March 29, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica Downtown Specific Plan To Steer Clear Of Triple Digits – For Now:

It could be argued a perfect day in Santa Monica is when the thermometer reads 84 degrees Fahrenheit. If it were possible to gauge the uppermost height restrictions many residents hoped would be prescribed the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP), such a thermometer would ideally read 84 feet.

The Santa Monica City Council voted Tuesday to restrict studies for the DSP’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to proposed developments of up to 84 feet, though the vote was not the result of Council members licking their respective index fingers and sticking it up in the air to determine which direction the political wind was blowing.

City staff had proposed Council members approve EIR studies for proposed developments reaching the 120 to 135 feet range.

Consistent with the vote, the council also indicated developers seeking to build a project to Santa Monica exceeding 84 feet in height would have to pay for their own EIR and possibly seek an amendment to the DSP.

By shifting the cost of the EIR away from the city and toward the developer, a disincentive might be established to make future developers potentially think twice about building a high-rise project in Santa Monica.

Though nothing is final yet – City staff is merely studying the environmental impacts of proposed developments up to 84 feet high – the fact council members held off looking at the impact of a height restriction of up to 135 feet may be considered a victory by many residents who pleaded with the elected panel to maintain an 84-foot height restriction.

Indeed, when the public testimony of the DSP agenda item was called to the dais, City Clerk Sarah Gorman announced an estimated 75 people submitted chits to address the council.

Council member Ted Winterer suggested an exception be made to the two-minute time limit during public testimony and allow speakers the opportunity to group together.

Doing so, Winterer suggested, would allow for more efficient and focused commentary, allowing some speakers who wanted to speak longer than two minutes to borrow time from those who either had something similar to say or needed less than 120 seconds at the podium.

Accordingly, there were some speakers who addressed the council for as long as six minutes.

By the time the public testimony and council deliberation was complete, the Tuesday night meeting spilled into Wednesday morning.

Even more, Council members were expected to be back at City Hall about 16 hours later to resume the second half of a scheduled two-evening public meeting.

With the 84-foot height restriction direction, City staff can finally start bringing the DSP into focus. Leading up to the Aug. 13 meeting, the council tabled the DSP discussion in July when only four members were present at the July 9 meeting.

The Planning Commission also had the DSP appear on multiple agendas this summer.

Prior to the council’s direction, City staff said they were unable to provide detailed information of how the Downtown Specific Plan, once implemented, would affect Santa Monica’s urban core without prescribed parameters defined by the council.

Conversely, some Council members wanted some more information from City staff before determining the breadth of the parameters that needed to be studied for purposes of the EIR.

Ultimately, Council members unanimously decided the 120 to 135 feet range should be off the table – at least for now.

Mayor Pam O’Connor was quick to remind everyone no final decisions were made Tuesday evening. Instead, the determination of studying the environmental impacts of 84-foot buildings within Santa Monica’s downtown served as a starting point.

Of course, once City staff comes back to the council with its updated report of the environmental impacts of 84-foot structures in the downtown, Council members could adjust how they want to move forward with the DSP at that point.

If the 84-foot height restriction holds and is incorporated as part of the DSP, the policy decision would directly impact a few proposed projects on “opportunity sites,” including the planned revitalization of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and the well-publicized Ocean Avenue project designed by architect Frank Gehry.

Another hot topic: Floor Area Ratio, or FAR.

FAR is a measure of density. Higher FAR numbers usually mean greater density and result in higher property valuations. For example, a FAR of 2.0 means a building’s total floor area is twice the size of the plot of land of where it sits.

Council members agreed the FAR for the eight “opportunity sites” should be no higher than 4.0, with a 1.0 housing bonus if the proposed project yields low trip-generating uses.

The Mirror will continue to cover the DSP in coming weeks. In next week’s issue, The Mirror will delve into the various opinions and perspectives raised during the four-hour discussion about the DSP.

in News
Related Posts

Customers at These Palisades Stores Can Get Cash Rewards for Sharing Their Experience

March 29, 2024

March 29, 2024

Thumzup is Starting its L.A. Footprint Expansion with Pacific Palisades Thumzup, a company which aims to democratize the social media...

Homeless Man Sentenced to State Prison for Crimes Against Homeless Women

March 29, 2024

March 29, 2024

Man Pleads No Contest to Series of Sexual Assaults Anthony Pittman, currently homeless, has pled no contest to a series...

(Video) Series A Coffee Now Open in Beverly Hills at 8328 Wilshire Blvd

March 29, 2024

March 29, 2024

Located in the space that formerly housed a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Try the Black Pearl Iced Coffee. @smmirrornews...

Los Angeles County Braces for Heavy Rain, Snow, and Possible Thunderstorms Over Weekend

March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024

National Weather Service Issues Alerts for Flooding and Possible Tornado  According to the latest reports from the National Weather Service...

Hotel Workers to Speak Out on Harassment Endured at Santa Monica Hampton Inn

March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024

The Hotel Is One of Five Hotels in the Charter City That Are Still in a Labor Dispute By Zach...

Santa Monica Rotary Club Raises Over $21,000 for SMC Guardian Scholars Program

March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024

This Grant Will Provide Essential Support to Current and Former Foster Youth Enrolled at the College The Rotary Club of...

 (Video) Philz Coffee Set to Close Westside Location Next Month

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

The Franchise Recently Made Headlines for Changing Headquarters @smmirrornews Philz is closing its Santa Monica shop #coffeeaddict #coffee #coffeeshop #losangeles...

Fleurs et Sel Bakery Opens Storefront in West Adams, Welcomes Customers Three Days a Week

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Indulge in Freshly Baked Cookies at the New West Adams Location Fleurs et Sel Bakery, known for its delectable cookies...

Easter Specials Guide: Brunch Spots, Desserts, and More in West Los Angeles

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Discover the Best Easter Eats and Treats in LA for Your Holiday Celebration Easter is almost here, so here are...

Famous Literary Critic and Palisadian Passes Away at 92

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

A Memoriam Post Stated She Overturned Views on T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound and Other Canonized Artists By Zach Armstrong...

Mixed-Use Development Set for Sloping Property along Chautauqua Boulevard

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

“Canyon Place” Is Set to Include Two Apartment Units and 1,415 Sq. Ft. of Office Space By Zach Armstrong A...

Over Five Miles of Venice Blvd. to Temporarily Close, Become Public Park in April

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

The Initiative, Which Started in 2010, Aims to Connect Communities and Promote Sustainable Transportation Options On Sunday, April 21 from...

(Video) Workers Strike at Luxury Hotel in Downtown Santa Monica

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Meanwhile, Unite Here Local 11 Recently Announced a Contract Was Ratified at 34 Hotels @smmirrornews Workers are striking at Proper...

(Video) Director Adam Wingard Talks About His Influences While Making GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Director Adam Wingard Talks About His Influences While Making GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE at the Beyond Fest Screening...

Historic Union Contract Ratified by Thousands of Hotel Workers At 34 Hotels

March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

UNITE HERE Local 11 Negotiates Agreement Ensuring Wage Increases  Hotel workers, who spearheaded the largest hotel strike in modern U.S....