CITY OF RAJiCHO PALOS VERDES MEMORANDUM TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM: CAROLYNN PETRU, AICP, ACTING CITY MANAGER~ DATE: APRIL 1, 2014 SUBJECT: BORDER ISSUES STATUS REPORT Project Manager: Kit Fox, AICP, Senior Administrative Analy~ RECOMMENDATION ~ Receive and file the current report on the status of Border Issues. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This month's report includes: • A final report on the Ponte Vista project at the former Navy housing site on Western Avenue in Los Angeles (San Pedro); • An update on recent issues and events related to the Rancho LPG butane storage facility in Los Angeles (San Pedro); and, • A report on proposed renovation and expansion of the Peninsula Center shopping center in Rolling Hills Estates. BACKGROUND The following is the regular bi-monthly report to the City Council on various "Border Issues" potentially affecting the residents of Rancho Palos Verdes. The complete text of the current status report is available for review on the City's website at: http:llpalosverdes.comlmvlplanninglborder issues/2014120140401 Borderlssues StatusRpt.cfm DISCUSSION Current Border Issues Ponte Vista Project at Former Navy Housing Site, Los Angeles (San Pedro) The Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee of the Los Angeles City Council met again to consider the Ponte Vista project at its meeting on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 (see attached agenda and Staff report). The Committee reviewed the draft F-1 MEMORANDUM: Border Issues Status Report April 1, 2014 Page 2 ordinances prepared for the project by the Los Angeles City Attorney, and forwarded a recommendation of approval to the Los Angeles City Council. On Tuesday, March 4, 2014, the Los Angeles City Council met to consider the Ponte Vista project's specific plan, development entitlements and final environmental impact report. With no public opposition to the project expressed at the hearing, it was unanimously approved by the City Council. At this point, assuming that no legal challenge is filed, the developer is expected to begin demolishing the remaining strictures on the site and preparing it for development later this year. The Ponte Vista. project has been a fixture of the Border Issues Status Report for more than a decade. With the Los Angeles City Council's action, Staff will remove this item from future Border Issues reports. However, Staff will continue to monitor the progress of the project, and to report periodically on its status in the Weekly Administrative Report. Rancho LPG Butane Storage Facility, Los Angeles (San Pedro) As "Late Correspondence" at the February 4, 2014, City Council meeting, Senator Ted Lieu's office sent the attached e-mail and additional correspondence from the State Fire Marshal and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES). These letters clarified that the State Fire Marshal does have jurisdiction over the butane storage tanks, and that no violations were noted when they were last inspected in March 2012. The letter from CalOES also noted that the facility had passed recent local, State and Federal inspections. On February 10, 2014, the City received a request from Rudy Svorinich on behalf of Rancho LPG Holdings for the City to remove certain content related to the Rancho LPG facility from the City's website (see attachments). Staff sent the attached response to Mr. Svorinich on February 20, 2014, declining to remove this content on the grounds that it expresses its authors' beliefs and views, and is a matter of public record since it was submitted to the City in relation to a matter on a City Council agenda. In the past two (2) months, interested parties have continued to forward items regarding and related to Rancho LPG via e-mail. Copies of these e-mails are attached to tonight's report. Staff will continue to monitor this project in future Border Issues reports. New Border Issues Peninsula Shopping Center Revitalization Project, Rolling Hills Estates On February 18, 2014, Staff learned of a proposed project to revitalize the Peninsula Shopping Center in Rolling Hills Estates (see attached "Notice of Intent"). The Peninsula Shopping Center is located at the southwest corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Silver Spur Road, diagonally across the intersection from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. Although the shopping center and most of the streets surrounding it are located in Rolling Hills Estates, single-family neighborhoods overlooking the shopping center to the north and east are located in Rancho Palos Verdes. F-2 MEMORANDUM: Border Issues Status Report April 1, 2014 Page3 As described in the Notice of Intent: The proposed project consists of an expansion and remodel of the Peninsula Shopping Center, providing for a net increase of 16,579 square feet of commercial building