CONTINUED REGULAR MEETING April 15, 2008
OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, 6:00 p.m.
CITY OF CULVER CITY,
CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Chair Malsin called the meeting of the Redevelopment Agency to order at 6:19
p.m. with all Members present.
Present: D. Scott Malsin, Agency Chair
Gary Silbiger, Agency Vice Chair
Alan Corlin, Agency Member
Carol A. Gross, Agency Member
Steven J. Rose, Agency Member
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Invocation/Pledge of Allegiance
Covered under the City Council meeting.
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Public Comment for Items NOT On the Agenda
None.
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Public Comment for Items On the Agenda
None.
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Consent Calendar
Moved by Agency Member Rose, seconded by Agency Member Gross, and
unanimously passed to approve the Consent Calendar.
Item C-1
Secretary’s Report
The Agency approved the Report of the Secretary.
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April 15, 2008
CONTINUATION OF JOINT PUBLIC HEARING
Item JPH-1
(Continued)
Proposed Entrada Office Tower to be Located at 6161 Centinela Avenue: 1)
City Council Public Hearing for Consideration of: a) Appeal of the Planning
Commission’s Certification of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and
Related Project Entitlements, and b) Approval of a Height Exception: 2)
Agency Consideration of; a) Approval of a Design for Development, b)
Approval of a Tentative Parcel Map, and c) Determination that the Project
Conforms with the Redevelopment Plan.
This item was continued from the Agency Council meeting of April 14, 2008.
Staff called attention to changes made to the resolutions.
Agency Councilmember Silbiger and staff discussions focused on: public
notification rules for a meeting when it is adjourned; the project’s potential impact
on police and fire services; the lack of global climate change standards or
thresholds on which to base findings for the project; and questions on methane
gas levels at the site.
At this time, Agency Member Gross called for the question. Agency Member
Rose seconded the motion.
Agency Member Corlin clarified that the call for the question prevents Agency
Member Silbiger from continuing his comments.
Discussion ensued regarding procedures set forth in “Roberts Rules of Order” to
set time limits and/or limit debate. Carol Schwab, City Attorney clarified that a
call for the question stops discussion. There is no debate about a call for the
question, only a vote.
Mayor Corlin called for a recess.
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Recess/Reconvene
The Agency took recess from 7:16 p.m. and reconvened at 7:49 p.m. with all
Members present.
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Discussion continued regarding procedures set forth in “Roberts Rules of Order”
to set time limits and/or limit debate.
At this time, discussion regarding a methane gas issue including the validity of a
methane gas map presented by Agency Member Silbiger who asked for the map
to be presented into the record and an investigation made into the issue of the
levels of methane gas at the project site.
Agency Member Silbiger proposed the following motion: That this item be
postponed in order to allow staff to research the methane gas map.
The motion died for lack of a second.
Further staff and Agency discussion included: parking issues; possible
requirements to increase the number of parking spaces; traffic mitigation
measures during construction; whether the traffic analysis was flawed because it
did not reflect future traffic projections; whether certain documents were part of
the record; and the CFA Analysis.
Roy Nakamura, Traffic Engineer, Crain and Associates, gave detailed
information on the construction traffic impact.
Max Paetzold, City Traffic Engineer, addressed the CFA Analysis.
Agency Member Silbiger read an item from the Environmental Law Reporter into
the record.
Discussion ensued between the City Council and staff regarding the allowable
length of time for speeches from the dais. Redevelopment Agency General
Counsel Murray Kane stated that, per “Roberts Rules of Order” in an
organization without special rules regarding the length of speeches, the length of
the speech is limited to 10 minutes. If a speech and debate goes on for more
than 10 minutes, the entire body must vote by a 2/3 vote to extend the time.
Mayor Silbiger entertained a motion to extend the time for Councilmember
Silbiger.
There was no motion.
Mayor Corlin called for a vote on the motion to call the question. The vote was
4 - 0; Councilmember Silbiger chose not to vote.
The following vote was taken:
Moved by Agency Member Gross and seconded by Agency Member Rose, that
the Agency Council Adopt Resolution NO. 2008-A004 Denying the Appeal, Page 4 of 8
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April 15, 2008
upholding the Planning Commission’s decision, and certifying the final EIR for the
Entrada Office Tower Project.
AYES: Agency Members Gross, Malsin, Rose, Corlin
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
Agency Member Silbiger did not vote on the above motion.
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Recess
The Agency Council recessed its meeting at 9:22 p.m.
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Reconvene
The Agency Council reconvened its meeting at 9:46 p.m., with all Members
present.
At this time, the following motion was made:
Moved By Agency Member Rose And Seconded By Agency Member Gross, that
the Agency Council limit the amount of time Council Members and Agency
Members can speak to twenty minutes.
AYES: Agency Members Gross, Malsin, Rose, Corlin
NOES: Agency Member Silbiger
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
At this time, discussion ensued by the Redevelopment Agency regarding
consideration of adoption of a Statement of Overriding Considerations (SOC) and
a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) and consideration of the
proposed Design for Development (DFD).
Staff presented a brief summary of the sub-item.
