LUCE Update City of Santa Monica

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LUCE UPDATE CITY COUNCIL JULY 14, 2009
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Our purpose tonight

• Update City Council on key progress
• Neighborhood Conservation Workshop
• Community Benefits Workshop
• Growth Management Approach
• Proposed indicators for measuring the plans
  success

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LUCE Achieving the Community Vision
As change occurs, the LUCE would ensure that
Santa Monica becomes a better place by
New Roadmap

• Identifying maximum allowable envelopes and
  heights
• Implementing policies to reduce future traffic
  and manage transportation
• Setting limits for where, when how much change
  in the future

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LUCE Strategy Framework
LUCE A balanced and integrated strategy
developed with the community for the next 20 years

• Six Framework Elements
• Neighborhood Conservation and Enhancement
• Reducing Future Traffic Congestion
• Coordinating Land Use with Public Transit
• Meeting Community Needs with Public Benefits
• Placemaking through quality Urban Design
• A Sustainable Santa Monica

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Areas of Preservation
Single Family Neighborhoods
No Change Neighborhoods Preserved
Single Family Neighborhoods
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Areas of Preservation
Single Family Neighborhoods
No Change Residential Neighborhoods Preserved
Multifamily Neighborhoods
Multi-Family Neighborhoods
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Areas of Preservation
Single Family Neighborhoods
No Change Neighborhood Commercial
Multifamily Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Commercial
Neighborhood Commercial
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Areas of Preservation
Single Family Neighborhoods
No Change Institutions Parks
Multifamily Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Commercial
Institutions and Parks
Institutions Parks
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Areas of Preservation
Single Family Neighborhoods
No Change Beach and Oceanfront
Multifamily Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Commercial
Institutions and Parks
Beach and Oceanfront
Beach Oceanfront
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Areas of Preservation
Single Family Neighborhoods
No Change Industrial Conservation
Multifamily Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Commercial
Institutions and Parks
Beach and Oceanfront
Industrial Conservation
Industrial Conservation
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Areas of Preservation
Single Family Neighborhoods
No Change Dev Agreement Sites Business Park
Multifamily Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Commercial
Institutions and Parks
Beach and Oceanfront
Industrial Conservation
DA Sites and Business Parks
Development Agreement Business Park
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Areas of Preservation
LUCE Focus Areas
BOULEVARDS
Wilshire Blvd.
Wilshire Activity Center
Santa MonicaBoulevard
Broadway
Colorado
Pico Boulevard
Ocean Park Boulevard
DISTRICTS
Bergamot Transit Village
Mixed-UseCreative
Memorial Park
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Trip Reduction Strategies

• Activity centers located at EXPO transit stations
  and transit crossroads
• Housing and jobs located near transit
• Complete neighborhoods within walking/biking
  distance of retail services.
• Shifting away from regional commercial
• Locating residential along transit corridors

Mixed-UseCreative
Bergamot Transit Village
Memorial Park Activity Center
Downtown
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success

• Project future change in five year increments to
  be in sync with transportation and infrastructure
  improvements
• Measure and manage success
• Establish performance standards and targets
• Report back to community and the City Council
• Allow City to put on the brakes

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NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION WORKSHOP June 2, 2009
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July 7, 2009
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Neighborhood Conservation
June 2nd Workshop at the Santa Monica Main Public
Library

• Nearly 100 participants
• Every Santa Monica neighborhood represented
• Active participation
• Specific Neighborhoods Strategies

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What is Neighborhood Conservation?
Neighborhood Conservation

• Manage the pace, timing type of change allowed
  in the neighborhood

• A Neighborhood Conservation District has a
  special, identifiable character representing a
  strong sense of time place composed of
• Distinctive building features (scale, mass)
• Distinctive land use architectural features
• Distinctive streetscape features (sidewalks,
  landscape, streets, lighting)
• Distinctive site planning natural features
  (historic development patterns topography)
• Courtyards

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Menu of Solutions Neighborhood Conservation
List of Neighborhood Conservation Tools

• Establish Neighborhood Conservation Overlay
  Districts
• Adopt criteria specific to each conservation
  district
• Demolition Permit Policy
• Specific criteria to evaluate buildings in
  conservation districts for their contribution to
  neighborhood character
• Modification of Development Standards
• Transition between new buildings
• Ground level open space
• Process Changes
• Policy Changes
• Educational Programs