spc;ice, increasing the center's total size to 310,776 square feet. The new building space would be provided in three (3) new outlying building pads and two (2) expanded outlying retail/restaurant pads (replacing a vacant fast-food establishment and a vacant retail building). Various additional changes to the center are proposed, including demolishing the existing pedestrian colonnade and constructing a drive aisle in its place, reconfiguring parking and circulation facilities, consolidating existing tenant spaces, improving sidewalks, and installing new signage and landscaping. On March 4, 2014, Staff submitted the attached comments on the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) to the City of Rolling Hills Estates. Staff's comments focused on possible late-night noise impacts upon Rancho Palos Verdes residents related to new, free-standing restaurants on the northerly perimeter of the shopping center, and corrections and clarifications to the traffic and parking study. On March 17, 2014, the Rolling Hills Estates Planning Commission considered this project (see attached agenda and Staff report). Although Rolling Hills Estates Planning Staff expressed aesthetic reservations about some aspects of the project's architecture and signage, it was generally well-received. The Staff report included responses to our City's issues of concern regarding noise and traffic. The draft project resolutions are expected to come back to the Rolling Hills Estates Planning Commission for adoption later this month. Staff will continue to monitor this project in future Border Issues reports. Attachments: • PLUM Committee agenda and Staff report for Ponte Vista project (dated 2/25/14) • Daily Breeze articles regarding Ponte Vista project (published 2/26/14 & 3/5/14) • E-mail and attachments from Senator Lieu's office regarding the Rancho LPG facility (dated 2/4/14) • Letter from Rudy Svorinich regarding Rancho LPG content on the City's website (received 2/10/14) • Response to Rudy Svorinich's letter regarding Rancho LPG content on the City's website (dated 2/20/14) • E-mails and Late Correspondence related to the Rancho LPG facility (miscellaneous dates) • Peninsula Center Revitalization Project NOi (received 2/18/14) • City comments on MND for Peninsula Center Revitalization project (dated 3/4/14) • RHE Planning Commission agenda and Staff report for Peninsula Center Revitalization project (dated 3/17 /14) • Daily Breeze article regarding Peninsula Canter Revitalization project (published 3/20/14) M:\Border lssues\Staff Reports\20140401_Borderlssues_StaffRpt.docx F-3 PLUM Committee agenda and Staff report for Ponte Vista project F-4 REVISED - PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Tuesday, February 25, 2014 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS EDWARD R. ROYBAL HEARING ROOM 350 - 2:30 PM 200 NORTH SPRING STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 ***NEW ITEM NO. 8 ADDED*** MEMBERS: COUNCILMEMBER JOSE HUIZAR, CHAIR COUNCILMEMBER GILBERT A. CEDILLO COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL ENGLANDER (Sharon Gin - Legislative Assistant- (213)-978-1074 or email Sharon.Gin@lacity org) Click hem for agenda packets Note: For information regarding the Committee and its operations, please contact the Committee Legislative Assistant at the phone number and/or email address listed above. The Legislative Assistant may answer questions and provide materials and notice of matters scheduled before the City Council. Sign Language Interpreters, Communication Access Real-Time Transcription (CART), Assistive Listening Devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability, you are advised to make your request at least 72 hours prior to the meeting/event you wish to attend. Due to difficulties in securing Sign Language Interpreters, five or more business days notice is strongly recommended. For additional information, please contact the Legislative Assistant listed above. ITEM NO. (1) 14-0155 CD12 TIME LIMIT: 3/20/14; LAST DAY FOR COUNCIL ACTION· 3/19/14 Communication from the Mayor relative to the appointment of Mr. Oshin Harootoonian to the North Valley Area Planning Commission for the term ending June 30, 2015. Community Impact Statement: None submitted. ITEM NO. (2) 14-0153 CD 11 TIME LIMIT: 3/20/14: LAST DAY FOR COUNCIL ACTION: 3/19/14 Communication from the Mayor relative to the appointment of Mr. Thomas Donovan to the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission for the term ending June 30, 2017. Community Impact Statement: None submitted. F-5 ITEM NO. (3) 14-0143 CD 11 TIME LIMIT: 4/16/14; LAST DAY FOR COUNCIL ACTION: 4/11/14 Report from the Cultural Heritage Commission relative to the inclusion of the Hunt Residence, located at 7 Oakmont Drive, in the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. Owner: Robert Hanasab Trust Applicant: City of Los Angeles, Department