By When BILL isn’t visualizing Utopia, he
THE CITY’S PLANNING DEPARTMENT has been holding a series of “Placemaking Workshops" asking residents what they’d like to see in the Santa Monica of the future.
Input from these citizen involved workshops will be incorporated into the master development plan for the city which will determine the size, shape and future of Santa Monica for the next twenty years or more. The land use and circulation elements (referred to as LUCE) goes before the City Council for approval in the Spring of 2008.
About 70 people from the Wilshire/Montana and Mid-Cities neighborhoods attended Wednesday’s meeting which consisted of an overview of the plan-ning process and a hands-on workshop. Most of the session centered on a future Wilshire Boulevard.
Urban design has a number of elements ranging from kinds of development to their height and density. Accessibility to the street, usage such as retail, commercial, housing and parking or a combination of the above are important considerations. How high and dense should street facades be? What about the mix of businesses? More cafes or less? Theaters? Doctor and dental offices? Markets? Large chain stores or smaller “mom and pops"?
The street itself comes into play. How many traffic lanes? Mass transit? Bicycle lanes? How much greenery? Where? Widen sidewalks? Street parking? How does the retail street relate to adjacent residential areas? Crosswalks? Traffic signalization?
The City’s long term bias against motor vehicles was still apparent. The presentation mentioned “Pedestrians and bicycles over automobiles." Traffic management here is still very much a one way street and city staff worked ha--rd to get people to buy into the "Three Bs — busses, boots and bicycles” philosophy. Unfortunately all the devices the City uses to “slow traffic” such as curb extensions, planter islands, less and narrower traffic lanes and uncoordinated traffic signals have just created more gridlock.
I was amazed to find out extended sidewalk bumpouts at intersections are supposed to slow cars making turns. Is that really a problem? I guess our traffic planners think that’s more onerous than blocking traffic on side streets when someone’s turning left or when a large vehicle or truck drives into oncoming traffic lanes while attempting a turn when there isn’t enough room.
City planners must recognize that we all must be able to get in and out of our neighborhoods. And right now, landscaped median planters and attractive sidewalks must take second seat to safe and timely access to and from homes from jobs, schools or shopping centers via private motor vehicle.
As in other City presentations I’ve attended, the audience broke into smaller groups to work on their visions of the area ranging roughly from 11th to 17th Streets, centering on Wilshire Boulevard and including adjacent multifamily apartment blocks. The comments from the working groups were interesting. Some suggested building housing on the parking lots. Others suggested redeveloping larger commercial properties such as the Vons and Rite Aid on Wilshire’s 1300 block as a combination of commercial, retail and housing.
One spokeswoman complained about stinky sidewalks in front of Vons and Rite Aid — effluent from the vagrants that hang out there. While we can talk about zoning codes that will create pleasant walking streets with wide, attractive sidewalks, pedestrian friendly crosswalks, inviting and accessible store fronts, trees and landscaping — residents really want clean sidewalks and an end to vagrants who camp, harass and intimidate passersby.
I left the meeting about nine o’clock. While walking home up 14th Street, I encountered what might have been at least two transients on the sidewalk next to Lincoln Middle School. It was dark and impossible to see who was there except for the loaded shopping cart blocking the sidewalk. I crossed the street thinking,“The City expects people to walk and enjoy their neighborhoods by stepping around the bums and who-knows what?”
And, while its fun for grown adults to cut out pieces of colored paper and play “urban planner,” the reality is that as long as the pedestrian experience is unpleasant or perceived as unsafe, people will avoid their own neighborhood for shopping or other purposes, all together — unless they drive Case in point. I walk up to Montana Avenue at least three times a week. I can’t remember a time that I haven’t had a risky or annoying experience with rude drivers who bolt out of alleys, cut me off or turn in front of me while I’m on a sidewalk or in a marked crosswalk. Streetscape beautification and vehicular traffic mitigation isn’t going to stop boorish driving and could actually worsen it You have one more chance to be heard on the future of Santa Monica and that’s Thursday, April 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Olympic High School Cafeteria. Be there or be square.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 2, 2007. Read the original PDF.