Chapter 3. General Description Of Environmental Setting

Transcription

1 Chapter 3 General Description Of Environmental Setting

2 CHAPTER 3 General Description of Environmental Setting Section of the State CEQA Guidelines requires that an EIR include a description of the existing environment. This chapter provides a general overview of the environmental setting for the Project. This chapter also provides an overview of related projects in the area that are considered in evaluating cumulative impacts. For more detailed information on existing conditions as it applies to each environmental topic evaluated in this DEIR, see Sections 4.1 through 4.13 in Chapter 4.0, Environmental Impact Analysis. 3.1 Overview of Environmental Setting On-Site Conditions The approximate 3.75-acre Project Site is generally located at 668 S. Alameda Street and to the southeast of the intersection of S. Alameda Street and Industrial Street. The Project Site is currently developed with the Showa Marine & Cold Storage facility, which comprises four buildings with a total area of approximately 131,350 sf. The buildings range from two- to threestories in height and were constructed between 1984 and On-site operations include shipping/receiving, storage of frozen food products, as well as associate office and administrative activities. The Project Site also includes a parking lot and an abandoned railroad right-of-way that connects S. Alameda Street and Mill Street in an east-west direction. The Project Site is relatively flat within an elevation ranging between 246 feet to 250 feet. The Project Site is an urban infill site with access to existing public utility and transportation infrastructure Project Location and Surrounding Uses The Project Site is bounded by S. Alameda Street to the west; Industrial Street to the north; industrial/warehouse uses and Mill Street to the east; and commercial and institutional uses to the south. Uses to the west of the Project Site, across S. Alameda Street include the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Division 1 Natural Gas Fueling Station and bus yard. Uses to the north across Industrial Street include the Union Central Cold Storage warehouse that is proposed for demolition for the development of the Industrial Street Lofts (a proposed mixed-use project with 344 units and ground floor commercial), and industrial/warehouse and commercial uses. Further north along S. Alameda Street are wholesale food and produce warehouses, recently converted live/work spaces, and small-scale restaurant/café spaces toward 6th Street. Directly east of the Project Site and west of Mill Street, are wholesale food warehouses. Northeast and east of Mill Street are one- to two-story industrial uses, and adaptive reuse structures now occupied by retail shops, restaurants, bars, and creative offices and studios. To the south of the Project Site are low-rise commercial uses, including a McDonald s restaurant 668 S. Alameda Street 3-1 ESA PCR

3 with a drive-through service, the Para Los Niños Charter School, the future Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles Museum, LA Central Market, and a vacant eight-story structure. South of 7th Street is a Greyhound bus terminal, a produce market, Metropolitan High School, and the ROW DTLA, a 30-acre site of historic structures recently converted to include creative office and studio space, retail shops, and restaurants. In general, the land uses within the vicinity of the Property are characterized by a mix of low- to medium-intensity industrial, commercial, and mixed-use buildings, which vary widely in building style and period of construction. The Project Site is located within the Arts District, an area generally bounded by 1st Street to the north, the Los Angeles River and train tracks to the east, 7th Street to the south, and S. Alameda Street to the west. The Arts District generally lies on the eastern edge of Downtown Los Angeles. Over the past two decades, the area in the vicinity of the Project Site has been transforming from a predominately industrial area to one that is primarily made up of old warehouses converted to artists lofts and studios. Recently this area has been experiencing an increase in unique and creative commercial uses such as creative spaces, retail shops, galleries, studios, museums, restaurants, and bars that have blended well with the existing industrial and manufacturing uses and growing residential population. The Project Site is well served by a network of regional transportation facilities, as it is located within a City-designated transit priority area. Regional vehicle access to the Project Site is provided by the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) located approximately 0.7 miles to the south, the Hollywood Freeway (US 101) and Golden State Freeway (I-5) located approximately 1 mile to the east, and the Harbor Freeway (I-110) located approximately 2 miles to the west. Local access to the Project Site is provided by S. Alameda Street, 7th Street, and Industrial Street. The Project Site is also well served by public transit. Bus service and light rail service is provided by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Numerous regional and local bus lines are located near the Project area. The closest bus stop to the Project Site is at S. Alameda Street and 7th Street, which is served by Metro Line 60 and Metro Rapid Line 760. Both lines provide service between Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach and provide connections to the 7th Street Metro Center in Downtown Los Angeles and the Metro Blue, Expo, Purple, and Red Lines and various bus lines. The closest Metro station is the Metro Gold Line Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, approximately one-mile north on S. Alameda Street. The Metro Gold Line provides regular service between East Los Angeles and Pasadena, with direct linkages to other lines of the Metro Rail system. Metro is also constructing the Regional Connector Project, which will extend the Metro Gold Line from the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station to the 7th Street Metro Center Station in Downtown Los Angeles, allowing passengers to transfer to Blue, Expo, Red and Purple Lines, bypassing Union Station. The 1.9-mile alignment will serve Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Civic Center, The Historic Core, Broadway, Grand Avenue, Bunker Hill, Flower Street, and the Financial District. 668 S. Alameda Street 3-2 ESA PCR

