VESTING TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 74761 (map stamp-dated June 28, 2018) HEARING DATE: October 16, 2019, 10:30 A.M., City Hall Room 1020 PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT PURSUANT TO ORDINANCE NO. 164,845, IF A CERTIFICATE OF POSTING HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED BEFORE THE DATE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, IT MUST BE PRESENTED AT THE HEARING, OR THE CASE MUST BE CONTINUED. REQUEST The Advisory Agency will consider: 1. The information contained in the Environmental Impact Report prepared for this project, which includes the Draft EIR, No. ENV-2016-4676-EIR (SCH No. 2017061083) dated March 2019, and the Final EIR, dated September 2019 (Times Mirror Square Project EIR), as well as the whole of the administrative record; 2. Pursuant to the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 17.15, a Vesting Tentative Tract Map (VTT-74761) for the merger and resubdivision of the project site into nine lots for condominium purposes; and 3. A haul route for the export of up to 364,000 cubic yards of soils. PROJECT ADDRESS 121, 145, 147 S. Spring Street; 100, 102, 106, 108, 110, 118, 120, 124, 126, 128, 130, 140, 142 S. Broadway; 202, 212, 214, 220, 224, 228, 230, 234 W. 1st Street; 205, 211, 221 W. 2nd Street RELEVANT CASES ON-SITE: CPC-2016-4675-TDR-VCU-MCUP: A concurrent request that includes the following entitlements: 1) Pursuant to LAMC Section 14.5.6 A, a Transfer of Floor Area Rights (TFAR) greater than 50,000 square feet of floor area for the transfer of 548,440 square feet of floor area from the Los Angeles Convention Center (Donor Site) to the Project Site (Receiver Site); 2) Pursuant to LAMC Sections 12.24 W.19 and 12.24 T, a Vesting Conditional Use to permit floor area averaging within a unified development; and 3) Pursuant to LAMC Section 12.24 W.1, a Master Conditional Use to permit the sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption at up to three establishments, and on-site consumption at up to 16 establishments. On October 16, 2019, the Hearing Officer, on behalf of the City Planning Commission, will take testimony regarding the requests. VESTING TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 74761 Page 2 ENV-2014-1362-EIR: Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Times Mirror Square Project. The Draft EIR was dated March 28, 2019 and comments were accepted from March 28, 2019 to May 20, 2019. The Final EIR was published on September 20, 2019. On October 16, 2019, the Deputy Advisory Agency, and Hearing Officer on behalf of the City Planning Commission, will consider, pursuant to Section 21082.1(c) of the California Public Resources Code, the adequacy of ENV-2016- 4676-EIR (SCH No. 2017061083), findings, accompanying mitigation measures, and Mitigation Monitoring Program as the environmental clearance for the project. The Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Report was issued on September 20, 2019. OFF-SITE: Case No. VTT-74320: A pending application for Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 74320, for a 10-lot airspace subdivision for merger, resubdivision, and condominium purposes in conjunction with a proposed mixed-use project comprised of 107 residential condominium units, 534,044 square feet of office uses, and 7,200 square feet of ground floor commercial space, located at 232 West 2nd Street. PUBLIC RESPONSES Since the distribution of the hearing notice, Planning Staff has received one email and subsequent phone call inquiring about the haul route for the project, and two emails inquiring about the public hearing. As of the release of this report, no further comments related to these inquiries have been received. BACKGROUND Project Summary The subject tract map is for the merger and resubdivision of the 3.6-acre site into nine lots for condominium purposes. In a concurrent request under Case No. CPC-2016-4675- TDR-VCU-MCUP, the Project Applicant is requesting a Transfer of Floor Area Rights (TFAR) greater than 50,000 square feet, a Vesting Conditional Use Permit to permit floor area averaging within a unified development, and a Master Conditional Use to permit the sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on- and off-site consumption. The Project Site is located on an approximately 3.6-acre city block bounded by West 1st Street, South Spring Street, West 2nd Street, and South Broadway Street. The Project Site is currently improved with five structurally distinct but internally connected buildings previously occupied by the Los Angeles Times offices, a bank, and other office uses. The buildings were constructed between the 1930s and 1970s and range from four to 10 stories in height. The buildings include the eight-story Times Building, the 4-story Plant Building, the 10-story Mirror Building, the six-story parking structure, and the six-story Executive Building. In total, the existing on-site buildings comprise approximately 559,863 