LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. RECIRCULATED DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT JANUARY 2014 MELROSE TRIANGLE CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 3.1 INTRODUCTION This Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared to evaluate the potential environmental impacts that may result from a proposed mixed-use commercial and residential project known as the Melrose Triangle project (proposed project) in the City of West Hollywood (City). This section of the Recirculated Draft EIR provides a detailed description of the proposed project, including a description of the location, existing site conditions, project characteristics, and required discretionary approvals. The City, as the Lead Agency, has the authority to prepare the Recirculated Draft EIR and, after the public review process, certify the Recirculated Final EIR (FEIR) and approve the proposed project. The City and Responsible Agencies have the authority to make decisions on discretionary actions relating to the development of the proposed project. This Recirculated Draft EIR is intended to serve as an informational document to be considered by the City and the Responsible Agencies during their deliberations on the proposed project. A Draft EIR was previously circulated from January 17, 2008, to March 3, 2008. Based on comments received during the public review period and because the City subsequently adopted an updated General Plan, the Applicant revised the project. Therefore, in compliance with Public Resources Code Section 21092.1 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5, the City prepared this Recirculated Draft EIR. 3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 3.2.1 Overview of the Project Site The project site, at the west boundary of the City, consists of 10 contiguous parcels totaling approximately 3.05 gross acres, with a net developable area of 2.69 acres. The triangular site is bounded by Santa Monica Boulevard to the north, Almont Drive to the east, Melrose Avenue to the south, and Doheny Drive to the west, as shown on Figure 3.1. Doheny Drive serves as the boundary between the incorporated cities of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. The existing addresses for the project site are: 9040, 9060, 9080, and 9098 Santa Monica Boulevard; 603, 607, 617, 623, 629, and 633 Almont Drive; and 9001 and 9021 Melrose Avenue. The project site is within a developed urban area of the City and is surrounded primarily by commercial and retail uses. The project site is generally flat, although the street level elevation bordering the site drops approximately 13 feet from west to east and north to south. The existing uses on site consist of commercial, office, light industrial buildings, paved parking lots, and a parking structure. The existing buildings are unconsolidated individual structures that lack visual continuity, and the site contains a limited amount of ornamental vegetation. P:\CWH1002\Draft EIR\Section 3.0 Project Description January 2014.doc «12/09/13» 3-1 RECIRCULATED DRADRAFTFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. MELROSE TRIANGLE JANUARY 2014 CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD 3.2.2 Existing On-Site and Adjacent Land Uses The existing uses on the project site consist of office, retail (e.g., art galleries, a furniture showroom), service commercial (e.g., hair salons, clothing alterations), light industrial (e.g., upholstery), and parking. The site is developed with two office buildings along Santa Monica Boulevard that are two and three stories high. There is a one-story building on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Almont Drive and a two-story building between the largest office building and the one-story building abutting Santa Monica Boulevard; however, the building address and entry are on Almont Drive. There are three single-story buildings (an upholstery shop, a furniture showroom, and an antique shop) along Almont Drive. There are two buildings along Melrose Avenue, a single-story building housing primarily art galleries and a three-story office building. Existing parking areas on the project site include various small storefront parking lots, two larger surface parking lots (in the west and central parts of the site), rooftop parking above the art gallery building, and a three-level parking structure in the eastern part of the site. Vehicular access to the site includes a driveway from Santa Monica Boulevard to the central parking lot, driveways from Almont Drive to the parking structure and the rooftop parking area, driveways from Melrose Avenue to the western and central parking lots, and access to various small parking lots along Almont Drive and at the corner of Almont Drive/Santa Monica Boulevard. Existing land uses in the immediate vicinity of the project site are primarily commercial and retail. To the north, there is a variety of commercial uses (e.g., art gallery, karate school, night club, restaurant, office). To the east along Almont Drive, there are primarily furniture and design showrooms, but there is also a large dog-training/kennel business. There