III. Environmental Setting

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2 A. Overview of Environmental Setting This section of the Draft EIR provides an overview of the existing regional and local setting in which the Project Site is located, and a brief description of the existing conditions at the Project Site. Detailed environmental setting information is provided in each of the environmental issue analyses found in Section IV (Environmental Impact Analysis) of this Draft EIR. In addition, Section II, Project Description, of this Draft EIR, provides additional information regarding existing conditions at the Project Site. 1. Project Location and Environmental Setting The Project Site is located at N. McCadden Place, N. McCadden Place, and Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood community of the. The Project Site is generally bounded by Lexington Avenue to the north, Las Palmas Avenue to the east, Santa Monica Boulevard to the south, and Highland Avenue to the west, with N. McCadden Place traversing the Project Site. The portion of the Project Site on the west side of N. McCadden Place is located at N. McCadden Place (the West Site), and the portion of the Project Site on the east side of N. McCadden Place is located at N. McCadden Place and Santa Monica Boulevard (the East Site). The approximately 2.67-acre Project Site is located approximately 5 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 11 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. Primary regional access is provided by the Hollywood Freeway (US-101), which runs southeast-northwest approximately 1 mile northeast of the Project Site. The Project Site is currently occupied by a one-story office building and associated surface parking (on the East Site) and the Village and associated surface parking (on the West Site). Vehicular and pedestrian access to the Project Site is available by driveways on both sides of N. McCadden Place and along N. Las Palmas Avenue. The Project Site is located in a highly urbanized area characterized primarily by lowto mid-rise buildings that are occupied by commercial, residential, and entertainmentrelated uses. Land uses surrounding the East Site include: surface parking areas and one-story commercial and office structures to the north; surface parking areas and one- to two-story commercial and office structures to the east, along N. Las Palmas Avenue, and a small retail center at the northwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. Las Palmas Page III-1

3 Avenue, to the south and east; the Eastman Kodak Company building and associated surface parking lot to the south, across Santa Monica Boulevard; a small retail center located at the northwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. McCadden Place; an art gallery at the southwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. McCadden Place; and the West Site to the west. 1 Land uses surrounding the West Site include: two-story creative office buildings and the McCadden Place Theatre to the north; surface parking areas and the East Site to the east; a one-story commercial use and one-story retail center to the south; and one- to two-story commercial, retail, and entertainment-related office uses and surface parking to the west, along Highland Avenue. 2. Land Use Plans Local land use plans applicable to the Project Site include the following: the Citywide General Plan Framework Element and the Hollywood Community Plan. Regional plans that are applicable to the Project Site include: the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, Growth Vision Report, and Regional Comprehensive Plan; the South Coast Air Quality Management District s Air Quality Management Plan; and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority s Congestion Management Plan. Refer to Section IV.E, Land Use, of this Draft EIR, for additional information regarding land use plans applicable to the Project Site. 1 Subsequent to the release of the Initial Study, existing buildings to the east of the East Site, along Las Palmas Avenue, have been demolished as part of the construction of the Lexington Project. Page III-2

4 B. Related Projects The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (Section 15130(a)) require that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) discuss the cumulative impacts of a project when the project s incremental effect is cumulatively considerable. As set forth in Section 15065(a)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, cumulatively considerable means that the incremental effects of an individual project are significant when viewed in connection with the effects of past projects, the effects of other current projects, and the effects of probable future projects. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(a)(3), a project s contribution is less than cumulatively considerable if the project is required to implement or fund its fair share of a mitigation measure or measures designed to alleviate the cumulative impact. In addition, the lead agency is required to identify facts and analysis supporting its conclusion that the contribution will be rendered less than cumulatively considerable. CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(b) further provides that the discussion of cumulative impacts reflect the severity of the impacts and their likelihood of occurrence, but the discussion need not provide as great detail as is provided for the effects attributable to the project alone. Rather, the discussion is to be guided by the standards of practicality and reasonableness, and should focus on the cumulative impact to which the identified other projects contribute. CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(b) also states that one of the following two elements are necessary to provide an adequate discussion of significant cumulative impacts: (A) A list of past, present, and probable future projects producing related or cumulative impacts including, if necessary, those projects outside the control of the agency; or (B) A summary of projections contained in an adopted local, regional or statewide plan, or related planning document, that describes or evaluates conditions contributing to the cumulative effect. Such plans may include: a general plan, regional transportation plan, or plans for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. A summary of projections may also be contained in an adopted or certified prior environmental document for such a plan. Such projections may be supplemented with additional information such as a regional modeling Page III-3

5 program. Any such document shall be referenced and made available to the public at a location specified by the lead agency. Cumulative study areas are defined based on an analysis of the geographical scope relevant to each particular environmental issue. Therefore, the cumulative study area for each individual environmental impact issue may vary. For example, a cumulative land use impact generally may only affect the compatibility of uses within the vicinity of a project site, while a cumulative air quality impact may affect the entire air basin. The specific boundaries and the projected growth within those boundaries for the cumulative study area of each environmental issue, are identified in the applicable environmental issue section in Section IV, Environmental Impact Analysis, of this Draft EIR. A list of development projects that could affect environmental conditions in the vicinity of the Project Site was prepared based on information obtained from the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation and the City of West Hollywood Community Development Department during preparation of the Project s Traffic Study and information from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. A total of 111 potential related development projects in the Cities of Los Angeles and West Hollywood have been identified in the vicinity of the Project Site for inclusion in the cumulative impact analysis for this EIR. These related projects are in varying stages of the approval/entitlement/ development process and consist of a variety of land uses reflecting the diverse range of land uses in the vicinity of the Project Site. The related projects include mixed-use, office, residential, commercial, institution, recreation, hotel, and motion picture uses. The related projects are listed in Table III-1 on page III-5, which identifies the location of each related project along with the types of land uses. The locations of the related projects are shown in Figure III-1 on page III-14. It is noted that some of the related projects would likely not be approved, some may never be built, and some may be approved and built at reduced densities. Moreover, many of the related projects would not be built out by 2019 (the Project s anticipated buildout year). Nonetheless, to provide a highly conservative forecast, the future baseline forecast assumes that all of the related projects are fully built out by Page III-4

6 Table III-1 1. Paseo Plaza Mixed-Use 5651 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 437 du 377,900 sf 2. BLVD 6200 Mixed-Use 6200 W. Hollywood Blvd. 190,777 sf Apartments 952 du 3. Selma & Vine Mixed-Use 1540 N. Vine St. Apartments 306 du 68,000 sf 4. Sunset Bronson Studios 5800 W. Sunset Blvd. 535,396 sf 5. Yucca Street Condos 6230 W. Yucca St. 13,442 sf Apartments 108 du Work Space 6,177 sf Live-Work Space 8 du N. Seward St. 237,568 sf 7. Archstone Hollywood Mixed-Use Project 6911 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 348 du 45,000 sf Quality 8,100 sf 10,000 sf 8. Project 6516 W. Selma Ave. 85,000 sf 9. Dream Hollywood Hotel 6417 W. Selma Ave. Hotel 182 rm 10. Hanover Gower Mixed-Use 6100 W. Hollywood Blvd. Apartments 176 du 7,200 sf 11. Mixed-Use / 936 N. La Brea Ave. 33,190 sf 19,923 sf 12. Pantages Theater 6225 W. Hollywood Blvd. 214,000 sf 13. Selma & Vine Project 1601 N. Vine St. 121,609 sf 14. Kimpton s Argyle Hotel Project 1800 N Argyle Ave. Hotel 225 rm 15. Seward Street Project 956 N. Seward St. 130,000 sf Page III-5

7 16. Hotel & Project 6381 W. Hollywood Blvd. Hotel 80 rm 15,290 sf 17. Yeshivath Torath Emeth Academy Expansion 7002 W. Clinton St. School 120 stu Nursery School 60 stu 18. Selma Community Housing 1603 N. Cherokee Ave. Affordable Apartments 66 du 19. Hudson Building 6523 W. Hollywood Blvd. 4,074 sf 10,402 sf 20. La Brea Gateway 915 N. La Brea Ave. Supermarket 33,500 sf Apartments 179 du 21. Mixed-Use 1610 N. Highland Ave. Apartments 248 du 12,785 sf 22. Highland Avenue Indigo Hotel Project 1841 N. Highland Ave. Business Hotel 100 rm 23. Capitol Records MU Project VTT N. Vine St. Apartments 461 du Hotel 254 rm Health Club 80,000 sf 264,303 sf 100,000 sf 25,000 sf 24. Paramount Studios a,b 5555 W. Melrose Ave. Sound Stage 21,000 sf Stage Support 1,900 sf Production 635,500 sf 638,100 sf 64,200 sf Studio 3,234,400 sf 25. Apartments 1411 N. Highland Ave. Apartments 76 du 2,500 sf 26. Apartment Project 1824 N. Highland Ave. Apartments 118 du Page III-6

8 27. Hotel 1133 N. Vine St. Hotel 112 rm 28. The Lexington Mixed-Use 6677 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 695 du 4,000 sf Coffee Shop/Juice Bar 5,500 sf 15,400 sf 29. Columbia Square Mixed-Use 6121 W. Sunset Blvd. Apartments 200 du 422,500 sf High-Turnover 23,500 sf Fast Food 2,000 sf 16,500 sf Health Club 15,000 sf 30. Tutoring Center 927 N. Highland Ave. School 100 stu Tutoring 18 emp 31. Mixed-Use 7120 W. Sunset Blvd. Apartments 44 du 2,900 sf N. Argyle Project (Ametron) 1546 N. Argyle Ave. 169,463 sf 24,200 sf 33. Sunset + Wilcox 1541 N. Wilcox Ave. Hotel 220 rm 34. Palladium Residences 6201 W. Sunset Blvd. Apartments 731 du High-Turnover 5,000 sf 21,000 sf Coffee Shop 2,000 sf La Brea Av 925 N. La Brea Ave. 15,265 sf 46,527 sf N. La Brea MU 904 N. La Brea Ave. Apartments 169 du 40,000 sf Page III-7

9 Sunset Mixed-Use 6230 W. Sunset Blvd. Apartments 200 du 26,981 sf 4,700 sf 38. Mixed-Use 5901 W. Sunset Blvd. 26,000 sf 274,000 sf 39. Residential 707 N. Cole Ave. Apartments 84 du Wilcox Hotel 1921 N. Wilcox Ave. Hotel 159 rm 1,700 Lobby Bar 1,200 sf 41. Apartments 1717 N. Bronson Ave. Apartments 89 du 42. Cahuenga Boulevard Hotel 1525 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Hotel 64 du 1,500 sf Roof-top bar 700 sf 43. Sunset Mixed-Use 7510 W. Sunset Blvd. Apartments 236 du 30,000 sf 44. Mixed-Use (Hollywood Cherokee) 1718 N. Las Palmas Ave. Apartments 195 du Condominiums 29 du 985 sf 45. Mixed-Use 901 N. Vine St. Apartments 76 du 3,000 sf 46. Academy Square (Mixed-Use) 6322 W. De Longpre Ave. 233,665 sf Apartments 250 du 33,000 sf 9,135 sf 47. Hotel 6409 W. Sunset Blvd. Hotel 221 rm 1,873 sf 48. Mixed-Use 1233 N. Highland Ave. Apartments 72 du 17,830 sf Page III-8

10 49. Mixed-Use 7107 W. Hollywood Blvd. Apartments 410 du 5,000 sf 5,000 sf 50. Mixed-Use 1310 N. Cole Ave. Apartments 375 du 2,500 sf 51. Mixed-Use 5750 W. Hollywood Blvd. Apartments 161 du 6,000 sf Santa Monica Boulevard 6901 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 231 du / 15,000 sf 53. Hyatt House Hotel & 6156 Selma Ave. Hotel 167 rm 10,545 sf 9,355 sf Theater 1,634 sf 54. TAO 6421 W. Selma Ave. 20,624 sf 6,000 sf 55. Tommie Hotel (Mixed-Use) 1400 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Hotel 175 rm 600 sf 5,043 sf 56. Melrose Crossing (Mixed-Use) 7000 W. Melrose Ave. Apartments 40 du 7,565 sf 57. Mixed-Use 6220 Yucca St. Residential 191 du Hotel 260 rm 12,600 sf 58. Residential 1540 Highland Ave. Residential 84 du 59. Mixed-Use 1311 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Residential 369 du Commercial 2,570 sf Hollywood Blvd. 17,717 sf Page III-9

