City Council
2644 30th St LUCE & Zoning Map Amendment
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Purpose
• Consider amendments to the Santa Monica General Plan Land Use Map and Official Districting Map for a portion of parcel located at 2644 30th Street Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Background
• City Council – 5/13/25
• Voted to table the item with direction to staff to explore possible options regarding flexibility for legal nonconforming uses instead of LUCE & Zoning map amendment • Public comment raised concerns regarding spot zoning • Since that time, the property owner has renewed requests for reconsideration of the item, and has provided additional information regarding leasing status of the building • As part of staff’s consideration of this matter, we have also worked to identify ways in which the City can address resident concerns related to potential redevelopment activities for the property Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Legal Non-Conforming Uses • What does it mean to be legal non-conforming? • Means that a use was legally established in compliance with zoning that previously existing before change to current zoning
• What is allowed with a legal non-conforming use?
• Use is allowed to remain but not expand
• If a tenant leaves, subsequent uses must be similar to the prior legal non-conforming use and must resume within 1 year, or a use must then conform with current zoning • Legal non-conforming rules apply citywide
• Amendments to that section would have broad applicability with potential for unintended consequences including allowing legal non-conforming uses to expand and persist indefinitely Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
2644 30th Street – Zoning History
• Building was constructed in approximately 1956
• Unclear if all surface parking lot spaces are required • Since 1961, parcel was designated as C2 (matches current NC zoning) • An inadvertent change to the property occurred via the LUCE Single Family designation in 2010 and R1 zoning in 2015
• No evidence in legislative record that the map change was discussed publicly or made deliberately
• 2015 ZO update – effort to correct unintentional mapping errors where commercial uses were changed to residential zoning
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
2644 30th Street – Zoning History
1984 LUCE 1988 Zoning 2010 LUCE/current 2015 Zoning/ Current Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
2644 30th Street – Additional Information
• Current owner purchased the property in 1987
• One tenant has an expiring lease in February 2027 and efforts to re-lease need to start in February 2026
• Property owner states that non-conforming condition presents impediments to future leasing and financing
• It is not impossible to lease and / or finance a building that is legal nonconforming • However, the process of leasing and financing are made more difficult and challenging when dealing with a legal non-conforming structure Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
2644 30th Street – Existing Conditions
• Existing Use: 35,000 sf office building with adjacent surface parking lot (approximately 100 parking spaces) • Existing Zoning: R1 • Existing LUCE: Single Family
• Existing R1 Zoning/LUCE does not permit commercial use Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
2644 30th Street – Proposed Map Amendment • Zoning
• Existing: R1
• Proposed (Office Building only): NC
• LUCE
• Existing: Single Family
• Proposed (Office Building only): Neighborhood Commercial • Would allow property owner to pursue re-leasing and financing efforts to fill pending vacancies without facilitating large-scale redevelopment • Property owner has also voluntarily offered to execute a covenant with City confirming that for 10 years, the property owner will not: • Redevelop the R1 zoned surface parking lot • Redevelop the commercial lots utilizing new NC zoning standards Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Spot Zoning
• Spot zoning may occur when a small parcel of property is subject to more or less restrictive zoning than the surrounding properties creating an “island” in the middle of a larger area devoted to other uses
• Proposed amendments do not appear to constitute spot zoning • Would simply expand existing NC zone adjacent to the office building • Would not result in an “island” of commercial use surrounded by residential use on all sides Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Parking Lot Development Standards
• On July 29, the City Council directed that staff develop options for revising development standards related to surface parking lots associated with commercial corridors • If the proposed map amendments at 2644 30th Street are approved, future implementation of this direction would apply to the existing parking lot located on the parcel • Given that the property is currently zoned R1, staff would recommend that the City Council consider excluding this particular surface parking lot from any future development standard amendment for housing projects
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Recommendation
1. Adopt finding the proposed amendments are exempt from CEQA
2. Adopt a Resolution amending the General Plan Land Use Map for portion of the parcel at 2644 30th St
3. Introduce for first reading an ordinance amending the Official Districting Map for a portion of the parcel at 2644 30th St
4. Consider excluding the surface parking lot at 2644 30th St from being eligible to use future development standard amendments for housing projects Item 12-A
September 30, 2025
Item 12-A
September 30, 2025