Neighborhood Council - minutes for July 19, 2008

[Z]

Santa Monica Neighborhood Council

July 19, 2008 -- 10 AM -- Ken Edwards Center

MINUTES

Agenda:
1. SMC facilities bond measure
2. LUCE update
***********************************************************************1.
SMC Facilities Bond Measure - Denny Zane stated that the $295 million
bond measure would cost renters about $1 per month and homeowners
about $7 per month. He stated that LAUSD has passed four bonds and has
a fifth on the November 2008 ballot; LACCD has passed two bonds and
has a third bond on the November ballot.

Denny stated that the SMC campus is 60 years old and that there have
been several earthquakes since it was built. Measure U and S funded
earthquake repairs. The new bond measure will focus on facilities
replacement, combining the math and science departments, adding a new
P.E. and physical fitness center, replacing the old office building on
the Bundy Campus, adding and renovating buildings on the Stewart Ave.
campus, modernizing Drescher Hall, creating a Pico Blvd. bus pull-out,
and building a library in Malibu for SMC and Malibu High School to
share.

Regarding enrollment, Denny stated that at any given time less than
20% of SMC students live within the district. 60% of residents have
attended the college. Less than 15% of the total annual operating and
capital expenditures of the college come from taxes paid directly by
Santa Monica and Malibu residents and businesses. Community colleges
have local districts, as opposed to CSU and UC. No "city" money goes
to the college other than the fireworks show for 4th of July.

One attendee asked whether residents could get scholarships or aid for
buying textbooks. Another attendee asked how many additional students
will be accommodated by the bond-funded facilities. Denny answered
that the college is reducing congestion on the main campus by creating
satellite campuses, encouraging students to take online classes,
encouraging use of public and college transit services, and by
supporting the proposed countywide 1/2 cent transit tax on the
November ballot.

An attendee asked whether the SRO's being constructed in the city are
for low income residents or for the college, particularly a 625-unit
building on Nebraska. Denny replied that SMC is not connected with any
housing project.

Ken Genser described cooperation between the city and SMMUSD regarding
Edison Language Academy and Samohi. An attendee commented that the two
agencies (the city and SMC) need to be responsible to the residents,
that the city has not looked at the impact of the SMC plan. Ken
replied that it would happen during the CEQA process.

Another attendee stated that the college is a business with multiple
campuses, necessitating trips back and forth between the campuses, and
that there is a perception that the college doesn't have to answer to
either the residents or the city. Denny replied that there is very
little vehicle traffic between the main campus and the satellite
campuses because parking is difficult on the main campus and because
free shuttle buses connect the various campuses.

Denny stated that as a SM City Councilmember, he initiated
preferential parking in Sunset Park. He stated that preferential
parking led to the shuttle parking lot on Airport Ave., that the
college bought the Bundy Campus when they were losing the Airport
shuttle lot. Then they acquired the shuttle lot on Exposition Blvd. He
opined that "The college doesn't get fair credit."

Another attendee asked, "Will there ever be an end to the bonds?" He
also stated that $2.5 million from previous bond measures went to
constructing a waste treatment plant in Malibu, as well as another
$2.5 million for constructing a park, and asked whether those
expenditures fit the Prop 39 requirements. He also asked about SMC
students contributing funds to bond campaigns. And he asked why the
college refuses to do a "structural audit" and whether the college is
in the business of "land banking."

Denny replied that the wastewater treatment plant is needed for a
planned SMC facility in Malibu and that the college bond counsel's
opinion is that the use of bond funds conforms to Prop 39
requirements.

Another attendee, who has worked in audits in LAUSD, stated that the
bond language should include financial and performance audits, as well
as listing specific projects with specific budgets; that the people
hired for construction should be union, and that staff rather than
$200/hour consultants should be used. She also asked for a copy of the
college's development plan and suggested that it should include
integrated sustainability.

Denny stated that the bond language has already been approved and that
it includes financial and performance audits, a requirement of Prop 39
bonds.

It was agreed to continue this topic on next month's agenda.

2. LUCE - Councilmember Ken Genser stated, regarding the LUCE update
and the Planning Commission recommendations, that the staff is
listening but is tilting toward more development and greater height
than residents want, and that we should say what we want. Staff has
recommended specific base "by right" heights, varying according to
neighborhood, with bonus heights allowed for public benefits and
affordable housing.

Question: What is the right base height? Ken suggested 1 story of
commercial (perhaps 15 feet) plus 1 story of residential above (10-12
feet). Right now, an extra 10 feet is granted only for 100% affordable
housing projects, i.e., Main & Pacific, Santa Monica Blvd. & 26th.

Discussion included terms such as "workforce housing" - Ken feels it
should fill in the gap between "market rate housing" (such as the
Craig Jones buildings downtown) and affordable housing. "Affordable
housing" is for residents at 80% of the L.A. County median income, ca.
$56,000 for a family of 3." So the "workforce housing" gap would be
from 80% to 180% of median income.

"Inclusionary housing" - the city has not done a good enough job of
monitoring this (affordable housing at the Sea Castle and the
Arboretum). "Deed restrictions" will be included at the CCSM High
Place condos. Residents who have been Ellised get priority for CCSM
housing.

"Activity Centers" - Ken feels that a little more height is okay in
order to keep a market, a community plaza, drug store, cleaners,
shoemakers, coffee shop, and a lot of parking. The staff envisions
office space on the 2nd floor, then housing above.

Bergamot Transit Village - This will include Bergamot Station, the
Richlar warehouse, the Papermate property, and the transit stop.
Comments included making the plans contingent upon the Expo Line
coming through. Question: What's the ratio of mixed housing and
offices? 60-40, with additional height allowed as a trade-off for open
space. There is a triangle of land along Michigan that's privately
owned. "Creative mixed use" -- Ken thinks it could be housing instead.

Memorial Park -- Transit station at 17th. Fisher Lumber was purchased
(unofficially) to expand Memorial Park. The new plans include higher
density housing, with ground floor commercial, surrounding the park,
and also going across the freeway, with higher density housing. Ken
feels it needs to come down in scale.

Downtown -- a specific plan will be developed later -- south of
Arizona, between 4th and 5th, there will be underground parking, a
public plaza, re-built theaters, and added parking entrances on 5th
St.

Hospitals -- St. John's wants Wilshire Blvd. frontage (20th to 23rd),
plus Santa Monica Blvd. to Broadway (both sides) - they already own
land south to Broadway. The current plan is to create a "hospital
district" without getting rid of housing, but Santa Monica Hospital
may want to remove housing on 15th and 16th and between Arizona and
Wilshire.

Ken's suggestions: 1) Limit heigh, 2) Define what the affordable
housing bonuses will be, and 3) Use the creative office area east of
Stewart/28th for housing.

Traffic -- After Labor Day, the Council will be studying traffic
methodology. A new method would study how long it takes to get from
place to place. Jeanne Dodson expressed concern about the unbundling
of parking and hoped that the Council will consider parking strategies
that will not adversely affect residents. Arlene Hopkins stated that
Ocean Park neighborhoods are inundated with Main Street employees and
beach goers looking for parking spaces.

Ken's recommendation regarding effective advocacy on issues: Speak at
meetings, send letters (but not form letters), and/or phone
Councilmembers. In his opinion, petitions are meaningless.

Catherine Eldridge suggested (a) that enforcement needs to include
penalties, (b) that we need citywide development maps, (c) that the
revised LUCE Framework should be put online during August, and (d)
that ALL housing needs to be included (low income housing has been
removed).