020723-H-12 Corresp.pdf — Long Beach City Council, February 21, 2023

H-12 Correspondence – Corliss Lee

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 1:22 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>; Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>
Cc: City Manager <[email protected]>
Subject: February 7th City Council agenda item #12

-EXTERNAL-

City Clerk,
Please include these comments in the packet for tonight's city council meeting and also send a copy to the Planning Commission as feedback.

Council members,

I oppose the warehouse development at 5910 Cherry Ave and request a full EIR for this project.

The proposed warehouse development at 5910 Cherry Ave, consisting of a 303,972 square foot concrete tilt-up building including 9,000 square feet of office space approximately 51 feet in height on a 14.16-acre lot will include 44 truck bays, 79 truck stalls, and 338 car stalls. A location designated as appropriate for neo-industrial placetype uses should result in light impacts. This project does not appear to fit that designation.

If this development is approved as planned now, it will have negative effects on the local climate and community health as well as negatively impacting traffic and parking. According to the CAL Enviroscreen report, pollution is already a major factor. It will be greatly increased with trucking and automobile traffic.

Please require a full EIR to identify outcomes and protect the local community from negative impacts.

Respectfully,
Corliss Lee
Member Citizens About Responsible Planning (CARP)
(714) 401 7063

References:
https://longbeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1079373&GUID=6D75DA49-1933-449B-A1DD-B3F14EA7D7EE http://longbeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6010453&GUID=CD935569-E3F2-4FC0-9ADC-067BA12FD28A

February 7, 2023

To Long Beach City Council:

RE: Proposed Warehouse in North Long Beach – Item 23-0104

I’m a native Long Beach resident for over 30 years. Thirty years of air pollution from the 710 and 91 freeway, truck traffic, and industrial footprints. While Metro, Caltrans, Governor’s Office, CARB, and AQMD are pushing for clean air initiatives, the city of Long Beach is allowing a new warehouse to be built, with approximately 44 ADDITIONAL trucks to come through our neighborhoods.

According to OEHHA’s CalEnviroscreen tool, the 5910 Cherry Avenue Long Beach, CA 90805 address is already burdened with diesel particulate matter emissions, toxic releases from facilities, and considered a disadvantaged community per SB 535.

And you want to add MORE trucks in this area? The city should be investing in green programs, parks, community centers, clean energy jobs, affordable housing, and renewable energy opportunities – not big industry. Especially a company, Blackstone Group, notoriously known for buying up homes across the country and making affordable housing impossible.

It’s disappointing, but not shocking, to see that the City of Long Beach care more about big business than the quality of life for its citizens. How come you don’t put this business in Southeast Long Beach? Right – cause white and privileged folks lives matter more.

Ambar Rivera

H-12 Correspondence – Whitney Amaya

From: Whitney Amaya [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 3:03 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Public Comment: 2/7 City Council Agenda Item #12

-EXTERNAL-

Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,

My name is Whitney Amaya. I'm a community member from West Long Beach and with East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice.

As you all may be aware, our communities in West, North, and Central Long Beach have high levels of air pollution. Living in our communities we bear the burden of breathing in dirty air that endangers our health and see higher cases of respiratory conditions such as asthma, wheezing, decreased lung function, increased likelihood of hospital visits, heart disease, and even early death. One of the causes of this public health issue are large semi-trucks running on diesel gas going to and from the ports to rail yards and warehouses that are also built in our communities.

I don't want to see more warehouses going up in our city, in our communities; we're already dealing with too much. We need the city to do deep and meaningful community engagement with our communities to determine the types of projects and developments we need and deserve. I ask that you approve the appeal and request that this warehouse proposal at 5910 Cherry Ave and others moving forward include a full evaluation of the environmental and health impacts.

Research shows these kinds of projects bring traffic, noise, and pollution to nearby neighborhoods, putting the health of the community in danger and diminishing the quality-of- life. The city should ask for a plan EIR of the area and adopt a set of regulations to reduce/control pollution before approving these kinds of developments.

This is not about just limiting PM emissions from trucks, but about mitigating long standing pollution in the air, land, and water, and improving the quality of life, as promised, in the communities most burdened by overall pollution.

Please approve the appeal and request a full EIR.

--
Best,

Whitney Amaya (she/her/hers)
Zero Waste Community Organizer/Member
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice
Please Donate to our Giving Tuesday Campaign Supporting EJ research(ers)! Website| Facebook| YouTube| Twitter| Instagram

H-12 Correspondence – Laurie C. Angel

From: Laurie C. Angel [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2023 11:15 AM
To: Mayor <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; Council District 1 <[email protected]>; CityClerk <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Thomas Modica <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]> Cc: CityAttorney <[email protected]>; Tom Modica <[email protected]>; Jordan R Sisson <[email protected]>; Kirk Davis <[email protected]> Subject: Fwd: For City Council Meeting Feb 7, Agenda Item 12 23-0104 5910 Cherry Warehouse

-EXTERNAL-

Dear City Clerk,

Please add this email to the record for this agenda item.

Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,

Please note the links below that provide direction from the California Attorney General regarding warehouse projects and an important health report from the 2022 MemorialCare Long Beach Memorial Community Health Needs Assessment.

Both items are provided in consideration of the health, and well being to the immediate and broader population of residents in the North Long Beach that are already gravely impacted by port and trucking operations every single day. This project will only add to these adverse conditions as they will consistently expose residents and those that work in the area to the adverse and incremental increase in deadly air pollution, even more deadly with refrigerated vehicles, noise and traffic.

