City Council
DECEMBER 19, 2023
the Future of SMO Airport
Proposed Process
http://www.santamonica.gov/future-of-santa-monica-airport-project Team Roles
AGENDA:
• Review the Recommended
Actions from Staff
• Review the RFQ/P process
• Discuss the recommended
consultant team
• Discuss the proposed process
and timeline
• Discuss staffing and funding
PURPOSE OF TONIGHT’S MEETING
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS Team Roles
“The Framework” – Models PROJECT GOALS
HIERARCHY OF GOALS TO PROVIDE
ACCOUNTABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY
AND INCLUSIVITY
21st Century Government
Living Community Challenge
Great Park Goals
“The Framework” – Models PROJECT GOALS
Council Priorities for
ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE COMMUNITY FY 2023-2025
Addressing Homelessness
Clean and Safe Santa Monica
Cultivate Economic Recovery and
Expand Community & Cultural Offerings
Racial Justice, Equity, & Social Diversity
Sustainable & Connected Community
Great Park Goals
“The Framework” – Models PROJECT GOALS
INCLUSIVE AND SELF-SUSTAINING
COMMUNITY SPACE
“The Framework” – Models PROJECT GOALS
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE SUSTAINABILITY
FOR MULTIPLE GENERATIONS Living Community Challenge
MEASURE LOCAL CONTROL (LC) Team Roles
2014 - MEASURE LC LIMITS LAND
USE AT SANTA MONICA AIRPORT
Provides exemptions for:
Parks and public open spaces
Recreational facilities
Maintenance/replacement of
existing cultural, arts, and education
uses
“Shall the City Charter be amended
to:
(1) Prohibit new development on
Airport land, except for parks,
public open spaces and public
recreational facilities, until the
voters approve limits on the uses
and development that may occur
on the land; and
(2) Affirm the City Council’s authority
to manage the Airport and to close
all or part of it”
60% yes, 40% no
https://www.santamonica.gov/media/Document
%20Library/Project/Future%20of%20Santa%20Mo
nica%20Airport%20Project/Measure%20LC.pdf
Team Roles
TIMELINE OVERVIEW
1. January 2023 = Council authorization
2. February 2023 = RFQ released
3. March 2023 = RFQ closed (27 teams
responded, eight short-listed)
4. May 2023 = RFP released to short-list
5. June 2023 = RFP closed, five teams invited
to interviews in July
6. August 2023 = Notice of recommendation,
subject to Council review and approval
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO DATE
City of Santa Monica
Airport Conversion
December 19, 2023
Prehistory (9,000-2,500 BPE):
area occupied by the Yaavitam- the first
people in the region
1542:
Juan R Cabrillo, spanish
Conquistador dropped anchor
1875:
Jones and R. Baker subdivide
land to form town of
Santa Monica
1920’s:
Business is BOOMING on
tourism and Santa Monica’s
population more than
doubles!
1922:
Douglas Aircraft Co. opens at
Clover Field (SMO)
1924:
First round the world flights
in a Douglas aircraft! Santa
Monica is on the map!
1950’s:
Route 66 BOOM
TODAY
A Long History…
1984:
The closure of SMO
conversation begins!
1781:
Spanish Settlers arrived and
built Mission San Gabriel
forcing the Tongva out
● Ecosystem Restoration
on a Mega Scale
● Creating a Beacon of
Sustainability
● Reuse, Repurpose &
Revitalize
● Balancing Community
Needs
● Design with
Implementation in Mind
● Quick Wins Change Hearts
& Minds
Once in a
Generation
Opportunity.
“Contribution is
the Only Value”
-Hideo Sasaki
Sasaki has a deep bench, across multiple
disciplines with over 350 professionals
Projects
Sasaki
Los Angeles
Offices
Denver
Boston
New York
Together, we hail from 30 countries,
speak 45 languages, and are over
50% female.
