City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 05/23/11 Item Number: J-5
JOINT CITY COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD AGENDA ITEM:
Consideration of Area Improvement Plan Expansion along West Washington
Boulevard and Direct the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
Contact Person/Dept.: Elaine Warner
Phone Number: 310.253.5777
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: _______________
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Agenda and Meetings – City Council (05/19/11); (E-Mail)
Agenda and Meetings – Redevelopment Agency (05/19/11), property owners
Department Approval:
Sol Blumenfeld (05/18/11)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (05/19/11)
Agency Counsel:
Murray Kane: (05/19/11)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by N. Kimball)(05/19/11)
City Manager/Executive Director Approval:
John M. Nachbar: (05/19/11)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency Board
(Agency Board) consider, as part of the annual Redevelopment Agency Budget,
expanding the West Washington Area Improvement Program (AIP) into three
additional Phases: IV, V and VI.
BACKGROUND
In December 2007, the Agency Board approved a three-phased AIP along West
Washington Boulevard to improve the physical and economic quality of the area
(Attachment 1). The AIP was targeted between Centinela Avenue and Beethoven
Street, surrounding two catalytic redevelopment sites. The intent of the program was
to layer several revitalization actions simultaneously. These programs included:
landscaped medians, a commercial rehabilitation façade grant program, a green
zone energy retrofit incentive program and a graphic identity/banner program. A key
component of the AIP involves the creation of an assessment district to fund on-
going median maintenance of the constructed landscape medians.
Since its inception, the AIP has been successful in achieving its objectives. The
Phase I portion of the plan is complete and maintenance funds are being collected
by the associated assessment district to fund the maintenance of five new medians
between Rosabell Street and Beethoven Street (Attachment 2). The Phase II City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
assessment district was approved last year and construction of three new medians
between Centinela Avenue and Boise Avenue is slated to begin in June 2011. The
commercial façade rehabilitation program has been well received with ten properties
completing improvements and five more in the design phase (Attachment 3). In
addition, the Graphic/Identity Banner program, highlighting the theme of change with
the chrysalis, has been a colorful and effective element in framing the revitalization
of the area (Attachment 4). Staff has received several calls from the community
indicating their excitement about these banners along West Washington Boulevard
DISCUSSION:
The AIP was developed as a demonstration project to consolidate these
improvements into one specific area. The program, as approved, was comprised
of three phases. Given the program’s success and popularity, several commercial
business owners have approached the City requesting expansion of the program
westerly from Beethoven Street to Glencoe Avenue. Further, several business
owners in this area signed a petition expressing their desire to form an assessment
district to support future landscaped medians and attended the City Council
meeting on April 11
th
(Attachment 5). Given the community interest and support to
expand the program, staff is recommending that additional areas be incorporated
as bond-funded projects in the Agency Board Approved Fiscal Year Budget for
Fiscal Year 2011/2012.
Phase IV
An additional area could be incorporated from the edge of AIP Phase I at
Beethoven Street, to the edge of the City boundary along West Washington
Boulevard and be entitled “AIP Phase IV”. This street segment is similar in
configuration to AIP Phase I between Beethoven Street and Rosabell Street, with
frequent intersections and left hand turn lanes (Attachment 5). To this end, it is
proposed that a similar design of medians, with offsets and width, be considered
for this area to both maintain consistency and retain maximum traffic flow. In
addition, it is recommended that a unique gateway treatment be developed near
the boundary of the City that ties into other design elements, such as the proposed
rehabilitated medians at Wade Street.
Given property owner support, staff recommends including this larger area as one
phase. This condition would allow for economies of scale in design and
construction services. Staff has also conducted a comprehensive assessment of
the proposed budget to determine funding for this phase and has identified
approximately $780,000 available for Fiscal Year 2011/2012.
However, based on previous AIP costs, and dependent on the length of the
medians and gateway treatment, staff estimates that full AIP Phase IV could be
approximately $1.3 million. The amount identified to date may only fund medians
from Beethoven Street to Redwood Avenue. Therefore, staff is proposing that any City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
costs savings realized from the Phase II or Phase III project be allocated to this
proposed project. Additionally, through the Cooperation Agreements, a portion of
future tax increment funds could be identified in Fiscal Year 2012/2013 to complete
any outstanding construction elements not funded in Fiscal Year 2011/2012. It is
important to note that future tax increment funding may or may not be available
depending on the political and economic environment going forward.
Phase V and Phase VI
Two additional phases are recommended for incorporation east of Centinela
Avenue (Attachment 6). Phase V would be from Centinela Avenue to Marcasel
Avenue, and Phase VI would be implemented in concert with a mixed-use
development at Marcasel Avenue slated for construction in early 2012.
Although funding for landscape medians in Phase V is unavailable in the next year,
other less costly programmatic elements could be initiated such as the banner
program, commercial façade rehabilitation and green building retrofit incentive
program.
Phase VI initiation would be contingent on the approval of the community benefit
improvements required for the mixed use project at Marcasel Avenue. At this time,
the developer would like to apply his community benefit obligation to landscape
medians similar to the current AIP and estimates that this benefit amount would be
approximately $180,000-$200,000. This benefit amount could potentially fund the
design and construction of one larger median across from the project. Depending
on the actual construction costs, a portion of these funds could also be earmarked
for future maintenance.
Both of these new phases would require the development of commercial based
assessment districts; however this process could be deferred until funds are
directly appropriated. In the meantime, these areas would benefit from the other
programmatic elements as previously noted such as graphic identity banners and
commercial façade programs.
Commercial Façade Matching Grant Program
In addition to the desire to construct medians, many property and business owners
have expressed interest in participating in the commercial façade rehabilitation
program, which is limited to only identified AIP areas. To date, the program has
been implemented on a first-come, first-serve system basis that has worked well
within the current phases. Given the potential interest in the program, the larger
participation area and the limited funds ($100,000 for FY 11-12) it is recommended
that this program be implemented in a competitive manner so as to rate projects
and properties most in need of rehabilitation.
FISCAL ANALYSIS: City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Staff has indentified approximately $780,000 in tax exempt bond funds for
implementation a landscape medians in AIP Phase IV and $100,000 of Commercial
Façade Rehabilitation program in FY 2011-2012. At this time, funding is unavailable
for Phase V. Funding for the landscape median installation in Phase VI is
dependent on the future approval of the community benefit contribution for the
mixed-use project at Marcasel Avenue. Additional funding for these projects in
future years will be dependent on savings from prior AIP Phases, available tax
increment revenues and prioritization set by the Council and Board.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. AIP Phase Map
2. Phase I Medians
3. Commercial Façade Rehabilitation
4. Banner Identity Program
5. Petition from Property Owners on West Washington Blvd.
6. Proposed Boundaries for Phase IV
7. Proposed Boundaries for Phase V and VI
MOTIONS:
That the City Council and Agency Board:
Consider the expansion of additional Area Improvement Plan areas along West
Washington Boulevard from Beethoven Street to Walnut Avenue to the west and
Centinela Avenue to Atlantic Avenue to the east as part of the Agency Board
Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2011/2012 and direct the City Manager as
deemed appropriate.
MEETING DATE: 05.23.11
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of Additional AIP Areas of West
Washington Blvd.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1. AIP Phase Map 1
2. Phase I Medians 2
3. Commercial Façade Rehabilitation 3
4. Banner Identity Program 4-5
5. Petition from Property Owners on West Washington Blvd. 6-15
6. Proposed Boundaries for Phase IV 16
7. Proposed Boundaries for Phase V and VI 17
AIP PHASES I - III
ATTACHMENT 1
1AIP Phase I
ATTACHMENT 2
2After
Commercial Façade Rehabilitation
ATTACHMENT 3
3Graphic Banner Program
ATTACHMENT 4
4Graphic Banner Program
ATTACHMENT 4
5ATTACHMENT 5
6ATTACHMENT 5
7ATTACHMENT 5
8ATTACHMENT 5
9ATTACHMENT 5
10ATTACHMENT 5
11ATTACHMENT 5
12ATTACHMENT 5
13ATTACHMENT 5
14ATTACHMENT 5
15WASHINGTONBL
MICHAELAV
MOORE ST
REDWOOD AV
TIVOLI AV
ALLA RD
LYCEUMAV
WALGROVEAV
ZANJA ST
WALNUTAV
BEETHOVEN ST
GLENCOEAV
§ ¨ ¦
!
§ ¨ ¦|1010
10|405
90
¯
W W W W W W WA A A AS SH HIN NG GT TO O O O O O ON N N NB BL L
L L LA AV V
A A A AV V
A AV V
R RD D D D D D
M MA A A AV V
E EA A A A A AV V
S S
- AIP PHASE IV
ATTACHMENT 6
16HERBERTST
EASTBL
WASHINGTONBL
GRAND VIEW BL
M
CAMPBELLDR
KENYONAV
LOUISEAV
LA AV
MARCASELAV
ATLANTICAV
KENSINGTON RD
HERBERTWY
GRAND VIEW BL
ASHINGTONPL
ELLAV
INGLEWOOD BL
LINDBLADE DR
§ ¨ ¦
!
§ ¨ ¦|1010
10|405
90
¯
S SH H H HIN N N NG G G G G GT T T TO ON NB BL L
C C CA AM M
G GR R R R R RA A A A A A A A AN N N
L LIN ND DB
- AIP V
- AIP VI
ATTACHMENT 7
17