Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the One San Pedro Specific Plan Project in Los Angeles City, California, 17621-17624 [2021-06929]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 63 / Monday, April 5, 2021 / Notices
evaluation of a sponsor’s ability to
support the sponsored alien and ensures
that basic information required to assess
eligibility is provided by petitioners.
Form I–864A. Form I–864A is a
contract between the sponsor and the
sponsor’s household members. It is only
required if the sponsor used income of
his or her household members to reach
the required 125 percent of the Federal
poverty guidelines. The contract holds
these household members jointly and
severally liable for the support of the
sponsored immigrant. The information
collection required on Form I–864A is
necessary for public benefit agencies to
enforce the Affidavit of Support in the
event the sponsor used income of his or
her household members to reach the
required income level and the public
benefit agencies are requesting
reimbursement from the sponsor.
Form I–864EZ. USCIS uses Form
I–864EZ in exactly the same way as
Form I–864; however, USCIS collects
less information from the sponsors as
less information is needed from those
who qualify in order to make a thorough
adjudication.
Form I–864W. USCIS uses Form
I–864W to determine whether the
intending immigrant meets the criteria
for exemption from section 213A
requirements. This form collects the
immigrant’s basic information, such as
name and address, the reason for the
exemption, and accompanying
documentation in support of the
immigrant’s claim that they are not
subject to section 213A.
(5) An estimate of the total number of
respondents and the amount of time
estimated for an average respondent to
respond: The estimated total number of
respondents for the information
collection Form I–864 is 453,345 and
the estimated hour burden per response
is 6 hours; the estimated total number
of respondents for the information
collection Form I–864A is 215,800 and
the estimated hour burden per response
is 1.75 hours; the estimated total
number of respondents for the
information collection Form I–864EZ is
100,000 and the estimated hour burden
per response is 2.5 hours; the estimated
total number of respondents for the
information collection Form I–864W is
98,119 and the estimated hour burden
per response is 1 hour.
(6) An estimate of the total public
burden (in hours) associated with the
collection: The total estimated annual
hour burden associated with this
collection is 3,445,839 hours.
(7) An estimate of the total public
burden (in cost) associated with the
collection: The estimated total annual
cost burden associated with this
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collection of information is
$159,608,680.
Dated: March 30, 2021.
Samantha L. Deshommes,
Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division,
Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2021–06921 Filed 4–2–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–97–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–6255–N–01]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the One San Pedro Specific Plan
Project in Los Angeles City, California
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
AGENCY:
The City of Los Angeles,
through the City of Los Angeles’s
Housing and Community Investment
Department (HCID) is providing Notice
of Intent (NOI) to prepare a combined
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) for the Rancho San Pedro
public housing redevelopment project,
located in Los Angeles, California. The
proposed action is subject to NEPA
because the Housing Authority of the
City of Los Angeles (HACLA), as the
recipient of HUD’s grant funding,
proposes to carry out a Section 18/
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)
demolition/disposition through a
ground lease and to use a combination
of Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) and
Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPV). A
Public Scoping Meeting for CEQA issues
was held on February 6, 2021. This NOI
complies with the NEPA public scoping
process requirements by providing
notice of a second Public Scoping
Meeting on April 27, 2021 to discuss the
EIR/EIS. Following the public scoping
process, a Draft EIR/EIS will be
prepared and ultimately circulated for
public comment.
DATES: The next Public Scoping Meeting
to satisfy NEPA requirements will be
held virtually on Tuesday, April 27,
2021, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific
Time, at https://zoom.us/j/
99228962849?
pwd=dTZ6VEkwdW9rR2cx
SUMMARY:
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M0dqOUhteWsxUT09 or by calling
(669) 900–6833 (Meeting ID: 992 2896
2849, Passcode: 757989).
Comments on the scope of the EIR/EIS
will be accepted during the Public
Scoping Meeting and for 30 days from
the date of this Notice of Intent, April
9, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments relating to the
scope of the EIR/EIS or on the draft EIR/
EIS, when made available, will be
accepted by the contact person listed
below. Copies of Public notices are
available at the following websites:
https://hcidla2.lacity.org/partners/nepareview-2 and https://www.hacla.org/
publicdocs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jinderpal Singh Bhandal, Environmental
Supervisor, Finance & Development
Division, HCID, telephone number:
(213) 808–8558, Jinderpal.Bhandal@
lacity.org. Comments and questions can
also be directed to Jessica Frazier,
Development Officer, Strategic
Development, HACLA, jessica.frazier@
hacla.org, telephone number: (213) 252–
6120.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For
projects that require an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS), the Responsible
Entity, as defined in 24 CFR 58.2(a)(7),
must provide a notice of intent (NOI) to
begin the public scoping process in
accordance with National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
(NEPA); the Council of Environmental
Quality (CEQ) NEPA Regulations at 40
CFR parts 1500–1508; and HUD
implementing regulations at 24 CFR part
58. The Housing Authority of the City
of Los Angeles (HACLA), as the
recipient of HUD’s grant funding,
proposes to carry out a Section 18/
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)
demolition/disposition through a
ground lease and to use a combination
of RAD Project-Based Vouchers (PBV),
Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPV), and
PBV authorized by the U.S. Housing Act
of 1937, as amended (USHA), to
redevelop the Rancho San Pedro public
housing project site.
