Department of City Planning City Hall • 200 N. Spring Street, Room 601 • Los Angeles, CA 90012 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WEST LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY PLAN AREA Casden Sepulveda Project Case No. ENV-2008-3989-EIR Council Districts Nos. 5 and 11 Development Project Location: 11122-11150 Pico Boulevard and 2431-2441 South Sepulveda Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90064 Add Area Project Location: 11240, 11250, 11120, 11160, and 11110 Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90064 Development Project Description: The Proposed Development Project includes a mixed-use commercial and residential development, with commercial access along Pico and Sepulveda Boulevards and residential access along Sepulveda and Exposition Boulevards. Part of the Metro railroad easement at the southern portion of the site along Exposition Boulevard between Sepulveda Boulevard and Sawtelle Boulevard is planned for use as rail-line-related infrastructure associated with Phase II of the Metro’s Exposition Light Rail Transit Line (the “Expo Line”). The Development Project would provide Expo Line passengers with pedestrian access to both existing and planned bus stops on both Pico and Sepulveda Boulevards. The Development Project would include a total of approximately 266,800 square feet of retail commercial floor area and 538 residential units (of which 59 would be senior-affordable units), including 56 studios, 262 one-bedrooms, 201 two-bedroom units, and 19 three-bedroom units (approximately 518,764 residential square feet). The Development Project would provide a total of approximately 2,029 parking spaces combined for residential, commercial, and guest use, in compliance with Code requirements. These parking stalls would be provided in up to five subterranean parking levels located below the development. Add Area Project Description: The Proposed Add Area Project includes re-designation of three parcels from Light Industrial and Public Facilities to Community Commercial. APPLICANTS: Development Project: Casden West LA, LLC Add Area Project: City of Los Angeles PREPARED BY: CAJA Environmental Services, LLC November 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page I. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................I-1 II. LIST OF COMMENTERS .......................................................................................................... II-1 III. RESPONSES TO COMMENTS ................................................................................................ III-1 IV. CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS TO THE DRAFT EIR .................................................... IV-1 V. MITIGATION MONITORING REPORT PLAN ....................................................................... V-1 Casden Sepulveda Project Table of Contents Final Environmental Impact Report Page i City of Los Angeles November 2012 APPENDICES Appendix A: Comment Letters Appendix B: Project Trips on Freeways Appendix C: Building Height Map Appendix D: Traffic Counts Appendix E: Supplemental Traffic Analysis Appendix F: Information Request Letter for LAFD Appendix G: Existing Cement Plant Traffic Counts Casden Sepulveda Project Table of Contents Final Environmental Impact Report Page ii I. INTRODUCTION A. INTRODUCTION Before approving a project, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires the lead agency to prepare and certify a Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR). The contents of a Final EIR are specified in Section 15132 of the CEQA Statute and Guidelines, as follows: The Final EIR shall consist of: (a) The Draft EIR or a revision of the Draft. (b) Comments and recommendations received on the Revised Draft EIR either verbatim or in summary. (c) A list of persons, organizations, and public agencies commenting on the Revised Draft EIR. (d) The responses of the Lead Agency to significant environmental points raised in the review and consultation process. (e) Any other information added by the lead agency. The lead agency must provide each agency that commented on the Draft EIR with a copy of the lead agency’s proposed response at least 10 days before certifying the Final EIR. B. BACKGROUND The original public review period for the Draft EIR for the Casden Sepulveda Project was April 12, 2012 to May 29, 2012. The end of the public review period was extended to June 18, 2012. Several comment letters were submitted on the Draft EIR to the City and are included in Appendix A. Responses to all comments received are provided in Section III of the Final EIR. C. ORGANIZATION OF FINAL EIR Together with the Draft EIR, this document constitutes the Final EIR for the Project and includes the following sections: Section I. Introduction: This section provides an introduction to the Final EIR. Section II. List of Commenters: This section includes a list of the persons and agencies who submitted comments on the Draft EIR. Section III. Responses to Comments: This section includes responses to each of the comments submitted by persons and agencies listed in Section II. Casden Sepulveda Project I. Introduction Final Environmental Impact Report Page I-1 City of Los Angeles November 2012 Section IV. Corrections and Additions to the Draft EIR: This section provides corrections and additions to the Draft EIR, based on comments received during and after the public review period and based on staff-initiated text changes. Section V. Mitigation Monitoring Report Plan: This section includes all of the mitigation measures identified to reduce or avoid environmental impacts of the project and notes the monitoring phase, the enforcement phase, and the applicable department or agency responsible for ensuring that each mitigation measure is implemented. Appendices: The appendices to this document include copies of all the comments received on the Draft EIR and additional information cited to support the responses to comments. Casden Sepulveda Project I. Introduction Final Environmental Impact Report Page I-2 II. LIST OF COMMENTERS The agencies and organizations/persons listed below provided written comments on the Draft EIR to the City of Los Angeles (the “City”) during and after the formal public review period from April 12, 2012 to June 18, 2012. Copies of the comments are included in Appendix A to this document. PUBLIC AGENCIES Caltrans Diana Watson, IGR/CEQA Program Manager District 7, Office of Regional Planning IGR/CEQA Branch 100 Main Street, MS #16 Los Angeles, CA 90012-3606 Los Angeles City Council Paul Kortez, Councilmember, Fifth District City Hall 200 N. Spring Street, Room 440 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Natali Kassis PO Box 51111 Los Angeles, CA 90051-0100 Metro Scott Hartwell, CEQA Review Coordinator One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952 Native American Heritage Commission Dave Singleton, Program Analyst 915 Capitol Mall, Room 364 Sacramento, CA 95814 State Clearinghouse Scott Morgan, Director 1400 10th Street PO Box 3044 Sacramento, CA 95812-3044 Casden Sepulveda Project II. List of Commenters Final Environmental Impact Report Page II-1 City of Los Angeles November 2012 PRIVATE AGENCIES/INDIVIDUALS Elisabeth Abarbanel Cary Adams Kenneth Alpern Deva Anderson Toby Arenberg Jack Barnett (sp) Scott Beber (2329 South Bentley Avenue Homeowners Association) Michelle Bekey Adam Bersin Mirja Bishop Robert Bishop Carolyn Broner Roger Christensen Demitra Cimiluca Grant and Lynne Clark Angela Coccio Bennett and Marilyn Cohon Sharon Commins Jim Conger Brian Considine (Westside Village Homeowners Association) Richard Davis Gerald Davison Casden Sepulveda Project II. List of Commenters Final Environmental Impact Report Page II-2 City of Los Angeles November 2012 Pamela Day Pierre del Moral Scott Diamond (Beverlywood Homes Association) Marjoree Dunn Peter Edwards Phyllis Elliot Pamela Emerson Gayle Endo Jennie Fahn Peter Feit David Feldman Judith Fisher Diana Frank Sonya Frederick Andrew Fuligni Dorothy Garven Sharon and Robert Georskey Jeff Gold Robert Goodman Roger Goodman Sarah Hays Margaret Healy Steven Heller Casden Sepulveda Project II. List of Commenters Final Environmental Impact Report Page II-3 City of Los Angeles November 2012 John Hensen Matthew Hetz Phillips Jamatas Diane Kageyama Arthur Kassan Donald Keller (Brentwood Homeowners Association) Erica Korody Goran Lacan Mark and Laura Lacter Ryan Lawrence Peter Leeb Rodney Liber Carol Linnell Lone Logan Judith Lovejoy Gay Macdonald Rose Maly Doug Martin Jane M. Mayer Christopher McKinnon Patricia McKnight Michael Millman Laura Moskowitz Casden Sepulveda Project II. List of Commenters Final Environmental Impact Report Page II-4 City of Los Angeles November 2012 Rae Moss John Murdock Tim Murphy Name Illegible Name Illegible 2 Name Illegible 3 Name Illegible 4 Ed and Elaine Newman Anna Nikoltchev Kathy Nixon Irene Olavarria (sp) David Oliver Dennis Orfirer Gary Paller Mary Rose Pasic Adele Plotkin Bill Pope (I_ReACT) Pam Posey Joyce Purcell Bita Rahebi Jan Riechmann Stephen Resnick Craig Rich Casden Sepulveda Project II. List of Commenters Final Environmental Impact Report Page II-5 City of Los Angeles November 2012 Debbie Rosenthal Jane S (sp) Pari Samuels Lisa Schechter Hans Schieder Sylvia Schiff Elin Schwartz Willa Seidenberg Richard Shaw Sanjay Sippy Anne Smith Keith Solomon Howard Spector Milly and Herman Stoller Nancy Rae Stone David Strick Terri Tippit (Homeowners Association Coalition, Westside Neighborhood Council, West of Westwood Homeowners Association) Pat Tobias Laney Wald Richard Wald Jim Winett