By Jonathan Friedman
Lookout

June 18, 2010 -- With most commissioners praising it as the type of project Santa Monica needs, the Planning Commission voted 5-1 on Wednesday to approve a mixed-use development at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Stanford Street, currently occupied by Jerry’s Liquor and a parking lot.

Numerous residents from the Northeast Neighbors section of Santa Monica spoke at the meeting in opposition to the project, citing traffic and parking concerns. One resident said after the meeting that the residents are considering appealing the decision to the City Council.

The project calls for a 45-foot-tall building with 26 above-ground rental units ranging from one to three bedrooms and nearly 11,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, including a market up to 8,500 square feet in size. A subterranean parking structure with 100 spaces will also be included.

Most of the residents who spoke at the meeting had no problem with the residential aspect of the project, but they were bothered by the commercial element, especially the market. In addition to adding traffic and vehicles in need of parking to a street they said already has too much of both, several residents said they fear the market will lead to large delivery trucks accessing the structure from Stanford, creating a dangerous situation.

As a remedy to the deliver access issue, the commission put a condition on the project that large trucks must access the building through Wilshire.

“I appreciate this consideration,” said Northeast Neighbors resident Nick Gardner after the meeting. But he said havoc would still be created from the smaller delivery trucks turning toward the building from Stanford.

Commissioner Jason Parry said this project would increase traffic in the neighborhood, but he said that Santa Monica was in a situation of parking and traffic problems because of a failure in this city and throughout the country to encourage mixed-use projects like this one.

“I see this as an important step in the right direction, even though it feels like it may be exactly the wrong direction,” Parry said.

Commissioner Ted Winterer was the lone vote in opposition. He wanted a reduction in the amount of commercial space, replacing this with some ground floor residential units. Project owner Halston Mikail said an economic study he had done determined this was not feasible.

“I don’t buy that,” Winterer said after the meeting. “Their analysis wasn’t terribly thorough. And the staff report only cited the applicant’s analysis … (ground-floor residential) would have mitigated some of the impacts (of the project).”

Although it was not supposed to be part of the discussion during the meeting, several residents brought up the issue of South, a bar and restaurant located on the other Wilshire/Stanford corner. They said South creates tremendous noise and parking issues.

“We have late-night patrons walking down our street … they go to their cars often drunk unfortunately,” resident Vickie Neemeyer said. “They urinate on our property. They throw their beer bottles on our property.”

Responding to those residents as well as to the issue of sports bars/restaurants in general in Santa Monica, Commissioner Jim Ries said, “It’s embarrassing to the city that we continue to have so many problems with these sports bars.”

He attempted to talk about the issue a little more, but Chief Deputy City Attorney Barry Rosenbaum said it was inappropriate due to the topic not being on the agenda.

The meeting also got heated at one point when the commissioners were voting on possibly continuing the item to another meeting so they could get clarification on the issue of the delivery truck access. Halfway through the voting, Mikail stood up and interrupted the commissioners.

“I’ve been at this for three years,” he said. “Now if you don’t want the project, tell me to take a hike and go away. You guys keep continuing me. You guys like to continue like you have nothing better to do.”

Commission Chair Hank Koning said he understood the frustration, and several other commissioners spoke at once. But Commissioner Johnson angrily spoke over the others to tell Mikail, “We’re trying to work with you. I’m sorry, that’s life in a big city. You’re a developer. You’ve got millions of dollars. Just relax. We’re suffering with it too.”

Koning soon reestablished order in the room and the vote for a continuance was a failure.