The 91 freeway at Cherry is already tied up at peak periods causing extensive traffic backups from the northbound and southbound 710 freeway interchange to the eastbound 91. What alternatives will the trucking community use to avoid these impediments because they will only exacerbate this traffic? Will trucks regularly use the 405 south to Cherry north? Use Del Amo or Artesia east? Who would stop them? There is no traffic enforcement we can rely on. The city of Carson is inundated with these impacts. Is Long Beach now going to allow these impacts and adverse conditions to our city in North Long Beach one project after another?

In addition, the air quality, traffic, and noise studies produced by the developer were done using unrealistic, minimal levels of activity, not considering the expansion they

are building into their site plan nor the cumulative health impacts already present. Shouldn't our city demand realistic analyses of the impacts of these projects to protect its residents, at a minimum?

2400 Artesia Warehouse was the beginning of this recent deluge of issues associated with trucking and distribution to this area. 5910 Cherry is the next. The demand for this land use will only intensify if you continue to allow it, and it will make our residents even less healthy. What is more important?

From the 2040 General Plan - Land Use and Design Elements:

Neo-Industrial PlaceType encourages the location, evolution and retention of restricted light industrial activities associated with innovative start-up businesses and creative design offices in the arts, engineering, sciences, technology, media, education, information industries, among others.

Development Patterns. This PlaceType promotes low-intensity uses adjacent to low-density residential uses and medium-intensity uses adjacent to industrial uses. In new Neo-Industrial developments this basic rule must always be respected. … Existing development patterns must be respected.

In North Long Beach, Neo-Industrial uses are limited strictly to manufacturing and office uses with an allowance for retail sales and commercial businesses that support the primary Neo-Industrial endeavors.

Allowing a massive truck and warehouse operation (with 44 truck bays!!) is completely contrary to the city's general plan, and the neo-industrial placetype this body adopted in
December 2019. You must consider our health and wellbeing and the ongoing incremental damage these operations
include.

We expect that you understand the importance of each and every land use decision that you make and how it impacts this city and especially vulnerable populations as those in North Long Beach. This use is NOT what was planned over the past 20

years from the North Long Beach Strategic Guide to
Development in 2002 to current plans, goals and
pronouncements. This is not the type of development the community and the city planned for. Now is the time to stop it.

Respectfully submitted,

Laurie Angel, Appellant
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Laurie C. Angel <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Feb 2, 2023 at 9:24 AM
Subject: For City Council Meeting Feb 7, Agenda Item 12 23-0104 5910 Cherry Warehouse To: <[email protected]>
Cc: Kirk Davis <[email protected]>, Jordan R Sisson <[email protected]>

Please include this email and the attached item in the record for this agenda item.

California Attorney General's Warehouse Best Practices based upon evaluations of numerous such projects.

https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/environment/warehouse-best-practices.pdf

Of note from the Attorney General's document:

" When done properly, these activities can contribute to the economy and consumer welfare. However, imprudent warehouse development can harm local communities and the environment. Among other pollutants, diesel trucks visiting warehouses emit nitrogen oxide (NOx)—a primary precursor to smog formation and a significant factor in the development of respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis, and lung irritation—and diesel particulate matter (a subset of fine particular matter that is smaller than

2.5 micrometers)—a contributor to cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and premature death. 10 Trucks and on-site loading activities can also be loud, bringing disruptive noise levels during 24/7 operation that can cause hearing damage after prolonged exposure.11 The hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of daily truck and passenger car trips that warehouses generate contribute to traffic jams, deterioration of road surfaces, and traffic accidents. These environmental impacts also tend to be concentrated in neighborhoods already suffering from disproportionate health impacts."

"To systematically address warehouse development, we encourage governing bodies to proactively plan for logistics projects in their jurisdictions. Proactive planning allows jurisdictions to prevent land use conflicts before they materialize and guide sustainable development. Benefits also include providing a predictable business environment, protecting residents from environmental harm, and setting consistent expectations jurisdiction-wide. Proactive planning can take any number of forms. Land use

1 XAVIER BECERRA State of California
Attorney General DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Warehouse Projects: Best Practices and Mitigation Measures to Comply with the California Environmental Quality Act

In carrying out its duty to enforce laws across California, the California Attorney General’s Bureau of Environmental Justice (Bureau)1 regularly reviews proposed warehouse projects for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other laws.

When necessary, the Bureau submits comment letters to lead agencies, and in rare cases the Bureau has filed litigation to enforce CEQA.2 This document builds upon the Bureau’s comment letters, collecting knowledge gained from the Bureau’s review of hundreds of warehouse projects across the state. It is meant to help lead agencies pursue CEQA compliance and promote environmentally-just development as they confront warehouse project proposals.3 While CEQA analysis is necessarily project-specific, this document provides information on feasible best practices and mitigation measures, the overwhelming majority of which have been adapted from actual warehouse projects in California.

I. Background
In recent years, the proliferation of e-commerce and rising consumer expectations of rapid shipping have contributed to a boom in warehouse development.4 California, with its ports, population centers, and transportation network, has found itself at the center of this trend.

For example, in 2014, 40 percent of national container cargo flowed through Southern California, which was home to nearly 1.2 billion square feet of warehouse facilities.5 In the Inland Empire alone, 150 million square feet of new industrial space was built over the last decade,6 and 21 of the largest 100 logistics leases signed in 2019 nationwide were in the Inland

1 https://oag.ca.gov/environment/justice.
2 https://oag.ca.gov/environment/ceqa/letters; South Central Neighbors United et al. v.

