1 Planning Commission Meeting: June 18, 2025 Santa Monica, California RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 - 012 (PCS)
(Planning Commission Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT
THE CITY COUNCIL AMEND THE CIVIC CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN
(CCSP) FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO DEVELOPMENT
AGREEMENT FOR RAND CORPORATION AT 1776 MAIN STREET
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65450 et seq. permits each city to adopt a specific plan for the systematic implementation of the general plan for individual areas covered by the general plan; and
WHEREAS, RAND Corporation (“RAND”) and the City of Santa Monica “City”) entered into that certain Development Agreement dated November 23, 2000 and recorded in the Official Records of the County of Los Angeles on February 1, 2001 as Instrument No. 01-0176770 and that certain Amendment No. 1 to Development Agreement dated August 14, 2012 and recorded in the Official Records of the County of Los Angeles on February 6, 2013 as Instrument No. 20130191602; and WHEREAS, RAND’s original Development Agreement provided vested rights and permitted uses for the construction of RAND’s headquarters building at 1776 Main Street in Santa Monica, CA ; and
WHEREAS, the RAND headquarters building is a component of the Village Special Use District in the Civic Center Specific Plan ("CCSP"), adopted on June 28, 2005; and
Docusign Envelope ID: 1F3EB626-B68B-4911-800B-5CF903CF2E20 2 WHEREAS, the CCSP has subsequently been amended to be consistent with the Land Use and Circulation Elements (the “LUCE”) of the City’s 2010 General Plan and 2015 Zoning Map and 2017 Downtown Community Plan; and WHEREAS, The Civic Center Specific Plan (p. 61) calls for The Village Special Use District to aid in "transforming the Civic Center from a single-purpose district into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood”; and
WHEREAS, The Civic Center Specific Plan includes individualized policies for each property/development site within The Village Special Use District; and WHEREAS, The relevant policy (VD-29) for RAND cross-references the Development Agreement rather than providing separate use policies; and WHEREAS, On August 1, 2023, an application to amend the First Amended Development Agreement (23ENT-0137, the “Second Amendment” Application) pursuant to the Development Agreement Statutes and an amendment to the CCSP (23ENT-0142, the “CCSP Amendment” Application), were submitted by RAND Corporation; and
WHEREAS, the primary purposes of the Second Amendment are to (a) broaden the permitted uses allowed within the Project and remove barriers to leasing and/or transfer of the Project Site consistent with City goals and policies to create a vibrant mixed-use environment in the Civic Center district, (b) provide the City with additional project and community benefits, (c) establish that future improvements, changes, and/or modifications to the Project shall be, with limited exceptions, governed by the SMMC in effect at the time the improvements, changes and/or modifications are proposed, and (d) extend the term of the Agreement; and WHEREAS, given the specific references to RAND within the Civic Center Docusign Envelope ID: 1F3EB626-B68B-4911-800B-5CF903CF2E20 3 Specific Plan and to ensure consistency between the Civic Center Specific Plan and the Second Amendment to Development Agreement, the CCSP Amendment is proposed for the purposes of inserting certain language on page 84 of the Civic Center Specific Plan (Attachment “A”).
NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The above recitals are true and correct, and incorporated herein by this reference.
SECTION 2. The Planning Commission has reviewed and considered the Proposed CCSP Amendment, and respectfully submits its recommendation to the City Council to consider the Proposed CCSP Amendment.
SECTION 4. The Director of the Community Development Department shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
DOUGLAS SLOAN
City Attorney
Adopted this 18th day of June, 2025.
Chair, Planning Commission
Docusign Envelope ID: 1F3EB626-B68B-4911-800B-5CF903CF2E20 4 I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution of Intention was duly and regularly introduced and approved at a meeting of the Planning Commission on the 18th day of June, 2025 by the following vote:
Ayes: Commissioners Chacko, Fresco, Lambert, Landres, Vice Chair Hamilton, Chair Tolkin Noes:
Abstain:
Absent: Commissioner Ries
Attest:
Jing Yeo
Acting Community Development Department
Director
Docusign Envelope ID: 1F3EB626-B68B-4911-800B-5CF903CF2E20 1 EXHIBIT A
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CCSP
Insert on page 84 of the Civic Center Specific Plan:
“In 2025, after years of significantly reduced occupancy in the RAND Headquarters and consistent with LUCE Policy D15.1 to create a diverse mix of uses in the Civic Center area and this Specific Plan's vision for the Village Special Use District to be a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood, the RAND Development Agreement was amended to allow use of the property by a broader range of commercial office, research and development, pedestrianoriented retail/restaurant and other uses. For the purposes of clarity, references to the ‘RAND Headquarters’ site/building throughout the Specific Plan refer to the 1776 Main Street site/building.”
Docusign Envelope ID: 1F3EB626-B68B-4911-800B-5CF903CF2E20