On behalf of HACLA, the City of Los
Angeles, through the City of Los
Angeles’s Housing and Community
Investment Department (HCID), is acting
as the Responsible Entity for the Rancho
San Pedro public housing project.
Because the project is located in Los
Angeles, California, the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),
Public Resources Code 21000 et seq. and
14 California Code of Regulations 15000
et seq., also requires the completion of
an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
For compliance with CEQA, HACLA
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held a public scoping meeting on
February 6, 2021. As required by both
NEPA and HUD’s regulations, HCID
issues this NOI to prepare a combined
EIR/EIS for the Rancho San Pedro
public housing project site. This NOI
complies with the NEPA public scoping
process requirements by providing
notice of a second Public Scoping
Meeting on April 27, 2021 to discuss the
EIR/EIS.
Following the public scoping process,
a Draft EIR/EIS will be prepared that
analyzes the project. Once the Draft EIR/
EIS is certified as complete, the public
will be invited to participate in its
review and it will ultimately be
circulated for public comment. A Notice
of Availability of the Draft EIR/EIS will
be published in the Federal Register
and will be announced through public
mailings and the local news media. All
interested Federal, state, and local
agencies; Indian tribes; and the public
are invited to comment on the scope of
the EIR/EIS. Agencies with jurisdiction
over natural or other public resources
affected by the project or that possess
information about the project site that
HCID should consider in the Draft EIR/
EIS are invited to submit comments to
the individuals named in this notice.
A. Project Background
The project site is in the Barton Hill
neighborhood with the historic
Downtown San Pedro located two
blocks to the south and the San Pedro
Waterfront to the east. The Port of Los
Angeles (managed by the Los Angeles
Harbor Department) lies to the east, and
toward the north is the SR 47 (Vincent
Thomas Bridge).
Most of the surrounding Barton Hill
neighborhood has a low-density
residential character with single-family
homes, though numerous properties
host a main home on the front of the lot
and an accessory dwelling unit to the
rear. Additionally, there are a few
vintage bungalow courts, small lot
properties, and duplexes. The
residential character of Barton Hill
becomes denser with two- and threestory multifamily buildings around the
Rancho San Pedro border. Other
affordable housing developments to the
immediate north and southwest of the
project site host medium residential
density development, with an increase
in building scale towards Pacific
Avenue to the west and Downtown San
Pedro to the south. Immediately to the
south between Rancho San Pedro and
the Downtown core of 6th and 7th Street
are a collection of civic and institutional
buildings, including the Harbor
Department Administration Building,
Port Police Headquarters, Port of Los
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Angeles Charter High School, and The
Port of Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club.
B. Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
Rancho San Pedro is seventy to eighty
years old and the structures are reaching
their useful life expectancy. The
buildings were constructed in a style,
form, and function typical of public
housing developments at that time and
suffer from monotonous building
design, repetitive building pattern, long
street frontages, and lack of through
streets. These design deficiencies result
in indefensible space and security
issues, inadequately sized units, and
accessibility issues, among other things.
As the Greater Los Angeles region is
experiencing a crisis of housing
affordability, resulting in over-crowding
conditions and homelessness, there is
also the added imperative to use the
large publicly owned property to
expand affordable housing supply.
In 2015, HACLA, in cooperation with
Los Angeles City Council District 15 and
the Mayor’s Office of Economic
Development, commissioned a
feasibility study to determine the
highest and best use and development
potential of the Rancho San Pedro
public housing property. The study
outlines potential strategies to maximize
the value of the property to the public
and concludes that replacing and
expanding the available housing—both
affordable as well as market-rate—
would be the highest and best use of the
public property with the primary
objective to replace the existing
affordable housing located at Rancho
San Pedro for those currently residing
there.
The location, size of the property, and
potential redevelopment scale also
provides the capacity to layer additional
community benefits into
redevelopment. These have been
identified within the San Pedro
Redevelopment Plan, as well as by
residents of Rancho San Pedro.
The project would thrive as a
revitalized, mixed-income
neighborhood that builds on its existing
assets and creates new, high-quality
housing options. Adjacent to the
waterfront and downtown, the project
would be a model for other
revitalization efforts, complete with
cultural, community, and economic
activity. It would be a safe
neighborhood with new parks and
recreational opportunities, walking and
biking streets, and a variety of housing
and supportive service options.
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C. Project Description
The project is located at 275 West
First Street in the City of Los Angeles in
the community of San Pedro. The
project site is approximately 21 acres in
size and is currently developed with an
existing 478-unit public housing
complex known as ‘‘Rancho San Pedro,’’
which was initially developed in 1942
with subsequent development in 1955.
The existing access to the project site is
from local surface streets surrounding
the site, which include Santa Cruz
Street to the north, Harbor Boulevard to
the east, 3rd Street to the south, and
Mesa Street to the west.