4 3.2 Related Projects CEQA requires that EIRs analyze cumulative impacts. As defined in the State CEQA Guidelines Section 15355, a cumulative impact consists of an impact which is created as a result of the combination of the project evaluated in the EIR together with other projects causing related impacts. State CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(a) states that an EIR must discuss cumulative impacts of a project when the project's incremental effect is cumulatively considerable, as defined in Section 15065(a)(3). Where a lead agency is examining a project with an incremental effect that is not "cumulatively considerable," a lead agency need not consider that effect significant, but must briefly describe its basis for concluding that the incremental effect is not cumulatively considerable. However, an EIR should not discuss impacts which do not result in part from the project evaluated in the EIR. Furthermore, when the combined cumulative impact associated with the project's incremental effect and the effects of other projects is not significant, the EIR must briefly indicate why the cumulative impact is not significant and is not discussed in further detail in the EIR. A lead agency may determine that a project's contribution to a significant cumulative impact will be rendered less than cumulatively considerable and thus is not significant. A project's contribution is less than cumulatively considerable if a project is required to implement or fund its fair share of a mitigation measures designed to alleviate the cumulative impact. A lead agency must identify facts and analysis supporting the lead agency's conclusion that the cumulative impact is less than significant. In addition, State CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(b) indicates that the analysis of cumulative impacts shall reflect the severity of the impacts and the likelihood of occurrence, but the discussion need not provide as great of detail as provided for the effects attributable to the project alone. Instead, the discussion should be guided by the standards of practicality and reasonableness, and should focus on the cumulative impact to which the identified other projects contribute rather than the attributes of the other projects which do not contribute to the cumulative impact. A project has "cumulatively considerable" or significant cumulative impacts, when its incremental effects "are considerable when viewed in connection with the effects of past projects, the effects of other current projects, and the effects of probable future projects." For an adequate discussion of significant cumulative impacts, the State CEQA Guidelines (Section 15130(b)(1)(A) and (B)) allow an EIR to determine cumulative impacts and reasonably foreseeable growth based on either of the following methods: A list of past, present, and reasonably anticipated future projects producing related or cumulative impacts; or A summary of projections contained in an adopted general plan or related planning document designed to evaluate regional or area wide conditions. For the purposes of the cumulative impacts analysis for the Project, the City has opted to use the list approach for evaluating cumulative effects. The list of related projects was provided by the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) and Planning Department as well as 668 S. Alameda Street 3-3 ESA PCR

