April 12, 2010 --The development agreement for the remodeling of the St. Monica Catholic Community Campus will go before the City Council on Tuesday. The council will also vote on new farmers market regulations expected to help Main Street vendors, a designer for the Palisades Garden Walk & Town Square project and the appeal of a permit for an Ocean Avenue bed and breakfast.

The St. Monica project calls for 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.

Because the project, which will be built over seven to 10 years, will have unavoidable effects on traffic for Lincoln Boulevard and California Avenue, St. Monica must offer public benefits as part of a development agreement. The benefits offered include

• A Transportation Demand Management Plan to reduce parking demand and vehicular trips in the area.
• Neighborhood use of 15 parking spaces located at an off-site lot on 7th Street (owned by St. Monica) during off-peak hours.
• Community meeting space for City departments, community groups and nonprofit organizations.
• Proposed bookstore/coffee bar available for public use during all operating hours.

The development agreement received the blessing of the Planning Commission last month, with some recommendations added. A few community members raised traffic concerns during the commission’s meeting.

The proposal regarding the Main Street Farmers Market calls for at least 50 percent of the prepared food opportunities being reserved for Main Street vendors. Also, staff has recommended vendors from outside the City pay a higher stall fee than those with businesses in Santa Monica.

The staff recommendation was endorsed by the Main Street Business Improvement Association following a February meeting between City staff and Main Street vendors. The Main Street businesses said at a December Council meeting on farmers market regulations that they should have an advantage for market access.

“As it is, restaurants and food establishments already have to compete with what goes on in the market,” said Gary Gordon, head of the Main Street Business Improvement Association. “To have to compete also to get into the market strikes a lot of people as less than support for the Main Street District.”

Also, the Council will vote on a recommendation to grant a contract for up to $3.2 million to the New York City-based landscape architecture firm Field Operations for the design and construction of the Palisades Garden Walk & Town Square project. The firm, headed by James Corner, was selected by a panel that included design and planning professionals.

The project includes creating a public open space park on a six-acre area north of Olympic Drive, west of Main Street, south of the Interstate-10 Freeway, and east of Ocean Avenue. It will also include a one-acre Town Square in front of City Hall “that is oriented to civic and community activities.”

Also on the agenda, is an appeal of a the Planning Commission’s December approval for a bed and breakfast at a City landmark known as the Cottage, located at 2219 Ocean Avenue. The appellant, Scott Spell, says a bed and breakfast is not allowed there due to, among several reasons, insufficient parking and an extra kitchen.

Lastly, the Council will receive an update on homeless issues as part of a study session.