Long Beach City Council
February 7, 2023

Fire Station No. 9 at 4101 Long Beach Boulevard
City Council Public Hearing – January 24, 2023
Proposed Project
• Clear existing 0.4-acre site
• Construct a new two-story (12,780 square foot) Fire Station No. 9 with three drive-through apparatus bays located at 4101 Long Beach Boulevard
• Requested approvals:
o General Plan Amendment
o Zone Change
o Site Plan Review
o Standards Variances (2)
o Lot Merger
o Amendment to a special setback
2 Vicinity Map
Zoning:
• Community Commercial Automobile-
Oriented (CCA)
• Single-family Residential, large lot (R-
1-L)
General Plan (2019):
• Neighborhood Serving Center or
Corridor Low Density (NSC-L)/3
Stories
• Founding and Contemporary
Neighborhood (FCN)/2 Stories
3 Background
• The proposed project would serve as a
replacement to the original Fire Station No. 9,
which was formerly located two blocks (900 ft)
south of the project site.
• Summer 2019 – Original Fire Station No. 9
vacated due to the presence of toxic mold in
the building.
• July 2020 – A temporary Fire Station No. 9
established at 2019 East Wardlow Road with a
three-year lease until a new fire station can be
constructed.
• October 6, 2022 – Planning Commission
recommended that City Council certify the
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and
approve the project.
4 General Plan Amendment and Zone Change
5 Site Plan
• Lot Merger to create a single 0.4-
acre lot
• Two-story (12,780 square feet) Fire
Station
• Three drive-through apparatus bays
• Widened alley
• 11 off-street parking spaces
• Two new/widened driveways
o Standards Variances (2) for curb cut
width and proximity to intersection
6 Elevations
7 Special Setback
8 Conditions of Approval
• Compliance with the EIR Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP).
• Pedestrian access and protection plan during construction. • Install new traffic signals prior to fire station operation. • Notification of neighbors for initiation of construction activities. • 11 parking spaces onsite to accommodate shift change. • Obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.
• Dedicate and improve 2.5 feet of right-of-way for alley widening. 9 CEQA
Public and Agency Review of Draft EIR (45 Days)
July 15, 2022, to August 29, 2022
Prepare Initial Study
Prepare/Distribute
Notice of Preparation (30 Days)
February 18, 2022 to March 29, 2022
Scoping Meeting
March 9, 2022
Prepare Draft EIR
Prepare Final EIR Including
Response to Comments
August 29, 2022 to September 20, 2022
Issue Notice of Determination
City Council Hearing
January 24, 2023
Distributed Final EIR to
Commenting Agencies
September 20, 2022
Planning Commission Hearing
October 6, 2022
10 California Environmental Quality Act
Issues Found to be Less Than Significant with Mitigation Incorporated • Cultural Resources
• Noise
• Tribal Cultural Resources
11 California Environmental Quality Act
Findings of Fact
• CEQA Requirement: Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21002 states that “public agencies should not approve projects as proposed if there are feasible alternatives or feasible mitigation measures available which would substantially lessen the significant environmental effects of such projects[.]” • The proposed project does not have any significant and unavoidable impacts. 12 Noticing and Outreach
• Public Works Outreach
o A community meeting was held by the Public Works Department on November 9, 2020.
• Environmental Review Public Comments
o The City received five written comments during this Initial Study review period o The City received four written comments on the Draft Environmental Impacts Report during this review period.
13 Noticing and Outreach (continued)
• Planning Commission Comments
o One verbal comment was received during the Planning Commission hearing from the abutting neighbor.
• The City Council public hearing was noticed pursuant to Chapter 21.21 of the Long Beach Municipal Code:
o A total of 1,054 notices of public hearing were mailed to a 1,000-foot radius on January 10, 2023.
o A notice of public hearing was published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on January 10, 2023.
o All contacts on the EIR distribution list and all commenters on the EIR were emailed a notice of public hearing.
o Notices were posted onsite.
• No additional public comments have been received in response to the required noticing.
14 Adopt a Resolution certifying the Fire Station No. 9 at 4101 Long Beach Boulevard Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR-04-21, SCH# 2022020416), making findings of facts and approving a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP);
Adopt a Resolution approving a General Plan Amendment (GPA21-003) from Founding and Contemporary Neighborhood (FCN) to Neighborhood Serving Center or Corridor Low Density (NSC-L); Declare an Ordinance approving a Zone Change (ZCHG21-003) from Community Commercial Automobile- Oriented (CCA) and Single-family Residential, large lot (R-1-L) to Mixed-Use Zone-1 (MU-1) read for the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading; Declare an Ordinance amending Ordinance No. C-1015 to repeal and remove the five-foot-special setback along the west side of Long Beach Boulevard where it fronts the Fire Station No. 9 project at 4101 Long Beach Boulevard read for the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading; Approve Site Plan Review (SPR21-050) for clearance of an existing 0.4-acre site and construction of a new two- story (12,780 square foot) Fire Station No. 9 with three (3) drive-through apparatus bays located at 4101 Long Beach Boulevard;
Approve Standards Variances requests to allow: 1) a driveway on Randolph Place located less than thirty feet (30′) from an intersection (SV22-006) and 2) a curb cut greater than the 24-foot maximum on Randolph Place (SV22-007); and,
Approve a Lot Merger (LMG22-014) to merge three lots into one 16,829-square-foot lot. (District 5) Recommendation
15 Thank you
Maryanne Cronin
Planner
[email protected]
16 Site Selection
• The Public Works Department held public
meetings on November 9, 2020 and December
16, 2020 to answer public comments, including
those related to the selection process.
• The site selection process included multiple
parameters.
• To meet the operational and maneuverability
needs of a 3-apparatus bay fire station, an
approximate site size of 0.5 acre (21,780 sf) would
be needed assuming the above factors were
satisfactory. A smaller site could be
accommodated and was reviewed if street access
provided a drive through configuration.
• The site located at 4101 Long Beach Boulevard is
16,829 sf (0.4 acre) and was able to meet the
requirements above due to the site’s corner
configuration and alley access.
17 Floor Plan
1st Floor 2 nd Floor
18 Circulation
Type 1 Engine Rescue Company Battalion Chief Type 3
19 Alternatives Considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Review • Alternative 1: No Project Alternative – Current Lease Term o Would not meet project objectives
• Alternative 2: No Project Alternative - Temporary Fire Station Location Made Permanent
o Environmentally Superior Alternative
• Reduced physical impacts as compared to the proposed project and the potential to provide a permanent long-term fire station.
• However, would result in a fire station outside of the Fire Station No. 9 service area. • Current lease from a private property owner would not guarantee the permanent provision of fire facilities.
o Would meet only some of the identified project objectives, it would fail to meet those objectives as fully as the Proposed Project.
20