REGULAR MEETING OF THE November 9, 2022
CULVER CITY 7:00 p.m.
PLANNING COMMISSION
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Chair Barba called the regular meeting of the Culver City Planning Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and via Webex.
Present: Nancy Barba, Chair
Jennifer Carter, Commissioner
Stephen Jones, Commissioner
Andrew Reilman, Commissioner
Absent: Ed Ogosta, Vice Chair
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Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Barba led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda
Chair Barba invited public comment.
Ruth Martin del Campo, Administrative Clerk, indicated that no requests to speak had been received.
Commissioner Reilman conveyed best wishes to his father, Greg Reilman, on his 75th birthday noting that he had been brought up in Culver City.
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Planning Commission
November 9, 2022
Receipt of Correspondence
Ruth Martin del Campo, Administrative Clerk, reported that five emails had been received and distributed to
Commissioners and staff prior to the meeting for review.
Chair Barba confirmed that Commissioners had received the distributed correspondence.
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Consent Calendar
Item C-1
Approval of Draft Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of October 12, 2022
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER JONES AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER
REILMAN THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE THE DRAFT
PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF OCTOBER 12, 2022.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BARBA, CARTER, JONES, REILMAN
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: OGOSTA
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Order of the Agenda
No changes were made.
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Public Hearing Item
Item PH-1
PC - (1) Adoption of a Resolution Recommending to the City Council Certification of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Adoption of the Findings Required by CEQA and a
Mitigation Monitoring Program (MMP), and Adoption of
Statement of Overriding Considerations (P2021-0272-EIR); (2) Planning Commission
November 9, 2022
Adoption of a Resolution Recommending to the City Council Approval of Zoning Map Amendment (P2022-0144-ZCMA) and
Comprehensive Plan (P2022-0144-CP); and (3) Adoption of a Resolution Recommending to the City Council Approval of a Request for Extended Construction Hours for a Creative Office Development on a 4.46-acre site at 8833 National Blvd. and 8888 W. Venice Blvd. (Project)
Staff reported that Vice Chair Ogosta had a financial conflict of interest and had recused himself from the hearing.
Erika Ramirez, Current Planning Manager, introduced the item.
Jeff Anderson, Contract Project Manager, provided a summary of the Crossings Campus project; discussed residential areas surrounding the project site; collaboration between Los Angeles and Culver City on the project; the focus on the Culver City portion of the development; the request for extended hours; requested entitlements; parking; pedestrian entrances; vehicular ingress and egress; elevations;
horizontal articulation; projections; the project analysis; incorporation of TDM (Transportation Demand Management) support services; the Washington National Transit Oriented District (TOD) Streetscape; open space; landscaping; paved areas; the proposed Washington Parklet; loading areas; the request for extended construction hours; the Construction Management Plan; the Transportation Impact Study; and the exemption from Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT).
Mike Harden, ESA, provided an overview of the environmental analysis; discussed the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) analysis; collaboration with staff on the associated CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) documents; the final EIR; comments received; ensuring the implementation of
mitigation measures; the Mitigation Monitoring Program (MMP); and availability of information on the City website, City Hall and at various libraries.
Jeff Anderson, Contract Project Manager, discussed
unavoidable impacts; the Statement of Overriding
Consideration; improvements as part of the project; community outreach and meetings; public input; necessary findings for approval; next steps in the process; and revised Condition #23.
Discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding the revised Condition and impact fees for Culver City.
Planning Commission
November 9, 2022
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER REILMAN AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CARTER THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BARBA, CARTER, JONES, REILMAN
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: OGOSTA
Chair Barba invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the Commission:
Greg Ames, Trammell Crow Company, spoke representing the applicant; introduced project representatives; thanked staff for their assistance; discussed the Culver City side vs. the Los Angeles side; zoning; the request for approval of a Comprehensive Plan; efforts to have the two projects in two different jurisdictions operate like a single building; the existing site; planned improvements; ingress and egress; architecture; design; alignment of the National entrance with the public open space at Ivy Station; maintaining the
sightlines for Helms Bakery; the setback; increased width of the alleyway; queueing space; the addition of a signal at Venice; parking; transit proximity; tenanting; density of occupancy; advocacy by Apple; bike parking; the TDM plan; public transit subsidies; sustainability; streetscape; and the proposed Washington Parklet.
Katie Lohec Sondej, Apple, discussed the project; the Apple presence in the City; community; the importance of making a positive impact; sustainability; affordable housing
initiatives; employee giving; and engagement with community non-profits.
Adam Frankel was called to speak but did not respond.
Omar Galindo, UA Local 78 expressed support for the project; discussed benefits to the community; and use of responsible local contractors.
