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PC - PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of Fox Hills Specific Plan, Zoning Code Text and Map Amendments, and Addendum to the Environmental Impact Report
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Meeting Date: May 13, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Oscar Reyes/ Advance Planning
Troy Evangelho/ Advance Planning
Phone Number: (310) 253-5774 / (310) 254-5744
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [X] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (5/8/2026); (Posted) City Website (4/23/2026); (Mailed) (4/24/2026); (Posted) Fox Hills Park Bulletin Board (4/24/2026); (Published) Culver City News (4/23/2026); Social Media (4/24/2026); (E-Mail) GovDelivery Bulletin (4/23/2026)
Department Approval: Mark Muenzer, Planning and Development Director (4/29/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No.2026-P002, (1) recommending the City Council adopt an Addendum to the Culver City General Plan 2045 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to section 15164, and (2) approve the Fox Hills Specific Plan and associated Zoning Code Map and Text Amendments.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Culver City General Plan 2045 and Zoning Code update went into effect on October 9, 2024. Under the new plan and zoning code, existing commercial areas of the Fox Hills neighborhood were designated Mixed Use Medium (MU-M) and Mixed Use High (MU-H), allowing commercial uses with residential density up to 65 (MU-M) and 100 (MU-H) dwelling units per acre (du/ac).
These existing commercial areas include large parcels with mostly underutilized office space and surface parking, providing an opportunity to introduce additional housing and community amenities to the area. Fox Hills is also home to apartment and condominium buildings up to 70 du/ac, largely developed in the 1970s.
The Fox Hills neighborhood is identified as a special study area in the General Plan 2045. To help shape the new density in the neighborhood and provide amenities for existing and future residents, the City has created the Fox Hills Specific Plan. The specific plan is intended to provide additional regulations for development of the public and private realm, roadway standards, and guidance for parks and other public amenities.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The project team engaged with the local community and stakeholders throughout the entire specific plan process. The team hosted 3 open houses, attended 5 community pop-up events, and held various stakeholder meetings. City staff also sent various community-wide postcards, as well as multiple emails to the City mailing lists and social media postings. All outreach materials directed recipients to visit the project website, <https://www.culvercity.gov/foxhills>. In addition, the project website included a virtual open house which provides users with a 3D room experience to browse project information and materials.
FOX HILLS SPECIFIC PLAN SUMMARY
Major Concepts
The Fox Hills Specific Plan identifies several concepts that will produce projects and partnerships that respond to community and City priorities. These include the creation of the public accessways (paseos), planning for a new community center in Fox Hills, visioning for the expansion of the Culver City Transit Center, implementing right of way (ROW) and complete street improvements, and providing height incentives for hotel uses in qualifying areas.
Public Accessways (paseos)
The public accessways network will provide more places to walk and bike and integrate landscaping and neighborhood amenities to create a continuous network of paths that are safe, more connected to nature, and useable by everyone. They are intended to mitigate traffic impacts, improve air quality, public health and safety, and sense of community. The public accessways will be implemented as parcels redevelop, breaking up exiting large city blocks and reshaping how people move through Fox Hills. These networks will link new development to the Fox Hills Park, the Transit Center, and the Westfield Culver City Mall. The public accessways will also be designed with a focus on accessibility that comfortably serves people of all ages and abilities, while also integrating landscaping, trees, and green walkways to extend Fox Hills’ established green character.
New Community Center in Fox Hills
The Fox Hills Specific Plan envisions a neighborhood supported by civic, recreational, and publicly accessible spaces that foster social connection. As Fox Hills continues to grow, shared public amenities become essential to maintain quality of life. The Specific Plan envisions a community center that complements Fox Hills Park and expands opportunities for programs, events, and neighborhood services. Potential approaches to ensuring a community center is feasible includes partnering with private development adjacent to the park to incorporate community-serving spaces or pursuing land acquisition for a standalone facility.
Culver City Transit Center
The expansion of the Culver City Transit Center supports the Fox Hills vision as a connected, accessible, and transit-supportive neighborhood. The existing Transit Center has limited capacity and constrained site design. Expansion of the facility presents an opportunity to increase transit capacity, improve neighborhood connectivity, safety, and overall rider experience. Two conceptual approaches are identified in the Specific Plan for future City consideration. Option 1 looks to relocate and expand the Transit Center under the existing SR-90 freeway, which would minimize changes to the existing circulation patterns and preserve redevelopment opportunities along Slauson Avenue, while also allowing more efficient bus access and reduced travel times. Option 2 looks to establish a curbside Transit Mall along Slauson Avenue, with bus and operational functions located beneath the SR-90 freeway. This approach offers the opportunity to create a more pedestrian-oriented street frontage and provide high visibility for transit users.
Complete Streets Improvements
In tandem with the Safer Fox Hills Plan and the City’s adopted complete Streets Design Standards the Fox Hills Specific Plan continues to establish a framework for safer, multimodal streets. The Specific Plan supports complete street improvements by aligning development requirements, sidewalk dedications, frontage improvements, and streetscape standards with complete street improvements goals. Development review and capital improvement programming provides the opportunity to coordinate frontage and right-of-way improvements that contribute to a connected network of complete streets. The Specific Plan also considers coordination with regional transit providers and other relevant agencies to build a cohesive, safe, and multimodal street network.
