City Looks to Close Development Loopholes

By Teresa Rochester

The artisans, craftsmen and mechanics who populate rows of business at 2834 Colorado Ave. know their days are numbered. They figure it's only a matter of time before they will have to pack up shop to make way for a new production facility.

And their exit may come sooner than later.

The property's new owner is awaiting approval for plans to demolish 19,000 existing square feet on the rear of the property and build a 29,500 square foot, two-story building with underground parking.

By yanking plans for a 76,800 square foot, one-story structure with a mezzanine facility, the developers can avoid the often-lengthy Planning Commission review process and public input triggered by projects larger than 30,000 square feet.

The scaled down project is part of a growing - and city officials say disturbing -trend by developers who are trying to get around environmental regulations by dividing their proposed structures into smaller buildings. It is a trend that has caught the attention of city officials, who are scrambling to reign in development and preserve what is left of the changing face of Santa Monica.

Earlier this month the City Council voted to make the issue of defining a project one of its top planing priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in July.

"What's happening is that properties are being split into two," said Mayor Ken Genser. "There's been a trend of doing that. We have to determine what's a project. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it's a duck."

In the case of 2834 Colorado Ave., city officials have notified project architect John Rock that if the developers plan to build the project in stages, each new phase would have to have a tenant before development plans can be submitted to the city. The current project does not yet have a tenant.

But city officials warn that developers will try to avoid public review by proposing projects that fall below whatever threshold the city sets, a practice that already is occurring with several developments.

"No matter where you set the threshold people will build under it," said Councilman Kevin McKeown.

At Tuesday night's City Council meeting McKeown will introduce for discussion a plan that would require public discretionary review of any commercial project exceeding 5,000 square feet which abuts or is separated by an alley from residentially zoned property, including mobile home parks.

McKeown said his plan was sparked by the potential impacts on residents of the proposed plans for the old Madame Wu's restaurant site on Wilshire Boulevard. The plans call for loading docks on an alley that separates residents from the site and a driveway that would run next to people's homes.

He said that toughening the standards for administrative approval and requiring more public process of discretionary approval would allow for more public input.

"My concern is the impact on residents," said McKeown. "There is no residential input. That's one of the problems. If it's administrative approval it can sail through. If it's to code they [developers] can do what they're doing.

"Administrative approvals are exempt from environmental reviews," McKeown said. "If we change it to discretionary approval it requires CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) review…This is fairly significant in terms of quality of life."

Donna Block, vice president of the neighborhood group Mid City Neighbors, doesn't think the proposed plans for 2834 Colorado Ave. will do anything to improve the quality of life in a neighborhood that has borne the brunt of the city's burgeoning entertainment industry.

"Another studio is the last thing we want over here," said Block, who along with several other Mid City board members met informally with architect John Rock in late February. "It is the last thing we need. I don't support turning Santa Monica into Hollywood West…I don't think this project will be supported by Mid City."

If the cabinet makers, electricians and furniture builders currently inhabiting the prime Colorado Avenue site are forced to move, Block would like to see a development that caters to local residents. A restaurant maybe, or even a small theater, anything that restores a little of the city's old charm.

"It [the city] used to be such a local joint," said Block. "It used to have charm."

In the northwest section of the city, residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the trendy Montana Avenue shopping district have fought hard to preserve the mom and pop feel of the street. In May, thanks to City Council support, they managed to stave off the "Gapization" of the neighborhood.

The council, on an interim basis, lowered from 11,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet the size of proposed developments that require Planning Commission approval. In recent months the city approved two projects designed to fall under the 11,000 square foot threshold, raising the ire of residents and community organizers.

Doris Sosin, president of the neighborhood group North of Montana Association, credits the city and good relationships between residents and businesses with keeping the area's character intact.

"We've tried to keep very good relationships with the businesses. The Montana Avenue Merchants Association wants to work just as hard," said Sosin. "The problem with the other areas I guess is that the workers aren't residents.

"I think things have gone way too fast," Sosin said. "If you drive down Colorado it makes you ill. We're just faced with enormous problems. The ambiance is getting lost each day."