Planning Commission to Decide Fate of Major Studio Expansion Project

By Susan Reines

July 16 – The Planning Commission Wednesday night is expected to make a final decision on the expansion of a studio complex in the city’s industrial corridor that promises to trade community perks for the prospect of increased traffic.

The anticipated vote comes after the commission last week postponed a final decision on the proposed Lantana project, which slightly scales down a version of the two-structure entertainment studio rejected by City officials two years ago.

At last week’s meeting, which ran past midnight, the developer also offered a number of neighborhood-devised traffic solutions, as well as a “community benefits package” that included funding for childcare and sidewalk construction.

Commissioners lauded the developers’ efforts to reach out to neighboring residents, while expressing concerns about the potential impacts of the new structures, whose tenants would include Disney, Paramount, Warner Brothers and HBO.

“I am so impressed with this developer allowing the community to bring in their own traffic engineers and funding that,” said Commissioner Arlene Hopkins, referring to Lantana’s funding of a traffic consultant chosen by residents of the Pico neighborhood.

“You’re talking about this big a deal with major brand names coming,” said Commissioner Jay Johnson. “This would be a great asset, but we do need to protect our city.”

After listening to a variety of opinions from community members, the commission decided to begin deliberations this week on whether to recommend that the City Council approve the expansion plan slated for 3030 Olympic Boulevard and 3131 Exposition Boulevard.

While Lantana’s efforts to address traffic issues failed to mollify some nearby residents, representatives of a neighborhood group that led the opposition two years ago said they would support the project as long as specific traffic mitigations were put in place.

Although one of two proposed buildings has been downsized by 15 percent, the combined effect of the complex -- consisting of a 64,105-square-foot building and a 130,000-square-foot structure -- would create about 1,800 new car trips each day, according to the City's projections.

That amount of traffic cannot be completely mitigated, according to City traffic consultants.

While members of the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) had spearheaded opposition to the Lantana expansion in 2002, on Wednesday neighborhood activists said they would support the project on the south side of Olympic that borders their neighborhood as long as Lantana installs medians at key intersections to discourage drivers from turning off the main boulevards onto residential streets.

"It's simply going to keep the traffic out of our little subdivision," said neighbor Linda Sullivan.

Transportation Manager Lucy Dyke, however, said she feared that medians would redirect traffic into other neighborhoods. But she added that if neighbors coalesce around the idea, she would explore whether or not the medians would hinder access to emergency vehicles.

But not all neighbors were happy with the proposed traffic measures. Residents of Sunset Park -- the neighborhood south of Pico -- protested the City’s conclusion that mitigations in their area were not needed because Lantana's expansion would not significantly impact its intersections.

"All I see is that nearly 2,000 trips are going to be created each day by the buildings, and some of them are undoubtedly going to go south," said Zina Josephs, board president of the Friends of Sunset Park.

"We see the (Santa Monica) college growing in its enrollment, we see Playa Vista being approved, and we see these buildings being approved,” Josephs said. “All we see are more cars.”

Lantana representatives contend that relatively few of the new vehicle trips would occur during morning and evening rush hours because entertainment industry employees generally do not work regular office hours.

Some neighborhood residents said they would prefer housing, which has fewer traffic impacts that the commercial expansion.

"I think if you wanted to put housing in Lantana, the community would support that,” said Sunset Park resident Marshall Block. ‘”We definitely need housing. We need moderate- and low-income housing,"

Neighboring residents also disagreed about the community benefits Lantana has proposed in the development agreement with the City that is needed to build the project.

In exchange for allowing Lantana to expand despite traffic impacts that cannot be completely mitigated, the developer has offered to pay $400,000 to the City's childcare fund, $50,000 for arts education in the public schools and to fund construction of new sidewalks along Olympic Boulevard, among other things.

Some residents welcomed the tradeoff. Irene Zivi, of the Santa Monica Childcare Task Force, said the group is “grateful that (childcare funding) is being considered. Period."

PNA representatives asked that their neighborhood – which is the city’s poorest and most racially diverse -- receive a substantial portion of Lantana's childcare funding because their streets would bear much of the traffic burden.

But Lantana officials noted they are already providing community benefits to the Pico Neighborhood, including funding for the nearby Edison Language Academy.

Other residents said the benefits of the proposed project weren’t enough to warrant the necessary “statement of overriding impact,” which must conclude that the development is of such importance its negative impacts should be overlooked.

"The public benefits that have been touted so strongly are actually so small in comparison," complained Sunset Park resident Jennifer Polhemus. "If you're thinking about a statement of overriding impact, I certainly don't think these things are sufficient."

Block agreed. “I don't think we're really benefiting our community by trading a million (dollars) or so in fees for a lifetime of traffic."

Lantana representatives also touted the Sustainable Quality Award presented in May by the City and the Chamber of Commerce, which honored the firm for conducting water efficiency studies and implementing energy-saving devices such as skylights, operable windows and motion-sensor lights.

In other business, commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Commissioner Barbara Brown as chair and current chair Darrel Clarke as vice-chair.