TABLE OF CONTENTS Times Mirror Square Project Final Environmental Impact Report Page Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1-1 1. Purpose of the Final EIR ............................................................................................... 1-1 2. Project Summary ........................................................................................................... 1-1 3. Overview of the CEQA Public Review Process for the Draft EIR ................................. 1-2 4. Organization of Final EIR .............................................................................................. 1-5 Chapter 2: Responses to Comments ........................................................................................... 2-1 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2-1 2. Responses to Comments .............................................................................................. 2-5 Chapter 3: Revisions, Clarifications, and Corrections .............................................................. 3-1 Chapter 4: Mitigation Monitoring Program ................................................................................. 4-1 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 4-1 2. Organization .................................................................................................................. 4-1 3. Administrative Procedures and Enforcement ............................................................... 4-2 4. Program Modification .................................................................................................... 4-3 5. Project Design Features, Mitigation Measures, and Implementation ........................... 4-3 Appendices A: Original Comment Letters B: AB 52 Conclusion of Consultation Letter C: Discussion fo Modifications to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines Tables 2-1 Comments Received in Response to the Draft EIR...................................................... 2-2 Times Mirror Square Project City of Los Angeles Final Environmental Impact Report September 2019 i Chapter 1 Introduction 1. Purpose of the Final EIR The City of Los Angeles (City), as the Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), has prepared this Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Times Mirror Square Project (Project). This document, in conjunction with the Draft EIR, comprise the Final EIR. As described in Sections 15088, 15089, 15090 and 15132 of the State CEQA Guidelines, the Lead Agency must evaluate comments received on the Draft EIR and prepare written responses and consider the information contained in a Final EIR before approving a project. Pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15132, a Final EIR consists of: (a) the Draft EIR or a revision of the Draft; (b) comments and recommendations received on the Draft EIR either verbatim or in summary; (c) a list of persons, organizations, and public agencies commenting on the Draft EIR; (d) the responses of the Lead Agency to significant environmental points raised in the review and consultation process; and (e) any other information added by the Lead Agency. Accordingly, the Final EIR for the Project comprises two parts as follows: • Part 1: Draft EIR and Technical Appendices – Volume 1: Draft Environmental Impact Report (Chapters I through VIII) – Volume 2: Draft Environmental Impact Report – Appendices A through P • Part 2: Final EIR and Technical Appendices – Volume 3: Final Environmental Impact Report (Chapters 1 through 4) and Appendices A and B 2. Project Summary The Times Mirror Square Project (Project) proposes to preserve and rehabilitate the Times, Plant, and Mirror Buildings and demolish the Executive Building and parking structure for construction of the new North and South Towers. The Project’s North and South Towers would be constructed over a 5-story Podium and, from street grade, the North Tower would rise 37 stories or approximately 495 feet above grade. The South Tower would rise 53 stories or approximately 665 feet above grade. The North Tower would contain 450 residential units and the Times Mirror Square Project City of Los Angeles Final Environmental Impact Report September 2019 1-1 1. Introduction South Tower would contain 677 residential units, for a total of 1,127 residential units. A proposed Paseo would separate the existing Times, Plant, and Mirror Buildings from the new towers and intersect the Project Site between the W. 1st Street and W. 2nd Street sidewalks. The three buildings to be retained, which have a total existing floor area of approximately 376,105 square feet, currently include office and cafeteria uses, and are aligned along S. Spring Street, with frontages along both W. 1st Street and W. 2nd Street. Under the Project, there would be a total of 1,127 residential units, approximately 307,288 square feet of commercial office uses, approximately 18,817 square feet of commercial restaurant uses, and an approximately 50,000 square-foot grocery store. The three retained and rehabilitated historic buildings would be separated from the west side of the block by the Paseo. The Draft EIR concluded that the Project would result in significant and unavoidable impacts on: (1) Project and cumulative air quality during construction; (2) historic resources from the removal of the Executive Building and parking structure; (3) Project and cumulative construction noise and vibration impacts; (4) and traffic impacts at one intersection under the Existing with Project scenario (Intersection No. 11) and at six intersections under the Future with Project scenario (Intersection Nos. 1, 5, 10, 11, 12, and 17). 3. Overview of the CEQA Public Review Process for the Draft EIR In compliance with the State CEQA Guidelines, the City as the Lead Agency for the Project, has provided opportunities for the public to participate in the environmental review process. As described below, throughout the environmental review process, an effort was made to inform, contact and solicit input from the public and various Federal, State, regional, and local government agencies and other interested parties on the Project. a) Initial Study/Notice of Preparation At the onset of the environmental review process and pursuant to the provisions of Section 15082 of the State CEQA Guidelines, the City circulated a Notice of Preparation (NOP) to State, regional, and local agencies, and members of the public for a 32-day review period, commencing June 30, 2017 and ending July 31, 2017. The purpose of the NOP was to formally convey that the City was preparing a Draft EIR for the proposed Project, and to solicit input regarding the scope and content of the environmental information to be included in the Draft EIR. See Appendix A-1, Notice of Preparation, and Appendix A-2, Initial Study, to the Draft EIR (Volume 2). Times Mirror Square Project City of Los Angeles Final Environmental Impact Report September 2019 1-2 1. Introduction The NOP included notification that a public scoping meeting would be held on July 25, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium of the Los Angeles Police Department Police Administrative Building located at 100 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, California 90012. The meeting was held in an open house or workshop format and provided interested individuals, groups, and public agencies the opportunity to view materials, ask questions, and provide oral and written comments to the City regarding the scope and focus of the Draft EIR as described in the NOP and Initial Study. The presentation materials and other documentation from the scoping meeting are provided in Appendix A-3, Scoping Meeting Materials, to the Draft EIR (Volume 2). Written comment letters responding to the NOP were submitted to the City by public agencies and interested individuals and organizations. Comment letters were received from eight public agencies: (1) California Native American Heritage Commission; (2) California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; (3) Department of Toxic Substances Control; (4) General Services Administration (on behalf of the United States Government [Courthouse]); (5) Los Angeles County Law Library; (6) Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro); (6) Los Angeles Sanitation; (7) Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG); (8) South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). An additional three written comments were provided by organizations and/or individuals via mail, e-mail, or submittal at the NOP Scoping Meeting. Three attendees at the Scoping Meeting filled out a sign-in sheet and/or shared oral comments. Copies of the written comments are provided in Appendix A-4, NOP and Scoping Meeting Comments, to the Draft EIR (Volume 2). b) Draft Environmental Impact Report In accordance with the provision of Sections 15085(a) and 15087(a)(1) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the City, serving as the Lead Agency: (1) published a Notice of Completion and Availability (NOCA) of a Draft EIR and posted the notice with the Los Angeles County Clerk, indicating that the Draft EIR was available for review at the City‘s Planning Department (Environmental Analysis Section, 221 N. Figueroa Street, Room 1350, Los Angeles, CA 90012); (2) provided copies of the NOCA and Draft EIR