Discussion ensued between the Redevelopment Agency and staff regarding
height details on the roof, helipad, parapet, and mechanical housings; a request
for the height exception findings to be put in memo form; a suggested
compromise of a 120 feet height for the project and the impact that would have Page 5 of 8
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April 15, 2008
on the developer’s financial return; and an assertion that future Los Angeles
development in the immediate area will make this project seem inconsequential.
The following motion was proposed:
MOVED BY AGENCY MEMBER ROSE AND SECONDED BY AGENCY
MEMBER GROSS TO ADOPT THE SOC, MMRP AND DFD.
Agency Member Corlin proposed the following secondary motion: That the
maximum height to be limited to 120 feet.
The motion died for lack of a second.
Further Agency and staff discussion included: whether the developer would be
willing to continue with a 120 foot maximum height restriction; whether the height
reduction would limit the ability to attract quality tenants; and the rate of return on
the project at 120 feet as being below the industry standard.
Brandon Taylor, Vice President, The Carlyle Group, (Applicant), explained the
methods used to determine the economic feasibility of the project.
Further Agency and staff discussion included: the Agency’s request for a pro-
forma from the developer; the fact that the developers were not required to
submit a pro-forma; the limited information that was supplied by the developer in
lieu of a pro-forma; the stated development costs as being consistent with
industry standards; and the height exception as valuable and needing
justification.
At this time, Jack McDaniel, Westchester resident, responded to a question from
Agency Member Malsin on whether lowering the building height to 181 feet would
be acceptable by stating that the width was also a consideration and that the
mechanical towers on the roof would be visible.
At this time, the 20 minute time limit for Agency Member Malsin was reached and
a vote to extend the time by five minutes did not carry.
Further Redevelopment Agency and staff discussion focused on whether there
was anything presented by the developer that was not within industry standards;
whether the mechanical towers on the roof would be visible to residents of the
Bluffs; and an offer of more time to allow the previous speaker to finish their
response.
At this time, Jack McDaniel used a model to illustrate that the mechanical towers
would be visible at a building height of 181 feet. He stated that the problem is
that the building is long and narrow.
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April 15, 2008
Further Redevelopment Agency and staff discussion included a call by Agency
Member Silbiger to postpone the item to further consider the details.
The following member of the audience addressed the Redevelopment Agency:
Jan Koshack requested that the item be postponed in order to give other
residents a chance to review this issue.
At this time, Brandon Taylor, Vice President, The Carlyle Group, (applicant)
stated that they were agreeable to the parapet height limit of five feet to fourteen
feet.
Further Redevelopment Agency and staff discussion included further parapet
height discussions with a suggestion to adopt the height limitation and write into
the conditions of approval that the developers work with the neighbors on the
final height of the parapet; whether the condition would be included in the Site
Plan Review; and a request from the applicant’s counsel for a default provision
on the parapet height.
Agency Member Silbiger proposed the following substitute motion: To bring back
a decision in a few days in order to allow developers, staff, and residents to come
up with solutions.
The motion died for lack of a second.
At this time, the following motion was made:
MOVED BY AGENCY MEMBER ROSE AND SECONDED BY AGENCY
MEMBER GROSS, THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY:
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2008-A004 ADOPTING AN SOC AND MMRP; AND,
ADOPT THE DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT FOR A PORTION OF 6161
CENTINELA AVENUE AMENDED TO INCLUDE A HEIGHT LIMITATION OF
THE BASIC STRUCTURE OF 176 FEET WITH THE LEVEL OF THE PARAPET
BEING 5 TO 13 ½ FEET SUBJECT TO THE REASONABLE APPROVAL OF
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARRIVED AT IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE
DEVELOPER AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH A DEFAULT HEIGHT
OF 5 FEET FOR THE PARAPET.
AYES: Agency Members Gross, Malsin, Rose
NOES: Agency Members Corlin, Silbiger
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
At this time, discussion ensued regarding Redevelopment Agency consideration
of the proposed Tentative Parcel Map, and determination if the project conforms Page 7 of 8
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April 15, 2008
to the Redevelopment Plan.
The following motion was made:
MOVED BY AGENCY MEMBER GROSS AND SECONDED BY AGENCY
MEMBER ROSE, THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY APPROVE THE
TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP AND FIND THE ENTRADA OFFICE TOWER TO BE
IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR COMPONENT
AREA NO. 1 OF THE CULVER CITY REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
AYES: Agency Members Gross, Malsin, Rose
NOES: Agency Members Corlin, Silbiger
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
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Items from the Agency
Agency Member Rose asked staff to look into the new Council going entirely
electronic to minimize paper waste.
Agency Chair Malsin reported on the Culver West Park improvements and noted
that the Metro Committees would soon be considering funding for the Culver City
station.
Agency Member Gross asked about utilities maintaining their property in the right
of ways. He also asked about the Hayden Tract meeting and reported on recent
meetings in Washington.
Agency Member Corlin asked about the Agency’s relationship with Urban
Partners.
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Adjournment
There being no further business, at 12:17 a.m., the Agency adjourned to its
regular meeting on Monday, April 21, 2008, in the Mike Balkman Council
Chambers.
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Agency Minutes
April 15, 2008
Alice Prasad
SECRETARY of the City of Culver City Redevelopment Agency, California
APPROVED
D. SCOTT MALSIN
CHAIRPERSON of the Redevelopment Agency, City of Culver City, California