City of Santa Monica 1906 Broadway Project MND 03IF-002. Final Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration

Transcription

1 City of Santa Monica 1906 Broadway Project MND 03IF-002 Final Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration August 2003

2 1906 Broadway Project Final Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration MND 03IF-002 Prepared by: City of Santa Monica 1685 Main Street, Room 212 Santa Monica, California Contact: Elizabeth Bar-El, AICP Associate Planner (310) With the Assistance of: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 790 East Santa Clara Street Ventura, California (805) August 2003

3 1906 Broadway Project Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Responses to Comments The Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the proposed 1906 Broadway project circulated for public review and comment from June 23, 2003 to July 23, During the public review period, no comments, written or verbal, were received on the Draft document. Thus, since no comments were received, this Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration does not include a Responses to Comments section. City of Santa Monica

4 Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program 1906 Broadway Project MND 03IF-002 Prepared for: City of Santa Monica 1685 Main Street, Room 212 Santa Monica, California Prepared by: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 790 East Santa Clara Street Ventura, California August 2003

5 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program This document is the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the 1906 Broadway Project proposed in the City of Santa Monica, California. Public Resources Code Section (a) requires that a Lead Agency adopt an MMRP prior to approving a project in order to mitigate or avoid significant impacts that have been identified in a Mitigated Negative Declaration. The purpose of the MMRP is to ensure that the required mitigation measures identified in the Mitigated Negative Declaration are implemented as part of the overall project implementation. In addition to ensuring implementation of mitigation measures, the MMRP provides feedback to agency staff and decision-makers during project implementation, and identifies the need for enforcement action before irreversible environmental damage occurs. The following table summarizes the mitigation measures for each issue area identified in the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the 1906 Broadway Project. The table identifies each mitigation measure; the action required for the measure to be implemented; the time at which the monitoring is to occur; the monitoring frequency; and the agency or party responsible for ensuring that the monitoring is performed. In addition, the table includes columns for compliance verification. These columns would be filled out by the monitoring agency or party and would document monitoring compliance. Where an impact was identified to be less than significant, no mitigation measures were required. This MMRP will be used by City staff or the City s consultant to determine compliance with permit conditions. Violations of these conditions may cause the City to revoke the operating permit. 1 City of Santa Monica

6 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Mitigation Measure/Condition of Approval Action Required When Monitoring to Occur AIR QUALITY Dust Minimization. Dust generated by the development activities shall be kept to a minimum with a goal of retaining dust on the site through implementation of the following: Field verification of dust suppression actions. During construction. Monitoring Frequency Periodically during construction. Responsible Agency or Party SMPD Compliance Verification Initial Date Comments During clearing, grading, earth moving, excavation, or transportation of cut or fill materials, water trucks or sprinkler systems are to be used to prevent dust from leaving the site and to create a crust after each day's activities cease. During clearing, grading, earth moving, excavation, or transportation of cut or fill materials streets and sidewalks within 150 feet of the site perimeter shall be swept and cleaned a minimum of twice weekly. During construction, water trucks or sprinkler systems shall be used to keep all areas of vehicle movement damp enough to prevent dust from leaving the site. At a minimum, this would include wetting down such areas in the later morning and after work is completed for the day and whenever wind exceeds 15 miles per hour. Soil stockpiled for more than two days shall be covered, kept moist, or treated with soil binders to prevent dust generation. Construction Equipment Conditions. Construction equipment used on the site shall meet the following conditions in order to minimize NOx emissions: The number of pieces of equipment operating simultaneously must be minimized through efficient management practices; Construction equipment must be maintained in tune per manufacturer's specifications; Equipment shall be equipped with 2- to 4-degree engine timing retard or pre-combustion chamber The applicant or the contractor shall provide maintenance records for construction vehicles. Field verification during construction. During construction. Periodically during construction. SMPD Key: SMPD - City of Santa Monica Planning Department 2 City of Santa Monica

7 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Mitigation Measure/Condition of Approval Action Required When Monitoring to Occur engines; Catalytic converters shall be installed, if feasible; Diesel-powered equipment such as booster pumps or generators should be replaced by electric equipment, if feasible; and NOx emissions during construction shall be reduced by limiting the operation of heavy-duty construction equipment to no more than 5 pieces of equipment at any one time. Low-VOC Coatings. Low-VOC architectural coatings shall be used in construction whenever feasible and applicant shall coordinate with the SCAQMD to determine which coatings would reduce VOC emissions to the maximum degree feasible. Verification of use of low-voc coatings. During construction. Monitoring Frequency Periodically during construction. Responsible Agency or Party SMPD Compliance Verification Initial Date Comments NOISE All diesel equipment shall be operated with closed engine doors and shall be equipped with factoryrecommended mufflers. Electrical power shall be used to run air compressors and similar power tools. For all noise-generating construction activity on the project site, additional noise attenuation techniques shall be employed to reduce noise levels to City of Santa Monica noise standards. Such techniques may include, but are not limited to, the use of sound blankets on noise generating equipment and the construction of temporary sound barriers, including walls or other sound attenuating features, between construction sites and nearby sensitive receptors. The applicant shall provide a telephone number for local residents to call to submit complaints associated with construction noise. The number shall be posted on the project site and shall be easily viewed from adjacent public areas. Field verification of compliance. Field verification of compliance. Field verification of compliance. Field verification of compliance. During construction. During construction. During construction. During construction. Periodically during construction. Periodically during construction. Periodically during construction. Periodically during construction. SMPD SMPD SMPD SMPD Key: SMPD - City of Santa Monica Planning Department 3 City of Santa Monica

8 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Table of Contents 1906 Broadway Project Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Measures... S Introduction Legal Authority and Findings Environmental Factors Potentially Affected Use of This Document By the City of Santa Monica Determination Project Description Project Title and Address Lead Agency Contact Person Project Sponsor Project Location Project Characteristics Project Objectives Project Approvals Required Page 3.0 Environmental Checklist Aesthetics Agricultural Resources Air Quality Biological Resources Cultural Resources Geology and Soils Hazards and Hazardous Materials Hydrology and Water Quality Land Use and Planning Energy and Mineral Resources Noise Population and Housing Public Services Recreation Transportation/Traffic Utilities and Service Systems Shadows Economic and Social Impacts Construction Effects Neighborhood Effects Mandatory Findings of Significance i City of Santa Monica

9 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Table of Contents 4.0 List of References and Preparers 4.1 List of References List of Preparers List of Figures Figure 1 Regional Location Figure 2 Site Location Figure 3 Existing Site Conditions Figure 4 Surrounding Land Uses Figure 5 Site Plan Figure 6 19 th Court and East Elevations Figure 7 Broadway and 19 th Street Elevations Figure 8 P2 Garage Floor Plan Figure 9 P1 Garage Floor Plan Figure 10 Second Floor Plan Figure 11 Third Floor Plan Figure 12 Fourth Floor Plan List of Tables Appendices Table S-1 Issue Areas Affected and Mitigation Measures Required... S-1 Table 1 Estimated Net Increase in Operational Emissions (lbs/day) Table 2 Unmitigated Peak Construction Emissions(pounds/day) Table 3 Exterior Noise Standards Table 3 Comparison of Trip Generation Estimates Table 4 Comparison of Existing and Future Noise Levels Table 5 Existing Peak Hour Levels of Service Table 6 Comparison of Trip Generation Estimates Table 7 City Significant Impact Criteria - Arterial and Collector Intersections Table 8 Future Year (2009) Intersection Level of Service Analysis Table 9 Neighborhood Traffic Impact Analysis Table 10 Parking Requirements for Proposed Project Table 11 Estimated Wastewater Generation Table 12 Estimated Water Demand Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Air Emission Calculations Historic Review Report Noise Worksheets Traffic Report Shadow Analysis Graphics Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program ii City of Santa Monica

10 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Summary SUMMARY OF IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES Table S-1 includes a brief description of the environmental issues relative to the proposed project that require mitigation, proposed mitigation measures, and residual impacts. Table ES-1 Issue Areas Affected and Mitigation Measures Required AIR QUALITY Impact Mitigation Measures Significance After Mitigation Mitigation is recommended to reduce construction-related air quality impacts. AQ-1(a) Dust Minimization. Dust generated by the development activities shall be kept to a minimum with a goal of retaining dust on the site through implementation of the following: Less than significant. During clearing, grading, earth moving, excavation, or transportation of cut or fill materials, water trucks or sprinkler systems are to be used to prevent dust from leaving the site and to create a crust after each day's activities cease. During clearing, grading, earth moving, excavation, or transportation of cut or fill materials streets and sidewalks within 150 feet of the site perimeter shall be swept and cleaned a minimum of twice weekly. During construction, water trucks or sprinkler systems shall be used to keep all areas of vehicle movement damp enough to prevent dust from leaving the site. At a minimum, this would include wetting down such areas in the later morning and after work is completed for the day and whenever wind exceeds 15 miles per hour. Soil stockpiled for more than two days shall be covered, kept moist, or treated with soil binders to prevent dust generation. AQ-1(b) Construction Equipment Conditions. Construction equipment used on the site shall meet the following conditions in order to minimize NOx emissions: The number of pieces of equipment operating simultaneously must be minimized through efficient management practices; Construction equipment must be maintained in tune per manufacturer's specifications; Equipment shall be equipped with 2- to 4- degree engine timing retard or precombustion chamber engines; Catalytic converters shall be installed, if feasible; Diesel-powered equipment such as S-1 City of Santa Monica

11 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Summary Table ES-1 Issue Areas Affected and Mitigation Measures Required booster pumps or generators should be replaced by electric equipment, if feasible; and NOx emissions during construction shall be reduced by limiting the operation of heavy-duty construction equipment to no more than 5 pieces of equipment at any one time. AQ-1(c) Low-VOC Coatings. Low-VOC architectural coatings shall be used in construction whenever feasible and shall coordinate with the SCAQMD to determine which coatings would reduce VOC emissions to the maximum degree feasible. NOISE Impact Mitigation Measures Significance After Mitigation Mitigation is required to reduce N-1(a) All diesel equipment shall be Less than significant. construction-related noise impacts. operated with closed engine doors and shall be equipped with factory-recommended mufflers. N-1(b) Electrical power shall be used to run air compressors and similar power tools. N-1(c) For all noise-generating construction activity on the project site, additional noise attenuation techniques shall be employed to reduce noise levels to City of Santa Monica noise standards. Such techniques may include, but are not limited to, the use of sound blankets on noise generating equipment and the construction of temporary sound barriers, including walls or other sound attenuating features, between construction sites and nearby sensitive receptors. N-1(d) The applicant shall provide a telephone number for local residents to call to submit complaints associated with construction noise. The number shall be posted on the project site and shall be easily viewed from adjacent public areas. TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION Impact Mitigation Measures Significance After Mitigation TO BE ADDED IF NECESSARY S-2 City of Santa Monica

