Ballfields and affordable housing on tonight’s agenda
Making changes to the civic center plan is like working a novelty puzzle game — squares are moved around until, finally, they form a coherent picture.
At tonight’s Santa Monica City Council meeting, the issue is athletic fields and where they fit into that still-muddled larger picture.
City staff members were asked by the council to see if it was possible to add more athletic fields, as well as areas for performing and visual arts, to the plan, while eliminating the extension of Olympic Boulevard through the civic center and increasing the number of affordable housing units.
Staff found that adding some of these projects would compromise others.
For example, two athletic fields in the mix would likely eliminate the proposed expansion of the Civic Center Auditorium, as well as nixing construction of a new performing arts theater.
In addition, Los Angeles County has opposed any plan that would place athletic fields near the Santa Monica Courthouse because they believe nearby courtrooms would be overwhelmed with noise.
“Staff recommends against the inclusion of two dedicated playfields,” the report states. “One dedicated playfield could be accommodated, however, this will impact the quality of the cultural amenities and... may be strongly opposed by the county.”
The civic center, located on Fourth Street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard, is the city’s symbolic geographical point. It serves as an integral part of town because of its proximity to downtown, Santa Monica Place, Palisades Park, the Ocean Park neighborhood and Main Street.
The city purchased the 11-acre site from the RAND Corporation in 2000 for $53 million with the intention of completely overhauling the civic center area so it would better connect to downtown Santa Monica.
Based on recommendations of a “working group,” which created the current proposal, the area would have a town square, a garden walk with botanical and sculpture gardens, plenty of open space and bicycle paths, as well as a childhood development facility and a revamped city hall.
Some council members have said they disagree with many of the recommendations made by the city and are likely to send the report back to staff with more suggestions.
“You can never pass something like this without seeing it in the drawing phase,” said Councilman Herb Katz. “It should at least be graphically delineated.”
Mayor Mike Feinstein opposes the extension of Olympic Boulevard through the civic center because he believes it would choke the area with traffic as motorists try to find a short-cut to the Santa Monica Freeway.
“What this is doing is instead of using the automobile to generate activity in the civic center, it’s using the automobile just to pass through on new roads,” he said.
City staff said the road would not be used by motorists going to the freeway because the road would be narrow and contain multiple stops and street parking.
They also said the road is needed to prevent people living in the proposed affordable housing units and regular apartments from congesting Pico Boulevard and Colorado Avenue, the only major east-west arteries in the area.
Also, staff wrote in the report that extending Olympic Boulevard to Ocean Avenue would provide a chance to reunite the area with the northside of town, which is currently divided by the freeway.
But Feinstein isn’t buying it. He said narrow streets haven’t prevented motorists from clog-ging many downtown corridors or kept people from trying to enter the freeway on Fourth Street and Lincoln Boulevard.
“When they say the slow-moving nature of the road would prevent people from taking it as a short cut doesn’t work because all the streets going to the freeway are slow moving,” he said.
Both Feinstein and Katz also agreed that athletic fields should be included in the civic center plan.
“I know we need more athletic field space,” Katz said. “There’s no question in my mind about that.”
And Feinstein said the city will sound-proof the courthouse if necessary, or even sink the athletic field to make sure noise doesn’t interrupt work at the building.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 23, 2002. Read the original PDF.