Karim Sahli asserted that the project went against the
commitment of the City to address traffic, climate change, and to reduce VMT; he discussed the purpose of the TOD; the amount of subterranean parking; proximity to the Metro
station; increased traffic related to the project; the
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November 9, 2022
elimination of parking minimums; disingenuous claims; the optimum number of parking spaces and employees for the
building; preserving bike lanes during and after
construction; raised bike lanes; and he asked that the
Planning Commission reject the project to support the vision of the City.
Pastor Zach, Creed LA, provided demographic statistics for the City and he wanted to see the project move forward as presented.
Brother Abraham (Abel Soto) quoted the Bible and expressed support for the project.
Ernesto Villa, Iron Workers Local 433, thanked Apple for bringing projects to the area; expressed support for the use of local skilled workers; discussed benefits of the project; and he expressed support for Apple products.
Sean Silva expressed support for the project as a complement to other Apple development in the area; discussed activation of space; creation of new public space; and he asked the Commission to support the project.
Shomari Davis, Local Electricians Union, expressed support for the project; discussed the design; renewables; and he asked the Commission to approve the project.
Gus Torres indicated that he was speaking on behalf of UC Local 255 in support of the project.
Rick Garcia, Smart Local 105, spoke in support of the project; discussed skilled construction; and prioritization of workers and the community.
Donny Sappington. Local 105, provided background on the organization; spoke in support of the project; discussed use of a local skilled and trained workforce; and he asked the Commission to support the project.
Ken Mand thanked project representatives for listening to community concerns; proposed adding a Condition of Approval to require the proposed signal; discussed commitment to use local hires; and he expressed support for the project.
Sam Ortiz discussed reduced traffic and pollution with the project and he asked that the Commission support the project.
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November 9, 2022
Daniela Martinez indicated that she lives across the street and expressed support for the project that would provide a huge improvement to the area.
Adam Frankel was called to speak but did not respond.
Wally Marks provided background on himself. Expressed support for the project; discussed neighborhood benefits; concern with potential harm to the Helms Bakery; traffic; circulation impacts; creating a hardship for the Helms Bakery;
sacrificing the Bakery for the development rights of others; he asked that the project not be approved to allow time to address project details; he expressed concern with the plan to place most vehicle circulation on Venice Boulevard; noted impacts to the Helms campus; discussed the need for a regular access point from Washington Boulevard; MOVE Culver City; negative traffic conditions on Venice Boulevard; size of the project; the need to distribute impacts; specific conditions not identified in the traffic study; the approved signal; he asked that the City Traffic Engineer provide an opinion; and he clarified that he supported the project, and his only concerns were related to traffic and circulation designs.
Jordan Sisson, CEQA Attorney, discussed concerns with
potential environmental impacts; comments submitted that were not addressed in the final EIR; turning an entire City block into Apple Headquarters; inconsistency with smart mixed use development urged by CARB (California Air Resources Board) and SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments); failure to incorporate solar panels; use of in lieu fees; unnecessary use and waste of energy resources; 100% renewable energy project claims; the fact that no housing is included; project over-parking; the ability of office and housing tenanting to coexist on the site; perpetuating existing development policy to promote office over housing; the
jobs/housing imbalance; the housing crisis; lack of onsite solar; he asserted that the City could reject developer driven thresholds and adopt environmentally superior stringent thresholds; and he asked the Commission to use their
discretion and reject the project approval.
Discussion ensued between project representatives, staff, and Commissioners regarding adding local renewable generation to provide resiliency on the grid; Apple as a regional-wide contributor on sustainable energy; design challenges; density of space on the roof; program requirements; the request for Planning Commission
November 9, 2022
leniency from Apple; production of renewable energy by Apple; challenges of integration into the project; in lieu fees; benefits to local distributed energy; support for having PV (photovoltaic) on the roof; offsetting energy produced by others; decreased efficiency with on-site solar; benefits to California beyond individual projects; current requirements for PV panels, including proof of infeasibility to justify in lieu fees; conceptual vs. construction plans; staff
evaluation during Plan Check; Director purview. A suggestion to make a recommendation to the City Council to assess what is preventing the site from compliance; use of the space per square foot metric; employee density per creative office space; the proposed shuttle between Apple buildings in the area; current use of Culver City bus stops; ingress and egress; separation of uses between the two entrances; traffic patterns; parking; remote workers; employees not driving into the office; trip generation; the Washington Parklet; peak days; determining all demand on full occupancy; emergency access; the alley; the security fence at the back of the Parklet; the Site Plan; natural fencing for the Parklet; making a recommendation to the City Council to ask for more detailed plans for the Parklet; the opportunity to maximize community usage; lighting; creating an inviting space;
usability considerations; bicycle parking; the commitment of the applicant to work with staff to refine the design to meet flexible use requirements of the community; outdoor seating in the public space near pedestrian activity; providing gap funding to make affordable housing projects possible; and ensuring that Apple is a cohesive part of the community.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER JONES AND SECONDED BY CHAIR BARBA THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BARBA, CARTER, JONES, REILMAN
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: OGOSTA
Discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding appreciation for the architecture; value provided; fees and commitments outside of the project itself; mobility
components included in the project; the shuttle; the solar panels; parking; length of time until parking minimums do not apply; concern with inducing VMT; employees that will not have onsite parking; commercial development around the City and amount of parking provided; businesses that lease
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parking; concern with the lack of shading; the ability to bypass the CEQA analysis; proximity to the train station; code compliance; support for having the Parklet come back to the City Council; appreciation for the extra room provided in the parkway and perimeter; the current work schedule for Apple; data regarding return to work; policy issues; parking requirements in Los Angeles vs. those required in Culver City; alignment with each jurisdiction’s requirements; terms of the Comprehensive Plan; City Council purview; elimination of parking minimums; and Commission consensus to add alternative access with the approved signal at Venice Boulevard and the recommendation that the Parklet design be reviewed by the City Landscape Architect prior to finalization.
