NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING: VERMONT CORRIDOR PROJECT

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1 NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING: VERMONT CORRIDOR PROJECT DATE: May 4, 2017 TO: FROM: PROJECT TITLE: PROJECT ADDRESS: All Interested Agencies, Organizations, and Individuals Community Development Commission, County of Los Angeles 700 West Main Street Alhambra, CA Vermont Corridor Project Site 1: 510, 526, and 532 South Vermont Avenue; Site 2: 550 South Vermont Avenue and 3175 West 6th Street; Site 3: 433 South Vermont Avenue; all within the City of Los Angeles PROJECT PROPONENT: Community Development Commission, County of Los Angeles, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles The County of Los Angeles (County) is the lead agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Vermont Corridor Project (Project). In compliance with Sections and of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the County is sending this Notice of Preparation (NOP) to the California Governor s Office of Planning and Research, each responsible and trustee agency, as well as to other interested parties. The County is soliciting comments from responsible and trustee agencies and members of the public regarding the scope and content of the EIR. Responsible and trustee agencies are requested to provide timely comments on the scope and content of the environmental information which is germane to your agency s statutory responsibilities in connection with the Project. Your agency will need to use the EIR prepared by our agency when considering your permit or other approval for the Project. For all other public agencies, organizations and persons, this scoping notice allows you an early opportunity to comment and consult on the Project before preparation of the Draft EIR. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Project proposes the redevelopment of each of the three Project Sites. Site 1 is an irregularly shaped, approximately 110,400 square foot (approximately 2.5 acre) site, located on the east side of Vermont Avenue, north of 6 th Street. Site 2 is a rectangular, approximately 43,300 square foot (approximately 1 acre) site located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Vermont Avenue and

2 Page 2 of 6 6 th Street. Site 3 is a rectangular, approximately 21,700 square foot (approximately 0.5 acre) site, located on the west side of Vermont Avenue, north of 5 th Street. All three sites are located in the City. The Project Sites are comprised of the addresses and assessor parcel numbers (APNs) listed in Table 1, Project Site Addresses and Assessor Parcel Numbers. Site 1 Table 1 Project Site Addresses and Assessor Parcel Numbers Site No. Address APN Use , 510, 526, 532 S. Vermont Avenue 523, 531 S. Shatto Place 540, 542, 550 S. Vermont Avenue 3175 W. 6 th Street 3 427, 433 S. Vermont Avenue County Office, Surface Parking, Parking Structure County Office County Office development on Site 1 would involve removal of the existing County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) office building, a vacant County office building, surface parking lots, and parking structure, and construction of a new County office building containing 471,000 square feet of office use and 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail over a 390,000 square foot parking structure containing 965 spaces. The proposed office building would be up to 280 feet in height to the top of the parapet (286 feet to top of elevator machine room, 296 feet to top of emergency helistop), and would consist of 21 total stories (13 office floors over an eight-story parking structure (seven levels above grade and one level at grade)). In addition, a new parking structure would be constructed on the site of the existing 7-story parking structure on Shatto Place. This new structure would contain 768 spaces within a 380,000 square foot, twelve-story building with two below grade levels that would serve the new office building. The new parking structure would be up to 110 feet in height to the top of the parapet (130 feet to top of elevator machine room). A total of 134 bicycle storage spaces (6 short-term and 128 long-term) would be provided on Site 1. Site 2 development on Site 2 would involve reuse and conversion of the existing 154,793 square foot, 12-story County Department of Mental Health (DMH) building into a maximum of 172 residential units (82 studio, 46 one-bedroom, 44 two-bedroom), 4,100 square feet of ground floor retail, 1,375 square feet of ancillary space (office, common area, etc.), and an approximately 7,500 square foot roof deck amenity. Upgrade to existing steel framing and installation of new HVAC, and life/safety systems would be included in the reuse of the existing DMH building. The existing building height of feet (including the elevator machine room) would not change under the Project. In addition, the development of Site 2 would involve removal of the existing four-story, approximately 52,000 square foot, County Community and Senior Services (CSS) office building and two-story parking structure, and construction of a new 116,324 square foot, five-level parking structure (3.5 levels above grade and 1.5 levels below grade). A future option for the development of Site 2 would include construction of a new 66,935 square foot, mixed-use building above the parking structure, containing five residential levels and 74 units (28 studio, 38 one-bedroom, and 8 two-bedroom), and 2,250 square feet of ancillary space. In addition, 3,400 square feet of retail uses

3 Page 3 of 6 would be provided at the ground level of the new mixed-use building on 6 th Street. The parking structure would provide 263 auto parking spaces and 290 bicycle storage spaces (30 short-term and 260 long-term) to serve the residential units (new and reused/converted), and the retail uses on Site 2. The new mixeduse building would be approximately 95 feet from the highest adjacent grade to the top of the parapet (105 feet to top of elevator machine room). Site 3 development on Site 3 would involve removal of the existing DPR building, and construction of a new 80,837 square foot, six-story, one hundred percent senior affordable and special needs housing (for homeless adults) project containing 72 units (36 Very Low Income units, 24 Low Income units, 11 Moderate Income units, and one manager s unit), and a 13,200 square foot Community Center, over a three-story, 51,591 square foot underground parking structure containing 116 spaces. In addition, 81 long term and 21 short-term bicycle parking spaces would be provided on the ground floor. The new building would be 65 feet in height to the top of the parapet (75 feet to top of elevator machine room). Table 2 Project Development Summary Use Development Site 1 County Office (Occupied) County Office (Vacant) County Office Retail Site 2 County Office (Occupied) County Office (Occupied) Residential (Reuse) Retail (Reuse) Amenity (Reuse) Residential (New Construction) Retail (New Construction) Amenity (New Construction) Site 3 County Office (Occupied) Senior Affordable Housing Community Center Size 30,788 sf 13,325 sf 471,000 sf 10,000 sf 154,793 sf 52,000 sf 172 units 4,100 sf 8,875 sf 74 units 3,400 sf 2,250 sf 29,292 sf 72 units 13,200 sf

