1685 Main Street, Mail Stop 15, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8721 • sm.engineering @santamonica.gov santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity Public Works Department
Engineering and Street Services Division
December 16, 2024
Dear Residents,
The City of Santa Monica is committed to maintaining safe and functional streetscapes, and we are pleased to announce an upcoming roadway construction project along California Avenue from Ocean Avenue to 7th Street, totaling six City blocks long. This project will focus on addressing roadway paving issues caused by root intrusion from median trees, improving drainage, and supporting tree health, ensuring California Avenue remains a safe and accessible street for everyone while maintaining streetscape aesthetics. In addition to the work on California Avenue, the City will improve existing drainage in the area by installing drainage improvements along 4th St and 5th Streets between Idaho Ave and California Ave and on California Ave between 5th St and 4th St, as shown in Exhibit 1.
The need for the California Avenue improvements arises from concerns over root growth from mature median trees, specifically the eucalyptus trees, which have caused asphalt buckling and created potential hazards for bicyclists, pedestrians and vehicles. In addition, ongoing drainage issues at the 4th and 5th Street intersections have led to frequent flooding during rain events. This project will significantly improve roadway safety and reduce flooding risks while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of the streetscape.
The City has hired a consultant team consisting of an engineering firm and certified arborist to develop final design and improvement plans along California Avenue to address these infrastructure issues, especially the tree issues. In 2024, the project team met with the City’s Urban Forest Task Force on two separate occasions to obtain input for the future of the trees in the median. Based on the feedback and approval from the City’s Urban Forest Task Force members, the project will involve removing nineteen (19) of the forty(40) existing eucalyptus trees during the project, replacing them with three(3) different tree species better suited to the median's geometrics. The remaining trees will be reduced in size through pruning but preserved until the new trees have time to establish. The long term plan is to replace all forty (40) existing median trees on California Avenue between 2nd and 7th Streets. Replacement trees will provide a variety of species that align with the updated Urban Forest Master Plan including: fifteen (15) Brisbane Box trees, sixteen (16) Arbutus Marina, and fourteen (14) Chinese flame trees. Overall, this streetscape project will enhance the urban forest through increasing species diversity and improve safety for roadway users by using species more suited to growing these medians.
1685 Main Street, Mail Stop 15, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8721 • sm.engineering @santamonica.gov santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity The California Avenue project starting with the removal of nineteen (19) median eucalyptus trees along with the construction of a new storm drain system to address existing drainage issues along 4th and 5th Streets, is tentatively scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2025. The project is anticipated to be completed around the Summer of 2026. We are committed to keeping the community informed and engaged throughout the project and will provide additional details as the start date approaches.
Regular updates will be available on the City’s website, along with comprehensive background information and project milestones. Updates will be shared through the City’s website, providing detailed project milestones and background information, as well as through coverage in the Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP).
For additional information about the California Avenue Roadway Project, visit the project webpage at https://www.santamonica.gov/california-ave-street-reconstruction. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to enhance the safety and functionality of California Avenue for all community members. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach out to our Public Works Department at [email protected] . for
Alex Nazarchuk, P.E. City Engineer
1685 Main Street, Mail Stop 15, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8721 • sm.engineering @santamonica.gov santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity EXHIBIT 1
CALIFORNIA AVENUE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
California Ave - Ocean Ave to 7th St
DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
4th & 5th St Between Idaho Ave and California Ave (Site 5) 1685 Main Street, Mail Stop 15, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8721 • sm.engineering @santamonica.gov santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity 1339 & 1343 26th St (Site 4)
1551 10th St (Site 1)