CC SR 20201215 C - Border IssuesMEETING DATE: 12/15/2020 CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to review the current status of Border Issues.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file the second biannual report on the status of Border Issues for
2020.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Megan Barnes, Senior Administrative Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. October 2020 Daily Breeze article on Ponte Vista (page A-1)
B. Skyview at Ponte Vista presentation (page B-1)
C. Westport Skyview at Ponte Vista presentation (page C-1)
D. September 2020 Los Angeles Times article on Rancho LPG (page D-1)
E. February 2020 LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety letter
(page E-1)
F. August 2020 LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety letter
(page F-1)
G. July 2017 LAFD Inspection Report (page G-1)
H. November 2020 NWSPNC Resolution (page H-1)
I. December 2008 comment letter on the DEIR for the San Pedro Waterfront
Project (page I-1)
J. October 2020 Daily Breeze article on West Harbor (page J-1)
K. October 2020 West Harbor press release (page K-1)
L. Resident inquiry regarding West Harbor (page l-1)
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This biannual report includes:
A final report on the Cal Water pipeline project in Rolling Hills Estates, the
unincorporated Westfield community and Rancho Palos Verdes
An update on the proposed 248-unit Butcher Solana apartment project at
Hawthorne Boulevard and Via Valmonte in Torrance
An update on the proposed leasing of the Defense Fuel Support Point San Pedro
for commercial fueling operations
An update on the Ponte Vista development on a former Navy housing site on
Western Avenue in San Pedro
An update on issues and events related to the Rancho LPG butane storage
facility in San Pedro
An update on the San Pedro Waterfront Project (West Harbor)
A report on a proposed 11-unit mixed-use residential development at 24601
Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
This is the second biannual report to the City Council on various “Border Issues”
potentially affecting residents of Rancho Palos Verdes for 2020. The full current status
report and archived reports are available on the City’s website at:
http://www.rpvca.gov/781/Border-Issues-Status-Report
Please note that, with the approval of changes to City Council Policy No. 34, the next
Border Issues Status Report is expected to appear on a City Council agenda in June
2021.
Current Border Issues
Palos Verdes Peninsula Water Reliability Project, Rolling Hills Estates/Los
Angeles County/Rancho Palos Verdes
In July and August 2020, as part of finishing work for the Palos Verdes Water Reliability
Project, Cal Water completed paving along Palos Verdes Drive North, Palos Verdes
Drive East, Rolling Hills Road, Montecillo Drive, and Crenshaw Boulevard, with partial
lane closures. In September, Cal Water announced that both the new pump station on
Crenshaw Boulevard just north of Silver Spur Road and all seven miles of new drinking
water pipeline were officially in service. The 30-day acceptance period began on August
31, during which the new water infrastructure was closely monitored to ensure that it
continues to operate properly. The new water pipeline and pump station were critical to
maintaining water service to residents and businesses during a series of heat-related
power outages in September. Crews continued minor restoration and finishing work
along the pipeline route to ensure that all areas where construction took place were
2
returned to the same — or better — condition.
In October, Cal Water announced that the project was deemed complete, culminating
15 years of planning, two years of construction , and months of testing on Cal Water’s
largest-ever water infrastructure upgrade. Before the new pipeline and pump station
went into service, 90% of the Peninsula relied on one 60-year-old pipeline and a single
pump station.
Both Cal Water and the City thanked residents for their patience over the past two years
of construction on these much-needed upgrades, which will help ensure that Peninsula
residents and firefighters have reliable water service for everyday and emergency
needs.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new
pump station, but Cal Water produced a celebratory video, which included remarks from
then-Mayor Cruikshank. The video can be viewed on Cal Water’s YouTube channel at:
youtu.be/LXlHDK7PooE.
After completing the project, Cal Water deactivated an email address
(pvpwaterproject@calwater.com) and Facebook page created for the Palos Verdes
Water Reliability Project. Anyone with future questions about the project may contact
Cal Water’s customer service team at 310-257-1400 or via the Cal Water website at
www.calwater.com/contact-us.
Staff will remove this project from future Border Issues Status Reports.
Butcher Solana Residential Development Project (Torrance)
There has been no change in the status of the proposed Butcher Solana apartment
project at the southwest corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Via Valmonte, which would
consist of 248 one- and two-bedroom apartments in three five-story buildings with 484
parking spaces in a six-story structure.
According to the City of Torrance, in mid-September 2019, the project developer notified
planning staff it was putting the project on hold while it reviewed more than 690
comment letters on the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which was
released in June 2019. Planning staff has indicated that as of December 2020, it has
not heard from the project developer since prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
and the project remains on hold.
Staff will continue to monitor this issue in future Border Issues Status Reports.
Additional information about the project is available on the City of Torrance’s website at
https://www.torranceca.gov/our-city/community-development/planning/butcher-solana.
3
Defense Fuel Support Point San Pedro (Los Angeles (San Pedro))
On July 2, 2020, the request for qualifications (RFQ) solicitation period closed for the
proposed commercial outlease of Defense Fuel Support Point San Pedro (DFSP), the
sprawling, inactive U.S. Navy fuel tank farm on North Gaffey Street (which borders the
City on a stretch of Western Avenue), and an 8-acre marine terminal about five miles
southeast in the Port of Long Beach. The Navy received several responses to the RFQ,
and a request for proposals (RFP) was released in August.
The RFP period closed in September, but the Navy has not yet determined what the
future use of the property will be. Federal solicitation regulations prevent the release of
information about individual commercial proposals at this point in the solicitation
process. As of the writing of this report, no date has been set for release of additional
information.
For background, the proposed outlease with a commercial operator would enable the
Navy to use the site for fueling operations for its growing Pacific Fleet without having to
cover the costs of rehabilitation and maintenance. A draft environmental assessment
(EA) was released in April 2019, and the City submitted comments raising serious
concerns with the proposal, including the unknowns of potential commercial uses and
the construction of new facilities at the San Pedro site, public safety hazards, increased
traffic, and biological and visual impacts.
Staff will continue to monitor this issue in future Border Issues Status Reports.
Ponte Vista (formerly Highpark) Project (Los Angeles (San Pedro))
In early October 2020, the Daily Breeze reported that after 15 years of planning and
several changes in ownership, construction was underway on the first model homes in
the sprawling Ponte Vista residential development in San Pedro (Attachment A). The
676-unit project, which will consist of single-family homes, townhomes, and flats, is
located on 61.4 acres of former Navy housing at 26900 South Western Avenue, across
from and just south of Green Hills Memorial Park. The first model homes were
constructed by home builder D.R. Horton in Subarea 1, which is located in the
northwest corner of the development and is called The Estates at Ponte Vista.
According to the Daily Breeze, the subarea’s 66 single -family detached homes will
range in price from $1.3 million to $1.4 million.
On December 3, Staff attended a virtual meeting of the Northwest San Pedro
Neighborhood Council Planning and Land Use Committee, which included a
presentation on the status of the Ponte Vista project. According to the presentation, the
next homes to be constructed will be in Subarea 3, which is called Skyview at Ponte
Vista. Located south of Subarea 1, this area will consist of 79 single-family homes built
by Kaufman & Broad. Designs and elevations of these homes are included in this report
as Attachment B. According to the presentation, construction on the first model homes
in this subarea is expected to begin in December 2020.
4
During the meeting, plans were presented for Subarea 2, which is called Westport
Skyview at Ponte Vista. Located in the northeast area side of the site, Subarea 2 will
consist of 60 single-family homes also built by Kaufman & Broad. Designs and
elevations of these homes are included in this report as Attachment C.
It is Staff’s understanding that the next homes being planned in the Ponte Vista project
are in Subareas 4B, 5 and 6, and that significant progress has been made on the open
space, landscaping and recreation portions of the project, which are being developed by
the master developer, Harridge Development Group.
Staff will continue to monitor this issue in future Border Issues Status Reports.
Rancho LPG Butane Storage Facility, Los Angeles (San Pedro)
In August 2020, a massive and deadly explosion of ammonium nitrate in Beirut,
Lebanon renewed community discussion about longstanding concerns with the Rancho
LPG facility on North Gaffey Street in San Pedro not far from the City’s Eastview
neighborhood, where 25 million gallons of butane are stored in two aboveground tanks,
and another five horizontal storage tanks each hold 60,000 gallons of propane.
Over the years, residents of San Pedro, the Eastview area of Rancho Palos Verdes and
others have brought concerns to the City Council about Rancho LPG, including the
potential for a catastrophic explosion. The City has sent numerous letters to lawmakers
and regulatory agencies in the past decade regarding concerns with the site, most
recently in August 2019. Plains All American Pipeline, which owns the facility, has
defended its safety record and procedures. In a September 2020 Los Angeles Times
article, the company rejected comparisons of Rancho LPG and the site of the Beirut
explosion, noting the different material stored in the tanks and the various safety
requirements of local, state and federal regulatory agencies. The article discusses
several past risk assessments of the facility, as well as recent efforts by the Los
Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and Rep. Nanette Barragán of San Pedro to
advocate for new risk analyses (Attachment D).
Copies of letters sent by the LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety to the
Los Angeles City Fire Department (L.A. City Fire) in February and August requesting a
new seismic study of the Rancho LPG facility are included in this report as Attachments
E and F. As of this writing of this report, LAUSD staff indicated it has not received a
direct response from L.A. City Fire.
In August, LAUSD transmitted a “Request for Information” to L.A. City Fire regarding
Rancho LPG. L.A. City Fire provided a copy of its report from a July 2017 inspection,
which indicated the facility was in general compliance with no Notice of Violations
issued. A copy is included in this report as Attachment G.
