Agenda - City of Santa Monica

Design refinements: The refined design presents a hybrid of early concepts,
showing a small plaza at the convergence of a pinwheel of accessible pedestrian
pathways that cross through planting beds filled with simple, bold and aromatic
native or drought-tolerant landscaping. Based on the community’s input, and
supported by the Streets as Public Open Space concept in the Open Space
Element, the final design for the triangle was revised to include a higher proportion
of planting to paving; yet because the community preferred the formal design of
alternating rows of paving and planting shown in an early concept, the new design
translated these as different planting types rather than paving. The rows are
oriented north-south, reinforcing the linkage over the freeway between the
Downtown and C ivic Center Districts. The Recreation and P arks Commission
envisioned the Gateway Triangle as a landscaped pathway to the new parks - a
connective open space that would lead people to the adjacent active parks of Town
Square and Tongva Park. The final open space design includes accessible paths
and benches, and is designed to serve as a bea utifully landscaped gateway that
provides a place for the community to stroll through, sit in and enjoy without it being
a programmable space. The proposed Gateway Triangle is an inviting entrance to
the Civic Center and a potential site for significant public art.
Funding: The Gateway Triangle is identified as a crucial gateway and or ientation
element between the Downtown and C ivic Center. However, because the open
space can be easily constructed in a s eparate phase when funding becomes
available, the Gateway Triangle is excluded from the recommended core project.
Staff is seeking grant funding for the Gateway Triangle. Eligibility for the grant
depends on replacing the water thirsty lawn with drought tolerant planting. Upon
staff request for Recreation and Parks Commission endorsement of the grant
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