City Council

(20) 24­0555 CD 15 CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION AND RELATED CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT FINDINGS, PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT (PLUM) COMMITTEE REPORT and ORDINANCE FIRST CONSIDERATION relative to adding Subdivision 36 to Subsection A of Section 12.22 of Article 2 of Chapter I of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to regulate new or expanded trucking­related uses in the Wilmington­Harbor City Community Plan Area. Recommendations for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR: 1. FIND, based on the independent judgment of the decision­maker, that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b)(3), which provides that a project is exempt from CEQA if the draft ordinance is of a type that clearly does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. FIND the ordinance is categorically exempt from CEQA under the Class 8 categorical exemption (California Code of Regulations, title Tuesday - June 25, 2024 - PAGE 24 14, section 15308), which provides an ordinance is exempt, which is 1. FIND, based on the independent judgment of the decision­maker, that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b)(3), which provides that a project is exempt from CEQA if the draft ordinance is of a type that clearly does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. FIND the ordinance is categorically exempt from CEQA under the Class 8 categorical exemption (California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15308), which provides an ordinance is exempt, which is adopted to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. 2. ADOPT the FINDINGS of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission (LACPC) as the Findings of Council. 3. PRESENT and ADOPT the accompanying ORDINANCE dated June 12, 2024, adding Subdivision 36 to Subsection A of Section 12.22 of Article 2 of Chapter I of the LAMC to regulate new or expanded trucking­related uses in the Wilmington­Harbor City Community Plan Area. In accordance with City Charter Section 253, the Ordinance contains an urgency clause for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, and is effective upon publication. This urgency clause is necessary because permanent measures are needed for the immediate protection of residential areas from adverse impacts such as noise, dust, visual and air quality impacts, and increased truck traffic through residential streets caused by the establishment of Trucking­Related Uses near residential neighborhoods as supported by the administrative record. 4. APPROVE the following proposed amendments: a. 7. Trucking Terminal. A building, structure, or principal use of land where freight trucks dock to unload/ load and transport goods, and which may include the storage of freight trucks or truck trailers or associated equipment/accessories, including, but not limited to, chassis, container stackers, cranes, and forklift trucks. Trucking Terminal does not include commercial uses of land such as grocery or retail stores with loading docks. b. The new Section 2 in the LAMC shall read: Any project which has received a hardship exemption under Ordinance Number 187552 prior to this ordinance becoming effective shall be exempt from the prohibition in this ordinance. to prepare and present Ordinance that incorporates the proposed amendments listed forklift trucks. Trucking Terminal does not include commercial uses of land such as grocery or retail stores with loading docks. b. The new Section 2 in the LAMC shall read: Any project which has received a hardship exemption under Ordinance Number 187552 prior to this ordinance becoming effective shall be exempt from the prohibition in this ordinance. 5. REQUEST the City Attorney to prepare and present a revised Ordinance that incorporates the proposed amendments listed above in Recommendation 4a and 4b. Fiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the City Attorney. Neither the City Administrative Office nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.