5
Rancho LPG is under the jurisdiction of the California Accidental Release Prevention
Program (CalARP), which requires L.A. City Fire to inspect the facility every three years.
The most recent facility inspection was in July 2017, which means Rancho LPG is due
for an inspection. LAUSD staff has indicated it will be contacting L.A. City Fire to inquire
the status of the required inspection.
In light of the Beirut explosion, last month , the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood
Council adopted a resolution requesting that Governor Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor
Garcetti, the Port of Los Angeles and LAUSD each take steps to ensure that the various
risks posed by the operation of the Rancho LPG storage facility are re-evaluated, and
that the governor and mayor ensure that such renewed efforts are coordinated with the
appropriate California state and local agencies, commissions, the California Legislature,
and the relevant federal departments and agencies. A copy of the resolution is included
in this report as Attachment H.
Rep. Barragán’s office continues to explore a potential legislative path toward relocating
the Rancho LPG storage tanks. Rep. Barragán’s office is also seeking a risk
assessment of the facility by the Environmental Protection Agency through the federal
budget process.
Staff will continue to monitor this issue in future Border Issues Status Reports.
San Pedro Waterfront Project (West Harbor) (Port of Los Angeles)
In September 2009, the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners certified the final
EIR for the San Pedro Waterfront Project, a 400-acre waterfront infrastructure and
revitalization initiative in the Port of Los Angeles extending from the inner harbor cruise
facilities to Cabrillo Beach in the outer harbor. The City submitted comments on the
draft EIR in December 2008 (Attachment I).
A high-profile component of the project is the redevelopment of Ports O’ Call Village, a
30-acre, 1960s-era shopping village off Harbor Boulevard.
In February 2013, the LA Waterfront Alliance, comprised of The Ratkovich Co. and
Jerico Development, was selected to redevelop Ports O’ Call Village. Later that year,
the developer unveiled initial plans, which included a Fisherman’s Park near downtown
San Pedro at Harbor Boulevard, a central market square, and a pier of attractions at the
southern tip of the site.
The project was revised in 2016 and named San Pedro Public Market, and a 50-year
ground lease was approved with the LA Waterfront Alliance (the term was later
extended to 66 years). Plans included about 300,000 square feet of restaurants, retail,
office, open space, and entertainment uses. Among the entertainment components was
a 500-seat outdoor amphitheater, which could be used for both public and private
ticketed events. These plans were included in an addendum to the EIR for the San
Pedro Waterfront Project.
6
Following the resolution of litigation with tenants, Ports O’ Call Village was demolished
in late 2018, with only the San Pedro Fish Market remaining.
The project has undergone further revisions in recent years. In March 2019, the Daily
Breeze reported that the LA Waterfront Alliance entered exclusive negotiations
with Nederlander Concerts to explore adding a 6,000-seat outdoor concert and
entertainment venue to the site.
The 42-acre San Pedro Public Market was rebranded as West Harbor in October 2020
(Attachment J), and now includes 375,000 square feet of restaurants, retail, office, open
space, and entertainment uses. According to a press release (Attachment K), the
developers are in “near final” negotiations with Nederlander Concerts for a 6,200-seat
amphitheater, which “is slated to sit directly along the waterfront and against the
dramatic backdrop of the Battleship USS Iowa (West Harbor and the Port of Los
Angeles are reviewing proposed plans to move the iconic battleship to the site).”
According to the Port of Los Angeles, a supplemental EIR studying the much larger
proposed amphitheater is expected to be released for public review in spring or summer
of 2021. The amphitheater would be located on the southern tip of the site, near the
Southern Pacific Slip, and the stage and speakers would face southeast toward the
ocean. The amphitheater would be operated seasonally in the spring and summer
months, similar to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, with weekend-focused
programming (Thursday-Sunday). Port of Los Angeles staff estimates that in the initial
stage of operation, there could be 15-20 concerts per year, and eventually, booking
could reach about 100 concerts per year . Staff will review the supplemental EIR when it
is released, including potential noise impacts to residents on the east side of Rancho
Palos Verdes, and submit comments.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the West Harbor project was postponed to next year
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The development is now expected to open in 2022.
Staff will continue to monitor this issue in future Border Issues Status Reports.
New Border Issues
Mixed-Use Residential Development at 24601 Hawthorne Boulevard (Torrance)
In October 2020, silhouettes went up on a vacant lot on the corner of Hawthorne
Boulevard and Via Valmonte in Torrance (across the street from the Butcher Solana
site) outlining the visual impacts of a proposed mixed-use residential and office space
development.
According to the City of Torrance planning staff, the developer has proposed a three-
story, 11-unit apartment mixed-use development with approximately 3,300 square feet
of office space and a ground-level parking lot. The project site is located at 24601
7
Hawthorne Boulevard and falls within their city’s Hillside Overlay Area, where
silhouettes are required. It is Staff’s understanding that the silhouettes were erected
prematurely in anticipation of the release of a draft environmental assessment, which
will go before the public for review. The project was first proposed by the developer in
2017 and has been downsized in height and square footage.
Staff will continue to monitor this issue in future Border Issues Status Reports.
8
By By DONNA LITTLEJOHNDONNA LITTLEJOHN | | dlittlejohn@scng.comdlittlejohn@scng.com | Daily Breeze | Daily Breeze
PUBLISHED: PUBLISHED: October 1, 2020 at 5:22 p.m.October 1, 2020 at 5:22 p.m. | UPDATED: | UPDATED: October 1, 2020 at 5:24 p.m.October 1, 2020 at 5:24 p.m.
After 15 years, construction of two model homes has started at Ponte Vista in SanAfter 15 years, construction of two model homes has started at Ponte Vista in San
Pedro. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)Pedro. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)
LOCAL NEWSLOCAL NEWS
After 15 years, initial homeAfter 15 years, initial home
construction appears on Sanconstruction appears on San
Pedro’s biggest vacant lotPedro’s biggest vacant lot
• • NewsNews
A-1
For 15 years, it’s been the largest vacant lot in San Pedro.For 15 years, it’s been the largest vacant lot in San Pedro.
So when framing went up last month for two model homes on the vacantSo when framing went up last month for two model homes on the vacant
expanse of what will someday be the expanse of what will someday be the Ponte Vista housing developmentPonte Vista housing development , it caught, it caught
nearly everyone’s eye.nearly everyone’s eye.
The project that has taken years to get going is finally The project that has taken years to get going is finally taking shapetaking shape ..
“It’s not going to happen all at once, but from here on out, we’re going to see“It’s not going to happen all at once, but from here on out, we’re going to see
steady movement,” said Diana Nave of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhoodsteady movement,” said Diana Nave of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood
Council.Council.
The property, which has views of the harbor and Vincent Thomas Bridge to theThe property, which has views of the harbor and Vincent Thomas Bridge to the
east, will be developed with market-rate houses in six subareas, with a seventheast, will be developed with market-rate houses in six subareas, with a seventh
subarea developed into open and recreation space.subarea developed into open and recreation space.
The houses going up in the first subarea, Nave said, will be the most expensiveThe houses going up in the first subarea, Nave said, will be the most expensive
models in the overall mix, which will be built in 10 staggered phases withmodels in the overall mix, which will be built in 10 staggered phases with
approximately six structures each.approximately six structures each.
Now that the infrastructure is mostly done on the 61.5-acre property, 26900 S.Now that the infrastructure is mostly done on the 61.5-acre property, 26900 S.
Western Ave., that section — dubbed “The Estates at Ponte Vista” — will featureWestern Ave., that section — dubbed “The Estates at Ponte Vista” — will feature
up to 66 houses that range in price from $1.3 million to $1.4 million.up to 66 houses that range in price from $1.3 million to $1.4 million.
Home builder D.R. Horton is creating the initial high-end, single-family detachedHome builder D.R. Horton is creating the initial high-end, single-family detached
houses from its Emerald Brand, the company’s top-of-the-line product featuringhouses from its Emerald Brand, the company’s top-of-the-line product featuring
up to five bedrooms and four baths in the largest structures, which will be 3,473up to five bedrooms and four baths in the largest structures, which will be 3,473
square feet.square feet.
Overall, the market-rate Ponte Vista housing project is set to hold 676 housesOverall, the market-rate Ponte Vista housing project is set to hold 676 houses
that also will include townhouses and other home types that will vary in cost.that also will include townhouses and other home types that will vary in cost.
Permits for another subarea of housing, dubbed “Skyview at Ponte Vista” by KBPermits for another subarea of housing, dubbed “Skyview at Ponte Vista” by KB
Home builders, are also in the works. That 7.9-acre subarea will feature 79Home builders, are also in the works. That 7.9-acre subarea will feature 79
single-family houses (with three-story Mediterranean, Mediterranean eclecticsingle-family houses (with three-story Mediterranean, Mediterranean eclectic
and early California styles) from 2,356 to 2,764 square feet.and early California styles) from 2,356 to 2,764 square feet.
In its final iteration, Ponte Vista is a much different plan that the one firstIn its final iteration, Ponte Vista is a much different plan that the one first
proposed in 2005 by developer Bob Bisno, who purchased the former U.S. Navyproposed in 2005 by developer Bob Bisno, who purchased the former U.S. Navy
housing property at auction for $125 million.housing property at auction for $125 million.
Bisno’s plan was to build high-density housing with up to 2,300 vertically stackedBisno’s plan was to build high-density housing with up to 2,300 vertically stacked
units.units.
A-2
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relevant to where you live. relevant to where you live. Subscribe hereSubscribe here ..
