IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS A. LAND USE 2. PHYSICAL LAND USE This Section describes the land uses within the Project Site and in the immediately surrounding properties and analyzes the physical relationships between the two. Section IV.A.1 (Land Use – Land Use Plans/Zones) of this EIR describes the consistency of the Project with adopted planning and zoning regulations applicable to the Project Site and surrounding areas. Section IV.D (Visual Resources) of this EIR provides additional information with respect to the existing views and visual characteristics of the Project Site as seen from the surrounding neighborhoods. 1. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING a. Project Site Overview b. Existing Surrounding Uses i. East of the Project Site (1) Commercial Uses (a) Mullen Building/Historic Fire Station No. 28 (2) Residential Uses (3) Hotel and Private Social Club Uses (4) Public Uses (5) Outlying Areas ii. South of the Project Site (1) Commercial Uses (2) Residential Uses (3) Hotel Uses (4) Outlying Areas iii. West of the Project Site (1) Commercial Uses (2) Residential Uses (3) Outlying Areas Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project IV.A.2. Land Use – Physical Land Use Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.A.2-1 City of Los Angeles July 2010 iv. North of the Project Site (1) Commercial Uses (2) Residential Uses (3) Private Club Uses (4) Outlying Areas 2. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS a. Thresholds of Significance b. Methodology c. Project Design Features d. Project Impacts i. Impacts at Eastern Boundary (1) Commercial Uses (a) Signage (b) Mullen Building/Historic Fire Station No. 28 (i) Signage (2) Residential Uses (a) Signage (3) Hotel and Private Club Uses (a) Signage (4) Public Uses (a) Signage (5) Outlying Areas (a) Signage ii. Impacts at Southern Boundary (1) Commercial Uses (a) Signage Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project IV.A.2. Land Use – Physical Land Use Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.A.2-2 City of Los Angeles July 2010 (2) Residential Uses (a) Signage (3) Hotel Uses (a) Signage (4) Outlying Areas (a) Signage iii. Impacts at Western Boundary (1) Commercial Uses (a) Signage (2) Residential Uses (a) Signage (3) Outlying Areas (a) Signage iv. Impacts at Northern Boundary (1) Commercial Uses (a) Signage (2) Residential Uses (a) Signage (3) Private Club Uses (a) Signage (4) Outlying Areas (a) Signage e. Land Use Equivalency Program f. Design Flexibility Program 3. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS 4. PROJECT DESIGN FEATURES AND MITIGATION MEASURES Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project IV.A.2. Land Use – Physical Land Use Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.A.2-3 City of Los Angeles July 2010 5. LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE AFTER MITIGATION Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project IV.A.2. Land Use – Physical Land Use Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.A.2-4 City of Los Angeles July 2010 1. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING a. Project Site Overview The approximately 3.2-acre Project Site is located in the Central City (downtown) area of the City of Los Angeles (the “City”) and is generally bounded by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, Francisco Street to the west, 7th Street to the south, and Figueroa Street to the east. The downtown area encompasses an urbanized, densely developed area that serves as the central core of government, commerce, industry, culture, and entertainment for the City. Within the downtown area, the Project Site is located within the Financial Core subarea. Figures II-1 (Regional and Project Vicinity Map) and II-2 (Aerial Photograph) in Section II (Project Description) of this EIR provide regional, Project location, and aerial maps of the Project Site and area. The Project Site consists of two parcels (APN 5144-008-020 and 5144-008-021) and encompasses the following addresses: 900 and 930 Wilshire Boulevard; 655, 685, 695, and 699 Figueroa Street; and 916, 925, and 935 7th Street. The Project Site is located approximately 0.04 miles east of Interstate 110 (the “Harbor Freeway”), 1.02 miles south of Interstate 101 (the “Hollywood Freeway”), 1.05 miles north of Interstate 10 (the “Santa Monica Freeway”), and 2.6 miles west of Interstate 5 (the “Golden State Freeway”). These highways provide regional access to the Project Site. Modified Major Secondary Highways serving the Project area include Wilshire Boulevard, Figueroa Street, and Olympic Boulevard. The Project Site is located directly across from the 7th Street/Metro Center/Julian Dixon station (the “7th Street/Metro Center station”) , which provides access to the Red, Purple, and Blue rail transit lines operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and to other hubs of the regional transit system via Los Angeles Union Station. The subway runs in a tunnel