square feet of floor area. VESTING TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 74761 Page 3 The Times Mirror Square Project (Project) would construct a new mixed-use development and rehabilitate the Times, Plant, and Mirror Buildings. The existing Executive Building at the corner of 1st Street and Broadway and parking garage at the corner of 2nd Street and Broadway would be demolished to allow for the development of the Project’s new mixed- use component. New development, consisting of the 37-story “North Tower” and 53-story “South Tower” would contain a maximum of 1,127 residential units and up to 34,572 square feet of commercial floor area, and would be constructed above a five-story parking podium. The space below the podium would contain an additional nine (9) levels of subterranean parking. The combined new commercial and residential floor area would total up to 1,135,803 square feet. The existing Times, Plant, and Mirror Buildings have a combined floor area of 376,105 square feet. In total, including new construction and existing buildings to remain, the Project proposes up to 1,511,908 square feet of floor area, resulting in a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 9.42:1. Location and Setting The Project Site comprises a full city block bounded by West 1st Street, South Spring Street, West 2nd Street, and South Broadway, in the Central City Community Plan area within Downtown Los Angeles. Major highways serving the Project vicinity include the US-101 freeway approximately 0.25 miles to the north of the Project Site, and State Route 110, approximately 0.75 miles to the west of the Project Site. Major arterials providing access to the Project vicinity include 1st Street, Broadway, and Spring Street. The surrounding Downtown area is characterized by a concentration of government-related uses, high- and mid-rise office buildings, residential buildings, hotels, retail uses, museums, and cultural districts. The Project Site is located within the Central City Community Plan Center City/Historic Core district, which contains a concentration of historically and architecturally significant buildings, including the iconic City Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the historic Times, Plant, and Mirror Buildings, which are components of the Project. Project Site and Characteristics The topography of the Project Site and surrounding vicinity is relatively flat with a gentle slope to the south. The rectangular site has approximately 485 feet of frontage along Broadway and Spring Street, and approximately 330 feet of frontage along 1st Street and 2nd Street. The Central City Community Plan designates the Project Site for Regional Center Commercial land uses, corresponding to the C2-4D-SN Zone. As mentioned above, the Project Site is currently improved with the eight-story Times Building, the 4- story Plant Building, the 10-story Mirror Building, the six-story parking structure, and the six-story Executive Building. The project site is not located within a hillside area, Very High Fire Severity Zone, Alquist Priolo Fault Zone, or Methane Hazard Site. Adjacent Uses North: To the north of the project site across 1st Street, land uses consist of the Los VESTING TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 74761 Page 4 Angeles Civic Center, and Grand Park, a 16-acre park extending from City Hall to the south of N. Spring Street to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to the north of Grand Avenue. Immediately to the north of the Project Site is the 1.96-acre First and Broadway Civic Center Park, a public park currently under development. Adjoining the south side of Grand Park along the E. 1st Street frontage are the seven-story Los Angeles County Law Library, the 10-story Los Angeles County Stanley Mosk Courthouse, and the 10-story Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration. The 20-story Clara Shortridge Folz Criminal Justice Center adjoins the north side of Grand Park. City Hall is located just to the northeast of the Project Site and the United States Courthouse is located just to the north of City Hall. East: To the east of the Project Site across Spring Street is the 10-story Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Headquarters Building. Los Angeles City Hall is located diagonally across Spring Street and 1st Street from the Project Site. Public parks and plazas are associated with City Hall along Main and Los Angeles Streets, and include Los Angeles Civic Center Mall. Land uses to the east of the LAPD Headquarters building include the State of California Caltrans Building, occupying the block bounded by Main Street, 1st Street, Los Angeles Street, and 2nd Street. The approximately 21-story DoubleTree Hotel is located to the south of the Caltrans Building, south of S. Los Angeles Street. South: Low- and mid-rise office buildings, enclosed parking structures, and surface parking lots are the predominant land uses to the south of the Project Site.