Council to Explore Alternative Plan for OPCC Facility

By Jorge Casuso

August 11 -- The Ocean Park Community Center could keep its drop-in facility at the City bus yard and lease for transitional housing a controversial site on Cloverfield Boulevard from the City, which would own the property, according to an alternative plan the City Council will consider Tuesday night.

Part of a "supplemental staff report" released Monday night, the proposal outlines a series of options to the original plan, which spurred opposition from Pico residents who fear that the drop in center -- which would serve about 200 homeless a day -- would make their neighborhood a homeless hangout.

Under the alternative plan the drop in services would be moved from the current location near the corner of 7th Street and Colorado Avenue to the shower and locker area -- SWASHLOCK -- adjacent to Samoshel, the homeless shelter behind the bus yard.

"Given the current and proposed uses of the space on the Big Blue Bus campus," the report states, "there is a possibility that OPCC’s Access Center program could be relocated to the SWASHLOCK location as part of a new integrated facility, built on the SWASHLOCK footprint, which would incorporate both SWASHLOCK and the Access Center programs."

The site, however, cannot accommodate the 55 shelter beds proposed under the original plan, which would be located at the 1751 Cloverfield site.

"The real property at 1751 Cloverfield Boulevard could still be acquired and used exclusively for temporary housing," the report states. "Exclusive use of the property for housing would require preparing new preliminary architectural plans for the building and new estimated construction costs."

The alternative proposal also changes the funding structure. Under the original proposal, OPCC would use a City housing trust fund loan and conditional grant (which the City does not expect will be repaid) to acquire, rehabilitate, and operate the property.

Under the alternative plan, "OPCC would purchase the property with redevelopment funding assistance from the City, and immediately convey the property to the Redevelopment Agency."

"The Redevelopment Agency would then immediately lease the property back to OPCC for a term of 55 years, and the City/Redevelopment Agency would provide additional funds to OPCC for the costs of renovating the facility," according to the plan. "When 55 years have elapsed, the Redevelopment Agency would convey the property to the City at no cost."

The plan has both its cost and its benefits, according to the report.

" Because BBB funds would be used for the Access Center, the amount of required City/Redevelopment Agency funds for acquisition of the real property at 1751 Cloverfield would increase."

"The benefit of this alternative deal structure is that the Redevelopment Agency would retain title to the property for 55 years, and, because of Redevelopment Law provisions, would be permitted to lease the property to OPCC at minimal or no cost," the report states. "An additional benefit is that the City of Santa Monica would receive title to the property at the end of 55 years at no cost and unfettered by funding related restrictions."

Peter Tigler, co-chair of the Pico Neighborhood Organization, which opposes use of the Cloverfield site, was skeptical about the alternative plan.

"The proposal is to split the baby," Tigler said. "It seems to address the street presence that people re concerned about, but it doesn't answer fundamental questions. 'Is the Cloverfield/Michigan site an appropriate site? What stops OPCC from returning in a month with an original proposal?'

"There's no guarantee here," he added. "What they're trying to do is placate the crowd. There are plenty of people who do not trust the City."

Tigler contends that the City has not explored all options. According to the supplemental report, City officials explored and discarded 22 potential sites, including the old Police Department Building and the RAND property, both of which are slated for demolition, and the airport, where all the buildings are under lease agreements.

But Tigler believes the City has not looked hard enough. He notes that a 22-unit landmark building at 145 Bay Street with an adjacent 10,000 square feet of office space is on the market for $6 million, less than the City is prepared to pay for the Cloverfield site.

"They could save a landmark building for the same price," Tigler said.