Building News Archive
Jan 2006
City Council Denies Appeal and Approves Variance and Use Permit
On December 13, 2005, the Santa Monica City Council voted 4 to 3 to approveour use permit and parking variance, adding a number of conditions regardingparking during the week. The additional conditions include a requirement toprovide 12 spaces within 1000 feet of the church in a manner satisfactory tothe planning staff. Additional requirements would add a monitoring provisionto assure the parking was provided, and that the parking was provided througha formal lease.
Councilmembers expressed concern about assuring that the parking secured wouldnot already be required by the lots' owners. A brief comment from CouncilmemberBloom just before the vote created some confusion about the time period duringwhich the parking would be required. Leaving the meeting, Councilmember Katzreassured us that it did NOT mean the church would need to provide overnightparking. The intent of Bloom's remark seemed to be to require the parking Mondaythrough Friday evenings, rather than simply requiring activities to be restrictedif the 12 offsite spaces were not provided.
At the outset of the hearing, the church presented a letter reporting thatit had obtained approval from the Board of Elders of the Seventh Day AdventistChurch at Arizona and 19th Street to enter into a parking agreement with us.Under the agreement, the church could use 12 spaces in the Adventist churchlot off 19th Street from Monday through Friday from 6 to 9:30 p.m. In addition,the church proposed that if the council wished additional assurance that therewould be no increase in activity causing greater parking demand associated withthe church project, we would agree to either provide the parking or limit activityto current levels. Chris Harding, pro bono attorney for the church, also submitteda letter describing a federal statute known as the Religious Land Use and InstitutionalizedPersons Act and its relationship to the church project.
Throughout the discussion, the fate of the church project seemed to be in jeopardy.Councilmember Genser questioned why the church would propose to provide additionalparking, if we do not intend to increase activity. Building Chair Alison Kendallresponded that the proposed evening parking was to address neighborhood concerns,but that the new space was to address the needs of the church's Sunday programs,but no increase was anticipated in activities during the week. She explainedthat Sundays are the only time when the church facilities are fully used. Shenoted that city parking requirements assume each room is fully used all thetime.
Additional discussion focused on the variance findings, and whether the churchcould provide the 12 parking spaces on site. Planning Manager Amanda Schachterexplained that the lot and existing buildings made underground parking unfeasible.Councilmember Genser described how the church could roll the house into thestreet and leave it there while an underground garage was excavated, and thenroll it back into place. Grumbles from the crowd suggested most of the neighborsthought this would not be a great way to address their parking problems.
A motion to deny the appeal and grant the approval was made by Herb Katz andfailed to find a second. A counter proposal by Ken Genser to grant the appealwas made. Ultimately, Councilmember Richard Bloom moved to deny the appeal withthe staff recommendations, but adding the condition requiring an additional12 spaces within 1000 feet of the church in a manner that is satisfactory tostaff. Voting yes to grant the church approval were Councilmembers Bloom, Holbrook,Katz and Shriver. Voting against the motion, and thus to grant the appeal, wereCouncilmembers Genser, McKeown and O'Connor.
The next step for our Building Committee is to make final adjustments to thebuilding plans and prepare a phasing plan. As soon as the city planning staffclarify the parking requirement, the church intends to secure the parking agreement.The committee will then submit construction drawings for first phase of constructionfor building permit review. With good luck, relocation of the house and itsrenovation could begin within a few months.
- Alison Kendall, Building Committee Chair
Nov 2005
Council to Consider Our Building Variance November 22
The Santa Monica City Council will consider an appeal of the Planning Commission'sunanimous approval of our Conditional Use Permit and Parking Variance on November22. Please plan to attend, speak, or wear a badge to show your support of ourlongdelayed plans to upgrade our facilities.
- Alison Kendall, Building Committee Chair
Oct 2005
Kudos to the Capital Campaign canvassers: Rob Briner, Shirlee Frank, Bob Dietz,Don Jameson, Jeff Greenman, Laurel Bleak, Gretchen Goetz, Natalie Kahn, StevePaddock, Arvid Knudsen, Judy Federick, Kris Langabeer, Karen Canady, Marv Pulliam,Dan Kegel, Nels Hanson, Michele Pritchard-Lane, Diane Fletcher-Hoppe, EllenLevy, Greg Wood, Ren Renshaw, Jennifer Westbay, Florence Chapgier, Jim Cadwell,Ed Hession, Dave Hallinan, Shannon Murphy, Beth Rendeiro, Debbie Fryman, DanMarch, Greg Poirier, Dan Teplitz, Leslie Reuter, and all of the "Lemonade Sunday"participants. You have helped us reach the three-quarter mark in the 2005 campaign.We are at $750,000 and counting.