12 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 1.0 Introduction 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) addresses the potential environmental effects associated with the development of a mixed-use project on a 0.34-acre site located at the corner of Broadway and 19 th Street in the City of Santa Monica. The project would involve the construction of a four-story, 44-foot tall building containing 32 studio and one-bedroom condominium units and 449 square feet of retail space. Three of the residential units would be restricted for occupancy by very low-income seniors. Sixty-nine parking spaces would be provided in a two-level subterranean parking garage. Approximately 553 square feet of landscaping would be provided. The site is zoned BCD (Broadway Commercial District) and has a General Plan designation of Commercial. The discretionary actions requested from the City include Architectural Review, approval of a Design Compatibility Permit, approval of a Development Review Permit, and approval of a Tentative Map. The project requires review and approval by both the Planning Commission and City Council. 1.1 LEGAL AUTHORITY AND FINDINGS This IS/MND has been prepared in accordance with the CEQA Guidelines and relevant provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as amended. Initial Study. Section 15063(c) of the CEQA Guidelines defines an Initial Study as the proper preliminary method of analyzing the potential environmental consequences of a project. The purposes of an Initial Study are: (1) To provide the Lead Agency (the City of Santa Monica) with the necessary information to decide whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) or a Mitigated Negative Declaration; (2) To enable the Lead Agency to modify a project, mitigating adverse impacts, thus avoiding the need to prepare an EIR; and (3) To provide sufficient technical analysis of the environmental effects of a project to permit a judgment, based on the record as a whole, that the environmental effects of a project have been adequately mitigated. Negative Declaration. Section of the CEQA Guidelines states that a Negative Declaration (or Mitigated Negative Declaration) shall be prepared for a project subject to CEQA when either: (1) The Initial Study shows that there is no substantial evidence that the project may have a significant effect on the environment; or (2) The Initial Study identifies potentially significant effects but: a. Revisions in the project plans or proposals made by or agreed to by the applicant before the proposed Negative Declaration is released for public 1-1 City of Santa Monica

13 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 1.0 Introduction review would avoid the effects or mitigate the effects to a point where clearly no significant effects would occur; and b. There is no substantial evidence before the agency that the project, as revised, may have a significant effect on the environment. An IS/MND may be used to satisfy the requirements of CEQA when a project such as the 1906 Broadway Project is anticipated either to have no significant effect or to have potentially significant effects on the environment that can be fully mitigated by either modifying a project or by incorporating mitigation measures into an environmental compliance program. Based on the Initial Study (Section 4 of this document), it has been determined that the project would not have a significant impact on the environment provided that the mitigation measures identified herein are implemented. Under City policy, the applicant will be required to pay for all costs associated with mitigation measures identified in this IS/MND. 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED The proposed project was determined to have potentially significant impacts in the issue areas identified below. Mitigation measures have been identified to reduce impacts to a less than significant level. The discussion on the following pages substantiates these findings. Air Quality Noise 1.3 USE OF THIS DOCUMENT BY THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA This IS/MND has been prepared in compliance with the requirements of CEQA. The IS/MND will be used by the City of Santa Monica public and decision-makers in evaluating the environmental effects and mitigation requirements for the proposed 1906 Broadway Project. 1-2 City of Santa Monica

14 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 1.0 Introduction 1.4 DETERMINATION On the basis of this initial evaluation: I find that the proposed project COULD NOT have a significant effect on the environment, and a NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared. I find that although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environment, there will not be a significant effect in this case because the mitigation measures described in the attached Initial Study have been added to the project. A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared. I find that the proposed project MAY have a significant effect(s) on the environment, but at least one effect (1) has been adequately analyzed in an earlier document pursuant to applicable legal standards, and (2) has been addressed by mitigation measures based on the earlier analysis as described on attached sheets, if the effect is a "Potentially Significant Impact" or "Potentially Significant Unless Mitigated." An ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT is required, but it must analyze only the effects that remain to be addressed. I find that although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environment, there WILL NOT be a significant effect in this case because all potentially significant effects (1) have been analyzed in an earlier EIR pursuant to applicable standards and (2) have been avoided or mitigated pursuant to that earlier EIR, including revisions or mitigation measures that are imposed upon the proposed project. X Jay Trevino, AICP, Planning Manager City of Santa Monica Date 1-3 City of Santa Monica

15 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 2.0 Project Description 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 PROJECT TITLE AND ADDRESS 1906 Broadway Project, Broadway, Santa Monica, California 2.2 LEAD AGENCY City of Santa Monica 1685 Main Street Room 212 Santa Monica, California CONTACT PERSON Elizabeth Bar-El, AICP, Associate Planner (310) PROJECT SPONSOR Broadway Lofts, L.L.C th Street Santa Monica, California PROJECT LOCATION The project site is located at Broadway within the City of Santa Monica, between 19 th Street and 20 th Street. Figure 1 shows the regional location of the project site. Regional access to the site is provided by the I-10 Freeway and Lincoln Boulevard (State Highway 1). Local access to the project site is provided from Broadway from the northeast and southwest and 19 th Street from the northwest and southeast. The intersection of Broadway and 19 th Street is stopcontrolled with stop signs on 19 th Street. The project site, which encompasses 14,970 square feet (or 0.34 acres), is located at the east corner of the intersection of Broadway and 19 th Street (see Figure 2). The site is currently developed with a single-story sign shop and a small parking area. Access to the parking area is from 19 th Street. The site is located within an area comprised of residential, commercial, and light industrial development. Figure 3 shows the existing site conditions, while Figure 4 shows photos of some of the surrounding land uses. 2.6 PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS The proposed project, known as the 1906 Broadway Project, would involve the demolition of an existing sign shop on a 0.34 acre (14,970 square foot) site and the subsequent development of a four story, 44-foot high mixed-use building containing 32 studio and one-bedroom 2-1 City of Santa Monica

16 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 2.0 Project Description Moorpark 118 San Fernando Thousand Oaks Calabasas Los Angeles Santa Monica SITE Long Beach Miles Regional Location 2-2 Figure 1 City of Santa Monica

17 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 2.0 Project Description Source: National Geographic TOPO!, Beverly Hills, CA 1995 North Scale in Feet Project Location 2-3 Figure 2 City of Santa Monica

18 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 2.0 Project Description View of project site (sign shop) from west corner of Broadway/19th Street intersection. Vacant portion of project site along 19th Street, adjacent to sign shop. Note Church in background. View of parking area for sign shop from 19th Street, facing northeast. Existing Views of the Project Site 2-4 Figure 3 City of Santa Monica

19 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 2.0 Project Description Building at north corner of Broadway/19th Street intersection, across Broadway from project site. Auto-related uses and apartment building on west corner of Broadway/19th Street. Residential uses directly adjacent to project site on 19th Street. Commercial building across 19th Street from project site. Surrounding Land Uses 2-5 Figure 4 City of Santa Monica

20 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 2.0 Project Description condominium units and 449 square feet of ground floor retail space. The 14,970 square foot project site is zoned BCD, Broadway Commercial District, which allows the development of multi-family residential development and encourages mixed-use projects. The proposed structure would include 11 one-bedroom and 17 studio market-rate for-sale condominium units; one market-rate one-bedroom unit designated for seniors; and one onebedroom and two studio units designated for occupancy by very low-income seniors. The 11 one-bedroom for-sale units would be two-level townhouse units located on the third and fourth floors of the building. Each residential unit would provide outdoor space in either a balcony or porch. The ground floor units along Broadway and 19 th Street would be accessible from the street. The other ground floor units would be accessible from an interior walkway that would be entered from 19 th Street via a locked steel entry gate. Figures 5 through 12 show the proposed site plan, project elevations, and floor plans. The retail space would be located at the corner of Broadway and 19 th Street and would be accessible to pedestrians from both streets. The future occupant of the retail space is not yet known. Sixty-nine parking spaces would be provided within a two-level subterranean garage, with vehicular access to the parking area from the 19 th Court alley. The spaces provided include 51 standard and 18 compact spaces. Both the residential units and retail unit would utilize parking within the subterranean garage. The project includes 553 square feet of landscaping, which would be provided within raised planters in front of the residential units at the ground floor level along Broadway and 19 th Street. 2.7 PROJECT OBJECTIVES The objectives of the project are: To provide a viable mixed-use development within the Broadway Commercial District To add to the stock of very low-income senior housing units To provide a range of housing alternatives in the area 2.8 PROJECT APPROVALS REQUIRED Tentative Map Development Review Permit Design Compatibility Permit Architectural Design Review Building and Demolition Permits Variance for reduced number of driveways 2-6 City of Santa Monica

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29 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST The following checklist was developed as a tool to screen potential environmental impacts and is consistent with that contained in the CEQA Guidelines. A discussion of how the conclusion was reached for each checklist item and mitigation measures necessary to reduce environmental impacts to a less than significant level is included after each issue area. ISSUES: 3.1 AESTHETICS - Would the project: a) Have a substantial adverse effect on a scenic vista? b) Substantially damage scenic resources, including, but not limited to, trees, rock outcroppings, and historic buildings within a state scenic highway? c) Substantially degrade the existing visual character or quality of the site and its surroundings? d) Create a new source of substantial light or glare which would adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X No Impact X X X a, b. The project site is located more than one mile from the Pacific Ocean and is not located along a designated scenic corridor (Scenic Corridors Element of the General Plan, 1975). The project site is flat and lacks important scenic resources. The site is currently developed with a commercial structure that would be removed prior to project construction; however, as discussed under Item 3.5, Cultural Resources, none of the existing on-site structures are historically significant. Therefore, development of the project would not affect any scenic vistas or scenic resources. c. The proposed project involves the development of a four-story, 44-foot tall building, which would house residential development and a small retail unit. The neighborhood in which the project site is located is comprised of residential uses, commercial development, and light industrial uses (see Figure 4 for photos of surrounding land uses). Immediately adjacent to the site along 19 th Street are single- and multi-family residential units. At the corner of 19 th Street and Broadway, across from the project site, is a two-story commercial building. Further to the southeast along 19 th Street is predominantly residential development, although some industrial uses, including a cement plant, are located toward Colorado Avenue. Adjacent to the site on Broadway, across the 19 th Court alley, is a church. Across Broadway to the northwest of the project site is a two-story red brick building with pink accents. On the opposite corner of the intersection from the project site are a variety of automobile-serving uses on Broadway, with multi-family residential development to the northwest along 19 th Street. The proposed project would generally be compatible with the mix of uses in the area. The project would be taller than most structures in the immediate vicinity of the project site, but the building is proposed to be stepped back from street level on the upper floors to provide the appearance of a reduced building mass. The project would incorporate porches and 3-1 City of Santa Monica