City of Fresno et al. (Super. Ct. Fresno County, No. 18CECG00690). 3 Anyone reviewing this document to determine CEQA compliance responsibilities should consult their own attorney for legal advice.
4 As used in this document, “warehouse” or “logistics facility” is defined as a facility consisting of one or more buildings that stores cargo, goods, or products on a short or long term basis for later distribution to businesses and/or retail customers. 5 Industrial Warehousing in the SCAG Region, Task 2. Inventory of Warehousing Facilities (April 2018), http://www.scag.ca.gov/Documents/Task2_FacilityInventory.pdf at 1-1, 2-11.
6 Los Angeles Times, When your house is surrounded by massive warehouses, October 27, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-27/fontana-california- warehouses-inland-empire-pollution.

2 Empire, comprising 17.5 million square feet.7 This trend has not slowed, even with the economic downturn caused by COVID-19, as e-commerce has continued to grow.8 Forecasts predict that the Central Valley is where a new wave of warehouse development will go.9 When done properly, these activities can contribute to the economy and consumer welfare. However, imprudent warehouse development can harm local communities and the environment. Among other pollutants, diesel trucks visiting warehouses emit nitrogen oxide (NOx)—a primary precursor to smog formation and a significant factor in the development of respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis, and lung irritation—and diesel particulate matter (a subset of fine particular matter that is smaller than 2.5 micrometers)—a contributor to cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and premature death.10 Trucks and on-site loading activities can also be loud, bringing disruptive noise levels during 24/7 operation that can cause hearing damage after prolonged exposure.11 The hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of daily truck and passenger car trips that warehouses generate contribute to traffic jams, deterioration of road surfaces, and traffic accidents. These environmental impacts also tend to be concentrated in neighborhoods already suffering from disproportionate health impacts.

7 CBRE, Dealmakers: E-Commerce & Logistics Firms Drive Demand for Large Warehouses in 2019 (January 23, 2020), https://www.cbre.us/research-and-reports/US-MarketFlash- Dealmakers-E-Commerce-Logistics-Firms-Drive-Demand-for-Large-Warehouses-in-2019; see also CBRE, E-Commerce and Logistics Companies Expand Share Of Largest US Warehouse Leases, CBRE Analysis Finds (Feb. 25, 2019),
https://www.cbre.us/about/media-center/inland-empire-largest-us-warehouse-leases (20 of the largest 100 warehousing leases in 2018 were in the Inland Empire, comprising nearly 20 million square feet).
8 CBRE, 2021 U.S. Real Estate Market Outlook, Industrial & Logistics, https://www.cbre.us/research-and-reports/2021-US-Real-Estate-Market-Outlook-Industrial- Logistics; Kaleigh Moore, As Online Sales Grow During COVID-19, Retailers Like Montce Swim Adapt And Find Success, FORBES (June 24, 2020), available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/kaleighmoore/2020/06/24/as-online-sales-grow-during-covid-19- retailers-like-montce-swim-adapt-and-find-success/.
9 New York Times, Warehouses Are Headed to the Central Valley, Too (Jul. 22, 2020), available at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/us/coronavirus-ca-warehouse-workers.html. 10 California Air Resources Board, Nitrogen Dioxide & Health, https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/nitrogen-dioxide-and-health (NOx); California Air Resources Board, Summary: Diesel Particular Matter Health Impacts, https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/summary-diesel-particulate-matter-health-impacts; Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and American Lung Association of California, Health Effects of Diesel Exhaust,
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/calenviroscreen/indicators/diesel4-02.pdf (DPM). 11 Noise Sources and Their Effects,
https://www.chem.purdue.edu/chemsafety/Training/PPETrain/dblevels.htm (a diesel truck moving 40 miles per hour, 50 feet away, produces 84 decibels of sound).

3 II. Proactive Planning: General Plans, Local Ordinances, and Good Neighbor Policies To systematically address warehouse development, we encourage governing bodies to proactively plan for logistics projects in their jurisdictions. Proactive planning allows jurisdictions to prevent land use conflicts before they materialize and guide sustainable development. Benefits also include providing a predictable business environment, protecting residents from environmental harm, and setting consistent expectations jurisdiction-wide.

Proactive planning can take any number of forms. Land use designation and zoning decisions should channel development into appropriate areas. For example, establishing industrial districts near major highway and rail corridors but away from sensitive receptors can help avoid conflicts between warehouse facilities and residential communities.

In addition, general plan policies, local ordinances, and good neighbor policies should set minimum standards for logistics projects. General plan policies can be incorporated into existing economic development, land use, circulation, or other related elements. Many jurisdictions alternatively choose to consolidate policies in a separate environmental justice element.

Adopting general plan policies to guide warehouse development may also help jurisdictions comply with their obligations under SB 1000, which requires local government general plans to identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement in the public decision making process, and prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.12 The Bureau is aware of four good neighbor policies in California: Riverside County, the City of Riverside, the City of Moreno Valley, and the Western Riverside Council of Governments.13 These policies provide minimum standards that all warehouses in the jurisdiction must meet. For example, the Western Riverside Council of Governments policy sets a minimum buffer zone of 300 meters between warehouses and sensitive receptors, and it requires a number of design features to reduce truck impacts on nearby sensitive receptors. The Riverside County policy requires vehicles entering sites during both construction and operation to meet certain California Air Resources Board (CARB) guidelines, and it requires community benefits agreements and supplemental funding contributions toward additional pollution offsets.

