SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL Response to Comments
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Final EIR SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL Response to Comments SCH # 2017091080 Prepared for August 2018 Los Angeles Unified School District Final EIR SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL Response to Comments Prepared for August 2018 Los Angeles Unified School District 2121 Alton Parkway Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92606 949.753.7001 www.esassoc.com Bend Oakland San Francisco Camarillo Orlando Santa Monica Delray Beach Pasadena Sarasota Destin Petaluma Seattle Irvine Portland Sunrise Los Angeles Sacramento Tampa Miami San Diego 160855 OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY | ESA helps a variety of public and private sector clients plan and prepare for climate change and emerging regulations that limit GHG emissions. ESA is a registered assessor with the California Climate Action Registry, a Climate Leader, and founding reporter for the Climate Registry. ESA is also a corporate member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3). 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TABLE OF CONTENTS San Pedro High School Comprehensive Modernization Project Final Environmental Impact Report Draft EIR (bound under separate cover) Page Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Background .............................................................................................................1-1 1.2 Use of the Final EIR and the CEQA Process .........................................................1-3 1.3 Method of Organization ...........................................................................................1-4 1.4 Focus of Comments ................................................................................................1-4 1.5 Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures ...................................................1-5 Chapter 2: Errata ...................................................................................................................2-1 Chapter 1.0, Introduction, of the Draft EIR ......................................................................... 2-1 Section 3.2, Cultural Resources, of the Draft EIR ............................................................2-2 Chapter 3: Response to Comments....................................................................................3-1 Letter 1: Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation ...........................................3-2 Responses to Letter 1: Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation ...........3-3 Letter 2: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) .................3-4 Responses to Letter 2: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) .................................................................................................. 3-12 Letter 3: South Coast Air Quality Management District ................................................ 3-14 Responses to Letter 3: South Coast Air Quality Management District ................ 3-17 Letter 4: State of California, Native American Heritage Commission ........................... 3-22 Responses to Letter 4: State of California, Native American Heritage Commission .......................................................................................................... 3-27 Letter 5: City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation ...................................................... 3-37 Responses to Letter 5: City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation ..................... 3-41 Letter 6: Jim Pike ........................................................................................................... 3-48 Responses to Letter 6: Jim Pike .......................................................................... 3-49 Letter 7: Amy Thornberry .............................................................................................. 3-50 Responses to Letter 7: Amy Thornberry .............................................................. 3-51 Letter 8: Transcript of Public Meeting ........................................................................... 3-53 Responses to Letter 8: Transcript of Public Meeting ......................................... 3-105 San Pedro HS Comprehensive Modernization Project i Los Angeles Unified School District Final Environmental Impact Report August 2018 Table of Contents\ Appendix A: Draft Environmental Impact Report Tables 1-1 Summary of Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures ....................................1-6 3-1 List of Comments Received ..........................................................................................3-1 San Pedro HS Comprehensive Modernization Project ii Los Angeles Unified School District Final Environmental Impact Report August 2018 CHAPTER 1 Introduction This Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) was prepared pursuant to the State of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970 (as amended) (California Public Resources Code 21000 et seq.) and in accordance with the State Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA Guidelines). The proposed Project addressed in this Final EIR is the San Pedro HS Comprehensive Modernization Project. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the CEQA lead agency for this EIR. To comply with the CEQA, LAUSD has prepared the San Pedro High School (proposed Project) Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The proposed Project would include renovations, modernizations, and new construction at San Pedro High School (San Pedro HS) to serve existing and future high school-aged students within the LAUSD service boundary. LAUSD, as the Lead Agency, has prepared this Draft EIR to provide the public and trustee agencies with information about the potential effects on the local and regional environment associated with implementation of the proposed Project. This Draft EIR has been prepared in compliance with the CEQA of 1970 (as amended), codified at California Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et. Seq. and the CEQA Guidelines in the Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3. San Pedro HS currently serves grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 and is located on a 22.90-acre site in the community of San Pedro. San Pedro HS has a current enrollment of approximately 2,350 students. The proposed Project would include renovations, modernizations, and new construction at San Pedro HS. The proposed Project would include: the construction of a Band and Industrial Arts Building, a Central Plant, Lunch Shelters, and a new Administration, Food Services, and Classroom Building; modifications and/or upgrades to the existing Administration Building, the Physical Education Building (Old Gym), the Home Economics Building, Classroom Building 1, and Classroom Building 2; site-wide improvements to accessibility and site-wide upgrades to infrastructure; and the demolition and/or removal of the Industrial Arts Building, Metal Shop Building, and Lunch Shelter/Food Service Unit, four portable (relocatable) buildings, and one modular building. Upon completion of Project construction, San Pedro HS would have 69 classrooms, consisting of 23 existing classrooms, 34 remodeled classrooms, and 12 new classrooms. 1.1 Background Pursuant to Section 15082 of the CEQA Guidelines, the lead agency is required to send a Notice of Preparation (NOP) stating that a Draft EIR will be prepared to the state Office of Planning and Research (OPR), responsible and trustee agencies, and federal agencies involved in funding or San Pedro HS Comprehensive Modernization Project 1-1 Los Angeles Unified School District Final Environmental Impact Report August 2018 1. Introduction approving the proposed Project. The NOP must provide sufficient information for responsible agencies to make a meaningful response. At a minimum, the NOP must include a description of the project, location of the project, and probable environmental effects of the project (CEQA Guidelines Section 15082(a)(1)). Within 30 days after receiving the NOP, responsible and trustee agencies and the OPR shall provide the lead agency with specific detail about the scope and content of the environmental information related to that agency’s area of statutory responsibility that must be included in the Draft EIR (CEQA Guidelines Section 15082(b)). On September 29, 2017, in accordance with Sections 15063 and 15082 of the CEQA Guidelines, LAUSD published a NOP for the Draft EIR and circulated it to government agencies, elected officials, organizations, and persons who may be interested in the proposed Project, including nearby landowners, student parents and/or legal guardians, homeowners, and tenants. The NOP requested comments on the scope of the Draft EIR and asked that those agencies with regulatory authority over any aspect of the proposed Project to describe that authority. The comment period went through October 28, 2017. The NOP provided a general description of the proposed Project a description of the Project area, and a preliminary list of potential environmental impacts. On October 3, 2017, in accordance with CEQA Section 21083.91, LAUSD sponsored a public meeting to obtain comments from interested parties on the scope of the Draft EIR. The purpose of the meeting was to present the proposed Project to the public through use of display maps, diagrams, and a presentation describing the proposed Project components and potential environmental impacts.