30 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist planters into the residential units at ground level on Broadway and 19 th Street to contribute to a pedestrian orientation. This would also act to break up the length of the building and create an interesting aesthetic feature. The project as proposed is visually compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and could be considered an aesthetic improvement over the existing sign shop and vacant lot that are currently on-site. The project would be subject to Architectural Review, Development Review, and a Design Compatibility Permit to further ensure its visual compatibility with the neighborhood. Impacts would be less than significant. d. Development of the proposed project would result in increased nighttime lighting at the project site. Lighting would be provided for security and aesthetic value. The project includes subterranean parking and would not involve the use of surface lighting to illuminate parking areas. While the project would increase nighttime lighting, the site is located within a highly developed area with numerous sources of nighttime lighting already in place, including streetlights and security lighting at nearby private properties. Thus, the incremental increase in lighting associated with the project would not substantially alter lighting conditions in the area. Significant impacts are not anticipated. The proposed project would also incrementally increase glare at the project site. The plans for the building do not include the use of reflective materials on the building surface; therefore, the only sources of glare resulting from project development would be windows. As with lighting, sources of glare already exist in the project area and the project would not substantially alter glare conditions in the area. The project s contribution to overall glare conditions would not be significant. ISSUES: 3.2 AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES - Would the project: a) Convert Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance, as shown on the maps prepared pursuant to the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program of the California Resources Agency to nonagricultural use? b) Conflict with existing zoning for agricultural use, or a Williamson Act contract? c) Involve other changes in the existing environment which, due to their location or nature, could result in conversion of Farmland to non-agricultural use? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X X a-c. The proposed project involves the construction of a mixed-use project in a heavily urbanized area. There are no agricultural lands or areas zoned for agricultural use in the City. Therefore, the proposed project would not adversely affect agricultural resources. 3-2 City of Santa Monica

31 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: 3.3 AIR QUALITY - Would the project: a) Conflict with or obstruct implementation of the applicable air quality plan? b) Violate any air quality standard or contribute substantially to an existing or projected air quality violation? c) Result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant for which the project region is in non-attainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard (including releasing emissions which exceed quantitative thresholds for ozone precursors)? d) Expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations? e) Create objectionable odors affecting a substantial number of people? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X X X X X No Impact The project site is within the South Coast Air Basin, which is under the jurisdiction of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The local air quality management agency is required to monitor air pollutant levels to assure that the air quality standards are met, and if they are not met, to develop strategies to meet the standards. Depending on whether or not the standards are met or exceeded, the air basin is classified as being in attainment or nonattainment. The South Coast Air Basin is in nonattainment for both the federal and state standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide, and the state standard for PM 10. This non-attainment status is a result of several factors, the primary ones being the naturally adverse meteorological conditions that limit the dispersion and diffusion of pollutants, the limited capacity of the local airshed to eliminate pollutants from the air, and the number, type, and density of emission sources within the South Coast Air Basin. The SCAQMD has adopted an Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) that provides a strategy for the attainment of state and federal air quality standards. The SCAQMD has established the following significance thresholds for project operations within the South Coast Air Basin: 55 pounds per day of ROC 55 pounds per day of NOx 550 pounds per day of CO 150 pounds per day of PM pounds per day of SOx The SCAQMD has also adopted the following thresholds for temporary construction-related pollutant emissions: 75 pounds per day ROC 100 pounds per day NOx 550 pounds per day CO 3-3 City of Santa Monica

32 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist 150 pounds per day PM 10 a. The proposed project involves the development of a mixed-use project containing residential and retail uses. Thus, the project would introduce a residential population on a site where there currently is none. Using the average household size in the City of 1.83 people per household (City of Santa Monica, 2003a), the project could accommodate about 59 people. The existing population is estimated to be about 85,686 people (City of Santa Monica, 2003a). This is well within the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) year 2005 population estimate for the City, which is 95,789 (SCAG, 2003). Therefore, the addition of 59 people to the existing population is not a significant increase. In addition, by providing housing in an area well served by mass transit and within walking distance of major commercial retail facilities, the project is expected to reduce the length of trips that might otherwise be associated with the project. Therefore, the impact of the proposed project on attainment of the local air quality management plan would be less than significant. b, c. The primary source of long-term emissions would be vehicles driven by residents of the condominium units and patrons of the retail use (mobile source emissions). A secondary source of operational emissions is the consumption of natural gas and the use of landscape maintenance equipment (area source emissions). Because there is an existing use on-site (the sign shop), the estimated trips generated by the sign shop were subtracted from the trips that would be generated by the proposed mixed-use project to provide a net trip generation (see the discussion under Item 3.10, Transportation/Traffic for more information). This net trip generation was used to estimate mobile source emissions. As shown in Table 1, the estimated emissions are well below the SCAQMD thresholds for operational emissions. Therefore, no mitigation would be required. Table 1 Estimated Net Increase in Operational Emissions (lbs/day) Emission Source Emissions ROG NO x CO PM 10 Mobile Emissions Area Emissions Total SCAQMD Thresholds See Appendix A for calculations. Construction activity on the project site would result in temporary air quality impacts due to the generation of fugitive dust (PM 10 ) and exhaust emissions associated with heavy construction vehicles. Because the grading phase of construction uses substantial heavyduty construction equipment, and generates the largest amount of fugitive dust, this phase is used to gauge the potential impact of project construction upon local and regional air quality. It was assumed that the worst-case day during site preparation would involve the operation of five pieces of heavy equipment. Also, during project grading, the soils that underlie the site would be turned over and pushed around, exposing the soil to wind erosion and dust entrainment by on-site operating equipment. In addition to the 3-4 City of Santa Monica

33 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist emissions associated with the construction equipment, construction worker vehicles traveling to the site would contribute a small amount of emissions. Temporary construction emissions were estimated using the California Air Resources Board s (ARB s) URBEMIS 2001 computer model. Peak construction-related emissions and the SCAQMD thresholds are summarized in Table 2. As shown, construction-related air quality impacts would be less than significant, and no mitigation would be required. Table 2 Unmitigated Peak Construction Emissions (pounds/day) Pollutant ROG NOx CO PM 10 Project Emissions SCAQMD Threshold Threshold Exceeded? No No No No See Appendix A for calculations. Although construction-related air quality impacts would be less than significant, the following measures are recommended to minimize the generation of dust and ozone precursors during construction: AQ-1(a) Dust Minimization. Dust generated by the development activities shall be kept to a minimum with a goal of retaining dust on the site through implementation of the following: During clearing, grading, earth moving, excavation, or transportation of cut or fill materials, water trucks or sprinkler systems are to be used to prevent dust from leaving the site and to create a crust after each day's activities cease. During clearing, grading, earth moving, excavation, or transportation of cut or fill materials streets and sidewalks within 150 feet of the site perimeter shall be swept and cleaned a minimum of twice weekly. During construction, water trucks or sprinkler systems shall be used to keep all areas of vehicle movement damp enough to prevent dust from leaving the site. At a minimum, this would include wetting down such areas in the later morning and after work is completed for the day and whenever wind exceeds 15 miles per hour. Soil stockpiled for more than two days shall be covered, kept moist, or treated with soil binders to prevent dust generation. AQ-1(b) Construction Equipment Conditions. Construction equipment used on the site shall meet the following conditions in order to minimize NOx emissions: The number of pieces of equipment operating simultaneously must be minimized through efficient management practices; Construction equipment must be maintained in tune per manufacturer's specifications; Equipment shall be equipped with 2- to 4-degree engine timing retard or precombustion chamber engines; Catalytic converters shall be installed, if feasible; 3-5 City of Santa Monica

34 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Diesel-powered equipment such as booster pumps or generators should be replaced by electric equipment, if feasible; and NOx emissions during construction shall be reduced by limiting the operation of heavy-duty construction equipment to no more than 5 pieces of equipment at any one time. AQ-1(c) Low-VOC Coatings. Low-VOC architectural coatings shall be used in construction whenever feasible and shall coordinate with the SCAQMD to determine which coatings would reduce VOC emissions to the maximum degree feasible. Construction of the project would also involve demolition of the existing sign shop, which, due to its age, may contain asbestos. The removal of any asbestos-containing materials would comply with all pertinent existing rules and regulations, including SCAQMD Rule 1403 (Asbestos Demolition and Renovation Activities), and impacts would be less than significant. Construction-related air quality impacts would be less than significant and would be further reduced through implementation of the above measures. d. As described below in Item 3.15, Transportation/Traffic, project-generated traffic would not result in a decrease in the level of service (LOS) of any area intersections; therefore, the project would not create hot spots or areas of significant localized pollutant concentrations. Impacts would be less than significant. e. The project is a mixed-use development comprised of residential units and a small retail space that would not generate objectionable odors during normal operations. The project would comply with City requirements applicable to maintenance of trash areas to minimize potential odors. Therefore, significant impacts relating to odors would not occur. ISSUES: 3.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES - Would the project: a) Have a substantial adverse effect on any species identified as a candidate, sensitive, or special status species in local or regional plans, policies, or regulations, or by the California Department of Fish and Game or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? b) Have a substantial adverse effect on any riparian habitat or other sensitive natural community identified in local or regional plans, policies, regulations, or by the California Department of Fish and Game or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X 3-6 City of Santa Monica

35 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: c) Have a substantial effect on federally protected wetlands as defined by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (including, but not limited to, marsh, vernal pool, coastal, etc.) through direct removal, filling, hydrological interruption, or other means? d) Interfere substantially with the movement of any native resident or migratory fish or wildlife species or with established native resident or migratory wildlife corridors, or impede the use of native wildlife nursery sites? e) Conflict with any local policies or ordinances protecting biological resources, such as a tree preservation policy or ordinance? f) Conflict with the provisions of an adopted Habitat Conservation Plan, Natural Community Conservation Plan, or other approved local, regional, or state habitat conservation plan? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X X X a-d. The proposed project site is in an urbanized area and lacks sensitive animal species. The lack of large-scale contiguous native habitats and the ease of public access to the shoreline have resulted in little opportunity for sensitive plant and animal species to remain in the City of Santa Monica. Although the Pacific Ocean is located approximately two miles west of the project site, there are no existing waterways connecting the ocean to the site. The project does not involve development in a federally protected wetland and does not involve improvements that would impair or interrupt hydrological flow into such a wetland. The project would replace an existing sign shop with a 32-unit condominium complex and 449 square feet of retail development in a urbanized area. The project site is largely devoid of vegetation except for ruderal vegetation and a few ornamental shrubs. The limited wildlife that exists in the area has adapted to the urban environment and there are no known migratory wildlife corridors or native nursery sites. No impact related to movement of fish or wildlife species or migration corridors would occur. Therefore, the project would not result in significant impacts on animal or vegetative species or habitats. e, f. As previously stated, the project site is located within a highly urbanized area and is generally devoid of vegetation, with the exception of ruderal grasses on the vacant portion of the site. There are no mature trees on the project site. Therefore, the proposed project would not conflict with any biological resource policy or ordinance. The project site is not subject to any habitat conservation plan or natural communities conservation plan. 3-7 City of Santa Monica