The Bureau encourages jurisdictions to adopt their own local ordinances and/or good neighbor policies that combine the most robust policies from those models with measures discussed in the remainder of this document.

12 For more information about SB 1000, see https://oag.ca.gov/environment/sb1000. 13 https://www.rivcocob.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Good-Neighbor-Policy-F-3-Final- Adopted.pdf (Riverside County); https://riversideca.gov/planning/pdf/good-neighbor- guidelines.pdf (City of Riverside); http://qcode.us/codes/morenovalley/view.php?topic=9-9_05- 9_05_050&frames=on (City of Moreno Valley);
http://www.wrcog.cog.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/318/Good-Neighbor-Guidelines-for-Siting- Warehouse-Distribution-Facilities-PDF?bidId= (Western Riverside Council of Governments).

4 III. Community Engagement
Early and consistent community engagement is central to establishing good relationships between communities, lead agencies, and warehouse developers and tenants. Robust community engagement can give lead agencies access to community residents’ on-the-ground knowledge and information about their concerns, build community support for projects, and develop creative solutions to ensure new logistics facilities are mutually beneficial. Examples of best practices for community engagement include:
 Holding a series of community meetings at times and locations convenient to members of the affected community and incorporating suggestions into the project design.
 Posting information in hard copy in public gathering spaces and on a website about the project. The information should include a complete, accurate project description, maps and drawings of the project design, and information about how the public can provide input and be involved in the project approval process. The information should be in a format that is easy to navigate and understand for members of the affected community.
 Providing notice by mail to residents and schools within a certain radius of the project and along transportation corridors to be used by vehicles visiting the project, and by posting a prominent sign on the project site. The notice should include a brief project description and directions for accessing complete information about the project and for providing input on the project.  Providing translation or interpretation in residents’ native language, where appropriate.
 For public meetings broadcast online or otherwise held remotely, providing for access and public comment by telephone and supplying instructions for access and public comment with ample lead time prior to the meeting.  Partnering with local community-based organizations to solicit feedback, leverage local networks, co-host meetings, and build support.
 Considering adoption of a community benefits agreement, negotiated with input from affected residents and businesses, by which the developer provides benefits to the community.
 Creating a community advisory board made up of local residents to review and provide feedback on project proposals in early planning stages.  Identifying a person to act as a community liaison concerning on-site construction activity and operations, and providing contact information for the community relations officer to the surrounding community.

IV. Warehouse Siting and Design Considerations
The most important consideration when planning a logistics facility is its location.

Warehouses located in residential neighborhoods or near other sensitive receptors expose community residents and those using or visiting sensitive receptor sites to the air pollution, noise, traffic, and other environmental impacts they generate. Therefore, placing facilities away from sensitive receptors significantly reduces their environmental and quality of life harms on local

5 communities. The suggested best practices for siting and design of warehouse facilities does not relieve lead agencies’ responsibility under CEQA to conduct a project-specific analysis of the project’s impacts and evaluation of feasible mitigation measures and alternatives; lead agencies’ incorporation of the best practices must be part of the impact, mitigation and alternatives analyses to meet the requirements of CEQA. Examples of best practices when siting and designing warehouse facilities include:
 Per CARB guidance, siting warehouse facilities so that their property lines are at least 1,000 feet from the property lines of the nearest sensitive receptors.14  Creating physical, structural, and/or vegetative buffers that adequately prevent or substantially reduce pollutant dispersal between warehouses and any areas where sensitive receptors are likely to be present, such as homes, schools, daycare centers, hospitals, community centers, and parks.
 Providing adequate areas for on-site parking, on-site queuing, and truck check-in that prevent trucks and other vehicles from parking or idling on public streets.  Placing facility entry and exit points from the public street away from sensitive receptors, e.g., placing these points on the north side of the facility if sensitive receptors are adjacent to the south side of the facility.  Locating warehouse dock doors and other onsite areas with significant truck traffic and noise away from sensitive receptors, e.g., placing these dock doors on the north side of the facility if sensitive receptors are adjacent to the south side of the facility.
 Screening dock doors and onsite areas with significant truck traffic with physical, structural, and/or vegetative barriers that adequately prevent or substantially reduce pollutant dispersal from the facility towards sensitive receptors.  Posting signs clearly showing the designated entry and exit points from the public street for trucks and service vehicles.
 Posting signs indicating that all parking and maintenance of trucks must be conducted within designated on-site areas and not within the surrounding community or public streets.

V. Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis and Mitigation Emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases are often among the most substantial environmental impacts from new warehouse facilities. CEQA compliance demands a proper accounting of the full air quality and greenhouse gas impacts of logistics facilities and adoption of all feasible mitigation of significant impacts. Although efforts by CARB and other authorities to regulate the heavy-duty truck and off-road diesel fleets have made excellent progress in reducing the air quality impacts of logistics facilities, the opportunity remains for local jurisdictions to further mitigate these impacts at the project level. Lead agencies and developers

14 California Air Resources Board (CARB), Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective (April 2005), at ES-1. CARB staff has released draft updates to this siting and design guidance which suggests a greater distance may be warranted under varying scenarios; this document may be found on CARB’s website and is entitled: “California Sustainable Freight Initiative: Concept Paper for the Freight Handbook” (December 2019).