Kudos to our congregation: You have been gracious and generous in meeting our$25,000 matching grant and approaching our $1,000,000 campaign goal. You havebeen especially generous in this, our second Capital Campaign. We are realizingour first choice - continuing our church on the property next door to us. Wehave more to do. We are still getting questions, such as: "Why haven't I beencalled about the Capital Campaign? I want to pledge, too." "Have we raised enoughto complete the building project?" "How can I help in the rest of the buildingproject?"
If you are one of those not yet contacted or if you have any questions, pleasespeak with Ofelia Lachtman, Carol Kerr, orRon Crane.
- Ron Crane, Chair, Capital Campaign
Sep 2005
Planning Commission Approves Project, but Appeal to City Council Means a Delay
On July 20, shortly before midnight, the Santa Monica Planning Commission unanimouslyapproved our application for a Conditional Use Permit and Variance. Many churchmembers came to express their support by wearing yellow stickers saying, "Isupport the UUCCSM Building Project." Many members spoke to the commission aswell, including YRUU members Amelia Harati and Emily Hero, who presented "TenReasons We Need New Religious Education Classrooms," including, "When the kidsdo yoga in class, they can only do the folded up positions." Many letters insupport of our application were received from community organizations that havebeen assisted by volunteers and donations from our church, including Step Upon Second, Ocean Park Community Center, and Westside Food Bank.
Unfortunately, the Commission's approval was later appealed by Blair Calderhead,a neighbor who lives in the 1300 block of 18th Street. The appeal will be heardby the City Council, which will decide whether or not to uphold the PlanningCommission's decision. We have not yet received a date for this council hearing,which will delay our project by at least two months. The appeal and attendantdelay is a big disappointment to the many people who have been working for solong on improving the church facilities.
Several neighbors spoke in opposition to the parking variance, and expressedconcern that the new space would impact on-street parking in the neighborhood.Building Committee Chair Alison Kendall explained that the new RE classroomswill accommodate existing Sunday school classes, and that programs on otherdays of the week are not expected to increase. The church has had an agreementwith Santa Monica Hospital to use their parking at Arizona and 16th since 1988,though the church and Forbes Hall were built before any parking requirements.
The parking garage generally has about 40 to 50 cars from church attendeeson a typical Sunday, and has space for hundreds more. The parking variance allowedthe 12 parking spaces required to provide the new classrooms to be providedthrough the off-site garage space and the Parking Impact Reduction Plan thechurch approved in May. This plan asks all church users to encourage carpooling,walking, biking or transit use to reduce neighborhood-parking impacts. In addition,three on-site spaces off the alley will be provided by the project. Specialthanks go to members of the Building Committee for help in preparing for themeeting.
- Alison Kendall,
Chair, Building Committee
See the July 20 Hearing
An archived streaming video of the July 20 Santa Monica Planning Commissionhearing on our building project can be viewed on any personal computer at anytime by following the following easy steps:
1. Google "City of Santa Monica" and select the city's official home page
2. Under "City Hall" click on "Public Meeting Netcast"
3. Select "Video Archive of Planning Commission"
4. Select "Commission Meeting July 20, 2005"
5. In the drop-down menu under the video screen, go to and select "Item 10-A"
6. After a buffering delay, the video will automatically start at the beginningof 10-A
7. Now you can listen to and watch the entire 2-hour hearing.
Aug 2005
On July 20, the Santa Monica Planning Commission approved our constructionplans (see details above).
Jul 2005
Planning Commission to Hold Critical Hearing About Our Church Building Projecton July 20
On Wednesday, July 20, the Santa Monica Planning Commission will review ourapplication for a Conditional Use Permit and Variance. The two permits are neededfor us to build new Religious Exploration classrooms to the north of ForbesHall and to convert the old house to offices so we can expand the size of oursanctuary. We are urging all members, friends, and supporters of the churchand its project to write to the Planning Commission or to attend to expresstheir support in person.