Development of the proposed project
would occur in multiple phases. Initial
phases would focus on replacement and
expansion of the aging housing stock
with the later phases dedicated to
expansion of affordable units,
homeownership, community amenities,
and services. The proposed phasing
would be planned to minimize
disturbance to current residents. The
project would pursue a ‘‘build-first’’
approach to the greatest extent possible.
When residents must be relocated,
HACLA adheres to all of the
requirements of the Uniform Relocation
Assistance and Real Property
Acquisition Policies Act of 1970. For
purposes of the environmental analysis
and to provide a conservative analysis
of environmental impacts, overall
construction is estimated to take
approximately 14 years, with
construction activities occurring from
2024 to 2037. The opening year for the
first constructed buildings is expected
to occur in 2025.
The proposed project involves the
redevelopment of the Rancho San Pedro
complex with a Specific Plan in order
to improve the physical condition of the
community and increase housing stock
and amenities for residents. The
proposed project would include
demolition of the existing 478-unit
Rancho San Pedro complex, including
8,000 square feet (sf) of amenities,
services and administration, and
construction of new housing (in phases)
with a total of up to 1,390 multi-family
residential units for mixed-income
households, 85,000 sf of services,
amenities and administration, and
45,000 sf of commercial/retail uses.
Each building would have its own
onsite parking garage with secured
access limited to residents. In addition
to secured parking garages, on-street
parking within and around the site
would also be maximized for guests and
customers, including expanding
available diagonal parking where
available. This would include
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reconfiguring on-street curb parking,
transitioning from parallel to diagonal
parking on some blocks. The proposed
project would maintain the existing
street grid and block configuration, with
the exception of Beacon Street and the
intersecting portion of Second Street,
where a new pedestrian plaza is
proposed. Site access would be similar
to the existing conditions.
D. Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Consistent with the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations
implementing NEPA, the EIS will
examine a range of reasonable
alternatives (40 CFR 1502.14) to the
proposed project that are potentially
feasible. As required by NEPA, the
alternatives will be evaluated at the
same level of detail as the proposed
project. As a result of the scoping efforts
to date, the alternatives currently
proposed for evaluation in the EIS
include:
No Project/Action Alternative. This
required alternative would evaluate the
environmental impacts if the proposed
project were not constructed and
existing conditions remain unchanged.
Preferred Alternative. This alternative
would implement the proposed project
described above in this notice under
Project Description, including the
demolition of the existing 478 housing
units and the construction of up to
1,390 multi-family residential units for
mixed-income households, 85,000 sf of
services, amenities and administration,
and 45,000 sf of commercial/retail uses.
A range of other reasonable
alternatives (to be identified) based on
input received during the scoping
process will be considered in the EIR/
EIS. These may include: An alternative
where existing buildings will be
rehabilitated pursuant to the Secretary
of the Interior Standards for
Rehabilitation instead of being
demolished and reconstructed; a
decreased intensity alternative where
the number of housing units, services,
amenities and administration, and
commercial/retail uses would be
decreased; a modified site plan
alternative where the layout and
location of the buildings and critical
infrastructure is modified; or an
increased intensity alternative where
the number of housing units, services,
amenities and administration, and
commercial/retail uses would be
increased.
The following alternatives are
infeasible and/or would not meet the
purposes and needs described in this
notice, and thus will not be considered:
An off-site alternative as it would be
financially infeasible to purchase
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another site of the same size in the same
general geographic area; a nonresidential alternative as California is
experiencing a housing crisis, which has
highlighted the severe deficiency of
affordable housing; an alternative that
reduces the number of existing housing
units because of the area’s significant
housing need; and an alternative where
the site is abandoned as it is crucial to
providing affordable housing for current
residents of the site and to meeting
regional affordable housing needs.
E. Need for the EIR/EIS
The Proposed Project described above
has the potential to significantly affect
the quality of the human environment.
The implementing regulations of the
Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) (40 CFR parts 1500–1508) and
HUD’s regulations (24 CFR part 58)
require the preparation of an EIS in
accordance with NEPA requirements.
Responses to this notice will be used to:
(1) Determine significant environmental
issues; (2) assist in developing a range
of alternatives to be considered; (3)
identify issues that the EIS should
address; and (4) identify agencies and
other parties that will participate in the
EIS process and the basis for their
involvement.
As the Proposed Project also
implicates reporting requirements under
California law, an EIR must be prepared
in accordance with the State of
California CEQA. HCID and HACLA,
therefore, intend to prepare a combined
environmental document, an EIR/EIS.