6 should also consider designing projects with their long-term viability in mind. Constructing the necessary infrastructure to prepare for the zero-emission future of goods movement not only reduces a facility’s emissions and local impact now, but it can also save money as regulations tighten and demand for zero-emission infrastructure grows. In planning new logistics facilities, the Bureau strongly encourages developers to consider the local, statewide, and global impacts of their projects’ emissions.

Examples of best practices when studying air quality and greenhouse gas impacts include:
 Fully analyzing all reasonably foreseeable project impacts, including cumulative impacts. In general, new warehouse developments are not ministerial under CEQA because they involve public officials’ personal judgment as to the wisdom or manner of carrying out the project, even when warehouses are permitted by a site’s applicable zoning and/or general plan land use designation. CEQA Guidelines § 15369.
 When analyzing cumulative impacts, thoroughly considering the project’s incremental impact in combination with past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future projects, even if the project’s individual impacts alone do not exceed the applicable significance thresholds.
 Preparing a quantitative air quality study in accordance with local air district guidelines.
 Preparing a quantitative health risk assessment in accordance with California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and local air district guidelines.
 Refraining from labeling compliance with CARB or air district regulations as a mitigation measure—compliance with applicable regulations is a baseline expectation.
 Fully analyzing impacts from truck trips. CEQA requires full public disclosure of a project’s anticipated truck trips, which entails calculating truck trip length based on likely truck trip destinations, rather than the distance from the facility to the edge of the air basin. Emissions beyond the air basin are not speculative, and, because air pollution is not static, may contribute to air basin pollution.

Moreover, any contributions to air pollution outside the local air basin should be quantified and their significance should be considered.  Accounting for all reasonably foreseeable greenhouse gas emissions from the project, without discounting projected emissions based on participation in California’s Cap-and-Trade Program.

Examples of measures to mitigate air quality and greenhouse gas impacts from construction are below. To ensure mitigation measures are enforceable and effective, they should be imposed as permit conditions on the project where applicable.  Requiring off-road construction equipment to be zero-emission, where available, and all diesel-fueled off-road construction equipment, to be equipped with CARB Tier IV-compliant engines or better, and including this requirement in applicable

7 bid documents, purchase orders, and contracts, with successful contractors demonstrating the ability to supply the compliant construction equipment for use prior to any ground-disturbing and construction activities.  Prohibiting off-road diesel-powered equipment from being in the “on” position for more than 10 hours per day.
 Requiring on-road heavy-duty haul trucks to be model year 2010 or newer if diesel-fueled.
 Providing electrical hook ups to the power grid, rather than use of diesel-fueled generators, for electric construction tools, such as saws, drills and compressors, and using electric tools whenever feasible.
 Limiting the amount of daily grading disturbance area.  Prohibiting grading on days with an Air Quality Index forecast of greater than 100 for particulates or ozone for the project area.
 Forbidding idling of heavy equipment for more than two minutes.  Keeping onsite and furnishing to the lead agency or other regulators upon request, all equipment maintenance records and data sheets, including design specifications and emission control tier classifications.  Conducting an on-site inspection to verify compliance with construction mitigation and to identify other opportunities to further reduce construction impacts.
 Using paints, architectural coatings, and industrial maintenance coatings that have volatile organic compound levels of less than 10 g/L.
 Providing information on transit and ridesharing programs and services to construction employees.
 Providing meal options onsite or shuttles between the facility and nearby meal destinations for construction employees.

Examples of measures to mitigate air quality and greenhouse gas impacts from operation include:
 Requiring that all facility-owned and operated fleet equipment with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 14,000 pounds accessing the site meet or exceed 2010 model-year emissions equivalent engine standards as currently defined in California Code of Regulations Title 13, Division 3, Chapter 1, Article

4.5, Section 2025. Facility operators shall maintain records on-site demonstrating compliance with this requirement and shall make records available for inspection by the local jurisdiction, air district, and state upon request.  Requiring all heavy-duty vehicles entering or operated on the project site to be zero-emission beginning in 2030.
 Requiring on-site equipment, such as forklifts and yard trucks, to be electric with the necessary electrical charging stations provided.
 Requiring tenants to use zero-emission light- and medium-duty vehicles as part of business operations.
 Forbidding trucks from idling for more than two minutes and requiring operators to turn off engines when not in use.
 Posting both interior- and exterior-facing signs, including signs directed at all