36 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: 3.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES - Would the project: a) Cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource as defined in ? b) Cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an archaeological resource as defined in ? c) Directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature? d) Disturb any human remains, including those interred outside of formal cemeteries? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X X X a. A Phase I historic review was conducted for the project site by San Buenaventura Research Associates (May 20, 2003) and is included as Appendix B. The following information summarizes this report. The project site is currently developed with a small sign shop comprised of two buildings that were built between 1946 and One of the buildings is a Quonset hut with corrugated metal siding, a flat roof, and stucco siding attached on the south side. The main sign shop building is a flat-roofed rectangular garage building with stucco siding. There is also a tall wooden fence that runs from the main building to 19 th Street where it connects with a chain-link fence. Although the buildings are over 50 years in age, they do not appear to qualify for listing under the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historic Resources (CRHR). The buildings are not known for their association with the commercial development of Broadway during the 1940 s; they are not known to be associated with any individuals of historic importance; and they are not recognized for their architectural style, nor are they associated with any noted architects or builders. Thus, removal of these buildings would not significantly affect historic resources. b. The project site is located within an urbanized area and has been subject to extensive disruption over the years due to previous development; thus, any surficial archaeological resources that may have been present at one time have likely been previously disturbed. If archaeological resources were to be encountered during excavation and grading activities, all work shall cease in that area. Any discovery of archaeological resources during construction activities would be treated in accordance with federal, state, and local guidelines for identification, evaluation, disclosure, avoidance or recovery, and curation, as appropriate. No impacts on archeological resources are anticipated. c. The project site is underlain by recent alluvium, which consists of thin sands and gravels with a thickness of between 0 to 20 feet. Because the project site has been developed previously, any surficial paleontological resources that may have been present at one time have likely been disturbed. Therefore, the topmost layers of soil in the project area are not likely to contain substantive fossils. However, excavation into the deeper soils could uncover vertebrate fossil remains. Although project implementation is not expected to uncover unique paleontological resources, if such resources were encountered during 3-8 City of Santa Monica

37 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist excavation and grading activities all work shall cease in that area. Any discovery of paleontological resources would be treated in accordance with federal, state, and local guidelines for disclosure, recovery, preservation, and curation, as appropriate. With regard to geologic features, no such features are present on the project site. Therefore, no impacts to paleontological resources or unique geologic features would occur from project implementation. d. The project site is located within an urbanized area and has been previously developed. Within the project area, any traditional burial resources, which include archaeological sites, burial sites, ceremonial areas, gathering areas, or any other natural area important to a culture for religious or heritage reasons, would likely be associated with the Native American group known as the Gabrielino. No known traditional burial sites have been identified within the project site or in the vicinity. Nonetheless, any discovery of such resources would be treated in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations, including those outlined in the CEQA Guidelines Section (e). No impacts with regard to human remains are anticipated. ISSUES: Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact 3.6 GEOLOGY AND SOILS Would the project: a) Expose people or structures to potential substantial adverse effects, including the risk of loss, injury, or death involving: i) Rupture of a known earthquake fault, as delineated on the most recent Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Map issued by the State Geologist for X the area or based on other substantial evidence of a known fault? ii) Strong seismic ground shaking? X iii) Seismic-related ground failure, including liquefaction? X iv) Landslides? X b) Result in substantial soil erosion or the loss of topsoil? X c) Be located on a geologic unit or soil that is unstable as a result of the project, and potentially result in on- or off-site landslide, X lateral spreading, subsidence, liquefaction, or collapse? d) Be located on expansive soil, as defined in Table 1-B of the Uniform Building Code, X creating substantial risks to life or property? e) Have soils incapable of adequately supporting the use of septic tanks or alternative waste water disposal systems where sewers are not available for the disposal of waste water? No Impact X a (i, ii). There are no Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones within the City (General Plan Safety Element, 1995). Consequently, the potential for surface rupture at the project site 3-9 City of Santa Monica

38 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist is considered low. The site is within close proximity to the Santa Monica Fault, which is considered potentially active, and could experience severe seismic ground shaking in the event of an earthquake on the Santa Monica fault or any of several faults in the area. The design and construction of the building is required to be engineered to withstand the expected ground acceleration that may occur at this site. All on-site structures would be required to comply with applicable provisions of the Uniform Building Code and the California Building Code. Adherence to standard engineering and construction practices would reduce potential impacts from groundshaking to a less than significant level. No mitigation is required. a (iii, iv). According to the Safety Element of the General Plan (1995), the potential for liquefaction and landslides to occur at the project site is low. Therefore, impacts are considered less than significant. b. Construction of the proposed project would involve demolition of the existing structures and excavation and grading of the site, which would cause the disruption and displacement of on-site soils. Soils underlying the project site generally have low erosion potential (General Plan Safety Element, 1995). Nevertheless, construction activities could result in increased erosion and offsite sedimentation. Implementation of standard Cityrequired erosion control techniques and construction Best Management Practices (BMPs) as identified in Section of the Municipal Code, such as the use of silt fencing, detention ponds, and plastic covering over exposed sediment, would reduce soil erosion effects to a less than significant level. c, d. The project site is underlain by Hanford soils, which are characterized by low expansion potential and are well drained (Safety Element of the General Plan, 1995). In addition, the project site is not located within an area susceptible to seismic settlement or liquefaction. Therefore, the potential for impacts relating to soil instability is considered low. e. The proposed project would connect to the City s sewer system and would not utilize septic tanks. No impacts would occur. ISSUES: 3.7 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS - Would the project: a) Create a significant hazard to the public or the environment through the routine transport, use, or disposal of hazardous materials? b) Create a significant hazard to the public or the environment through reasonably foreseeable upset and accident conditions involving the release of hazardous materials into the environment? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X 3-10 City of Santa Monica

39 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: c) Emit hazardous emissions or handle hazardous or acutely hazardous materials, substances, or waste within 1/4-mile of an existing or proposed school? d) Be located on a site which is included on a list of hazardous material sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section and, as a result, would it create a significant hazard to the public or the environment? e) For a project located within an airport land use plan or, where such a plan has not been adopted, within two miles of a public airport or public use airport, would the project result in a safety hazard for people residing or working in the project area? f) For a project in the vicinity of a private airstrip, would the project result in a safety hazard for people residing or working in the area? g) Impair implementation of or physically interfere with an adopted emergency response plan or emergency evacuation plan? h) Expose people or structures to a significant risk of loss, injury, or death involving wildland fires, including where wildlands are adjacent to urbanized areas or where residences are intermixed with wildlands? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X X X X X a, b. The proposed project consists of the development of a mixed-use project containing residential condominium units and a small retail space, which would not involve the transport, use, or disposal of substantial quantities of hazardous materials. Since the project will not utilize hazardous materials, it is unlikely that any risk of upset or accidental release would occur. No impacts would occur. d. There is no evidence of a hazardous environmental condition on the project site. The project site is not listed on the Cortese list or the CalSites list, as maintained by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) (DTSC, 2003), nor is it listed in the California Environmental Resource Compensation and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) database (2003). The site is not listed on the LUFTIS database maintained by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) (SWRCB, 2003). c. Several schools are located within ¼-mile of the project site; however, as discussed above, the proposed project would not emit hazardous emissions or handle large quantities of hazardous materials or waste. No impacts would occur. e, f. The project site is about three miles from the Santa Monica Airport and is not located within an airport land use plan. Therefore, significant airport safety hazards are not anticipated. g. The proposed project would not interfere with any emergency response plan or evacuation route as it would be located on a site that has been previously developed City of Santa Monica

40 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist The project would be accessible from the 19 th Court alley, and if necessary, emergency vehicles could obtain access to the property from 19 th Street and Broadway. h. The project site is located within a highly urbanized area that is not subject to wildland fires. No impacts would occur. ISSUES: 3.8 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY - Would the project: a) Violate any water quality standards or waste discharge requirements? b) Substantially deplete groundwater supplies or interfere substantially with groundwater recharge such that there would be a net deficit in aquifer volume or a lowering of the local groundwater table level (e.g., the production rate of pre-existing nearby wells would drop to a level which would not support existing land uses or planned uses for which permits have been granted)? c) Substantially alter the existing drainage pattern of the site or area, including through the alteration of the course of a stream or river, in a manner which would result in substantial erosion or siltation? d) Substantially alter the existing drainage pattern of the site or area, including the alteration of the course of a stream or river, or substantially increase the rate or amount of surface runoff in a manner which would result in flooding on- or off-site? e) Create or contribute runoff water which would exceed the capacity of existing or planned stormwater drainage systems or provide substantial additional sources of polluted runoff? f) Otherwise substantially degrade water quality? g) Place housing within a 100-year flood hazard area as mapped on a federal Flood Hazard Boundary or Flood Insurance Rate Map or other flood hazard delineation map? h) Place within a 100-year flood hazard area structures which would impede or redirect flood flows? i) Expose people or structures to a significant risk of loss, injury, or death involving flooding, including flooding as a result of the failure of a levee or dam? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X X X X X X No Impact j) Inundation by seiche, tsunami, or mudflow? X a, e-f. The overall drainage pattern of the City of Santa Monica is to the south and west. An underground storm drain system consisting of 64 storm drain lines intercepts runoff through a series of catch basins. The stormwater is then routed through storm drain lines X X X 3-12 City of Santa Monica

41 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist owned by the City of Santa Monica and the County of Los Angeles, eventually discharging into Santa Monica Bay. Stormwater flows from the proposed project would be conveyed via the Pico-Kenter storm drain to the outfall at Pico Boulevard and Santa Monica Beach. The quality of the stormwater and urban runoff draining into Santa Monica Bay has been a concern for the City. The proposed project would involve paving or otherwise covering most of the project site with impervious surfaces and could result in an incremental increase in pollutants in Santa Monica Bay if not properly controlled. However, the City has developed urban runoff control programs to reduce contaminants discharging into Santa Monica Bay and to reduce the quantity of urban runoff that enters the City s storm drain system. New construction is required to comply with Urban Runoff Requirements for New Development and Construction Sites (Sections of the Municipal Code), which require various Best Management Practices (BMPs) for pollution prevention and runoff reduction to be implemented by new development in the City, such as the use of swales, biofilters, permeable surfaces, and/or cisterns to capture runoff from rooftops. The goal of the BMPs is to prevent urban runoff, including deposition of pollutant-laden sediments and hydrocarbon compounds from building materials and construction vehicles. New developments are also required to submit an Urban Runoff Mitigation Plan prior to project approval to identify the means for controlling and treating urban runoff. In addition, property owners within the City are required to pay stormwater management user fees in accordance with Section 7.56 of the Municipal Code. These fees contribute to the cost of maintaining and improving the City s storm drain system. Adherence to City standards and requirements would ensure that project-generated runoff does not degrade water quality or overburden the storm drain system. b. The proposed project would not substantially deplete groundwater supplies or significantly reduce groundwater recharge. As discussed under Item 3.16, Utilities and Service Systems, the project would result in a net increase in water demand of about 3,826 gpd. The City s water supply is adequate to meet water demand through 2020 (City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division, 2002); thus, the proposed project would not significantly affect water supply. Nevertheless, the project would be required to implement water conservation techniques as required by the City, which could reduce water demand. Although the project would create additional impervious surfaces at the project site, the size of the project site is such that it would not contribute significantly to groundwater recharge. Therefore, impacts relating to groundwater are considered less than significant. c-d. The project would not alter the course of any stream or other drainage and would not increase the potential for flooding. As discussed above, the proposed project would require connections to the City s storm drain system to provide adequate drainage. The project site is in an area adequately served by storm drains. In addition, adherence to the City s urban runoff programs would reduce the quantity and level of pollutants within runoff leaving the site. Therefore, impacts relating to erosion and flooding are considered less than significant. g, h. The entire City of Santa Monica is located within flood zone C, which is characterized by a minimal risk of flooding. Therefore, development of the proposed project would not 3-13 City of Santa Monica