But from the start, that faced widespread opposition in the community, whereBut from the start, that faced widespread opposition in the community, where
heavy Western Avenue traffic already was — and still is — a big concern.heavy Western Avenue traffic already was — and still is — a big concern.
Mitigation measures being implemented include new and synchronized trafficMitigation measures being implemented include new and synchronized traffic
lights, as well as an additional turn-out lane running north along Westernlights, as well as an additional turn-out lane running north along Western
Avenue.Avenue.
With work-from-home arrangements now becoming the norm, particularly amidWith work-from-home arrangements now becoming the norm, particularly amid
the coronavirus pandemic, some traffic issues may be lessened, but concernsthe coronavirus pandemic, some traffic issues may be lessened, but concerns
remain because Western is the only main access road into and out of San Pedroremain because Western is the only main access road into and out of San Pedro
on the western border of the port town.on the western border of the port town.
The years following the proposal were filled with public meetings to discuss —The years following the proposal were filled with public meetings to discuss —
and argue over — the plans. It was the and argue over — the plans. It was the Northwest San Pedro NeighborhoodNorthwest San Pedro Neighborhood
CouncilCouncil that tracked it most closely, as Ponte Vista would have its biggest impact that tracked it most closely, as Ponte Vista would have its biggest impact
on that part of town.on that part of town.
The project changed developer hands a couple of times through the years andThe project changed developer hands a couple of times through the years and
was downsized to its current 676-home configuration in 2013. But then initialwas downsized to its current 676-home configuration in 2013. But then initial
preparations for infrastructure on the property faced a preparations for infrastructure on the property faced a number of setbacksnumber of setbacks ,,
including complications with utility lines and connections.including complications with utility lines and connections.
Now that construction has begun, a corner seems, at last, to have been turned.Now that construction has begun, a corner seems, at last, to have been turned.
Despite ongoing concerns about traffic, housing costs and overall density,Despite ongoing concerns about traffic, housing costs and overall density,
interest in the new housing among potential homebuyers appears to be alreadyinterest in the new housing among potential homebuyers appears to be already
strong.strong.
Nave said the developer this summer reported having more than 200 names onNave said the developer this summer reported having more than 200 names on
a preliminary interest list for the first homes.a preliminary interest list for the first homes.
“It took a long time to get to this point and people will start talking about the“It took a long time to get to this point and people will start talking about the
traffic again,” Nave said. “But it could have been a whole lot worse (under thetraffic again,” Nave said. “But it could have been a whole lot worse (under the
original plans).”original plans).”
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A-3
Skyview at Ponte Vista
Subarea 3 of the Ponte Vista at San Pedro Specific Plan
NORTHWEST SAN PEDRO
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
CASE NO.: DIR-2020-4708-SPP-SPPA
PROJECT PERMIT COMPLIANCE
REVIEW AND PROJECT PERMIT
ADJUSTMENT
APPLICANT: KB HOME
B-1
KB Home
Environmental Responsibility
•Building environmentally friendly affordable homes
•Minimizing our operations’ impact on the environment
Economic Responsibility
•Keeping homeownership affordable
•Offering products that appeal to today’s consumer
Social Responsibility
•Creating vibrant and healthy neighborhoods
•Giving back to the communities in which we live &
work
Founded in 1957 as Kaufman and Broad
First public homebuilder traded on NYSE
Only national public homebuilder headquartered in LA
Strong sustainability focus
Reports from 2007 through 2019 are available at
kbhome.com/sustainability B-2
PVSP Specific Plan Area
B-3
KB Homes proposes
Ponte Vista Development
Summary:
•The 61.5 acre site was
approved to be developed with
a mixture of single-family
homes, townhomes, and flats
in Subareas 1-6.
•Subarea 7 will be developed
into open and recreation space.
•Project Permit Compliance
Review is required for new
construction requiring building
permits.
B-4
KB Homes proposes
Subarea 3 Highlights:
•79 single-family homes proposed.
•Lot sizes range from 2,046 to
10,281 square feet, which include
community areas, private streets,
and driveways.
•Each home ranges from 2,356 to
2,764 gross square feet.
•Maximum height of the homes is
approximately 36 feet.
•Each home would have a two car
garage.
•Additional guest parking spaces
available along the private streets.
B-5
Subarea 3 Highlights
(continued):
•Large side yard private space.
•Front yard common area walkways
and landscaping to encourage
walkability and pedestrian oriented
access throughout the community.
•Connectivity to common open
spaces and community parks.
B-6
Site Plan – Lots 61-119
B-7
Site Plan – Lots 121-140
B-8
Elevation and Floor Plan Variation
3 floor plans are proposed, each with 3 elevation styles:
•Mediterranean
•Mediterranean Eclectic
•Early California
The square footage of each floor plan varies:
•Plan 1: 1,874 square feet
•Plan 2: 2,057 square feet
•Plan 3: 2,233 square feet
B-9
Floor Plan 1 (1,874 sf) – Mediterranean
B-10
Floor Plan 1 (1,874 sf) – Mediterranean Eclectic
B-11
Floor Plan 1 (1,874 sf) – Early California
B-12
Floor Plan 2 (2,057 sf) – Mediterranean
B-13
Floor Plan 2 (2,057 sf) – Mediterranean Eclectic
B-14
Floor Plan 2 (2,057 sf) – Early California
B-15
Floor Plan 3 (2,233 sf) – Mediterranean
B-16
Floor Plan 3 (2,233 sf) – Mediterranean Eclectic
B-17
Floor Plan 3 (2,233 sf) – Early California
B-18
Subarea 3 – Landscaping
B-19
Entitlement Requests
Case No.: DIR-2020-4708-SPP-SPPA
•Project Permit Compliance Review pursuant to LAMC Section 11.5.7-C
to allow the development of 79 single-family residential dwelling units in
Subarea 3 of the Ponte Vista Specific Plan area.
•Project Permit Adjustment pursuant to LAMC Section 11.5.7-E to reduce
setback requirements by no more than 20% and to provide relief from
façade zone requirements as outlined in the Ponte Vista Design
Guidelines.
B-20
Questions?
B-21
Thank you!
B-22
Westport Skyview at Ponte Vista
Subarea 2 of the Ponte Vista at San Pedro Specific Plan
NORTHWEST SAN PEDRO
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
CASE NO.: DIR-2020-6580-SPPA-SPP
PROJECT PERMIT COMPLIANCE
REVIEW AND PROJECT PERMIT
ADJUSTMENT
APPLICANT: KB HOME
C-1
KB Home
Environmental Responsibility
•Building environmentally friendly affordable homes
•Minimizing our operations’ impact on the environment
Economic Responsibility
•Keeping homeownership affordable
•Offering products that appeal to today’s consumer
Social Responsibility
•Creating vibrant and healthy neighborhoods
•Giving back to the communities in which we live &
work
Founded in 1957 as Kaufman and Broad
First public homebuilder traded on NYSE
Only national public homebuilder headquartered in LA
Strong sustainability focus
Reports from 2007 through 2019 are available at
kbhome.com/sustainability C-2
PVSP Specific Plan Area
C-3
KB Homes proposes
Ponte Vista Development
Summary:
•The 61.5 acre site was
approved to be developed with
a mixture of single-family
homes, townhomes, and flats
in Subareas 1-6.
•Subarea 7 will be developed
into open and recreation space.
•Project Permit Compliance
Review is required for new
construction requiring building
permits.
C-4
KB Homes proposes
Subarea 2 Highlights:
•60 single-family homes proposed.
•Lot sizes range from 3,420 to 8,575
square feet, which include private
yards, private streets, and
driveways.
•Each home ranges from 2,287 to
2,531 gross square feet.
•Maximum height of the homes is
approximately 30 feet.
•Each home will have a two-car
garage.
•Additional guest parking spaces
available along the private streets.
5.73 Acres
C-5
Subarea 2 Highlights
(continued):
•Large backyard private space.
•Front yard landscaping to add a
buffer from private driveway.
•Connectivity to common open
spaces and community parks.
5.73 Acres
C-6
Site Plan – Lots 1-60
C-7
Elevation and Floor Plan Variation
3 floor plans are proposed, each with 3 elevation styles:
•Mediterranean
•Mediterranean Eclectic
•Early California
The square footage of each floor plan varies:
•Plan 1: 2,287 square feet
•Plan 2: 2,307 square feet
•Plan 3: 2,531 square feet
C-8
Floor Plan 1 (2,287 sf) – Mediterranean
C-9
Floor Plan 1 (2,287 sf) – Mediterranean Eclectic
C-10
Floor Plan 1 (2,287 sf) – Early California
C-11
Floor Plan 2 (2,307 sf) – Mediterranean
C-12
Floor Plan 2 (2,307 sf) – Mediterranean Eclectic
C-13
Floor Plan 2 (2,307 sf) – Early California
C-14
Floor Plan 3 (2,531 sf) – Mediterranean
C-15
Floor Plan 3 (2,531 sf) – Mediterranean Eclectic
C-16
Floor Plan 3 (2,531 sf) – Early California
C-17
Subarea 2 – Landscaping
C-18
Entitlement Requests
Case No.: DIR-2020-6580-SPPA-SPP
•Project Permit Compliance Review pursuant to LAMC Section 11.5.7-C
to allow the development of 60 single-family residential dwelling units in
Subarea 2 of the Ponte Vista Specific Plan area.
•Project Permit Adjustment pursuant to LAMC Section 11.5.7-E to provide
relief from façade zone requirements as outlined in the Ponte Vista
Design Guidelines. All façade zone adjustments requested will be along
Horizon Way to accommodate floor plans with patios outside of the
PVSP façade zones.
C-19
Project Permit Adjustment
Façade Zone Adjustments
C-20
Questions?
C-21
Thank you!
C-22
CALIFORNIA
Beirut blast reinforces longtime fears surrounding butane facility in
San Pedro
San Pedro residents Janet Schaaf-Gunter and Chuck Hart fear butane tanks near Ga ey Street could cause a deadly
explosion. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
By EMILY ALPERT REYES | STAFF WRITER
SEP. 21, 2020 | 5 AM
ADVERTISEMENT
D-1
For decades, San Pedro residents have feared the massive tanks that store butane just off
Gaffey Street could fuel deadly fires and explosions close to homes, shops and schools.
Neighbors have fought unsuccessfully in court and pressed their case with local, state and
federal officials, but the San Pedro site has persisted through years of public hearings,
government reports and competing assessments of its risks.
When a massive explosion devastated Beirut last month, residents said the shocking
footage only reinforced their long-standing fears. The Los Angeles Unified School District
invoked the Beirut blast in a recent letter to the L.A. Fire Department, calling for a new
assessment of the site’s vulnerability during an earthquake.
And a congresswoman is pushing for a new analysis of its risks. The Beirut explosion
“absolutely adds urgency to these efforts,” said Ron Eckstein, spokesman for Rep. Nanette
Barragán (D-San Pedro).
Plains All American Pipeline, whose subsidiary Rancho LPG Holdings owns the site,
rejects such a comparison. It stresses that the tanks store a different material than what
fueled the Beirut blast, which was sparked by ammonium nitrate.
ADVERTISING
D-2
The Beirut incident happened “at a completely different facility than the Rancho facility,”
which “was designed, built and is maintained in accordance with local, state and federal
requirements” and “is audited numerous times annually by multiple jurisdictional
agencies to confirm compliance,” said Steve Greig, the company’s government affairs
director.
The Rancho LPG storage facility includes two 12.5-million-gallon refrigerated tanks and
five 60,000-gallon horizontal storage tanks. Liquid gas comes to and from the facility by
rail, truck and pipeline. The refrigerated tanks are roughly a quarter-mile from the
nearest homes, based on aerial maps; a Home Depot, a preschool and soccer fields sit
closer.
Concerns about the facility arose soon after it was built in the 1970s. L.A.'s fire marshal
told The Times it was “one of our gravest concerns.” Neighbors sued unsuccessfully over
the San Pedro facility in 1978, arguing that it posed a nuisance.
ADVERTISEMENT
That same year, the U.S. comptroller general reported to Congress that new facilities like
it should be relegated to remote areas and that existing ones in populated areas should
not be expanded in size or in use. It warned that “if liquefied energy gases spill from their
tanks, they vaporize rapidly and become highly flammable and explosive.”
The San Pedro site handles the largest amount of butane of any facility in California,
according to a database maintained by the Right to Know Network using Environmental
Protection Agency data. It also holds some propane. Neighborhood groups have argued
that an earthquake or terror attack could rupture the tanks and lead to catastrophic
explosions.
Much of the debate has revolved around just how dire a disaster could be: One
assessment by Cornerstone Technologies, solicited by a San Pedro neighborhood group,
concluded a blast could reach as far as 6.8 miles away.
D-3
An analysis by risk management consultant Carl Southwell, done when he was a doctoral
student at USC, estimated that thousands of lives could be lost if terrorists took aim at the
tanks.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Beirut explosion “immediately reminded me of Rancho LPG,” said Southwell, now
president of the consulting firm InsureTech. Based on his calculations of its explosive
potential, “it could actually be much worse.”
Rancho LPG Holdings has rejected such predictions and instead cited an analysis by
Quest Consultants that dismissed the Cornerstone conclusions and estimated that
damage from any explosion would be much more limited, potentially reaching 700 feet
around the San Pedro site.
The Environmental Protection Agency has accepted company estimates that the blast
radius could stretch half a mile; an analysis performed for the agency by a Michigan
professor called many of the dire predictions from Cornerstone “technically invalid.”
At a public hearing three years ago, a facility representative said the EPA had found that
“our butane facility is one of the safest butane facilities, simply because we refrigerate the
butane.” An EPA spokeswoman said that the blast distance from the Rancho LPG site
would be reduced by an existing containment basin to catch spills.
ADVERTISEMENT
Others have disputed that: Earthjustice staff attorney Adrian Martinez argued in a letter
to the agency that the basin would be “wholly ineffective” to catch spilled butane because
it would warm up and vaporize.
Decades earlier, the California Public Utilities Commission raised concerns that the basin
was too small to hold the contents of both refrigerated tanks.
D-4
California Public Utilities Commission Report
Sep. 8, 2020
The basin could help prevent liquid from spreading to other parts of the facility, “but it
doesn’t mean that you won’t — very, very quickly — have a large vapor cloud,” said Don
Holmstrom, former director of the Western Regional Office for the U.S. Chemical Safety
Board, a federal agency that investigates chemical accidents. Holmstrom said that in the
case of a catastrophic spill, he found it hard to believe that the damage would extend only
half a mile.
ADVERTISEMENT
Professor Stewart Behie, interim director of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center
at Texas A&M University, said it did not appear that the blast estimate of half a mile had
adequately accounted for what would happen if a tank were fully ruptured and a vapor
cloud arose from the surface of all the spilled liquid.
Nor, he said, had the estimate accounted for the domino effects if rail cars or tanker
trucks were engulfed in a fire from one ruptured tank.
Behie said he wasn’t convinced that “their worst case is really the worst case.”
The L.A. Fire Department program that oversees hazardous materials said it has no
current concerns about the safety of the Rancho facility. The department said it had cited
the facility three years ago for two violations — including failing to document that
equipment designed or constructed under outdated standards was operating safely — but
characterized both as minor and said they had been corrected.
ADVERTISEMENT
Disasters elsewhere have repeatedly spurred concerns about the San Pedro site. The most
notorious was in 1984 at a liquid petroleum gas facility in San Juanico outside Mexico
City, where explosions destroyed homes and killed hundreds. After a pipeline explosion inD-5
San Bruno a decade ago, local and federal lawmakers called for more scrutiny of the L.A.
facility.
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino introduced a flurry of motions about the
butane tanks after he was first elected; one resulted in a public hearing and a report from
city analysts, but most expired without action. Rep. Barragán sought federal funding to
move the tanks; the bill she introduced two years ago stalled in committee.
Eckstein, her spokesman, said that Barragán still wants to pursue a legislative route to
closing or relocating the facility, but in the meantime she has been seeking an EPA risk
analysis of the site through the federal budget process.
And the Los Angeles Unified School District, whose board has called to relocate the
facility, recently reiterated a February request to get an updated seismic study of the San
Pedro facility in light of new information about the Wilmington fault running underneath
the harbor.
ADVERTISEMENT
LAFD, however, said it did not plan to ask Rancho to redo that analysis unless an expert
determined that an earthquake along that fault would be bigger than the one on the Palos
Verdes fault reflected in its last assessment. The last analysis, completed a year ago,
“appears to more than adequately demonstrate compliance” with seismic requirements, it
said.
Some balked at likening the risks to the Beirut disaster. Buscaino, who said he had
insisted the site comply with municipal and state regulations, argued that it was
“impossible to compare” the situation, saying that the Rancho tanks are regulated by
more than a dozen agencies and “practice multiple levels of safety protocols.”
L.A. “would never by deliberate action or inaction allow the economic engines of our state
to be decimated so recklessly as what happened in Beirut,” Buscaino said.
D-6
Such statements gall San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United member Janet Schaaf-
Gunter, who said she found them “hypocritical.” She pointed out that months before the
Beirut disaster, downtown L.A. was rocked by a massive explosion that burned
firefighters — a blast that originated in an area where butane canisters were known to be
stored.
ADVERTISEMENT
When she watches the chaotic scenes in Beirut, “I know that I’m looking at our future,”
Schaaf-Gunter said.
Although Plains All American Pipeline maintains that the San Pedro site is safe, Greig
said the company would cooperate if government agencies pursued a new risk
assessment. San Pedro resident Robert Farrell, a former L.A. city councilman concerned
about the site, said he hoped such an analysis would help settle the back-and-forth over
its risks.
“People are oblivious to the danger it represents,” Farrell said. Government agencies will
not move swiftly “unless a real threat is seen as imminent.”
CALIFORNIA
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D-7
E-1
E-2
Los Angeles Unified School District
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
333 South Beaudry Avenue, 21st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017 • Telephone (213) 241-3199 • Fax (213) 241-6816
Our Mission: To ensure a safe and healthy environment for students to learn, teachers to teach, and employees to work.
Our Vision: To eliminate all environmental health and safety risks at schools.
August 5, 2020
Los Angeles City Fire Department
CalARP Program
200 North Main Street, 17th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90012
Attn: Anna Olekszyk, RMPP Specialist
E-Mail: lafd.calarp@lacity.org
SUBJECT: RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC – FACILITY ID NO. FA0024554
Ms. Olekszyk:
In February 2020, the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Office of Environmental Health and
Safety drafted a letter for your consideration relating to new information associated with a
Wilmington Blind-Thrust fault study published in 2017. At that time, it was requested that the
Rancho LPG facility receive direction from the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) to
update their seismic study to account for this new information. The letter is attached for your ease
of reference.
In light of the recent events and devastation witnessed by the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, it is
imperative that all relevant and appropriate measures be taken to ensure the health and safety of
our students and staff who attend schools located in the vicinity of the Rancho LPG facility.
This letter is to solicit a response to our initial letter and provide status of LAFD’s facility
inspection and associated enforcement actions.