The Draft EIR/EIS will be circulated
for public review in 2021 and decision
making is expected in 2021 or early
2022. The project will require the
following approvals: (1) Adoption of
Master Development Agreement,
Disposition and Development
Agreements, Ground Leases, and
Relocation Plan by HACLA; (2) NEPA
part 58 Compliance necessary for
Demolition/Disposition and RAD
Conversion of the existing Rancho San
Pedro development from HUD and
potential federal funding for the project;
(3) Certification of the EIR/EIS; (4)
Adoption of the One San Pedro Specific
Plan, General Plan Amendment, Phased
Vesting Tentative Tract Map, and Zone
and Height District change by the City
of Los Angeles; (5) Haul route approval
from the Los Angeles Department of
Building and Safety (if required); (6)
Permit for removal of street trees from
the Los Angeles Board of Public Works
(if required); (7) Approval of a Water
Supply Assessment; and (8) Other
discretionary and ministerial permits
and approvals that may be deemed
necessary, including, but not limited to,
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demolition permits for structures and
trees, temporary street closure permits,
grading permits, excavation permits,
foundation permits, building permits,
and sign permits in order to execute and
implement the project. HACLA will
consider a Disposition and Development
Agreement with the developer.
F. Probable Environmental Effects
Due to the increase in number of
residents and expansion of the built
environment, the proposed project
could have potentially significant
environmental impacts in the following
topic areas, which will be addressed in
the EIR/EIS: Aesthetics, Air Quality,
Biological Resources, Geology and Soils,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Energy,
Environmental Justice, Hazards and
Hazardous Materials from construction
materials, Land Use and Planning,
Noise, Population and Housing, Public
Services, Recreation, Transportation/
Traffic, Utilities/Service Systems, and
Hydrology and Water Quality. A Water
Supply Assessment will be completed
to determine the impact on the existing
water supply.
The project involves funding from
HUD that qualifies as an undertaking
subject to Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C.
306108) due to potential effects to
historic properties. HCID will be
initiating the Section 106 consultation
process with the California State
Historic Preservation Officer.
HCID invites comments from all
interested parties about the potential
impacts this project may have on
historic properties, cultural resources,
or biological and natural resources, as
well as the impacts these resources may
have on the project, and identification
of potential alternatives, information,
and analyses relevant to the proposed
action. HCID invites all interested
parties to participate in the scoping
meeting.
G. Scoping
Following the Public Scoping Meeting
for CEQA issues held on February 6,
2021, a second Public Scoping Meeting
for NEPA issues will be held online
using Zoom on April 27, 2021 to share
information regarding the project and
the environmental review process. The
meeting will also be an opportunity for
HCID and HACLA to receive verbal and
written public comments regarding the
scope and content of the environmental
analysis to be addressed in the EIR/EIS.
Staff, environmental consultants, and
project representatives will be available,
and a brief presentation is scheduled.
HACLA and HCID encourage all
interested individuals and organizations
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to attend this meeting. Written
comments may be submitted during the
project review period. No decisions
about the project will be made at the
Public Scoping Meeting. A separate
public hearing on the underlying project
approvals will be scheduled after the
completion of the Draft EIR/EIS.
The date, time, and location of the
next Public Scoping Meeting to satisfy
NEPA requirements is as follows:
Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 5 p.m. to
6:30 p.m. Pacific Time, https://zoom.us/
j/99228962849?pwd=dTZ6VEkwdW9
rR2cxM0dqOUhteWsxUT09 or call (669)
900–6833 (Meeting ID: 992 2896 2849,
Passcode: 757989).
HCID and HACLA want the meeting
to be open to those with Limited English
Proficiency and Individuals with
Disabilities. In order to ensure HCID and
HACLA are able to effectively
communicate with individuals in
another language or with disabilities,
including individuals with hearing,
vision or speech impairments, HACLA
will furnish appropriate auxiliary aids
and services, where necessary.
Examples of auxiliary aids and services
include amplification headsets,
language interpreters, note-takers,
transcription services, written materials
and large print materials.
To ensure availability, you are
advised to make your request for an
auxiliary aid or service at least 72 hours
prior to the meeting/event. Requests
should be directed to Jocelyn Aldana at
telephone number (213) 252–1037 or by
email at Jocelyn.aldana@hacla.org.
Puede obtener informacio´n en espan˜ol
sobre esta Reunion llamando a Jocelyn
Aldana al (213) 252–1037.
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H. Lead Agencies
HCID is the Responsible Entity and
lead agency for this project’s EIS in
accordance with 24 CFR part 58,
‘‘Environmental Review Procedures for
Entities Assuming HUD Environmental
Responsibilities.’’ As the Responsible
Entity, HCID assumes the responsibility
for environmental review, decisionmaking, and action that would
otherwise apply to HUD under NEPA.
The project may use Community
Development Block Grant Program
(CDBG) funds (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.),
HOME Investment Partnerships Program
(HOME) funds (42 U.S.C. 12701 et seq.),
Section 202 Project Rental Assistance
Contract (PRAC) funds (12 U.S.C.
1701q), Section 8 Project-Based
Vouchers (PBV) and Rental Assistance
Demonstration Project-Based Vouchers
(RAD PBV) (42 U.S.C. 1437f), or Section
811 Developmentally Disabled Vouchers
(42 U.S.C. 8013). In addition, HACLA is
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the CEQA lead agency and is
responsible for preparing an EIR.
Kevin J. Bush,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic
Development.
