LASHP Master Development Plan

Final Environmental Impact Report

On April 26, 2012 the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) issued letters to inform both agencies and members of the public that a Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) has been completed including responses to comments that were received during the public review period for the Draft EIR. Per California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15088, CDPR is providing the responses to comments at least 10 days prior to certification of the Final EIR. If you commented on the Draft EIR during the comment period, you may find your comments and responses included within the FEIR which may be downloaded/viewed on this webpage to the right. Following the 10 day review period, the FEIR may be certified and the Notice of Determination filed.

PROJECT LOCATION

The 32-acre project site is located at 1245 North Spring Street in the eastern portion of the City of Los Angeles, approximately 1.5 miles north of the downtown Los Angeles financial district and directly east of the Chinatown district. The project site comprises an elongated, grass-covered area that is currently primarily used for picnicking, jogging, walking, informal play, and other activities requiring large open areas. The southwestern 13 acres of the project site are currently developed with an interim public use (IPU) park consisting of curvilinear walkways, trees, and open grass play areas.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT

The proposed project would include various park improvements to the project site. These improvements include: three event spaces; one-story Welcome Station and operations buildings; a 14-foot-tall elevated walkway including the Roundhouse Observation Deck, which would rise above exposed archaeological reveal space; hard surface walkways and/or plazas; jogging and interpretive trail loops, a Children’s Interpretive Play Area/Exploration Zone and a “Storytelling Circle” amphitheater; unstructured play, work-out, and group gathering areas; two 75-parking space surface lots; new pedestrian pathways, parking lot and security lighting; bioswales, constructed/demonstration wetlands, and habitat area; new trees, landscaping, and turf areas; fire access and services road(s); and new automated irrigation systems. Overall park attendance figures are expected to exceed 180,000 annually upon opening.  Special events and concerts held at the project site may include concerts, fireworks displays, and the use of public address systems.

The proposed project represents the design footprint of the long-term vision of LASHP as detailed in the LASHP General Plan/EIR, which was adopted on June 10, 2005. The full LASHP Master Development Plan would be implemented in at least three phases. The full development of all phases of the proposed project is anticipated to occur by 2035. Due to the long-term nature of the project, the components included within future phases of the project may change over time and would be subject to the availability of funding. At this time, the components of Phase I of the proposed project have been detailed and the implementation would be funded primarily by Proposition 84, a bond measure approved by voters in 2006.  The Draft EIR primarily analyzes the potential impacts related to the implementation of Phase I of the LASHP Master Development Plan. Only a limited number of components of future phases are conceptually known at this time. These are addressed in this EIR as appropriate. Subsequent CEQA review will be required for a majority of the future improvements implemented after Phase I.

OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

As presented in the Draft EIR, the proposed project would result in no impacts to agriculture and forest resources, and mineral resources.  The proposed project would result in less than significant impacts in the areas of aesthetics, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, paleontological resources, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, population and housing, public services and utilities, and transportation and traffic. In addition, the proposed project would result in significant unavoidable adverse impacts related to noise from occasional fireworks displays at the proposed project.