I can be reached at either (213-792-7603) or pat.schanen@lausd.net should you have any
questions.
Sincerely,
Pat Schanen
Environmental Health Manager
Attachment: as stated
c: A. Espinoza
B. Piazza
AUSTIN BEUTNER
Superintendent of Schools
CARLOS A. TORRES
Director, Environmental Health and Safety
JENNIFER FLORES
Deputy Director, Environmental Health and Safety
F-1
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
INSPECTOR NAME:
ANNA OLEKSZYK
DISTRICT:
417
APN:
7412026006
NOTICE#:
DA6LL2L2M
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017
FA0024554
(310) 833-5275
SAN PEDRO, CA 90731
HOLDINGS LLC
FIRE STATION:
112213-238-3476
PHONE:
10249525
CERS ID:
FACILITY ID:
RECORD ID:
PR0037349
2110 N GAFFEY ST
NVO = No Violation Observed OUT = Out of Compliance NA = Not Applicable UD = Undetermined COS = Corrected On Site RPT = VDG =
General
General Applicability
Complied with CalARP provisions when having a RS in a process listed in Table 1/2 - 19 CCR 4.5 2735.4(a
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
1
Complied with CalARP provisions when having a RS in a process listed in Table 3 - 19 CCR 4.5 2735.4(a)(2
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
2
Complied with CalARP provisions when having a RS in a process listed in Table 1/2 and 3 - 19 CCR 4.5 27
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
3
Coordination
Closely coordinated with the CUPA to implement the CalARP requirements - 19 CCR 4.5 2735.5(a)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
4
Management System - Program Level 2 or 3
Developed a management system to oversee the implementation of the risk management program elemen
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
6
Assigned a qualified person or position who has the overall responsibility for the RMP elements. - 19 CCR
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
7
Documented the names or positions and lines of authority through an organization chart or document. - 1
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
8
RMP Components and Submission
RMP Submission - Program Level 2 or 3
Submitted a RMP which includes all requirements in Section 2745.3 through 2745.9 - 19 CCR 4.5 2735.5(b
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
10
RMP Submission
Submitted the RMP information required by the USEPA to the USEPA - 19 CCR 4.5 2745.1(b)(1), 2745.1(b)(2
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
11
Submitted the RMP information required by the USEPA to the CUPA - 19 CCR 4.5 2745.1(c)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
12
Submitted a RMP to the CUPA after the owner or operator has received a notice from the CUPA - 19 CCR 4
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
14
Excluded classified information from the RMP - 19 CCR 4.5 2745.1(h)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
15
Ensured that the RMP is certified complete by a qualified person and the owner or operator - 19 CCR 4.5 2
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
16
5198 - V1 Page 1 of 8 G-1
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
www.lafd.org
BUSINESS:
RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC
FACILITY ID:
FA 0024554
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017DA6LL2L2M
NOTICE#:
NVO = No Violation Observed OUT = Out of Compliance NA = Not Applicable UD = Undetermined COS = Corrected On Site RPT = VDG =
RMP Components and Submission
RMP Certification - Program Level 2 or 3
Submitted in the RMP the certification statement provided in Section 2745.9(b) - 19 CCR 4.5 2745.9(b)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
18
RMP Updates
Revised, updated, and submitted the RMP to the USEPA and CUPA per timelines in Section 2745.10(a) - 19
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
19
Revised, updated, and submitted the RMP to the USEPA and CUPA per timelines in Section 2745.10(b) - 19
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
20
Submitted a de- registration to the USEPA and CUPA within six months of the RS removal. - 19 CCR 4.5 27
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
21
Submitted a de- registration to the CUPA within six months of the RS removal. - 19 CCR 4.5 2745.10(d)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
22
Contacted the CUPA within 30 days of a change of owner or operator to update the registration - 19 CCR 4
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
23
RMP Corrections
Corrected and submitted the data required in the RMP under sections 2745.5, 2745.6(j), and 2745.7(l) - 19
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
24
Corrected and submitted the emergency contact information in the RMP within one month of any change
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
25
Covered Process Modification
Notified the CUPA in writing at least five calendar days before implementing any modifications - 19 CCR 4
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
26
Notified the CUPA within 48 hours after the modification where pre-notification is not reasonable - 19 CCR
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
27
Certificate of Occupancy
Complied with Government Code Section 65850.2(b) prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy - 19 C
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
28
RMP Review
Corrected deficiencies within 60 calendar days from receipt of the notification of RMP deficiencies - 19 CC
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
29
Registration
Included a registration in the RMP that reflects all covered processes - 19 CCR 4.5 2735.5(b)(2)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
30
Completed the registration information and submitted it with the RMP to the USEPA and the CUPA - 19 CC
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
31
Completed the registration information and submitted it with the RMP to the CUPA - 19 CCR 4.5 2740.1(b)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
32
5198 - V1 Page 2 of 8 G-2
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
www.lafd.org
BUSINESS:
RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC
FACILITY ID:
FA 0024554
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017DA6LL2L2M
NOTICE#:
NVO = No Violation Observed OUT = Out of Compliance NA = Not Applicable UD = Undetermined COS = Corrected On Site RPT = VDG =
Registration
Submitted a registration with a certification of accuracy to the CUPA prior to submittal of the RMP - 19 CC
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
33
Included the data required in Section 2740.1 (d)(1) through (d)(20) in the registration - 19 CCR 4.5 2740.1(d
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
34
Hazard Assessment
General Applicability
Conducted a hazard assessment that complies with Sections 2750.2 through 2750.9 - 19 CCR 4.5 2750.1
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
37
Other Requirements
Recordkeeping
Maintained records supporting the implementation of CalARP for five years unless otherwise provided - 1
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
38
Coordinated with CUPA to ensure appropriate technical standards are applied to implement CalARP
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
39
Requested assistance from the CUPA when necessary to address compliance/safety issues with CalARP
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
40
Emergency Response Program
Emergency Response Applicability
Stationary source whose employees will not respond to releases met all applicable requirements - 19 CCR
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
41
Violation Comments:
ANNUAL RESPONDER'S MEETING ON DECEMBER 6, 2016
Emergency Response Program - Responding
Developed and implemented an emergency response program according to Section 2765.2(a) - 19 CCR 4.
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
42
Coordinated the ERP with the community ERP - 19 CCR 4.5 2765.2(b)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
43
Provided LEPC or ER officials information for developing and implementing the community ERP - 19 CCR
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
44
Program 3 Prevention Program
Process Safety Information
Compiled written process safety information pertaining to the hazards of the RS in the process - 19 CCR 4
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
77
Compiled written process safety information concerning the technology of the process - 19 CCR 4.5 2760
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
78
Compiled written process safety information pertaining to the equipment in the process
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
79
5198 - V1 Page 3 of 8 G-3
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
www.lafd.org
BUSINESS:
RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC
FACILITY ID:
FA 0024554
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017DA6LL2L2M
NOTICE#:
NVO = No Violation Observed OUT = Out of Compliance NA = Not Applicable UD = Undetermined COS = Corrected On Site RPT = VDG =
Program 3 Prevention Program
Documented that equipment complies with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practice
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
MINOR
COMPLY BY: 8/10/2017
80
Violation Description:
Failure to document that equipment complies with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices. 19 CCR 4.5
2760.1(d)(2)
Violation Comments:
DOCUMENTATION THAT EQUIPMENT COMPLIES WITH RAGAGEPS IS MISSING.
Documented that equipment is designed, maintained, inspected, tested, and operating in a safe manner -
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
MINOR
COMPLY BY: 8/10/2017
81
Violation Description:
For existing equipment designed and constructed in accordance with codes, standards, or practices that are no longer in general
use, the owner or operator has determined and documented that the equipment is designed, maintained, inspected, tested, and
operating in a safe manner. 19 CCR 4.5 2760.1(d)(3)
Process Hazard Analysis
Conducted an initial PHA on the covered processes no later than the date of submittal of the RMP - 19 CC
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
82
Performed a PHA that is appropriate for the complexity of the process - 19 CCR 4.5 2760.2(a)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
83
Worked with the CUPA in deciding which PHA methodology is best to determine the process hazards - 19
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
85
Used one or more methodologies in Section 2760.2 to determine and evaluate the process hazards - 19 C
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
86
The PHA addressed all requirements in Section 2760.2(c) - 19 CCR 4.5 2760.2(c)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
87
PHA performed by team with expertise, experience, and knowledge in the process and PHA methodology
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
88
The PHA addressed all requirements in Section 2760.2(e) - 19 CCR 4.5 2760.2(e)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
89
Updated and revalidated the PHA every five years after the completion of the initial PHA - 19 CCR 4.5 2760
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
90
Violation Comments:
PHA REVALIDATION ON SEPTEMBER 17-18, 2014
Retained all PHAs, updates/revalidations, and documented resolutions of recommendations – 19 CCR 4.5
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
91
Operating Procedures
Prepared written operating procedures that provide clear instructions for each covered process - 19 CCR
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
92
Developed and implemented written operating procedures that address elements in Section 2760.3(a)(1)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
93
5198 - V1 Page 4 of 8 G-4
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
www.lafd.org
BUSINESS:
RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC
FACILITY ID:
FA 0024554
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017DA6LL2L2M
NOTICE#:
NVO = No Violation Observed OUT = Out of Compliance NA = Not Applicable UD = Undetermined COS = Corrected On Site RPT = VDG =
Program 3 Prevention Program
Developed and implemented written operating procedures that address elements in Section 2760.3(a)(2) -
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
94
Developed and implemented written operating procedures that address elements in Section 2760.3(a)(3) -
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
95
Developed and implemented written operating procedures that address elements in Section 2760.3(a)(4) -
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
96
Operating procedures are readily accessible to employees who work in or maintain a process - 19 CCR 4.