[FR Doc. 2021–06929 Filed 4–2–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–6210–N–03]
Notice of Regulatory Waiver Requests
Granted for the Third Quarter of
Calendar Year 2020
AGENCY:
Office of the General Counsel,
HUD.
ACTION:
Notice.
Section 106 of the Department
of Housing and Urban Development
Reform Act of 1989 (the HUD Reform
Act) requires HUD to publish quarterly
Federal Register notices of all
regulatory waivers that HUD has
approved. Each notice covers the
quarterly period since the previous
Federal Register notice. The purpose of
this notice is to comply with the
requirements of section 106 of the HUD
Reform Act. This notice contains a list
of regulatory waivers granted by HUD
during the period beginning on July 1,
2020 and ending on September 30,
2020, including those made pursuant to
the CARES Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
general information about this notice,
contact Aaron Santa Anna, Associate
General Counsel for Legislation and
Regulations, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street
SW, Room 10282, Washington, DC
20410–0500, telephone 202–708–5300
(this is not a toll-free number). Persons
with hearing- or speech-impairments
may access this number through TTY by
calling the toll-free Federal Relay
Service at 800–877–8339.
For information concerning a
particular waiver that was granted and
for which public notice is provided in
this document, contact the person
whose name and address follow the
description of the waiver granted in the
accompanying list of waivers that have
been granted in the third quarter of
calendar year 2020.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
106 of the HUD Reform Act added a
new section 7(q) to the Department of
Housing and Urban Development Act
(42 U.S.C. 3535(q)), which provides
that:
SUMMARY:
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1. Any waiver of a regulation must be
in writing and must specify the grounds
for approving the waiver;
2. Authority to approve a waiver of a
regulation may be delegated by the
Secretary only to an individual of
Assistant Secretary or equivalent rank,
and the person to whom authority to
waive is delegated must also have
authority to issue the particular
regulation to be waived;
3. Not less than quarterly, the
Secretary must notify the public of all
waivers of regulations that HUD has
approved, by publishing a notice in the
Federal Register. These notices (each
covering the period since the most
recent previous notification) shall:
a. Identify the project, activity, or
undertaking involved;
b. Describe the nature of the provision
waived and the designation of the
provision;
c. Indicate the name and title of the
person who granted the waiver request;
d. Describe briefly the grounds for
approval of the request; and
e. State how additional information
about a particular waiver may be
obtained.
Section 106 of the HUD Reform Act
also contains requirements applicable to
waivers of HUD handbook provisions
that are not relevant to the purpose of
this notice.
This notice follows procedures
provided in HUD’s Statement of Policy
on Waiver of Regulations and Directives
issued on April 22, 1991 (56 FR 16337).
In accordance with those procedures
and with the requirements of section
106 of the HUD Reform Act, waivers of
regulations are granted by the Assistant
Secretary with jurisdiction over the
regulations for which a waiver was
requested. In those cases in which a
General Deputy Assistant Secretary
granted the waiver, the General Deputy
Assistant Secretary was serving in the
absence of the Assistant Secretary in
accordance with the office’s Order of
Succession.
This notice covers waivers of
regulations granted by HUD from July 1,
2020 through September 30, 2020. For
ease of reference, the waivers granted by
HUD are listed by HUD program office
(for example, the Office of Community
Planning and Development, the Office
of Housing, and the Office of Public and
Indian Housing, etc.). Within each
program office grouping, the waivers are
listed sequentially by the regulatory
section of title 24 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) that is being waived.
For example, a waiver of a provision in
24 CFR part 58 would be listed before
a waiver of a provision in 24 CFR part
570.
E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM
05APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 63 (Monday, April 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17621-17624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06929]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-6255-N-01]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the One San Pedro Specific Plan Project in Los
Angeles City, California
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS).
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SUMMARY: The City of Los Angeles, through the City of Los Angeles's
Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID) is providing Notice
of Intent (NOI) to prepare a combined Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Rancho San Pedro public
housing redevelopment project, located in Los Angeles, California. The
proposed action is subject to NEPA because the Housing Authority of the
City of Los Angeles (HACLA), as the recipient of HUD's grant funding,
proposes to carry out a Section 18/Rental Assistance Demonstration
(RAD) demolition/disposition through a ground lease and to use a
combination of Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) and Tenant Protection
Vouchers (TPV). A Public Scoping Meeting for CEQA issues was held on
February 6, 2021. This NOI complies with the NEPA public scoping
process requirements by providing notice of a second Public Scoping
Meeting on April 27, 2021 to discuss the EIR/EIS. Following the public
scoping process, a Draft EIR/EIS will be prepared and ultimately
circulated for public comment.
DATES: The next Public Scoping Meeting to satisfy NEPA requirements
will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, from 5 p.m. to 6:30
p.m. Pacific Time, at https://zoom.us/j/99228962849?pwd=dTZ6VEkwdW9rR2cxM0dqOUhteWsxUT09 or by calling (669)
900-6833 (Meeting ID: 992 2896 2849, Passcode: 757989).
