Residents suggest shuttles to ease traffic congestion
Residents remain divided over a controversial proposal for a 536-seat theater on Santa Monica College’s Madison Campus.
On Wednesday night, the theater’s architects for the first time gave a solid glimpse of what they are proposing be built on the city block-sized college campus between 10th and 11th Streets and Santa Monica Boulevard and Arizona Avenue.
According to schematics presented at the meeting, the theater would be set back 100 feet from 11th Street and 80 feet from 10th Street, the two areas with the nearest concentrated residential population. Architects said they were doing everything possible to prevent sound from escaping or entering the theater.
“Believe me, we are just as concerned about the noise of the buses coming in as (residents) are concerned about getting noise outside,” said Michael Stebbens with Renzo Zecchetto, the firm designing the theater. “We wouldn’t be doing our job right if people are able to hear noise from the performances from the parking lot.”
SMC is proposing to build a new 27,100-square-foot theater and convert the existing school auditorium into a classroom and rehearsal hall. The existing campus is 39,540 square feet, and the project would increase it to roughly 66,640 square feet.
Officials see the performing arts center as filling a large void on the westside for cultural activities. In addition to lectures and rehearsals, the facility would provide a venue for theater performances, dance, chorale, symphony orchestra and guest speakers.
The building’s architects assured residents that recent studies of Southern California theaters show that the parking-to-seat ratio was more than adequate. Still, neighbors weren’t buying it.
“It’s laughable that studies show that two people come to theater performances per car,” said Susan Suntree, a co-director of Friends of Eleventh Street. “Go to any performance at Santa Monica College and see how impacted the neighborhoods are. There’s no parking, and it brings all this congestion to residential streets.”
“It’s laughable that studies show that two people come to theater performances per car.” — — SUSAN SUNTREE Friends of Eleventh Street, co-director
Other residents said traffic congestion could be mediated and would be outweighed by the advantages of having the theater in the neighborhood.
537,“I could see a circulation problem if it isn’t handled properly,” said John Verone, a Ninth Street resident. “But it will be a plus for the folks north of Pico to have something as nice as this in their neighborhood.”
Residents and officials talked about including the cost of parking when theatergoers bought their tickets, and even possibly giving a discount for those who arrived by public transportation.
Some residents recommended traffic could be lessened by having some ticketed theater patrons park at Santa Monica College’s main campus on Pico Boulevard and be bused to the location.
“I like the idea of having people order tickets in advance and include parking in the price of the ticket for ordering early,” Verone said. “And then maybe shuttle people who come late.”
Suntree is also concerned the theater’s two planned concession stands would serve alcoholic beverages during intermissions. College officials said alcohol is not allowed on any of its campuses and it would not be served at the theater’s shows.
But Suntree said she had been served wine at catered events held at the college, and believed events at the theater would also provide alcohol. Even though Suntree said she isn’t opposed specifically to alcohol being offered at the college, she is concerned about the affect it could have on the neighborhood.
417,“We already have the most bars in the city in our neighborhood,” she said. “We don’t need another place that serves alcohol.”
The theater would be located directly behind the campus’ main building. And while the tallest point of the building would stretch 60 feet high, the building would be centered on the campus so not to affect the views of residents living in many of the apartment complexes nearby.
Stebbens argued the theater would affect the views of its neighbors far less than if a row of apartment complexes were built in its place. Under current city zoning, those buildings could be 60 feet high as well, but they would be much more massive in size.
The architect also displayed samples of colors and materials that would be used on the exterior of the building to illustrate the colors and textures being proposed. A beige stucco is being considered for the tallest portion of the theater, while a zinc gray may be used for the theater’s trim.
“But we’re not committed to anything yet,” Stebbens said. “Any of this could change.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 16, 2002. Read the original PDF.