CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING SETS HEARING ON AMENDMENTS TO THE LAX PLAN, LAX SPECIFIC PLAN, AND GENERAL PLAN

(Los Angeles, California – January 7, 2013)  The City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning will conduct an Open House/Public Hearing on January 8, 2013 regarding proposed amendments to the LAX Plan, LAX Specific Plan, and related General Plan Elements at the Proud Bird Restaurant, 11022 Aviation Blvd, Los Angeles.  Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is conducting a Specific Plan Amendment Study (SPAS) in accordance with the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Specific Plan and the LAX Master Plan Stipulated Settlement.  The SPAS identified and evaluated nine potential alternatives to certain components of the LAX Master Plan, referred to as Yellow Light Projects, including various configurations for the north airfield, terminal improvements and LAX’s ground transportation system.  No decision will be made at the Open House/Public Hearing by City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning.

After an extensive review of public comments received during a public-comment period by LAWA staff; incorporation of public comments; staff analysis of the environmental impacts of each alternative; and review of SPAS Project objectives, LAWA staff has recommended that a combination of SPAS Alternatives 1 and 9 be selected as a Preferred Alternative by the Board of Airport Commissioners when they take up the issue in early 2013.  A decision, if any, on SPAS by the Board of Airport Commissioners is subject to review and approval by other local decision-making bodies including, but not limited to, the Los Angeles City Council.

The format of the session will be an Open House followed by a Public Hearing.  At the Open House, from 4:30-6:30 p. m,,  LAWA representatives will be available to answer questions regarding the nine potential alternatives, the Staff Recommended Alternative, and the environmental impacts of each alternative.  Beginning at 6:30 p.m., a Public Hearing will be conducted by a Hearing Officer, who will consider all public testimony and any written communication received prior to, or at the hearing.  A written recommendation report will subsequently be prepared by the Department of City Planning for consideration by the City Planning Commission and then by the City Council and Mayor.

The Staff Recommended Alternative is comprised of Alternative 1 and Alternative 9.  Alternative 1 is a configuration option for LAX’s north airfield, along with terminal improvements.  The recommended airfield features include moving Runway 6L/24R (the northernmost LAX runway) 260 feet north and constructing a center taxiway between the two north airfield runways; standardizing all Group 5 and Group 6 operations when the visibility is greater than one-half mile; and addressing runway safety area and taxiway/taxi lane deficiencies.  Terminal improvement features limit the number of passenger gates to 153, but allow for the development of the northern terminals, including a new Terminal Zero and northerly extensions of the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the Midfield Satellite Concourse. 

Alternative 9 is an option for LAX’s ground transportation system featuring new ground transportation facilities outside the Central Terminal Area (CTA), including a consolidated rental car facility, an Intermodal Transportation Facility (ITF) and an Automated People Mover (APM).  Using the APM, the public would move between the new transportation facilities and passenger terminals, as well as to Metro’s proposed rail station at the intersection of Century and Aviation boulevards. 

LAWA staff also identified two alternate locations where LAWA facilities could interface with future light rail currently being studied by Metro; the ITF and the east end of the CTA near the entrance to LAX, preserving the option for Metro to bring light rail directly into the airport.

            LAWA prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) for the LAX SPAS in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act.  The official comment period for the Draft EIR ran from July 27 through October 10, 2012.  Three open houses/public meetings were held in

late August along with an Internet “virtual meeting” in September, which allowed the public to p articipate in the process prior to the close of the comment period if they were unable to attend one of the meetings in person.  Formal responses to submitted comments are being prepared and the Final EIR is scheduled to be released this month.

The SPAS identifies potential amendments to the LAX Specific Plan for the modernization and improvement of LAX in a manner designed for a practical capacity of 78.9 million annual passengers, while enhancing safety and security, minimizing environmental impacts on surrounding communities, and creating conditions that encourage airlines to use other airports in the region. 

The majority of the environmental impacts presented in the Draft EIR are a result of the regional development and annual passenger growth expected to occur independent of the implementation of any SPAS alternative.  The Draft EIR analyzes and identifies mitigation measures to the original LAX Master Plan that was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 2004 and that would result in significant and unavoidable impacts, including:  on- and off-airport transportation, air quality, greenhouse gases, human health risk, land use, aircraft noise, construction equipment noise, solid waste, and related cumulative impacts.