The City Council of the City of Culver City hereby finds and determines that structural design techniques and amenities applied in the community directly and immediately affect the health, safety and general welfare of the inhabitants thereof as follows:
A. Structural appearance and quality in areas of the City significantly affected with the public interest directly relate to the City's economic strength and stability by attracting consumers and tourists, by establishing a sound relationship between the taxable value of real property in each area of the City and the cost of municipal services provided therefor, and by encouraging the attraction and retention of commercial and industrial investments in a manner consistent with the City's General Plan. Poor structural design quality and exterior appearance adversely affect the economic desirability of the immediate area and neighboring areas for multiple residential, commercial or industrial use, and hence impair the stability in value of both improved and unimproved real property in such area; prevent the most appropriate development of such area in accordance with the General Plan; and produce undesirable conditions affecting the health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City.
B. Structural appearance and quality in areas of the City significantly affected with the public interest directly affect the physical health and welfare of the inhabitants of the City and those using the public thoroughfares therein. Poor structural design technique and exterior appearance adversely affect human emotional, psychological, and ultimately, physical well-being. Since there is a tendency of some owners and/or developers to fail to consider the impact of the exterior appearance and design quality of an apartment, commercial or industrial building upon the natural site and its immediate man-made and scenic environment, in the absence of legislative action insuring reasonable consideration of such factors by owners and developers, the public will be forced to continue absorbing the external public costs created in the often short-sighted quest for profit by such failure to consider ecological impact.
C. Structural appearance and quality in business areas of the City which were developed prior to modern design and development standards are significantly affected with the public interest by virtue of their economic viability and high visibility on major arterial streets. Development over a period of several decades of commercial buildings along arterial streets with outmoded building materials, a lack of architectural design unity, a myriad of outdated storefront designs including graphics and poor or no landscaping has resulted in business areas not compatible with, appropriate to or acceptable in the contemporary retail market. This adversely affects the economic desirability of the immediate area and neighborhoods and may impair the stability and continued economic viability of these areas. Revitalization of these business areas by improving the commercial buildings with storefront designs and graphics, architectural amenities and common treatment of adjacent storefronts and building groups will alleviate the undesirable conditions affecting the health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City.
D. It is the purpose of this Section to prevent the above-enumerated and other harmful effects of the exterior appearance of buildings, whether of public or private ownership, erected in areas affected by the public interest, and thus fulfill the responsibilities of the City Council to promote and protect the health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the community, to promote the public convenience and prosperity, to conserve the value of existing buildings and real property, and to encourage the development of land within the City in accordance with the General Plan. It is also the purpose of this Section to alleviate the undesirable conditions above-enumerated within business areas designated as Commercial Revitalization areas by the City Council.
('65 Code, § 2-86.1) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 89-013 § 2)