Comments on the scope of the EIR/EIS will be accepted during the
Public Scoping Meeting and for 30 days from the date of this Notice of
Intent, April 9, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments relating to the scope of the EIR/EIS or on the
draft EIR/EIS, when made available, will be accepted by the contact
person listed below. Copies of Public notices are available at the
following websites: https://hcidla2.lacity.org/partners/nepa-review-2
and https://www.hacla.org/publicdocs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jinderpal Singh Bhandal, Environmental
Supervisor, Finance & Development Division, HCID, telephone number:
(213) 808-8558, [email protected]. Comments and questions
can also be directed to Jessica Frazier, Development Officer, Strategic
Development, HACLA, [email protected], telephone number: (213)
252-6120.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For projects that require an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS), the Responsible Entity, as defined in 24 CFR
58.2(a)(7), must provide a notice of intent (NOI) to begin the public
scoping process in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (NEPA); the Council of
Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA Regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508;
and HUD implementing regulations at 24 CFR part 58. The Housing
Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), as the recipient of HUD's
grant funding, proposes to carry out a Section 18/Rental Assistance
Demonstration (RAD) demolition/disposition through a ground lease and
to use a combination of RAD Project-Based Vouchers (PBV), Tenant
Protection Vouchers (TPV), and PBV authorized by the U.S. Housing Act
of 1937, as amended (USHA), to redevelop the Rancho San Pedro public
housing project site.
On behalf of HACLA, the City of Los Angeles, through the City of
Los Angeles's Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID), is
acting as the Responsible Entity for the Rancho San Pedro public
housing project. Because the project is located in Los Angeles,
California, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public
Resources Code 21000 et seq. and 14 California Code of Regulations
15000 et seq., also requires the completion of an Environmental Impact
Report (EIR). For compliance with CEQA, HACLA
[[Page 17622]]
held a public scoping meeting on February 6, 2021. As required by both
NEPA and HUD's regulations, HCID issues this NOI to prepare a combined
EIR/EIS for the Rancho San Pedro public housing project site. This NOI
complies with the NEPA public scoping process requirements by providing
notice of a second Public Scoping Meeting on April 27, 2021 to discuss
the EIR/EIS.
Following the public scoping process, a Draft EIR/EIS will be
prepared that analyzes the project. Once the Draft EIR/EIS is certified
as complete, the public will be invited to participate in its review
and it will ultimately be circulated for public comment. A Notice of
Availability of the Draft EIR/EIS will be published in the Federal
Register and will be announced through public mailings and the local
news media. All interested Federal, state, and local agencies; Indian
tribes; and the public are invited to comment on the scope of the EIR/
EIS. Agencies with jurisdiction over natural or other public resources
affected by the project or that possess information about the project
site that HCID should consider in the Draft EIR/EIS are invited to
submit comments to the individuals named in this notice.
A. Project Background
The project site is in the Barton Hill neighborhood with the
historic Downtown San Pedro located two blocks to the south and the San
Pedro Waterfront to the east. The Port of Los Angeles (managed by the
Los Angeles Harbor Department) lies to the east, and toward the north
is the SR 47 (Vincent Thomas Bridge).
Most of the surrounding Barton Hill neighborhood has a low-density
residential character with single-family homes, though numerous
properties host a main home on the front of the lot and an accessory
dwelling unit to the rear. Additionally, there are a few vintage
bungalow courts, small lot properties, and duplexes. The residential
character of Barton Hill becomes denser with two- and three-story
multifamily buildings around the Rancho San Pedro border. Other
affordable housing developments to the immediate north and southwest of
the project site host medium residential density development, with an
increase in building scale towards Pacific Avenue to the west and
Downtown San Pedro to the south. Immediately to the south between
Rancho San Pedro and the Downtown core of 6th and 7th Street are a
collection of civic and institutional buildings, including the Harbor
Department Administration Building, Port Police Headquarters, Port of
Los Angeles Charter High School, and The Port of Los Angeles Boys &
Girls Club.
B. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
Rancho San Pedro is seventy to eighty years old and the structures
are reaching their useful life expectancy. The buildings were
constructed in a style, form, and function typical of public housing
developments at that time and suffer from monotonous building design,
repetitive building pattern, long street frontages, and lack of through
streets. These design deficiencies result in indefensible space and
security issues, inadequately sized units, and accessibility issues,
among other things. As the Greater Los Angeles region is experiencing a
crisis of housing affordability, resulting in over-crowding conditions
and homelessness, there is also the added imperative to use the large
publicly owned property to expand affordable housing supply.
In 2015, HACLA, in cooperation with Los Angeles City Council
District 15 and the Mayor's Office of Economic Development,
commissioned a feasibility study to determine the highest and best use
and development potential of the Rancho San Pedro public housing
property. The study outlines potential strategies to maximize the value
of the property to the public and concludes that replacing and
expanding the available housing--both affordable as well as market-
rate--would be the highest and best use of the public property with the
primary objective to replace the existing affordable housing located at
Rancho San Pedro for those currently residing there.
The location, size of the property, and potential redevelopment
scale also provides the capacity to layer additional community benefits
into redevelopment. These have been identified within the San Pedro
Redevelopment Plan, as well as by residents of Rancho San Pedro.