8 dock and delivery areas, identifying idling restrictions and contact information to report violations to CARB, the air district, and the building manager.  Installing and maintaining, at the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance intervals, air filtration systems at sensitive receptors within a certain radius of facility for the life of the project.
 Installing and maintaining, at the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance intervals, an air monitoring station proximate to sensitive receptors and the facility for the life of the project, and making the resulting data publicly available in real time. While air monitoring does not mitigate the air quality or greenhouse gas impacts of a facility, it nonetheless benefits the affected community by providing information that can be used to improve air quality or avoid exposure to unhealthy air.
 Constructing electric truck charging stations proportional to the number of dock doors at the project.
 Constructing electric plugs for electric transport refrigeration units at every dock door, if the warehouse use could include refrigeration.  Constructing electric light-duty vehicle charging stations proportional to the number of parking spaces at the project.
 Installing solar photovoltaic systems on the project site of a specified electrical generation capacity, such as equal to the building’s projected energy needs.  Requiring all stand-by emergency generators to be powered by a non-diesel fuel.  Requiring facility operators to train managers and employees on efficient scheduling and load management to eliminate unnecessary queuing and idling of trucks.
 Requiring operators to establish and promote a rideshare program that discourages single-occupancy vehicle trips and provides financial incentives for alternate modes of transportation, including carpooling, public transit, and biking.  Meeting CalGreen Tier 2 green building standards, including all provisions related to designated parking for clean air vehicles, electric vehicle charging, and bicycle parking.
 Achieving certification of compliance with LEED green building standards.  Providing meal options onsite or shuttles between the facility and nearby meal destinations.
 Posting signs at every truck exit driveway providing directional information to the truck route.
 Improving and maintaining vegetation and tree canopy for residents in and around the project area.
 Requiring that every tenant train its staff in charge of keeping vehicle records in diesel technologies and compliance with CARB regulations, by attending CARB- approved courses. Also require facility operators to maintain records on-site demonstrating compliance and make records available for inspection by the local jurisdiction, air district, and state upon request.
 Requiring tenants to enroll in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program, and requiring tenants to use carriers that are SmartWay carriers.

9  Providing tenants with information on incentive programs, such as the Carl Moyer Program and Voucher Incentive Program, to upgrade their fleets.

VI. Noise Impacts Analysis and Mitigation
The noise associated with logistics facilities can be among their most intrusive impacts to nearby sensitive receptors. Various sources, such as unloading activity, diesel truck movement, and rooftop air conditioning units, can contribute substantial noise pollution. These impacts are exacerbated by logistics facilities’ typical 24-hour, seven-days-per-week operation. Construction noise is often even greater than operational noise, so if a project site is near sensitive receptors, developers and lead agencies should adopt measures to reduce the noise generated by both construction and operation activities.

Examples of best practices when studying noise impacts include:
 Preparing a noise impact analysis that considers all reasonably foreseeable project noise impacts, including to nearby sensitive receptors. All reasonably foreseeable project noise impacts encompasses noise from both construction and operations, including stationary, on-site, and off-site noise sources.  Adopting a lower significance threshold for incremental noise increases when baseline noise already exceeds total noise significance thresholds, to account for the cumulative impact of additional noise and the fact that, as noise moves up the decibel scale, each decibel increase is a progressively greater increase in sound pressure than the last. For example, 70 dBA is ten times more sound pressure than 60 dBA.

Examples of measures to mitigate noise impacts include:
 Constructing physical, structural, or vegetative noise barriers on and/or off the project site.
 Locating or parking all stationary construction equipment as far from sensitive receptors as possible, and directing emitted noise away from sensitive receptors.  Verifying that construction equipment has properly operating and maintained mufflers.
 Requiring all combustion-powered construction equipment to be surrounded by a noise protection barrier
 Limiting operation hours to daytime hours on weekdays.  Paving roads where truck traffic is anticipated with low noise asphalt.  Orienting any public address systems onsite away from sensitive receptors and setting system volume at a level not readily audible past the property line.

VII. Traffic Impacts Analysis and Mitigation
Warehouse facilities inevitably bring truck and passenger car traffic. Truck traffic can present substantial safety issues. Collisions with heavy-duty trucks are especially dangerous for passenger cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. These concerns can be even greater if

10 truck traffic passes through residential areas, school zones, or other places where pedestrians are common and extra caution is warranted.

Examples of measures to mitigate traffic impacts include:
 Designing, clearly marking, and enforcing truck routes that keep trucks out of residential neighborhoods and away from other sensitive receptors.  Installing signs in residential areas noting that truck and employee parking is prohibited.
 Constructing new or improved transit stops, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and crosswalks, with special attention to ensuring safe routes to schools.  Consulting with the local public transit agency and securing increased public transit service to the project area.
 Designating areas for employee pickup and drop-off.
 Implementing traffic control and safety measures, such as speed bumps, speed limits, or new traffic signs or signals.
 Placing facility entry and exit points on major streets that do not have adjacent sensitive receptors.
 Restricting the turns trucks can make entering and exiting the facility to route trucks away from sensitive receptors.
 Constructing roadway improvements to improve traffic flow.  Preparing a construction traffic control plan prior to grading, detailing the locations of equipment staging areas, material stockpiles, proposed road closures, and hours of construction operations, and designing the plan to minimize impacts to roads frequented by passenger cars, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-truck traffic.

VIII. Other Significant Environmental Impacts Analysis and Mitigation Warehouse projects may result in significant environmental impacts to other resources, such as to aesthetics, cultural resources, energy, geology, or hazardous materials. All significant adverse environmental impacts must be evaluated, disclosed and mitigated to the extent feasible under CEQA. Examples of best practices and mitigation measures to reduce environmental impacts that do not fall under any of the above categories include:
 Appointing a compliance officer who is responsible for implementing all mitigation measures, and providing contact information for the compliance officer to the lead agency, to be updated annually.
 Creating a fund to mitigate impacts on affected residents, schools, places of worship, and other community institutions by retrofitting their property. For example, retaining a contractor to retrofit/install HVAC and/or air filtration systems, doors, dual-paned windows, and sound- and vibration-deadening insulation and curtains.
 Sweeping surrounding streets on a daily basis during construction to remove any construction-related debris and dirt.
 Directing all lighting at the facility into the interior of the site.

11  Using full cut-off light shields and/or anti-glare lighting.  Using cool pavement to reduce heat island effects.
 Installing climate control in the warehouse facility to promote worker well-being.  Installing air filtration in the warehouse facility to promote worker well-being.

