8Th, Grand and Hope Project
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8th, Grand and Hope Project Case Number: ENV-2017-506-EIR Project Location: 754 South Hope Street; 609 and 625 West 8th Street, Los Angeles, California 90017 Community Plan Area: Central City Council District: 14—Huizar Project Description: The Project proposes to develop a 45-story mixed-use building on an approximately 36,178-square-foot (0.83-acre) site located within the Central City Community Plan Area of the City of Los Angeles (City). The Project would consist of 547 residential dwelling units, up to 7,499 square feet of ground floor commercial/retail/restaurant space, and 37,216 square feet dedicated to a charter school for grades K–5 (hereinafter referred to as the Project). The Project would provide a maximum of 562,696 square feet of floor area with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 9.37:1. In addition, the Project includes an option wherein an additional 33 residential units may be constructed in lieu of the school use, resulting in a total of 580 residential units for the option. Under this scenario in which the school is not developed, a maximum of 556,459 square feet of floor area would be developed with a total FAR of 9.27:1. The Project would also include three subterranean levels to a maximum depth of 63 feet below ground level. With 45 stories, the building would have a maximum height of 592 feet above ground level. The parking would be provided in three subterranean levels and on four levels above the street level uses. To accommodate the Project, an existing surface parking lot and four-level parking structure would be demolished. PREPARED FOR: The City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning PREPARED BY: Eyestone Environmental, LLC APPLICANT: Mitsui Fudosan America May 2019 INITIAL STUDY TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of an Initial Study ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Organization of the Initial Study ............................................................................................. 2 1.3 CEQA Process ....................................................................................................................... 2 2. Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 4 3. Project Description ......................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Project Summary ................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Environmental Setting ............................................................................................................ 9 3.3 Description of Project ........................................................................................................... 14 3.4 Requested Permits and Approvals ...................................................................................... 30 4. Environmental Impact Analysis .................................................................................................. 32 I. Aesthetics ....................................................................................................................... 32 II. Agriculture and Forest Resources................................................................................... 38 III. Air Quality ........................................................................................................................ 40 IV. Biological Resources ...................................................................................................... 42 V. Cultural Resources.......................................................................................................... 46 VI. Energy ............................................................................................................................. 48 VII. Geology and Soils ........................................................................................................... 49 VIII. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ........................................................................................... 55 IX. Hazards and Hazardous Materials .................................................................................. 56 X. Hydrology and Water Quality .......................................................................................... 61 XI. Land Use and Planning ................................................................................................... 67 XII. Mineral Resources .......................................................................................................... 68 XIII. Noise ............................................................................................................................... 69 XIV. Population and Housing .................................................................................................. 70 XV. Public Services................................................................................................................ 72 XVI. Recreation ....................................................................................................................... 77 XVII. Transportation ................................................................................................................. 78 XVIII. Tribal Cultural Resources................................................................................................ 79 XIX. Utilities and Service Systems .......................................................................................... 81 XX. Wildfire ............................................................................................................................ 87 XXI. Mandatory Findings of Significance ................................................................................ 89 8th, Grand and Hope Page i City of Los Angeles Initial Study May 2019 Appendices Appendix IS-1 Shadow Studies Appendix IS-2 Native Tree Protection Report Appendix IS-3 South Central Coastal Information Center Records Search Results Appendix IS-4 Preliminary Geotechnical Engineering Investigation Appendix IS-5 Paleontological Resources Records Search Results Appendix IS-6 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and Phase II Screening Subsurface Assessment Appendix IS-7 Hydrology and Water Quality Technical Memorandum Appendix IS-8 Utility Technical Memorandum 8th, Grand and Hope Page ii City of Los Angeles Initial Study May 2019 List of Figures Page Figure 1 Project Location Map ....................................................................................................... 10 Figure 2 Location of Project Site within a Transit Priority Area ......................................................11 Figure 3 Aerial Photograph of the Project Vicinity .......................................................................... 13 Figure 4 Conceptual Site Plan ....................................................................................................... 16 Figure 5 Site Plan—Level 1 (Ground Level) ..................................................................................17 Figure 6 Building Section Looking North ........................................................................................ 18 Figure 7 Building Section Looking East ......................................................................................... 19 Figure 8 Conceptual Rendering—View from Southwest ................................................................20 Figure 9 Open Space and Recreational Amenities—Level 5 .........................................................22 Figure 10 Open Space and Recreational Amenities—Levels 6 and 7 (Layered) ............................. 23 Figure 11 Open Space and Recreational Amenities—Level 17 .......................................................24 Figure 12 Open Space and Recreational Amenities—Level 31 .......................................................25 Figure 13 Open Space and Recreational Amenities—Level 44 .......................................................26 8th, Grand and Hope Page iii City of Los Angeles Initial Study May 2019 List of Tables Page Table 1 Summary of Proposed Floor Area ...................................................................................15 Table 2 Summary of Proposed Parking ........................................................................................28 Table 3 LAMC Section 12.21-G—Open Space Required and Provided by the School Option .............................................................................................................................. 74 Table 4 LAMC Section 12.21-G—Open Space Required and Provided by the No School Option .................................................................................................................. 76 Table 5 Estimated Project Solid Waste Generation ......................................................................86 8th, Grand and Hope Page iv City of Los Angeles Initial Study May 2019 INITIAL STUDY 1. INTRODUCTION An application for the proposed 8th, Grand and Hope Project (“Project”) has been submitted to the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning for discretionary review. The Department of City Planning, as Lead Agency, has determined that the project is subject to the California Environmental