Shanghai
We Plan and
Build Civic
Spaces
Greenwood Community Park RiNO Streetscape Design Losner Park Bonnet Springs Park Gene Reid Park Moore Square
Chicago Riverwalk Smale Riverfront Park University Lakes Park
WE THINK IN
TERMS OF
IMPLEMENTATION
THROUGH ALL
STAGES OF THE
DESIGN
$9.8M
in State Grant Funding
Main Street Landing, Davenport
$37M
in Philanthropic Gifts
Town Branch Park, Lexington
$5.7M
in Federal CDGB Funding
Greenwood Park, Baton Rouge
Over $7M
Stormwater Infrastructure, New York
$8M Annual Operations &
Maintenance Costs
$3M Estimated Annual
Revenue
Friends of
Bonnet
Springs
Park
Cost
$120 Million
Size
186 Acres
Status
2014-2022 (now open!)
Sasaki Scope
Master Plan-CA
Sasaki Services
Landscape Architecture
Civil Engineering
Architecture
Interior Design
Environmental Graphics
Every team
is crafted
Airport conversion Projects
1. Xuhui Runway Park (Shanghai Longhua Airport)- 36.15
acres
2. Calverton Air Facility Reuse Plan- 2,923 acres
3. Minsk Forest City: A Regeneration of the Minsk-1 Airport- 791 acres
4. Plattsburgh Air Force Base Reuse Plan- 3,447 acres
5. The Ellinikon Park (Athens International Airport)- 650 acres
6. Lowry Air Force Base Redevelopment- 1,866 acres
7. Confidential Small Regional Airport Conversion Master Plan- 1,200 acres
8. DEN Real Estate Strategic Development Plan- 16,000 acres
9. Tompkins County Airport- 531 acres
10. Reno/Tahoe International Airport- 1,450 acres
11. Nantucket Airport Park
12. Panama City Airport Redevelopment- 700 acres
Greenwood Community Park
Gene Reid Park
Bonnet Springs Park
University Lakes Park
The Ellinikon Park
Research in partnership with National
Recreation and Parks Association
Olin Park
The Huntington Gardens
Bonnet Springs Park
Sasaki Team
Specialists
Shuai Hao
PLA, ASLA
Senior Landscape Architect
Andrew Sell
PLA, ASLA
Ecologist
Chris Frieda
PLA, ASLA
Senior Planner
Einat Rosenkrantz
PLA, ASLA
Senior Urban Designer
Tanvi Sharma
AIA
Planner
Steve Engler
PE, LEED AP
Civil Engineer
Anna Cawrse
PLA, ASLA
Principal-in-Charge
Joshua Brooks
AICP, PLA, ASLA
Planning Principal
Benjamin Boisclair
PLA, ASLA
Project Manager
Chris Hardy
PLA, LEED AP+ND, CA
Sustainability
Ruth Siegel
PLA, ASLA
Senior Landscape Architect
Team
Organization City of
Santa Monica
Sasaki
Planning, Urban Design,
Landscape Architecture, Ecology,
Cost Estimating
The Robert Group
Supplemental Community &
Stakeholder Engagement
HR&A
Market & Economic
Analysis
ESA
Historic & Cultural
Resources
Group Delta
Soil Remediation
CARS
Cultural Planning
Atelier 10
Sustainability
Arup
Transportation,
Infrastructure & Utilities
Engagement is not a Phase
No “Best Practices”
Every Community is Different!
Foundations of Engagement Approach
Flexible tools with a shared intention of meaningful, responsive engagement Build Community
Ownership
Connect People to Grow
Empathy Between
Neighbors
Honor Lived
Experience
Adapt to Reach Missing
Perspectives
?
?
New
Event
“It can be as beautiful
as you want, but if our
children don’t see
people that look like
them and feel
comfortable, it isn’t
valuable to us.”
