City, developer debate height of apartments
CITY HALL — Just how far into the sky the new apartment buildings at the Civic Center extend is a point of contention among some citizens, who are raising their eyebrows at a proposal that would allow for an additional nine feet.
Elected officials are expected to approve an agreement tonight which will authorize a developer to oversee the creation of the Village, a development which will include housing in the $120 million Civic Center project.
The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday is expected to hear from city staff regarding its recommendation that the Related Companies of California be hired to oversee the construction of the Civic Center’s Village. It’s recommended the City Council choose Related — one of 16 project applicants — because the firm’s proposal demonstrates an extensive analysis of the site’s design opportunities, according to a memo from city staff.
Meanwhile, some residents have indicated they plan on speaking during the meeting about Related’s proposal. They are concerned about a schematic option presented by Related which would allow Village building heights to increase from 56 to 65 feet, if the City Council allows it.
Overall, the Civic Center plan calls for the creation of parks, fountains, pathways, housing, and city service and cultural buildings to serve as the focal point of the city’s public space.
In July, the City Council agreed to shoot for 325 total units to be created in the Village’s three buildings, to be located near the future intersection of Ocean Avenue and Olympic Drive. Of those, 30 percent, or approximately 110 units, would most likely be affordable, according to the City Council’s earlier request. Councilmembers said they wanted to stay as closely as possible to the suggested 56-foot height limit on the Village buildings. Clear advantages would need to be explained to the City Council for development proposals which called for taller buildings.
Representatives from Related didn’t comment on its proposal.
Andy Agle, City Hall’s interim plan-ning director, said on Monday there may be several benefits from developments that call for taller buildings.
In particular, increased heights may allow for more affordable housing units to be built for families. The City Council in the past has requested as many affordable apartments as possible. Two-and three-bedroom units take up more space, and added height would allow more of them to be built, Agle said.
Another benefit of various building heights would be enhanced visualization. Agle said varying heights may be more pleasing to the eye.
City Councilman Richard Bloom believes that any discussion related to increased building heights at tonight’s meeting ought to focus on trying to provide the best possible architecture, since he believes the design parameters have been adequate to provide the requested number of units.
“I don’t think there needs to be a trade-off between building heights and the number of (affordable) units,” Bloom said. “The project already called for approximately 500 units to be built, and we reduced that to 325.
“It might make sense to have one building a little higher or the other a little lower, which might enhance the project and quality of its architecture.”
According to a staff report, there were several factors which attracted the attention of city staff to Related’s proposal. One was the firm’s environmental design vision. Related intends to use the latest technology to make the best use of resources used to support the Village. This vision includes solar panels; mirco-turbines, which would produce electricity, heating, cooling and hot water; solid waste reduction technologies; storm water mitigation; gray water recycling; and building designs that maximize sunlight for heat, light, airflow and cooling.
Interim City Manager Gordon Anderson said staff also is requesting that the developer host community workshops regarding the site plans. The idea would be to provide residents with an opportunity to advise the developer on the Village’s physical layout, including building heights.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 13, 2005. Read the original PDF.