42 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist expose people or structures to significant flood hazards and would not impede or redirect flood flows. No impacts would occur. i, j. There are no dams or levees located in the vicinity of the project site; thus, the potential for flooding due to dam failure is low. The project site is not located near any major bodies of surface water; therefore, impacts from seiches are not expected. The project site is located more than one mile from the Pacific Ocean and is not likely to be inundated by a tsunami (General Plan Safety Element, 1995). No impacts would occur. ISSUES: 3.9 LAND USE AND PLANNING - Would the project: a) Physically divide an established community? b) Conflict with any applicable land use plan, policy, or regulation of an agency with jurisdiction over the project (including, but not limited to the general plan, specific plan, local coastal program, or zoning ordinance) adopted for the purpose of avoiding or mitigating an environmental effect? c) Conflict with an applicable habitat conservation plan or natural community conservation plan? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X X a. The proposed project would involve the development of a mixed-use residential/retail building on a site currently developed with a commercial use within the City of Santa Monica. The site is located in an area characterized by a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial development. Development of the project would not divide an established community. b. The project site is located within the Broadway Commercial District (BCD) of the City of Santa Monica. According to the City Municipal Code, the BCD zone is intended to protect and enhance neighborhood commercial areas by promoting the concentration of businesses that provide convenience goods and services used frequently by local residents. Mixed-use developments that incorporate housing and emphasize pedestrian orientation are also encouraged in the BCD zone. Thus, the proposed project is consistent with the existing zoning on the project site and would further the goal of providing mixed-use development in this area. Development of the project would be subject to Architectural Review and would require a Development Review Permit and Design Compatibility Permit to ensure that the proposed development is compatible with the surrounding residential and commercial development. A variance has been requested in order to allow development of the project with only one double-width driveway where two double-width driveways are required. c. The project site is not governed by any habitat natural community conservation plans City of Santa Monica

43 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: 3.10 ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES - Would the project: a) Result in the loss of availability of a known mineral resource that would be of value to the region and the residents of the state? b) Result in the loss of availability of a locally important mineral resource recovery site delineated on a local general plan, specific plan, or other land use plan? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X a-b. The project site is not currently used for mineral resource extraction. No impact to energy or mineral resources is anticipated. ISSUES: 3.11 NOISE - Would the project result in: a) Exposure of persons to or generation of noise levels in excess of standards established in the local general plan or noise ordinance, or applicable standards of other agencies? b) Exposure of persons to or generation of excessive groundborne vibration or groundborne noise levels? c) A substantial permanent increase in ambient noise levels above levels existing without the project? d) A substantial temporary or periodic increase in ambient noise levels in the project vicinity above levels existing without the project? e) For a project located within an airport land use plan or, where such a plan has not been adopted, within two miles of a public airport or public use airport, would the project expose people residing or working in the project area to excessive noise levels? f) For a project within the vicinity of a private airstrip, would the project expose people residing or working in the project area to excessive noise? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated X Less than Significant Impact X X No Impact X X X a, c. Noise level (or volume) is typically measured in decibels (db) using the A-weighted sound pressure level (dba). The A-weighting scale is consistent with that of human hearing response, which is most sensitive to frequencies around 4,000 Hertz (about the highest note on a piano) and less sensitive to low frequencies (below 100 Hertz). In addition to the actual instantaneous measurement of sound levels, the duration of sound is important since sounds that occur over a long period of time are more likely to be an annoyance or cause direct physical damage or environmental stress. One of the most frequently used noise metrics that considers duration as well as sound power level is the equivalent noise level (Leq). The Leq is defined as the steady A-weighted level that is equivalent to the 3-15 City of Santa Monica

44 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist same amount of energy as that contained in the actual time-varying levels over a period of time. The time period in which noise occurs is also important since noise that occurs at night tends to be more disturbing than that which occurs during the daytime. The Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) was adopted by the State of California and many communities use it as a means to measure daytime and nighttime noise exposure levels. The CNEL is equivalent to the weighted average of the hourly Leqs over a 24-hour period. The weighting includes an addition of 10 db to nighttime (10 pm to 7 am) noise levels and 5 db to evening (7 pm to 10 pm) noise levels to account for the greater amount of disturbance associated with noise during these time periods. The City of Santa Monica Noise Ordinance (Municipal Code 4.12) prohibits any unnecessary, excessive, or annoying noise in the City. The Ordinance does not control traffic noise, but applies to all noise sources located on private property. As part of this ordinance, properties within the City are assigned a Noise Zone based on their corresponding zoning district. Residential districts are designated as Noise Zone I; commercial districts are designated Noise Zone II; and manufacturing or industrial districts are designated as Noise Zone III. The Ordinance also limits the amount of noise generated by uses during normal operation that may affect the surrounding areas. Table 3 shows the allowable noise levels and corresponding times of day for each of the three identified noise areas. The project site is located within a commercial zone and is thus subject to Zone II noise standards. Table 3 Exterior Noise Standards ZONE I ZONE II ZONE III Monday through Friday 7 AM to 10 PM 60 dba 65* PM to 7 AM 50 dba 60* 70 Saturday and Sunday 8 AM to 10 PM 60 dba PM to 8 AM 50 dba *These noise levels and time periods apply to all days of the week. Source: City of Santa Monica Municipal Code (a) Impacts relating to traffic noise are considered significant when project-related activities result in exposure of sensitive receptors to unacceptable noise levels. Where the existing noise levels currently exceed these standards, an audible increase in ambient noise levels (3 db or more) would result in a significant noise impact. The major source of noise at the project site is traffic along Broadway. Existing and future traffic noise levels along Broadway were quantified using the California Vehicle Noise Emission Levels (Caltrans, January 1987), standard noise modeling equations adapted from the Federal Highway Administration noise prediction model, and current and forecasted traffic volumes. Existing and future average daily traffic volumes (ADT) were taken from the traffic study conducted for the proposed project (included in Appendix D). Table 4 shows the results of the noise modeling calculations on Broadway City of Santa Monica

45 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Table 4 Comparison of Existing and Future Noise Levels Roadway Community Noise Exposure Level (CNEL) Existing (1) Existing + Project (2) Cumulative + Project (3) Change, db (2-1) Change, db (3-1) Broadway between 19 th and 20 th 67.5 db 67.6 db Streets Source: Rincon Consultants, Inc. with traffic data provided by Kaku Associates, See Appendix B for calculations. As indicated in Table 4, the existing noise level along Broadway in the vicinity of the project is estimated at 67.5 dba CNEL. Project-generated traffic would increase noise levels by an estimated 0.1 dba, and cumulative development would increase noise levels by about 1.0 dba. Noise level changes of less than 3 dba are typically not noticeable even to noisesensitive people; therefore, the project-specific noise impact on Broadway would not be significant. The proposed project consists of a mixed-use development containing residential uses and a small retail unit. Noise associated with operation of the project would be consistent with those typical of a multi-family residential building. The small retail unit is not expected to generate significant amounts of noise due to its size. Since parking would be located underground, vehicle-related noise such as car doors slamming, engines starting, and car alarms going off would not be audible outside of the garage. Therefore, noise from project-related operational activities would not significantly increase ambient noise levels in the project area. b. The proposed project would not generate groundborne vibration or noise, and no substantial sources of such vibration or noise are located within close proximity to the site. Construction of the project, including excavation for the subterranean garage, would not involve the use of pile drivers or other similar heavy equipment that generates substantial groundborne vibrations or noise. In addition, the project would comply with the City s standard conditions regarding construction activity. d. Construction activity would involve the demolition of the existing on-site structures and construction of the new building. These activities would increase temporary noise levels. Sensitive receptors in the project vicinity that could be adversely affected by noise include adjacent residential development and the church across the 19 th Court alley from the project site. Although construction noise would be audible at surrounding land uses, construction noise impacts are not considered significant because they are short-term. The project would be required to comply with the City s Noise Ordinance, which limits the hours of construction and demolition activities to between the hours of 8 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Friday, and 9 AM and 5 PM on Saturday. Construction activities are prohibited on Sundays and holidays. Nevertheless, the following mitigation measures are recommended to minimize the potential noise impacts of construction activities. N-1(a) All diesel equipment shall be operated with closed engine doors and shall be equipped with factory-recommended mufflers City of Santa Monica

46 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist N-1(b) N-1(c) N-1(d) Electrical power shall be used to run air compressors and similar power tools. For all noise-generating construction activity on the project site, additional noise attenuation techniques shall be employed to reduce noise levels to City of Santa Monica noise standards. Such techniques may include, but are not limited to, the use of sound blankets on noise generating equipment and the construction of temporary sound barriers, including walls or other sound attenuating features, between construction sites and nearby sensitive receptors. The applicant shall provide a telephone number for local residents to call to submit complaints associated with construction noise. The number shall be posted on the project site and shall be easily viewed from adjacent public areas. Construction impacts are not considered significant due to their temporary nature; nevertheless, implementation of the above measures would reduce construction-related noise impacts to the maximum degree feasible. e, f. The project site is located about three miles northwest of the Santa Monica Airport and is not located within an airport land use plan. The project site is well outside the 60-dBA contour for airport noise (General Plan Noise Element, 1992). Thus, significant impacts relating to aircraft noise are not anticipated. ISSUES: 3.12 POPULATION AND HOUSING - Would the project: a) Induce substantial population growth in an area, either directly (for example, by proposing new homes and businesses) or indirectly (for example, through extension of roads or other infrastructure)? b) Displace substantial numbers of existing housing, necessitating the construction of replacement housing elsewhere? c) Displace substantial numbers of people, necessitating the construction of replacement housing elsewhere? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X No Impact X X a. The proposed project is an infill development that includes residential and retail uses, which is consistent with the desire of the City to provide mixed-use development within the Broadway Commercial District. The residential component of the project is expected to generate approximately 59 people, based upon the City average of 1.83 people per household (City of Santa Monica, 2003a). Given the current (2002) estimated population of the City of 85,686 people, the population generated by the proposed project would represent an increase of less than 0.5%. Therefore, impacts relating to population growth are considered less than significant City of Santa Monica

47 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist b-c. The proposed project would displace the existing sign shop on-site. However, the project site does not contain any housing; therefore, development of the proposed project would not displace any housing or people. ISSUES: Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact 3.13 PUBLIC SERVICES - a) Would the project result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered governmental facilities, need for new or physically altered governmental facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for any of the public services: i) Fire protection? X ii) Police protection? X iii) Schools? X iv) Parks? X v) Other public facilities? X No Impact a(i). The City of Santa Monica Fire Department provides fire protection services in the City of Santa Monica and maintains an Automatic Aid Agreement with the City of Los Angeles Fire Department, as well as a Mutual Aid Agreement with other fire departments in the region. The closest fire station to the project is Station 3, located at th Street, less than ½-mile from the site. Other stations would respond to emergencies at the project site as needed. Development of the proposed project would incrementally increase demand for fire protection services due to the introduction of a residential population at the project site. However, this is not expected to place a significant additional burden on the fire department. The site s close proximity to Fire Station 3 would ensure an adequate response time by the Fire Department in emergency situations. In addition, the Fire Department would review site plans, site construction, and the actual structure prior to occupancy to ensure that required fire protection safety features, including building sprinkling and emergency access, are implemented. Development in accordance with current standards, inclusive of fire sprinklers, would enhance safety from fire and would support fire protection services. The project would not result in the need to construct new or altered fire protection facilities. Impacts would be less than significant. a(ii). The City of Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) provides police protection services in the City and maintains mutual assistance programs with the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department and the City of Los Angeles Police Department. The SMPD is located at 1685 Main Street. The project would incrementally increase the demand for police protection services due to the introduction of a residential population at the project site. However, this increase would not significantly affect the Police Department s ability to respond to 3-19 City of Santa Monica