MOVED BY COMMISSIONER REILMAN AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER JONES THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION:
1. RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL CERTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT
EIR, ADOPTION OF FINDINGS REQUIRED BY CEQA, ADOPTION OF THE
MITIGATION MONITORING PROGRAM (MMP) AND ADOPTION OF STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS (P2021-0272-EIR), RESOLUTION NO. 2022-P019; AND,
2. RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF ZONING MAP AMENDMENT (P2022-0144-ZMA) FROM IG and -EW TO PD-17 (PLANNED DEVELOPMENT NO. 17), AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (P2022-0144-CP)
SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL AS STATED IN RESOLUTION NO. 2022-P020 WITH A SUGGESTION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADD THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS TO THE PROJECT APPROVAL:
1) A 3-WAY TRAFFIC SIGNAL SHALL BE INSTALLED AT THE
INTERSECTION OF VENICE BOULEVARD AND IVY STREET AT THE
PROJECT’S EASTERN DRIVEWAY ACCESS IN THE CITY OF LOS
ANGELES PURSUANT TO THE APPROVED TRAFFIC SIGNAL WARRANT ANALYSIS BY LADOT. THE APPLICANT SHALL PROVIDE THE
TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS TO THE MOBILITY AND
TRAFFIC ENGINEERING MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF CULVER CITY
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR REVIEW PRIOR TO PERMIT
ISSUANCE BY THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES BUREAU OF
ENGINEERING, AND
2) THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHALL BE REVISED TO ADD THE
FOLLOWING TO PAGE 18 AT THE END OF THE SECTION TITLED
“VEHICLE PARKING CULVER CITY”. “A REQUEST TO REDUCE THE
AMOUNT OF PARKING FROM THE REQUIRED PARKING SPECIFIED IN
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY BE PROCESSED AND APPROVED BY
THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR OR
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November 9, 2022
DESIGNEE THROUGH A MINOR MODIFICATION REQUEST TO THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONSIDERING ZONING CODE PARKING
STANDARDS IN PLACE AT THE TIME.” PRIOR TO BUILDING PERMIT
ISSUANCE, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHALL BE REVISED TO ADD THIS PROVISION TO PAGE 18 AT THE END OF THE SECTION
TITLED “VEHICLE PARKING CULVER CITY, AND
3)THE DESIGN OF THE WASHINGTON PARKLET SHALL INCLUDE
MORE USABLE PUBLIC SPACE SUBJECT TO THE REVIEW AND
APPROVAL BY THE CITY’S LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND CURRENT
PLANNING DIVISION PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF BUILDING PERMITS.
3. RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF AN EXTENDED
CONSTRUCTION HOURS REQUEST, SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL AS STATED IN RESOLUTION NO. 2022-P021.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: BARBA, CARTER, JONES, REILMAN
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: OGOSTA
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Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda (Continued)
Chair Barba invited public comment.
Ruth Martin del Campo, Administrative Clerk, reported that no additional requests to speak had been received.
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Items from Planning Commissioners/Staff
Discussion ensued between staff and Commissioners regarding the start time for the December meeting; bylaws; holding a special meeting; and tentative items planned for the December agenda.
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Planning Commission
November 9, 2022
Adjournment
There being no further business, at 9:36 p.m., the Culver City Planning Commission adjourned to a regular meeting to be held on December 14, 2022.
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_____________________________________________________________
RUTH MARTIN DEL CAMPO
SECRETARY of the CULVER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
APPROVED ____________________
_____________________________________________________________
NANCY BARBA
CHAIR of the CULVER CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
Culver City, California
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that, on the date below written, these minutes were filed in the Office of the City Clerk, Culver City, California and constitute the Official Minutes of said meeting.
________________________ _________________________
Jeremy Bocchino Date
CITY CLERK