ENV-2022-8859-CE

2024120243

City of Los Angeles

NOE - Notice of Exemption

12/6/2024

12/6/2024

Erick Morales

City of Los Angeles, City Planning Department

Planning Assistant

Lead/Public Agency

200 N Spring Street Room 621
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 202-5440

erick.morales@lacity.org

Amy Studarus,

Pacific Crest Consultants

Representative

Parties Undertaking Project

29635 AGUORA ROAD
Aguora Hills, CA 91301

(661) 644-6212

amy@pccla.com

90039

PROJECT LOCATION 3031 and 3033 West Angus Street, Los Angeles, CA

NAME OF APPLICANT / OWNER: Etienne Guyot, Q by Q, LLC

Categorical Exemption

Section 15332 Class 32

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; (b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses; (c) The project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species; ( d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and (e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. The project is for the merger and subdivision of seven (7) lots into five (5) lots for the construction, use, and maintenance of five (5) small lot single-family dwellings, and a project which is characterized as in-fill development, the project qualifies for the Class 32 Categorical Exemption. The site is zoned RD6-1XL and has a General Plan Land Use Designation of Low Residential. As shown in the case file, the project is consistent with the applicable Silver Lake-Echo Park-Elysian Valley Community Plan designation and policies and all applicable zoning designations and regulations. The subject site is wholly within the City of Los Angeles, on a site that is approximately 0.87 acres. Lots adjacent to the subject site are developed with single-family uses and a private school. The site is-previously disturbed and surrounded by development and therefore is not, and has no value as, a habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species. There are two protected trees on the site, as identified in the Tree Report prepared by Lisa Smith and dated June 6, 2022. The application proposes to remove both protected trees and replace them within the project site. Note, no street tree or protected tree may 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 CE, no approvals have been given for any tree removals on-site or in the right-of-way by BPW. The project will be subject to Regulatory Compliance Measures (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. Furthermore, the project does not exceed the threshold criteria established by LADOT for preparing a traffic study. 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. The project site will be adequately served by all public utilities and services given that the construction of five (5) small lot single family dwellings will be on a site which has been previously developed and is consistent with the General Plan. Therefore, the project meets all of the Criteria for the Class 32. CEQA SECTION 15300.2: EXCEPTIONS TO THE USE OF CATEGORICAL EXEMPTIONS There are five (5) Exceptions which must be considered in order to find a project exempt under Section 15300.2: (a) Cumulative Impacts; (b) Significant Effect; (c) Scenic Highways; (d) Hazardous Waste Sites; and (e) Historical Resources. None of the exceptions are triggered as noted below: A. Cumulative Impact. The exception applies when, although a particular project may not have a significant impact, the impact of successive projects, of the same type, in the same place, over time is significant. The proposed project is for the merger and subdivision of seven (7) vacant lots into five (5) lots for the construction, use, and maintenance offive (5) small lot single-family homes. A significant impact may occur if the proposed project, in conjunction with the related projects, would result in impacts that are less than significant when viewed separately but significant when viewed together. At the time of writing of this report, there were no current or previous cases filed with the Department of City Planning of the same type (within 500 feet of the project site). 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 is in nonattainment. As previously mentioned, 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 emissions. B. Significant Effect Due to Unusual Circumstances. This exception applies when, although the project may otherwise be exempt, there is a reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect due to unusual circumstances. The proposed project is for the merger and subdivision of seven (7) vacant lots into five (5) lots for the construction, use, and maintenance of five (5) small lot single family dwellings. House No. 1 will have a maximum height of 26 feet, 7 inches and contain 2,996 square feet of floor area. House Nos. 2-5 will have maximum heights of 29 feet, 7 inches and will contain 2,365 square feet of floor area each. Attached garages with two (2) covered parking spaces will be provided for each structure. Lot No . 1 will also include one ( 1) additional uncovered parking space, for a total of three (3) parking spaces on Lot No. 1. The surrounding lots are developed with single-family dwellings. The size of the project and each individual structure is not unusual for the vicinity of the subject site and is similar in scope to other existing structures in the area. Thus, there are no unusual circumstances that may lead to a significant effect on the environment, and this exception does not apply. C. Scenic Highways. This exception applies when, although the project may otherwise be exempt, there may be 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. The project site is approximately 29 miles from State Route 27 and thus no potential damage to this resource would result from the project. Therefore, the subject site will not create any impacts within the designated state scenic highway, and this exception does not apply. D. Hazardous Waste Sites. Projects located on a site or facility listed pursuant to California Government Code 65962. 5. According to Envirostor, the State of California's database of Hazardous Waste Sites, neither the subject site nor its' adjacent properties, are 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. E. Historical Resources. Projects that may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource. A portion of the project site was part of the Walt Disney Animation School (Historic Cultural Monument 163) which is no longer extant. According to the email response from the Office of Historic Resources dated March 10, 2023, the project does not require any historic review. 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. In conclusion, this project is categorically exempt from the requirements of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15332, Class 32, and based on the whole of the administrative record, there is no substantial evidence demonstrating that an exception to a categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 applies.