IX. Conclusion
California’s world-class economy, ports, and transportation network position it at the center of the e-commerce and logistics industry boom. At the same time, California is a global leader in environmental protection and environmentally just development. The guidance in this document furthers these dual strengths, ensuring that all can access the benefits of economic development. The Bureau will continue to monitor proposed projects for compliance with CEQA and other laws. Lead agencies, developers, community advocates, and other interested parties should feel free to reach out to us as they consider how to guide warehouse development in their area.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Environmental Justice Bureau at [email protected] if you have any questions.

designation and zoning decisions should channel development into appropriate areas. For example, establishing industrial districts near major highway and rail corridors but away from sensitive receptors can help avoid conflicts between warehouse facilities and residential communities. In addition, general plan policies, local ordinances, and good neighbor policies should set minimum standards for logistics projects. General plan policies can be incorporated into existing economic development, land use, circulation, or other related elements. Many jurisdictions alternatively choose to consolidate policies in a separate environmental justice element. Adopting general plan policies to guide warehouse development may also help jurisdictions comply with their obligations under SB 1000, which requires local government general plans to identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement in the public decision making process, and prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities."

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center Community Health Needs Assessment 2022

https://www.memorialcare.org/sites/default/files/_images/content/Community-Benefit/LBMC-2022- CHNA-Final-Report.pdf

From the MemorialCare report (pg 28)

A powerpoint presentation is forthcoming. What is the deadline to submit it to you?

Regards,

Laurie C. Angel, appealant

H-12 Correspondence – Raul Cedillo

From: Raul Cedillo [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, February 6, 2023 10:25 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: February 7th City Council agenda item #12

-EXTERNAL-

It's a shame that you continue to push forward with projects that are detrimental to the health of thousands of residents in North Long Beach, but here we are. At the very least, you must perform a full environmental review and hit the brakes if we are going in the wrong direction. There's still time to correct course and bring a greener future to our community. Thank you.

-Raul Cedillo

H-12 Correspondence – Hilda Gaytan

From: Hilda Gaytan [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 3:41 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Public comment: 2/7 City Council Agenda Item # 12

-EXTERNAL-

Honorable Mayor and City Council

My name is Hilda Gaytan,

In 2017 North Long Beach residents participated in the Uptown Planning Land Use and Neighborhood Strategy (UPLAN). The project was led by the city and involved the community in the decision to change the zoning in some areas of North Long Beach. The project was meant to shape uptown to represent the will of the people. New zoning recommendations for the Atlantic and Artesia corridors were adopted in November 2020. But the second part of the UPLAN and the Neighborhood Mobility Enhancement Plan was promised to be considered for adoption in late 2021.

I want to believe this project was an effort from the city to comply with SB 1000 that requires local government general plans to identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement in the public decision-making process, and prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities. But as of today, we are still waiting for this zoning and policies to be approved putting the city in non- compliance with state law. This development goes against the UPLAN and does not comply with the LU 7-2 that called to convert outdated and underutilized manufacturing and industrial sites into Neo-Industrial uses, particularly those adjacent to residential areas. Because of this, I am opposed to this project. The city should protect the health of the community and it should be the priority when building within these disadvantaged communities and neighborhoods.

As I mentioned before, I oppose the project on 5910 Cherry Ave and urge the mayor and city council to approve the appeal and request a full environmental review for the project.

Thank you

Hilda Gaytan
Puente Latino Assocation
Founder and Executive Director
6691 Myrtle Ave LB CA 90805

H-12 Correspondence – Megan Lorraine

From: Megan Lorraine [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 12:31 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Feb 7th city council meeting agenda item # 12

-EXTERNAL-

Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,

My name is Dr Megan Lorraine Debin and I live in North Long Beach (Grant neighborhood).

I write to oppose the development of the warehouse without a proper EIR, for the safety and health of myself and my local community.

Research shows these kinds of projects bring traffic, noise, and pollution to nearby neighborhoods, putting the health of the community in danger and diminishing the quality-of-life.

The city should ask for a plan EIR of the area and adopt a set of regulations to reduce/control pollution before approving these kinds of developments.

Having a plan EIR in place before the approval of new developments will identify the proper mitigation and conditions to protect the health of the community and facilitate the project’s approval while encouraging responsible developments.

Establishing regulations to reduce pollution will deliver much-needed health and air quality benefits to North Long Beach residents, and if done right, policymakers can help ensure that low-income communities of color are realizing these benefits as soon as possible without adverse impacts on their health.

In addition, adopting policies to guide warehouse development in the city’s general plan will also help jurisdictions comply with their obligations under SB 1000. This requires local government general plans to identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement in the public decision-making process, and prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.

Please approve the appeal and request a full EIR.

Sincerely,

Dr Megan Lorraine Debin

H-12 Correspondence – Juan Ovalle

From: juan ovalle [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 5:21 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Cc: Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>; Dawn McIntosh <[email protected]>; CityAttorney <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comments re: Agenda item 12, File 23-0104 Inbox

-EXTERNAL-

Mayor and City Councilmembers,
According to CalEnviroScreen
(https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40), North Long Beach has high levels of air pollution that endanger human health by causing respiratory conditions such as asthma, wheezing, decreased lung function, increased likelihood of hospital visits, heart disease, and even early deat As a lifelong resident of the Westside, I have lived and experienced the degradation pollution has had on my family and many neighbors. The agenda item is an opportunity to correct the environmental injustices of the past. It is an opportunity for all of you to look towards a future where children of north Long Beach may have an opportunity to live full and healthy lives. Free from the consequences of bad planning or short sightedness on the part of the City Bureaucracy. As pretty as the proposed warehouses may seem, it is only a façade. The hidden and real danger will continue to diminish the quality of life of residents of North Long Beach, the consequences of your actions today will exacerbate illnesses such as: Asthma, Traffic Congestion and Cancer.

