City of Culver City, California
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council incorporate the proposed Sepulveda Boulevard
Study Area into the City’s upcoming Comprehensive General Plan Update.
BACKGROUND:
During their meeting of October 16, 2006 the Redevelopment Agency entered into
an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (the “ENA”) with Champion Realty with the goal
to investigate redevelopment of the western side of Sepulveda Boulevard between
Sawtelle and Slauson Avenues.
During their meeting of March 13, 2007, the Agency appointed a nine-member
Citizens Advisory Committee (the “CAC”) to provide ongoing input and
recommendations on the Champion redevelopment project that was comprised of
area business owners, property owners, residents and the community at large.
After four community meetings to discuss Champion’s proposed redevelopment
project, on June 27, 2007, the CAC recommended that the City Council consider
implementation of a Specific Plan for the Sepulveda area.
Meeting Date: 04/21/08 Item Number: J-1
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of Planning Study Options for the Sepulveda
Boulevard Study Area.
Contact Person/Dept.: Joe Susca Phone Number: (310) 253-5763
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: Public notices were mailed to approximately 2,300 Sepulveda
Redevelopment area residents, property and business owners (04/08/08); the Sepulveda
Citizens Advisory Committee (04/08/08) the Sepulveda Redevelopment E-Mail Distribution
List (04/08/08) established from the City’s website; the Sepulveda Redevelopment Project
webpage (04/08/08); the Master E-mail Notification List (04/17/08), and all members of the
community who pulled speaker cards to discuss the Sepulveda Redevelopment Project in
the past (04/08/08); and all members of the community who provided contact information
on sign-in sheets when public meetings were held regarding the Sepulveda
Redevelopment Project (04/08/08)
Department Approval:
Sol Blumenfeld (04/16/08)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (04/16/08)
Fiscal Impact Review:
Jeff Muir (by N. Kimball) (04/17/08)
City Manager/Executive Director Approval:
Jerry Fulwood (04/17/08) City of Culver City, California
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
In July 2007, the Sepulveda Subcommittee met to discuss the CAC recommendation
with staff and Champion Development. Upon conclusion of that meeting staff
prepared cost and timeframe estimates for the Specific Plan and also proposed a
boundary map for the study area.
During their meeting of October 22, 2007, the Agency Board terminated its Exclusive
Negotiation Agreement with Champion Development and the City Council instructed
staff to work with the Sepulveda Subcommittee to form alternatives to a Specific
Plan and to return to them to consider those planning study options.
DISCUSSION:
Planning Study Options:
The proposed boundaries for both planning study options discussed below for the
Sepulveda Boulevard Study Area (the “Study Area”) are as follows:
Option 1: Design for Development with an Overlay Zone:
City of Culver City, California
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
The City Council could decide to create an Overlay Zone for the Study Area to
impose additional development standards over existing zoning regulations to
address special land use issues such as architectural design guidelines, land use
restrictions, special parking needs and building setbacks. An Overlay Zone may be
used to increase development or to create more restrictive development regulations.
In this option, public meetings would be conducted to determine the community’s
goals and desires for the Study Area for their incorporation into the zoning document
that would subsequently be presented to the City Council for consideration of its
adoption.
In addition to design guidelines, the Culver City Redevelopment Agency could also
create and adopt a Design for Development (a “DFD”) to specifically define the
Study Area’s character. A DFD can be used to enhance the Study Area’s physical
environment and direct building development to deliver a cohesive and high quality
design. Open space requirements, building setbacks, building height, building
signage, specific uses, architectural restrictions and other components may be
included as part of the DFD.
For this option, the City Council may consider use of a citizen advisory group to
assist with creation of the Overlay Zone and DFD. This option would take
approximately 9-12 months to complete.
Option 2: Incorporate the Study Area into the Comprehensive General Plan Update:
General Plans establish long range development goals for future development and
provide the basis for City Council and Planning Commission land use decisions. All
property subdivisions, public works projects, and zoning decisions must be
consistent with a City’s General Plan. Typically, cities update their General Plan’s
about every decade and Culver City’s General Plan was last updated in 1995.
As part of its work program, the Planning Division is now preparing a
Comprehensive Update to the City’s General Plan. The process commences with
the issuance of a Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to oversee the General
Plan’s preparation. The General Plan will frame the City’s planning activities and
will establish a vision for the future development of the City. In this option, the
Study Area boundaries can be incorporated into the overall Comprehensive General
Plan Update process and be identified as a distinct “Sub Area” in the Land Use
element of the General Plan. Through a series of public workshops, the community
then provides input to help identify the specific issues that pertain to this Sub Area to
assist in formulating the objectives and policies for the Sub Area.
