addendum to the adopted mitigated negative …

ADDENDUM TO THE

ADOPTED MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION

LANKERSHIM + ostego Project5101-5125 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Case Number: ENV-2015-2677-MND

December 2017

7

I. INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND

On October 21, 2016, the City of Los Angeles (the "City") approved the application for a Density Bonus

and Site Plan Review to allow the construction of a seven (7j-story, 87-foot-tall 308,168 square foot

mixed-use building, containing 297 dwelling units and ground floor commercial space on a 2.04-acre site

("Project Site") located at 5101-5125 North lankershim Boulevard, 5130 Klump Avenue, and 5101

lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. The Approved Project includes authorization to demolish the

2-story commercial building, two 1-story commercial buildings, and three surface parking lots located on

the Project Site.

The City adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration ENV-2015-2677-MND and the corresponding

Mitigation Monitoring Program as the project's environmental clearance pursuant to the California

Environmental Quality Act and Section 21082.1 (c)(3) of the California Public Resources Code.

As described and evaluated in the Adopted MND, the Approved Project included trimming, removing or

otherwise disturbing several street trees located on the edges of the Project Site. The M ND noted that

removal and replacement of these trees was subject to review and approval of the Board of Public

Works, Urban Forestry Division, and included mitigation requiring replacement of any street trees

removed in conformance with the current standards of the Department of Public Works, Urban Forestry

Division, Bureau of Street Services.

This Addendum evaluates the removal and replacement of street trees as currently proposed to

implement the Approved Project. No changes to the design of the Approved Project are proposed. As

described in thiS Addendum, the trees being removed will be replaced in accordance with applicable City

policies and no new significant impacts or substantial increase in the severity of previously identified

impacts would occur. Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 15162 and 15164 of the State CEQA Guidelines,

this Addendum is the appropriate document to address the removal and replacement of street trees as

currently proposed.

B. CEQA AUTHORITY FOR ADDENDUM

CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines establish the type of environmental documentation required when

changes to a project occur or new information becomes available after a negative declaration is

adopted. Section 15164 of the State CEQA Guidelines defines when the preparation of Addendum is

appropriate, and Section 15162 defines when the preparation of a subsequent EIR or negative

declarations is required.

5101-5125 Lankershim BoulevardAddendum to the Adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration

1 Meridian Consultants, LLCDecember 2017

Section 15164(b) states:

"An addendum to an adopted negative declaration may be prepared if only minortechnical changes or additions are necessary or none of the conditions described inSection 15162 calling for preparation of a subsequent fiR have occurred. "

Section 15162 of the State CEQA Guidelines mandates that no subsequent negative declaration shall be

prepared unless:

1. Substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require major revisions of the previous fIRor negative declaration due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or asubstantial increase in the severity ofpreviously identified significant effects;

2. Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertakenwhich will require major revisions of the previous fiR or negative declaration due to the involvementof new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previouslyidentif~ds~nifkanteffect~

3. New information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been knownwith the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the previous fIR was certified as complete orthe negative declaration was adopted, shows any of the following:

a. The project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previous fiR or negativedeclaration,

b. Significant effects preViously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in theprevious fiR,

c. Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible,and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the project, but the projectproponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative, or

d. Mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in theprevious fIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, butthe project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative.

Accordingly, this Addendum reviews the impacts to street trees as currently proposed to implement the

Approved Project and evaluates whether the Approved Project would result in significant environmental

impacts or substantially more severe significant impacts than identified in the Adopted MND and if any

additional mitigation is required.

The Addendum consists of this Introduction section and the following sections:

• Project Description: This section provides an overview of the Approved Project

Environmental Evaluation: This section prOVides a summary of the evaluation of impacts tostreet trees in the Adopted MND and evaluation of the removal and replacement of street treesas currently proposed.

5101·5125 lankershim BoulevardAddendum to the Adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration

3 Meridian Consultants, llCDecember 2017

c. PREPARATION OF THE ADDENDUM TO THE MND

This Addendum to the Adopted MND was prepared with support provided by Meridian Consultants, LLC.

Meridian Consultants assisted the City with preparation ofthe Adopted MND. The analysis, conclusions,

and findings contained herein represent the independent judgment and position of the City of los

Angeles in its capacity as the lead Agency. The Project Applicant is Mr. Donald V. Hayes (c/o Hayes

Capital Management), 21550 Oxnard Street, Suite 860, Woodland Hills, CA 91367.

5101·5125 Lankershim Boulevard 4Addendum to the Adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration

Meridian Consultants, LLCDecember 2017

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A. APPROVED PROJECT

1. Project Location

The 2.04-acre Project Site is located in the North Hollywood-Valley Village Community Plan area. The

Project Site is designated Community Commercial and High Medium Residential and zoned C4-1-CA and

R4-2.

2. Project Description

The Approved Project is a mixed-use development, 87-feet in height, consisting of six (6) stories of

multifamily housing over ground-floor commercial space, with at-grade parking and two levels of

subterranean parking. The Approved Project includes a total of 297 residential units and approximately

26,042 square feet of commercial space; a grand total of approximately 308,168 square feet for the

entire Approved Project. Conforming to the irregularly-shaped project site, the development consists of

one portion fronting Otsego Street to the south and Lankershim Boulevard to the east, with another

portion of the development fronting Klump Street to the west.