48 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist emergency situations or substantially decrease the level of service in the City. Therefore, impacts are considered less than significant. a(iii). The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District provides primary and secondary public education services to students living in the local area. In the City of Santa Monica, there are currently 10 elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, one alternative school, one continuation high school, and an adult school. The District has a total current enrollment of about 12,500 students (SMMUSD, 2003). The residential component of the project could generate additional school-aged children, which would affect existing school facilities. In accordance with State law, the project would be required to pay school impact fees. Currently, the School District maintains the fee at $1.93 per square foot of residential development (up to a maximum of 5,000 sf) and $0.31 per square foot of commercial development (SMMUSD, 2003a). Pursuant to Section (3)(h) of the California Government Code (Senate Bill 50, chaptered August 27, 1998), the payment of statutory fees...is deemed to be full and complete mitigation of the impacts of any legislative or adjudicative act, or both, involving, but not limited to, the planning, use, or development of real property, or any change in governmental organization or reorganization. Thus, payment of the development fees is considered full mitigation for the proposed project's impacts under CEQA and no additional mitigation is required. a(iv). Development of the project site with residential uses would increase the demand for parks in the City. Memorial Park, a 10-acre facility with baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, and picnic areas, is located approximately 0.5 mile from the project site at 14 th Street and Olympic, and would be available for recreational use by project residents. Given the small number of residents that could be accommodated in the proposed project (estimated at 59), impacts to parks are not considered significant. In addition, the City assesses a tax on new residential development to be used for the acquisition, improvement, and expansion of public park, playground, and/or recreation facilities. Currently, the amount set by the City is $200 per dwelling unit. Payment of this tax would fund the development of new park facilities to offset the increase in demand from the proposed project. No additional mitigation would be required. a(v). The addition of residential development at the project site would incrementally increase the demand for other public services in the City. However, given the size of the proposed project, impacts to public facilities would be less than significant. ISSUES: 3.14 RECREATION - a) Would the project increase the use of existing neighborhood and regional parks or other recreational facilities such that substantial physical deterioration of the facility would occur or be accelerated? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X No Impact 3-20 City of Santa Monica

49 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: b) Does the project include recreational facilities or require the construction or expansion of recreational facilities which might have an adverse physical effect on the environment? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X No Impact a, b. The proposed project does not include the construction of recreational facilities, nor would the construction of the project directly affect any existing recreational facilities. The introduction of an estimated 59 new residents would incrementally increase the demand for recreational facilities within the City. Memorial Park, a 10-acre facility, is located about ½-mile from the site and would provide recreational opportunities for project residents (City of Santa Monica, 2003a). In addition, the City assesses a tax of $200 per dwelling unit on new residential development to be used for the acquisition, improvement, and expansion of public park, playground, and/or recreation facilities. With payment of this tax, impacts to recreational facilities would be less than significant. ISSUES: 3.15 TRANSPORTATION / TRAFFIC - Would the project: a) Cause an increase in traffic which is substantial in relation to the existing traffic load and capacity of the street system (i.e., result in a substantial increase in either the number of vehicle trips, the volume to capacity ratio on roads, or congestion at intersections)? b) Exceed, either individually or cumulatively, a level of service standard established by the county congestion management agency for designated roads or highways? c) Result in a change in air traffic patterns, including either an increase in traffic levels or a change in location that results in substantial safety risks? d) Substantially increase hazards due to a design feature (e.g. sharp curves or dangerous intersections) or incompatible use Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact (e.g. farm equipment)? e) Result in inadequate emergency access? X f) Result in inadequate parking capacity? X g) Conflict with adopted policies, plans, or programs supporting alternative transportation (e.g., bus turnouts, bicycle racks)? X X X No Impact X X Kaku Associates prepared a traffic study for the proposed project (June 2003) to determine its potential impacts on intersection levels of service (LOS) and roadway segments in the vicinity 3-21 City of Santa Monica

50 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist of the project. The traffic study is included as Appendix D to this report. The following is a summary of the traffic report. a, b. Three scenarios were analyzed to determine the project s impacts on traffic: existing traffic conditions, cumulative base (year 2009) conditions, and cumulative plus project (year 2009) conditions. The following six intersections and one street segment were examined for each traffic scenario. Intersections th Street & Broadway th Street & Colorado Avenue th Street & Santa Monica Boulevard th Street & Broadway th Street & Colorado Avenue th Street & Olympic Boulevard Street Segment th Street between Broadway and Colorado Avenue All six intersections are controlled by traffic signals. Santa Monica Boulevard, Colorado Avenue, and Olympic Boulevard are classified as arterial streets, which carry the majority of traffic traveling through the City. Broadway and 20 th Street are collectors, which allow movement of traffic between arterials and neighborhoods. Existing Traffic Conditions and Methodology. Traffic volume count information for each intersection was collected by the City of Santa Monica in May and June of 1999 for the morning and afternoon peak hour periods for typical weekdays. In accordance with policies established by the City of Santa Monica, the Operational Analysis method from the 1994 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) was employed to perform the intersection level of service (LOS) analysis for each of the intersections. The HCM method determines two key operating characteristics of signalized intersections. The first is the average stopped delay per vehicle. The second is the volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio, which is based on the amount of traffic traveling through the intersection, the travel lane geometries, and other factors affecting capacity such as on-street parking, bus operations near the intersection, and pedestrian volumes at the street crosswalks. These two characteristics are used to evaluate the operational effectiveness of each intersection, which is described generally in terms of level of service. Levels of service range from LOS A, indicating free-flowing traffic conditions, to LOS F, indicating overloaded, stop-and-go conditions. The City of Santa Monica has designated LOS D as the minimum acceptable LOS at arterial intersections and LOS C as the minimum acceptable LOS at collector street intersections. The results of the peak hour analysis for existing traffic conditions are shown in Table 5. As shown, five of the six intersections currently operate at LOS D, while the 20 th Street/Olympic Boulevard intersection operates at LOS E in the PM peak hour City of Santa Monica

51 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Table 5 Existing Peak Hour Levels of Service No. INTERSECTION PEAK EXISTING HOUR V/C Delay* LOS 1 17th Street & Broadway 2 17th Street & Colorado Avenue 3 20th Street & Santa Monica Boulevard 4 20th Street & Broadway 5 20th Street & Colorado Avenue 6 20th Street & Olympic Boulevard *Average stopped delay per vehicle, in seconds AM B PM B AM B PM B AM C PM D AM B PM B AM B PM B AM D PM E Trip Generation Estimates. The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation manual (6 th Edition), a national standard used universally by the traffic engineering profession, was used to estimate the number of trips generated by the existing commercial use on-site and the proposed project. Because the project site is currently developed with a commercial use, the estimated trips generated by that use were subtracted from the trip generation estimates of the proposed project to yield a net increase in trips. A comparison of the trip generation rates and estimates is shown in Table 6. Land Use Proposed Project: Condominium Retail Total Existing Use: Sign Shop Net New Incremental Trips Table 6 Comparison of Trip Generation Estimates Size 32 DU 449 sf Daily Trip Rate** 5.86/DU 42.92/1000 sf Daily Trips AM Peak Hour Trips 14 * 14 PM Peak Hour Trips 2,624 sf 3.82/1000 sf * Negligible. ** Source: Institute of Transportation Engineers, Trip Generation, Sixth Edition, As shown, the proposed project would generate 207 trips, with a net increase of 197 trips over existing conditions. The distribution pattern of the project s traffic was based on the location of the project relative to surrounding employment and retail opportunities, as well as the project s location within the surrounding street network. The resulting distribution pattern is included in Appendix D City of Santa Monica

52 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Future Traffic Conditions. To evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed project on the surrounding streets, it was necessary to develop accurate estimates of future traffic conditions in the area, both with and without the proposed project s traffic. First, estimates of traffic growth were developed for the study area to forecast future traffic conditions without the project. These forecasts included traffic increases due to both general regional ambient traffic growth as well as traffic generated by specific developments in the vicinity of the project. These projected traffic volumes, identified herein as the cumulative base conditions, represent the future study year conditions (2009) without the development of the proposed project. The traffic generated by the project was then assigned to the surrounding street system and added to the cumulative base to form the cumulative plus project traffic condition. This was analyzed to determine the incremental traffic impacts attributable to the project itself. The assumptions and methodologies used to develop each of the future traffic scenarios are described in detail in Appendix D. Significance Criteria. The City of Santa Monica has established criteria for assessing whether project-related traffic increases result in significant impacts on intersections operating conditions. The significance criteria are summarized in Table 7 and depend on the classification of the streets at the intersection (i.e., arterial or collector street) and the operating conditions of the intersection under cumulative traffic conditions. The potential significance of a project's impact is measured either by the change in average vehicular delay or by a change in the intersection LOS to an unacceptable LOS. If the base LOS is F, however, significance is defined in terms of a change in V/C ratio (as calculated by the HCM operational method), since the average vehicular delay cannot be calculated using the HCM operational method if the intersection exhibits over-saturated traffic conditions. Using the criteria summarized in Table 7, a project would not be considered to have a significant impact if, for example, an intersection is located on an arterial operating at LOS D with the addition of project traffic and the incremental change in the average vehicle delay is less than 15 seconds. If, however, the intersection is operating at LOS E after the addition of project traffic and the average vehicle delay increases by any amount, this would be considered a significant project impact. All impacts in LOS F are based on the V/C ratio, with project-related increases of or greater considered significant. Traffic Impact Analysis. Table 8 shows the levels of service at each study area intersection for the cumulative base and cumulative plus project conditions. As shown, poor operating conditions (LOS E or F) are projected under cumulative base conditions at four of the six study intersections during one or both of the weekday peak hours. The study intersections projected to operate at unacceptable levels of service under Year 2009 cumulative base conditions include the following: 20th Street & Santa Monica Boulevard 20th Street & Broadway 20th Street & Colorado Avenue 20th Street & Olympic Boulevard 3-24 City of Santa Monica

