1. City Council Meeting April 29, 2019
Informational Update PD-36: Pasadena Gateway Project 3200 E. Foothill Boulevard (former Spacebank site)
City Council Meeting April 29, 2019

2. Background: Project Site
Location
NORTH: Foothill Boulevard
SOUTH: 210 Freeway
EAST: Sierra Madre Boulevard
WEST: Kinneloa Avenue/210
Size
Approximately 8.53 acres (371,526 SF)
Existing Uses
Self Storage
Light Manufacturing Uses
Former Use
U.S. Navy testing for classified marine weapons systems
Describe surrounding uses****

3. Background: City Actions
On July 9, 2018 the City Council approved PD-36 (Pasadena Gateway Project) which consists of the following:
Demolition of 29 existing structures
Construction of eight separate residential and mixed use buildings with subterranean parking, landscaping and outdoor gathering spaces
550 units (including 69 affordable on-site units)
9,800 square feet of retail and restaurant spaces
As part of the PD-36 approval, the City Council certified the environmental document required under CEQA:
Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment

4. Background-DTSC Involvement
The State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is the lead agency supervising clean-up of the site.
DTSC’s involvement in the site dates back to at least 2004 when it:
Issued an Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Determination and Remedial Action Order to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) based on the results of various environmental investigations.
DTSC then rescinded the order and entered a formal Dispute Resolution with the ACOE.
Unable to reach resolution with the ACOE after 6 years, DTSC revoked the Dispute Resolution process in 2010, and resumed enforcement action.
In June 2014,the DTSC entered into an agreement with the developer requiring them to perform response actions with DTSC oversight.
In December 2017, Pasadena Gateway signed an amended Prospective Purchaser Agreement (PPA) with DTSC with stipulations for environmental cleanup including development of a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS), Removal Action Workplan (RAW), performing the removal action and installation of groundwater wells along with 4 quarters of sampling for the preliminary groundwater investigation.

5. Recent Activity
On March 6th DTSC released a Draft of the Removal Action Workplan (DRAW) with a deadline for public comment of April 30th.
On April 8, 2019 the City Council heard public testimony regarding concerns related to the environmental analysis, and adequacy of the DRAW and proposed clean-up.
On April 9, 2019, the Mayor sent a letter to DTSC requesting an extension of the public comment period 90 days (until July 30, 2019).
DTSC has advised that while it will not extend the comment period as requested by the City, it will do so until May 14th.

6. Next Steps
Staff has engaged a highly-qualified environmental consulting firm, Alta Environmental, to review the Draft Removal Action Workplan and provide comments to DTSC by the May 14th deadline.
City staff will make the reports of the consultant publically available on the City’s website.
Staff has spoken to DTSC to inform them we will be requesting that a City hired consultant participate in monitoring once clean-up begins.
DTSC has indicated its willingness to allow the City’s consultant to participate in monitoring implementation.

7. No Further Action

8. City Council Meeting April 29, 2019
Informational Update PD-36: Pasadena Gateway Project 3200 E. Foothill Boulevard (former Spacebank site)
City Council Meeting April 29, 2019

9. Examples of Successful Remediation
The EPA/DTSC process of clean-up and reuse has been followed for many years throughout California. Successful examples include:
Hercules Powder Works, a former explosives and fertilizer manufacturing plant, was remediated for use as a residential community and commercial district.
Agnews Developmental Center, a former psychiatric and medical care facility in Santa Clara, was remediated for use as an urban village, with residential, recreational, and commercial uses.
Portions of the Signal Hill oilfield were remediated for use as the Las Brisas Community Housing Project, which includes affordable housing and a community center.
Sources:

10. Approvals City Council Actions:
Zone Change from EPSP-d2-IG-B-4 to PD 36 (Planned Development)
Establishment of PD Plan
Design Commission:
Concept Design Review
Final Design Review

11. SB 375
Requires MPOs to prepare a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS)
Provides CEQA streamlining for “Transit Priority Projects” defined as projects:
Consistent with SCS
Within ½ mile of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor
Contain at least 50 percent residential use
Density of at least 20 dwelling units per acre

12. CEQA Streamlining Opportunities for Transit Priority Projects
Exemption for TPPs that meet numerous additional requirements
Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment (SCEA) for TPPs without significant unmitigable impacts
Limited EIR for TPPs with significant impacts

13. Contents of the SCEA Environmental impact analysis (Initial Study)
Mitigation measures
Project-specific measures
All feasible measures from prior applicable EIRs (SCAG’s RTP/SCS, General Plan EIR, and East Pasadena Specific Plan EIR)
Analysis of consistency with the Transit Priority Project criteria, including consistency with the SCS

14. SCEA Public Review and Comments
Public review period: February 8 – March 26, 2018
Planning Commission meeting on February 28, 2018 to receive comments
Nine comment letters received
Environmental concerns raised included: freeway adjacency, air quality, hazardous materials, construction noise, and traffic
Responses to comments were prepared to aid the City Council in considering the comments received

15. Hazardous Material Considerations
Project subject to approval and oversight by DTSC
Agreement in place between the applicant, the RWQCB, and DTSC
Project requires a Remedial Action Workplan
Removal and testing of the existing onsite storm drain system
Excavation of all contaminated soil
Vapor barriers and venting, if needed after excavation
Installation of groundwater monitoring to inform DTSC in area wide efforts to address groundwater (the project would not risk exacerbating any groundwater contamination)
The applicant is bearing the full cost of the cleanup
No construction permits would be issued until the work is approved to the satisfaction of DTSC