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AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: May 6, 2025
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Daren Grilley, Assistant Director of Public Works/City Engineer Subject: RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE MASTER PLAN OF STREETS,
ALLEYS AND HIGHWAYS
Attachments: 1. Resolution
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution entitled “RESOLUTION OF THE
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE MASTER PLAN OF STREETS, ALLEYS AND HIGHWAYS.”
INTRODUCTION
Since the adoption of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, the T-zone has been designated for railroad uses. More recently, since the termination of heavy railroad uses in the T-zone, the allowed uses have been expanded to include conditionally permitted surface parking and staging for construction and filming purposes. None of these allowed uses have created a demand for pedestrian amenities along Santa Monica Boulevard. However, beginning on January 1, 2025, the State legislature has allowed residential uses to be built along “commercial corridors” as a matter of right under certain conditions. Given the possibility of residential development in the T-zone, staff is recommending that the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways be amended to provide for parkway and sidewalks between Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway, and any residential development in the T-zone.
DISCUSSION
For many years, the T-zone was used for heavy railroad purposes. Since the termination of heavy railroad use in the 1980’s, the T-zone has remained relatively undeveloped except for the several two-story parking structures constructed by the City of Beverly Hills.
Permitted uses in the T-zone include surface parking and construction and film production staging.
BEVERLY
HILLS
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Meeting Date: May 6, 2025
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However, in January 2025, new legislation took effect which permitted residential developments on T-zone property. Thus, for the first time, development has been permitted, which creates a need for sidewalks and parkway on the southeasterly side of Santa Monica North Roadway adjacent to potential residential development in the T-zone.
The proposed amendments to the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways will create a 15-foot strip on the southeasterly side of Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway, to be used for constructing a parkway and sidewalks. Additionally, on the northwesterly side of Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway, which is occupied primarily by park space, the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways will be amended to narrow the right-of-way by 5 feet in order to preserve such park space and prevent park space from being converted to street uses.
Master Plan of Streets
The Master Plan of Streets, Alleys, and Highways is a planning document that provides for the ultimate width of public right-of-way in the City. Prior to development, enlargement or reconstruction of a building, a property owner must check the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways to determine whether additional right-of-way needs to be dedicated to the City. If the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways calls for additional right-of-way adjacent to that property, then the property owner must either dedicate or offer to dedicate that property for street or alley purposes. Ultimately, the City Council must decide whether to accept or reject that dedication or offer to dedicate property for street and alley purposes. Once that dedication has occurred, the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways is no longer relevant to that property.
General Plan Consistency
The amendments to the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways implement several General Plan goals and policies. With regard to providing sidewalk improvements for the T-zone, Circulation Element Goal 7 provides for “[a] safe and comfortable pedestrian environment that results in walking as a desirable travel choice, particularly for short trips, within the City.” Circulation Element Policy 7.1 provides that the City should “design and maintain sidewalks…to emphasize pedestrian safety and comfort….” Additionally, policy
7.5 provides that the City should “develop a cohesive pedestrian network of public sidewalks…that makes walking a convenient and safe way to travel.” Finally, policy 7.6 directs the City to “provide a continuous network that connects buildings to each other, the street, and transit facilities.”
Similarly, with regard to narrowing the Master Plan on the northwesterly side of Santa Monica Boulevard, the Master Plan was apparently historically established in part of the State’s layout of Route 66. The State relinquished Route 66 to the City of Beverly Hills several years ago. However, the City never adjusted the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways. Since the northwesterly side of Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway consists primarily of City parks with a smattering of other development that has already dedicated appropriate right-of-way pursuant to the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys, and Highways, it seems appropriate to reduce the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys, and Highways by five (5) feet in order to preserve the City’s precious park space. This distinction will further two General Plan Goals and a Policy. Open Space Goal 8 provides for the Meeting Date: May 6, 2025
B0785-0001\3106182v1.doc
“provision of adequate park and recreation facilities that meet the recreational needs of the residents of the community.” And Open Space Policy 8.7 directs the City to “protect park land from non-recreational uses that results in the loss of acreage used for recreational purposes….” By narrowing the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways, the City has preserved an extra strip of park land and prevented it from someday being used for nonrecreational purposes. Similarly, Open Space Goal 9 provides that it is a goal of the City to maintain and preserve existing parks and recreation facilities.
