title
RECOMMENDED BY STAFF TO BE CONTINUED TO NOVEMBER 11, 2026 - PC - PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of a Statutory Exemption from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.66, and Site Plan Review, for Project P2026-0156-SPR-DOBI, to allow a housing project with 40 residential units on a site located at 4076-4080 Lafayette Place
body
Meeting Date: October 28, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Andrea Fleck, Associate Planner
Peer F. Chacko, Current Planning Manager
Phone Number: 310-253-5737 / 310-253-5755
Fiscal Impact: Yes [ ] No [X] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Hearing: [X] Action Item: [ ] Attachments: Yes [X] No [ ]
Public Notification: (Email) Public Notifications - Planning Commission (10/07/26); (Posted) City website (10/07/26); Social Media (10/07/26); (Mailed) Property owners and occupants within a 500 ft radius with extended boundary (10/07/26); (Posted) on-site sign (10/06/26); (Email/Posted) Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (10/23/26)
Department Approval: Emily Stadnicki, Planning and Development Director (10/12/26)
____________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission continue the Site Plan Review for Project P2026-0156-SPR-DOBI to a public hearing to be held on November 11, 2026. On October 22, 2026, the City received an appeal of the administrative approval of the Density and Other Bonus Incentive (DOBI) request for this Project. The applicant has requested that this appeal be heard in conjunction with the Site Plan Review consideration.
PROCEDURES
1. Chair calls for a motion to continue the public hearing to November 11, 2026.
BACKGROUND
Existing Site Conditions
As shown on Attachment 2 - Vicinity Map, the 15,410 square-feet Project site consists of two parcels occupied by a total of four residential dwellings with accessory structures. The Project site fronts Lafayette Place and Braddock Drive, with an existing vehicular access point along Lafayette Place and one along the alley accessed via Braddock Drive. The Project site is generally flat.
Zoning/General Plan/Surrounding Conditions
The Project site is located in the RMD Zone and is designated Medium Density Multifamily in the General Plan 2045 with a permitted density of 50 units per acre. One of the two parcels that make up the Project site, 4076 Lafayette Place, is listed in the Housing Element Sites Inventory.
The Project submittal includes an SB 330 application vesting the Project in the standards and regulations in place on February 18, 2026.
The Project site is bordered by two-story single-family dwellings to the north, and one- and two-story single-family and multi-family dwellings to the east across the alley, both of which are zoned Medium Density Multifamily (RMD). It is bordered by a one-story single-family dwelling and three-story multi-family dwelling to the west across Lafayette Place, in the RMD Zone, Civic Center Overlay (RMD-CV), and a one-story single-family dwelling to the south in the Two-Family Residential (R2) Zone. The Project site is directly adjacent to properties designated under the City’s Historic Preservation Program as a Landmark Historic District; these historic properties are not listed on the California Register of Historic Places. Attachment 3 - Project Summary provides additional information on the Project.
Project Description
The Project proposes demolition of all existing buildings and construction of a new six-story (maximum 65 feet), residential development with 40 rental units, including 3 very low-income units and 3 moderate income units. Half of the residential units will have 1 bedroom, and half will have 2 bedrooms. Detailed site, floor, roof, elevation, section, and landscape plans are provided in the Preliminary Development Plans (Attachment 4).
The Project includes a total of 2,237 square feet (sf) of private open space in the form of balconies, and 3,764 sf of residential common open space in the form of an indoor recreation room (944 sf) and a roof terrace (2,820 sf). The roof terrace is located on the roof of the fifth story and is oriented toward Lafayette Place.
The Project proposes 44 vehicle parking spaces with two access points from the alley at the rear of the Project site, accessed via Braddock Drive. There are two vehicle access points along the alley, providing ingress and egress to one at-grade level of parking with 16 spaces and one subterranean level of parking with 28 spaces. The Project provides 3 short-term and 27 long-term bicycle parking spaces.
The Project has received administrative approval for a Density Bonus and Other Incentives (DOBI) request (Attachment 8) pursuant to State Density Bonus Law and Culver City Municipal Code Section 17.580.075.
ANALYSIS
Site Plan Review
The Applicant is requesting Site Plan Review approval of the Preliminary Development Plans with Conditions of Approval, included as Exhibits A and B to Resolution No. 2026-P008. Pursuant to The Housing Crisis Act of 2019, the City cannot deny 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 existing adopted objective standards.