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
97
Reviewed operating procedures to assure they reflect current operating practice - 19 CCR 4.5 2760.3(c) Ce
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
98
Certified annually that the operating procedures are current and accurate - 19 CCR 4.5 2760.3(c)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
99
Violation Comments:
CERTIFICATION DATE: 07/01/2014
Developed and implemented safe work practices to provide control of hazards during operations
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
100
Training
Trained employees involved in operating a process on requirements in Section 2760.4
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
101
Employees operating a process provided refresher training on operating procedures every three years
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
102
Training records identify the employee, training date, and means to verify training was understood
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
103
Mechanical Integrity
Established and implemented written procedures to maintain the integrity of process equipment
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
104
Employees conducting mechanical integrity are trained on requirements in Section 2760.5(c)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
105
Mechanical integrity inspections and testing performed according to Section 2760.5(d)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
106
Corrected deficiencies in equipment that are outside acceptable limits
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
107
Complied with quality assurance requirements in Section 2760.5(f)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
108
Management of Change
Established and implemented written procedures to manage changes to a covered process
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
109
5198 - V1 Page 5 of 8 G-5
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
www.lafd.org
BUSINESS:
RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC
FACILITY ID:
FA 0024554
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017DA6LL2L2M
NOTICE#:
NVO = No Violation Observed OUT = Out of Compliance NA = Not Applicable UD = Undetermined COS = Corrected On Site RPT = VDG =
Program 3 Prevention Program
MOC procedures address all requirements in Section 2760.6(b)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
110
Employees involved in operating and maintaining a process are informed and trained in any changes
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
111
Updated PSI when MOC resulted in a change to PSI
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
112
Updated operating procedures or practices if a MOC resulted in a change to procedures orpractices
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
113
Pre-Startup Review
Performed a pre-startup safety review when the modification required a change in the PSI
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
114
Pre-startup safety review addresses requirements in Section 2760.7(b) prior to introduction of a RS
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
115
Compliance Audits
Certified and evaluated compliance with the provisions of this article at least every three years
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
116
Compliance audit conducted by at least one person knowledgeable in the process
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
117
Develop a report of the findings of the audit
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
118
Documented a response to the compliance audit findings, including correction of deficiencies
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
119
Retained the two most recent compliance audit reports
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
120
Violation Comments:
COMPLIANCE AUDIT PERFORMED ON MARCH 24, 2015
Incident Investigation
Investigated each incident that resulted or could reasonably have resulted in a catastrophic release
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
121
Initiated incident investigations within 48 hours of the incident
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
122
Incident investigation team consists of a person with knowledge and experience in the process
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
123
Prepared an incident investigation report that includes all requirements in Section 2760.9(d)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
124
Established a system to promptly address and resolve the investigation findings and recommendations
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
125
5198 - V1 Page 6 of 8 G-6
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
www.lafd.org
BUSINESS:
RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC
FACILITY ID:
FA 0024554
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017DA6LL2L2M
NOTICE#:
NVO = No Violation Observed OUT = Out of Compliance NA = Not Applicable UD = Undetermined COS = Corrected On Site RPT = VDG =
Program 3 Prevention Program
Reviewed the incident investigation report with all affected personnel
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
126
Retained the incident investigation reports for five years
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
127
Employee Participation
Developed a written plan of action regarding the implementation of employee participation
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
128
Consulted with employees/representatives on conduct and development of the PHA and PSM elements
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
129
Provided employees/representatives with access to the PHA and all other CalARP information
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
130
Hot Work Permit
Issued a hot work permit for hot work operations conducted on or near a covered process
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
131
Hot work permit documents all requirements in Section 2760.11(b)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
132
Hot work permit kept on file until completion of the hot work operations
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
133
Contractors
Complied with all contractor requirements in Section 2760.12(b)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
134
Evaluated the performance of the contract owner or operator with requirements in Section 2760.12(c)
NVO OUT NA UD COS RPT
135
Overall Inspection Comments
This report shall serve as a “NOTICE TO COMPLY” for Minor Violations, and a “NOTICE OF VIOLATION” for Major
violations. Formal enforcement and/or penalty assessment may be initiated for any violations noted, and for those
not corrected in a timely manner. You are, hereby, ordered by the Fire Chief to correct the above noted violations
WITHIN 30 DAYS, OR FORTHWITH IF INDICATED IN THE CORRECTION SUMMARIES PROVIDED.
Please take a moment to participate in our Los Angeles Fire Department CUPA customer feedback survey by
utilizing the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CUPAFEEDBACK
Customer Feedback Survey
Signatures
5198 - V1 Page 7 of 8 G-7
Los Angeles Fire Department -Official Inspection Report
CALARP (Level 3)
200 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA90012
(213) 978-3680
www.lafd.org
BUSINESS:
RANCHO LPG HOLDINGS LLC
FACILITY ID:
FA 0024554
INSPECTION DATE:
07/11/2017DA6LL2L2M
NOTICE#:
Facility Supervisor
Anna Olekszyk
Rmpp Specialist
5198 - V1 Page 8 of 8 G-8
1
20201109_RESOLUTION_RanchoLPG_RMP_Storage_And_XPort_of_HAZMATS_v.FINAL
DRAFT
Approved by Sustainability Committee
Thursday, October 29, 2020 YEA (4) NAY (0) ABSTAIN (0)
TO BE SUBMITTED MOTION TO VOTE NWSPNC BOARD MEETING
Monday, November 9, 2020
Resolution addressing the risks posed by the Rancho LPG storage
facility to the Harbor Area
Whereas, the recent disaster in Beirut, Lebanon’s main port, where 2,750 tons of
ammonium nitrate exploded, resulted in great damage to that city and port.
Whereas, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate has the energy equivalent of
approximately 77,000 gallons of butan e.
Whereas, the risk posed by the Rancho LPG storage facility to the LA Harbor Area
is much greater where 25 million gallons of liquid butane can be stored, that is,
60,625 tons, in two refrigerated tanks, each with a maximum capacity of 12.5
million gallons.
Whereas, Rancho LPG’s risk assessment calculates a blast radius of 0.5 miles in a
worst case scenario based on federal regulatory guidance that limits evaporation to
10 minutes before a vapor cloud explosion if an impound basin is present to
contain all or some of the released butane.1
Whereas, San Pedro and Peninsula Homeowners United (SPPHU) questions the
efficacy of an impound basin in maintaining butane in a liquid state, and, therefore,
uses alternative regulatory guidance which requires that 10 percent of the available
energy of all the stored butane be used to calculate the blast radius of a vapor cloud
explosion. Accordingly, SPPHU calculates a 3 mile blast radius in a worst case
scenario.2
Whereas, SPPHU petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in May,
2016 to eliminate the May 1999 change to the Rule for Hazardous Materials under
1 Based on EPA’s RMP*Comp assessment tool, the quantity of butane that vaporizes to generate a 0.5 mile blast
radius is about 90 tons. Rancho LPG’s risk analyst used RMP*Comp to calculate blast radius.
2 In its Risk Management Plan, Rancho LPG’s analyst us ed 28,500 tons as a butane tank’s administrative capacity
which is less than the tank’s 30,312 ton maximum capacity. If 28,500 tons is used to calculate a blast radius when
an impound basin is not considered as a factor, the RMP*Comp program generates a 3.1 mile blast radius.
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“worst case analysis” (40 CFR 68.25) to limit the release time to 10 minutes and
accept the use of an impound basin as a proper safety mitigation measure for a
vaporous, heavy, rapidly expanding butane gas that cannot be captured in any
effective way.
Whereas, the Rancho LPG storage facility is within the rupture zone of the Palos
Verdes fault which is capable of generating a 7.3 magnitude earthquake
Whereas, the builder of the tanks designed the butane storage for a maximum
ground acceleration of 0.4g based on a 5.5 to 6.0 magnitude earthquake, a
consultant’s opinion was that it could possibly withstand up to a 7.2 earthquake
with ground acceleration of 0.38g. Nevertheless, the Public Utilities staff in its
September 1977 safety report on the facility could not rule out that, within their
lifetime, the tanks might experience an earthquake of such magnitude that would
damage both tanks, spilling their contents.34
Whereas, The Rancho LPG facility is also within the rupture zone of the
Wilmington Blind Thrust Fault capable of generating a 6.3 magnitude earthquake.
Potential linkages with other nearby faults (e.g., Huntington Beach, Torrance,
Compton) pose the threat of larger, multisegment events up to a magnitude 7.3
earthquake that would also directly impact the Ports of Los Angeles and Long
Beach.
Whereas, the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) does not include in its risk management
plan an evaluation of the risk posed by the routine rail transport of propane from
the Rancho LPG facility over port owned rail lines since it is not required to do so
by the California Coastal Commission.5
Whereas, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board unanimously
approved a January 12, 2016 resolution that the Rancho LPG storage facility be
relocated because of the risk it poses to nearby schools, and invoked the Beirut
blast in a recent letter to the L.A. Fire Department, calling for a new assessment of
the site’s vulnerability during an earthquake.
3 In its July 31, 1978 report, “Liquefied Energy Gases safety,” the GAO evaluated the seismic capacity of the butane
tanks. It concluded that that the tanks could withstand a maximum ground acceleration of 0.65g before a
significant leakage or failure at the tank bottom. This correlates to a 7.0 on the Richter scale.
4 Rancho LPG’s position is that a third party review in 2019 found that, based on California Accidental Release
Prevention (CalARP) program criteria, the two butane storage tanks would not fail in an earthquake.
