West Los Angeles Armory Shelter -- Additional Funding
2 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2022080199
Public Agency
Los Angeles County
Document Title
West Los Angeles Armory Shelter -- Additional Funding
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/18/2022
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 ground floor would include parking (approximately 49 spaces), security, storage (including bicycle storage), a trash room, loading area and electrical/mechanical space as well as an outdoor dog run to the south of the building. The second floor would include a women’s dormitory (48 beds), women’s washroom, an administrative area including 12 private offices, kitchen, dining room, library and three outdoor patios. The third floor would include a couple’s dormitory and associated toilets and showers (30 beds for 15 couples), a men’s dormitory (89 beds), multi-purpose room, recreation room, men’s washroom, and two small outdoor patios. The building would include landscaping, low-level security and facility lighting on the exterior. 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
Deborah Lever
Agency Name
Los Angeles County
Job Title
Program/Project Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
unincorporated Los Angeles County island within City of LA
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Federal Avenue and Rochester Avenue
Zip
90025
Notice of Exemption
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
Other
Type, Section or Code
Government Code Sections 65660 and 65662 -- 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
Class 2
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.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 3
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.
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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