BEVERLY HILLS STAFF REPORT. To: From: Subject: INTRODUCTION DISCUSSION. Meeting Date: August 7, 2018

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1 BEVERLY HILLS 9.4 STAFF REPORT Meeting Date: August 7, 218 To: From: Subject: Honorable Mayor & City Council Ryan Gohlich, AICP, City Planner / Assistant Director of Community Development Commemorative Signage for Historic Route 66 along North Santa Monica Boulevard Attachments: 1. Proposed Signage Designs 2. Proposed Signage Locations INTRODCTION The proposal is for specialty branded signage to be located along North Santa Monica Boulevard to signify this boulevard as historic Route 66 in the City of Beverly Hills. Preliminary custom signage designs have been created for pole signs and roadway pavement signs for the vehicular and bike lane portions of the street. The Council is asked to confirm the proposed signage design and locations. DISCSSION Route 66 is an historic motorway and was once the primary highway from America s interior to the West Coast. This roadway is 2,45 miles long and has played a key role in nited States history since it commenced operation in Route 66, or.s. Highway 66, in Southern California is the western terminus for this cross-country highway system developed until This historic thoroughfare is one of the earliest automobile transport routes in the nited States that was greatly publicized during the early years of construction and was instrumental in bringing much of the burgeoning tourist industry to Southern California. The mid-i 93s era stretch of Route 66 into the Los Angeles area began along Pasadena s Colorado Boulevard and connected to a number of existing roadways as the route made its way to downtown Los Angeles and beyond. From Los Angeles the roadway followed Sunset Boulevard to connect with North Santa Monica Boulevard as it headed through Beverly Hills and continued west to its terminus at the Santa Monica Pier. The proposed signage plan for the historic Route 66 route along North Santa Monica Boulevard was reviewed by the Cultural Heritage Commission on October 1, 217 and by the City Council/Cultural Heritage Commission Liaison Committee on October 3, 217. At a subsequent Liaison Committee Meeting on May 21, 218, the Liaison Committee selected a final preferred design for the signage and directed staff to consult the Traffic and Parking Commission on the placement of street sign markers and to present the proposal to the Recreation and Parks Commission, as certain signs would

2 Meeting Date: August 7, 218 need to be placed in Beverly Gardens Park. Staff presented the proposal to the Traffic and Parking Commission on June 7, 218 and to the Recreation and Parks Commission on June 26, 218. On July 11, 218 the signage with comments from the Liaison Committee, the Traffic and Parking Commission, and the Recreation and Parks Commission were brought forward to the Cultural Heritage Commission for final responses from the Commissioners. Overall, the Commissioners from all three commissions were in support of the general design and locations of the signage while encouraging a fewer number of signs overall to reduce sign clutter. The Cultural Heritage Commission requested the number of signs be reduced and suggested the removal of two of the proposed signs. The City Council/Cultural Heritage Commission Liaison Committee reviewed the potential for installing signage along North Santa Monica Boulevard to indicate the location of proposed signage along Historic Route 66. The Liaisons offered recommendations regarding the type, design and preliminary locations for the signage proposed. The roadway pole signs were suggested to be placed every three-to-four blocks for the length of North Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. In addition, the Liaison Committee suggested the placement of roadway markers or signage painted on the roadbed of North Santa Monica Boulevard to be only at the entrance points of the City, along with signage for the proposed bike route. Staff reviewed the recommendations in relation to existing infrastructure and street signage in conjunction with the Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering Division of the Community Development Department, and presented these options to the Traffic and Parking Commission (TPC) and the Recreation and Parks Commission (RPC) for their input with regard to the final locations for the historic roadway markers as the proposal moves forward in the approval process. Both the TPC and RPC generally asked that the number of signs be reduced and that an area around select signs be created to allow for photo opportunities with a safe distance allowed from adjacent automobile traffic. Taking into consideration the recommendations from the Liaison Committee, TPC and RPC, the Cultural Heritage Commission asked that a sign at the northwest corner of Canon Drive and North Santa Monica Boulevard be set back safely from the street edge for photo opportunities and that two signs be removed from the proposal one sign at the south side of North Santa Monica Boulevard at Canon Drive and one sign on the north side of North Santa Monica Boulevard at Elm Drive (signified by a red dot surrounded by a purple circle on the map in Attachment 2). The Cultural Heritage Commissioners also suggested that the signage placed at the western edge of the City should be focused at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and North Santa Monica Boulevard and not placed further west, near the actual city limit. The proposal is now before the City Council for review and final direction regarding installation of the proposed signage. Recognition of North Santa Monica Boulevard as Historic Route 66 is a commemorative act only, intended to celebrate and honor the roadway s place in Beverly Hills history and increase public awareness amongst residents and visitors; its commemoration is not a formal act of historic designation. If approved by the City Council, staff will prepare final signage specifications prior to fabrication and installation. Page 2 of 3

Meeting Date: August 7, 218 FISCAL IMPACT The cost for the fabrication and installation of the proposed posts and signs is estimated to be approximately $2,4, and materials and installation of the

The cost for the fabrication and installation of the proposed signage plan would be paid from the Santa Monica Boulevard Reconstruction Project (CIP No. 889).

RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council, on the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission, finalize the selection and placement of signage along North Santa Monica Boulevard to

3 Meeting Date: August 7, 218 FISCAL IMPACT The cost for the fabrication and installation of the proposed posts and signs is estimated to be approximately $2,4, and materials and installation of the four pavement markings is approximately $3,. Accordingly, the total cost of the proposed signage is approximately $5,4. The cost for the fabrication and installation of the proposed signage plan would be paid from the Santa Monica Boulevard Reconstruction Project (CIP No. 889). No significant further fiscal impact is anticipated to result from the installation of the proposed signage. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council, on the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission, finalize the selection and placement of signage along North Santa Monica Boulevard to commemorate this roadway as historic Route 66. As recommended, the following signs are proposed for authorization: 1. A total of six Route 66 signs along North Santa Monica Boulevard (three for vehicles traveling eastbound and three for vehicles traveling westbound). 2. A total of two Route 66 bike lane signs (one for bikes traveling eastbound and one for bikes traveling westbound). 3. A total of four Route 66 roadbed signs printed on the pavement (one in each of the two eastbound travel lanes and one in each of the two westbound travel lanes). 7Lt%A Susan Healy Keene Approved By Page 3 of 3

4 City Council Report August 7, 218 Attachment I Proposed Signage Designs

5 ATTACHMENT I Roadway Sign Pole Sign Bike Route Sign

6 y City Council Report I August7, 218 Attachment 2 Proposed Signage Locations

7 ATTACHMENT 2 4 North Santa Monica Boulevard Proposed Route 66 Sign and Pavement Marking Locations \ z 6 = z 1 - a ior a a -I I z o k Route 66 sign Route 66 sign + bike lane sign Pavement marking Signs suggested for deletion

CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS RECREATION AND PARKS COMMISSION TO: FROM: SUBJECT: June 26, Recreation and Parks Commission. Mark Odell, Urban Designer

CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS RECREATION AND PARKS COMMISSION TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Recreation and Parks Commission Mark Odell, Urban Designer Historic Route 66 Signage June 26, 218 The purpose of this meeting with