City of Hermosa Beach
NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD, AND PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the City of Hermosa Beach, Community Development Department, will be the Lead Agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project identified below. We need to know your views as to the scope and content of the environmental information to be prepared for the proposed project.
PROJECT TITLE: Skechers Design Center and Executive Offices Project
PROJECT APPLICANT: Sepulveda Design Center LLC (Skechers USA Inc.), 330 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
PROJECT LOCATION: The project site would be located on the west side of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), north and south of 30th Street, in the City of Hermosa Beach. Specifically, 2851, 2901, 3001, & 3125 Pacific Coast Highway; 744 Longfellow Avenue. (Assessor Parcel Numbers: 4169-034-020; 4169-034-021; 4169-029-044; 4169-029-045; and 4169-029-052).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed project would involve the demolition of all vacant structures currently on the project site, including a single-family residence and auto sales and repair facilities, and the development of a Design Center and Executive Offices for Skechers USA. The project site encompasses 83,956 square feet located north and south of 30th Street on two lots.
The Design Center is proposed to be located on the property south of 30th Street and would encompass 98,871 square feet of floor area. The Design Center would contain approximately 35 to 40 showrooms with an average of 1,000 square feet, and 35 to 40 product development rooms with an average size of 500 square feet. In addition the Design Center would house general offices, a company cafeteria, conference rooms, shoe libraries, storage areas and other ancillary uses for company use. Levels 2 and 3 of the Design Center would include an outdoor terrace that would be utilized for company events. The Design Center would accommodate up to 350 employees. Additionally, it would be used to host conferences approximately twice a year. Approximately 450-500 conference attendees would be transported to the Design Center from the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center where the conference has historically been held. The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center is located about two miles to the south on Manhattan Beach Boulevard between Doolittle Street and Aviation Boulevard. Attendees would be transported via eight buses, each with a seating capacity of 60 people.
The Executive Offices are proposed to be located on property north of 30th Street and would encompass 34,468 square feet of floor area. Total floor area would be 133,339 square feet. The Executive Offices would contain offices, additional showrooms, a management dining area, a lobby and reception area and an outdoor patio located on Level 1. The Executive Offices would employ up to 150 people.
The maximum building height for both the Design Center and the Executive Offices would be 35 feet above grade. Due to the grade of the project site, a portion of the first floor of the Design Center would be located below grade. An enclosed pedestrian bridge spanning close to 77 feet over 30th Street at the 2nd floor level, with a clearance of 14 feet, 8 inches over the street, is proposed to connect the Design Center to the Executive Offices. Subterranean parking three to four levels deep would be located under both the Design Center and Executive Offices. The parking garages underneath the two buildings would be connected by a tunnel located under 30th Street, and bike lockers would be provided on the first parking level below the Design Center. Additionally, the project would comply Chapter 17.48, Trip Reduction and Travel Management, of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code which requires commercial development provide public transit, ridesharing, bicycle route, carpooling and other information to employees through a display case or bulletin board in the building.
Business hours for the Design Center and Executive Offices would be 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, Monday through Friday. The project would accommodate up to 500 additional employees in the City of Hermosa Beach. The maximum number of people on site would be 1,000 and would occur during conference events.
PROBABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT: Based on the findings of the Initial Study, the proposed project could have potentially significant impacts on the following environmental factors: Aesthetics, Air Quality, Cultural Resources, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Transportation/Traffic, Utilities/Service Systems, and Mandatory Findings of Significance.
SCOPING MEETINGS: Pursuant to Section 21083.9 of the Public Resources Code, two Scoping Meetings will be held, one for the general public and one for the responsible and trustee public agencies. The purpose of the Scoping Meetings is to discuss the proposed project EIR and assist the City in identifying the range of actions, alternatives, mitigation measures, and significant effects to be analyzed in depth in the EIR. A Public Scoping Meeting for the general public will be held on May 5, 2015, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254. The Agency Scoping Meeting will be held on the same day (May 5, 2015) at 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at in the same location as the Public Scoping Meeting.
A copy of the Initial Study describing the project location and potential environmental effects is available at the Community Development Department, City of Hermosa Beach, 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254, or may be reviewed at http://www.hermosabch.org/index.aspx?page=482.
The public review period for submitting comments on the scope of the EIR is April 27, 2015, to May 27, 2015. All comments need to be mailed or submitted no later than May 27, 2015. Please send your response to Ken Robertson, Community Development Director, City of Hermosa Beach, 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, CA, 90254, (310) 318-0242 or via email to krobertson@hermosabch.org including your name, address, and concerns.
Elaine Doerfling
City Clerk
Easy Reader Inc/Redondo Beach News/April 23, 2015/HD15-032