Environmental Analysis



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				LSA has provided environmental assessment services since the first environmental laws were enacted in the early 1970s. From this foundation, LSA's expertise, experience, and services have grown to encompass the many issues related to environmental law. Environment review is necessary for all projects that require a formal decision by government and regulatory agencies regarding a project's potential to impact the environment. LSA has 30 years of experience helping clients navigate this often complex process. LSA provides support with all aspects of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and mitigation plans. LSA's work begins with the collection and analysis of baseline data, which LSA uses to determine the significance of the project’s impacts. LSA then proposes mitigation measures to reduce impacts, where possible, to below levels of significance. LSA also provides the thorough and accurate documentation — including use of our Geographic Information System (GIS) Staff to help clients make informed decisions and to protect the project from litigation. Over the years, LSA has addressed a broad range of environmental issues. Working with specialists across disciplines, LSA's environmental planners offer deep knowledge of science and regulation, solid problem-solving skills, and well-rounded solutions. This balanced approach has earned LSA a reputation for thorough, credible, objective analysis that accommodates agency requirements without compromising clients’ objectives. SERVICES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: Initial Studies/Environmental Assessments Notices of Preparation and Intent Development of environmental thresholds Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statements (EIR/EIS) documents Mitigation monitoring Findings for certification and overriding considerations Public participation programs
				REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS:
				Japantown Corporation Yard Redevelopment Project Environmental Impact Report City of San Jose San Jose, California LSA is preparing the Environmental Impact Report for the redevelopment of 6.35 acres... continued
				Yolo County General Plan Update Environmental Impact Report County of Yolo Yolo County, California Yolo County is located in the heart of California’s Sacramento Valley... continued
				San Francisco General Hospital Rebuild Project Environmental Impact Report City and County of San Francisco San Francisco, California LSA was selected to prepare the Environmental Impact Report for San Francisco General Hospital... continued
				Baseball Village Environmental Impact Report City of Fremont Fremont, California LSA is preparing a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Fremont Baseball Village Community Plan... continued
				Oakland Measure DD Project Environmental Impact Report City of Oakland Oakland, California LSA prepared an Environmental Impact Report evaluating the environmental impacts... continued
				Santa Ana River Mainstem Project The County of Orange Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, California The Santa Ana River is the largest flood threat west of the Mississippi.... continued
				Two Bunch Palms Specific Plan and EIR John King Ventures Desert Hot Springs, California LSA prepared a Specific Plan and an EIR on the proposed development of 289.26 acres in the City of Desert Hot Springs... continued
				Caltrans On-Call Contracts for Storm Damage Repair Projects Caltrans, District 5 Central California (Contract Nos. 06a0073 and 06a0169) Under these contracts, LSA was assigned over 20 flood damage projects in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey Counties that required environmental studies, documentation, and permits. LSA’s work on these contracts involved participation in initial field reviews with the project engineer to develop a work plan for each site. LSA prepared environmental technical studies as required, prepared documentation, and secured any required environmental permits. On each project, LSA worked closely with the project engineer to develop design solutions that avoided or minimized impacts to sensitive environmental resources. For regulatory and permit issues, LSA took a proactive approach by making early contact with the appropriate resource and regulatory agencies to understand their concerns and to develop procedures or construction specifications that allowed for expeditious approval of permits to allow project construction to proceed.
				Riverside County Integrated Project Riverside County, California LSA was retained as part of a large consulting team to prepare environmental documents for the Riverside County Integrated Project (RCIP). The crush of projected population increases and the challenge of balancing associated housing, transportation, and economic needs of existing and future populations with limited natural resources and a sensitive natural environment required Riverside County to develop a unique planning model. This model, known as the (RCIP), consists of three integrated plans to determine future planning, transportation, and habitat conservation needs for the County. The goals of the effort are threefold: Update the County’s General Plan Create a Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) for the western portion of the County and integrate an ongoing Coachella Valley MSHCP effort into the fabric of General Planning for the County Identify transportation corridors to meet the County’s future transportation needs through a planning effort called the Community and Transportation Acceptability Process (CETAP) As part of this effort, LSA prepared the RCIP Existing Setting Report to provide a common factual basis for the preparation of the three components of the integrated planning effort. This report also provides a single environmental baseline inventory to be used in the preparation of subsequent environmental documents for each of the three plans constituting the RCIP. LSA prepared a Draft EIR for the General Plan update and prepared joint EIR/EIS documents for the CETAP transportation corridors and the MSHCP. These documents were all circulated for public review in 2002. The Existing Setting Report presents the results of an intensive research effort aimed at identifying the physical, social, and economic characteristics of Riverside County, which need to be understood in order to formulate goals, objectives, and policies for the integrated planning effort. Along with the preparation of this report, an extensive and detailed GIS database was constructed for the 7,200-square-mile County.







				Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Airport System Master Plan County of Orange, Federal Aviation Administration Orange County, California LSA led an extensive consultant team, consisting of environmental analysts/planners, transportation engineers and planners, federal aviation noise and air quality experts, land planners/designers, and aviation systems planners to prepare an EIR and an EIS for the reuse of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro. The proposed reuse/redevelopment is extremely controversial, particularly in the surrounding communities, regarding the issues of noise, air quality/toxic air contaminants, traffic, and public safety. The LSA team successfully completed the Draft EIR and other environmental documents pertaining to specific project related land use proposals for the County’s Master Lease of the MCAS El Toro property from the Department of the Navy. The LSA team prepared responses to over 9,000 public comments on the Draft EIR. LSA also prepared the technical analyses and write-up for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) contribution to a joint FAA/Department of the Navy Final EIS for the proposed commercial airport at the former El Toro Marine Base. The EIS-related work included the preparation of a Section 4(f) Analysis in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Transportation Act and the preparation of a General Conformity finding for air quality in conformance with the Clean Air Act. LSA coordinated with aviation, air quality, and noise subconsultants, as well as key members of the Orange County team and outside counsel to meet the FAA’s needs.
				San Jose Downtown Strategy EIR Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose San Jose, California Working jointly with the City’s Redevelopment Agency and Planning Department, LSA prepared a program-level Environmental Impact Report for Strategy 2000: San Jose Greater Downtown Strategy for Development and its related and implementing plans, program, and amendments. The EIR addresses the potential effects of developing 10 million square feet of office space, 10,000 residential units, 1.2 million square feet of retail space, and 2,500 hotel rooms within the Greater Downtown area. The EIR maximized project level information so as to reduce the needed breadth and depth of subsequent environmental analyses when specific development projects are proposed.
				Melrose Triangle City of West Hollywood West Hollywood, California LSA is preparing an Environmental Impact Report for this 295,600-square foot mixed-use development adjacent to the City of Beverly Hills. The site is currently developed with a mixture of one and two level commercial uses constructed over several years. The project includes six aboveground levels and five subterranean levels for parking and art and wine storage. Technical work prepared by the LSA team includes view simulations, a traffic impact analysis, an air quality analysis, a noise analysis, a biological constraints analysis, a cultural resource assessment, and a paleontological assessment. LSA has made recommendations to the City and the applicant for needed technical work related to drainage, water quality, soils, and groundwater management in order to prepare a comprehensive EIR. Key environmental and controversial issues include groundwater control, traffic, public services, and land use. Back to top ^ © LSA Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved.