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. On-Site Conditions The Project Site contains an active surface parking lot with a total of 137 spaces. An approximately 30-square foot parking attendant booth is located in the central interior portion of the Project Site. Access to the parking lot is provided by one entering driveway on Las Palmas Avenue and one exiting driveway on Cherokee Avenue. With the exception of two ornamental planters along Cherokee Avenue and a small strip of weed cover and one palm tree along the northern property line, the Project Site is paved with asphalt surface. Four ornamental street trees flank the Project Site (two on Cherokee Avenue and two on Las Palmas Avenue). The Project Site slopes gently to the south with approximately 6 feet of vertical relief across the property. Vehicular access to the parking lot is provided by one entering driveway on Las Palmas Avenue and one exiting driveway on Cherokee Avenue. 2. Surrounding Uses The irregularly-shaped Project Site is comprised of four contiguous parcels bounded by a 3-story hotel use and 3-story residential use to the north, Cherokee Avenue to the east, 1- and 2-story commercial uses and an associated surface parking lot to the south, and Las Palmas Avenue to the west. The surrounding area is highly urbanized and includes a mixture of low- to high-rise buildings, both historic and modern, occupied primarily by tourist and entertainment-related commercial uses and multi-family residential development. Rubix Hollywood, a 6-story, multi-family residential use, is located directly west of the Project Site across Las Palmas Avenue. The Jefferson at Hollywood Luxury Apartments, another 6-story, multi-family residential use, is located west of Rubix Hollywood across McCadden Place. The areas north and east of the Project Site primarily City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-1

3 consist of multi-family residential uses including the 3-story residential building referred to as Cherokee Studios, and community-serving uses, including the Yucca Community Center and Mini Park and the Las Palmas Senior Citizen Center. Numerous restaurants, shops, theaters, and nightclubs line Hollywood Boulevard to the south of the Project Site, which is part of the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. The buildings and surface parking lot immediately south of the Project Site are the rear of the 6600 block of Hollywood Boulevard and include contributing structures in the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District, a historic district that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources. The area south of Hollywood Boulevard is comprised of a varied mix of commercial, residential, and educational uses, including Selma Avenue Elementary School and Hollywood High School, both located within a 0.25-mile radius of the Project Site. Dense commercial development lines Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard to the west of the Project Site. The Hollywood and Highland shopping center and entertainment complex is located less than 0.25 mile from the Project Site at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The Hollywood/Highland Red Line Station, part of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) rail system, is also located at this intersection. The Project area is characterized by considerable pedestrian activity. 3. Land Use Plans City land use plans applicable to the Project Site include the following: the City of Los Angeles General Plan and Framework Element; the Hollywood Community Plan; 1 the Hollywood Signage Supplemental Use District; the Hollywood Redevelopment Plan (Redevelopment Plan); the Hollywood Boulevard District of the Redevelopment Plan (Parcels 1 and 2); the Franklin Avenue Design District of the Redevelopment Plan (Parcels 3 and 4); the Hollywood Entertainment Business Improvement District; the Hollywood Adaptive Reuse Incentive Area; the Los Angeles State Enterprise Zone (Hollywood Region); the Citywide Urban Design Guidelines; and the City of Los Angeles Walkability Checklist Guidance for Entitlement Review. Regional plans that are applicable to the Project Site include: the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, 2004 Compass Growth 1 As discussed in Section IV.F, Land Use, of this Draft EIR, an update to the Hollywood Community Plan (Community Plan Update) was adopted by the City Council on June 19, 2012, but was subsequently litigated and rescinded. While the City may no longer grant any authority, permits, or entitlements that derive from the Community Plan Update, the Planning Department maintains that the City remains committed to the fundamental land use principles expressed in the Community Plan Update (e.g., directing new growth around transit, promoting quality urban design and pedestrian mobility, and protecting historic resources). Therefore, the Community Plan Update is discussed in this Draft EIR for informational purposes only. City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-2

4 Vision Report, and 2008 Regional Comprehensive Plan; the South Coast Air Quality Management District s 2012 Air Quality Management Plan; and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority s 2010 Congestion Management Plan. City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-3

5 B. Related Projects The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (Section 15130(a)) requires 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 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 (b)(1) states that complying with one of the following two protocols is 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 City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-4

6 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 the project site, while a cumulative air quality impact may affect the entire South Coast 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 proposed development projects in the area of the Project that could affect conditions in the Project area (e.g., by adding traffic volumes to study area intersections and/or generating population increases) was prepared based on information obtained primarily from the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning, and the City of West Hollywood Community Development Department. A total of 63 potential related development projects have been identified within 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 comprise a variety of uses, including apartments, condominiums, restaurants, and retail uses, as well as mixed-use developments incorporating some or all of these elements. The related projects are listed in Table III-1 on page III-6, 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-13. It is noted that some of the related projects may not be built out by 2015 (i.e., the Project buildout year), may never be built, or may be approved and built at reduced densities. To provide a conservative forecast, the future baseline forecast assumes that all of the related projects are fully built out by City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-5

7 Table III-1 Related Projects a Project Description # Project Name Address Land Use Units 1 Hollywood/Garfield Mixed Use 5555 W. Hollywood Blvd. Residential 108 DU KSF 2 Runyon Canyon Park Parking Lot 2000 N. Fuller Ave. Parking Lot 70 Spaces 3 Office Building 6040 W. Sunset Blvd. Office 120 KSF 4 Mixed-Use 6915 W. Melrose Ave. Condominiums 13 Units 7.5 KSF 5 Sunset & Vine Mixed-Use 1538 N. Vine St. Apartments 306 Units 68 KSF 6 Sunset & Gordon Mixed-Use (Old Spaghetti Factory) 5935 W. Sunset Blvd. Condominiums 144 Units 7 Apartments & retail (half of block Yucca & Highland & McCadden) Office Restaurant/ Restaurant (to be removed) KSF KSF (13.5 KSF) 6758 W. Yucca St. Apartments 270 Units 8.5 KSF 8 Restaurant & Multi-Purpose Entertainment Venue 6506 W. Hollywood Blvd. Drinking Place KSF Restaurant 9 Condos & 5663 W. Melrose Ave. Condominiums 96 Units KSF 3.35 KSF 10 & Office Building 6904 W. Hollywood Blvd KSF Office 16.7 KSF 11 Residential Development 6001 W. Carlton Way Condominiums 42 Units 12 Temple Israel of Hollywood Expansion 7300 W. Hollywood Blvd. School 75 Students Chapel 3 KSF City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-6

8 Table III-1 (Continued) Related Projects Project Description # Project Name Address Land Use Units 13 Mixed-Use Residential,, and Restaurant 6677 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Mid-Rise Apartments 787 Units 12.7 KSF Restaurant 9.5 KSF 14 Mixed-Use 6230 W. Yucca St. Office KSF Live/Work Condominiums 10 Units Condominiums 85 Units Office (to be removed) ( KSF) 15 Hotel 6600 W. Sunset Blvd. Hotel 50 Rooms 16 Seward & Romaine Office Project 959 N. Seward St. Office KSF Quality Restaurant 4 KSF 17 Mixed-Use Residential and 6911 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Condominiums 374 Units 15 KSF 18 Hollywood Passage (Mixed-Use) 5550 W. Hollywood Blvd. Condominiums 216 Units KSF 19 Wilcox Selma Office Condo 6156 W. Selma Ave. Office 85 KSF 20 Quality Restaurant 6608 W. Hollywood Blvd. Quality Restaurant 8.1 KSF 21 Selma Hotel Project Restaurant/Club 6417 W. Selma Ave. Hotel 136 Rooms 22 Hollywood Production Center 1149 N. Gower St. Apartments 21 Units Condominiums 36 Units 23 Hanover Gower Mixed-Use Project 6100 W. Hollywood Blvd. Apartments 151 Units 6.2 KSF 24 Lanewood Apartments 7045 W. Lanewood Ave. Apartments 43 Units 25 Mixed-Use Office/ 936 N. La Brea Ave. Office KSF 12 KSF City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-7

9 Table III-1 (Continued) Related Projects Project Description # Project Name Address Land Use Units 26 Pantages Theater Office 6225 W. Hollywood Blvd. Office 214 KSF 27 Pharmacy/Drug Store 6766 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Pharmacy/Drug Store KSF Fast Food (to be removed) (1.902 KSF) 28 Gramercy Place Private School 1717 N. Gramercy Pl. Private School 350 Students 29 Vine St. Office Building 1601 N. Vine St. Office KSF Restaurant KSF 30 Argyle Hotel Project 1800 N. Argyle Ave. Hotel 225 Rooms 31 Columbia Square Mixed-Use Project 6121 W. Sunset Blvd. Condominiums 200 Units Apartments 200 Units Office 380 KSF Hotel 125 Rooms Quality Restaurant 20 KSF Fast Food 11 KSF 10.3 KSF Seward St. Office 956 N. Seward St. Office 130 KSF 33 Restaurant 6757 W. Hollywood Blvd. Restaurant KSF 34 Hotel & Restaurant Project 6381 W. Hollywood Blvd. Hotel 80 Rooms Restaurant KSF 35 Auto Repair Expansion 7614 W. Sunset Blvd. Auto Repair Facility 8.3 KSF 36 Emerson College Project (Student Housing) 1460 N. Gordon St. Student Housing 224 Units Apartments 4 Units Instructional/Administrative 38.1 KSF 6.4 KSF City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-8

10 Table III-1 (Continued) Related Projects Project Description # Project Name Address Land Use Units 37 Day Care & Kindergarten 7002 W. Clinton St. Day Care 60 Children Kindergarten 120 Students 38 Television Center 6311 W. Romaine St. Health Club & Dance Studio KSF Studio Office KSF Warehouse (to be removed) (3.120 KSF) 39 Hollywood Center Studios Office 6601 W. Romaine St. Office KSF Storage 1.97 KSF 40 Office & Studio Production (KTLA Expansion) 5800 W. Sunset Blvd. Office KSF 41 Hudson Building (10,402 sf Restaurant & 4,074 sf Office) 6523 W. Hollywood Blvd. Restaurant KSF Office KSF 42 La Brea Gateway Mixed-Use Project 915 N. La Brea Ave. Apartments 179 Units Supermarket KSF 43 Residential 712 N. Wilcox Ave. Apartments 100 Units 44 - b Paramount Studios Master Plan c 5555 Melrose Ave. Studio-Related 1,385.7 KSF 46 Apartments 7046 W. Hollywood Blvd. Apartments 42 Units 47 Paseo Plaza d 5601 W. Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 437 Units KSF 48 Nickelodeon Hollywood e 6254 Sunset Blvd. Apartments 223 Units Office 23 KSF Shopping Center 5 KSF 49 Hollywood Central Park Hollywood Fwy Park 44 Acres 50* Apartment & f 1201 La Brea Ave KSF Apartments 8 Units City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-9

11 Table III-1 (Continued) Related Projects Project Description # Project Name Address Land Use Units 51* Movietown f,g 7302 Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 371 Units Commercial 32.3 KSF 52* Warner Studios (The Lot) f,h 1041 Formosa Ave. Office 285 KSF Stages 58 KSF Media/Workshops KSF Storage 28 KSF Café/ 2.5 KSF Office (to be removed) ( KSF) Media/Workshops (to be removed) ( KSF) Storage (to be removed) Non-Studio (to be removed) ( KSF) ( KSF) 53* Mixed-Use f 1222 N. La Brea Ave. Apartments 187 Units Convenience Store Restaurant Coffee Shop 54* Mixed-Use f 7113 Santa Monica Blvd. Apartments 184 Units Bank Convenience Store Restaurant Pharmacy KSF KSF 2.3 KSF KSF 3.3 KSF 4.8 KSF 3.25 KSF 55 Indigo Hotel i 1841 N. Highland Ave. Hotel 75 Rooms Bank 2 KSF City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-10

12 Table III-1 (Continued) Related Projects Project Description # Project Name Address Land Use Units 56 NBC Universal Evolution Plan j 555 Universal Drive Hotel 1000 Rooms Entertainment and KSF Office KSF Studio Office KSF Studio KSF 57 Capitol Records Mixed-Use Project k 1740 Vine St. Apartments 500 Units Office 220 KSF 25 KSF Other KSF 58 Selma Community Housing k 1603 N. Cherokee Ave. Apartments 66 Units 59 Mixed-Use k 1610 N. Highland Ave. Apartments 248 Units KSF 60 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences k 1313 N. Vine St. Museum 44 KSF Storage KSF 61 Apartment Project k 1824 N. Highland Ave. Apartments 118 Units 62 Apartments k 1411 N. Highland Ave. Apartments 90 Units 63 BLVD 6200 Mixed-Use k 6200 N. Hollywood Blvd. Apartments 952 Units 190 KSF 64 Residential Building 1763 N. Las Palmas Ave. Condominiums 23 Units *Indicates the related project is located in the City of West Hollywood. a b c Related Projects List provided by LADOT September 2011; Updated October 2011 and August This project is a duplicate of Related Project No. 57 and has been deleted. It should be noted that the Paramount Master Plan project is within a two-mile radius of the Project Site, but has an anticipated buildout year of Thus, substantial construction of the Paramount Master Plan project will not be completed by the 2015 buildout year of the Project. Trip City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-11

13 Table III-1 (Continued) Related Projects Project Description # Project Name Address Land Use Units data was obtained from the Paramount Master Plan project draft traffic study. d Traffic Impact Report for Proposed Paseo Plaza Hollywood Mixed Use Project, City of Los Angeles, December e Traffic Impact Report for Proposed Nickelodeon Site Hollywood Project in Hollywood Redevelopment Plan Area, January f Trip Generation from City of West Hollywood Related Projects List, June g City of West Hollywood Housing Division, Projects with 2+ Residential Units, Updated by City of West Hollywood Housing Staff, November 8, 2012, accessed April 24, h correspondence with Bob Cheung, City of West Hollywood Community Development Department, April 29, i Traffic Impact Analysis for the Proposed Indigo Hotel Project, July j NBC Universal Evolution Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Report, November It should be noted that the NBC Universal Evolution Plan project is within a 2-mile radius of the Project Site, but has an anticipated buildout year of Thus, substantial construction is not anticipated to be completed by the 2015 buildout year of the Project. k Additional Related Projects List provided by LADOT August Source: Gibson Transportation Consulting, Inc., City of Los Angeles Hollywood Cherokee Project Page III-12

14 Figure III-1 Related Projects Location Map 34 Source: Gibson Transportation Consulting, Inc. 2013; Matrix Environmental, Page III-13