11 61. Mixed-Use 6601 W. Romain St. 104,155 sf Storage 1,940 sf Hollywood Blvd. 6,321 sf 63. Mixed-Use 1717 Vine St. Condominiums 57 du 5,489 sf 64. Mixed-Use 5925 Sunset Blvd. Condominiums 311 du 40,000 sf 5,000 sf 8,500 sf 65. Mixed-Use 1460 Gordon St. College 224 stu 6,400 sf Hollywood Blvd. 12,225 sf 67. Mixed-Use 5663 Melrose Ave. Condominiums 96 du 3,350 sf 68. Residential 6001 Carlton Way Condominiums 424 du 69. Hotel 6600 Sunset Blvd. Hotel 50 rm 70. Hollywood Production Center 1149 Gower St. Residential 57 du 71. Residential 1720 Gower St. Apartments 70 du Sunset Blvd. 40,000 sf 73. Mixed-Use 6107 Hollywood Blvd. Hotel 86 rm 5,000 sf 74. Mixed-Use 6300 Romain St. 114,725 sf Gym 40,927 sf Studio 38,072 sf 75. Residential 6406 Franklin Ave. Apartments 126 du 76. Residential 1840 Highland Ave. Apartments 118 du 77. Residential 1818 Cherokee Ave. Apartments 63 du Page III-10

12 78. Mixed-Use 1737 Las Palmas Ave. Apartments 82 du 1,115 sf 79. Mixed-Use 5920 Melrose Ave. Apartments 54 du 16,000 sf 80. Lanewood Apartments 7045 Lanewood Ave. Apartments 43 du 81. Mixed-Use 6758 Yucca St. Apartments 270 du 8,500 sf 82. Mixed-Use 6904 Hollywood Blvd. 29,900 sf 16,700 sf 83. Residential 7046 Hollywood Blvd. Apartments 42 du 84. Mixed-Use 1341 Vine St. Hotel 100 rm 282,500 sf Apartments 250 du 85. Mixed-Use 6915 Melrose Ave. Condominiums 13 du 7,500 sf 86. Mixed-Use 926 Sycamore Ave. 15,000 sf 74,154 sf 87. Mixed-Use 6254 Sunset Blvd. Apartments 223 du 23,000 sf 5,000 sf 88. Mixed-Use 1721 Wilcox Ave. Hotel 140 rm 10,000 sf 89. Residential 7914 Norton Ave. Condominiums 8 du 90. Residential 1250 Fairfax Ave. Apartments 53 du 91. Mixed-Use 920 Fairfax Ave. Condominiums 5 du 9,000 sf Page III-11

13 92. Mixed-Use 7800 Santa Monica Blvd. Dance Studio 1,118 sf / 1,118 sf 2,236 sf 93. Residential 1021 Ogden Drive Condominiums 7 du 94. Residential 1020 Ogden Drive Condominiums 7 du 95. Residential 1128 Ogden Drive Townhomes 5 du 96. Residential 1008 Ogden Drive Condominiums 7 du 97. Residential 1016 Ogden Drive Condominiums 7 du 98. Residential 950 Ogden Drive Towhomes 10 du 99. Residential 1013 Genesee Ave. Condominiums 7 du 100. Residential 1040 Spaulding Ave. Condominiums 5 du 101. Residential 1155 Fuller Ave. Apartments 7 du 102. Mixed-Use 7300 Santa Monica Blvd. Commercial 22,500 sf Condominiums 294 du Apartments 76 du 103. Residential 1249 Formosa Ave. Condominiums 5 du 104. Domain Project 7141 Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 166 du 9,665 sf 105. Residential 1257 Detroit St. Condominiums 7 du 106. Residential 1148 Detroit St. Condominiums 7 du La Brea Ave. 2,488 sf Formosa Ave. 100,000 sf 109. Mixed-Use 7302 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 371 du Commercial 32,000 sf 110. Mixed-Use 1222 N. La Brea Ave. 18,159 sf Apartments 187 du Page III-12

14 111. Mixed-Use 1145 N. La Brea Ave. Apartments 37 du 1,315 sf du = dwelling units sf = square feet rm = rooms stu = students emp = employees Source: Linscott, Law, & Greenspan, Engineers in consultation with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, City of West Hollywood Community Development Department, and Los Angeles Department of City Planning, January Page III-13

15 - 28 Figure III Location of Related Projects Source: Linscott, Law & Greenspan, Engineers, Page III-14

III. Environmental Setting

III. Environmental Setting A. Overview of Environmental Setting This section of the Draft EIR provides an overview of the existing regional and local setting in which the Project Site is located, and a brief description of the existing