[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1401-1403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-283]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5366-N-01]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Redevelopment Project

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gives 
notice to the public, agencies, and Indian tribes that the Community 
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles and City of Los 
Angeles, Community Development Department intend to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) 
for the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Redevelopment Project located in 
the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA. The City of Los 
Angeles, Community Development Department, and the Community 
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles acting jointly as the 
lead agencies will prepare the EIR/EIS acting under the authority of 
the City of Los Angeles as the responsible entity for compliance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in accordance with 42 
U.S.C. 5304(g) and 42 U.S.C. 12838 and HUD regulations at 24 CFR 58.4, 
and under their authority as lead agency in accordance with the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The EIR/EIS will be a 
joint NEPA and CEQA document. The EIR will satisfy requirements of CEQA 
(Public Resources Code 21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (14 
California Code of Regulations 15000 et seq.), which require that all 
state and local government agencies consider the environmental 
consequences of projects over which they have discretionary authority 
before acting on those projects. The proposed action is subject to 
compliance with NEPA, because Economic Development Initiative (EDI) and 
accompanying Section 108 Loans, Community Development Block Grants 
(CDBG), Urban Development Assistance Grant (UDAG), Neighborhood 
Stabilization Program, and HOME Funds would be used for the

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development. In addition, the developer may also apply for federal 
Recovery Zone Bonds (Recovery Zone Facility Bonds [RZFD], Recovery Zone 
Economic Development Bonds [RZEDB]), New Market Tax Credits (NMTC), and 
Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives. This notice is given in 
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations at 40 
CFR parts 1500-1508. All interested federal, state, and local agencies, 
Indian tribes, groups, and the public are invited to comment on the 
scope of the EIS. If you are an agency with jurisdiction by law over 
natural or other public resources affected by the project, the 
Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles and City of 
Los Angeles, Community Development Department needs to know what 
environmental information germane to your statutory responsibilities 
should be included in the EIR/EIS.

ADDRESSES: Comments relating to the scope of the EIS are requested and 
will be accepted by the contact persons listed below until February 10, 
2010. Any person or agency interested in receiving a notice and wishing 
to make comment on the draft EIS should contact the persons listed 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Robert Manford, Community 
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, (p) 213-977-1912, (f) 
213-687-9546, [email protected] (CEQA) and Mr. Tony Kochinas, 
City of Los Angeles, Community Development Department, (p) 213-744-
7384, (f) 213-744-9038, [email protected] (NEPA).
    Public Participation: The public will be invited to participate in 
the review of the Draft EIR/EIS. Release of the Draft EIR/EIS will be 
announced through public mailings as well as the local news media.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Project Name and Description

    The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles and 
City of Los Angeles, Community Development Department will consider a 
proposal to redevelop the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza to include a 
mixed-use retail/commercial/office/hotel and residential project 
totaling up to approximately 3,435,726 square feet of development. The 
project site is 42.42-acres in size and is located on the Hollywood 
7.5-minute U.S.G.S topographic quadrangle map, at 3650 West Martin 
Luther King Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The site is 
relatively flat and currently developed with an existing retail center. 
The site is bordered on the north by West 39th Street, on the east by 
Crenshaw Boulevard, on the southeast by Stocker Street, on the 
southwest by Santa Rosalita Drive, and on the west by Marlton Avenue. 
The site is bisected by Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
    The project site is surrounded by a mix of urban land uses. 
Existing commercial uses are located to the north of 39th Street. Land 
uses along Crenshaw Boulevard between 39th Street and Martin Luther 
King Jr. Boulevard include two-story multi-family residential units, 
single-story commercial buildings, and surface parking. Uses along 
Crenshaw Boulevard between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Stocker 
Street include single-story commercial uses and associated surface 
parking. Land uses along Stocker Street include commercial and multi-
family uses. Uses to the west along Marlton Avenue between Santa 
Rosalita and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard include a senior housing 
complex and the location of the proposed Santa Barbara Plaza (also 
known as ``Marlton Square'') Redevelopment Site, while land uses along 
Marlton Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 39th Street 
consists of four-story multi-family buildings above parking garages.
    The project would require the following discretionary approvals:
     Tentative Map to subdivide the Project Site and approve 
any condominiums.
     Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to approve a hotel within 500 
feet of an R-zone.
     CUP to approve floor area averaging for a unified 
development.
     CUP for new alcoholic beverage uses.
     Zone Variances to address density, floor area, building 
height, setback, open space, parking, and other design issues.
     Site Plan Review.
     Sign District Permissible Display Area to exceed the 
normal sign area limits for the Project Site.
    This is to be a combined document--EIR (Environmental Impact 
Report) under the State of California California Environmental Quality 
Act (Public Resources Code 21000 et seq. and 14 California Code of 
Regulations 15000 et seq.) and EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) 
under NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321) and implementing regulations of the Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and HUD (24 CFR Part 
58).
    The project proposes the demolition of approximately 257,000 square 
feet of the existing mall structures. Portions of the enclosed mall 
would be retained and rehabilitated. New buildings would also be 
constructed to increase the amount of retail and commercial services at 
the site and to provide new uses to the area such as an office 
building, a hotel with meeting rooms, and residential units available 
for purchase and rent. The pedestrian bridge over Martin Luther King 
Jr. Boulevard would be retained to allow continued operation as a 
single connected facility. The project would develop four anchor retail 
stores including an automotive center (totaling approximately 535,000 
square feet), two grocery stores (totaling approximately 85,000 square 
feet), restaurants (both in mall and as stand-alone restaurants 
totaling approximately 156,000 square feet), a movie theater (3,100 
seats), bowling alley and bars (totaling approximately 40,000 square 
feet), dance studio and fitness uses (totaling 70,000 square feet), 
office uses (150,000 square feet), a 400-room hotel with meeting rooms 
and two restaurants, and 551 condominium units, and 410 apartment 
units.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    There are four alternatives to the proposed action to be analyzed 
in the EIR/EIS: Reduced Density Alternative 1, Reduced Density 
Alternative 2, Reduced Density Alternative 3, and the No Project 
Alternative. Except for the No Project Alternative, all the 
alternatives are reduced density variations of the proposed project.

