South LA Urban Resilience Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026070572
Public Agency
City of Los Angeles
Document Title
South LA Urban Resilience Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/15/2026
Document Description
Planting 400 15-gallon street trees in public right-of-way tree wells and parkways and remediating three medians with drought-tolerant landscaping to expand urban canopy, reduce the urvan heat island effect, and concerve water in South Los Angeles. The project consists of planting street trees and installing drought-tolerant landscaping within existing public rights-of-way. The project involves minor alterations to existing public facilities and landscaping improvements with negligible expansion of existing use and no significant environmental impacts.
Contact Information
Name
Hector Banuelos
Agency Name
City of Los Angeles
Job Title
Department Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Inc.
Agency Name
Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Inc.
Job Title
Job Applicant
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Cities
Los Angeles
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Southern California
Cross Streets
North: I-10; west: Arlington AVe and Van Ness Ave; east: Vermont
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15304 - Minor Alterations to land
Reasons for Exemption
The project consists of planting street trees and installing drought-tolerant landscaping within existing public rights-of-way. The project involves minor alterations to existing public facilities and landscaping improvements with negligible expansion of existing use and no significant environmental impacts.
The State CEQA Guidelines (CCR Sec 15300.2) limit the use of categorical exemptions in the following circumstances:
1. Location. Exemption Classes 3,4,5,6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located - a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may be significant in a particularly sensitive environment. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply to all instances, except where the project may impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. The project is limited to Los Angeles public right-of-way. There are no officially mapped environmental resources of hazardous or critical concern within Los Angeles city public right-of-way. Therefore, this exception has no application here. 2. Cumulative Impact. This exception applies when, although a particular project may not have a significant impact, the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time is significant. There are no other known projects that could involve cumulatively significant impacts. Therefore, this exception has no application here. 3. Significant Effect. This exception applies when, although the project may otherwise be exempt, there is a reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect due to unusual circumstances. There are no unusual circumstances known to this office. Therefore, this exception has no application here. 4. Scenic Highway. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic Highway. Adding street trees will not damage any scenic resources. Furthermore, there are no designated state scenic highways in the City of Los Angeles. Therefore, this exception has no application here. 5. Hazardous Waste Site. This exception applies when a project is located on a site listed as a hazardous waste site under Government Code Section 65962.5. Tree planting will not involve deep or extensive grading and usually does not involve the export of soil. Therefore, this exception has no application here. 6. Historical Resources. This exception applies when a project may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. No historical resource is involved in the proposed project so this exception has no application here.
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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