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Neighborhood Conservation
The Community Defined Attributes to be Subject to
Conservation

• The range of housing choices that span the
  continuum of incomes and lifestyles
• The human scale of the residential neighborhoods
• Walkability to local services like cafes, parks
  and entertainment
• The availability of open space for social
  interaction, recreation, and respite
• Structures that contribute to the overall
  neighborhood character (historic, cultural)
• The diversity of architectural styles

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COMMUNITY BENEFITS CONCEPT
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July 7, 2009
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Community Benefits
July 7th Workshop at the Civic Auditorium, East
Wing

• Over 150 participants
• Prioritization of desired benefits
• Active participation through breakout groups

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Community Benefits

• Lowers maximum heights to be analyzed /- 97 at
  or significantly lower than existing General Plan
• Lowers todays by right base height to 32
• Sets a high bar Identifies exceptional
  community needs to apply for consideration to
  exceed lowered base height
• Uses economic analysis to identify comparative
  value of benefits and feasibility

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Community Benefits
LUCE HEIGHT REDUCTION - WILSHIRE BOULEVARDMixed
Use Boulevard

• LUCE height lower than existing 1984 General Plan
  
• LUCE base height is lower
• LUCE maximum height achievable only with public
  benefits
• Stepbacks to residential reduce volume

84 EXISTING GENERAL PLAN HEIGHT LIMIT
55 LUCE HEIGHT LIMIT WITH PUBLIC BENEFITS
P/L
Stepback18 average
Residential
Stepback9 average
Residential
32 LUCE BASE WITHOUT PUBLIC BENEFITS
Residential
35 max _at_ St. with on-site affordable
Residential
Active Retail
Fronting the Boulevards
Adjacent to Residential
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Community Benefits
The LUCE requires that new development beyond the
base provides exceptional benefits to the
community

• Historic Preservation
• Affordable Housing
• Workforce Housing
• Transportation Demand Management
• Physical Improvements
• Social/Cultural Facilities

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Community Benefits
Physical Improvements

• Reconnecting the street grid to make it easier to
  get around
• Pedestrian paths
• Bike access
• Recreational open space
• Shared parking districts
• Plazas at activity centers to provide a gathering
  place
• Wider sidewalks

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Community Benefits
Affordable and Workforce Housing

• Affordable housing beyond what is required by the
  existing Affordable Housing Production Program
• Workforce housing in addition to affordable
  housing

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Community Benefits Affordable Housing
OBJECTIVE To locate housing along the
transportation corridors where there is local
serving retail, an enhanced pedestrian system and
transportation alternatives. There should be a
rich mix of social/economic levels housed along
the boulevards.

• Require 20 of market units to be affordable
• Allow for a height and FAR bonus to 35 from 32
  base.
• Off-site housing OK if on the same corridor
  within ¼ mile
• Prefer no in-lieu fees, as lower income
  households will have better access to transit on
  the boulevards

Mixed-Use Boulevard
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Community Benefits Affordable Housing
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Community Benefits Concept
The Community Prioritized Community Benefits

• Housing that is affordable to people of all
  income levels, age, and cultural background
• Neighborhood/local services (markets,
  restaurants, open space)
• Cultural and/or art facilities and venues
• Reuse of existing buildings, and preservation of
  historic structures
• Social services and programs for children, youth
  and the elderly
• Transit enhancements (bus shelters, sidewalks,
  etc) and shared parking
• Availability of open space, mature trees

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CONTROLLING GROWTH Measuring Our Success
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July 7, 2009
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success
The LUCE allows us to adjust the plan as we go
forward. Various factors will influence the pace
of change.