Research shows these kinds of projects bring traffic, noise, and pollution to nearby neighborhoods, putting the health of the community in danger and diminishing the quality-of- life. This issue is not new, it is well documented
(https://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/contributors/valley-voice/2022/07/10/lets-not-

put-warehouses-near-homes-inland-empire/7826646001/). You can ignore it, but your decision to err on the safety and wellbeing of the residents of this City will be well worth it. If this development is approved you can not take it back, once this development is approved more will come and compounding the already terrible air quality and degrading even further the quality of life of our community. I urge you to Stop this project and approve the Appeal and request a Full EIR of the area and adopt a set of regulations to reduce/control pollution before approving these kinds of developments.

In addition, adopting policies to guide warehouse development in the city’s general plan will also help jurisdictions comply with their obligations under SB 1000 (https://oag.ca.gov/environment/sb1000). This requires local government general plans to identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement in the public decision-making process, and prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.

This is not about just limiting Particulate Matter emissions from trucks, but about mitigating long standing pollution in the air, land, and water, and improving the quality of life, as promised, in the communities most burdened by overall pollution.

Again, please approve the appeal and request a full EIR.

Sincerely,
Juan E. Ovalle
West 5th District Resident
Board Member: People of Long Beach, Riverpark Coalition, Long Beach Reform Coalition

H-12 Correspondence – Alejandro Perez-Serrato

From: Alejandra Perez-Serrato [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 12:35 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council Meeting Time: February 07, 2023 at 5:00pm PST Agenda Item 12. (23-0104)

-EXTERNAL-

Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,

Alejandra PerezSerrato, Long Beach resident for over 10years.

My main concern with this project is the lack consideration for the residents who will be affected by the air pollution and other environmental issues - If there is no need for mitigation, I would like to city to require a small study report [ traffic, air, water, etc.] from the developer supporting that this project will not have such affects.

The project is claims exemption. 15332. IN-FILL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Class 32 consists of projects characterized as in-fill development meeting the conditions described in this section. Association of Environmental Professionals 2023 CEQA Guidelines 314 (a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. (b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses.

For condition [a] and [b] the project does not meet the criteria. Per the Notice of Public Hearing “Proposed Project: Site Plan Review for a project consisting of the demolition of all existing structures on the site, and the construction of a new 303,972-square-foot concrete, tilt up industrial warehouse building, including 9,000 square feet of office space approximately 51 feet in height with 338 parking spaces and 34,682 square feet of new landscaping on a 14.16-acre lot.” The 14.16 acre lot is well over the " project site of no more than five acres". In addition, per the Land Use Element of the General Plan the area is considered Neo Industrial [light industrial use] hence contradicts the IG zone description of Heavy Industrial Use.

Further investigation... the Notice of Public Hearing claims project is a "by-right development".

Referencing the LBC code "permitted by right unless the location criteria contained in Subsection

21.33.080.C apply to the project - C.

The location of a proposed industrial use relative to residentially-zoned property shall represent the sole factor for determining whether discretionary review is required pursuant to this Section. If any building housing the principal proposed use in an industrial district, or any outdoor activity which represents the principal use of the property, is located three hundred feet (300′) or less from the nearest residential district (see Figure 33-1), then administrative use permit or conditional use permit review shall be required, as indicated in Table 33-2.
(Ord. C-7360 § 3, 1995)" I measured the building structure currently on site to the nearest residential district and it concluded to be less than 300ft hence cannot be grated "by-right"

I would like the project to follow all the steps, including the EIR, to assure the development is not prioritized over the health of the residents.

Alejandra PS
H-12 Correspondence – Kelly Melissa Shilling

From: Melissa S [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 9:00 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Feb. 7 City Council Meeting Item # 12

-EXTERNAL-

Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,
Hello, my name is Melissa Shilling. My family and I live in North Long Beach. I work with Puente Latino Association and Master Gardeners.

According to CalEnviroScreen, North Long Beach has high levels of air pollution that endanger human health by causing respiratory conditions such as asthma, wheezing, decreased lung function, increased likelihood of hospital visits, heart disease, and even early death. The particulate matter, PM 2.5 microns, moves from the lungs and into the brain causing inflammation correlated with learning difficulties and dementia. Diesel trucks are a big source of such particulates.

The freeway noise never stops. I worry for my health and my husband’s. I especially worry about the impact on young children and their developing lungs and brains. We do not need a warehouse that adds more air pollutants and noise to our neighborhoods.

Yes, we live in a lower income area. Yes, the pollution sources are often put here, but we need protections. Our health matters too. We want the city to request an EIR before approving projects in our area.

The city should ask for a plan EIR of the area and adopt a set of regulations to reduce/control pollution before approving these kinds of developments.

Please approve the appeal and request a full EIR on the proposed warehouse at 5910 Cherry Ave.

Sincerely,
Melissa Shilling

Long Beach City CouncilFebruary 21, 2023

Long Beach City Council
February 21, 2023