CEQA
This amendment of the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys, and Highways falls within the Class 5 categorical exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) for minor alterations in land use limitations. Furthermore, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that approval of these amendments will have a significant effect on the environment and therefore these amendments are also exempt from environmental review pursuant to the requirements in Section 15061(b)(3) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
FISCAL IMPACT
The amendments to the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys, and Highways will not have any fiscal impact on the City.
Shana Epstein,
Director of Public Works
Approved By
Attachment 1
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B0785-0001\3105527v1.doc
RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-_____
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE MASTER PLAN OF STREETS,
ALLEYS AND HIGHWAYS
The City Council of the City of Beverly Hills hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1. As a result of recently passed State legislation, residential development is currently permitted in the T-Zone properties along Santa Monica Boulevard. Previously, development in the T-Zone was limited to railroad uses, surface parking uses, and construction and film staging uses. None of these previously permitted and conditionally permitted uses created the need for pedestrian access along Santa Monica Boulevard.
Section 2. In light of the possibility of residential development in the T-Zone, there is now a need for pedestrian access along Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway, on the southeasterly side of the street adjacent to potential T-Zone development. There is currently approximately twenty (20) feet of right of way for pedestrian access on the northwesterly side on Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway.
Section 3. The Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways is hereby amended to widen Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway, on the southeasterly side by fifteen (15) feet along the T-Zone to provide pedestrian access and parkway for residential development in the T-Zone.
Section 4. This amendment set forth above in Section 3 to the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways is consistent with the General Plan. Specifically, the Circulation Element Goal 7, which provides for “[A] safe and comfortable pedestrian environment that results in walking as a desirable travel choice, particularly for short trips, within the City.” It Docusign Envelope ID: 75777B72-2F50-4AB2-804E-32B9A8B54321 -2-
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further implements policies 7.1, 7.5 and 7.6 which provide for designing and maintaining sidewalks to emphasize pedestrian safety and comfort, developing a cohesive network of sidewalks that make walking a convenient and safe to travel and providing a continuous pedestrian network that connects buildings to each other to the street and to transit facilities.
Section 5. Additionally, the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways is hereby amended to narrow Santa Monica Boulevard, North Roadway, on the northwesterly side by five (5) feet to further preserve park uses.
Section 6. The amendment set forth above in Section 5 to the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys and Highways is consistent with the General Plan. Specifically, Open Space Goal 8 that provides for the provision and maintenance of adequate park and recreation facilities to meet the needs of residents of the community and Policy 8.7 that provides for protection of park land from non-recreational uses that results in loss of an acreage used for recreational purposes. This amendment will preserve park space and prevent it from being converting to right-of-way purposes.
Also, Open Space Goal 9 which provides for the preservation of existing parks and recreation facilities.
Section 7. The City Council finds that these amendments to the Master Plan of Streets, Alleys, and Highways fall within the Class 5 categorical exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) for minor alterations in land use limitations and therefore are exempt from environmental review. Furthermore, the City Council finds that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that approval of these amendments will have a significant effect on the environment and thus these amendments are also exempt from Docusign Envelope ID: 75777B72-2F50-4AB2-804E-32B9A8B54321 -3-
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environmental review pursuant to the requirements of CEQA set forth in Section 15061(b)(3) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
Section 8. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause this resolution and her certification to be entered in the Book of Resolutions of the Council of this City.
Adopted:
SHARONA R. NAZARIAN, PSYD
Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills, California
ATTEST:
(SEAL)
HUMA AHMED
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED AS CONTENT:
LAURENCE S. WIENER NANCY HUNT-COFFEY
City Attorney City Manager
SHANA E. EPSTEIN
Director of Public Works
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