Pawn Shop LA

Summary

SCH Number
2024100980
Public Agency
City of Los Angeles
Document Title
Pawn Shop LA
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/22/2024
Document Description
The project consists of the change of use of an existing 7,808 square-foot, two story office and photo studio to a restaurant and bar. The applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to allow for the sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption. The restaurant will include 260 seats, private dining suites, and occasional live entertainment. No on-site parking is proposed. The proposed hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily.

Contact Information

Name
Yasmin Diaz
Agency Name
City of Los Angeles / Department of City Planning
Job Title
Planning Assistant
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency

Name
Gary Benjamin
Agency Name
Alchemy Planning + Land Use
Job Title
Representative
Contact Types
Parties Undertaking Project

Location

Cities
Los Angeles
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Southern California
Zip
90038
Other Location Info
5901 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038 and Cahuenga blvd

Notice of Exemption

Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15301 / Class 1 & Section 15303 / Class 3
Reasons for Exemption
Class 1: The operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Class 3: 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.A project qualifies for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption if it consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The types of "existing facilities" itemized below are not intended to be all-inclusive of the types of projects which might fall within Class 1. (a) Interior or exterior alterations involving such things as interior partitions, plumbing, and electrical conveyances; The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of use. As the project consists of the change of use from a commercial use ( office and photo studio) to another commercial use (restaurant), it consists of no expansion of existing or former use. Additionally, although construction is proposed in the form of interior alterations, the scope of work is consistent with the qualifications of the Class 1 Categorical Exemption.A project qualifies for a Class 3 Categorical Exemption if it 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. The numbers of structures described in this section are the maximum allowable on any legal parcel. Examples of this exemption include but are not limited to: (c) A store, motel, office, restaurant or similar structure not involving the use of significant amounts of hazardous substances, and not exceeding 2500 square feet in floor area. In urbanized areas, the exemption also applies to up to four such commercial buildings not exceeding 10,000 square feet in floor area on sites zoned for such use if not involving the use of significant amounts of hazardous substances where all necessary public services and facilities are available and the surrounding area is not environmentally sensitive. As the project consists of the change of use from a commercial use (office and photo studio) to another commercial use (restaurant), and the existing commercial building is less than 10,000 square feet and on a site zoned for such commercial use, it meets the qualifications of the Class 3 Categorical Exemption. Moreover, significant amounts of hazardous substances are not anticipated during the operation of the restaurant use, all necessary public facilities and utilities are already provided, and the area is not environmentally sensitive.The City has considered whether the Proposed Project is subject to any of the six (6) exceptions that would prohibit the use of a categorical exemption as set forth in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2. The six (6) Exceptions which must be considered in order to find a project exempt are: (a) Location; (b) Cumulative Impacts; (c) Significant Effect; (d) Scenic Highways; (e) Hazardous Waste Sites; and (f) Historical Resources. (a) Location. Classes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located - a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may in a particularly sensitive environment be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply in all instances, except where the project may impact on an environmental resource of a hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. The subject site is located within the Hollywood Community Plan and within an AB 2334: Very Low VMT area, AB 2097: Reduced Parking area, Transit Priority area, Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone, 500 year Flood Zone, Methane Zone, and within the Hollywood Signage Supplemental Use District. The subject site is not located on or near an environmental resource that is precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to federal, state, or local law. Specific Regulatory Compliance Measures (RCMs) in the City of Los Angeles regulate the grading and construction of projects and will reduce any potential impacts to less than significant. In addition, roof and site drainage as well as sewer availability must comply with Bureau of Engineering and Bureau of Sanitation standards; and hydrants, Fire Department Access, and Fire Safety must be reviewed and approved by the Los Angeles Fire Department before permits can be issued. Thus, in conjunction with Regulatory ComplianceMeasures and compliance with other applicable regulations, the location of the Project will not result in a significant impact based on its location (b) Cumulative Impacts. All exemptions for these classes are inapplicable . when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time is significant. The proposed project is located at 5901 West Melrose Avenue within the Hollywood Community Plan, and within a transit Priority Area and