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PC - PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of a Categorical Exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332, Site Plan Review, and Extended Construction Hours Request, for Project P2025-0064-SPR, to allow development of a mixed-use project with 351 residential units and 6,825 square feet of commercial space on a site located at 100 Corporate Pointe
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Meeting Date: August 27, 2025
Contact Person/Dept: Peer F. Chacko, Senior Planner
Emily Stadnicki, Current Planning Manager
Phone Number: 310-253-5755 / 310-253-5727
Fiscal Impact: Yes [ ] No [X] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Hearing: [X] Action Item: [ ] Attachments: Yes [X] No [ ]
City Council Action Required Yes [ ] No [X] Date [N/A]
Public Notification: (Email) Public Notifications - Planning Commission (08/06/25); (Posted) City website (08/06/25); Social Media (08/07/25); (Mailed) Property owners and occupants within a 500 ft radius (08/05/25); (Posted) on-site sign (07/31/25); (Email/Posted) Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (08/21/25)
Department Approval: Mark E. Muenzer, Planning and Development Director (08/18/25)
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RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 2025-P010 (Attachment 1) to approve a categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Site Plan Review, and extended construction hours request for project P2025-0064-SPR, subject to the conditions of approval as stated in the resolution.
PROCEDURES
1. Chair calls on staff for a staff report and Planning Commission poses questions to staff.
2. Chair opens the public hearing, providing the applicant and public the opportunity to speak.
3. Chair seeks a motion to close the public hearing after all testimony has been presented.
4. Commission discusses the matter and arrives at its decision.
BACKGROUND
Existing Site Conditions
The 4.49-acre Project site consists of two parcels occupied by a three-story, 112,278-square-foot office building with structured parking and landscaping. The Project site has a significant downward slope from north to south, and the adjoining parkways along Slauson Avenue and Buckingham Parkway contain existing mature street trees. There are two existing vehicular access points to the site along Slauson Avenue (one ingress and one egress), and another access point at the intersection of Buckingham Parkway and Hannum Avenue.
Surrounding Area/Zoning/General Plan
As shown on Attachment 2 - Vicinity Map, the Project site is bordered by a two-story office use to the north across Slauson Avenue, and a five-story office use to the west, both of which are in the Mixed Use Medium Density (MU-MD) Zoning District. It is bordered by the Fox Hills Parkette to the south across Buckingham Parkway, and two- to three-story residential uses to the east and southeast across Buckingham Parkway, both of which are zoned Low Density Multi-family Residential (RLD).
The Project site is located in the MU-MD Zone and is designated Mixed Use Medium in the General Plan 2045 with a permitted density of 65 units per acre. The site is not listed in the Housing Element Sites Inventory. The Culver City Parks Master Plan includes proposed improvements to the Fox Hills Parkette to create a neighborhood-serving dog park across Buckingham Parkway from the Project Site.
The Project submittal includes an SB 330 application vesting the new Culver City General Plan 2045 and the updated Zoning Code in effect as of October 9, 2024. Note that the Project is not subject to the more recently adopted Objective Design Standards, Subdivision Ordinance amendment, and Sign Code Amendment.
Project Description
The Project proposes demolition of all existing buildings and construction of a new 5-7 story (maximum 78 feet), mixed-use development with 6 levels of wrapped structured parking, 351 residential units (including 30 low-income units) and 6,825 square feet (sf) of retail/restaurant space. The residential units consist of 73 studio, 139 one-bedroom, 120 two-bedroom and 19 three-bedroom apartments. Detailed site, floor, roof, elevation, section, and landscape plans are provided in the Preliminary Development Plans (Attachment 4).
The Project includes a total of 6,169 sf of publicly accessible open space in the form of a plaza fronting on Buckingham Parkway, 25,587 sf of residential common open space in the form of courtyards and roof terraces, and 13,380 sf of private open space in the form of patios and balconies.
There are 524 vehicle parking spaces (505 residential spaces, and 19 commercial spaces) with one access point from a proposed driveway connecting Buckingham Parkway and Slauson Avenue. The Project provides 2 commercial short term and 2 commercial long term bicycle parking spaces and 12 residential short term and 88 long term bicycle parking spaces.
The Project has a previously approved administrative entitlement, Density and Other Bonus Incentives (DOBI) (Attachment 5), pursuant to State Density Bonus Law and Culver City Municipal Code Section 17.580. For the remaining entitlements, the Planning Commission is the final review authority, unless appealed to the City Council.
