Request for Proposal - Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project

Measure LC is a ballot measure that was passed by Santa Monica voters on November 6, 2014. Measure LC states, as follows: Subject only to limitations imposed by law, the City Council shall have full authority, without voter approval, to regulate use of the Santa Monica Airport, manage Airport leaseholds, condition leases, and permanently close all or part of the Airport to aviation use. If all or part of the Airport land is permanently closed to aviation use, no new development of that land shall be allowed until the voters have approved limits on the uses and development that may occur on the land. However, this section shall not prohibit the City Council from approving the following on Airport land that has been permanently closed to aviation use: the development of parks, public open spaces, and public recreational facilities; and the maintenance and replacement of existing cultural, arts and education uses. (Emphasis added.) In 2017, the City and FAA entered into a consent decree, which allows (but does not mandate) that the City can close the Santa Monica Airport after December 31, 2028. Following the consent decree, on February 28, 2017, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 11026 which (1) "authoriz[es] all actions necessary to ensure the closure of Santa Monica airport effective as of midnight on December 31, 2028," and (2) provides that the City "shall take all actions necessary and proper to ensure that SMO will cease to operate as an airport and shall be closed to all aeronautical use forever effective as of midnight on December 31, 2028." In light of the foregoing actions, but subject to future policy considerations, the City has commenced preliminary planning and community engagement efforts to consider future land uses at the Airport, as further described, below. These efforts have culminated in what is referenced hereinafter as the "Santa Monica Conversion Project". The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (the Proposed Project) is a comprehensive multi-phase initiative to reimagine 192 acres of public land following the planned closure of the Santa Monica Airport on December 31, 2028, as afforded by the Consent Decree signed in 2017. The effort establishes a long-term land use vision centered on a future, Measure LC compliant, Great Park that reflects community aspirations while balancing legal, environmental, economic, and social considerations along with funding realities and feasibility. Community engagement over the past two years has generated a substantial foundation of feedback that will inform development of a Preferred Scenario Framework Plan for the site, anticipated before the end of 2026. This Preferred Scenario, which includes the anticipated closure of the airport, will become the basis for environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The planning work builds on the five Guiding Principles unanimously adopted by the City Council in January 2025: Start with Nature, Inspire Wonder, Balance Economics, Amplify Versatility, and Celebrate Place. It also reflects more than 16,100 survey responses, 102 public meetings, and extensive input from boards, commissions, task forces, and the broader community. Phase 3b resulted in the creation of a Framework Diagram that organizes the site into eight flexible districts informed by the engagement to date: Immersive Nature, Active Sports, Urban Edge, Arts & Culture, The Stroll, The Meadow, The Lawn, and The Heart. These districts identify general locations, approximate sizes, and potential activities that can evolve over time and support a multi-year buildout while remaining adaptable to future conditions and community needs. As the City progresses into Phase 4, each district from the Framework Diagram will be carefully evaluated and illustrated to show its purpose and anticipated uses. Once the City Council formally selects a Preferred Scenario Framework Plan, the City intends to begin preparation of a program level EIR. This EIR will evaluate environmental impacts, feasible mitigation measures, and a full range of alternatives, including the required No Project option. The program level EIR will also support future regulatory work such as creation of a Specific Plan, General Plan amendments, zoning updates, and phased implementation strategies. The City also received $10,000,000 in Proposition 4 funds (Climate Bond) to plan and develop a portion of what is anticipated to be the Great Park. Following voter approval of Proposition 4, the California legislature enacted Public Resources Code Section 21080.57, as follows: This division does not apply to any activity or approval necessary for or incidental to planning, design, site acquisition, construction, operation, or maintenance of public park or nonmotorized recreational trail facilities funded in whole or in part by the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (Division 50 (commencing with Section 90000)). (Emphasis added.) The program EIR should take into consideration Public Resources Code Section 21080.57. For more information please go to the project website www.smacproject.com