Public benefits still a topic of discussion
By MELOODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
The concept of public benefits is one frequently thrown around during discussions regarding the Land Use and Circulation Element.
Some feel that developers should be required to include some type of public benefit if they seek to gain approval for projects that exceed building guidelines, believing it helps mitigate the impact of large projects on the community.
The City Council recently wrapped up a series of discussions related to the strategy framework for the LUCE, the 20-year update of the general plan. As the framework is set to undergo economic and environmental analysis the next few months, some city officials said there is still confusion in the community as to what exactly is a public benefit and how it will be delivered.
Public benefits are exactly how it seems, a tangible perk that the community would be able to enjoy from a new project, whether it be a new child or senior day care center, a publicly accessible courtyard, or affordable housing units.
“Developers could provide for park space, perhaps they’re willing to pay for some public transportation to and from their site depending on the size of what they’re doing,” Councilmember Bob Holbrook said. “Perhaps a developer is willing to provide some very affordable housing, making it extremely affordable.”
City Hall in the past required new developments to provide some public benefits, but they were done on an ineffective sporadic basis, having a lessened positive impact on the community, Eileen Fogarty, the planning and community development director, said.
“We heard at every community meeting that too much development went on today that didn’t have benefits because [residents] didn’t have input and there wasn’t much control,” Fogarty said.
The new LUCE will require that any project above the height of 32 feet, which is about two stories, undergo a mandatory public process through which residents and the City Council will voice what benefits should be required.
“We should have public input on all projects that are up for this kind of discretionary action,” Mayor Herb Katz said.
The LUCE would also pre-determine where certain projects will be located so that future developments can work together compatibly, complementing one another.
All projects that go beyond guidelines will also be subject to an aggressive Transportation Demand Management plan, which will include traffic mitigation fees, and specific neighborhood and traffic improvements, whether it be bus stops, shelter amenities or local circulation improvements. With the LUCE operating under a mantra of zero new net car trips, employers in commercial developments will be required to reduce their trips and pay fees.
The plan will also require that employers charge a higher parking rate for their employees and incentivize them to seek alternative means, such as van pooling and taking the bus.
Councilmember Kevin McKeown, who was among three councilmembers who voted against a series of maximum height recommendations along some of the city’s major corridors, said that green building standards and sustainability features should be demanded for all future development.
“Before we consider granting developers increased heights, we must define what public benefits our residents want and can’t get some other way, things like public courtyards and truly affordable shopping and housing,” he said.
He added that “workforce housing,” which can be affordable to residents who earn in the high five figure to low-six figure income range, and minor amenities like benches and bike racks, should not be enough to justify heightened land use.
Councilmember Ken Genser said that public benefits should be demanded upon every project, whether it’s at or beyond the height. Significant benefits should be provided by the “occasional” tall project, he added.
“A lot of public benefits should be a condition of developing in Santa Monica, period,” he said. “I think the occasional project could get the exception for more development potential if it’s something truly extraordinary.”
The cost of housing has been a big issue in the LUCE, some pointing out that workforce housing should actually be considered market-rate.
“There seems to be no incentives included for low-income or very low-income residents,” Zina Josephs, a Sunset Park resident, said of the LUCE. “Missing seems to be the concept of deed-restricted housing for low-income seniors, many of whom will be displaced as rent control apartments continue to be replaced with expensive condos.”
The LUCE strategy also states that new developments should be built along activity centers and transit corridors, further lessening the impact on the current traffic situation. One transportation project expected in the future is the Exposition Light Rail, which will have several stops in the city, including at Bergamot Station and in Downtown.
“Allowing intensified development near mass transit that does not yet exist will not improve our quality of life in the near future, (it will) merely lead to increased traffic congestion,” Josephs said.
The LUCE is still far from completion as a final draft isn’t expected until sometime next year.
“I think it’s safe to say there is going to be a lot more discussion and that we’re not seeing anything close to a final product,” Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom said.
Jump hedline - Public benefits still up for discussion
Suggested pullquote - “A lot of public benefits should be a condition of developing in Santa Monica, period.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 4, 2008. Read the original PDF.