By Jonathan Friedman
Lookout Staff

April 16, 2010 --What was supposed to be a mere formality at the end of a long selection process to choose the designer for what has been called “Santa Monica’s Central Park” turned into a lengthy dispute on the City Council dais Tuesday evening.

The Council voted 4-2 to approve a recommendation from a panel of non-Santa Monica architects for New York-based Field Operations to create Palisades Garden Walk & Town Square. This $25 million project will include a six-acre park north of Olympic Drive, west of Main Street, south of the Interstate-10 Freeway and east of Ocean Avenue.

It will also include a one-acre Town Square in front of City Hall “that is oriented to civic and community activities.”

Field Operations is headed by James Corner, who Council member Kevin McKeown called “the Frederick Law Olmstead of the 21st Century.”

Olmstead designed Central Park. Council member Bobby Shriver, who opposed the selection, called the comparison “an overstatement.” The City manager will negotiate a contract with the firm for up to $3.2 million.

Shriver and Holbrook voted against Field Operations because they did not like being presented with one choice. The firm was selected after six finalists were interviewed by a panel consisting of Qingyun Ma, the dean of the USC School of Architecture; Marc Fisher, vice chancellor and campus architect of UC Santa Barbara and landscape architect Ken Smith.

“I have nothing against any of those three people,” Shriver said. He continued, “I’m sure they’re terrific … but they’re not people from our parks commission, our architecture commission, or anybody from this Council or any representative of the people of Santa Monica.”

Others on the Council said this was too early in the process for public involvement since only the designer was being selected, not the actual design. The competing firms were not asked to come up with a proposal for the panel, rather they presented why they were the best choice in what is called a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process.

“Everyone who is concerned there wasn’t some kind of public input needs to realize this isn’t the time for public input,” Council member Gleam Davis said. “This is merely the selection of somebody who is then going to work with the public to create what I am confident will be a marvelous space in our city.”

Davis also noted that City staff had some involvement in the process, although it did not have any direct connection to making the selection. Shriver said that did not go to his concern about resident leaders not having a say because City staff members do not necessarily live in Santa Monica. He also said regarding items produced by architects selected through a process involving City staff and not resident leaders, “I think there is some opinion in town that they are not that great.”

Shriver suggested three firms be asked to come to a City Council meeting and make presentations. Davis said doing this would be an “unmitigated disaster” for the City. Shriver laughed at her comment.

Mayor Pro Tem Pam O’Connor said requiring presentations to the Council would “politicize” the selection.

Shriver said it would be nothing new for professional firms to go through “dog and pony shows” to get clients.

Since Council member Richard Bloom was not in attendance, there was a risk the vote could be a tie. With three people vocally in favor of the selection and two opposed, Council member Terry O’Day, who had been mostly silent for this discussion, became the deciding vote. When the City clerk called his name, he paused for several seconds until finally voting in favor. O’Day did not return a phone call for comment about his dramatic moment.

James Corner, “the Frederick Law Olmstead of the 21st Century.”
   Kevin McKeown
   Council member