March 30, 08 ENVIRONMENTAL CASE NO.: ENV-07-77-EIR PROJECT NAME: PROJECT APPLICANT: Keyes Van Nuys Honda Dealership Keyes Motor, Inc. PROJECT ADDRESS: 600, 6007, 605, 6053, and 6059 N. Van Nuys Boulevard; 454, 459, 454, 4545, and 4553 Oxnard Street; 4500, 453, 4540, 454 and 455 W. Aetna Street; 6054 N. Vesper Avenue, Los Angeles, 94/940 COMMUNITY PLAN AREA: Van Nuys North Sherman Oaks COUNCIL DISTRICT: 6 Martinez PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: March 30, 08 April 30, 08 The City of Los Angeles (City) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Keyes Van Nuys Honda Dealership Project (Project). In accordance with Section 508 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the City has prepared this Notice of Preparation to provide the public, nearby residents and property owners, responsible agencies, and other interested parties with information regarding the Project and its potential environmental effects. The EIR will be prepared by outside consultants under the supervision of the City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning. The City requests your written comments as to the scope and contents of the EIR, including mitigation measures or project alternatives to reduce potential environmental impacts from the Project. Comments must be submitted in writing according to directions below. If you represent a public agency, the City seeks written comments as to the scope and content of the environmental information in the EIR that are germane to your agency s statutory responsibilities in connection with the Project. Your agency may need to use the EIR prepared by the City when considering your permit or other approval for the Project. PROJECT LOCATION AND EXISTING ON-SITE USES: The Project is located at 600 Van Nuys Boulevard in Los Angeles, California (the Project Site ). The Project Site is approximately 3.98 acres in size and is bounded by Van Nuys Boulevard on the east, Oxnard Street on the south, Vesper Avenue on the west, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Orange Line Busway on the north, and is bisected by Aetna Street. On the south side of Aetna Street ( southern parcel ), the Project Site currently contains an automobile dealership that is no longer operating but is used for parking. On the north side of Aetna Street ( northern parcel ), the Project Site is improved with associated surface parking. (See attached Project Location Map). Notice of Preparation for Keyes Van Nuys Honda Dealership Page of 6
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Applicant proposes to demolish the existing structures and construct a new automobile dealership. A proposed building containing 8,73 square feet would be located on the southern parcel and feature two stories plus a roof deck. The ground floor would contain uses typically associated with an automobile dealership, including a sales floor/showroom, offices, and service and parts areas. The second floor would contain office space and automobile parking. The roof of the building would be used for automobile parking and would also feature solar panels. Building height would be approximately 45 feet (excluding the height to the top of the solar panels which would reach a maximum height not to exceed 60 feet) and the Floor Area Ratio would be 0.7:. The northern parcel would be used for associated surface parking. The Project would include new landscaping, signage and lighting. Parking would be provided on the Project Site with 6 automobile spaces and 6 bicycle spaces, as required by Code, as well as additional non-required automobile spaces. Vehicular access to the Project Site s southern parcel would be provided through two ingress/egress driveways on Oxnard Street and four ingress/egress driveways off of Aetna Street to the north. Vehicular access to the northern parcel would be provided via three ingress/egress driveways off of Aetna Street to the south. The following table identifies the existing uses on-site which would be demolished, as well as the proposed uses. Existing Uses to be Removed Existing Uses Sizes Commercial Land Uses Automobile Dealership Surface Parking 48,530 sf 4,467 sf Proposed Uses Proposed Uses Maxiimum Sizes Commercial Land Uses Automobile Dealership 8,73 sf Surface Parking 94,694 Notice of Preparation for Keyes Van Nuys Honda Dealership Page of 6
REQUESTED ACTIONS: The Project Applicant is requesting the following entitlements from the City of Los Angeles: () Conditional Use Permit: to allow for the following deviations from the Commercial Corner Development Standards: a. Deviation from the Windows Development Standard to allow the exterior walls and doors of the ground floors containing non-residential uses and fronting Oxnard Street, Aetna Street, and Vesper Avenue to consist of 43 percent, 4 percent, and eight (8) percent transparent windows, respectively, in lieu of the 50 percent transparent windows required. b. Deviation from the Landscaping Setback Development Standard to allow a zero-foot landscape setback along the north side of the proposed building frontage of Aetna Street, in lieu of the fivefoot landscape setback required. () Conditional Use Permit: to allow structures solely supporting solar energy systems to reach a maximum height not to exceed 60 feet, in lieu of the permitted 45-foot building height. (3) Waiver of Dedication and Improvement: to permit the waiver of the Local Street Standard dedication and improvement requirements for the portion of Aetna Street adjoining and bisecting the Project Site. A Vesting Tentative Tract Map (VTT-7368) had been submitted previously by the property owner (not the Applicant in this case) and was conditionally approved on April 8, 07 by the Deputy Advisory Agency. VTT- 7368 would merge and re-subdivide the Project Site including the portion of Aetna Street where it bisects the Project Site into one ground lot. Although VTT-7368 was conditionally approved by the Deputy Advisory Agency, the merger and closure of Aetna Street will not go into effect until the Final Map records. The Project Applicant for the subject of this NOP has requested that the City consider the proposed new automobile dealership regardless of the street merger. However, upon recordation of the Final Map, the actions listed above that relate to Aetna Street would no longer be necessary. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT: Based on an Initial Study, the proposed project could have potentially significant environmental impacts in the following topic areas, which will be addressed in the EIR: Air Quality, Cultural Resources, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Noise, Public Services (Fire), Transportation and Traffic, and Tribal Cultural Resources. FILE REVIEW AND COMMENTS: The enclosed materials reflect the scope of the Project. The public comment period is from March 30, 08 to April 30, 08. The City will consider all written comments regarding the potential environmental impacts of the Project and issues to be addressed in the EIR. If you wish to submit comments, please reference the Environmental Case No. above, and submit them in writing by Monday April 30, 08 no later than 4:00 p.m. From March 30, 08 to April 6, 08 The environmental file is available for public review at the City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning, 00 North Spring Street, Room 750, Los Angeles, CA 900 during office hours Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. From April 7, 08 to April 30, 08 The environmental file will be available for public review at the City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning, N. Figueroa St., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 900 during office hours Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. To review the environmental file, please contact the Staff Planner listed below to schedule an appointment. A copy of this notice and the Initial Study prepared for the Project may be viewed with the environmental file or online at http://planning.lacity.org by clicking on the Environmental Review tab, then Notice of Preparation & Public Scoping Meetings, and clicking on the links below the Project title. Notice of Preparation for Keyes Van Nuys Honda Dealership Page 3 of 6
US C ALIFOR NIA US C ALIFOR NIA CAL IFO R NIA C ALIFOR NIA 5 Project Site 38 Santa Clarita 4 6 Los Angeles County Ventura County 6 Porter Ranch 8 Granada Hills Mission Hills Chatsworth Malibu Calabasas P a c i f 7 Warner Center Woodland Hills 7 0 i c O Encino Sherman Oaks Santa Monica c e a n Sun Valley Hollywood Beverly Hills Culver City 90 5 0 0 Inglewood 07 34 Gardena Torrance 3 0 0 Huntington Park 05 Compton 9 4 Carson 59 Los Angeles South Pasadena 70 Downey Paramount Lakewood 9 Pasadena 0 Monterey Park Montbello 605 605 El Monte Whittier 7 Santa Fe Springs 5 Cerritos 0 La Mirada 39 60 90 39 0 57 7 30 Los N Rancho Palos Verdes 0 0 6 4 APPROXIMATE SCALE IN MILES San Pedro 47 Terminal Island Long Beach Project Site 0 300 600 00 N APPROXIMATE SCALE IN FEET SOURCE: Navigate LA - 07; Meridian Consultants LLC - 08 FIGURE Project Location Map 64-00-7
0 5 50 00 N APPROXIMATE SCALE IN FEET SOURCE: Dennis J. Flynn Architects Inc. - April 07; Meridian Consultants LLC - 08 FIGURE Conceptual Site Plan 64-00-7