4 Page 4 of 6 Table 2 Project Development Summary Use Parking Spaces Site 1 Size Parking Structure 864 Surface Parking Lots 99 Vacant Office Building 41 Total 1,004 New Office Building 965 New Shatto Place Parking Structure 768 Total 1,733 Site 2 Parking Structure 53 Parking Structure 263 Sites 1 & 2 Total Parking Spaces 1,057 1,996 Site Bicycle Storage Site 1 Short-Term 0 Long-Term 0 Short-Term 6 Long-Term 128 Site 2 Short-Term 5 Long-Term 0 Short-Term 30 Long-Term 260

5 Page 5 of 6 Site 3 Table 2 Project Development Summary Use Size Short-Term 0 Long-Term 0 Short-Term 21 Long-Term 81 Total Bicycle Storage 5 Total Bicycle Storage 526 Source: Los Angeles County Facilities, Inc., PROBABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: Based on a preliminary assessment, the areas of potential significant environmental effects to be addressed in the EIR will include: Aesthetics Air Quality Cultural Resources Energy Geology and Soils Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hazards and Hazardous Materials Hydrology and Water Quality Land Use and Planning Noise Population and Housing Public Services Recreation Transportation and Traffic Tribal Cultural Resources Utilities and Services Environmental effects in the areas of Agricultural Resources, Biological Resources, and Mineral Resources are expected to be either less than significant or no impact and, therefore, are not expected to be evaluated in greater detail in the EIR. An Initial Study has not been prepared for the Project as permitted by CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(d). PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING DATE AND LOCATION: A public scoping meeting will be held to present the proposed project and to solicit input from responsible and trustee agencies, as well as interested parties and members of the public, on the issues to be addressed in the Draft EIR. The scoping meeting will be held at the United Teachers Los Angeles building (UTLA Plaza), located at 3303 Wilshire Blvd. #815, Los Angeles, California 90010, on May 25, 2017 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. UTLA Plaza building management requires that all guests check in at the first floor security desk and present a photo ID. Parking for the meeting will be available at 639 S. Berendo St. Los Angeles, CA (directly north of the building). You may send a written response to this scoping notice without attending the scoping meeting. A later public notice will provide an opportunity to submit written comments on the completed Draft EIR.

6 Page 6 of 6 NOTICE OF PREPARATION COMMENT PERIOD: Due to the time limits mandated by State law, your response must be sent at the earliest possible date, but not later than June 5, Please direct your written comments by or U.S. mail to either of the following: Mr. Carey Jenkins Manager, Economic Development Community Development Commission, County of Los Angeles 700 West Main Street Alhambra, CA Tel: Carey.Jenkins@lacdc.org Mr. Chris Lopez Development Specialist, Special Projects Community Development Commission, County of Los Angeles 700 West Main Street Alhambra, CA Tel: CLopez@labtc.org REVIEW MATERIALS: Copies of the Notice of Preparation are available for public review on the Community Development Commission website at: as well as at the following locations: Felipe de Neve Branch Library, 2820 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA Pico Union Branch Library, 1030 S. Alvarado Street, Los Angeles, CA Pio Pico-Koreatown Branch Library, 694 S. Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA Wilshire Branch Library, 149 N. Saint Andrews Place, Los Angeles, CA Community Development Commission, County of Los Angeles, 700 West Main Street, Alhambra, CA TO OBTAIN A TRANSLATED COPY OF THIS NOTICE IN SPANISH, PLEASE CONTACT: PARA OBTENER UNA COPIA DE ESTE AVISO TRADUCIDA EN ESPAÑOL, POR FAVOR CONTACTE: CAREY JENKINS Carey.Jenkins@lacdc.org OR CHRIS LOPEZ CLopez@labtc.org TO OBTAIN A TRANSLATED COPY OF THIS NOTICE IN KOREAN, PLEASE CONTACT: 한국어로변역된사본을받으시려면연락하십시오 : CAREY JENKINS Carey.Jenkins@lacdc.org OR CHRIS LOPEZ CLopez@labtc.org Attachments Regional and Project Vicinity Map Aerial Map

7 near California United States PROJECT SITE SITE miles 1 of 1 SITE 1 SITE 2 Project Site Source: Google Earth, May Scale (Feet) Regional and Project Vicinity Map

8 W 4th STREET SITE 3 W 5th STREET S VERMONT AVENUE SITE 1 SHATTO PLACE SITE 2 W 6th STREET Project Site Source: Google Earth, May Scale (Feet) Aerial Map