Culver City’s existing General Plan consists of the following nine elements:
City of Culver City, California
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
1. Land Use Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses the
goals, policies and programs regarding the development and use of public
and private property.
2. Circulation Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses the
goals, policies and programs for transportation facilities and services.
3. Housing Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses goals,
policies and programs for housing supply, condition and affordability.
4. Open Space Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses the
goals, policies and programs for public and private undeveloped and
developed area in use for park, recreational or scenic purposes.
5. Noise Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses the goals,
policies and programs for including noise control in the planning process. It is
a tool for local decision makers to use in achieving and maintaining land uses
that minimize the exposure of the community to excessive noises.
6. Conservation Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses the
goals, policies and programs for the conservation, development and utilization
of natural resources including water and its hydraulic force, forests, soils,
rivers and other waters, harbors, fisheries, wildlife, minerals, and other natural
resources.
7. Seismic Safety Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses the
goals, policies and programs for identification and appraisal of seismic
hazards such as susceptibility to surface ruptures from faulting, to ground
shaking, to ground failures, or to the effects of seismically induced waves
such as tsunamis and seiche.
8. Public Safety Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses the
goals, policies and programs for the protection of the community from fires
and geologic hazards including features necessary for such protection as
evacuation routes, peak load water supply requirements, minimum road
widths, clearances around structures, and geologic hazard mapping in areas
of known geologic hazard.
9. Recreation Element: The section of the General Plan that addresses goals,
policies and programs for describing the future relationships between people
in the community and their needs for park and recreation areas, facilities, and
programs.
This option would take 2-3 years to complete.
Recommendation of Option 2:
Staff met with the Subcommittee to discuss the two options and concluded that
Option 2 would be the best path to take if the City Council decided to pursue a
planning study at this time for the following reasons:
City of Culver City, California
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
• It ensures full participation by the entire community as a result of
comprehensive outreach efforts made to encourage broad based attendance
at community meetings and public hearings.
• Its extended study period increases opportunities by community members to
provide input.
• It allows community members to consider all the issues and the “big picture”
when creating a vision for the Sub Area.
• It ensures that the Planning Commission is part of the planning process.
• It enhances process related efficiencies and shares resources as its cost is
included within the Comprehensive General Plan Update budget.
• It would consider broader City and area-wide circulation and open space
issues that affect the Sub Area that may not be included otherwise.
• It ensures the Sub Area plan is cohesive and complimentary to surrounding
land use planning as they are formed in conjunction with one another.
In Option 2, the CAC would be disbanded and its members would be encouraged to
actively participate in the upcoming Comprehensive General Plan Update process.
There may be a number of public outreach efforts used during its creation that the
CAC members could participate in including the holding of public workshops,
meetings with focus groups and neighborhoods, attending charettes, or applying to
serve on the citizen’s advisory group that may be formed to oversee its creation.
The Sepulveda Redevelopment Citizens Advisory Committee
Staff contacted the nine-member CAC via e-mail outlining the two planning study
options and requesting that they comment on the recommendation of Option 2.
They responded as follows:
• 5 members agree with the Option 2 recommendation.
• 1 member prefers Option 1.
• 3 members preferred to meet and explore the two options further prior
to forming a recommendation.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Option 1: Due to the amount of work required to create an Overlay Zone and Design
for Development for the Study Area, staff recommends hiring an outside consultant
to facilitate its completion at an estimated cost of $200,000. Insufficient funds exist
within the Agency’s Sepulveda Redevelopment program (Account Number
55092920.619800) for this fiscal year, however if this option is selected, staff will City of Culver City, California
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
request the expenditure in its upcoming 2008/09 fiscal year budget using
unrestricted tax increment funds.
Option 2: If the Study Area was defined as a Sub Area within the City’s
Comprehensive General Plan Update, it would be completed at no additional cost.
MOTIONS:
That the City Council:
1. Disband the Sepulveda Citizens Advisory Committee and direct staff to define
the Sepulveda Boulevard Study Area as a Sub Area for completion in
conjunction with the upcoming Comprehensive General Plan Update
(Subcommittee and Staff Recommendation);
OR
2. Direct staff not to pursue a Sepulveda Boulevard Study Area planning study
at this time;
OR
3. With the Sepulveda Subcommittee’s oversight, direct staff to prepare a scope
of work and to subsequently release a Request for Proposals to hire a
consultant to prepare an Overlay Zone and Design for Development for the
Sepulveda Boulevard Study Area.
That the Redevelopment Agency (this motion is applicable only if Motion 3 is
adopted by the City Council):
Instruct staff to place $200,000 in unrestricted tax increment funds into the
2008/09 fiscal year budget for the Sepulveda Redevelopment Project (Account
Number 55092920.619800) in order to hire a consultant to prepare the Overlay
Zone and Design for Development.