Land Use and Development Standards: The Project proposes a multifamily residential use consistent with the land use provisions of the RMD district. A lot merger is required as a condition of approval to combine the two lots into a unified project site. The Project complies with all development standards in the RMD district and all residential objective design standards, with the exception of the building height, front setback, rear setback, and landscaped open space, for which it sought administrative approval of Density Bonus concessions/incentives pursuant to State Density Bonus Law and the City’s Density Bonus Ordinance.
Although the Culver City Code does not require parking, the Project provides 44 parking spaces to meet projected market demand and provides at least 40% of electric vehicle (EV) capable, EV ready or EV charger parking. The Project provides 30 bicycle parking spaces in compliance with code (3 short-term and 27 long-term). The Project provides the required 150 sf of open space per unit and provides 73% of units with private open space. The Project includes roof-mounted photovoltaic panels to provide sustainable electricity, and commits to water efficient landscaping, and planting materials in compliance with the City’s Green Initiatives or Cal Green equivalent. Requirements for refuse-handling are also met.
Urban Design: The Project’s ground-level includes a residential lobby fronting Lafayette Place, along with amenity spaces for residents. Parking areas are accessed from the rear of the site, avoiding new curb cuts along the street and supporting a more pedestrian-oriented streetscape. Ground floor parking is integrated into the building and screened from the street through occupiable building area or architecturally treated solid building materials, consistent with code requirements.
The Project is designed to comply with the Citywide Residential and Mixed-Use Objective Design Standards (ODS), with conditions of approval addressing standards that require verification during plan check. The Project is designed in the Modern architectural style and complies with the applicable ODS standards for that style. The project reduces perceived massing through required massing breaks, a minimum 15 percent reduction in floor area at the uppermost floor, and facade articulation through changes in color and materials, variations in wall planes, and window sizes. The fifth-floor roof deck incorporates design features to limit direct views toward neighboring properties. The deck is primarily oriented toward the street and is set back an additional 5 feet from the north building edge adjacent to the Lafayette Historic District properties. A landscaped planter within the roof deck setback provides screening and a buffer between the deck and neighboring properties. The sixth story terminates the roof deck and completely blocks views toward nearby properties to the rear.
The Project will replace sidewalks along its Lafayette Place and Braddock Drive frontages. In addition, the Project will repave the alley along the Project frontage and reconstruct the alley approach from Braddock Drive for ADA compliance. The Project will widen the alley along the Project’s frontage with a four-foot right-of-way dedication. Existing mature street trees will be preserved, and two new street trees will be added in the parkway along Lafayette Place. The applicant will install 4 bicycle racks in the public right-of-way along the Project’s frontage for public use.
Traffic and Parking Circulation: In accordance with the City’s Transportation Study Guidelines adopted on July 13, 2020, a transportation study is required if a project is estimated to add 250 or more new daily trips. The project is estimated to generate 204 net new daily trips, therefore, no transportation study is required. However, per the Transportation Study Guidelines, the Public Works Department may also require a transportation study or certain components of the study, even if the threshold criteria are not met, to address other traffic or parking related concerns. To evaluate the project’s vehicular impacts on the surrounding street network, the City requested that the applicant prepare a Trip Generation and Residential Street Segment Assessment. This assessment collected baseline volume and speed data on three surrounding street segments along Lafayette Place and Braddock Drive and provided an analysis of current and anticipated traffic volumes and speed. This assessment (Attachment 5) has been completed and reviewed by the City’s Mobility & Traffic Engineering Division.
Note that the Project is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and, therefore, is not subject to a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) impact analysis under CEQA. Notwithstanding the statutory exemption, the Project’s estimated 204 net new daily trips would be considered a less than significant traffic impact under CEQA and would not require a VMT impact analysis.
The Project is required to maintain a clear sight visibility triangle at the easterly corner of the property adjacent to the intersection of the alley and Braddock Drive. Maintaining unobstructed sight lines at this location will provide drivers with adequate visibility of approaching pedestrians and cyclists and reduce the potential for conflicts as vehicles exit the alley.
Mobility and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan (Attachment 6): The Project will provide a Transportation Information Display in the residential lobby to provide residents with information regarding available commuter and alternative transportation options. The display will be periodically updated to ensure the information remains current. The Project will also provide surplus EV infrastructure beyond the amount required by Code, supporting future EV charging capacity. Together, these measures satisfy the applicable TDM standard conditions of approval for the Project.