If you choose to write, please send your letter by June 30 to the PlanningCommission, Attention Roxanne Tanemori, Associate Planner, Planning & CommunityDevelopment Department, City Hall, 1685 Main Street, Room 212, Santa Monica,CA 90401. Note that you are writing regarding Variance 05VAR006 and ConditionalUse Permit 05CUP004 for 1248-1260 18th Street by the Unitarian UniversalistCommunity Church of Santa Monica. Please note whether you are a member, friend,neighbor, or supporter of the church. Note any other roles you have in the SantaMonica community, including living in Santa Monica, owning a home or business,or volunteering with local community groups.
Here are some key points you may want to include: The sanctuary was built 75years ago, in 1930, and the social hall in 1961. Both were built before on-siteparking was required. Recognizing the need to accommodate parking for memberson Sundays, our church has a longstanding agreement to use UCLA's garage at16th and Arizona. On a typical Sunday, 40 to 50 members park their cars in thisstructure to avoid crowding on local streets. The congregation has approveda Good Neighbor Parking Impact Reduction Plan to assure that all groups usingchurch facilities work to reduce noise and parking problems for our neighbors.Be sure to note if you regularly walk, bike, carpool or park in the garage.
The proposed project preserves the Craftsman bungalow on its original site,moving it forward and away from side property lines to conform to setbacks.The house would be used for offices, while a new classroom wing would be locatedbehind the old house, with open space between the two buildings. The plan preservesthe scale and character of the existing buildings, including our historic sanctuary.
Be sure to talk about how important the project is to you, the fact that thechurch has been working on the project for six years, and your support for thecurrent plans.
If you can, join us on July 20 to deliver your message in person. The locationis City Hall on Main Street and the time is 7 p.m.
- Alison Kendall, Chair, Building Committee
Jun 2005
Our Building Fund Received..
...a grant of $25,000 from Spirit Level Foundation, a group of UUs in San Diegowho support worthwhile church construction projects.
Apr 2005
Don't Park on Street; You Could Win a Raffle Ticket
The Building Committee met with neighbors of our church on March 13 to answerany questions about our building project. We blanketed the neighborhood withinvitations, and had six neighbors attend, all of them residents of 17th, 18thor 19th Streets. We soon learned that they had three issues on their minds:parking, parking and parking.
The neighbors acknowledged that much of the problem in the neighborhood comesfrom employees at the car dealerships and visitors to the nearby hospital andmedical offices who park on the street rather than pay high parking prices.In addition, many housing units in the neighborhood lack onsite parking forresidents. Our church contributes to the lack of street parking at our busiesttimes, especially Sundays and Monday evenings when a large group rents ForbesHall. We can help to reduce our impact on an already difficult situation bycarpooling with others to events at the church.
We have a long-standing agreement with UCLA that provides us with access totheir garage at the corner of Arizona and 16th Street from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30p.m. every Sunday. These hours can be lengthened with advance notice to accommodateour occasional Sunday afternoon events. All you need to do is pick up a lightblue parking permit from the front office, place it on your dash, and have theattendant let you in. We are distributing copies of the parking pass at servicesto make sure everyone has a copy.
If you need to drop off food, young children, or older or disabled people whohave difficulty with the walk from the garage, please use the spaces along Arizona.We have asked the City to allow one of the spaces on Arizona near Forbes Hallto be designated a yellow "drop off zone," but until the curb is painted, wewill need to try to keep this area free for dropping off on Sundays.
Another great way to get here without parking hassles is on the Big Blue Bus,Santa Monica's award winning bus system. Our church is located right betweenline 2 on Wilshire Boulevard and lines 1 and 10 on Santa Monica Boulevard. Wehave posted the bus map and schedule in the lobby of Forbes Hall, along witha supply of schedules for these lines. The fare is 75 cents and is only 25 centsif you are at least 62 years old. Check bigbluebus.comfor further information.
My favorite way to arrive at church is on foot or on a bike. If you've beenlooking for an excuse to take a walk or a bike route, what better time thanSunday morning? Walking to church gives you a chance to relax and enjoy thegardens, stop in for brunch, and do your errands. We have a bike rack in theback yard of 1248 and are looking into installing one in Anderson Courtyardto provide a convenient place to lock your bike. Don't forget to wear a helmet.Bike route information is posted with the bus schedules in Forbes Hall.