53 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Table 7 City of Santa Monica Significant Impact Criteria Arterial and Collector Intersections Cumulative Base Scenario If LOS = A, B, or C and is a collector street intersection and is an arterial intersection If LOS = D and is a collector street intersection and is an arterial intersection If LOS = E and is a collector or arterial intersection If LOS = F and is a collector or arterial intersection Cumulative Plus Project Scenario Significant Impact If: Average vehicle delay increase is 15 seconds or LOS becomes D, E, or F Average vehicle delay is 15 seconds or LOS becomes E or F Significant Impact If: Average vehicle delay increases by any amount Average vehicle delay increase is 15 seconds or LOS becomes E or F Significant Impact If: Average vehicle delay increases by any amount Significant Impact If: HCM V/C ratio net increase is No. INTERSECTION 1 17th Street & Broadway 2 17th Street & Colorado Avenue 3 20th Street & Santa Monica Boulevard 4 20th Street & Broadway 5 20th Street & Colorado Avenue 6 20th Street & Olympic Boulevard Table 8 Future Year (2009) Intersection Level of Service Analysis CUMULATIVE BASE (2009) *Average stopped delay per vehicle, in seconds. **Indicates oversaturated conditions. Delay cannot be calculated. CUMULATIVE PLUS PROJECT (2009) PEAK HOUR V/C Delay* LOS V/C Delay* LOS V/C or Delay Significant Change Impact? AM C C 0 No PM C C 0 No AM B B 0 No PM B B 0 No AM ** F ** F No PM ** F ** F No AM E E 0 No PM C C 1 No AM ** F ** F No PM ** F ** F No AM ** F ** F No PM ** F ** F No Table 8 also shows that the addition of project-generated traffic to the cumulative base traffic conditions would not result in a significant impact at any of the study area intersections using the City of Santa Monica significance criteria identified in Table 7. Neighborhood Street Segment Analysis. Existing weekday average daily traffic (ADT) volume data was collected for the segment of 19 th Street (a local street) between 3-25 City of Santa Monica

54 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Broadway and Colorado Avenue and the new incremental daily project-generated trips were assigned to the street network. The existing and forecast daily street segment traffic volumes are presented in Table 9. For local streets, if the current ADT is less than 1,250, the proposed project is considered to have a significant impact if there is a net increase of 25% or more. As indicated in Table 9, the project would not exceed this threshold. Therefore, the proposed project s impact on neighborhood streets is less than significant. Table 9 Neighborhood Traffic Impact Analysis Location 19 th Street b/w Broadway & Colorado Classification Existing ADT ADT ADT Change Existing Plus Project % Change Significance Threshold Significant Impact? Local 1,081 1, % +25% NO Congestion Management Program Analysis. The Congestion Management Program (CMP) transportation impact analysis for the proposed project was prepared in accordance with the transportation impact analysis (TIA) procedures outlined in the 2002 Congestion Management Program for Los Angeles County (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, June 2002). The CMP requires that when an environmental impact analysis is prepared for a project, traffic and transit impact analyses be conducted for select regional facilities based on the quantity of project traffic expected to use these facilities. The CMP guidelines require that the first issue to be addressed is the determination of the geographic scope of the study area. The criteria for determining the study area for CMP arterial monitoring intersections and for freeway monitoring locations are the following: All CMP arterial monitoring intersections where the proposed project will add 50 or more trips during either the AM or PM weekday peak hours of adjacent street traffic. All CMP mainline freeway monitoring locations where the proposed project will add 150 or more trips, in either direction, during either the AM or PM weekday peak hours. The CMP arterial monitoring intersections nearest to the project site are the intersections of Santa Monica Boulevard & Bundy Drive, Santa Monica Boulevard & Cloverfield Boulevard, and Wilshire Boulevard & 26 th Street. Based on the project trip generation estimates previously presented and the trip distribution included in Appendix D, the proposed project is not expected to add more than 50 vehicles per hour (vph) to any of these three locations during either peak hour. Therefore, a CMP arterial intersection analysis is not required. The nearest mainline freeway monitoring locations to the project site are I-10 at Lincoln Boulevard, I-10 east of Overland Avenue, and I-405 north of Venice Boulevard. Based on the project trip generation estimates, the proposed project is not expected to add sufficient new traffic to exceed the freeway analysis criteria at these locations. The 3-26 City of Santa Monica

55 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist addition of project-generated traffic also would not exceed the CMP freeway analysis criteria on the segments of the I-10 or I-405 freeways closer to the project site that are not CMP monitoring locations but are more likely to be affected by the proposed project (e.g., I-10 between 20 th Street & Cloverfield Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, I-10 between Centinela Avenue and I-405, I-405 north and south of Olympic Boulevard). Since incremental project-related traffic in any direction during either peak hour is projected to be less than the minimum criteria of 150 vph, no further CMP freeway analysis is required. c. The proposed project involves a mixed-use development and would not affect air traffic patterns. d, e. The proposed project does not include any design features that could result in hazardous conditions and would not involve the use of any incompatible vehicles or equipment. Access to the site would be provided via a two-way driveway on 19 th Court. Emergency access would be available from 19 th Street and 19 th Court. No adverse impacts relating to emergency access are anticipated. f. To determine whether the proposed parking supply is adequate, it was compared to City of Santa Monica Municipal Code requirements (Section ) to assess the ability of the project s proposed on-site parking supply to satisfy these requirements. Table 10 presents this analysis. Land Use Market Rate Units Studio Condos 1-bedroom Condos Senior Very Low Income Units Studio Condos 1-bedroom Condos Table 10 Parking Requirements for Proposed Project Size (DU or sf) 18 DU 11 DU 2 DU 1 DU Code Requirement 1 space/unit 2 spaces/unit 1 space/unit 1 space/unit Total Spaces Required Allowable Compact Guest 32 DU 1 space/5 units 6 2 Retail 449 sf 1 space/300 sf 1 0 Total Required Parking 50 2 Accessible Spaces (if 50); 3 (if 69) As shown, the Municipal Code requires 50 parking spaces for the project. The Code stipulates that up to 40% of the guest parking spaces (2 of the required 6 guest spaces) may be built to compact stall standards. Thus, a minimum of 48 standard spaces is required. The project includes a total of 69 parking spaces on two subterranean levels, including 49 standard spaces, 18 compact spaces, and two accessible spaces. Thus, the overall amount of proposed parking meets the code requirement. One additional accessible space would be needed, however, to provide the required three accessible parking spaces for a 69-space parking lot City of Santa Monica

56 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist g. The traffic study prepared by Kaku Associates (June 2003) for the proposed project included an analysis of the project s potential impacts to public transportation systems in the area. Potential increases in transit person trips generated by the proposed project were estimated as follows. Section D.8.4 of the CMP provides a methodology for estimating the number of transit trips expected to result from a proposed project based on the projected number of vehicle trips. This methodology assumes an average vehicle ridership (AVR) factor of 1.4 in order to estimate the number of person trips to and from the project and then provides guidance regarding the percent of persons trips assigned to public transit depending on the type of use (commercial/other versus residential) and the proximity to transit services. The nearest designated CMP transit corridors are Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard. Since the project site is located within onequarter mile from these services, the CMP guidelines estimate that approximately 5% of project person trips may use public transit to travel to and from the site. As discussed previously and shown in Table 6, the proposed project is expected to generate a net increase of approximately 12 vehicles during the AM peak hour and 17 vehicles during the PM peak hour. Applying the AVR factor of 1.4 to the estimated vehicle trips results in an estimated increase of 17 and 24 person trips during the AM and PM peak hours, respectively. Finally, assuming the 5% transit mode split suggested in the CMP, this results in the conclusion that the project could add approximately one new transit person trip in the weekday AM peak hour and in the PM peak hour. Given the existing headways of about 20 minutes (approximately three buses per hour) in each direction during peak periods, this would translate to an average increase of less than one rider per bus during the AM and the PM peak hours. At this level of increase, project-related impacts on the regional transit system would not be significant. The project does not include any design components that would conflict with alternative modes of transportation. The garage floor plans (see Figures 8 and 9) indicate that bike racks will be provided for bicycle parking. The site is also well-served by public transportation services provided by the City of Santa Monica Big Blue Bus line and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority. ISSUES: 3.16 UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS - Would the project: a) Exceed wastewater treatment requirements of the applicable Regional Water Quality Control Board? b) Require or result in the construction of new water or wastewater treatment facilities of expansion of existing facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental effects? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X 3-28 City of Santa Monica

57 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: c) Require or result in the construction of new storm water drainage facilities or expansion of existing facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental effects? d) Have sufficient water supplies available to serve the project from existing entitlements and resources, or are new or expanded entitlements needed? e) Result in a determination by the wastewater treatment provider which serves or may serve the project that it has adequate capacity to serve the project s projected demand in addition to the provider s existing commitments? f) Be served by a landfill with sufficient permitted capacity to accommodate the project s solid waste disposal needs? g) Comply with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations related to solid waste? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X X X X a-b, e. The local sewer collection system is owned by the City of Santa Monica and is managed, operated, and maintained by the Utilities Division of the City s General Services Department. Sewer flow is treated at the City of Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant located approximately four miles southeast of Santa Monica, along the Santa Monica Bay coastline. Santa Monica wastewater flows primarily by gravity in a southerly direction, and is delivered to the treatment plant via the Coastal Interceptor Sewer. The City has an agreement with the City of Los Angeles for Wastewater Disposal services, which does not set an upper limit on the amount of wastewater that the City can discharge into the Hyperion system. Instead, the agreement provides consistency with State Water Resources Guidelines, and sets rates based on sewage flow and strength (RAND Corporation Headquarters Building EIR, 2000). The proposed project involves the construction of 12 one-bedroom residential units, 20 single units, and 449 square feet (sf) of retail space. Table 11 below provides the net amount of wastewater that would be generated by the proposed project, discounted for the removal of the existing sign shop on-site. As shown, the net increase in wastewater generation would be approximately 3,087 gallons per day. This increase in wastewater would be within the City s contractual entitlement (unlimited flow) for flows to the Hyperion Treatment Plant. Therefore, significant impacts on the wastewater treatment system would not be expected. Development of the proposed project is not expected to necessitate improvements to wastewater conveyance infrastructure, as infrastructure is already in place in the project area. Therefore, there would be no impact expected. c. As described under Item 3.8, Hydrology and Water Quality, development of the proposed project would incrementally increase the amount of impervious surfaces on the project site. However, all runoff from the project site would be conveyed into the City s storm drain system in the project vicinity, and the project would be required to contribute fees toward the maintenance and improvement of the drainage system. The project would 3-29 City of Santa Monica

58 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Proposed Project: Table 11 Estimated Wastewater Generation Type of Use Number Generation Factor* Amount Residential Retail Total New Existing Use to be Removed: 32 units 449 sf 100 gpd/unit 52 gpd/1,000 sf 3,200 gpd 23 gpd 3,223 gpd Retail 2,624 sf 52 gpd/1,000 sf 136 gpd Total Net Wastewater Increase 3,087 gpd gpd = gallons per day sf = square feet * Assumes wastewater generation is 80% of water consumption. See Table 5 for water demand factors. also be required to comply with City ordinances requiring a reduction in the quantity of runoff leaving the site. Therefore, impacts relating to runoff are considered less than significant. d. Water for the Santa Monica service area is supplied from both groundwater and imported sources. Presently, the City owns and operates 11 water wells. Six wells are in the Santa Monica Subbasin, and the remaining five wells are in the Charnock Subbasin. The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California delivers water imported from the Colorado River and State Water Project to the City (City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division, 2002). The City implements a number of water conservation programs, including public information and education programs, the BAY SAVER Retrofit Program, irrigation programs, commercial and industrial programs, and other Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs are established and generally accepted practices among water suppliers that result in more efficient use and conservation of water. The City also requires various water conservation techniques on new construction. These include, but are not limited to, installation of water efficient plumbing fixtures, drought tolerant landscape water conservation requirements, and payment of water demand mitigation fees to offset estimated total project water demand (City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division, 2002). The potable water supply for the proposed project would be delivered by the City of Santa Monica water system. Table 12 shows the projected water demand from the proposed project. As shown, the proposed project would demand approximately 3,997 gpd of water, with a net increase over current conditions of about 3,826 gpd. This increase in demand on City water supplies could be accommodated by existing supplies of water (City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division, 2002). Therefore, provided that the proposed project complies with existing City ordinances and policies with respect to water conservation, significant impacts relating to water supply are not expected City of Santa Monica

