West Los Angeles Armory Shelter
2 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2022080199
Public Agency
Los Angeles County
Document Title
West Los Angeles Armory Shelter
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/10/2022
Document Description
The project includes the construction and operation of a three-story, approximately 167-bed, 64,800 square foot shelter in the southwest corner of the site. A 160-bed winter shelter operated in the West Los Angeles Armory building for more than 10 years (ending operations in April 2020) would be discontinued on completion of the new shelter. The shelter would be considered a low-barrier navigation center as it would 1) offer services to connect people to permanent housing, 2) be linked to a system that coordinates participant intake, assessment and referrals, 3) comply with applicable codes, 4) have a system for entering client information, and 5) implement best practices to reduce barriers to entry (presence of partners, pets, storage of possessions, privacy). The facility would operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Outdoor patios and the dog run would be used 7 am to 11 pm daily. Construction would take approximately 16 months. A power line that crosses the site could be undergrounded and up to three utility poles removed or relocated; if relocated the building height and/or footprint may need to be modified. In addition to the shelter, a small parking structure (approximately 150 feet by 180 feet and two stories tall) would be constructed in the northeast corner of the Armory site to only replace parking area lost as a result of the shelter. The National Guard is requiring the parking garage as a condition of the lease with the County; it would include approximately 50 spaces would be lost at the shelter site and the parking garage itself would require the removal of a similar number of spaces.
Contact Information
Name
Sarah Mahin
Agency Name
Los Angeles Department of Health Services
Job Title
Deputy, Management Programs
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
unincorporated LA County island surrounded by City of LA
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Federal Avenue and Rochester Avenue
Zip
90025
Total Acres
3.85
Jobs
55
Parcel #
AIN: 4365-008-902
State Highways
SR 2 SM Blvd, I 405, I 10
Railways
Expo Light Rail
Airports
Santa Monica Airport
Schools
Danl Web Mid Sch, Wstwd Char Elem, UCLA, Archer, Brentwood (2)
Other Location Info
1300 Federal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Gov Code 65660 Low Barrier Navigation Center
Reasons for Exemption
CEQA does not apply to any action taken to approve a low barrier navigation center. The project would meet the definition of a low-barrier navigation center. The project would 1) offer services to connect people to permanent housing, 2) be linked to a system that coordinates participant intake, assessment, and referrals, 3) comply with applicable codes, 4) have a system for entering client information, 5) implement best practices to reduce barriers to entry (presence of partners, pets, storage of possessions, privacy). A low-barrier navigation center is a use by right -- the site is in a nonresidential zone where the County may permit any public use (Government Code Section 65662). The National Guard is requiring the parking garage with replacement parking as a condition of the lease with the County that would allow the construction and operation of the shelter.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15202 Class 2 Replacement or Reconstruction
Reasons for Exemption
The project includes construction of a small parking garage that would provide replacement parking for that displaced by the shelter (and construction of the garage itself) in the northeast corner of the site. The parking structure would be approximately 150 feet by 180 feet and two stories tall and would replace parking area lost as a result of the shelter; construction could occur simultaneously with the construction of the shelter.
None of the exceptions to exemptions, found at Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines would apply to invalidate the Class 3 categorical exemption. Based on the record, the County has determined the following: (a) the site is not located in a sensitive environment; (b) the project would not create significant cumulative impacts by contributing to impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place; (c) there is no potential for the project to result in a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances; (d) the project would not result in damage to a scenic resource; (e) while the site is on a list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code (Leaking Underground Storage Tank) the case is closed; (f) the project would not include changes to the existing West Los Angeles Armory buildings (constructed in 1964) and therefore would not change the significance of any historical resource.
Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c)
Reasons for Exemption
Homelessness in the County of Los Angles experienced a large increase from 2016 to January 2020 – prior to the pandemic. The County’s total homeless population increased to 66,436 in 2020 up approximately 12.7% from 2019. On October 30, 2018, the LA County Board of Supervisors declared a shelter crisis to address homelessness in unincorporated LA County. This project would provide an emergency shelter that would provide temporary housing and services to help transition people to permanent housing. The emergency shelter would help prevent further emergency for those served by the shelter and generally help in mitigating the emergency conditions associated with the shelter crisis.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15303 – Class 3 -- New Construction
Reasons for Exemption
The project includes construction of a small parking garage that would provide replacement parking for that displaced by the shelter (and construction of the garage itself) in the northeast corner of the site. The parking structure would be approximately 150 feet by 180 feet and two stories tall and would replace parking area lost as a result of the shelter; construction could occur simultaneously with the construction of the shelter.
None of the exceptions to exemptions, found at Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines would apply to invalidate the Class 3 categorical exemption. Based on the record, the County has determined the following: (a) the site is not located in a sensitive environment; (b) the project would not create significant cumulative impacts by contributing to impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place; (c) there is no potential for the project to result in a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances; (d) the project would not result in damage to a scenic resource; (e) while the site is on a list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code (Leaking Underground Storage Tank) the case is closed; (f) the project would not include changes to the existing West Los Angeles Armory buildings (constructed in 1964) and therefore would not change the significance of any historical resource.
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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