Hotel Height Incentives
The Fox Hills Specific Plan identifies areas where hotel uses would be eligible for an additional building height allowance. Hotels are an important component of a thriving business district and often provide amenities which are available to the general public. These amenities may include entertainment, restaurants, and conference rooms. Hotel uses located in the identified areas may feature a maximum height of 120 feet.
Plan Outline and Overview
The Fox Hills Specific Plan is organized into three chapters;
Chapter 1 - User Guide establishes the authority of the Specific Plan, defines the Plan Area, and provides instructions for implementing the regulations of the Specific Plan.
Chapter 2 - Vision illustrates and describes the desired outcome of the plan. This section also includes desired future City actions which are for reference and not directly regulatory.
Chapter 3 - Regulations establish required regulations and standards that apply directly to projects.
Below is a summary overview of the Vision and Regulations chapters.
Chapter 2 - Vision
2.1 Specific Plan Context
Describes the existing character of Fox Hills and the expected transformation that the General Plan update will bring to the neighborhood. This transformation from a neighborhood comprised of office parks, commercial zones, hotels, and mid-density residential neighborhoods to future mixed-use and higher density development will be guided by the Specific Plan to ensure cohesion and livability.
2.2 Specific Plan Goals
Provides three primary goals to guide growth that support existing and future residents:
Goal 1 - Break up large blocks to improve access and mobility
Goal 2 - Provide community amenities that support daily life
Goal 3 - Create a cohesive and connected mixed-use neighborhood
2.3 A Vision for Fox Hills
The vision reflects Citywide goals and is informed by community input and the opportunities created by updated land use policies.
2.4 Vision Strategies
Five vision strategies are presented in this section. These strategies guide how the neighborhood will grow and change over time.
• Strategy 1: Build a Connected Green Network. This strategy looks to link new developments to key areas in the neighborhood such as the Fox Hills Park and Transit Center through a new network of Public Accessways.
• Strategy 2: Make it Easy and Safe to Get Around. Traffic and street improvements focused on improving street safety, mitigating traffic, and expanding access to transit and sustainable mobility options will reduce reliance on driving and enhance comfort for all users.
• Strategy 3: Plan for More Neighborhood Amenities. This strategy focuses on providing community-oriented spaces and public amenities in the neighborhood.
• Strategy 4: Guide New Development to Preserve and Enhance Neighborhood Character. This strategy promotes thoughtful building form, transitions, and attention to the public realm to emphasize context-sensitive design.
• Strategy 5: Strengthen Gateways and Identity. This strategy creates gateways at key entrances in the neighborhood to create a recognizable neighborhood identity.
2.5 Future City Actions
This chapter identifies City led projects and partnerships that respond to community and City priorities. Some projects and partnerships include the expansion of the Culver City Transit Center, implementing complete streets improvements, and planning for a new community center for Fox Hills Park.
Chapter 3 - Regulations
3.1 Land Use and Development Regulations
This section identifies the zoning map and zoning code as the implementation for the Land Use and Development Regulations.
3.2 Public Accessways Standards
This section establishes the public accessway network including locations, procedures, and development standards implementing the Public Accessways.
3.3 Complete Street Improvements
This section establishes the complete streets requirements including locations, procedures, and design requirements implementing Complete Streets Improvements
ZONING CODE AND ZONING MAP UPDATE SUMMARY
Updates to the Zoning Code and Zoning Map are necessary to implement the Fox Hills Specific Plan. The following chapter titles, section titles, and zone names have been updated to reflect the goals of the Specific Plan.
Article 2: Zoning Districts, Allowable Land Uses, and Zone-Specific Standards
Two new zoning districts, Fox Hills Mixed Use Medium (FH-MD) and Fox Hills Mixed Use High (FH-HD) have been added to chapter title 17.200 Establishment of Zoning Districts, and into the Zoning Map.
A new chapter, 17.270 Fox Hills Specific Plan Zoning Districts, has been added to establish the new zoning districts and land use requirements for the Fox Hills Specific Plan. The organization of this chapter is consistent with other zoning districts, with the addition of a new section, Frontage Standards for Fox Hills Specific Plan Development. This new section establishes four frontage types with unique design considerations to enhance the pedestrian experience.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the Culver City 2045 General Plan in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and certified by the City Council on August 26, 2024. An addendum to the EIR has been prepared analyzing the Fox Hills Specific Plan in compliance with Section 15164 (Addendum to an EIR or Negative Declaration) of the CEQA guidelines (Title 14, Chapter 3, Article 11). The addendum found that the project revision will not result in any potentially significant impact not already analyzed in the EIR
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The proposed Fox Hills Specific Plan and associated Zoning Code Text and Map Amendment have no anticipated fiscal impact to the City.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Planning Commission Resolution No. 2026-P002 to recommend the City Council adopt the Fox Hills Specific Plan, Zoning Code Text and Map Amendment, and Addendum to the Culver City General Plan 2045 Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
2. Final Draft Zoning Code Map Amendment
3. Addendum to the Culver City General Plan 2045 Environmental Impact Report
4. Final Draft Fox Hills Specific Plan
5. Final Draft Zoning Code Text Amendment
MOTION
That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 2026-P002, recommending to the City Council (1) adoption of an Addendum to the Culver City General Plan 2045 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15164, and (2) approval of the Fox Hills Specific Plan and associated Zoning Code Map and Text Amendments.