Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR/EIS); City of Monterey Park, CA; Section 108 Loan Guarantee/ Economic Development Initiative Grant (EDI)

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4491-N-03]

Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIR/EIS); City of Monterey Park, CA; Section 108 Loan Guarantee/

Economic Development Initiative Grant (EDI)

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and

Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of availability of DEIR/DEIS.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development gives this

notice to the public that the City of Monterey Park, California has

prepared a joint Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact

Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Monterey Park Towne Plaza Project, which,

among other components includes the development of a 515,382-square

foot retail center including a home improvement store with a garden

center, three restaurants, and various other retail uses, in the City

of Monterey Park, California.

This notice is in accordance with regulations of the Council on

Environmental Quality as described in 40 CFR parts 1500-1508.

Interested individuals, government agencies and private organizations

are invited to comment on the EIR/EIS concerning the project to the

specified person or address listed below. Particularly solicited are

comments on the Draft EIR/EIS and the major issues identified below.

Federal agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise, or

other special interest should report their interests and indicate their

readiness to aid in the final EIR/EIS effort.

EFFECTIVE DATES: Effective Date: This notice shall be effective on

October 20, 1999.

Comment Due Date: Written comments must arrive by December 3, 1999

at the address given below. We will consider all comments received in

preparing the Final EIR/EIS.

ADDRESSES: All interested agencies, groups and persons are invited to

submit written comments on the Draft EIR/EIS to: Ray Hamada, City of

Monterey Park, Community Development Department, 320 West Newmark

Avenue, Monterey Park, California, 91754 (626) 307-1463.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ray Hamada (see address and phone

number above).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A combined Draft EIR/EIS has been completed

and accepted for the proposed action described below. Comments on the

Draft EIR/EIS are

[[Page 58085]]

requested and will be accepted by the contact person until December 3,

1999.

Title of Action: Monterey Park Towne Plaza Section 108 Loan

Guarantee/Economic Development Initiative Grant (EDI) Project.

Description of Proposed Action: The City of Monterey Park, acting

on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has

prepared a Draft EIR/EIS to analyze potential impacts of developing a

triangular-shaped, 47.1-acre piece of property, located in the

southeast portion of the City of Monterey Park immediately north of the

Pomona Freeway (State Route 60) and west of Paramount Boulevard. The

proposed project would consist of a 515,382-square foot retail center

including a home improvement store with a garden center, three

restaurants, and various other retail uses. The project site includes a

net 0.1-acre land dedication to Caltrans that results from an

approximately 1-acre land trade. The proposed project would also

include roughly 4.4-acres of Southern California Edison property to the

northwest and east of the site to be used for surface parking and an

access road. The new access road would require realignment of the

intersection of Paramount Boulevard/Neil Armstrong Street. An existing

berm located along the southern boundary of the site would also be

leveled.

Approximately 10 acres of the western portion of the site contain a

historic landfill (``North Parcel Landfill''), that received municipal

solid waste between 1948 and 1975. Due to the past landfill operations,

the project site is currently designated as a Superfund site. A

leachate treatment plant (LTP) is also located on the site and

currently processes collected groundwater (leachate) from a landfill

located just south of the Pomona Freeway (``South Parcel Landfill''),

which stopped accepting waste in 1984. The LTP will continue to operate

on-site in this capacity following the closure of the South Parcel

Landfill in the year 2000. The North Parcel Landfill is currently being

remediated based upon guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency.

Other businesses that currently occupy the site include Ecology

Auto Wrecking, Aman Brothers Pavement Crushing, Manhole Adjustment

Inc., and Recycled Wood Products. Other than the LTP, all of the

tenants will vacate the project site prior to development of the site.

The Draft EIR/EIS analyzes potential environmental effects of three

alternative projects. The alternative projects described here are

illustrative of varying options for development, enabling an evaluation

of the full range of impacts identified within the EIR/EIS alternative.

The No Action Alternative would not implement the proposed Monterey

Park Towne Plaza Project, and the environmental effects from

implementation of the Proposed Action or the other alternatives would

not occur. The existing on-site tenants would remain on the project

site and the LTP would continue to treat leachate from the South Parcel

Landfill.

Under the Reduced Density Alternative, all land uses associated

with the Proposed Action would be reduced by 25 percent. As such, this

alternative would involve approximately 386,538 square feet of

commercial retail development. The site plan for the Reduced Density

Alternative would be similar to that of the Proposed Action in terms of

location and orientation of buildings, parking lots, and internal

roadways. Buildings would be the same height as the Proposed Action but

the building pads would be slightly smaller. This alternative would

also involve the same site improvements as the Proposed Action,

including: (1) New utility infrastructure; (2) leveling of the freeway

berm; and (3) provision of a new access road from Paramount Boulevard.

The LTP would remain on the project site under this alternative.

Under the Existing Zoning Alternative, Retail Buildings ``G,''

``H,'' ``I,'' and Restaurant 3 associated with the Proposed Action

would be replaced with a 126,000-square foot theatre and a 186,300-

square foot parking structure. Excluding the parking structure, the

Existing Zoning Alternative would involve approximately 656,742 square

feet of commercial retail development. The site plan for the Existing

Zoning Alternative would be similar to that of the Proposed Action and

the Reduced Density Alternative in terms of location and orientation of

buildings, parking lots, and internal roadways. Building heights under

this alternative would also be the same as the Proposed Action but the

building pads for some retail uses (i.e., Retail ``A'' and Pad 2) would

be slightly larger. This alternative would involve the same site

improvements as the Proposed Action, including: (1) New utility

infrastructure; (2) leveling of the freeway berm; and (3) provision of

a new access road from Paramount Boulevard. The LTP would remain on the

project site under this alternative.

Location: City of Monterey Park, Los Angeles County, California.

Potential Environmental Impacts: Transportation/circulation; air

quality; noise; geology/seismicity; human health hazards; hydrology/

water quality; land use; aesthetics/views; light and glare; population,

employment and housing; public services; utilities; and cumulative

effects. Most of these impacts would be reduced to a level of

insignificance following implementation of proposed mitigation

measures.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact

Statement will be published on or about October 14, 1999 and will be on

file at the City of Monterey Park, Community Development Department,

320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, California, 91754 and available

for public inspection, or copies may be attained at the same address,

upon request to Mr. Ray Hamada, Planning Manager (626) 307-1463.

Dated: October 20, 1999.

Richard H. Broun,

Director, Office of Community Viability.

[FR Doc. 99-28121 Filed 10-27-99; 8:45 am]

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