Plans to rehabilitate the former Sears building in Downtown Santa Monica will be before the Coastal Commission this week with staff recommending conditional approval of the redevelopment plans.
Conditions of approval include a parking plan, limits on landscape design, environmental concerns and limits on future construction.
The store at 302 Colorado Blvd. closed in April of 2017 following the sale of the location to a real estate investment company. In July of 2015, Sears created a new independent, publicly traded real estate investment trust named Seritage. The new company took control of 235 Sears/Kmart stores and joint ventures with several mall operators including Simon Property Group, General Growth Properties and the Santa Monica based Macerich Company. Under the terms of the $2.7 billion deal, 224 stores were leased back to Sears but Seritage has the right to end some of those leases and find new uses for the property. Seritage exercised that right for the Santa Monica location.
The proposal before the Coastal Commission is to “rehabilitate and redevelop existing 94,186 sq. ft. historic Sears Main Building as mixed-use commercial development.”
The basement and first floor would be converted into a food/retail area of about 11,720 sq. ft. The second and third floors would become office space. Building work would include a seismic retrofit. The garden center on the property would remain unchanged.
According to the application, the development will have room for 180 parking spaces and 57 bicycle spaces. A parking study concludes the lot will be 47 spaces short to cover peak summer weekday demand and the first condition of approval calls for “the applicant to provide a parking attendant to implement a stacked valet parking program when the parking lot reaches full capacity.”
The Commission is requiring all landscaping incorporate noninvasive, drought tolerant plants but acknowledges the final landscaping plans will be subject to the City’s Landmarks Commission.
While the project is not directly connected to sensitive coastal resources, staff are recommending implementation of a runoff plan to prevent runoff or debris from reaching the beach.
The final condition requires any future development on the site, “including actions that would otherwise be exempt from permit conditions” to return to the Coastal Commission for additional approval.
Overall, the report said the proposal does not restrict coastal access.
“The project as proposed maintains and expands the visitor-serving qualities of the area by offering an additional space for Santa Monica visitors to recreate. At the same time, the location and design of the project does not block public coastal access. Therefore, the project, as proposed, is consistent with the development, recreation, and public access policies outlined in Coastal Act Chapter 3,” said the staff report.
Additional local items on the agenda include:
Application of Simone Manor, LLC to demolish 1-story, 594 sq.ft. single-family home and construct 30-ft. high, 3-story, 2,264 sq.ft. single-family home with attached 2-car garage and swimming pool, at 445 Sherman Canal, Venice, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County.
Application of Eric Owen Moss Living Trust to demolish 648 sq.ft., 1-story single-family home, and construct 32.5-ft. high, 3-story, 1,438 sq.ft. single-family home with roof deck, at 211 Entrada Dr., Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County.
Application of Fonda-Bonardi & Hohman Architects to remodel and convert 675.5 sq.ft., single-story retail building with 794.7 sq. feet outdoor retail space into approx. 535 sq.ft. restaurant with 306 sq.ft. outdoor service area, at 2912 Main St., Santa Monica, Los Angeles County.
Application of Byron Minerd to add approx. 1,034 sq.ft. to 2-story, 27-ft. high single-family home by adding a third-story bedroom, expanding first-floor footprint, extending stairway to the third story, and enclosing atrium, resulting in 4,226 sq.ft., 3-story, 36.5-ft. high single-family home, at 128 Reef Mall, Venice, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County.
Application of Marlin Prager / 15000 Corona del Mar Trust to construct an in-ground pool with spa, stone paved deck, and patio trellis on caisson foundation at 15000 Corona del Mar, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County.
Consistency Determination by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project, including removal of Rindge Dam, excavation of 780,000 cu.yds. of sediment impounded behind the dam, nearshore placement of clean excavated sand, landfill placement of remaining sediments, and modification or removal of upstream aquatic habitat barriers in Malibu Creek watershed, Los Angeles County (scheduled for March 9).
The meeting will be held March 7 – 9 at 333 Ponoma St. Port Hueneme, CA. Most local items are scheduled for Thursday, March 8 with the Consistency Determination scheduled for March 9. To access the agenda and submit comments online, visit www.coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr.html.
