Department of City Planning
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DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING S UPPLEMENTAL RECOMMENDATION REPORT City Planning Commission Case No.: CPC-2009-598-SP CEQA No.: ENV-2009-599-EIR Date: December 13, 2012 Incidental Cases: None Time: After 8:30 am Related Cases: None Place: City Hall Council No.: 1-Reyes 200 N. Spring Street, Room 350 Plan Area: Central City North Los Angeles, CA 90012 Northeast Los Angeles Silverlake/Echo Public Hearing: Public Hearings held Park/Elysian Valley August 30, October 11, and Specific Plan: None November 8, 2012 Certified NC: Lincoln Heights Historic/Cultural GPLU: Various Continued From : November 8, 2012 Zone: Various Applicant: City of Los Angeles Representative: City of Los Angeles PROJECT The project area is located in portions of the Central City North, Northeast Los LOCATION: Angeles, and Silverlake/Echo Park/Elysian Valley Community Plans. The project is bounded by the intersection of San Fernando Boulevard and Avenue 26 on the north; Pasadena Avenue and the Golden State Freeway (I-5) on the east; Main Street for the portion of the project east of the Los Angeles River (River) and the railroad right of way for the portion of the project west of the River on the south; and Broadway Boulevard on the west. The project area includes portions of the Chinatown and Lincoln Heights communities. The River and the Golden State Freeway bisect the project area north to south and the Arroyo Seco and Arroyo Seco Parkway run east to west through the northeastern section of the project area. The project area includes the Lincoln Heights/Cypress Park Goldline Station and immediately abuts the Chinatown Station and the Heritage Square Station in the southwest and northeast corners of the project area respectively. PROPOSED Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan: The Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan PROJECT: (Proposed Plan) revises land use and zoning, and introduces new building form, urban design, open space, parking, conservation, performance, and street standards to reflect recent shifts in existing conditions such as the opening of the Gold Line, the completion of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan (LARRMP), and the pending development of the Los Angeles State Historic Park (LASHP). The Proposed Plan includes revisions to the Citywide General Plan Framework Element, Transportation Element, and General Plan Land Use designations; Zone changes; and Street Reclassifications. REQUESTED 1. Pursuant to procedures set forth in Section 11.5.6 of the Municipal Code and City ACTIONS: Charter Sections 555 and 558, amend the Central City North, Northeast Los Angeles, and Silverlake/Echo Park/Elysian Valley Community Plans as part of the General Plan of the City of Los Angeles, as modified in the attached Plan Resolution (Exhibit A), the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan, (Exhibit B) and CPC-2009-598-SP Page 2 Corresponding Zone and Land Use Changes (Exhibits C, F) 2. Pursuant to Section 12.32 of the Municipal Code, rezoning actions to effect changes of zone as identified on the Land Use Designation Map (Exhibit F) and Zone Change Map (Exhibit C). 3. Pursuant to procedures set forth in Section 11.5.6 of the Municipal Code and City Charter Sections 555 and 558, amend the Highways and Freeways Map of the Transportation Element of the General plan to reclassify selected streets within the Central City North, Northeast Los Angeles, and Silverlake/Echo Park/Elysian Valley Community Plans as shown on the Street Redesignation Matrix (Exhibit D- A2). RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: 1. Approve the Staff Report dated October 11, 2012 and this Supplemental Staff Report as the Commission’s report on the subject. 2. Approve and Recommend that the Mayor approve and the City Council adopt the attached Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan (Exhibit B), Land Use Change Maps (Exhibit C) amending the Central City North, Northeast Los Angeles, Silverlake/Echo Park/Elysian Valley Community Plans as part of the General Plan of the City of Los Angeles, as modified. 3. Approve and Recommend that the City Council adopt the requested zoning actions to effect the changes of zone as identified in the Zone Change Ordinance and Map (Exhibit D). 4. Instruct the Department of City Planning to finalize the necessary zone change ordinances to be presented to City Council, and make other technical corrections as necessary. 5. Authorize the Director of Planning to present the resolution (Appendix A) and Plan (Exhibit B) to the Mayor and City Council, in accordance with Sections 555 and 558 of the City Charter. 6. Amend the Highways and Freeways Map of the Transportation Element of the General Plan to reclassify selected streets within the Central City North, Northeast Los Angeles, Silverlake/Echo Park/Elysian Valley Community Plans as shown in the Street Modification Table in the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan and the Modified Street Cross-Sections A2. in the Plan’s Appendices (Exhibit B). 7. Approve and Recommend that the City Council adopt the Administrative Code Amendment establishing the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Floor Area Trust Fund (Exhibit F). 