5 other recent studies of projects in the area. The list of 163 identified related projects is provided in Table 3-1, Related Projects List, with the locations of each of the related projects shown in Figure 3-1, Related Projects Map. Although the projects listed in Table 3-1 serve as the primary basis for evaluation of cumulative impacts, the related projects may vary among certain environmental issues, as the geographic contexts of certain issue areas may vary. The cumulative analyses for each environmental issue, including a discussion regarding the identification of relevant related projects are provided in their applicable sections in Chapter 4, Environmental Impact Analysis, of this Draft EIR. TABLE 3-1 RELATED PROJECTS LIST 1. Apex Ph I 900 S Figueroa Street Condos 629 units 27,000 SF 2. Bus Maintenance & Inspection Facility 454 E Street Other 2 acres 3. Vibiana Lofts (Mixed-Use) 225 S. Los Angeles Street Condos 4. Northeast Tower (Mixed-Use) 215 W. 9th Street Condos 5. Amacon Project 1133 S Hope Street 300 units 3,400 SF 210 units 9,000 SF 208 units 5,029 SF 6. 5th & Olive (formerly Park Fifth Project) 437 S. Hill Street 600 units 13,872 SF 7. 11th & Hill Project 1115 S. Hill Street Condos 8. Warehouse//Manufacturing 1115 S Boyle Avenue Warehouse Manufacturing 9. 8th/Hope/Grand Project 609 W. 8th Street Condos 172 units 6,850 SF 294,256 SF 76,576 SF 65,949 SF 225 units 200 rooms 30,000 SF 32,000 SF 10. MTA Bus Facility 920 N Vignes Street Other Ten50 Mixed-Use (Formerly Glass Tower) 1050 S Grand Avenue Condos 151 units 3,472 SF 2,200 SF 12. Embassy Tower 848 S. Grand Avenue Condos 420 units 38,500 SF 13. Zen Mixed-Use Project (Kawada Tower) 250 S. Hill Street Condos 330 units 12,000 SF 14. Wilshire Grand Project 900 W Wilshire Boulevard 900 rooms 400,000 SF 668 S. Alameda Street 3-4 ESA PCR

6 15. Boyle Heights MU Project (Wyvernwood) 16. Washington Blvd Opportunity - Mercy housing 2901 E Olympic Boulevard Daycare Library 220 E Washington Boulevard 4,400 units 185,000 SF 150,000 SF 15,000 SF 15,000 SF 357 units 7,750 SF 7,750 SF 17. Medical Expansion 1828 E Cesar Chavez Street 32,300 SF 18. Linda Vista Senior Housing and Medical 610 St. Louis Street Condos Med. 97 units 33,000 SF 19. Grand Avenue 237 S Grand Avenue Condos 20. Metropolis Mixed-Use 899 S Francisco Street Condos 21. LA Civic Center 150 N. Los Angeles Street Childcare 1,648 units 412 units 30,000 SF 32,000 SF 1,558 units 70,000 SF 712,500 SF 35,000 SF 2,500 SF S. Olive Street 100 units 23. Mixed-Use 928 S. Broadway Condos 24. SPR - Mixed-Use 1306 Hope Street 25. G12 Mixed-Use 1200 S Grand Avenue 26. Mixed-Use 534 S. Main Street Fast Food 27. Mixed-Use 840 S. Olive Street Condos 28. Mixed-Use 710 S. Grand Avenue 17 units 670 units 58,800 SF 34,824 SF 419 units 42,000 SF 640 units 45,000 SF 3,500 SF 160 units 18,000 SF 3,500 SF 303 units 9,680 SF 700 units 27,000 SF 5,000 SF S. Grand Avenue 7,149 SF 30. Santa Fe Freight Yard Redevelopment 950 E 3rd Street School/Other 635 units 20,062 SF 532 SF 31. / 201 S. Broadway / 27,765 SF 668 S. Alameda Street 3-5 ESA PCR