5 A rail tank car holds 30,000 gallons of butane (72.75 tons) stored under pressure. Where there is no impound
basin to contain the liquid butane spilled from a rail car, RMP*Comp generates a 0.4 mile blast radius in a worst
case scenario.
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3
Whereas, under Education Code Section 17251, the California Department of
Education requires preparation of a rail safety study if a school site is within 1,500
feet of a railroad easement transporting hazardous commodities.
Whereas, in a March 3, 2017 decision, the Surface Transportation Board provided
guidance on preemption issues that would unreasonably burden or interfere with
rail transportation. It also recognized that such preemption is n ot unlimited: states
and localities retained their police powers to protect the public safety and health.
Whereas, in a February 20, 2018 letter to the California State Lands Commission,
the Attorney General wrote that “if the Commission cannot find a pub lic trust
violation, its only recourse is to report the Port’s activities to the Legislature. In
that case, the Legislature would be empowered to revoke or amend the 1911
granting status [but that] the Commission would have no present power to take
direct action to address the rail spur while the Legislature assesses the appropriate
path forward.”6
Therefore, the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council requests that the
Governor of California, Mayor of Los Angeles, POLA and the LAUSD each take
steps to ensure that the various risks posed by the operation of the Rancho LPG
storage facility are re-evaluated, and that the Governor and Mayor ensure that such
renewed efforts are coordinated with the appropriate California state and local
agencies, commissions, the California Legislature, and the relevant federal
departments and agencies.
Also, the following items should be considered for immediate action:
1. The conversion of the existing temporary month -to-month Westmont rail-
spur operating agreement to a long term lease with all the terms of such an
agreement including a new risk assessment.
2. The amendment of the operating agreement and rail spur permit to reflect
the transport of hazardous material.
3. The amendment of the operating agreement and rail spur permit to include
insurance commensurate with the risk for that use considering its dangerous
nature in close proximity to a dense population and the fair market value of
property assets subject to harm from an accident.
4. The hiring of a consultant by LAUSD to prepare the required safety studies
for the schools near the Rancho LPG facility, including an evacuation plan
and reasonable mitigation measures.
6 Rancho LPG operates the rail spur under a permit POLA issued in 2011 as a successor to the one issued to its
predecessor, Petrolane, in 1974.
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Addressees:
California Governor Gavin Newsom
California State Attorney General Xavier Becerra
Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti
Gene Seroka, Executive Director, POLA
Austin Beutner, Superintendent of LAUSD
cc. Los Angeles City Council
cc. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
cc. California State Lands Commission
cc. California Coastal Commission
cc. Mark Ghilarducci, Director Cal Office of Emergency Services
cc. California Geological Survey
cc. U.S. Geological Survey, Pasadena field office
cc. California Public Utilities Commission
cc. Board of Harbor Commissioners, POLA
cc. LAUSD School Board
cc. Joe Buscaino, Councilman, 15th District
cc. Janice Hahn, Supervisor, 4th District
cc. Aram Sahakain, LA City Emergency Management Department General
Manager
cc. Ralph Terrazas, LA City Fire Chief
cc. Ron Galperin, LA City Controller
cc. Rancho Palos Verdes City Council
cc. Mario Cordero, Executive Director, Port of Long Beach
cc. Board of Harbor Commissioners, Port of Long Beach
cc. Patrick O’Donnell, 70th California State Assembly District
cc. Nanette Barragan, U.S. House of Representatives, California 44th District
cc. Ted Lieu, U.S. House of Representative, California 33rd District
cc. Alan Lowenthal, House of Representatives, California 47th District
cc. Pacific Harbor Rail Line
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By By DONNA LITTLEJOHNDONNA LITTLEJOHN | | dlittlejohn@scng.comdlittlejohn@scng.com | Daily Breeze | Daily Breeze
PUBLISHED: PUBLISHED: October 8, 2020 at 2:53 p.m.October 8, 2020 at 2:53 p.m. | UPDATED: | UPDATED: October 8, 2020 at 7:52 p.m.October 8, 2020 at 7:52 p.m.
An aerial view rendering of the newly-branded West Harbor waterfront developmentAn aerial view rendering of the newly-branded West Harbor waterfront development
planned for San Pedro. (Rendering: Studio One Eleven, Rapt Studios)planned for San Pedro. (Rendering: Studio One Eleven, Rapt Studios)
After a lengthy in-house rebranding study, developers for San Pedro’s newAfter a lengthy in-house rebranding study, developers for San Pedro’s new
waterfront attraction have come up with a new name, a new look — and awaterfront attraction have come up with a new name, a new look — and a
couple of powerhouse restaurant tenants to announce.couple of powerhouse restaurant tenants to announce.
NEWSNEWS
San Pedro’s waterfrontSan Pedro’s waterfront
development gets a new name,development gets a new name,
more color and dining buy-insmore color and dining buy-ins
• •NewsNews
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The old name — San Pedro Public Market — has been jettisoned. Instead, theThe old name — San Pedro Public Market — has been jettisoned. Instead, the
development will now be known as West Harbor.development will now be known as West Harbor.
“We’ve been thinking about the project and working on it,” said Kathleen“We’ve been thinking about the project and working on it,” said Kathleen
Maguire Miller of the Ratkovich Co., the lead developer on the new waterfrontMaguire Miller of the Ratkovich Co., the lead developer on the new waterfront
project, which is expected to open in 2022. “We realized it’s much bigger thanproject, which is expected to open in 2022. “We realized it’s much bigger than
just ‘a public market,’ so we started asking how do we communicatejust ‘a public market,’ so we started asking how do we communicate
something bigger.”something bigger.”
West Harbor, she said, is envisioned as more of a district brand that can beWest Harbor, she said, is envisioned as more of a district brand that can be
used throughout the waterfront and marina areas.used throughout the waterfront and marina areas.
“The name West Harbor,” said Alan Johnson, CEO of Jerico Development,“The name West Harbor,” said Alan Johnson, CEO of Jerico Development,
which is working with Ratkovich on the plans, “better reflects the gravity ofwhich is working with Ratkovich on the plans, “better reflects the gravity of
what is really an entire new district coming to the L.A. Waterfront.”what is really an entire new district coming to the L.A. Waterfront.”
Work also has begun to coordinate with AltaSea, the marine research campus.Work also has begun to coordinate with AltaSea, the marine research campus.
Officials have also announced a new nautical-themed design that will includeOfficials have also announced a new nautical-themed design that will include
maritime and international flags and other elements.maritime and international flags and other elements.
A new color palette, including blues to reflect the ocean, is designed to play offA new color palette, including blues to reflect the ocean, is designed to play off
the flags and other new looks on the 42-acre site that once housed Ports O’the flags and other new looks on the 42-acre site that once housed Ports O’
Call Village.Call Village.
The look, Miller said, is “bright and fresh and crisp; it also says ‘waterfront.’”The look, Miller said, is “bright and fresh and crisp; it also says ‘waterfront.’”
The developers, meanwhile, have signed letters of intent from eateries forThe developers, meanwhile, have signed letters of intent from eateries for
more than 33,500 square feet of waterside restaurant space.more than 33,500 square feet of waterside restaurant space.
The restaurants currently lined up include the third location for Gladstone’s, aThe restaurants currently lined up include the third location for Gladstone’s, a
48-year-old restaurant that has a spot overlooking the ocean in Malibu and48-year-old restaurant that has a spot overlooking the ocean in Malibu and
another location in Long Beach; a new concept by Greg Morena, who runs theanother location in Long Beach; a new concept by Greg Morena, who runs the
Albright on the Santa Monica Pier and created Pappy’s in downtown SanAlbright on the Santa Monica Pier and created Pappy’s in downtown San
Pedro; and a restaurant envisioned by Robert Bell, chef and owner of the now-Pedro; and a restaurant envisioned by Robert Bell, chef and owner of the now-
closed Chez Melange in Redondo Beach.closed Chez Melange in Redondo Beach.
The San Pedro Fish Market, which has remained open on the site, willThe San Pedro Fish Market, which has remained open on the site, will
continue as a tenant in the new development with a new building.continue as a tenant in the new development with a new building.
Final negotiations are underway also with Nederlander Concerts for a 6,200-Final negotiations are underway also with Nederlander Concerts for a 6,200-
seat amphitheater that will be built on the waterfront. If plans go forward toseat amphitheater that will be built on the waterfront. If plans go forward to
move the USS Iowa to the Southern Pacific Slip, the historic World War IImove the USS Iowa to the Southern Pacific Slip, the historic World War II
battleship will serve as a backdrop to the entertainment.battleship will serve as a backdrop to the entertainment.
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Harbor Breeze Cruises is onboard for waterside attractions, water taxis andHarbor Breeze Cruises is onboard for waterside attractions, water taxis and
harbor cruises.harbor cruises.
And outdoor spaces will continue to be central, including plans for a breweryAnd outdoor spaces will continue to be central, including plans for a brewery
and beer garden that could be built to connect to a barge with seating.and beer garden that could be built to connect to a barge with seating.
There could even be a beach.There could even be a beach.
“There’s a desire for a beach space where people could walk through sand to“There’s a desire for a beach space where people could walk through sand to
order drinks” before heading out on a gangway to the barge, Miller said.order drinks” before heading out on a gangway to the barge, Miller said.
Included in the dining and entertainment venue will be farmers’ and pop-upIncluded in the dining and entertainment venue will be farmers’ and pop-up
markets.markets.
