What are examples of environmental impacts studied in the Hollywood Center Draft EIR (DEIR)?
The DEIR for Hollywood Center studied the potential impacts within the following areas: air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, shade-shadow, glare, cultural resources, traffic, parking, land use, and noise, among others. Hollywood Center is required to mitigate significant impacts, if any, in these areas if possible and feasible.
What is the Environmental Impact Report process?
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required by the California Environmental Quality Act for certain types of development projects. The document serves to inform governmental agencies and the public of a project’s potential environmental impacts. The EIR includes proposed mitigation and alternatives that may reduce or avoid any significant environmental impacts.
What were the conclusions of the Hollywood Center DEIR?
In its DEIR, the City concluded that after incorporation of all feasible mitigation measures, the project would result in less than significant impacts in (I) Aesthetics, (II) Air Quality, (III) Geology and Soils, (IV) Greenhouse Gas Emissions, (V) Hazards / Hazardous Materials, (VI) Hydrology, (VII) Land Use and Planning, (VIII) Population and Housing, (IX) Public Services, (X) Transportation, (XI) Tribal Resources, (XII) Utilities, and (XIII) Energy Conservation / Infrastructure.
Of particular note, the DEIR found that impacts in the key study area of Greenhouse Gas Emissions impacts would have a less than significant impact as a result of key project design features. As a certified Environmental Leadership Development Project (ELDP), Hollywood Center has committed to building a project that is carbon net-neutral both during construction and through operation.
The DEIR found significant and unavoidable impacts during the construction phase related to (I) Cultural Resources and (II) Noise/Vibration. The City’s DEIR found zero significant and unavoidable impacts that would occur after the buildings are operational and open for use.
Cultural Resources
As part of the prescribed mitigation, the nearby historic buildings can be protected with the use of vibration monitors. The Hollywood Center team fully intends to work with our neighbors to implement this prescribed mitigation measure to protect these historic resources and to reduce the impacts to less than significant.
Noise / Vibration
As with other infill construction projects, the DEIR found significant impacts related to temporary noise and vibration during construction based on highly conservative assumptions. The DEIR includes a robust set of mitigation measures to minimize temporary noise and vibration impacts, which the Hollywood Center team plans to implement, in addition to working closely with our neighbors during construction to reduce these impacts to less than significant.
What additional subterranean investigations have been completed to study potential earthquake faults?
A new Geology and Soils study, which the City’s Department of Building and Safety has approved, concluded that there is no Holocene-active faulting beneath the project site and therefore the site is safe to build on according to State and City requirements. The study’s findings were consistent with the multiple prior investigations of the site which similarly concluded that there are no Holocene-active faults on the site. The city’s DEIR includes past studies as well as the new surface fault evaluation report and a peer review completed in 2019, which also determined that there is no Holocene-active fault on the site.
What impact will the project have on traffic?
The DEIR found less than significant impacts associated with the transportation study area. This DEIR is one of the first analyses prepared by the City of Los Angeles to use the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) methodology to study transportation and traffic impacts. Previously, projects were measured by the metric “Level of Service,” or LOS, a measure of traffic congestion at signalized intersections surrounding a project site. VMT is intended to study and evaluate transportation impacts more regionally and holistically.
Hollywood Center has a robust commitment to addressing transportation concerns in the area. Located within a particularly dense area of Hollywood that is served by multiple public transit lines, the project has agreed to achieve 15% greater transportation efficiency than comparable projects. This includes providing 50% transit subsidies for residents and employees, ridesharing options, on-site car share, a bicycle hub with parking, repair, and showers, and a tech-enabled transportation information center.
What are the next steps in the public approvals process?
The release of the DEIR starts a 45-day public comment period which closes on June 1, 2020. Following that, the City will prepare written responses to comments received as part of the Final EIR (FEIR). After the FEIR is completed and released for public review, there will be public hearings before the City Planning Commission, the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee, and the full City Council.
To review the complete DEIR document at the Planning Department’s website, please visit https://planning.lacity.org/development-services/eir/hollywood-center-project-1
When will construction of Hollywood Center begin?
Hollywood Center has not yet been approved. The DEIR estimates that, pending approval, construction will begin in 2022.
How long will construction take?
The DEIR estimates a construction timeline of approximately 38 months for the west site and approximately 41 months for the east site.
Where are you in the entitlement process?
Hollywood Center submitted its entitlement application to the City of Los Angeles on April 12th 2018.
The City of Los Angeles
circulated the Draft Environmental Impact Report (available
here) from April 16 to June 1, 2020.
The City is currently working on completing the Final Environmental Impact Report.
Will there be a development agreement?
Yes – the project will include a development agreement with the City of Los Angeles to provide a mechanism for community benefits.
Will there be any offsite signage as part of the project?
No – although the property is located within the Hollywood Sign District, the project includes zero offsite signage.
Will the project be LEED-certified?
The project will be LEED-Gold certified. The project will also be Greenhouse Gas net-neutral, meaning that throughout construction and operations of the project, the site will emit no more GHGs than it does today.
Will there be pickup and drop-off areas for ride sharing services?
Planning for the future of transit is important, not just for the project, but for the greater Hollywood neighborhood. Our project will have dedicated pickup and drop-off areas for ride share to improve safety and minimize circling traffic.
What is the economic impact of the project?
Construction of the project will create approximately 7,452 full-time and part-time jobs throughout the City of Los Angeles economy, of which 4,284 will be construction jobs located on the project site. Annual operation of the project will support another 1,000 full-time and part-time jobs. In addition, the project is estimated to generate more than $9.2 million in one-time revenues to the City of Los Angeles General Fund during project construction, and over $226 million in net new General Fund revenue through 2050, after accounting for the cost of City services delivered to the project site and City property tax revenue currently generated from the project site.
What are the heights of the buildings?
Each of the senior affordable residential buildings is 11 stories. The heights of the mixed-use buildings are 35 and 46 stories.
Why are senior affordable units appropriate for this project/location?
Given the housing and the affordable housing crises in the region, we are committed to including onsite affordable housing in our project. We have partnered with Los Angeles-based nonprofit Menorah Housing Foundation to oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of Hollywood Center’s designated affordable units. The project site, centrally located in the heart of Hollywood and adjacent to mass transit is a perfect location for senior housing, allowing longtime Hollywood residents the opportunity to age-in-place in Hollywood in residential buildings with appropriate amenities built specifically to serve their needs.
Do you have any above grade parking?
This project includes no above grade parking.
What bicycle amenities will be included in the project?
The project will include abundant permanent and temporary bicycle parking spaces, both below grade and at-grade. It will also include a bicycle center with bicycle maintenance services available to the public.
Is any aspect of the project open to the public?
Yes – the project features publicly accessible open space designed by Field Operations, the landscape architect of the world-renowned High Line Park in New York and the Tongva Park in Santa Monica. The project team will ensure that the public gets to enjoy beautifully landscaped gardens, a technology enabled music plaza experience, and community driven acoustic music performances, in a safe and secure environment.
Will the Capitol Records building be preserved?
The Capitol Records building is the most recognized building in Hollywood. It will be completely preserved and celebrated as the centerpiece of the new project. One of our goals is to enhance the experience of those who visit the Capitol Records building.
How much retail is planned and who are the likely retail tenants?
The project will include 30,176 square-feet of commercial space. The likely tenants include coffee shops and eateries as well as neighborhood serving retail.
What has the architecture team designed before in Los Angeles?
Handel Architects has designed buildings across Los Angeles, and recently was selected by the City to design the Angel’s Landing site in Downtown Los Angeles. For a complete list of Handel projects, please visit their website at
www.handelarchitects.com
