Controversial Bergamot Transit Center Takes a Step Forward

The , which has among Santa Monica residents, took a forward at Tuesday night's meeting.

Eileen Fogarty, the city's outgoing planning director, provided an update on the plan during the study session portion of the meeting.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to really create a model for not only this city, but the country, of having a sustainable urban transit center,” she said.

Fogarty and city staff said they hoped to receive feedback and direction from the council on any concerns or specific directions the team should follow in planning for the next steps.

Fogarty stressed that timing was critical, because the station could be coming in less than four years, bringing a projected 4,500 riders every day.

In February, a workshop was held at at the , with more than 160 artists, residents and stakeholders present.

At the workshop, participants said they wanted something authentic, building structures on a human scale, active retail and storefronts, and complete green streets in the area.

Another issue that got a lot of interest from council members was concern about parking.

Currently there are 8 acres of surface parking located in the Bergamot Transit Village area. Those acres can be converted, and a centralized parking structure built to make room for the creation of new streets and a variety of access ways, according to Fogarty. Adding new roadways would help in dispersing traffic, resulting in less congestion around the area.

Additionally, Fogarty emphasized the transitioning of Olympic Blvd. into an “urban boulevard, rather than the roadway it is today.”

She suggested that by adding parking on the street, and creating clearly identified places where people can cross the street, Olympic Blvd. could transition from a “speedway” to an urban boulevard.

Associate Planner Peter James reported positive reaction from stakeholders and a willingness to participate in parking lot restructuring.

Papermate, one of the more important stakeholders in the project due to its prime location on the northeast corner of Olympic and 26th, has agreed to reduce the height of its building, taking off the fifth floor, and adding open space and ground floor retail, according to Fogarty.

Some of the next steps, according to James, are to undergo planning studies, look at shared parking, create 3-D models of the area, and conduct market studies to understand the housing and commercial absorption of the area.

The takes up 7 acres, 1.3 of them privately owned. Thirty-plus galleries call it home, and they attract 500,000 visitors annually.

“One of the goals here is to provide visibility and access to Bergamot without compromising its character,” James said.

Some of the national and international examples that the staff used for inspiration included the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virg.; Liberty Station in Houston; and Granville Island in Vancouver, a waterfront property that brings that city millions of dollars in revenue.

Having started the first phase of the planning process for the Transit Village at the beginning of the year, and starting the next phase in July, the staff is hoping to present a finalized plan by February. However, encouraged them to set the goal of getting it done sooner.

He also urged the community to get involved in the next workshop, set for July 13 in the evening at Pier 59 Studios at Bergamot, to brainstorm on the future of the art center.

“Help create this very special place, just like the , like Main St., Montana Ave. This one is evolving into something even better than it is now,” Bloom said.