Like most everything else, however, the coronavirus pandemic has slowed theLike most everything else, however, the coronavirus pandemic has slowed the
plans. A groundbreaking planned for earlier this year had to be canceled butplans. A groundbreaking planned for earlier this year had to be canceled but
will now take place in 2021, with the development set to open sometime inwill now take place in 2021, with the development set to open sometime in
2022.2022.
Developer Wayne Ratkovich, speaking in JanuaryDeveloper Wayne Ratkovich, speaking in January at a groundbreaking for the at a groundbreaking for the
promenade and town square that will be part of the project, said the processpromenade and town square that will be part of the project, said the process
had been long and complex.had been long and complex.
He characterized the effort as a “massive redevelopment of the entire SanHe characterized the effort as a “massive redevelopment of the entire San
Pedro waterfront.Pedro waterfront.
“This is not a minor remodeling job,” Ratkovich said at that time. “This is a“This is not a minor remodeling job,” Ratkovich said at that time. “This is a
major, historic construction project.”major, historic construction project.”
The Port of Los Angeles has continued work on the infrastructure, with aboutThe Port of Los Angeles has continued work on the infrastructure, with about
30% of the promenade completed.30% of the promenade completed.
The 1.9-acre, 30-foot wide promenade will run parallel to the port’s MainThe 1.9-acre, 30-foot wide promenade will run parallel to the port’s Main
Channel for about a mile, meeting a new 4-acre town square at Sixth StreetChannel for about a mile, meeting a new 4-acre town square at Sixth Street
and Harbor Boulevard. It will provide a public space that will link to the Sanand Harbor Boulevard. It will provide a public space that will link to the San
Pedro Public Market being built to the south.Pedro Public Market being built to the south.
The $33 million LA Waterfront town square is now also under constructionThe $33 million LA Waterfront town square is now also under construction
next to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum and will serve as the gateway to thenext to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum and will serve as the gateway to the
project. It is scheduled to be completed in 2021.project. It is scheduled to be completed in 2021.
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Signaling a New Era for the LA Waterfront , 42-Acre San Pedro Development
Rebrands as “West Harbor,” Reflecting Growing Project Vision
(L) rendering showing the reinvention of the LA waterfront promenade (C) rendering, aerial view of West Harbor waterfront and
planned outdoor dining space (R) rendering , vibrant harbor -side entertainment district
Credit: Studio One Eleven , Rapt Studio s
(SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA; October 7, 2020)–The landmark, 42-acre waterfront destination formerly known
as San Pedro Public Market reveals reimagined design strategy, new branding, and new name today: West
Harbor. The bold new visual identity and fresh name reflect the evolution of this pioneering San Pedro-based
project; the development has grown substantially from initial plans to reinvigorate the former Ports O’ Call
restaurants (a high-yielding commercial hot spot reporting approximately $50 million in gross annual sales), into
a modern and vibrant harbor-side entertainment district featuring a broad array of retail, dining, and public
attractions unlike any other in Southern California—and beyond.
As of press release distribution, West Harbor has secured signed letters of intent for over 33,500 square
feet of waterside restaurant space, including a new concept from Greg Morena (owner of The Albright,
the longest running restaurant on the Santa Monica Pier and San Pedro’s own Pappy’s Seafood), Southern
California icon Gladstone’s Long Beach, and a new restaurant and market from chef/restaurateur Robert
Bell (owner of Mama Terano and the former Chez Melange, a longtime beloved neighborhood
institution). The project team is in near final, exclusive negotiations with Nederlander Concerts (for a 6,200-
seat waterfront amphitheatre), Harbor Breeze Cruises (for waterside attractions, harbor cruises, water
taxis, etc.), a brewery, beer garden, and more.
More than a public market, West Harbor is an epic collaboration between two Southern California-based, family-
owned businesses (The Ratkovich Company and Jerico Development) and the Port of Los Angeles , who together
are redefining what the LA Waterfront can be. The Port of Los Angeles has invested $95 million in
infrastructure support for West Harbor, as seen in the Town Square and waterfront Promenade
construction currently under way (with $600 million in overall waterfront improvements made since 2004, and K-1
plans to reach $1 billion by 2025). Development and equity partners have guaranteed an additional $35
million, $15 million of which has been utilized to lay the groundwork for the project to date. Groundbreaking
for the remainder of the project will begin in 2021, with a public debut in 2022.
“West Harbor will be a world-class waterfront destination unlike anything before it, a big new happening for
locals and visitors alike,” says Wayne Ratkovich, Founder and CEO of The Ratkovich Company . “Our waterfront
site now totals 42 acres, something truly unique in Los Angeles . The project inherently offers abundant and
dynamic outdoor space and attractive waterfront leasing options, features sought after not only in today’s
climate, but also timeless in value. West Harbor and the continued forward movement of this project —together
with the progress of AltaSea’s blue tech incubator—are an indicator of big things to come on the LA Waterfront.”
“The name West Harbor better reflects the gravity of what is really an entire new district coming to the LA
Waterfront,” says Alan Johnson, CEO of Jerico Development. “Inspired by International maritime signal flags, this
new branding weaves in iconic nautical elements alongside colors that call to mind Southern California’s
signature sunshine, ocean waters, and sunset views. It’s a beautiful, harbor-side expanse built for the 21st century;
a place where joggers, boaters, cyclists, San Pedrans, residents across greater Los Angeles, and visitors all come
together to enjoy the best of what the Southland has to offer.”
Entitled for a total of 375,000 square feet, and with historic approval on a 66-year lease from the Los
Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, West Harbor is situated along the main channel of the LA
Waterfront and against the backdrop of North America’s busiest worki ng port. This monumental project is
being designed by an internationally recognized team of leading architects and urban planners, including James
Corner Field Operations and Studio One Eleven. Like no space before it, it will juxtapose the bustling energy of a
working port with the public at play, introducing an entirely new entertainment district that expands public access
to the water. With multiple, compelling means of arriving at the destination: from courtesy slips and water taxis
to bike paths and Metro’s Express Lanes, visitors can essentially drive, bike, walk, and even sail to the
destination. West Harbor will further link to the California Coastal Trail, seamlessly connecting the greater
Los Angeles region to the destination.
The project’s 6,200-seat, open-air amphitheatre is slated to sit directly along the waterfront and against the
dramatic backdrop of the Battleship USS Iowa (West Harbor and the Port of Los Angeles are reviewing proposed
plans to move the iconic battleship to the site). Complementing this new entertainment district are nearby
businesses both historic and modern, including farmers’ and pop-up markets, AltaSea (a cutting-edge marine
research center and blue tech incubator), and the vibrant Downtown San Pedro Arts District. To learn more about
West Harbor and for updates on the project, visit WestHarborLA.com, follow @westharborlosangeles and West
Harbor on Facebook.
About The Ratkovich Company
The Ratkovich Company (TRC) is a Los Angeles-based development company whose mission is to profitably improve the quality of urban
life. TRC engages in both new projects and the imaginative reuse of existing buildings. TRC has completed, or has under development,
over 18 million square feet of commercial space in Los Angeles County, including West Harbor; The Bloc, a 1.8 million square foot, mixed -
use property at the heart of downtown Los Angeles; The Alhambra, a 40-acre, mixed-use urban community in the city of Alhambra; and
The Hercules Campus at Playa Vista, a landmark property including the hangar where Howard Hughes’ legendary Spruce Goose was bu ilt,
and now home to Google/YouTube and 72andSunny. TRC has won numerous awards for its restoration of Los Angeles landmarks including
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the Art Deco Wiltern Theatre and adjacent Pellissier building; and the iconic 31-story 5900 Wilshire on Miracle Mile. The James Oviatt and
Fine Arts buildings were both awarded national landmark status after successful renovations by TRC. For more info rmation, visit
www.ratkovich.com .
About Jerico Development
Jerico Development, Inc., established in 1984, is a San Pedro -based real estate development and property management company. Jerico
is the owner and developer of over 1.2 million square feet of commercial space including three historic buildings in San Pedro. Its affiliated
family-owned companies are engaged in commercial office, institutional, retail, and multi -family residential development projects in the
Southern California; metro Denver, Colorado; and Raleigh, North Carolina markets. Their current development activities are fo cused on
downtown San Pedro and the LA Waterfront. For more information, visit https://jerico-development.com/.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT WAGSTAFF MEDIA & MARKETING
westharbor@wagstaffmktg.com | 323.871.1151
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Megan Barnes
From:scott sandell <scotts23@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, December 4, 2020 10:44 PM
To:CC
Subject:West Harbor amphitheater
Dear City Council Members,
I am writing to inquire and express my concern about the plan for a 6,000-plus-seat amphitheater at the San
Pedro waterfront project now known as West Harbor.
I have read various media reports about this project in recent weeks. The idea of adding a large outdoor concert
venue some three miles from the city limits of Rancho Palos Verdes is concerning. And it is being discussed
seemingly with no input from residents of Rancho Palos Verdes, or for that matter, San Pedro.
Some reports describe the amphitheater as still lacking required permits; others describe it as a fait accompli.
Reports state that the stage would be directed toward the ocean. But given how sound travels, what would be
the impact on residences on the eastern side of Rancho Palos Verdes?
Has the city of Rancho Palos Verdes been made aware of the potential impact on its residents? Is there an
environmental impact report for this project and in particular the sound impacts on surrounding communities?
What input has the city had, if any, and what input will it have the opportunity to give?
As the general plan for Rancho Palos Verdes states, it shall be the goal of the city “through proper land use
planning and regulations, to provide for a quiet and serene residential community with a minimum of restriction
on citizen activity.”
Therefore, I would like to know what proactive measures the city is taking to prevent the introduction of a
potential source of noise pollution.
Sincerely,
Scott Sandell
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