7 32. The City Market (Mixed-Use) 1057 S. San Pedro Street Condos Cinema 33. Mixed-Use 400 S. Broadway Bar 34. Mixed-Use 233 W Washington Boulevard S. Olive Street 1001 S. Olive Street 36. Camden Arts Mixed-Use 1525 E Industrial Street 37. Mixed-Use 1000 S. Grand Avenue 38. Hill Street Mixed-Use 920 S. Hill Street 39. Broadway Mixed-Use 955 S. Broadway 40. Mixed-Use 801 S. Olive St 41. Flower Mixed-Use 1212 W Flower Street Condos 877 units 58 units 224,900 SF 294,600 SF 210 rooms 744 seats 450 units 10,000 SF 5,000 SF 160 units 24,000 SF 201 units 4,100 SF 328 units 27,300 SF 6,400 SF 5,700 SF 274 units 12,000 SF 239 units 5,400 SF 201 units 6,000 SF 331 units 10,000 SF 730 units 10,500 SF 70,465 SF 42. Olympic & Olive Mixed-Use Project 960 S. Olive Street 263 units 14,500 SF 43. Mixed-Use 820 S. Olive Street 44. Mixed-Use 601 S. Main Street 45. Mixed-Use 2051 E 7th Street 46. Mixed-Use (Herald Examiner) 1111 S. Broadway 47. Mixed-Use 1148 S. Broadway 48. DTLA South Park Site S Grand Avenue 49. DTLA South Park Site S Olive Street 589 units 4,500 SF 452 units 25,000 SF 240 units 8,000 SF 3,500 SF 214 units 10,000 SF 94 units 2,500 SF 666 units 20,690 SF 362 units 4,000 SF 668 S. Alameda Street 3-6 ESA PCR

8 S Grand Avenue 51. Variety Arts (Mixed-Use) 940 S Figueroa Street Theater Bar 52. La Plaza Cultura Village 527 N Spring Street Specialty 53. Mixed-Use (Coca Cola) 963 E. 4th Street 54. Mixed-Use (Sears Project) 2650 E Olympic Boulevard 55. Mixed-Use 826 S Mateo Street Condos 56. Mixed-Use 737 S. Spring Street Pharmacy/Drug Store Mateo 520 S Mateo Street Live/Work Live/Work Museum 58. (Palmetto & Mateo) 555 S Mateo Street 59. Mixed-Use 1147 E Palmetto 60. Mixed-Use 2030 E 7th Street 61. Mixed-Use 732 S. Spring Street 62. Mixed-Use 340 S. Hill Street 118 units 5,125 SF 1,942 seats 10,056 SF 5,119 SF 345 units 23,000 SF 21,000 SF 11,000 SF 75,000 SF 25,000 SF 20,000 SF 1,000 units 34,000 SF 46,000 SF 230,000 SF 90 units 11,000 SF 5,600 SF 320 units 25,000 SF 600 units 90,000 SF 10,000 SF 20,000 SF 30,000 SF 50,000 SF 130,000 SF 120 units 141 rooms 20,000 SF 243,000 SF 40,000 SF 303 units 7,200 SF 428 units 6,700 SF S Santa Fe Avenue 65,812 SF 64. Mixed-Use 360 S Alameda Street 55 units 2,500 SF 6,300 SF 668 S. Alameda Street 3-7 ESA PCR

9 65. The Reef - LA Mart/SOLA Village 1900 S Broadway Condominiums Gallery/Museum Gym 900 units 550 units 210 rooms 143,100 SF 180,000 SF 17,600 SF 8,000 SF S. Astronaut e.s. Onizuka Street 77 units 67. Clinic at 7th & Wall 649 S. Wall Street Medical Assisted Living 66 emp 55 beds 68. Metro Emergency Security Operations Center 410 N Center Street 110,000 SF S Mateo Street 12,882 SF 70. Medallion Phase S. Main Street 71. Alexan South Broadway 850 S. Hill Street S Alameda Street 400 S Alameda Street 73. Mixed-Use 700 W 9th Street Condominiums 471 units 27,780 SF 5,190 SF 300 units 3,500 SF 3,500 SF 66 rooms 2,130 SF 840 SF 629 units 27,000 SF 74. Giannini Place (Nomad ) 649 S Olive Street 241 rooms 75. Grand Residence 1229 S Grand Avenue Condominiums S Hill MU 940 S. Hill Street 77. Mixed Use 719 E 5th Street 78. Mixed-Use 2130 E Violet Street th & Olive MU 1340 S Olive Street 80. Mixed-Use 1334 S Flower Street / 81. Mixed-Use (Private Club) 929 E 2nd Street Event Space Health Club 161 units 3,000 SF 232 units 14,000 SF 160 units 10,057 SF 94,000 SF 3,500 SF 4,000 SF 156 units 5,000 SF 10,000 SF 188 units 10,096 SF 42,019 SF 18,261 SF 40,249 SF 5,383 SF 668 S. Alameda Street 3-8 ESA PCR

