10756 Wilkins Ave (ENV-2023-5877-CE)

2024100343

City of Los Angeles

NOE - Notice of Exemption

10/8/2024

10/8/2024

Kevin Fulton

Department of City Planning Los Angeles, City Of Los Angeles

City Planning Associate

Lead/Public Agency

200 N. Spring St., Room 750
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 978-1210

kevin.fulton@lacity.org

Daniel Ahadian,

nur - Development I Consulting

Representative

Parties Undertaking Project

864 S Robertson Blvd, 3rd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90035

(415) 969-1456

daniel@nurdevelopment.com

34°3'23.2"N 118°26'16"W

90035

10756 West Wilkins Avenue

FIN Holdings LLC & Wilkins Group LLC

Categorical Exemption

Sections 15301 (Class 1) & 15332 (Class 32)

CEQA Determination - Class 1 Categorical Exemption Applies A project qualifies for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption if it involves the demolition and removal of individual small structures, including up to three (3) single-family residences in urbanized areas. The proposed project qualifies for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption because it involves the demolition of a single-family dwelling on a site located in an urbanized area within the City of Los Angeles. CEQA Determination - Class 32 Categorical Exemption Applies A project qualifies for a Class 32 Categorical Exemption if it is developed on an infill site and meets the following criteria: (a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with the applicable zoning designation and regulations. The project site is located within the Westwood Community Plan, Westwood Community MultiFamily Specific Plan (WMFSP), Westwood Community Design Review Board Specific Plan, and the West Los Angeles Transportation Improvement and Mitigation Specific Plan. Please see Findings 1 O and 11 regarding the project's consistency with the WMFSP and the Westwood Community Design Review Board Specific Plan. The subject site has a Low Medium II Residential land use designation, with corresponding zones of RD1 .5-1, RD2, RW2, and RZ2.5. The site is zoned [Q]RD1 .5-1, consistent with the land use designation. The RD1 .5 Zone allows for one dwelling unit per 1,500 square feet of lot area. The project site is also in Height District 1 which permits a floor area of three times the Buildable Area (FAR 3:1) and a maximum building height of 45 feet in the RD1 .5 Zone. The Q condition on the project site, enacted through Ordinance No. 163, 187, requires that all projects with two (2) or more units be subject to review by the Westwood Community Design Review Board. The project site, located at 10756 West Wilkins Avenue, has frontages of approximately 109 feet on both Wilkins and Ohio Avenue and 56.63 feet along both abutting properties, resulting in a total area of 6,744 square feet. The Bureau of Engineering will require a 3-foot dedication along Ohio Avenue as part of the project, resulting in a net lot area of 6,217 square feet. As such, the project site is consistent with the minimum lot width and lot area requirements for the RD1 .5 Zone. Pursuant to State Density Bonus Law and LAMC Section 12.22 -A.25, the applicant is requesting On & Off-Menu Incentives and Waivers of Development Standards in exchange for providing two (2) Very Low Income Units for 55 years. First, the proposed project is consistent with the following goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan Framework Element: Objective 3.1: Accommodate a diversity of uses that support the needs of the City's existing and future residents, businesses, and visitors. Policy 3.2.3: Provide for the development of land use patterns that emphasize pedestrian/bicycle access and use in appropriate locations. Objective 3. 7: Provide for the stability and enhancement of multi-family residential neighborhoods and allow for growth in areas where there is sufficient public infrastructure and services and the residents' quality of life can be maintained or improved. Objective 4.2: Encourage the location of new multi-family housing development to occur in proximity to transit stations, along some transit condors, and within some high activity areas with adequate transitions and buffers between higher density developments and surrounding lower density residential neighborhoods. Policy 4.2.1: Offer incentives to include housing for very low and low-income households in mixed-use developments. Objective 7.9: Ensure that the available range of housing opportunities is sufficient, in terms of location, concentration, type, size, price/rent/range, access to local services and access to transportation, to accommodate future population growth and enable a reasonable portion of the City's work force to both live and work in the City. Policy 7.9.1: Promote the provision of affordable housing through means which require minimal subsidy levels and which, therefore, are Jess detrimental to the City's fiscal structure. The project involves the construction of a 11-unit, five-story multi-family dwelling on a site located approximately 2,500 feet from the future Metro D (Purple) Line station at the corner of Wilshire & Westwood Boulevard. The development will emphasize pedestrian/bicycle access by limiting onsite automobile parking to seven (7) spaces while also providing 12 long-term bicycle parking spaces. Moreover, the site is located within walking distance from UCLA, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, major commercial corridors along Westwood Boulevard and Westwood Village, and a variety of other employment and commercial uses. The project is also located in an area with sufficient public infrastructure and services because the proposed multi-family residential building will be on a previously developed site that was served by all required utilities and public services and is consistent with the General Plan. The project site is served by the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Unified School District, and other public services. Additionally, the site is currently served by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Southern California Gas Company, and the Bureau of Sanitation. As such, the site can be adequately served by all require utilities and public services. Finally, the