other such measures to the audible alarm in order to
accommodate the community.
3. Air conditioning (AC) unit for the
traction power substation (TPSS)
a. Issue: The Green Line’s AC for its Traction Power Sub Station
(TPSS) is loud.
b. Response: Expo has stated that the FEIR will assess the
potential impacts related to the TPSS, including the AC unit, for both the Expo
Line maintenance facility layouts.
Mitigations to address the impacts will be included in the FEIR. City staff has requested that appropriate
measures to muffle the noise be included.
Note that the TPSS is proposed to be located approximately 150 feet
north of
4. Blowers for carwash
a. Issue: The Green Line does not have blowers associated with the
carwash. However, blowers are proposed
for the Expo Phase 2 maintenance yard.
b. Possible solution: Expo has stated that the FEIR will assess the
potential impacts related to the carwash, including blowers, for both the Expo
Line maintenance facility layouts. If
required, mitigations to address the impacts will be included in the FEIR. Note that the carwash is proposed to be
located along the Expo right- of- way north of the Verizon property for both
layouts and the blowers will be located within the carwash building.
Other issues that have been raised are: elimination
of the paint and body shop; incorporating design elements into the maintenance
building that will muffle noise; access to the facility restricted to
In an effort to retain a sizable
residential buffer, City staff and SMC have discussed the possibility of a three
party land exchange among Expo, SMC and the City, which allows for using the
SMC parking lot as part of this new hybrid alternative. SMC and its Board of
Trustees are willing to consider relocating their Exposition parking facility
on the condition that SMC will be made whole with a replacement site acceptable
to SMC. To this end there have been
exploratory discussions between City and SMC staffs about whether it is
possible to provide SMC with
suitable land for replacement parking adjacent to SMC’s Airport Bundy
Campus. Under this approach, Expo would
obtain SMC’s current Exposition parking site, with SMC obtaining the land
identified as the potential maintenance facility buffer. SMC and the City would then enter into a
swap, with the City obtaining control over the buffer land, and with SMC
obtaining control over land owned by the City at the Airport where SMC can
relocate its parking facility. If this
all is to happen, public hearings would need to occur and agreements
would need to be entered into that provide for the land swap, to be authorized
by the SMC Board and Santa Monica City Council, under mutually agreed to terms
and conditions. An agreement would also set forth a process to continue to
complete all required studies and environmental mitigations including CEQA
requirements.
Budget/Financial
Impact
Following further study of this alternative, cost issues will be refined
and brought back for Council consideration.
Prepared by: Kathryn Vernez,
Assistant to the City Manager, Community and Government Relations
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Kathryn Vernez Assistant
to the City Manager for Community and Government Relations |
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City Manager |
Attachment A: Conceptual Plan:
Hybrid Verizon-SMC-City Yards Alternative for Expo Maintenance Yard
Facility