Pico-Centinela Development too Urban?

A proposed mixed-use development, comprised of four buildings, off the 10 freeway at the eastern edge of the city would be more fit for downtown, the Planning Commission said in its first vetting of the project.

Called the Pico-Centinela Development Project, it's proposed at the edge of city limits at 3402 Pico Blvd.

It would include 300 residential units and a ground floor with 5,000 square feet of commercial outlets. As it stands, the site houses a vacant three-story office building and 11 empty apartment units. The project's blueprints call for four stories, except for those portions that face the street.

The plan to construct the four buildings for the project—bordered by Pico Boulevard, 34th Street and the 10 freeway—will move forward to the Santa Monica City Council for approval with the Planning Commission's input.

The governing board of the neighborhood association, Friends of Sunset Park, has said the project is too big. They want developer Trammell Crow to look constructing a "much smaller project that would not overwhelm this neighborhood."

"This is not downtown," said commissioner Ted Winterer. "It does seem to be [a lot of apartments] at the very border of the city in a less urbanized part of town."

Traffic was a major point of contention for nearby residents. They forecast the project will draw more cars to the already congested neighboring streets of Pico Boulevard, Pearl Street and Ocean Park Boulevard.

Friends of Sunset Park has pointed to the 2 million square feet of development either in the works or in the planning stages nearby at Agensys, Bergamot Transit Village and Village Trailer Park.

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Environmental and technical reports will assess the impacts on traffic in the months to come, city officials said.

Planning Commission Chair Gerda Newbold challenged the developer's characterization of the proposed building as "transit-oriented," by pointing to the project's proposed 500 parking spaces.

Although the building is located near a future Expo light rail train stop and within walking distance of more than five bus stops, that it would include so many parking spots would encourage residents to use cars, not the transit systems, she said.

The city's zoning codes allow for such a high-density project only if the developer offers to pay for a package of community benefits. Residents proposed adding public open spaces to the project and contributing  to local schools.

Contributions to local schools are key, they said, considering the project would bring more families to the area. While any potential increases in the already high student-to-teacher ratio are ultimately caused by financial mismanagement at the state level, Winterer said, the building should nevertheless work to alleviate pressures on schools.

* Do you live in the neighborhood? Do you think the proposed development is too big?

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