are retail/service (e.g., fine art, pet supplies) and office uses south of the site along Melrose Avenue. There is a hotel to the southwest, across the large multiple street intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard/Melrose Avenue/Doheny Drive. To the northwest is Beverly Gardens Park, a small neighborhood open space in the City of Beverly Hills. Extending beyond these uses are multi-family and single-family residential uses to the south on Rangely Avenue, which are separated from the project site by the commercial uses on the south side of Melrose Avenue. There is multi-family housing southwest of the hotel at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard/Melrose Avenue/Doheny Drive. North and west of Beverly Gardens Park is a large neighborhood of single-family homes, with two multi-family residential buildings facing nearby Doheny Drive. An aerial photograph showing the location of the project site and the surrounding land uses is provided in Figure 3.2. 3.3 PROPOSED PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS 3.3.1 Overview of Proposed Project The proposed project would demolish the existing buildings and structures on the project site and would construct a mixed-use commercial and residential development. As shown in Figure 3.3, the development would consist of three primary structures, referred to as Buildings A (the Gateway Building), B1 (the Boulevard Building), and B2 (the Avenue Buildings). Building A would be a single structure on the southwest corner of the project site. Buildings B1 and B2 would be a series of buildings around a central landscaped courtyard. Portions of three buildings would surround a broad paseo running through the center of the project site, which would allow pedestrian access between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue. 3-2 P:\CWH1002\Draft EIR\Section 3.0 Project Description January 2014.doc «12/09/13» LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. RECIRCULATED DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT JANUARY 2014 MELROSE TRIANGLE CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD The building heights of the proposed project would range up to five stories aboveground, with four subterranean levels of parking. Because of the 13-foot elevation change across the project site, the project level that would be accessible from the street along the eastern segments of Melrose Avenue and Almont Avenue is below grade on the northern and western parts of the project site. The building elements facing Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard west of the paseo would be lower in height and would have fewer stories than those along Santa Monica Boulevard east of the paseo. Figure 3.4 provides a conceptual oblique aerial view of the proposed project, looking northeast across the site. Figures 3.5a to 3.5c provide elevations for the proposed project, from Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, and Almont Drive, respectively. The maximum height of the proposed project would be approximately 70 feet (as measured from adjacent grade), and the floor area ratio (FAR) would be 2.59. The net development area (consisting of the floor area included within the FAR calculation) aboveground would be 302,944 square feet. Table 3.A summarizes the square footage of the proposed land uses. Table 3.A: Project Square Footage Proposed Uses Retail/ Level Restaurant Office Residential Shared 1 Total included in FAR Melrose Level/B1 23,766 1,178 775 2 4,271 29,990 Santa Monica/First Floor 58,255 2,761 1,450 2 1,835 64,301 Second Floor 38,994 31,209 70,203 Third Floor 38,164 29,043 67,207 Fourth Floor 36,913 8,795 45,708 Fifth Floor 19,054 6,481 25,535 Total 82,021 137,064 77,753 6,106 302,944 Source: Studio One Eleven. Melrose Triangle Project Summary. 1 Shared area comprises common access space and mechanical areas. 2 Comprises lobby, stairwells, and elevator areas for residential uses. FAR = Floor Area Ratio 3.3.2 Project Objectives CEQA Guidelines Section 15124(b) requires the project description to contain “[a] statement of the objectives sought by the proposed project.” In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15124(b) states, “[t]he statement of objectives should include the underlying purpose of the project.” The underlying purpose of the proposed project is to provide a mixed-use commercial and residential development project of superior quality and design using sustainable and environmentally superior practices within the Melrose Triangle portion of the City. The proposed project would recognize and pay homage to the importance of pedestrians in the City by creating a project of three detached buildings around a central landscaped courtyard to simultaneously encourage pedestrian activity at the project site while also allowing pedestrian access between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue. The proposed mixed-use development would include residential, retail/restaurant, and office P:\CWH1002\Draft EIR\Section 3.0 Project Description January 2014.doc «12/09/13» 3-3 RECIRCULATED DRADRAFTFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.