Related Case Number: CPC-2018-2853-TDR-MCUP-CU-DD-SPR
Community Plan Areas: Central City/ Downtown
Project Description: The project would remove the existing vacant warehouse on the project site and one non-protected street tree on the South Hill Street sidewalk and construct a 40-story mixed-use building with up to 319 multi-family residential condominium units, up to 160 Transient Occupancy Residential Structure (TORS) units (dwelling units with kitchens operating as a commercial hotel with occupancy for 30 days or less), and up to 3,429 sf of ground floor commercial uses. The project would include one level of subterranean parking, one level of ground floor commercial uses, three levels of aboveground parking, and 36 stories of residential and TORS uses and amenities. Residential units would be located in levels 14 through 38 with the TORS units located on levels 6 through 13. It is anticipated that the residential unit count would comprise 24 studio units, 144 one-bedroom units, 127 two-bedroom units, 20 three-bedroom units, and 4 three-bedroom penthouse units. The ground floor commercial uses would consist of restaurant uses. Overall, the proposed high-rise building would comprise up to 491,977 sf of floor area and would reach a maximum height of 520 feet above ground level, when accounting for rooftop structures. When the project is complete, the post-dedicated lot area would be 26,683 sf (0.61 acres). The project would provide for up to 436 vehicle parking spaces, including 325 residential parking spaces and 111 TORS parking spaces. The project would provide three above grade levels of automated parking and one subterranean level with double stackers and an overhead lift system. In addition, the project would provide up to 347 bicycle parking spaces (up to 56 short-term and 291 long-term). There will be approximately 58,000 cubic yards of export.
The project requires discretionary approval for a Transfer of Floor Area Rights (“TFAR”) of Greater than 50,000 Square Feet from the Los Angeles Convention Center (“Donor Site”) for a total of 491,977 square feet of floor area (11.34:1 FAR) in lieu of the maximum permitted 6:1 FAR; a Conditional Use Permit to allow the proposed 160 TORS units (dwelling units with kitchens, operating as a commercial hotel with occupancy for 30 days or less) in the C2 Zone; as part of the Conditional Use Permit approval for TORS, to allow a 20% reduction in the required automobile parking for the TORS units (prior to accounting for parking reductions from bicycle credits); a Director’s Decision to allow a 10 percent increase in the qualifying area of recreation rooms (indoor open space) for a maximum 35 percent of the total required usable open space; a Main Conditional Use Permit to allow the on-site sales and dispensing of a full line of alcohol in conjunction with the operation of 160 TORS units (dwelling units with kitchens, operating as a commercial hotel with occupancy for 30 days or less) and ground floor restaurants; Site Plan Review; and a Vesting Tentative Tract Map (VTT-82178) to subdivide the Project Site into one Master Ground Lot and nine Airspace Lots for residential and commercial condominium purposes.
The project may require an approval of a Board of Police Commissioners Permit for a continuous concrete pour occurring outside of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The project would also require approvals and permits from the Department of Building and Safety (and other municipal agencies) for project construction activities including, but not limited to, the following: building, demolition, excavation, shoring, grading, foundation and removal of an existing street tree.
Mitigation Measures: The SCEA determined that all potentially significant environmental impacts can be mitigated to less than significant levels. Mitigation measures were adopted for the following impact areas: Geology and Soils (Paleontological Resources) and Noise. The project site is identified on the lists enumerated under Gov. Code Section 65962.5; however, the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment prepared for the project site determined that the project site would not create a significant hazard to the public, or the environment caused in whole or in part from the project’s exacerbation of existing environmental conditions. On site testing conducted as part of the Phase II Site Assessment Geologic Report concluded that there was no evidence that historic onsite uses caused any subsurface contamination or hazards on the project site. Pursuant to Section 21155.2 of the PRC, this SCEA: 1) incorporates all feasible mitigation measures, performance standards, or criteria set forth in the prior applicable environmental impact reports, including the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) prepared by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), and adopted in findings made pursuant to Section 21081; and 2) contains mitigation that either avoids or mitigates to a level of insignificance all potentially significant or significant effects of the Project required to be identified in the initial study prepared for the Project.
File Review and Comments: The SCEA and the documents referenced in the SCEA are available for public review by appointment. Please contact the Staff Planner listed below to schedule an appointment. The SCEA is also available online at the Department of City Planning’s website at https://planning.lacity.gov (click on the "Development Services" tab on the top bar, “Published Documents” under Environmental Review, then “Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessments (SCEA)” and click on the Project title).
If you wish to submit comments following review of the SCEA, please reference the Environmental Case No. above, and submit them in writing by Monday, March 7, 2022, no later than 4:00 p.m.
Please direct your comments to:
Mail: Jane Choi, AICP, Principal City Planner,
Los Angeles Department of City Planning
200 N. Spring Street, Room 621
Los Angeles, CA 90012
E-mail: Jane.choi@lacity.org
Comment Review Period: February 03, 2022 to March 07, 2022
Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment Sections:
