Hermosa Beach Office Douglas Carstens Phone: (310) 798-2400 Chatten-Brown, Carstens & Minteer LLP Email Address: San Diego Office 2200 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 318
[email protected] Phone: (858) 999-0070 Direct Dial: Phone: (619) 940-4522 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-798-2400 Ext. 1 www.cbcearthlaw.com January 14, 2021 Councilmember Mike Bonin Los Angeles City Hall 200 N. Spring Street, Room 475 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Email:
[email protected] Alan Como, AICP City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning 221 North Figueroa Street, Suite 1350 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Email:
[email protected] RE: Response to Notice of Preparation-Berggruen Institute Project at 1901 North Sepulveda Boulevard and 2100-2187 North Canyonback Road; EIR No. ENV-2019-4565-EIR Dear Councilmember Bonin and Mr. Como: On behalf of Mountaingate Open Space Maintenance Association (MOSMA) we write to express adamant opposition to the proposed Berggruen Institute (BI) project (the Project) as it is currently proposed. The initial study (IS) identifying areas to be addressed in an environmental impact report (EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) raises many serious questions and causes extensive concerns, which are explained below. Instead of processing this Project further, the Project should be immediately denied.1 A. The Berggruen Institute Event and Conference Center The Project site is 447-acres of primarily undeveloped land located within the Mountaingate community in the City of Los Angeles surrounded by existing single- family residential uses characterized by distinct residential neighborhoods associated 1 Immediate denial of the Project would save the City scarce time and planning resources.