On Thursday morning the Coastal commission will hear a plan to demolish a Downtown parking structure and a renovation permit for the Santa Monica Beach Club.
During this meeting, which will be live-streamed on Cal-Span, the Commission will also discuss sand berms at the Bel Air Bay Club and an amendment to the City of Malibu’s regulations on pesticide use.
Parking Structure 3 demolition
The City of Santa Monica seeks to demolish Downtown Parking Structure 3, a six-story public parking garage containing 337 spaces, and build a new affordable housing structure.
The Coastal Commission staff recommends approving the demolition of PS3, which is located at 1320 4th St in close proximity to the Promenade. Plans to redevelop the site for a new housing project will need to be submitted to and approved by the Commission at a later date.
The staff’s approval is based on a study prepared by Walker Consultants, which determined that demand from PS3 would not overflow into the greater area closer to the coast. The study concluded that Parking Structures 1, 2 and 4, provided sufficient alternative parking options within a reasonable distance of the project site.
Commission staff also highlighted the plethora of public transit options in the area including the Expo Line, bus services, and bike-share options.
Not all residents agree with this conclusion and believe that the structure provides a highly utilized parking resource that should be preserved for businesses and visitors. John Alle, a landlord who owns several Promenade properties, began a petition to save PS3 that has gained over 1,300 signatures.
Santa Monica Beach Club renovation
The Santa Monica Beach Club seeks a significant overhaul of its existing facilities that includes a retrofitting of the entire building and the renovation of its kitchen, bar, and seating areas.
Currently, the club has many structures that were developed without permit approval. As part of the renovation plan, the club will remove several of these features and seek after-the-fact approval to retain others.
The Club seeks to keep its playground, patio, privacy fence, parking lot and bocce ball structures. Unpermitted developments to be removed include the sand volleyball court with its surrounding fencing, two outdoor tents, a beach hut, and a storage shed and private property signs within 40 feet of the bike path.
The Commission’s ecological staff determined that these removals will provide an opportunity for the environmentally sensitive sand dune area to expand naturally inland.
The redevelopment will also create two view corridors that improve visual access to the beach from the PCH. The commission staff recommends approving the plan with minor adjustments.
Malibu pesticide policy
The City of Malibu generally prohibits the use of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides within or near to environmentally sensitive habitat areas. The City is proposing expanding this policy to apply citywide and narrowing the circumstances under which there are exceptions to these restrictions. Commission staff members have a proposed modification that places even further limitations on these chemicals’ use.
Bel-Air Bay Club sand berms
The Bel-Air Bay Club is seeking follow-up approval for sand berms installed under emergency coastal development permits between December 2018 and December 2020. These 430 ft long berms were installed to protect the club’s facilities from wave uprush and extreme high tide events.
This item also includes a security guard training program and payment of funds to the Boys and Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley’s Fast and Fun sailing program.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 13 with an hour of public comment on any of the agenda items. It will be live-streamed at tinyurl.com/CoastalCommissionMay13
Clara@smdp.com