For the next few months we will be offering special incentives for using ourremote parking, carpooling, walking, biking or taking the bus to church. Asyou arrive at the church, tell us your "good neighbor" effort and you will geta raffle ticket good for prizes at the end of the month. You'll also be helpingus document our good neighbor travel behavior for our follow-up meeting withthe neighbors and our public hearing with the Planning Commission later in thespring. So let's not forget to "walk the walk" on our way to church, as wellas within.
-Alison Kendall, Building Chair
Mar 2005
Our Building Project Application is Submitted to Santa Monica
By the time you read this, the Building Committee will have submitted our applicationto the City of Santa Monica for a conditional use permit to remodel and expandour classroom and office uses onto the adjacent lot at 1248 18th Street. Theuse permit will include permission to move the existing house about 14 feetcloser to 18th Street, and about five feet further from the side property line.A variance is also needed to allow most of the parking for the church expansionto be provided off site, including continuing use of the nearby parking garageduring Sunday services.
The city's review of the application will have comments by building, fire,transportation, and other staff; an analysis of potential impacts on historicresources from the project; preparation of a staff report, and scheduling ofreview by the Planning Commission, probably in late spring.
We will be holding a community meeting in March to explain the project to areaneighbors and to discuss any questions or concerns they have. Please contactAlison Kendall if you live in the neighborhood or want to help with this importantmeeting. The Capital Campaign Committee and Building Committee have begun towork to make sure we can raise the remaining money needed to undertake thisimportant project. Together, the two groups will be maintaining the "BuildingOur Dream" bulletin board in Forbes Hall to help people stay informed aboutour progress. Please stop by after Sunday services to look at the bulletin board.There is generally a member of one or both committees there to answer your questions.
With our architect, Ralph Mechur, we are beginning to prepare more detailedplans for the building project and to develop plans for structural, plumbing,and electrical systems. There are also several urgent repair projects to thesanctuary roof, electrical system, and front doors, which are likely to needattention before the building project begins. Rod Lane and Steve Paddock, BuildingCommittee members with extensive construction management experience, are workingwith Marie Kashmer-Stiebing, Church Administrator, to make sure these repairsare coordinated with the larger building project.
The committee has been working hard this month on ideas for the central courtyardand other open spaces, and on ways to unify our church campus and its varietyof architectural styles. Come check out the bulletin board and give us yourfeedback.
- Alison Kendall, Building Committee Chair
Feb 2005
Building Committee Prepares Applications for City Agencies
The Building Committee has been hard at work preparing the plans and applicationmaterials for submission to the City of Santa Monica. The application materialsinclude a request for Development Review and a Conditional Use Permit to remodelour existing facilities at 1260 18th Street, adding a new religious educationwing to Forbes Hall at the back of the new property at 1248 18th Street, andmoving the house forward and remodeling it for use as office space. We are alsorequesting a variance for a reduction in on-site parking and use of off-siteparking facilities very similar to the request approved by the Planning Commissionlast year. Alison Kendall, chair of the Building Committee, is completing thenecessary application materials with our architect, Ralph Mechur, and our pro-bonoland use attorney, Chris Harding.
With plenty of committee input on the design, the architect is finalizing allthe drawings required by the city, and we hope to submit the application inearly February. We will be holding a community meeting sometime in March todescribe our proposal and offer discussion about concerns that our neighborsmight have.
We hope to have a Planning Commission hearing in the spring. Remember, however,that our previous application (about the 17th Street property) had been deemedcomplete in October 2003, yet the hearing about that application was not helduntil early March 2004, so we are likely to encounter delays this time aroundas well. After Planning Commission approval we will need to go through ArchitecturalReview Board approval, and then prepare and submit construction drawings forbuilding permits. We hope to expedite the house relocation and remodeling togive us usable space before remodeling Forbes Hall and building the new wing.Expansion of the sanctuary will be the final phase.
The sale of our 17th Street parcel netted over $1 million, a major start toour new capital fund, which was depleted by the purchase of the lot at 124818th Street. A new capital campaign is expected to start soon to close the gapbetween our current funds and the anticipated total amount needed for all threephases of construction. We are starting to work with our architect and the contractorwe had selected for the 17th Street project to refine our original planninglevel estimate of $1.8 million.
The Building Committee meets every other Monday at 6:30 p.m. This month's meetingsare scheduled for Monday, February 14, and Monday, February 28. Please contactAlison Kendall or Marie Kashmer-Stiebing, Church Administrator, to confirm meetingdates.
-Alison Kendall