To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: BRANDY FORBES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
TITLE
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE SUBMITTAL OF A LETTER TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR HOLLY MITCHELL AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO) REGARDING THE METRO C (GREEN) LINE EXTENSION TO TORRANCE PROJECT
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the March 15, 2022 City Council meeting a referral to staff was made for preparation of a letter to Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell regarding the Green Line Extension to reiterate the preference of the route in Redondo Beach on an elevated track along Hawthorne Boulevard. This letter would follow the original letter the City submitted to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and, then, Supervisor Janice Hahn in March 2021 on the scope of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) to be prepared for the project by Metro.
This agenda item allows the City Council to discuss the draft letter, recommend any revisions, and consider authorizing its submittal to Supervisor Mitchell and Metro.
BACKGROUND
A Revised and Recirculated Notice of Preparation (RRNOP) was distributed by Metro in January 2021 to solicit written comments from Responsible and Trustee Agencies, interested public agencies, and members of the public regarding the scope and content of the environmental analysis to be included in the DEIR to be prepared to assess the impacts pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including significant environmental issues and reasonable alternatives and mitigation measures, and other pertinent information. The original public review period stated in the RRNOP for when written comments were to be submitted was initially March 15, 2021 and was subsequently extended to March 29, 2021.
On March 16, 2021, the Redondo Beach City Council authorized an official comment letter (attached) addressing community concerns with the alignment alternative along the existing rail right of way (ROW), and the recommendation of an elevated alignment along Hawthorne Boulevard. That letter was submitted to Metro before the March 29, 2021 deadline.
Metro is the public agency that will carry out the project, and therefore is the Lead Agency for the project and will be charged with applying the appropriate CEQA process for completing and certifying the DEIR. Metro initially completed an Alternatives Analysis Study for this corridor in 2009, which studied transit alternatives along Metro-owned Harbor Subdivision right-of-way connecting downtown Los Angles, LAX, and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. This study identified the C Line (Green) Extension from Redondo Beach to Torrance. On April 12, 2010, as Lead Agency, Metro prepared the Notice of Preparation (NOP) and determined that the Metro C Line (Green) Extension to Torrance Project may result in potentially significant environmental impacts and required the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report. After the initial NOP, the project was stalled due to lack of an available funding plan. Once funding was identified through the passage of Measure M in 2016, the project was ready to move forward and Metro reinitiated the project in 2017. During the reinitiated process the City of Redondo Beach issued a comment letter on July 18, 2018 regarding preferred alignment and elevation concerns (attached). On January 29, 2021, Metro issued the Revised and Recirculated Notice of Preparation of a DEIR.
The City of Redondo Beach is a Responsible Agency per CEQA, since the project may require approvals from the City, including Planning Commission Design Review, right-of-way permits, etc. As such, Redondo Beach City Council authorized an official comment letter on March 16, 2021 addressing community concerns with the possible alignment along the existing rail right of way (ROW), and the recommendation of an elevated alignment along Hawthorne Boulevard. These comments were to address the scope and content of the environmental analysis to be included in the DEIR. This was not a review of the project, but rather comments on the scope of the environmental analysis to be conducted.
Since the submittal of the City’s March 16, 2021 scoping comment letter, due to census redistricting, Supervisor Holly Mitchell became the new representative for the City of Redondo Beach. To update Supervisor Mitchell on the community concerns for the ROW alignment in Redondo Beach, on March 15, 2022 the City Council made a referral to staff to update her on the City’s perspective on the project through the preparation of a letter and to invite her on a site visit with the City’s elected officials and staff.
Since the referral, Metro held a site visit with the community on April 11, 2022, which drew approximately 50 residents and several local elected officials. Additional concerns were raised during the walkthrough of the area, and are reflected in the draft letter to Supervisor Mitchell. These issues have been added to the areas of concern raised in the March 16, 2021 scoping comment letter.
COORDINATION
The report and draft letter have been coordinated with the Community Development Department, the Public Works Department, and the City Manager’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of preparing this report and draft letter is within the annual work program of the Public Works and Community Development Departments and the City Manager’s Office, and is included in those Departments’ portions of the adopted 2021-2022 Annual Budget.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Draft City of Redondo Beach Letter to Supervisor Mitchell for consideration on May 3, 2022
• City of Redondo Beach Comment Letter on Revised and Recirculated Notice of Preparation for the Metro C Line (Green) Extension to Torrance Project Dated March 16, 2021
• City of Redondo Beach Support Letter Green Line Alternative 3 Signed July 18, 2018