Santa Monica Council Set to Pave Way for Airport Avenue Improvements

By Lookout Staff

July 10, 2017 -- The City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve funding that paves the way for the transformation of the main road to Santa Monica Airport into a tree-lined corridor that encourages walking and bicycling.

Under a proposed contract not to exceed $499,233, California-based Cannon Consulting will provide engineering design services and prepare construction contract documents for the Airport Avenue Improvements Project.

Th improvements, which will stretch east-west from approximately the Santa Monica College Arts Campus to 23rd Street, include removing the existing concrete slope and constructing a new reinforced concrete retaining wall, sidewalks, a two-way bike path on the north side of the street and curb ramps, staff said.

The project also includes installing new street lights, parkway trees and fiber optic cable; improving the parking lot adjacent to the Barker Hangar building, and replacing approximately 4,500 linear feet of water main.

"The proposed enhancements, which were developed with community input through the Council directed visioning process, will transform the busy Airport Avenue corridor into a multi-modal corridor with improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists," staff wrote in its report.

The two-lane road provides access to the 227-acre Airport Campus that includes 40 acres used for "non-aviation purposes" including park spaces, educational facilities and art studios, staff said.

Aiport Avenue is also the main connector roadway between the Santa Monica Airport and the surrounding communities in Santa Monica's Sunset Park, Venice and West LA.

The project stems from a report that calls for, among other goals, transforming the Santa Monica Airport into a model "Green" Airport, enhancing community benefits and improving non-aviation land.

The project is another step into the transformation of the century-old airfield to non-aviation uses under an agreement between the City and the Federal Aviation Administration to shut down the airport by the end of 2028 ("City, FAA Agree to Close Santa Monica Airport," January 28, 2017).

Cannon Consulting, one of six firms that responded to a Request for Proposal (RFP), "demonstrated extensive knowledge and experience with similar projects in the cities of Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and South Pasadena," staff said.

The design phase of the project is expected to be completed by January 2018, staff said.