beneath 7th Street adjacent to the Project Site. Currently, the Project Site is developed with the 16-story Wilshire Grand Hotel and Centre, which consists of 896 hotel rooms, approximately 215,000 square feet of office uses, approximately 206,600 square feet of hotel amenity, accessory retail and restaurant uses, and subterranean parking with 286 parking spaces. The amenities for the hotel include meeting rooms, ballroom, pool and spa, and fitness facilities. Access to the subterranean parking garage is provided via Francisco Street and 7th Street and valet parking is provided on Wilshire Boulevard and 7th Street. Existing signage is limited to tenant identification and wall signs (including building identification signs over 100 feet), way-finding, and Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC)-required signage. Figure II-3 (Existing Site Plan) in Section II (Project Description) shows the existing uses located on the Project Site. Photographs depicting existing land uses on the Project Site are provided in Section III (Environmental Setting) of this EIR. b. Existing Surrounding Uses It should be noted that for purposes of the analysis found in this Section the following north, east, south, and west boundaries have been established for the Project area (please refer to Figure IV.A.2-1, [Surrounding Areas for Analysis]). Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project IV.A.2. Land Use – Physical Land Use Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.A.2-5 City of Los Angeles July 2010 • West of the Project Site: South of Wilshire Boulevard, west of Figueroa Street, north of 9th Street, and east of Lucas Avenue/Garland Avenue. • North of the Project Site: South of 4th Street, north of Wilshire Boulevard, west of Figueroa Street, and east of Lucas Avenue/South Bixel Street. • East of the Project Site: South of 4th Street, west of Hill Street, north of 7th Street, and east of Figueroa Street. • South of the Project Site: North of Olympic Boulevard, west of Hill Street, south of 7th Street, and east of Figueroa Street. The Project Site is located within the Financial Core of the downtown area. The Financial Core is bounded by 5th Street to the north, Hill Street to the east, 8th Street to the south, and the Harbor Freeway to the west. The Financial Core is dominated by contemporary high-rise office buildings as well as groundfloor retail shops, and the historic Los Angeles Central Library and Maguire Gardens (Central Library). Among the most prominent high-rise office buildings are the Library Tower, Citicorp Center, the Gas Company Tower, the AT&T Building, the twin towers of City National Plaza, Figueroa at Wilshire, and Aon Center. This area also encompasses a few historically significant buildings including the 818 Building, the Mullen Building/Historic Fire Station No. 28, and the Giannini Building.1 As shown in Figure IV.A.2-2 (Immediate Surrounding Land Uses), in the immediate Project vicinity, the Project Site is surrounded by a mix of high-density commercial/retail and office uses contained in structures ranging from small buildings to skyscrapers, which are physically separated from the Project Site by arterial and non-arterial roadways. The nearest multi-family residential uses, which include the Pegasus apartments, Roosevelt Lofts, the Piero apartments, 1010 Wilshire apartments, the Medici, and the Gas Co. Lofts, are each located approximately 500 feet away from the Project Site to the east, southeast, north, northwest, west, and south respectively. Figure IV.A.2-1 (Surrounding Areas for Analysis) shows the areas discussed below. i. East of the Project Site As shown in Figure IV.A.2-2 (Immediate Surrounding Land Uses), Figueroa Street is conceptually the eastern boundary of the Project Site. Figueroa Street generally runs northeast-southwest and is designated as a Modified Major Secondary Highway. (1) Commercial Uses As shown in Figure IV.A.2-2 (Immediate Surrounding Land Uses), to the east of the Project Site, across the Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street intersection, is Northwestern Mutual Plaza comprised of a six-story building at 835 Wilshire Boulevard, the 15-story Northwestern Mutual Life Building at 888 6th Street, and a five-story, above-ground parking structure fronting Figueroa Street amid these two 1 City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning, Central City Community Plan, page I-6. Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project IV.A.2. Land Use – Physical Land Use Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.A.2-6 Project Site Northwestern Mutual Life Plaza 811 Wilshire Source: Cartifact Inc., 2009. Figure IV.A.2-1 Surrounding Areas for Analysis VE BEAUDRY A 911 Wilshire Building 288’ - Building Height 23 - Stories Figueroa at Wilshire Building 717’ - Building Height HARBOR FWY 53 - Stories 110 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD 6TH STREET 1000 Wilshire Northwestern Mutual Life Building Plaza Building 350’ - Building