- Roxbury mother
Tools Follow Purpose:
Making it Accessible and Flexible
Pop-Ups and Non-traditional Outreach
Engagement is Tied to the
Design
37 What kinds of activities would you like to participate in along the riverfront?
FEEDBACK FROM BOARDS
Additional suggestions received: ● Boat racing ● Hydroplane racing ● Ferry service or boat taxi ● Repurposing parts of the Wabash-Erie Canal for recreation ● Shade for pedestrians and bicyclists ● Public safety ● Shopping district ● Affordable living ● Less concrete ● Gardening on abandoned lots ● Labyrinths ● Dance for everyone ● Connection with local neighborhoods ● Multi-use, multi-generation trail ● New boat docks in Newburgh and Evansville ● Music amphitheater with space for food trucks ● Riding wheelchairs ● Internet in a shaded structure where people can go to recharge Activities receiving the
most votes:
1. Waterfront cafe
2. Art/Music Festival
3. Water Sports
4. Community
Gathering Space
5. Biking
Transparency and Clarity
Clear graphic communication to demystify information
Embedding Feedback into Decision Making
Developing Guiding Principles
FINDING PATTERNS IN THE FEEDBACK... ...TO IDENTIFY GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE PLAN Don’t pick an option, choose ideas
Different approaches to creating a Great Park
Urban Wilderness
56%
Urban Wilderness
57%
41 Concept Comparison
Source: Mentimeter & Typeform Survey results
Big Idea
Ripple Park
52%
Urban Wilderness
48%
Connectivity
Plaza programs
Waterfront attractions
Water’s edge
Ripple Park
44%
Ripple Park
52%
Urban Wilderness
48%
Ripple Park
33%
Both concepts
48%
Urban Wilderness
19%
Ripple Park
43%
12 Ripple Park
Urban Wilderness
Which concept best addresses your biggest
concerns about and highest priorities for the
Downtown Evansville riverfront?
Which concept does a better job of connecting the
downtown with the riverfront?
Which concept does a better job of providing a
variety of spaces for events and activities on Dress
Plaza?
Which concept does a better job of creating
amenities, resources, and attractions that will retain
and attract more people to Downtown Evansville?
Which concept does a better job of creating a
variety of hard (built) and soft (natural) edge
conditions along the riverfront?
Post- Meeting #6.5
1 Million
Sunflowers at
Lakeview Village
DAY 1
PROCESS DIAGRAM Team Roles
2 1 m o n t h s
OUTREACH BEFORE EACH MILESTONE Team Roles
PROCESS DIAGRAM – Phase 1 Team Roles
What is
Missing
Today?
PROCESS DIAGRAM – Phase 2 Team Roles
What is Your
Vision?
PROCESS DIAGRAM – Phase 2 Team Roles
The first two
phases are to
listen, learn,
and analyze
before pen is
put to paper.
PROCESS DIAGRAM – Phase 3 Team Roles
What do You
Prefer?
PROCESS DIAGRAM – Phase 3 Team Roles
Any
Additional
Thoughts?
PROCESS DIAGRAM – Phase 4 Team Roles
PROCESS DIAGRAM – Phase 5 Team Roles
2 1 m o n t h s
55 ANTICIPATED PROCESS TIMELINE
Early Visioning
completed but conditions
have changed
Scenario Planning
(Airport)
Specific Plan
(Airport + Biz Park)
Implementation
UNDERSTANDING
TRADEOFFS
Scenario Planning
Economic Feasibility
Remediation
Engagement
GUIDED
DEVELOPMENT
Zoning
Master Planning
Governance
Financing
Environmental
We are here We will be here
FUNDING AND STAFFING Team Roles
Staff is recommending the addition of
(1) limited-term of 5 years position
a Principal Design and Planning Manager within
the Architecture Services Division of Public Works
Staff is recommending using Park and
Recreation Development Impact Fund
To fund the Sasaki contract and the staffing
augmentation recommendations
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS Team Roles
A Public Process to
Determine the Future of the
Santa Monica Airport
T H A N K Y O U !
Questions?
EXTENTS OF MEASURE LC Team Roles
Aviation Land
~187 acres
Non-Aviation Land
~40 acres