ANALYSIS
Site Plan Review
The Applicant is requesting Site Plan Review approval of the Preliminary Development Plans. Pursuant to The Housing Crisis Act of 2019, the City cannot disapprove a housing development project or impose conditions of approval that would render the project unaffordable, unless based on a written finding of a specific adverse impact upon public health and safety. Furthermore, pursuant to SB 330, the project may only be subjected to adopted objective standards in place at the time of the SB 330 application submittal. The Site Plan Review must be conducted within these limitations imposed by State law. The sub-sections below summarize how the project complies with objective standards existing at the time of project submittal.
Land Use and Development Standards: The Project proposes mixed use with residential and commercial uses consistent with the land use provisions of the MU-MD district. A lot tie covenant is required as a condition of approval to tie the two lots into a unified project site. The Project complies with all development and open space standards in the MU-MD district, with the exception of building height for which it sought administrative approval of a density bonus concession/incentive pursuant to State Density Bonus Law.
Although the Culver City Code does not require parking, the Project provides parking to meet projected market demand and provides at least 40% of EV capable, EV ready or EV charger parking. Per Code, 104 bicycle spaces (14 short-term and 90 long-term) are proposed and requirements for loading and refuse-handling are met. The Project includes roof-mounted photovoltaic panels to provide sustainable electricity, and commits to water conservation features, water efficient landscaping, and planting materials in compliance with the City's Green Initiatives or Cal Green equivalent.
Urban Design: The Project includes a ground-level, community-serving commercial space fronting on a publicly accessible plaza at the junction of Buckingham Parkway and Hannum Avenue. The site plan is designed to create continual building frontages along Slauson Avenue and Buckingham Parkway, while providing a series of common private courtyards visible and accessible to residents from the adjoining sidewalk. The height of the building will vary from 5-7 stories, stepping down from north to south along with changes in grade.
Direct private access is provided to common staircases and private ground floor patios from the adjoining sidewalk along Slauson Avenue and Buckingham Parkway, thus contributing to street activation. The Project will replace sidewalks along its Buckingham Parkway and Slauson Avenue frontages and widen the sidewalk along the Buckingham Parkway frontage along with a five-foot right-of-way dedication; existing mature street trees will be preserved and improved by widening existing tree wells. The Project also includes a pedestrian pathway along a proposed driveway/fire lane across the site connecting Buckingham Parkway to Slauson Avenue.
Traffic and Parking Circulation: The Project's Transportation Study (Attachment 10, page 103) conducted a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) study which calculated a household VMT of 6.8 per capita (not accounting for project design features or mitigations), which is below the citywide household VMT threshold of 8.3 per capita. Thus, the Project does not result in a significant VMT impact and no further mitigation measures are required.
The Project includes a multilevel parking structure wrapped by residential units and is thus not visible from the streets. The parking structure is accessed by a proposed driveway connecting Slauson Avenue and Buckingham Parkway. A commercial loading bay is located along this driveway as well.
Mobility and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan (Attachment 6): The Project provides a pedestrian-friendly environment and includes pedestrian walkways connecting pedestrian access points in the building to off-site facilities, rideshare and transit. It provides on-site short-term and long-term bicycle parking spaces in compliance with the Code. A dedicated curb indent along the driveway on the west side of the property is provided for rideshare pickup/drop off, along with subsidized shared rides or transit passes for employees. The Project will include an onsite Transportation Information Center with a designated Transportation Coordinator to provide commuter information; new residents and employees will receive a transportation information packet.
Extended Construction Hours Request and Construction Management
The Code limits construction hours to: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Mondays through Fridays, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Saturdays, and 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Sundays. The Applicant is requesting to extend daily construction hours, starting at 7:00 am Monday through Friday, and 8:00 am on Saturdays (Attachment 7).
The Code allows for approval of extended construction hours for sites of one acre or larger if the extension is determined to be in the public interest. The proposed early start time will reduce the traffic impacts resulting from heavy truck traffic and will also reduce the overall construction duration.
It is anticipated that the extended construction hours may reduce the overall construction time by approximately two months. The extended construction hours would be subject to conditions of approval including those identified in the Construction Management Plan, Pedestrian Protection Plan, Construction Traffic Management Plan, and Noise studies.
The Applicant has submitted a draft Construction Management Plan (Attachment 8) outlining how the project team will implement construction management responsibilities and coordinate the construction process. It addresses issues such as site security and fencing, pedestrian protection, construction hours, construction methodology, and logistics planning. It also covers environmental issues such as noise and vibration management, dust and erosion control, and a demolition debris recycling plan.
The sidewalks around the site are proposed to be closed during construction, however, pedestrian and bicycle access will be maintained in the street through use of k-rails and other methods to be approved by the City as part of a traffic control plan. Project construction will occur in one phase. A final Construction Management Plan will be reviewed and approved by the City prior to building permit issuance.
Density and Other Bonus Incentives (DOBI)
The Project is administratively approved for a 20% density bonus for setting aside 10% of the base density (30 units) as low-income units, as well as a height concession of 22 feet, increasing the maximum allowed height from 56 feet to 78 feet. Under State Density Bonus Law, the City is required to grant a density bonus if the project meets the required set-aside affordable units specified for the affordability level of the units.
The City bears the burden of proof, and must provide written findings based upon substantial evidence, that a requested concession/incentive is not needed to reduce the cost of constructing the affordable units; or that it will have a specific, adverse impact upon public health and safety; or that it is contrary to state or federal law. Height, as proposed by the Applicant, in and of itself does not create an adverse impact on the public health and safety. Height is listed in State Density Bonus Law as a development standard that is eligible for concessions and waivers.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, initial review of the Project established there are no potentially significant adverse impacts upon the environment, and the Project has been determined to be Categorically Exempt pursuant to CEQA Section 15332, Class 32 - In-Fill Developments, because the proposed Project is consistent with the Mixed Use Medium designation in the General Plan 2045 and the MU-MD Zoning standards.
The Project Site is surrounded by urban land uses developed with buildings and surface parking, and has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species. The Project will not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality because it is within the anticipated development threshold for this area. Project specific studies did not identify significant impacts and the required utilities and public services are provided as determined by the City. The CEQA Categorical Exemption Report is included as Attachment 10.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The applicant hosted two hybrid community meetings introducing the project and providing information regarding design, landscaping, neighborhood context, uses, parking, circulation, and review process. Attachment 9 provides meeting minutes and a summary of meetings is provided below:
1st Community Meeting - August 2029, 2024: 13 people attended, and the issues raised included need for expanded public services and infrastructure (police, fire, parking, traffic capacity and school capacity), accessibility of the transit center, impact of un-bundled parking on on-street parking, height relative to existing buildings, types of amenities and trees provided on site, construction time-frame and potential impacts, and impact on tenant leases of existing office space.
2nd Community Meeting - April 24, 2025: 12 people attended, and the issues raised included traffic, parking, construction start and duration, unit mix and rents, retail operating hours, open space and street frontage amenities, environmental impacts and cumulative impacts of density from multiple projects in Fox Hills.
Following the April 2025 community meeting, the applicant noted that onsite parking had been increased to the extent possible based on previous comments. They clarified the proposed unit mix, noting that rents would be based on market conditions after construction is completed. The applicant highlighted the proposed publicly accessible plaza, shared private courtyard spaces visible from the street, streetside landscaping and private patios and common staircases accessible from the sidewalk.
They also stated that retail operating hours would follow City standards. The applicant noted that the project was eligible for and would be seeking categorical exemption as an infill project under CEQA, and that it was consistent with the new General Plan Program Environmental Impact Report approved through the CEQA process.
A public notice was mailed to all property owners and occupants within a 500-foot radius of the Project Site on August 5, 2025, advising the public of a hearing at the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting of August 27, 2025. As of the writing of this staff report, one public comment has been received in opposition to the project (See Attachment 11).
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The project will be subject to impact fees which will be collected at the time of issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
CONCLUSION
Based on the proposed development plans and recommended conditions of approval, the Project is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, is adequately served by public facilities, and is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Code, and all CCMC requirements, as well as the Housing Crisis Act, SB 330, and State Density Bonus Law.
The Project will advance the City's housing supply and affordable housing goals stated in the Housing Element. With approval of extended construction hours, overall construction time and impacts will be reduced. Based on the analysis herein staff believes the findings for the Project entitlements as outlined in the Proposed Resolution can be made and recommends that the Planning Commission approve the Project.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Planning Commission Resolution No. P2025-P010 (P2025-0064-SPR) with Exhibit A: Conditions of Approval, and Exhibit B: Code Requirements
2. Vicinity Map
3. Project Summary
4. Preliminary Development Plans dated July 30, 2025
5. DOBI Administrative Approval
6. Mobility and Transportation Demand Management Plan
7. Extended Construction Hours Request
8. Draft Construction Management Plan
9. Community Meeting Minutes
10. CEQA Categorical Exemption Report
11. Public Comments
MOTION
That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 2025-P010 approving a categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, a Site Plan Review, and extended construction hours for project P2025-0064-SPR, subject to conditions of approval as stated in the resolution.