project is utilizing Density Bonus incentives and waivers in exchange for the provision of two (2) Very Low Income Units for 55 years. The Very Low Income Units will not require any public subsidy. The proposed project is also consistent with the following goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan Housing Element: Goal 1: A City where housing production results in an ample supply of housing to create more equitable and affordable options that meet existing and projected needs. ' Objective 1.2: Facilitate the production of housing, especially projects that include Affordable Housing and/or meet Citywide Housing Priorities. Objective 1.3: Promote a more equitable distribution of affordable housing opportunities throughout the city, with a focus on increasing Affordable Housing in Higher Opportunity Areas and in ways that further Citywide Housing Priorities. Policy 1.3.2: Prioritize the development of new Affordable Housing in all communities, particularly those that currently have fewer Affordable units. Goal 3: A City in which housing creates healthy, livable, sustainable, and resilient communities that improve the lives of all Angelenos. Objective 3.2: Promote environmentally sustainable buildings and land use patterns that support a mix of uses, housing for various income levels and provide access to jobs, amenities, services, and transportation options. Policy 3.2.2: Promote new multi-family housing, particularly Affordable and mixed income housing, in areas near transit, jobs, and Higher Opportunity Areas, in order to facilitate a better jobs-housing balance, help shorten commutes, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed project will result in a net increase of 10 new dwelling units to the City's housing stock and conforms with the applicable provisions of the Housing Element. The project will provide two (2) Low Income Units among the 11 total units in a "Higher Opportunity Area" as defined in the Housing Element. Additionally, this mixed-income development will be located near public transit options and a variety of retail, commercial, entertainment, recreational, educational, and employment opportunities. The development is also in a community that currently has fewer affordable units. According to the Department of City Planning's Housing Progress Dashboard, 69 affordable units were approved in the Westwood Community Plan Area between 2015 - 2022. The citywide average over the same period was 669 affordable units per Plan Area. Next, the project is consistent with the following goals, objectives, and policies of the Westwood Community Plan, one of the Land Use Elements of the General Plan: Goal 1: A safe, secure, and high quality residential environment for all economic, age, and ethnic segments of the community. Objective 1-1: To provide for the preservation of existing housing and for the development of new housing to meet the diverse economic and physical needs for the existing residents and projected population of the Plan area to the year 2010. Policy 1-1.2: Protect the quality of residential environment and promote the maintenance and enhancement of the visual and aesthetic environment of the community. Policy 1-1.3: Provide for adequate multi-family residential development. Policy 1-2.1: Locate higher density residential within designated multiple family areas and near commercial centers and major bus routes where public service facilities and infrastructure will support this development. Objective 1-3: To preserve and enhance the varied and distinct residential character and integrity of existing residential neighborhoods. Objective 1-4: To promote the adequacy and affordability of multiple-family housing and increase its accessibility to more segments of the population. Policy 1-4.1: Promote greater individual choice in type, quality, price, and location of housing, including student housing within one mile of the UCLA campus. Policy 1-4.2: Ensure that new housing opportunities minimize displacement of residents. The proposed project meets the above goals, policies, and objectives by providing multi-family dwelling units in a new, safe, and secure building. The proposed project is located within a neighborhood designated for Low Medium II Residential Land Uses, which includes multi-family residential uses, and is well served by facilities and necessary infrastructure. The project site is located approximately 3,078 feet from the UCLA campus and will result in a net increase of 10 dwelling units, including two (2) Very Low Income Units. The site is located in a Transit Priority Area (TPA) and within a ½ mile of the future Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority Purple (D) Line station at the corner of Wilshire & Westwood Boulevards, along with multiple local and rapid bus stops that encourage alternative modes of transportation. Finally, the project will not displace any existing residents as the site is currently improved with a vacant single-family dwelling. Finally, the project is consistent with the following policies of the General Plan Mobility Element: Policy 3.1: Access for All: Recognize all modes of travel, including pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicular modes - including goods movement- as integral components of the City's transportation system. Policy 3.3: Land Use Access and Mix: Promote equitable land use decisions that result in fewer vehicle trips by providing greater proximity and access to jobs, destinations, and other neighborhood services. The project is a pedestrian oriented development that provides affordable and market-rate units and is located 2,500 feet from the future Metro D (Purple) Line Station and several other public transit options. The site is also within walking distance from commercial corridors on Westwood Boulevard and Westwood Village as well as UCLA and a variety of other employment opportunities. The project will promote multi-modal transportation by limiting onsite vehicular parking to seven (7) spaces and providing 12 long term bicycle parking spaces. As such, the project is consistent with the applicable Westwood Community Plan designation and policies and all applicable zoning designations and regulations as permitted by State Density Bonus Law.