• Market reaction to changing conditions (e.g. Expo
  light rail)
• Level of City intervention necessary for activity
  centers to move forward (shared parking)
• Observed results

Putting On The Brakes as necessary
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success
LUCE includes 5 Key Controls to Guide the
Implementation of the Communitys Vision
Quality Controls
Type of Uses
Location of Uses
Rate of Change
Amount of Change
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success
LUCE includes 5 Key Controls to Guide the
Implementation of the Communitys Vision

• Reduces Regional Office Use
• Reduces Regional Serving Retail
• Increases Local-Serving business
• Creates Mixed-Use districts transit corridors and
  centers

Quality Controls
Type of Uses
Location of Uses
Rate of Change
Amount of Change
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success
LUCE includes 5 Key Controls to Guide the
Implementation of the Communitys Vision

• Conserves residential neighborhoods
• Creates housing opportunities along transit
  corridors and transit stations
• Incorporates TDM programs and policies

Quality Controls
Type of Uses
Location of Uses
Rate of Change
Amount of Change
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success
LUCE includes 5 Key Controls to Guide the
Implementation of the Communitys Vision
Quality of the City
Type of Uses
Location of Uses

• Provides for increased public review
• Establishes design policies and guidelines
• Increases Open Space
• Neighborhood Conservation

• Creates Urban Design Principles
• Provides for Setbacks, Stepbacks and Building
  Envelopes

Rate of Change
Amount of Change
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success
LUCE includes 5 Key Controls to Guide the
Implementation of the Communitys Vision

• Overall less area to change
• Reduced Commercial Growth
• Modified Residential Growth
• Enhanced Transit

Quality Controls
Type of Uses
Location of Uses
Rate of Change
Amount of Change
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Controlling Growth Measuring Our Success
LUCE includes 5 Key Controls to Guide the
Implementation of the Communitys Vision

• Periodic review to monitor performance and
  progress
• Indicators for fiscal health, community
  completeness, neighborhood conservation,
  transportation performance and conservation
• Ability to put on the brakes to control rate of
  change
• TDM enhancements to reduce existing trips

Quality Controls
Type of Uses
Location of Uses
Rate of Change
Amount of Change
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Measuring Our Success
A balanced concept for pro-active monitoring and
management

• Utilize transportation performance measures and
  transportation model data
• A range of indicators tied to critical LUCE key
  goals
• An array of considerations that allow for
  balancing issues and actions

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Indicators of our Success
An innovative way to measure how we are achieving
the LUCE goals by reporting trends

• Complete and Connected Communities
• Quality of life, access to daily needs and
  services, recreational open space, and housing
  affordability
• Neighborhood Conservation
• Transportation Choice
• A Fiscally Healthy City
• Quality services such as public safety, schools,
  libraries, road maintenance, and parks depend on
  the fiscal health of the City
• Public Engagement Process

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Indicators of our Success
Response to Indicators

• Strong support for proposed measurement tools
• Complete Community
• Neighborhood Conservation
• Transportation Choices
• Fiscally Healthy City
• Public Engagement Process
• Community suggested items for study
• Availability of community gardens
• Ridership of neighborhood shuttles
• Availability of healthy food options

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FEASIBILITY TESTING
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July 7, 2009
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Community Benefits Concept
Testing Feasibility Keyser Marston Associates
Study in Progress
Is there sufficient site value created by
allowing height or floor area above the base in
return for the provision of community benefits?

• Considerations differences in land value in
  Santa Monica (Wilshire versus Pico), range of
  site sizes and project height
• Considered options with on-site affordable
  housing construction, and an option with in-lieu
  fee payment
• Tested 3 tiers of project height and floor area

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Preliminary Financial Analysis
Created Prototype Designs for Each LUCE District,
e.g. Mixed-Use Boulevard

• Created Plans for Each Building Level
• Recognized Step Backs and Building Envelope
  Requirements
• Calculated Affordable Housing Requirements
• Calculated Parking and Parking Access Requirements

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Preliminary Financial Analysis
Results of Financial Feasibility Analysis

• Each FAR tier increases the land value above the
  base case.
• A sufficient increase in value occurs thus making
  the public benefits concept economically feasible
• Too early to quantify value enhancements
• A portion of the value enhancement is available
  for public benefits

Construction Types Type 1 Concrete
Frame Type 3 Concrete Walls, Wood
Floor/Roof Type 5 Wood Frame
Initial Finding It is financially feasible to
provide the specified community benefits.
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LUCE Planning Process
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LUCE UPDATE City Council JULY 14, 2009
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July 7, 2009
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