8. Find that the City Planning Commission has reviewed and considered the Environmental Impact Report ENV-2009-599-EIR (Appendix E) in its determination approving the Proposed Plan, and transmit the EIR to the City Council for certification . 9. Approve and Recommend that the City Council Adopt the Statement of Overriding Considerations . TABLE OF CONTENTS Proposed Plan Analysis ............................................................................................ A-1 Proposed Plan Summary………………………………………………………….A-1 Background……………………………………………………… ……………….. A-1 Discussion of Key Issues………………………………………..........................A-2 Exhibits (Attached): A. Draft Resolution B. Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan + Appendices 1. Specific Plan 2. Appendices C. Proposed Land Use Designation Change Map D. Proposed Zone Change Ordinance and Map E. Final Environmental Impact Report (includes DEIR, RP-DEIR and Appendices) F. Administrative Code Amendment CPC-2009-598-SP A-1 PROPOSED PLAN ANALYSIS Summary On October 11 th and November 8 th 2012 the City Planning Commission (CPC) held public hearings on the Proposed Plan. At the October 11 th hearing there were 31 speakers, many of whom spoke in general support of the Plan but expressed concern over certain issues. Most of the concerns centered on the topics of affordable housing, public parking and protections for industrial development. Based upon the public testimony and subsequent deliberation, the CPC continued the item until November 8, 2012. At the November 8 th hearing, in light of the staff-suggested changes (see below) to parking and industrial design standards, there were 12 speakers, most of whom again spoke in general support but continued to express concern over a couple of remaining issues. Affordable housing continued to dominate the comments and a few developers and/or their representatives continued to press for specific modifications to address site-specific issues. Due to the affordable housing concerns raised on October 11 th the CPC formed an Ad Hoc Sub- Committee (Sub-Committee) of four commissioners to permit the opportunity for further discussion with developers and financing experts of affordable housing projects. The Sub- Committee met once with City Planning staff (staff) and affordable housing experts on October 22, 2012 to discuss concerns that the proposed residential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 2.5:1 in the Urban Village would discourage the development of affordable housing. Subsequent to the October 11 th hearing, staff also worked closely with stakeholders to resolve concerns that particular standards with the Proposed Plan could unintentionally constrain parking flexibility and limit industrial development. Based upon the conversations with stakeholders, staff decided to eliminate the public parking requirement and adjust a variety of design standards to facilitate the expansion of light industrial development within the Plan area. These changes were introduced at the November 8 th hearing and are discussed in further detail below. In light of an independent analysis with respect to the impact of the 2.5:1 FAR on affordable housing (that was presented to the CPC on November 8 th) the item was once again continued in order to provide the development community and other stakeholders the opportunity to review the analysis which, along with other public comments submitted to the CPC, was posted on the Department’s website at: planning.lacity.org/ Ordinances/Proposed Ordinances/Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan. Background The Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan (Proposed Plan) is a regulatory land use ordinance as permitted by Section 11.5.7 of Volume 1 of the City’s Municipal Code. The City establishes specific plans to address area specific land use needs and concerns. The Plan is the result of several years of planning and community engagement that involved community workshops, meetings and conversations with residents, employers, property owners, and community business, and environmental organizations as well as staff input from numerous City, County, State, and federal departments. The Proposed Plan anticipates that by 2035 the population within the Proposed Plan could reach 31,855, that there could be a total of 8.776 units and that there could be a total of 10,546 jobs. As of 2007 the population within the Proposed Plan was 5,304 and there were 1,448 CPC-2009-598-SP A-2 housing units and 2,908 jobs. To enable this growth and to achieve the goals of the General Plan and the LARRMP the Proposed Plan establishes four new zoning districts: Urban Village, Urban Center, Urban Innovation, and Greenway (See Appendix B1- Zoning Districts Map). The Plan also includes an area-specific Density Bonus Option, a Community Benefit Option, and a Transfer of Floor Area (TFAR) program which together provide incentives for affordable housing, community benefits (open space, child care, library), and the preservation of lower- density industrial and residential uses, open space, and historic resources. The Plan includes a variety of standards addressing building form and massing, urban design, park, conservation, maintenance, noise, parking and streets.