59 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist Table 12 Estimated Water Demand Type of Use Number Demand Factor Demand Proposed Project: Residential Retail Total New Existing Use to be Removed: 32 units 449 sf 124 gpd/unit a 3,968 gpd 65 gpd/1,000 sf b 29 gpd 3,997 gpd Retail 2,624 sf 65 gpd/1,000 sf b 171 gpd Total Net Water Increase gpd = gallons per day sf = square feet a City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division, b City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division, ,826 gpd f, g. The City of Santa Monica provides refuse collection service to all Santa Monica residents and approximately 50% of commercial and industrial establishments (City of Santa Monica, 2003a). The Department of Environmental and Public Works operates the solid waste management system. Solid waste collected by the City is taken to the City-owned Refuse Transfer Station located at 2401 Delaware Street. From there it is transported to the Puente Hills Landfill. Based on a generation factor of 35 pounds of solid waste per week per dwelling unit for multi-family residential development and 420 pounds per week per 10,000 square feet of commercial development (Santa Monica Environmental and Public Works Management, 1995), the proposed project would generate a total of approximately 1,139 additional pounds of solid waste per week. Accounting for the solid waste generated by the existing on-site sign shop (estimated at about 110 pounds per week), the net increase in solid waste generation at the project site would be about 1,029 pounds per week. This incremental increase in solid waste generation could be accommodated by the existing landfills in the area (RAND Corporate Headquarters EIR, 2000). The proposed project would be required to comply with the Design Standards for Refuse and Recycling Rooms and Outdoor Enclosures (City of Santa Monica Municipal Code ). This section of the Municipal Code requires that mixed-use development projects include the design and placement of a refuse and recycling room or outdoor enclosure on-site to provide adequate and accessible areas for storage and collection of refuse and recyclable materials. The project would also be required to comply with City Ordinance 895, Construction and Material Waste Recycling Ordinance (Chapter 7.60 of the City Municipal Code), which requires private development projects greater than 1,000 sf in size to divert at least 60% of all project-related construction and demolition materials from area landfills. Provided that the project complies with local regulations regarding solid waste reduction, significant impacts to the City s solid waste management system would not be expected to occur City of Santa Monica

60 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: 3.17 SHADOWS - a) Will the proposal produce extensive shadows affecting sunlight-sensitive adjacent uses or property? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X No Impact In discussing shadow effects, there are several important factors that are considered, including: Affected land use (criticality of direct sunlight for the use) Duration (hours per day in shadow) Time of day (critical time period for direct sunlight) Season (time of year use would be shadowed) Extent (percentage of use that would be shadowed) Type (solid or dappled shadow) Pre-existing condition (shadow condition due to existing buildings, landscaping, or other features) With these criterion as a basis for shadow impact analysis, shadowing impacts are considered significant when shadows would be cast upon potentially sensitive uses during a substantial portion (greater than 50%)of the main daylight hours (9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. during the fall, winter and spring seasons, and 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (daylight savings time) during the summer season). Sunlight-sensitive uses include public parks, residences, and other lightsensitive uses 1. a. The project site is oriented in a northeast to southwest direction. Uses immediately adjacent to the project site include residential units to the southeast, two-story commercial buildings to the northwest and southwest, and a church to the northeast. The maximum building height of the proposed project would be greater than that of the existing on-site use, causing longer off-site shadows than currently exist. Figures E-1 and E-2 in Appendix E show graphical representations of the summer and winter solstice shadows, respectively, at 9 AM, noon, and 3 PM. As shown on Figure E-1, shadows during the morning and early afternoon hours during the summer solstice would only extend into the streets around the project site and would not affect any buildings. Shadows during the late afternoon would fall mostly on the lower portion of the walls of the church and residential uses adjacent to the project site and would not interfere with sun-sensitive activities. Thus, shadows cast by the project during the summer would not significantly affect sun-sensitive uses. Shadows would be at their longest of the year during the winter solstice, as shown on Figure E-2. Shadows during the early and late afternoon hours would extend well onto the adjacent church. However, the church is not a sun-sensitive use and therefore the shadows would not interfere with sun-sensitive activities. During the morning hours of the winter solstice, the shadow from the proposed project would extend across Broadway 1 Santa Monica Civic Center Parking Structure FEIR, February, City of Santa Monica

61 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist and onto the uses across the street. However, the land uses on Broadway are commercial and are also not sun sensitive. Therefore, impacts from winter shadows would be less than significant since shadows on existing buildings would be of a limited duration and would not directly affect sunlight-sensitive uses occurring at the adjacent sites. ISSUES: 3.18 ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACTS - a) Does the project have economic or social effects which would result in additional physical changes (e.g. if a new shopping center located away from a downtown shopping area would take business away from the downtown and thereby cause business closures and eventual physical deterioration of the downtown)? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X a. The project would result in the removal of a small sign business that has operated from this location for over 50 years. This would affect a small number of employees. The business would be required to find a new location if it were to stay operational. The sign business would be replaced with a mixed-use residential and retail development that would result in an increase in development intensity on the site. The project would be located in a neighborhood that is primarily residential, and would be generally compatible with surrounding development. The retail component proposed on-site would provide a continuation of the existing commercial activity, thereby retaining the socio-economic pattern of commerce at this site. The proposed retail space is a single 449-square foot unit. This small size would not be expected to significantly affect shopping patterns in the area or take patrons away from other retail uses. The project includes the provision of very low-income senior housing, which would provide a social benefit to the City s elderly population. No adverse economic or social impacts are expected. ISSUES: 3.19 CONSTRUCTION EFFECTS - a) Would the proposal have considerable construction-period impacts due to the scope, or location of construction activities? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact X No Impact a. As discussed under Items 3.3 and 3.11, Air Quality and Noise, construction of the project would result in short-term pollutant emissions and noise. Such impacts would be less than significant. Compliance with the recommended air quality and noise mitigation measures would minimize temporary construction impacts to the maximum degree feasible. In addition, prior to the start of construction, the project applicant must also 3-33 City of Santa Monica

62 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist prepare a Construction Mitigation Plan, which would be subject to review and approval by the City. The Construction Mitigation Plan would include but not be limited to: a public information program to advise motorists and pedestrians of impending construction activities, timely notification of construction schedules to all affected public agencies, including the police and fire departments, a traffic control plan for the streets surrounding the work area, and a telephone number posting requirement to enable local residents to call to submit complaints associated with construction. ISSUES: 3.20 NEIGHBORHOOD EFFECTS - a) Will the proposal have considerable effects on the project neighborhood? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X a. Potential long-term impacts on the neighborhood are addressed under Items 3.1, 3.9, 3.15, and 3.18, Aesthetics, Land Use and Planning, Transportation/Traffic, and Economic and Social Impacts. As indicated in those sections, the project would not divide the existing neighborhood, nor would it degrade the aesthetics of the area. Project implementation would result in the removal of a sign business that has operated in the neighborhood for over 50 years. However, the project would provide a small amount of retail space, thereby retaining a limited amount of commercial activity at the site. The project would alter the appearance of the site, but such alteration would not substantially degrade the character of the neighborhood and would implement the City's goals for providing mixed-use development in the area. The proposed project would contain residential and retail development of a magnitude similar to that already within the area, and the project would not alter the general activity patterns within the neighborhood. The proposed project would be in compliance with land use and zoning regulations in the City of Santa Monica and regional planning policies, ordinances and objectives. Furthermore, the traffic analysis concluded that the project would not significantly affect the segment of 19 th Street between Broadway and Colorado Avenue using City of Santa Monica significance criteria. Therefore, the project would not have an adverse effect on the surrounding neighborhood City of Santa Monica

63 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 3.0 Environmental Checklist ISSUES: 3.21 MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE - a) Does the project have the potential to substantially reduce the habitat of a fish or wildlife species, cause a fish or wildlife population to drop below self- sustaining levels, eliminate a plant or animal community, reduce the number or restrict the range of a rare or endangered plant or animal or eliminate important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory? b) Does the project have impacts that are individually limited, but cumulatively considerable? ( Cumulatively considerable means that the incremental effects of a project are considerable when viewed in connection with the effects of past projects, and the effects of probable future projects)? c) Does the project have environmental effects which will cause substantial adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly? Potentially Significant Impact Potentially Significant Unless Mitigation Incorporated Less than Significant Impact No Impact X X X a. The project site is located within a highly urbanized area that lacks significant biological resources. Therefore, the proposed project would not affect any fish, wildlife or plant species. As discussed under Item 3.5, the project would not eliminate important examples of California history or prehistory. b. The project would not create any significant impacts that cannot be mitigated. Therefore, the project s contribution to cumulative impacts would be negligible. c. As discussed under Item 3.7, the project site is not known to have conditions that would adversely affect human health and safety City of Santa Monica

64 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 4.0 List of References and Preparers 4.0 LIST OF REFERENCES AND PREPARERS 4.1 LIST OF REFERENCES California Air Resources Board, URBEMIS California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Hazardous Waste and Substances Site List ( Cortese List), available online at accessed May 21, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Site Mitigation and Brownfields Reuse Program Database ( CalSites List), available online at accessed May 21, California State Water Resources Control Board, Leaking Underground Storage Tank Information System (LUSTIS), available online at accessed May 21, Kaku Associates, Draft Traffic Study for 1906 Broadway Residential Project, Santa Monica, California, May San Buenaventura Research Associates, Phase I Historical Review for 1906 Broadway, Santa Monica, May 20, Santa Monica, City of, Environmental Programs Division, 2002 Water Efficiency Strategic Plan, Santa Monica, City of, Municipal Code, February Santa Monica, City of, Noise Element of the General Plan, Santa Monica, City of, Official Homepage, accessed May 2003a. Santa Monica, City of, RAND Corporate Headquarters Building EIR, Santa Monica, City of, Safety Element of the General Plan, Santa Monica, City of, Scenic Corridors Element of the General Plan, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, official homepage, accessed May Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, personal communication, May 2003a. South Coast Air Quality Management District, CEQA Air Quality Handbook, City of Santa Monica

65 1906 Broadway Project IS/MND Section 4.0 List of References and Preparers Southern California Association of Governments, 2001 Regional Transportation Plan Growth Forecasts, City Projections, available online at accessed May 21, US Environmental Protection Agency, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS), available online at accessed May 21, LIST OF PREPARERS Stephen Svete, AICP, Principal in Charge Joe Power, AICP, Planning Manager Melissa Mascali, MESM, Environmental Analyst Joanne Dramko, Graphics Manager Kathy Babcock, Graphics Technician Katie Stanulis, Production Coordinator 4-2 City of Santa Monica

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