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By Anita Varghese
Staff Writer

October 24 -- The City Council voted Tuesday to extend an ordinance that requires development agreements for large projects in Santa Monica's industrial areas.

The move extends for 18 months a 60-day emergency interim ordinance adopted by the council in August that covers developments in the Light Manufacturing and Studio District (LMSD) and Industrial Conservation District (M1).

“The issue before us is preserving the future options in this area, given the changes that we see coming forward,” said Planning Director Eileen Fogarty.

Tuesday's vote comes after a developer this year filed applications to build more than 1,000 housing units in the city’s industrial areas.

City officials believe the industrial areas do not have the necessary infrastructure -- such as parks, sidewalks, neighborhood serving retailers and mass transit opportunities -- to accommodate large numbers of residents.

The area and its current infrastructure was envisioned to serve as a base for office buildings, post production companies, utility companies, museums and art galleries, among other types of business and entertainment uses, City officials contend.

But developers zeroed in on the area after the City Council moved rapidly to downzone large stretches of the city in anticipation of a State ballot initiative last November that City officials feared would curb the City's powers to scale down development.

While the proposition failed, the City' action opened the door for large-scale projects that entirely comprised of small studio units that qualified for affordable housing exemptions under the new zoning.

From now until 2009, the City will only authorize development that does not exceed 7,500 square feet of floor area or 15 units in the LMSD or 7,500 square feet of floor area or five units in the M1, excluding density bonus units.

In all other cases, projects will be developed pursuant to a development agreement unless those projects are for schools that existed before September 1988.

Auto dealerships are also exempt from these development agreement requirements; they are subject to an ordinance adopted two years ago that pertains to them.

In addition, no change of use shall be authorized on parcels in the LMSD that exceed 32,000 square feet and 15,000 square feet in the M1 District unless the development is a City project, a development agreement process is undertaken or Fogarty makes a written determination that the change of use within an existing multi-tenant property is not a substantial change in mode or character of the property as a whole.