City staff, Big Blue will utilize Fisher site, for now
CITY HALL — The site of the former Fisher Lumber store may become part of an entire block of recreational facilities and home to a new underground water reservoir.
The Santa Monica City Council approved a staff recommendation earlier this month to use the 1601 14th St. site — located adjacent to Memorial Park — as a place for some city operations until it can be expanded into additional park space. Another possible use for the parcel could be an underground water reservoir that would be used as an emergency supply. Staff has been authorized to investigate creating a 25-to 30-million gallon subterranean reservoir.
Craig Perkins, director of the city’s environmental and public works management division, said city staff will consider the feasibility of using the land to help the city shore up water supplies for emergency purposes. Perkins said the city has about 45 million gallons of water stored at four sites in Santa Monica, while an additional 25 to 30 million gallons could bring the city up to its desired level of water supply.
“The above-ground level could be used for parking and basketball courts,” Perkins said. “At the same time, we might get double duty, because right now we have about four days water usage in Santa Monica, and we want to try to get as close to seven days as much as possible.
“The underground water reservoir could help us do that.”
The City Council voted unanimously in October to pay $18.5 million for the three acres, a site that contains an 18,525-square-foot building and two more which are less than 6,000 square feet in size. Previously owned by K.C. Riverstone Ltd., but long operated by Fisher Lumber, the site has been eyed for years by City Hall, which missed out on a chance to buy it in 2002.
Neil Carrey, vice chair with the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission, is thrilled the site will be used for expanded park amenities.
“It’s one of the most logical things to do and something I have been advocating for years,” Carrey said. “It’s a natural extension of Memorial Park and we desperately need more playing fields. There is a strong feeling in the community that this is the right thing to do.”
“There is a strong feeling in the community that this is the right thing to do.” — NEIL CARREY Recreation and Parks Commission
As for immediate plans for the site, the Big Blue Bus will store up to 30 buses there until July. On a temporary basis, city staff will relocate their public landscape, community forest and park operations from Santa Monica Airport to the site.
Those operations are being displaced by the pending construction of the new Airport Park.
To prepare the Fisher Lumber site for temporary city use, one of the buildings will be retrofitted with large doors and used for the storage of plant material and custodial supplies.
A modular trailer will be placed on the site to provide offices, showers and restrooms. Exterior site work will provide surface parking for 106 city staff and employee vehicles. One time costs for those improvements are estimated between $300,000 to $350,000. Rental costs for the modular trailer, estimated at $76,000 for three years, and ongoing utility services to the site, estimated at $26,400 annually, would be approximate to the rent the city’s open management division pays at the airport.
Perkins emphasized that ideas for the Fisher Lumber site are still in the early stages and that much work is needed before any final plans are authorized by the City Council.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 17, 2005. Read the original PDF.