10 82. Spring St 633 Spring Street Bar 83. LUXE Mixed-Use project 1020 S Figueroa Street Condominiums 84. Mixed Use (Revised) 1800 E 7th Street 176 rooms 5,290 SF 8,430 SF 650 units 300 rooms 40,000 SF 40,000 SF 122 units 13,600 SF E 16th Street 8,515 SF S Flower St Residential 1400 S Flower Street 87. Mixed Use 745 S Spring Street Condominiums 88. Fig Central 1101 S Flower Street Condominiums 89. Circa (1200 Figueroa Project) 1200 S Figueroa Street Condominium 147 units 6,921 SF 247 units 10,675 SF 504 units 183 rooms 166,000 SF 648 units 48,000 SF S Grand Ave 1201 S Grand Avenue Condominium 126 units 91. Hoxton 1060 S Broadway 164 rooms S Hope St 888 S Hope Street 526 units S Broadway 950 S Broadway 30 units 7,500 SF 94. Forest City/South Park (1) 1100 S Hill Street & 1200 S Broadway 95. South Park SE Corner of 9th Street & Figueroa Street 391 units 15,000 SF 341 units 96. Title Insurance Building 433 S Spring Street 320,000 SF 97. Broadway Trade Center 801 S Broadway 400,000 SF 150 rooms 98. The Grand SE Corner of Grand Avenue & 1st Street 450 units 300 rooms S Broadwday 537 S Broadwday 45,000 SF 100. Clark 426 S Hill Street 348 rooms 101. Freehand 416 W 8th Street 200 rooms 102. Proper 1106 S Broadway 148 rooms 103. Olympic Tower 815 W Olympic Boulevard / 374 units 373 rooms 33,498 SF 65,074 SF 104. Mitsui Fudosan (8th & Figueroa Tower) 744 S Figueroa Street 436 units 10,000 SF 668 S. Alameda Street 3-9 ESA PCR

11 105. CitiGroup Plaza Phase III 755 S Figueroa Street 106. SunCal 6th Street & Alameda Street Condominiums School Museum 107. Brooks Building 644 S Broadway Bar 500,000 SF 200,000 SF 1,305 units 431 units 265,000 SF 64,000 SF 18,000 SF 18,000 SF 295 rooms 30 units 2,500 SF 108. Cecil Renovation 640 S Main Street 301 units 109. Garland Building 740 S Broadway 47 units E 5th St 801 E 5th Street 160 units 7,500 SF S Hill St 825 S Hill Street 490 units 112. Amp Lofts 695 S Santa Fe Avenue Live/Work 320 units 20,000 SF 113. Beacon Tower 343 S Hill Street 428 units 114. Broadway and Olympic Condos 995 S Broadway Condominiums 163 units 115. Broadway Palace Olympic Boulevard & Broadway 686 units 116. Catalina Building 443 S San Pedro Street Live/Work 78 units 117. E on Grand 1249 S Grand Avenue 115 units 5,000 SF 118. Holland Partner Group/Eighth and Spring 755 S Spring Street 275 units 8,900 SF 119. Jade Enterprises/Topaz 6th Street & Main Street 159 units 23,000 SF 120. Olive DTLA Pico Boulevard & Olive Street 293 units 121. SB Omega 6th Street & Main Street 452 units 122. Row DTLA 7th Street & Alameda Street 1.3 million SF 123. Budokan of Los Angeles S Los Angeles Street Sports Complex 63,000 SF 124. Merced Theater and Masonic Hall 450 N Main Street TV Studio Auditorium 18,000 SF 50 seats 125. Ford Factory Building 7th Street & Santa Fe Avenue 254,000 SF 126. Harris Building Conversion 11th Street & Main Street 52,000 SF 127. Soho House 1000 S Santa Fe Avenue 16 rooms 128. Embassy 831 S Grand Avenue 183 rooms 129. Fig + Pico Conference Center s S Figueroa Street 1,162 rooms 13,145 SF 130. Figueroa 939 S Figueroa Street 268 rooms 131. Tuck 820 S Spring Street 14 rooms 668 S. Alameda Street 3-10 ESA PCR

