St. Monica Redevelopment Approved, NeighborThreatens Lawsuit

April 15, 2010 --The St. Monica Catholic Community’s plan for a campus redesign received the blessing of the City Council on Tuesday. But the project could be held up if a disgruntled neighbor decides to go through with his consideration to take it to court.

The project includes the demolition of the Pastoral Center and the construction of a 27,500-square-foot community center. The Pastoral Center would be replaced by three levels of subterranean parking containing 154 spaces. Also planned for the project are the construction of 7,800 square feet of high school classroom space and the renovation of the auditorium, gymnasium and other facilities.

The completed project would have a net gain of 96 spaces for the campus, taking many Church-goers’ cars off the streets of the space-starved Wilmont Neighborhood. Also, a “public benefit” feature of the development agreement between St. Monica and the City includes 15 on-campus spaces available for residents from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. for a $50 monthly fee.

“We can pretty well guarantee that this project when complete will improve the parking situation for both the users of the church property and the residents who live near it, who’ve been sorely affected for many years by problems with the parking,” Council member Kevin McKeown said.

Several public speakers, most of them affiliated with St. Monica, praised the project for its parking features and as a way to modernize the old campus.

“We are getting rid of a building that isn’t so beautiful and replacing it with buildings that bring our campus up to the standards and aesthetics that the Wilmont Neighborhood and the City of Santa Monica deserve,” said Susan Scarafia, a parishioner who lives near the campus. “That makes the church a good neighbor.”

She added, “You may have heard parking is an issue in the Wilmont Neighborhood. So those of us who live there really applaud the church for helping us alleviate that problem.”

Several speakers had criticisms, focusing on the added traffic the project would create on Lincoln Boulevard and California Avenue. Some were concerned about St. Monica construction taking place at the same time as the California Incline replacement project, which will have its own traffic disturbances.

City staff said this most likely would not happen because the California Incline project is slated to begin and finish next year prior to the commencement of the seven to 10-year St. Monica redevelopment

Attorney Ken Sherman, who lives near the campus, said he was troubled by traffic issues and that the project would affect his privacy. He criticized plans for a bookstore and coffee shop, which will be open to the public as another “public benefit.”

“They’re putting in a little strip mall two doors from my house,” said Sherman after the meeting. He said the public benefits being offered are “not really satisfying” and he is “considering” a lawsuit.

Sherman said the hearings for the project were not properly noticed to the public. He showed the media the notice for last month’s Planning Commission session was postmarked for a date after that hearing took place. And the City Council notice was sent out closer to the hearing date than City law requires. He called this “dismissive of the residents”

Planning and Community Development Director Eileen Fogarty told the City Council both hearings had been properly noticed.

Valerie Griffin, chair of the Wilmont Coalition, said the Wilmont Board supports the project, although it had concerns about traffic. She said the Board “believes that more parking outweighs the increased awfulness for an intersection used frequently by many who live and work in the area.”