Staff lays out preferred framework for Santa Monica Airport conversion; commission, residents raise access, funding and preservation questions

City planning staff presented a preferred framework diagram for the Santa Monica Airport conversion at a Planning Commission study session on March 18, outlining eight districts and next steps for phasing, costing and community engagement.

Amber Rishain, principal design and planning manager and lead for the airport project, said the Phase 3B presentation consolidates more than two years of outreach and 89 public meetings into a single preferred framework scenario. "We are in phase 3B…this is the first time we're coming with one single plan that's based on districts," Rishain told commissioners. She said staff received roughly 12,000 community comments and condensed 147 potential uses into 94 prioritized uses and eight district typologies.

The framework sorts calmer, nature‑focused uses to the west and more active, regional amenities to the east; it identifies Clover as a primary entry path from Ocean Park Boulevard and proposes a mix of elements including an expansive lawn, a meadow, distributed parking, multi‑use paths, an arts & culture corridor, active‑sports fields and a central "heart" for civic programming. Rishain emphasized limiting near‑term proposals to elements that do not require voter approval under Measure LC. "We've slotted them into eight different districts…we're only moving forward with things that do not require a vote," she said.

Commissioners and the public focused on three recurring issues: access and circulation, Measure LC and reuse limits, and funding/implementation. Several commissioners asked how active sports fields at the eastern edge would be accessed without creating heavy auto congestion on Bundy and other approaches; staff said Sentinel and other existing gates are being studied as potential event access points but that many details require further feasibility work. "Sentinel…this goes directly onto the 10. So if people were coming for a big tournament…that this would get opened up," Rishain said when discussing possible access strategies.

On Measure LC constraints, staff explained the rule of thumb: uses that constitute "new development" trigger stricter limitations, while park‑supporting ancillary uses and reuse of existing buildings that preserve exterior walls may be allowable. Planning staff said the threshold for triggering new development review is related to whether a project exceeds roughly 50% redevelopment of an existing structure; they are continuing to work with the city attorney to refine what ancillary, supportive and new development mean in practice.

Public speakers advocated preserving the airport site as a large public park and minimizing privatization. Patty Braun, speaking for food‑security and PTA interests, said the site is the only location in the city large enough for a meaningful public park and urged commissioners to resist ballot measures that would carve the site for housing. "The Santa Monica Airport site represents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity…it's the only place where a park of meaningful scale can be created," Braun said. Jerry Rubin and Ann Bowman, both members of local advocacy groups, urged tree planting, community stewardship and avoiding privatization of core parkland.

Staff outlined next steps: an open online survey to collect feedback on district sizes and uses; additional presentations to other boards and commissions; continued work with the city attorney on Measure LC interpretations; a preferred scenario to inform a future Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and phasing/costing work that staff expects to refine through 2026. Rishain said staff will return with a framework plan, test fits and preliminary phasing and cost estimates prior to bringing a preferred scenario to Council for further direction.

What happens next: The survey is open and staff will present the draft framework to other city commissions and to Council in coming months; staff emphasized this session is advisory and no legislative vote was taken. The commission and members of the public asked staff to return with clearer cost estimates, a representative survey of resident preferences, and detailed access analyses before committing to major capital elements.