The project would thrive as a revitalized, mixed-income
neighborhood that builds on its existing assets and creates new, high-
quality housing options. Adjacent to the waterfront and downtown, the
project would be a model for other revitalization efforts, complete
with cultural, community, and economic activity. It would be a safe
neighborhood with new parks and recreational opportunities, walking and
biking streets, and a variety of housing and supportive service
options.
C. Project Description
The project is located at 275 West First Street in the City of Los
Angeles in the community of San Pedro. The project site is
approximately 21 acres in size and is currently developed with an
existing 478-unit public housing complex known as ``Rancho San Pedro,''
which was initially developed in 1942 with subsequent development in
1955. The existing access to the project site is from local surface
streets surrounding the site, which include Santa Cruz Street to the
north, Harbor Boulevard to the east, 3rd Street to the south, and Mesa
Street to the west.
Development of the proposed project would occur in multiple phases.
Initial phases would focus on replacement and expansion of the aging
housing stock with the later phases dedicated to expansion of
affordable units, homeownership, community amenities, and services. The
proposed phasing would be planned to minimize disturbance to current
residents. The project would pursue a ``build-first'' approach to the
greatest extent possible. When residents must be relocated, HACLA
adheres to all of the requirements of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970. For purposes of the
environmental analysis and to provide a conservative analysis of
environmental impacts, overall construction is estimated to take
approximately 14 years, with construction activities occurring from
2024 to 2037. The opening year for the first constructed buildings is
expected to occur in 2025.
The proposed project involves the redevelopment of the Rancho San
Pedro complex with a Specific Plan in order to improve the physical
condition of the community and increase housing stock and amenities for
residents. The proposed project would include demolition of the
existing 478-unit Rancho San Pedro complex, including 8,000 square feet
(sf) of amenities, services and administration, and construction of new
housing (in phases) with a total of up to 1,390 multi-family
residential units for mixed-income households, 85,000 sf of services,
amenities and administration, and 45,000 sf of commercial/retail uses.
Each building would have its own onsite parking garage with secured
access limited to residents. In addition to secured parking garages,
on-street parking within and around the site would also be maximized
for guests and customers, including expanding available diagonal
parking where available. This would include
[[Page 17623]]
reconfiguring on-street curb parking, transitioning from parallel to
diagonal parking on some blocks. The proposed project would maintain
the existing street grid and block configuration, with the exception of
Beacon Street and the intersecting portion of Second Street, where a
new pedestrian plaza is proposed. Site access would be similar to the
existing conditions.
D. Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Consistent with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations
implementing NEPA, the EIS will examine a range of reasonable
alternatives (40 CFR 1502.14) to the proposed project that are
potentially feasible. As required by NEPA, the alternatives will be
evaluated at the same level of detail as the proposed project. As a
result of the scoping efforts to date, the alternatives currently
proposed for evaluation in the EIS include:
No Project/Action Alternative. This required alternative would
evaluate the environmental impacts if the proposed project were not
constructed and existing conditions remain unchanged.
Preferred Alternative. This alternative would implement the
proposed project described above in this notice under Project
Description, including the demolition of the existing 478 housing units
and the construction of up to 1,390 multi-family residential units for
mixed-income households, 85,000 sf of services, amenities and
administration, and 45,000 sf of commercial/retail uses.
A range of other reasonable alternatives (to be identified) based
on input received during the scoping process will be considered in the
EIR/EIS. These may include: An alternative where existing buildings
will be rehabilitated pursuant to the Secretary of the Interior
Standards for Rehabilitation instead of being demolished and
reconstructed; a decreased intensity alternative where the number of
housing units, services, amenities and administration, and commercial/
retail uses would be decreased; a modified site plan alternative where
the layout and location of the buildings and critical infrastructure is
modified; or an increased intensity alternative where the number of
housing units, services, amenities and administration, and commercial/
retail uses would be increased.
The following alternatives are infeasible and/or would not meet the
purposes and needs described in this notice, and thus will not be
considered: An off-site alternative as it would be financially
infeasible to purchase another site of the same size in the same
general geographic area; a non-residential alternative as California is
experiencing a housing crisis, which has highlighted the severe
deficiency of affordable housing; an alternative that reduces the
number of existing housing units because of the area's significant
housing need; and an alternative where the site is abandoned as it is
crucial to providing affordable housing for current residents of the
site and to meeting regional affordable housing needs.
E. Need for the EIR/EIS
The Proposed Project described above has the potential to
significantly affect the quality of the human environment. The
implementing regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and HUD's regulations (24 CFR part 58) require
the preparation of an EIS in accordance with NEPA requirements.
Responses to this notice will be used to: (1) Determine significant
environmental issues; (2) assist in developing a range of alternatives
to be considered; (3) identify issues that the EIS should address; and
(4) identify agencies and other parties that will participate in the
EIS process and the basis for their involvement.
