By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff

January 30, 2012 -- Santa Monica residents on Thursday began a discussion to hammer out a new Downtown Specific Plan that will help shape the future of the beach city's "living room."   

At the meeting in the east wing of the Civic Auditorium, residents weighed in on the kind of public art they'd like to see more of, the sort of community benefits they value for the Downtown area and the proper balance that should be struck between pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists.

“We want to make (Downtown) Santa Monica more than a place to shop and eat,” said Neal Payton, a principal with the urban design firm Torti Gallas and Partners, which is helping craft the plan.

“We need to create an environment Downtown that... is a place to be immersed in culture,” he said.
Staff and residents alike enthusiastically agreed.

“The goal of the Specific Plan is simple -- to implement the LUCE,” said Payton, referring to the Land Use and Circulation Element, which calls for making the Downtown a destination that will draw people, not only for commerce, but for the experience of being in Downtown Santa Monica.

Payton likened the Specific Plan to a conductor, someone who coordinates various – and sometimes disparate – elements into the sounds of a symphony.

Santa Monica is required by California state law to draft design standards and zoning regulations, relate them to the City's LUCE and outline how the plan will be administrated, Payton told the crowd.

While adhering to those basic elements, Payton said, it is important that the Specific Plan -- which will set guidelines for the area bounded by Ocean Avenue, Lincoln Boulevard, I-10 and just north of Wilshire Boulevard -- be flexible.

“Whatever the market is today, it's going to be different in two years,” he said.

City officials also asked those in attendance to envision the future of three acres of City-owned land between 4th and 5th streets and Arizona Avenue. ("City Council Talks About 4th and Arizona Site," Gene Williams, May 12, 2011)

During past meetings, residents have indicated that the site in the heart of Downtown should be a “strong anchor” and have plenty of open space with easy mobility, said Associate Planner Sarah LeJeune. Many residents also felt that it should be a destination for nightlife.

City staff also unveiled preliminary scenarios of how the site could be laid out and asked residents to weigh in on the ideas, though LeJeune emphasized that the sketches were not, by any means, concrete plans.

One scenario kept buildings in the lot relatively low, resulting in less open space (approximately 37,000 of the 127,000 square feet), LeJeune said.

Another scenario featured gradated building heights – with lower buildings along the edge of the lot and the tallest buildings at the center. This layout would yield 44,000 square feet of open space, LeJeune said.

The Specific Plan – as well as the plans for the site at Fourth Street and Arizona Avenue – are only in the beginning stages, City officials said.

According to staff, there will be many more opportunities for public input before a draft plan is drawn. The City hopes to have a draft by the fall of 2012, and if all goes according to schedule, a final draft by February or March of 2013, Payton said.