City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION
1. Staff recommends City Council direct Staff to initiate the formation of a
Sustainable Community Plan (“SCP”) that will be adopted prior to
commencement of the General Plan Update.
2. Staff recommends appointment of a City Council subcommittee to participate in
the formation of the Culver City Sustainable Community Plan.
3. Staff recommends City Council authorize Staff to submit an application to the
American Institute of Architects for the annual Sustainable Design Assessment
Teams (SDAT) grant application.
BACKGROUND
The General Plan Update, which is scheduled to begin in 2007, will be a multi-year
effort to develop a plan that communicates the City’s strategic thinking, philosophies,
and vision for the future.
A General Plan is a long-term plan that lays out the goals and objectives for a city’s
physical, social, and economic development. Culver City’s General Plan includes
nine Elements or special focus studies, seven of which are mandated by state law.
Optional Elements have been approved to better reflect the City’s evolving
population, redevelopment patterns, the community’s goals and needs. As
evidenced by their adoption dates, the majority of the General Plan elements are ten
to thirty years old.
Meeting Date: 11/27/06 Item Number: A-2
AGENDA ITEM: Formation of a Sustainable Community Plan.
Contact Person/Dept.: Catherine A.
Vargas / Community Development
Phone Number: (310) 253 6411
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Master Notification List (11/22/06).
Department Approval:
Susan Evans (11/16/06)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry Fulwood (11/22/2006)
City Controller Approval:
Marlee Chang (11/22/2006)City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
The date on which each Element was originally adopted is as follows:
Circulation: …………………… September 24, 1996
Conservation: ………………... March 26, 1973
Housing: ……………………… July 9, 2001
Land Use: ……………………. September 24, 1996
Noise: ………………………… September 24, 1996
Open Space: ………………… September 24, 1996
Public Safety ………………… August 25, 1975
Recreation: ………………… February 26, 1968 (Optional Element)
Seismic Safety: ……………... May13, 1974 (Optional Element)
For each of the Elements mentioned above, goals, objectives and policies will be
established that balance quality of life with the economic support necessary to
sustain that quality of life. Many cities are now adopting additional optional
Elements, such as Air Quality, Water, Capital Improvements / Public Facilities,
Information Technology and Energy.
Because the General Plan Update process includes extensive outreach, formation of
advisory committees to develop policies and goals, analysis of current conditions
and practices, Staff is recommending that the City Council adopt a Culver City
Sustainable Community Plan that will guide and inform the General Plan Update.
DISCUSSION
The Culver City Sustainable Community Plan will encompass as its key premise
the prevailing definition of sustainability first given in the Brundtland Report (World
Commission on Environment & Development, 1987)
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.”
The concept of sustainability will guide City policy and underline the long-term
impact of policy choices. Environmental quality and economic health are mutually
dependent and a healthy environment is crucial for the long-term prosperity of the
City and its residents. Community awareness, responsibility, involvement and
education are the key elements of successful programs/policies. Affirming Culver
City’s commitment to sustainability prior to the General Plan Update will ensure that
the City’s most important planning document is in line with our community values,
sustainable concepts and shared goals.City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Community Visioning and Strategic Plan
In addition to the General Plan a planning tool that cities use is the visioning
process. It specifically highlights a community’s values. These values, in turn, shape
specific actions that city staff, residents, and other community stakeholders can
initiate to bring the city in line with the community’s vision.
In 1999, the Culver City Community Visioning and Strategic Plan (CCCVSP) was
initiated and began a process to look at the community’s values and goals. The City
as a whole undertook an extensive effort to create the CCCVSP. With over three
thousand participants, Council and Staff were able to identify the community’s vision.
Since the publication of this document several goals established during the visioning
process have been met and or exceeded.
Sustainable Community Plan Structure
Taking the outline of the CCCVSP document, the Culver City Sustainable
Community Plan would include internal and city wide goals in five major areas:
(1) Resource Conservation,
(2) Environmental and Public Health Protection,
(3) Solid Waste Diversion and Recycling,
(4) Open Space and Land Use,
(5) Community Education and Civic Participation
Within each Goal Area there are specific goals, which are the core of the
community’s vision. For each goal, specific indicators that can measure progress
toward meeting the goals would need to be established. For example, in the goal
area of Resource Conservation, an indicator might be mitigation measures during
the operational phases of a development that would address resource consumption,
air quality impacts, stormwater issues, dust control, and transit amenities.
In reviewing the progress made since the completion of the CCCVSP, Staff
recognizes the need to update and expand the CCCVSP’s goals and indicators in
order to provide a complete picture and to close the loop in education and
communicating the needs of all involved. Some of the baselines that were identified
with the CCCVSP can be used as a starting point for the Culver City Sustainable
Community Plan.
