By Lookout Staff

January 24, 2012 -- Downtown Santa Monica has a new name and image, and new programs are making the area cleaner and easier to get around. Now, City and Downtown officials are rolling up their sleeves to craft a specific plan that will guide development for the expanded area.

On Thursday, residents can help weigh in on the plan that will implement the community’s vision for an area commonly referred to as "Santa Monica’s living room" at a community workshop at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center Auditorium, 1855 Main Street.

Participants will be encouraged to share ideas, issues and thoughts, and to discuss future opportunities for Santa Monica’s downtown, City officials said.

The Downtown Specific Plan will incorporate guidelines set by the City's Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), but will adopt standards tailored to the needs of the area. Planners will marry their own analysis with the viewpoints of stakeholders like Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM)  and residents as they craft the plan, City officials said.

Adopted by the City Council in July 2010, the LUCE encourages "mixed-use development with complementary uses ensuring the Downtown develops as a complete neighborhood, serving both local residents and the region," Planning Director David Martin wrote in a staff report last year.

According to Martin, the Downtown Specific Plan will "provide a framework for guiding and integrating new uses and activities within the project area, and will become the basis for review and approval of all projects within its boundaries.

"Resident and visitor-serving uses and amenities will continue to be a focus, as will increased mobility throughout the area," Martin wrote in his report.

One key issue will be the allowable height of buildings, which is taller under the current specific plan than under the LUCE, which deferred establishing specific height or floor area ration (FAR) for the Downtown to the Specific Plan process.

Downtown and City officials agree that incentives under the old standards led to the creation of new, vibrant neighborhoods in the District, and they say they don’t want to put a chill on further residential growth.

Another key issue will be the creation of open spaces and "strong connections" to the new Expo Light Rail station, which is expected to reach Downtown Santa Monica in 2015, officials said.

Planners also will have to consider the transitions between Downtown and its adjoining zones, which are more residential, City officials said.

For more information email Travis Page at travis.page@smgov.net.