Unbundled parking will be provided in accordance with State law, such that parking spaces will be offered separately from residential rent for the life of the Project. To support telecommuting and reduce vehicle trips, 28 of the 40 dwelling units will include a dedicated home office/den separate from the bedroom areas. The Project will also provide bicycle parking in accordance with applicable Code requirements. Collectively, these features support the City’s TDM objectives.
Construction Management
The Code limits construction hours to: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Mondays through Fridays; 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Saturdays; 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Sundays. Project construction will comply with these hours.
The Applicant has submitted a draft Construction Management Plan (Attachment 7) 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.
It is expected that the sidewalks along the Project Site’s Lafayette Place and Braddock Drive frontages will remain available for use by pedestrians throughout the construction period. However, temporary closures may be required, such as during reconstruction of the sidewalks. A final Construction Management Plan will be reviewed and approved by the City prior to building permit issuance.
Density Bonus and Other Incentives (DOBI)
The Project is administratively approved for a density bonus of 22 units for setting aside 15% (3 units) of the base density (18 units) as very low-income units, and 15% (3 units) of the base density as moderate income units. The Project requests three concessions/incentives granted under State Law, and one concession/incentive granted under the City’s local density bonus program. The following concessions/incentives were approved administratively (Attachment 8):
• A reduction to the front setback from 10 feet to 5 feet
• A reduction to the rear setback from 15 feet to 0 feet
• A reduction to the amount of landscaping required in open space areas from 20% to 13%
• A height increase of 22 feet, increasing the maximum allowed height from 43 feet to 65 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; that it will have a specific, adverse impact upon public health and safety; that it will have a specific, adverse impact upon a property listed in the California Register of Historic Resources; or that it is contrary to State or Federal law.
SB 8 Compliance
The Project involves the demolition of four existing vacant dwelling units and is subject to the Replacement Housing requirements of the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, as amended by SB 8 and subsequent legislation. Based on the City’s preliminary review, three of the four units qualify as “protected units” under Government Code Section 66300.5(h) because they were subject to rent or price controls within the past five years. The Housing and Human Services Department has preliminarily determined that the proposed Project satisfies the applicable replacement requirements by providing at least as many replacement dwelling units as the four units being demolished, with the three protected units replaced by units of equivalent size.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15061(b)(1) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the Project is exempt from CEQA by statute. The Project is a housing development project that meets the applicable criteria of Public Resources Code Section 21080.66, as enacted by Assembly Bill (AB) 130, therefore no further environmental review is required. Documentation of the Project’s eligibility for the AB 130 statutory exemption is provided in Attachment 9.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
In accordance with the City’s Community Outreach Guidelines, the applicant hosted one hybrid community meeting introducing the project and providing information regarding design, use, landscaping, neighborhood context, parking, circulation, and review process. Attachment 10 provides meeting minutes and a summary of the meeting is provided below:
Community Meeting - March 30, 2026: Approximately 90 people attended and the issues raised included height and scale relative to existing neighborhood character, design compatibility, shade impacts on adjacent properties, parking demand, traffic congestion, traffic and alley safety, children’s safety, and privacy impacts.
In addition to the minimum community meeting requirements, the applicant held small group discussions with community members on October 8, 2026. This outreach was done voluntarily, and without City staff’s involvement or oversight.
On October 7, 2026, a public notice was mailed to all property owners and occupants within a 500-foot radius of the Project Site, with an extended boundary, advising the public of a hearing at the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting on October 28, 2026. Approximately 45 individuals submitted public inquiries/comments and received staff responses throughout the course of the Project review process. As of the writing of this staff report, no further comments have been received.
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 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. 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. P2026-P008 (P2026-0156-SPR) with Exhibit A: Conditions of Approval; and Exhibit B: Code Requirements
2. Vicinity Map
3. Project Summary
4. Preliminary Development Plans dated August 27, 2026
5. Transportation Assessment
6. Mobility and Transportation Demand Management Plan
7. Draft Construction Management Plan
8. DOBI Administrative Approval
9. CEQA AB 130 Exemption Checklist
10. Community Meeting Minutes
Recommended Action
MOTION
That the Planning Commission continue the Site Plan Review for Project P2026-0156-SPR-DOBI to a public hearing to be held on November 11, 2026, to allow the Site Plan Review and DOBI appeal to be considered together.