B. PERMITSIAPPROVALS

The Adopted MND evaluated the potential environmental effects of the following discretionary actions

approved by the City:

•

•

•

Density Bonus;

Site Plan Review; and,

Other permits and approvals by City departments and agencies necessary to construct the project

including, but not limited to, permits and bonds required by the Department of Public Works,

construction permits, and hauling permits.

5101-5125 Lankershim Boulevard 5Addendum to the Adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration

Meridian Consultants, LLCDecember 2017

III. ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION

This Addendum updates the information and analysis in the Biological Resources section of the Adopted

MND to evaluate the removal and replacement of street trees as currently proposed to implement the

Approved Project.

A. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

1. Summary of Analysis in Adopted MND

The Adopted MND determined the impact of removing street trees as part of the Project was less than

significant with the identified mitigation.

Based upon the criteria established in the L.A. CEQA Thresholds Guide, the impact of the Project would

be considered significant if the removal of trees would be inconsistent with local regulations pertaining

to biological resources, such as the City of Los Angeles Protected Tree Ordinance. The Initial Study

identified that several trees bordering the site within the public right-of-way would need to be removed,

trimmed, or otherwise disturbed during construction of the Approved Project. These street trees do not

consist of any tree species (Le., valley oak, California live oak, Southern California black walnut, western

sycamore, or California bay) protected under the City's tree ordinance.

The Initial Study noted that removal and replacement of these trees would be subject to the review and

approval of the Board of Public Works, Urban Forestry Division, and included Mitigation Measure MM

B10-2, which requires that prior to the issuance of any permit, a plot plan be prepared identifying the

location, size, type, and general condition of all existing trees on the site and within the adjacent public

right(s)-of-way, and that the removal or planting of any tree in the public right-of-way be approved by

the Board of Public Works and conform to the current standards of the Department of Public Works,

Urban Forestry Division, Bureau of Street Services.

2. Updated Information and Analysis

There are no changes to the design of the mixed-use project as described and evaluated in the Adopted

MND. In conformance with Mitigation Measure MM-BI0-2, the applicant prepared a survey identifying

the location of all trees on and off the site, as well as the trees proposed for removal and replacement.

The removal of a total of seven (7) street trees is currently proposed, consisting five (5) street trees on

Lankershim Boulevard and two (2) trees on Otsego Street. Figure 1: A.L.T.A./A.C.S.M. Land Title Survey

shows the current location of the street trees. The location of these street trees were the same as

described and evaluated in the Adopted MND. As a result, there are no changes to the Adopted MND or

Mitigation Monitoring Plan.

5101-5125 lankershim Boulevard 6Addendum to the Adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration

Meridian Consultants, LlCDecember 2017

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The City's current policy for the removal of street trees, adopted in June 2015, requires that each street

tree approved for removal be replaced on a 2:1 basis with a 24" box size tree. The Project proposes to

replace the seven (7) street trees to be removed with eighteen (18) new street trees, including eight (8)

trees on Lankershim Boulevard, eight (8) trees on Otsego Street, and two (2) trees on Klump Avenue.

The ratio of the replacement trees to the trees proposed for removal is 2.6:1, which exceeds the City's

required replacement ratio of 2:1. The removal and replacement of these street trees will, therefore,

conform to the current standards of the Department of Public Works, Urban Forestry Division, Bureau of

Street Services, as required by Mitigation Measure MM-BIO-2. Tree Removal (Non-Protected Trees) as

adopted by the City.

The removal and replacement of street trees on Lankershim Boulevard, Otsego Street, and Klump

Avenue as currently proposed will also not contribute to any significant cumulative loss of street trees in

this portion of North Hollywood. Within a two-block radius of the Project Site, the City issued one tree

removal permit in late 2017 allowing the removal of one street tree on Lankershim Boulevard

approximately 0.15 miles south of the Project Site. As described above, the Project will remove five (5)

street trees on Lankershim Boulevard and plant eight (8) trees on Lankershim Boulevard to replace these

trees. No significant cumulative loss of street trees on Lankershim Boulevard will result from the Project

and other related projects in this portion of North Hollywood.

C. CONCLUSION

As described above, the removal and replacement of street trees as currently proposed is consistent

with adopted Mitigation Measure MM-BIO-2. Tree Removal (Non-Protected Trees) and the current

policies of the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Street Services for removal of street trees.

The impact of the Approved Project on street trees is consistent with the description of the Approved

Project in the Adopted MND and the removal and replacement of street trees as currently proposed will

not result in any new significant impacts or substantial increase in the severity of impacts as identified in

the Adopted MND and, for this reason, no new mitigation measures are required.

For these reasons, pursuant to Sections 15162 and 15164 of the State CEQA Guidelines, this Addendum

is the appropriate document for addressing the impact of removing street trees as currently proposed to

implement the Approved Project.



addendum to the adopted mitigated negative …

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