N/A ZA-2022-7369-ZAD ENV-2022-7372-CE

2024070834

City of Los Angeles

NOE - Notice of Exemption

7/22/2024

7/22/2024

Linda Lou

City of Los Angeles / Department of City Planning

City Planner

Lead/Public Agency

200 N Spring st
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 978-1473

linda.lou@lacity.org

34°5'50.6"N 118°10'43.4"W

Pullman st and 4013 North Harriman Avenue

90032

Categorical Exemption

15303 / Class 3

Section 15303, New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures. Class 3 consists of construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure.There are six (6) Exceptions which the City is required to consider before finding a project exempt under Class 15303: (a) Location; (b) Cumulative Impacts; (c) Significant Effect; (d) Scenic Highways; (e) Hazardous Waste Sites; and (f) Historical Resources. The site is zoned [Q]R 1-1 D-HCR and has a General Plan Land Use Designation of LowResidential. While the subject site is located within a Hillside Area, Special Grading Area (BOE Basic Grid Map A-13372), Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone, Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and is located 2.66 kilometers from the Raymond Fault Zone, specific Regulatory Compliance Measures (RCMs) in the City of Los Angeles regulate the grading and construction of projects in these particular types of "sensitive" locations and will reduce any potential impacts to less than significant. Regulatory Compliance Measures (RCMs) include requirements to conform with the California Building Code and the City's Landform Grading Manual. These RCMs have been historically proven to work to the satisfaction of the City Engineer to reduce any impacts from the specific environment the project is located. The project shall comply with the conditions contained within the Department of Building and Safety Geology and Soils Approval Letter dated February 16, 2022 (Log# 120319) for the proposed project. The project will import 298 cubic yards of soil. Thus, the location of the project will not result in a significant impact based on its location.With regard to potential cumulative impacts during the construction phase of the project, there may be active construction activity in the vicinity of where the subject property is located at the same time that the project undergoes construction. However, Regulatory Compliance Measures will help ensure that cumulative impacts related to construction activity are addressed. The proposed project does not require a Hillside Construction Traffic Management Plan as determined by the City's Department of Transportation (LADOT) per an email from Wes Pringle on October 25, 2023, included in the case file. Interim thresholds were developed by DCP staff based on CalEEMod model runs relying on reasonable assumptions, consulting with AQMD staff, and surveying published air quality studies for which criteria air pollutants did not exceed the established SCAQMD construction and operational thresholds. Therefore, the subject project will have no cumulative impact on the City's circulation system. As mentioned, the project proposes the construction, use, and maintenance of a new 2,753- square-foot, two-story single-family dwelling with an attached garage, covered patio, and two retaining walls on an approximately 7,521-square-foot developed lot, in an area zoned and designated for such development. There is a nearby lot to the west that is developed with a singlefamily dwelling. The lots adjacent to the site are vacant. Harriman Avenue lots on both sides of the block of the project site are primarily vacant. Nearby in the area, lots are developed with single-family residences or are vacant. The subject site is of a similar size and slope to nearby properties. The project proposes a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.37: 1 or 2,753 square feet on a site that is permitted to have a maximum FAR of 0.49:1 or 3,661.8 square feet per the slope band analysis. The project proposes a building height of 29 feet, 8 inches which is not unusual for the vicinity of the subject site and is similar in scope to other existing low residential uses in the area. Prior to any work on the adjacent public right-of-way, the applicant will be required to obtain approved plans from the Department of Public Works. As there currently is no approved right-ofway improvement plan and for purposes of conservative analysis under CEQA, Planning has analyzed the worst-case potential for removal of all street trees. Note that street trees and protected trees shall not be removed without prior approval of the Board of Public Works/Urban Forestry (BPW) under LAMC Sections 62.161-62.171. At the time of preparation of this environmental document, no approvals have been given for any tree removals on-site or in the right-of-way by BPW. As identified in the Tree Report prepared by William R. McKinley, Consulting Arborist, McKinley & Associates, on April 28, 2022, there is one Protected Tree (Southern California Black Walnut) nearby off site. The development of the property will not impact any protected trees on the neighboring, adjoining properties per the Tree Report. Thus, there are no unusual circumstances which may lead to a significant effect on the environment. Additionally, the only State Scenic Highway within the City of Los Angeles is the Topanga Canyon State Scenic Highway, State Route 27, which travels through a portion of Topanga State Park. The proposed project is located approximately 29 miles away from Topanga State Park, therefore, the project site will not create any impacts within a designated state scenic highway. Therefore the subject site will not create any impacts within a designated as a state scenic highway. Furthermore, according to Envirostor, the State of California's database of Hazardous Waste Sites, neither the subject site, nor any site in the vicinity, is identified as a hazardous waste site. The project site has not been identified as a historic resource by local or state agencies, and the project site· has not been determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, California Register of Historical Resources, the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Register, and/or any local register; and was not found to be a potential historic resource based on the City's HistoricPlacesLA website or SurveyLA, the citywide survey of Los Angeles. Finally, the City does not choose to treat the site as a historic resource. Based on this, the project will not result in a substantial adverse change to the significance of a historic resource and this exception does not apply. The project will be subject to RCMs, which require compliance with the City of Los Angeles Noise Ordinance, pollutant discharge, dewatering, stormwater mitigations, and Best Management Practices for stormwater runoff. These RCMs will ensure the project will not have significant impacts on noise and water