12 S Alameda St Mixed-Use 330 S Alameda Street Live/Work N Spring Street N Spring Street Colyton Street 527 S Colyton Street Mateo Street 676 Mateo Street //Art Production E 5th Street 1100 E 5th Street //Art Production Main Street 1100 Main Street 186 units 10,415 SF 11,925 SF 203 units 21,3000 SF 310 units 11,375 SF 172 units 14,975 SF 8,050 SF 218 units 18,400 SF 9,200 SF 379 units 26,000 SF S Santa Fe Avenue 640 S Santa Fe Avenue // 107,000 SF E 7th Street 1745 E 7th Street Bay Street 2110 Bay Street S Santa Fe Avenue 1200 S Santa Fe Avenue th & Hill Tower 5th Street & Hill Street 143. Fashion District Tower 222 E 7th Street 144. Fifth and Hill 333 W 5th Street Condominiums 145. Mixed-Use 215 W 14th Street 146. Mixed-Use Project (Megatoys) 905 E 2nd Street Condominiums 147. Mixed-Use Project 1011 E Adams Boulevard 57 units 6,000 SF 110 units 50,000 SF 53 units 13,000 SF 242 units 200 rooms 52,500 SF 452 units 13,655 SF 100 units 200 rooms 27,500 SF 154 units 10,700 SF 320 units 18,712 SF 80 units 17,372 SF 148. SPR-Mixed-use Onyx West & East 1300 S Hope Street 419 units 42,000 SF 149. Manufacturing 2710 S Compton Avenue Manufacturing Warehousing S Main Street 433 S Main Street Condominiums Mixed-Use 36,260 SF 50,504 SF 161 units 6,900 SF 668 S. Alameda Street 3-11 ESA PCR

13 151. Arts District Center (Mixed-Use) 1129 E. 5 th St, 1101 E. 5th St South Colyton St., South Seaton St. 228 units 27,860 SF 28,400 SF 23,000 SF 149 rooms 27,700 SF Mesquit 670 Mesquit Street Creative S Mateo Street 1000 S Mateo Street Live/Work E Violet Street 2117 E Violet Street Live/Work N Center Street 234 N Center Street S Hewitt Street 405 S Hewitt Street S Santa Fe Avenue 710 S Santa Fe Avenue Heavy Manufacturing to Regional Center Zone Change E 4 th Street 940 E 4 th Street Live/Work E Bay Street 2159 E Bay Street Condominiums S Alameda Street 334 S Alameda Street Live/Work Imperial Street 641 Imperial Street Live/Work 944,055 SF308 units 236 Rms 136,152 SF 104 units 121,556 SF 509 units 288,230 SF 430 units 8,742 SF 14,906 SF 255,514 SF units 20,248 SF 4 units 220,000 SF 994 units 99,300 SF 140 units 14,700 SF 162 Tribune (LA Times) South Tower Project 163 Southern California Flower Market Project 222 W 2nd Street Condominiums 755 S Wall Street 107 units 593,312 SF 8,000 SF 53,200 SF 323 units 8,945 SF Source: Gibson Transportation Consulting, Inc., S. Alameda Street 3-12 ESA PCR

14 Not to scale SOURCE: Gibson Transportation Consulting, Inc., S. Alameda Street Figure 3-1 Related Projects Map

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