A core team of Staff have come together to move forward and build on Culver City’s
current successful sustainable practices, as well as to better address the challenges
ahead involved in making Culver City a sustainable city. Because of the
comprehensive nature of this process and its use as a foundation upon which to City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
build an update of the City’s General Plan, this core team will involve members of
many (if not all) of the City’s Departments.
To construct a sustainable city, one that meets the needs of its residents while
reversing trends of increased pollution and minimizing our ecological footprint, it is
necessary to divide the plan into manageable sections, develop specific strategies
and begin action in meeting goals established. A spreadsheet is included as an
attachment that helps to identify the CCCVSP’s concepts and programs, current city
programs and proposed work plans.
Though the CCCVSP identified Culver City’s vision, implementing it is a substantial
undertaking. The financial and human resources which are available to the city are
limited. The evaluation of a program’s cost effectiveness should be based on a
complete analysis of the associated costs and benefits, including environmental and
social costs and benefits. Many of the goals identified in the visioning process could
save the City money in the long term, as sustainable practices generally reduce
resource consumption.
In recognition of the need to expand and develop a working model, Staff is
requesting Council to consider appointing a facilitator to provide knowledge and
guidance for the development of the Culver City Sustainable Community Plan.
This will allow the current interdepartmental team to continue working towards their
departments’ work plans as well as continue the effort to create Culver City’s
Sustainable Community Plan preceding the General Plan Update, scheduled to
begin in 2007.City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Role of Facilitator
Assist with cost analysis and documenting the benefits for the community
going forward with a Sustainable Community Plan.
Bring City Staff to a common understanding of the update process purpose,
intended products (principles, goals, and targets), roles of participants and
overall work plans and timeline. Develop a common understanding of the
concepts of community sustainability and indicator systems.
Review City wide work plans completed, work plans in progress and
proposed work plans that would be enhanced by establishing indicators and
targets.
Identify the range of community activities and involvement necessary to
complete the loop in education and communication to the city.
Based on the previously mentioned facts, Staff recommends that the City Council
direct Staff to continue investigating alternative cooperative opportunities to see the
Culver City Sustainable Community Plan to fruition. As such, staff recommends
Appointment of a subcommittee consisting of two (2) Council members to participate
in the formation of the Culver City Sustainable Community Plan.
Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Program
In anticipation of the General Plan Update and desire to make Culver City a
Sustainable City, Staff is requesting authorization to submit an application to the
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT)
Program. The SDAT program is a community assistance program that focuses on
the principles of sustainability. The SDAT Program brings teams of volunteer
professionals (such as architects, urban designers, planners, hydrologists,
preservationists, economists, attorneys, and others) to work with community
decision-makers and stakeholders to help them develop a vision and framework for
a sustainable future. The SDAT Program provides broad assessments to help frame
future policies or design solutions in the context of sustainability and helps
communities plan the first steps of implementation.
If chosen for the SDAT Program, Culver City would be visited by a team of outside
professionals assembled by the AIA who would objectively analyze Culver City’s
current level of sustainability and make broad recommendations for future steps,
many of which would presumably be included in the Sustainable Community Plan
and General Plan Update. The SDAT process includes a preliminary visit by the
main facilitator, followed by an intensive three day visit from the team, and resulting
finally in a 40-45 page final report. The 2007 SDAT process is estimated to cost
$30,000, with the AIA contributing up to $25,000. Culver City would be expected to City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
contribute a monetary match of $5,000, in-kind contributions, and any costs above
the AIA contribution.
The approximate timeline for the SDAT Program would be one year, in line with what
is anticipated to be the commencement of the General Plan Update. Culver City
would be informed of its acceptance into the program in early January 2007. The
AIA plans to award eight to ten SDATs nationwide in 2007. If chosen, the team
would tentatively arrive in Culver City in March.
As mentioned, it is hoped the City will be successful in its application to SDAT.
However, should the application not be approved, completion of this important
process would not receive the support from the AIA program and an alternative
method to complete the project would need to be identified. As a result, staff would
reconsider the situation and return to the City Council with a recommendation.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
If chosen for the SDAT Program, Culver City would be expected to contribute a
monetary match of $5,000, in-kind contributions, and any costs above the AIA
contribution. These funds would be allocated from the Agency Administration
account #59190100.514190 “Other Special Departmental Supplies.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. Spreadsheet of completed, current and proposed work plan actions
2. AIA SDAT program press release
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Direct Staff to commence the formation of a Sustainable Community Plan that
will be adopted prior to the General Plan Update.
