Manhattan Beach Laurie Jester, Senior Planner City Hall 1400 Highland Avenue Manhattan Beach, CA 90266-4795 (310) 802-5500 (310) 802-5501 Fax [email protected]

Responses to Comments

LETTER NO. 21

City of Manhattan Beach Laurie Jester, Senior Planner City Hall 1400 Highland Avenue Manhattan Beach, CA 90266-4795 (310) 802-5500 (310) 802-5501 fax [email protected]

Comment 21-1

The City of Manhattan Beach Community Development Department appreciates the opportunity to review and provide comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report and specifically the Traffic Impact Analysis for the project. We have the following specific comments related to traffic:

1. We are concerned with any potential traffic impacts that the project may have on the City of Manhattan Beach, specifically to Highland Avenue. The intersections of Highland and Rosecrans Avenues, and Highland Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard were analyzed by the Traffic Report and the conclusion was that there would not be a significant impact to these intersections. We are concerned that “cut-through” traffic from the project will use Highland Avenue as a route to avoid Sepulveda Boulevard and other congested north-south arterials. Any impacts to Highland Avenue and any other streets and intersections in the City of Manhattan Beach should be mitigated to a level of insignificance.

Response 21-1

A detailed analysis of the Proposed Project's traffic impacts has been performed and is presented in Section IV.K.(1) of the Draft EIR. The Traffic Study measured the performance of 218 key intersections within an approximately 100 square mile study area described in Section IV.K.(1) of the Draft EIR, beginning on page 828 and in Technical Appendix K-2. Of the intersections analyzed, six are located in the City of Manhattan Beach. As noted by the commentor, the Draft EIR concludes that no intersections within the City of Manhattan Beach, including the intersections of Highland Avenue/Rosecrans Avenue and Highland Avenue/Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Because no significant impacts were found at these locations, no mitigation measures are proposed or necessary.

City of Los Angeles/EIR No. ENV-2002-6129-EIR Village at Playa Vista Final EIR State Clearinghouse No. 2002111065 April 2004

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Comment 21-2

2. Overall, it appears that the Project will not create project related significant traffic impacts within the City of Manhattan Beach when added to existing or future traffic conditions. However, the Traffic Analysis concludes that the net effect of cumulative projects in the region will create significant traffic impacts if no improvements are made to the area’s circulation network in the future. Major improvements will be necessary at many of the studied intersections to maintain an acceptable level of service in the future, therefore the project, and future projects should consider contributing a fair-share traffic mitigation fee for these cumulative impacts that can be used for future improvements of roadways or intersections at or near all of these impacted locations, not limited to those areas within the City of Los Angeles.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to receiving the Final EIR as well as notifications of any future public hearings, workshops or meetings. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact me at (310)-802-5510 or by e-mail at, [email protected], our traffic engineer Erik Zandvliet at (310)-802-5540 or by email at [email protected].

Response 21-2

As noted by the commentor, Subsection 6.0, Section IV.K.(1) of the Draft EIR, page 941, concludes that the Proposed Project could contribute to potentially significant cumulative impacts at locations that may operate poorly under cumulative conditions. As described in subsection 2.1.4, Section IV.K.(1) of the Draft EIR, on page 800, the City of Los Angeles Coastal Transportation Corridor Specific Plan provides a funding mechanism for specific transportation imoprovements within central/wetern portions of the City of Los Angeles. No such mechanism currently exists for funding improvements on a regional basis.

The comment is noted and will be incorporated into the Final EIR for review and consideration of decision-makers.

City of Los Angeles/EIR No. ENV-2002-6129-EIR Village at Playa Vista Final EIR State Clearinghouse No. 2002111065 April 2004

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