Reduced Density Alternative 1

    The Reduced Density Alternative 1 would develop the same type and 
range of land uses as proposed for the project including anchor retail, 
grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment and fitness uses, hotel, and 
residential uses. However, the Reduced Density Alternative 1 proposes 
the development of up to 3,071,325 square feet at the project site. The 
Reduced Density Alternative 1 would provide a net increase of 
approximately 2,073,717 square feet of development compared to the 
existing uses. Reduced Density Alternative 1 would develop four anchor 
retail stores including an automotive center (totaling approximately 
387,000 square feet), two grocery stores (totaling approximately 85,000 
square feet), restaurants (both in mall and as standalone restaurants 
totaling approximately 126,000 square feet), a movie theater (2,600 
seats), bowling alley and bars (totaling approximately 35,000 square 
feet), dance studio and fitness uses (totaling 70,000 square feet), 
office uses (148,000

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square feet), a 400-room hotel with meeting rooms and two restaurants, 
and 551 condominium units, and 410 apartment units.

Reduced Density Alternative 2

    The Reduced Density Alternative 2 would develop the same type and 
range of land uses as proposed for the project including anchor retail, 
grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment and fitness uses, hotel, and 
residential uses. However, the Reduced Density Alternative 2 would 
involve the development of up to 2,980,726 square feet at the project 
site. The Reduced Density Alternative 2 would provide a net increase of 
approximately 1,983,117 square feet of development compared to the 
existing uses. Reduced Density Alternative 2 would develop four anchor 
retail stores including an automotive center (totaling approximately 
387,000 square feet), two grocery stores (totaling approximately 85,000 
square feet), restaurants (both in mall and as standalone restaurants 
totaling approximately 90,000 square feet), a movie theater (2,600 
seats), bowling alley and bars (totaling approximately 35,000 square 
feet), dance studio and fitness uses (totaling 70,000 square feet), 
office uses (108,000 square feet), a 400-room hotel with meeting rooms 
and two restaurants, and 551 condominium units, and 410 apartment 
units.

Reduced Density Alternative 3

    The Reduced Density Alternative 3 would develop the same type and 
range of land uses as proposed for the project including anchor retail, 
grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment and fitness uses, hotel, and 
residential uses. However, the Reduced Density Alternative 3 would 
involve the development of up to 2,897,726 square feet at the project 
site. The Reduced Density Alternative 3 would provide a net increase of 
approximately 1,900,117 square feet of development compared to the 
existing uses. Reduced Density Alternative 3 would develop four anchor 
retail stores including an automotive center (totaling approximately 
387,000 square feet), two grocery stores (totaling approximately 85,000 
square feet), restaurants (both in mall and as standalone restaurants 
totaling approximately 80,000 square feet), a movie theater (2,600 
seats), bowling alley and bars (totaling approximately 25,000 square 
feet), dance studio and fitness uses (totaling 55,000 square feet), 
office uses (75,000 square feet), a 400-room hotel with meeting rooms 
and two restaurants, and 551 condominium units, and 410 apartment 
units.

No Project Alternative

    The No Project Alternative would analyze the ``no action'' 
alternative, which would be the continuation of uses on the site; 
therefore, existing buildings and tenants would remain at the project 
site and no new buildings or uses would be constructed.

Probable Environmental Effects

    The following subject areas will be analyzed in the combined EIR/
EIS for probable environmental effects: Aesthetics (views/light and 
glare, and shade/shadow), Air Quality (Construction and Operational), 
Cultural/Historic Resources, Geology/Soils, Hydrology/Water Quality, 
Land Use and Planning, Noise (Construction and Operational), Population 
and Housing, Public Services (Fire, Police, Schools, Parks, Libraries), 
Transportation and Circulation, Parking, and Public Utilities 
(Wastewater, Water, Solid Waste, and Energy Conservation).

Lead Agencies

    As a lead agency, the City of Los Angeles, through its Community 
Development Department, is the responsible entity (RE) for this project 
in accordance with 24 CFR part 58, ``Environmental Review Procedures 
for Entities Assuming HUD Environmental Responsibilities.'' As a RE, 
the City of Los Angeles assumes the responsibility for environmental 
review, decision-making, and action that would otherwise apply to HUD 
under NEPA. Section 104 (g) of Title I of the Housing and Community 
Development Act (42 U.S.C. 5304(g)) and Section 288 of the HOME 
Investment Partnerships Act (42 U.S.C. 12838) allow authorized 
recipients of HUD assistance to assume NEPA responsibilities in 
projects involving CDBG and HOME funds.
    In addition, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los 
Angeles is the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lead agency 
responsible for preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
    Questions may be directed to the individuals named in this notice 
under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: December 18, 2009.
Mercedes Marquez,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-283 Filed 1-8-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P