2. Appoint a subcommittee consisting of two (2) Council members to participate in
the formation of the Culver City Sustainable Community Plan.
3. Authorize Staff to submit an application to the American Institute of Architects for
the annual Sustainable Design Assessment Teams (SDAT) grant application.
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
MEETING DATE: 11/27/06
AGENDA ITEM: Sustainable Community Plan
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1. Exhibit A — AIA SDAT Grant Program Press Release
1 -2THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE
OF ARCHITECTS
News Release
AIA Selects Eight Communities for Community Assistance Program to Promote
Long-term Sustainability
Contact: Scott Frank
202-626-7467
sfrankrit:aia.org
For immediate release:
Washington, D.C. — February 13, 2006 — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Center
for Communities by Design has selected New Orleans, Syracuse, N.Y., Longview, Wash.,
Guemes Island, Wash., Lawrence, Kan., Northeast, Mich., Northern, Nev., and Hagerstown, Md.
as the eight communities to receive technical assistance under the Sustainable Design
Assessment Team (SDAT) program in 2006. The collaborative SDAT brings together architects
and other professionals assembled from across the country to provide a roadmap for
communities seeking to improve their sustainability — as defined by a community's ability to
meet the environmental, economic, and social equity needs of today without reducing the ability
of future generations to meet their needs.
"More cities are placing a priority on sustainability and community revitalization, and the
feedback from planning officials and mayors of communities that have already participated in
the SDAT program has been extremely positive," said David T. Downey, Assoc. AIA, managing
director of the AIA Center for Communities by Design. "The forward-looking program is
intended to help address challenges that communities face, such as transportation design
strategies, air and water quality improvement possibilities, local economic development,
brownfields issues, and how to manage growth associated with increasing and shifting
populations."
A team of professionals including architects, planners, hydrologists, economic development
specialists, and others will be selected based on their credentials and the specific needs of each
community. The SDAT will work in conjunction with local stakeholders to help shape the
community's strategy to increase sustainability. To provide the most objective assessment, team
members volunteer their time and expertise and are selected from areas outside the project
communities.
Past SDAT participant reaction
Forest City, N.C. Town Planner & Downtown Development Director, Danielle Withrow said,
"We are already moving ahead with both smaller recommendations and larger long-term
recommendations from the AIA SDAT program that we participated in last summer. The smaller
recommendations such as crosswalks in the downtown area have been implemented. The long-
term recommendations include creating redevelopment areas that will help to revitalize some of
our deteriorating neighborhoods and expand our housing base by offering more opportunities for
home ownership in a recreated mill village. An enhanced downtown service district will allow
us to better utilize our existing assets, such as our town square, and provide a greater sense of
community and safe, walkable neighborhoods."
- more -
AIA Media Relations
1735 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5292
Telephone: 202-626-7467
Facsimile: 202-626-7365
E-mail: media@aia.orgPage 2 AIA SDATs 2/13/06
Logan, Utah Director of Community Development, Jay Nielson said, "The AIA SDAT
collaboration provided the glue to focus attention on issues that everyone has known about for a
long time, but had not previously been able to address. It brought together people with outside
objectivity that understood our concerns regarding traffic efficiency and environmental quality
control surrounding new building development. We are implementing the key recommendations
from the team, including the establishment of a large coalition to closely examine the big picture
as it relates to long-term planning for the entire region."
SDAT program elements
The communities were selected after submitting an application to the 2006 SDAT review panel
outlining the economic, environmental, and social equity challenges facing their region. The
SDAT community assistance program provides the selected communities with six components:
• Preliminary/scoping visit
• Three-day visit from a multidisciplinary team
• A report highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the community with regards to
sustainability, along with the opportunities and obstacles to change
• Consultations after the three-day visit (typically by phone or email)
• A conference call six months after delivery of the assessment report to review progress
• One-day follow-up evaluation visit a year after the SDAT report is delivered
To learn more about this program, download the SDAT information packet:
http://www.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/RFP%20Quark.pdf
About the AIA Center for Communities by Design
The Center for Communities by Design is the clearinghouse for the American Institute of
Architects' many activities—from promoting sustainable design to leading design based
technical assistance projects in communities—that influence the quality of life in our nation's
communities. The center is a nonpartisan forum that provides information, develops policy,
creates partnerships, and assists in advocacy efforts to facilitate discussions of community design
and inform choices for neighborhoods, cities, regions, and the nation.
About The American Institute of Architects
For almost 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have worked with each
other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings
and cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge, and tools to create
better design, and through such resources and access, they help clients and communities make
their visions real. www.aia.org
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AIA Media Relations
1735 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5292
Telephone: 202-626-7467
Facsimile: 202-626-7365
E-mail: media@aia.org