Santa Monica to Consider Slowing Down Development

The volume of requests to develop property in Santa Monica, now and in the past 2½ years, is more than City Hall anticipated, says Planning Director David Martin.

UPDATE: City Council Responds to Request to Slow Down Development

Since it adopted new land use codes in the summer of 2010, the City Council has approved eight development agreements—contracts that give developers the rights to build beyond the city's size and density restrictions in exchange for so-called community benefits. Pending approval now are 26 such agreements that would result in 2.46 million square feet of new building space.

"The number of Development Agreement applications that have been submitted has outpaced expectations," Martin wrote in a recent report to the council.

Not only is all of the new development upsetting residents who bemoan the increased traffic, planning staffers say they can't keep up.

To bridle how quickly the agreements are approved, Martin is proposing the City Council make developers spend more time getting feedback from the Architectural Review Board and Planning Commission. In some cases, the extra steps would delay approvals by as much as one year.

Another tack, he said, would be to enact a moratorium on development applications. Or, the council could amend the municipal code to deny the approval of projects in downtown and near the Bergamot Arts Station until plans are completed to guide development in those specific areas. 

In a report to the council, Martin gave a number of reasons for the upswing in development, including Santa Monica's own land use policies, which he said "encourage the construction of mixed-use residential projects along transit boulevards and near light rail stations." Additionally, there is a:

California Environmental Quality Act exemption for mixed-use housing projects with 100 units or less located within one half mile of a major transit stop, an increase in the number of rental housing units being proposed and constructed in the Los Angeles region, historically low interest rates, the strong demand for housing in Santa Monica, the stability of Santa Monica as a place to invest, and the overall desirability of the city as a place to live.

Adopted in 2010, Santa Monica's Land Use and Circulation Element established a system of tiers regulating development in most parts of the city. The first tier allows projects to be built without City Council approval if they meet a base height and floor area ratio. The higher the tier, the bigger and denser a developer can build if it's willing to provide "community benefits."

Currently, Tier 1 limits projects to 7,500 square feet. Projects that exceed that size fall under tiers 2 and 3 and require development agreements, as do projects over 32 feet tall in downtown.

Of the 26 development agreement applications, 14 are for new developments in downtown. The proposed projects include three hotels, a new downtown movie theater, a new auto dealership, an addition to an existing private school, and several mixed use residential developments, some of which include creative arts/studio space and retail outlets.

Martin's proposal

For projects requiring an Environmental Impact report under CEQA (currently 12 of the 26 development agreement applications), the review process would be:

1. Community meeting
2. Architectural Review Board float-up (new step) *
   
3. Planning Commission float-up
4. City Council float-up
5. EIR scoping meeting
6. 45-day public review period of the draft EIR
7. Planning Commission hearing on the final project
8. City Council hearing on final Development Agreement
9. ARB review of final building design, colors, materials, landscaping and signage, subject to Development Agreement negotiations

* During a float-up, the board or commission gives feedback on the project's plans before entering into negotiations for a development agreement

For projects that do not require environmental reviews:

1. Community meeting
2. Architectural Review Board float-up (new step)
3. Planning Commission float-up (new step)
4. Planning Commission hearing on the final project
5. City Council hearing on the project and negotiated Development Agreement
6. ARB review of final building design, colors, materials, landscaping and signage subject to Development Agreement negotiations

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