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City Council Report |
City Council Meeting: February
22, 2011
Agenda Item: 8-A
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Martin Pastucha, Director of Public Works
Greg
Mullen, City Librarian
Subject: Concept Design for the Pico Branch Library Project
Recommended Action
Staff
recommends that the City Council:
1) Review
and provide input on the proposed design concepts for the Pico Branch Library
Project.
2) Approve
the recommended design direction.
3) Direct
staff to move forward with schematic design.
Executive Summary
In May 2009, Council approved
and allocated $12.8M in Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Funds for a new branch
library at Virginia Avenue
Park. Following the selection of design consultant Koning Eizenberg Architects
in February 2010, the City held multiple workshops
and meetings to engage the community in envisioning important elements of the
new Pico Branch Library.
The proposed concept design is
the result of the input and feedback received from community workshops and
meetings. The proposed design consists of a single-story 8,300 square foot
building, adjacent to the existing Thelma Terry Building. The proposed site
plan has been configured to maintain the existing number of Farmers Market
stalls, and to minimize the impact on the existing park green space. Additional parking will not be required as
existing surface parking meets the requirement of both Virginia Avenue Park and
the new branch library visitors. Offsite
overflow parking on Farmers Market and special events days is being considered.
The proposed library programs include adult, teen, and children’s collections,
study rooms, story areas, and a community meeting room.
Background
The Pico Neighborhood Community Plan
(February 15, 1983) speaks of the desire for a branch library and suggests
consideration of combining existing private sector commercial activities with
public uses to include a library and a post office. Branch library service has been available at
a number of locations in the Pico/Sunset Park area of the City since 1931,
including the existing Fairview Branch Library at 2101 Ocean Park Boulevard
that opened for service in 1956. As
Virginia Avenue Park was being planned, the inclusion of a library was
discussed by the community. Between 2001
and 2005, the City focused on improvements to its branch libraries and the
construction of the new Main Library.
In 2008, the idea of a library in the Pico
neighborhood gained support as the community considered the reconstruction of
the Edison Language Academy. City staff
met with Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) officials to
discuss a shared-use opportunity at the Edison Language Academy to construct a
library that would be open to the public after school hours. As talks proceeded with SMMUSD, it became
apparent that there were barriers to developing a joint use project and
discussions moved towards identifying alternative sites.
The Pico community continued to express the
desire for a neighborhood library. The advantages of using a site within
Virginia Avenue Park became apparent due to expediency and a synergy of uses
and programs. Staff worked with community stakeholders, the Virginia Avenue
Park Advisory Board, the Recreation and Parks Commission, and the Library Board
to explore library service priorities at the Virginia Avenue Park location.
On May 12, 2009, Council allocated $12.8 million in
Redevelopment Agency funds for the construction of a branch library at the
Virginia Avenue Park location. Following
Council’s action, staff prepared and published a Request for Proposals for
design services of the new Pico Branch Library in Virginia Avenue Park. On February 23, 2010, the design contract was awarded to Koning
Eizenberg Architects. The firm was
selected based on their familiarity with the Pico neighborhood, their broad
experience in working with the community, and the quality of their built
projects which includes Virginia Avenue Park.
Discussion
Community
Engagement Program
The project team has developed a
comprehensive community engagement program to encourage community
participation and input on the location, programming, and design of this new
branch library. To date, the project
team has organized over 70 public outreach efforts, meetings and presentations,
ranging in size from personal one-on-one meetings to four large public workshops
held at the Thelma Terry Building in Virginia Avenue Park.
Ongoing Communications –
A project website (http://www.smpl.org/Pico/library.htm)
was launched in spring 2010 to provide the community with information about the
project, including upcoming community workshops and online surveys. To further encourage participation in the
planning and design process, bilingual materials and surveys were published on
the project website, with hard copies made available to the community through
the Park Center, Camp Santa Monica, Afro-American Outreach Committee, and at
all libraries. Staff continues to inform
the public about the project at community and city-wide events, including the
Unity Resource Festival, Cinco de Mayo, and Juneteenth celebrations. Surveys
and notices were also hand delivered to the Edison Language Academy, St. Anne’s
and Cavalry Baptist Churches, and Grant School.