an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone. A significant impact may occur if the proposed project would result in impacts that are less than significant when viewed separately but significant when viewed together. The following are projects that were filed with the Department of City Planning in a 500-foot radius within the last 10 years:Per the table above, there were three (3) projects filed or filed and approved with the Department of City Planning within a 500-foot radius. Of the three (3) cases listed in the table above, two cases are located on the same property. Case number ZA-2019-1170-CUZM, located at 711 North Lillian Way, was approved on February 27, 2019. A conditional use to permit a surface parking lot in the R3-1 Zone was approved as well as an adjustment to allow a zero-foot front yard in lieu of the 15-foot front yard required. Regarding case number CPC-2021-4280-GPA-ZC-BL, that project was approved on March 1, 2022. A building permit was issued on June 20, 2023, for the new commercial office and parking lot. Case number ZA-2015-1801-CUB was approved on October 9, 2015, and permitted the sale ad dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption, in conjunction with a 28.824 square-foot membership-based office. Based on the construction timeline of the three projects, it is unlikely that there would be cumulative impacts due to successive projects conducting construction activities. In addition, specific Regulatory Compliance Measures (RCMs) in the City of Los Angeles regulate impacts related to construction noise and traffic. According to SCAQMD, individual construction projects that do not exceed the SCAQMD's recommended daily thresholds for project-specific impacts would not cause a cumulatively considerable increase in emissions for those pollutants for which the Air Basin in nonattainment. 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, Construction-related daily emissions at the project site would not exceed SCAQMD's regional or localized significance thresholds. Therefore, the project's contribution to cumulative construction-related regional emissions would not be cumulatively considerable and therefore would be less than significant. Construction of the project also would have a less-than-significant impact with regard to localized emission. As noise is a localized phenomenon and decreases in magnitude as distance from the source increases, only projects and ambient growth in the nearby area could combine with the proposed project to result in cumulatively considerable noise impacts. With not projects of the same type in the same place, the proposed project does not have the potential to cumulatively contribute to air quality, construction traffic, and noise levels. (c) Significant Effect. A categorical exemption shall not be used for an activity where there is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. As mentioned, the proposed project is for a Conditional Use Permit to allow for the sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption. The project consists of the change of use of an existing 7,808 square-foot, two-story office and photo studio to a restaurant and bar. Construction consists of tenant improvements to the interior of the structure to revise the second-floor layout and to make structural upgrades as needed to meet seismic standards. The project is in the C4-1XL-SN zone and is designated Neighborhood Office Commercial. The project consists of tenant improvements; however, no construction is proposed which expand the footprint of the building and as such, there are no impacts to the right of way or street trees. Although the change of use may intensify the use of the site, according to LADOT staff, a change of use from office and photo studio to restaurant uses are not anticipated to result in traffic impacts if the retail use does not exceed 50,00 square-feet in area. According to the Screening Criteria in Section 2.2.2. of the LADOT Transportation Assessment Guidelines, dated August 2022, projects that contain small-scale or local serving retail uses are assumed to have less than significant VMT impacts. Local serving retail uses are those retail uses which are less than 50,000 square-feet, and for the purpose of that definition, include restaurants. As the change of use consists of 7,808 square-feet of floor area for the purposes of a restaurant and bar, this would be considered a local serving retail use and would be presumed to have a less than significant impact on traffic and would not require a VMT analysis. As such, there are no usual circumstances which may lead to a significant effect on the environment. (d) Scenic Highways. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway. 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, located approximately 16.5 miles to the west of the site. Therefore, the Project will not result in damage to any scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway, and this exception does not apply. (e) Hazardous Waste. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project located on a site which is included on any list complied pursuant to Section 65962. 5 of the Government Code. 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. As such, the project would not be developed on a site identified as a hazardous site pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. (f) Historic Resources. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. 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. The Department of City Planning's Office of Historic Resources confirmed that there is no historic resource on the site for the purposes of CEQA. Consequently, the Project will not result in a substantial adverse change to the significance of a historic resource and this exception does not apply.
County Clerk
Los Angeles

Attachments

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