As the Proposed Project also implicates reporting requirements
under California law, an EIR must be prepared in accordance with the
State of California CEQA. HCID and HACLA, therefore, intend to prepare
a combined environmental document, an EIR/EIS.
The Draft EIR/EIS will be circulated for public review in 2021 and
decision making is expected in 2021 or early 2022. The project will
require the following approvals: (1) Adoption of Master Development
Agreement, Disposition and Development Agreements, Ground Leases, and
Relocation Plan by HACLA; (2) NEPA part 58 Compliance necessary for
Demolition/Disposition and RAD Conversion of the existing Rancho San
Pedro development from HUD and potential federal funding for the
project; (3) Certification of the EIR/EIS; (4) Adoption of the One San
Pedro Specific Plan, General Plan Amendment, Phased Vesting Tentative
Tract Map, and Zone and Height District change by the City of Los
Angeles; (5) Haul route approval from the Los Angeles Department of
Building and Safety (if required); (6) Permit for removal of street
trees from the Los Angeles Board of Public Works (if required); (7)
Approval of a Water Supply Assessment; and (8) Other discretionary and
ministerial permits and approvals that may be deemed necessary,
including, but not limited to, demolition permits for structures and
trees, temporary street closure permits, grading permits, excavation
permits, foundation permits, building permits, and sign permits in
order to execute and implement the project. HACLA will consider a
Disposition and Development Agreement with the developer.
F. Probable Environmental Effects
Due to the increase in number of residents and expansion of the
built environment, the proposed project could have potentially
significant environmental impacts in the following topic areas, which
will be addressed in the EIR/EIS: Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological
Resources, Geology and Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Energy,
Environmental Justice, Hazards and Hazardous Materials from
construction materials, Land Use and Planning, Noise, Population and
Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Transportation/Traffic,
Utilities/Service Systems, and Hydrology and Water Quality. A Water
Supply Assessment will be completed to determine the impact on the
existing water supply.
The project involves funding from HUD that qualifies as an
undertaking subject to Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) due to potential effects to
historic properties. HCID will be initiating the Section 106
consultation process with the California State Historic Preservation
Officer.
HCID invites comments from all interested parties about the
potential impacts this project may have on historic properties,
cultural resources, or biological and natural resources, as well as the
impacts these resources may have on the project, and identification of
potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the
proposed action. HCID invites all interested parties to participate in
the scoping meeting.
G. Scoping
Following the Public Scoping Meeting for CEQA issues held on
February 6, 2021, a second Public Scoping Meeting for NEPA issues will
be held online using Zoom on April 27, 2021 to share information
regarding the project and the environmental review process. The meeting
will also be an opportunity for HCID and HACLA to receive verbal and
written public comments regarding the scope and content of the
environmental analysis to be addressed in the EIR/EIS. Staff,
environmental consultants, and project representatives will be
available, and a brief presentation is scheduled. HACLA and HCID
encourage all interested individuals and organizations
[[Page 17624]]
to attend this meeting. Written comments may be submitted during the
project review period. No decisions about the project will be made at
the Public Scoping Meeting. A separate public hearing on the underlying
project approvals will be scheduled after the completion of the Draft
EIR/EIS.
The date, time, and location of the next Public Scoping Meeting to
satisfy NEPA requirements is as follows:
Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time, https://zoom.us/j/99228962849?pwd=dTZ6VEkwdW9rR2cxM0dqOUhteWsxUT09 or call
(669) 900-6833 (Meeting ID: 992 2896 2849, Passcode: 757989).
HCID and HACLA want the meeting to be open to those with Limited
English Proficiency and Individuals with Disabilities. In order to
ensure HCID and HACLA are able to effectively communicate with
individuals in another language or with disabilities, including
individuals with hearing, vision or speech impairments, HACLA will
furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services, where necessary.
Examples of auxiliary aids and services include amplification headsets,
language interpreters, note-takers, transcription services, written
materials and large print materials.
To ensure availability, you are advised to make your request for an
auxiliary aid or service at least 72 hours prior to the meeting/event.
Requests should be directed to Jocelyn Aldana at telephone number (213)
252-1037 or by email at [email protected]. Puede obtener
informaci[oacute]n en espa[ntilde]ol sobre esta Reunion llamando a
Jocelyn Aldana al (213) 252-1037.
H. Lead Agencies
HCID is the Responsible Entity and lead agency for this project's
EIS in accordance with 24 CFR part 58, ``Environmental Review
Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD Environmental Responsibilities.''
As the Responsible Entity, HCID assumes the responsibility for
environmental review, decision-making, and action that would otherwise
apply to HUD under NEPA. The project may use Community Development
Block Grant Program (CDBG) funds (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), HOME
Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds (42 U.S.C. 12701 et seq.),
Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC) funds (12 U.S.C.
1701q), Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) and Rental Assistance
Demonstration Project-Based Vouchers (RAD PBV) (42 U.S.C. 1437f), or
Section 811 Developmentally Disabled Vouchers (42 U.S.C. 8013). In
addition, HACLA is the CEQA lead agency and is responsible for
preparing an EIR.
Kevin J. Bush,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-06929 Filed 4-2-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