Community Workshops –
During 2010, community workshops were held at the Thelma
Terry Building on September 11th, October 9th, November 6th, and December 4th
to involve the community in the planning and design process to ensure that
their concerns and expectations were consistently understood and
considered. The initial workshop in
September focused on the trends in branch libraries. At the end of the workshop, participants were
asked to complete a survey on the possibilities for this new branch library,
including design, services, and programs. The survey was also available online
for those who were unable to attend the workshop, and handed out at schools,
the Park Center and at the libraries. The City received 466 completed surveys
in English and Spanish. The results of the survey were discussed at the October
workshop, including preferences for the building location in Virginia Avenue
Park. The November and December workshops focused on the conceptual building
form and programs desired by the community.
A final public workshop is scheduled for spring of 2011 to present the schematic
design of the facility. Prior to every
public workshop, notices were posted online and published in the Santa Monica Daily Press, The Lookout (Surf Santa Monica), and Santa Monica Mirror. Notices announcing each workshop were sent to
those who had indicated an interest and had provided email addresses. Furthermore, at the request of the community,
workshop notices were also hand delivered to businesses and residents of the
Pico neighborhood.
Community Groups Meetings – The project
team continues to meet with local community groups and organizations,
including the Pico Improvement Organization, the Pico Neighborhood Association,
and the Friends of Sunset Park to present project updates and seek feedback
from the groups. Special workshops were
also held with the Youth Dialogue Cooperative, Semillas College Students, and
Pico Youth Family Center Students to elicit input from younger members of the
community.
Boards and Commissions
Presentations – Presentations were made to the Library and
Virginia Avenue Park Boards and the Recreation and Parks Commission at critical
milestones during the planning and programming phases of the project. Project updates were also provided by the
City Librarian at the monthly Library Board meetings.
Proposed
Concept Design
Opinions voiced by the community resulted in an extensive list of preferences for library programs and the physical form of the facility. The proposed concept design package represents a blending of these ideas.
Building Location – Location of the facility within the park was primary issue discussed. Limiting the impact to park green space and to the Farmers Market was also of paramount importance. During the fall 2010 workshops, it was determined that a location within the Farmers Market area was preferred over all other sites within the park (see Attachment A). Given that direction, Koning Eizenberg Architects presented three options within that “zone.” The community shared a clear preference for the option adjacent to the Thelma Terry Building. Factors in the decision include the ability to reconfigure the Farmers Market to maintain its current size and to limit the library’s intrusion into existing park space. A site plan of the proposed location is included in Attachment A.
Building Massing – The preference for a single story or mezzanine layout engendered considerable discussion. The impact of increasing the building mass in response to the additional story, stairs and elevators created an obstruction to visibility within the park in addition to creating operational difficulties. The building floor area is generally allocated to the collections, popular materials, children’s area, public computers, reading areas, group study rooms, and customer and support services. A detached community room is provided, and will allow access outside of library hours. An area summary and floor plan is included in Attachment A.
Concept Design – The concept design is
based on a one-story building which presents a dramatic presence on Pico Boulevard
(see Attachment A). Its major entry point is from the Farmers Market Plaza. To
preserve park space to the east, the community meeting room is located in a
separate building across the fire access drive. A sculptural roof form connects
the two facilities and creates a high breezeway. Expanses of exterior glass on
the south and east walls visually connect the Farmers Market forecourt and the
children’s play areas, further emphasizing the connection between park and
library.
Parking – Parking was a major concern for the community. By code, a stand-alone facility of this size would require 34 parking spaces. A parking occupancy study conducted in November 2010 concluded that both park and library parking demand could be accommodated by utilizing the existing surface parking lots. The exception would be during Farmers Market hours and special events. Staff will be negotiating with local business owners to provide offsite parking during hours of peak demand, which typically occurs every Saturday between 10:00am and 2:00pm for the Farmers Market.
Next Steps
Following Council’s approval of the recommended design direction, Koning Eizenberg Architects will further develop the concept plans. The next steps are to:
· Present the proposed concept design to the Library and Virginia Avenue Park Boards and the Recreation and Parks Commission. (March 2011)
· Submit an application for a Development Review Permit. (April 2011).
· Present schematic design to the community at a public workshop. (spring 2011)
· Submit the design development package to the Architecture Review Board. (summer 2011)
· Return to Council for design development review. (fall 2011)
Financial
Impacts & Budget Actions
There is no budget/financial
impact associated with this action. The Pico Branch Library Project budget is
$12.8 million and is funded by the Redevelopment Agency. Annual operating costs are currently
estimated at $922,359.
Prepared by: Michael Collins, Architect
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Martin Pastucha Director of Public Works |
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Rod Gould City Manager |
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Approved: |
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Greg Mullen City Librarian |
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