[Federal Register: June 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 120)] [Notices] [Page 33492-33493] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23jn99-86] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-4491-N-02] Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS); City of Monterey Park, CA; Section 108 Loan Guarantee/ Economic Development Initiative Grant (EDI) AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development gives this notice to the public that the City of Monterey Park, California intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Monterey Park Towne Plaza Project, which, among other components includes the development of a 515,382-square foot retail center including a home improvement store with a garden center, three restaurants, and various retail uses, in the City of Monterey Park, California. This notice is in accordance with regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality as described in 40 CFR parts 1500-1508. Federal agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise, or other special interest should report their interests and indicate their readiness to aid in the EIR/EIS efforts as a ``Cooperating Agency.'' Particularly solicited is information on reports or other environmental studies planned or completed in the project area, major issues and dates which the EIR/EIS should consider and recommended mitigation measures and alternatives associated with the proposed project. A Draft EIR/EIS will be completed for the proposed action described herein. Comments relating to the Draft EIR/EIS are requested and will be accepted by the contact person listed below. When the Draft EIR/EIS is completed, a notice will be sent to individuals and groups known to be interested in the Draft EIR/EIS and particularly on the environmental impact issues identified therein. Any person or agency interested in receiving a notice and making comment on the Draft EIR/ EIS should contact the person listed below. ADDRESSES: All interested agencies, groups and persons are invited to submit written comments on the within-named project and the Draft EIR/ EIS to: Ray Hamada, City of Monterey Park, Community Development Department, 320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, California, 91754 (626) 307-1463. Comments pertaining to the proposed project should be received by the person and office named above, within 15 days of the publication of this notice in order for all comments to be considered in the preparation of the Draft EIR/EIS. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The City of Monterey Park, acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will prepare an EIR/EIS to analyze potential impacts of developing a triangular- shaped, 47.1-acre piece of property, located in the southeast portion of the City of Monterey Park immediately north of the Pomona Freeway (State Route 60) and west of Paramount Boulevard. The proposed project would consist of a 515,382-square foot retail center including a home improvement store with a garden center, three restaurants, and various other retail uses. The project site includes a net 0.1-acre land dedication to Caltrans that results from an approximately 1-acre land trade. The proposed project would also include roughly 4.4-acres of Southern California Edison property to the northwest and east of the site to be used for surface parking and an access road. The new access road would require realignment of the intersection of Paramount Boulevard/Neil Armstrong Street. An existing berm located along the southern boundary of the site would also be leveled. Approximately 10 acres of the western portion of the site contain a historic landfill (``North Parcel Landfill''), that received municipal solid waste between 1948 and 1975. Due to the past landfill operations, the project site is currently designated as a Superfund site. A leachate treatment plant (LTP) is also located on the site and currently processes collected groundwater (leachmate) from a landfill located just south of the Pomona Freeway (``South Parcel Landfill''), which stopped accepting waste in 1984. The LTP will continue to operate on-site in this capacity following the closure of the South Parcel Landfill in the year 2000. The North Parcel Landfill is currently being remediated based upon guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Other businesses that currently occupy the site include Ecology Auto Wrecking, Aman Brothers Pavement Crushing, Manhole Adjustment, Inc., and Recycled Wood Products. The project applicant has negotiated lease termination agreements with each of the site tenants. Other than the LTP, all of the tenants will vacate the project site prior to development of the site. [[Page 33493]] It is anticipated that the City of Monterey Park will be awarded a Section 108 Loan Guarantee and an accompanying Economic Development Initiative (EDI) grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development which will help with the costs associated with land acquisition, site cleanup and required access. The section 108 Loan Guarantee request by the City of Monterey Park is $6.5 million and the EDI request is $540,000. Need for the EIS It has been determined that the project may constitute an action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared by the City of Monterey Park in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub.L. 91-190) on such project. Responses to this notice will be used to: 1. Determine significant environmental issues; 2. Identify data which the EIS/EIR should address; and 3. Identify agencies and other parties which will participate in the EIS process and the basis for their involvement. This notice is in accordance with the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality under its rule (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). The Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement will be published and distributed about August 30, 1999 and a copy will be on file at the City of Monterey Park, Community Development Department, 320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, California, 91754 and available for public inspection, or copies may be attained at the same address, upon request to Mr. Ray Hamada, Planning Manager (626) 307-1463. Scoping This notice is part of the process used for scoping the EIR/EIS. Responses will help determine the significant environmental issues, identify data which the EIR/EIS should address, and help identify cooperating agencies. The Draft EIR/EIS will be published upon completion and will be on file, and available for public inspection, at the address listed above. Copies may also be obtained upon request at the same address. This Notice shall be in effect for one year. If one year after the publication of the Notice in the Federal Register a Draft EIS has not been filed on the project, then the Notice for that project shall be canceled. If the Draft EIS is expected more than one year after the publication of this Notice, a new and updated Notice shall be published. Dated: June 17, 1999. Richard H. Broun, Director, Office of Community Viability. [FR Doc. 99-15991 Filed 6-22-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210-29-P