233 & 233 ½ North Robinson Street (ENV-2023-6720-CE)

2025031067

City of Los Angeles

NOE - Notice of Exemption

3/25/2025

3/25/2025

Erick Morales

City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning

Planning Assistant

Lead/Public Agency

200 N Spring Street, Room 621
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 202-5440

erick.morales@lacity.org

Yukie Tanuma

233 Property LLC

Applicant

Project Applicant

970 N. Broadway Suite 107
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 537-0910

yukie@scaleslab.com

90026

PROJECT LOCATION 233 and 233 ½ North Robinson Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026

NAME OF APPLICANT / OWNER: Yukie Tanuma, 233 Property, LLC

Categorical Exemption

15303 / Class 3(b), 15315 / Class 15 & 15332 / Class 32

Class 3 consists of the 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 surface. The number of structures described in this section are the maximum allowable on any legal parcel. Examples of this exemption include but are not limited to: a) One single-family residence, or a second dwelling unit in a residential zone. In urbanized areas, up to three single-family residences may be constructed or converted under this exemption. The project proposes a Preliminary Parcel Map for the subdivision of one (1) lot into three (3) small lots for the construction, use, and maintenance of three (3) new single-family dwellings and two attached ADUs to the new single-family dwellings on Lots 1 and 2. The project site is located wholly within an urbanized area of the City of Los Angeles. Therefore, the project meets all the criteria for a Class 3 categorical exemption. Class 15 consists of the division of property in urbanized areas zoned for residential, commercial, or industrial use into four or fewer parcels when the division is in conformance with the General Plan and zoning, no variances or exceptions are required, all services and access to the proposed parcels to local standards are available, the parcel was not involved in a division of a larger parcel within the previous 2 years, and the parcel does not have an average slope greater than 20 percent. The project proposes the subdivision of one (1) lot in the RD2-1 Zone into a maximum of three (3) small lots and does not propose any variances or exceptions. The project site is flat, can be accessed and provided services at local standards, and was not the result of the division of a larger parcel within the previous 2 years. Therefore, the project meets all of the criteria for a Class 15 categorical exemption. A Class 32 Categorical Exemption may be applied for a project 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 site is zoned RD2-1 and has a General Plan Land Use Designation of Low Medium Residential. As shown in the case file, the project is consistent with the applicable Westlake Community plan designation and policies and all applicable zoning designations and regulations. The project site is wholly within the City of Los Angeles, on a site that is approximately 0.138 acres (6,005 square-feet). Surrounding properties are developed with residential uses. Properties immediately to the north, south, and east across Robinson Street are zoned RD2-1, are designated for Low Medium Residential land uses, and are developed with single-family and multi-family residences that range in height from one- to three-stories. Properties immediately to the west across the alley are zoned R3-1, zoned for Medium Residential land uses, and are developed with single-family and multi-family residences that range in height from one- to two-stories. All surrounding properties are located in the Westlake Community Plan. The project site is previously disturbed and surrounded by development and therefore it is not, and has no value as, a habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species. There are no protected trees on the site, as identified in the Arborist Report prepared by Paul Lewis, Registered Consulting Arborist #800 dated July 31, 2023. However, the site does contain 5 non-protected trees, all of which are proposed for removal. 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, a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) analysis shows that the project generates 33 daily vehicle trips and does not exceed the threshold criteria established by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) of 250 daily vehicle trips for preparing a traffic study. Therefore, the project will not have any significant impacts to traffic. Interim thresholds were developed by Department of City Planning (DCP) staff based on CalEEMod model runs relying on reasonable assumptions, consulting with Air Quality Management District (AQMD) staff, and surveying published air quality studies for which criteria air pollutants did not exceed the established South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) construction and operational thresholds. The project site will be adequately served by all public utilities and services given that the project site is presently developed with a duplex and an accessory building, which are proposed for demolition to allow for the construction, use, and maintenance of three (3) single-family dwellings on the site. Therefore, the project meets all of the criteria for the Class 32 categorical exemption.