Agenda - City of Santa Monica

and less expensive installation (as pavers can be po pped out and replaced for
maintenance or development construction). Unlike specialty poured concrete,
patches would be able to match the original field of pavers. P WP is currently
reviewing several custom colors to specify a color that holds significance to Santa
Monica while providing identity to the Esplanade. Responding to the community
desire to simplify signage and improve wayfinding, integrated compass medallions
are proposed in the form of inlaid pavers, directing pedestrians toward key
destinations in the Downtown, Civic Center and Oceanfront/Beach Districts.
Funding: The paving design, string lighting and bold framing trees proposed by
PWP are cost effective yet character-giving design elements of the streetscape,
and are therefore proposed as part of the core project. The custom concrete paver
material and size have been value engineered for cost effectiveness and ease of
maintenance, and provide an i dentifiable character and importance to the
Esplanade.
E. Lighting: Identified by the community as a priority for the Esplanade, the signature
string lighting design is one o f the essential coordinated and unifying elements
providing the unique identity to the project. Chosen for its functional, aesthetic, and
low profile qualities, string lighting strengthens the corridor by providing a safe and
signature night-time environment with the least amount of visual obstruction for the
sidewalk and roadway. For the same cost as the City’s standard light pole, string
lights open the view shed for pedestrians looking west toward the Pier.
Design refinements: In response to concerns that string lights might interfere with
the view of the Pier sign or detract from a sense of open air, the height of the string
lights were raised (to 26 feet above grade) and the designer has confirmed that the
lighting would clear the Pier sign, even as viewed from the top of the station
platform (11 feet above grade). To address the goal of preserving the view to the
Pier Sign and reducing visual clutter, this design proposes to move the vertical
poles to the back of the south sidewalk, widening the open view, and eliminating the
17