BOARD OF HARBOR COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER
THE SAN PEDRO WATERFRONT PROJECT AT SEPT 29 PUBLIC MEETING
More than a Decade in the Making, Proposed Project Would Benefit Residents, Visitors and Business Enterprises
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — September 11, 2009 — On Tuesday, September 29, the San Pedro Waterfront Project Final Environmental Statement/Final Impact Report (FEIS/FEIR) will come before the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners for consideration. The special meeting will take place at 6 p.m., immediately following a 5 p.m. board meeting in the Liberty Hill Plaza building located at 100 W. Fifth Street, San Pedro (Harbor Blvd. and Fifth Street). The location is known to many as a Boys & Girls Club facility.
The proposed San Pedro Waterfront Project includes greatly improved public access to the waterfront via the completion of a continuous eight-mile promenade. Additionally, the project calls for new plazas, bike paths and 27 acres of new parks; three new harbors in the downtown San Pedro area; creation of a historic Ralph J. Scott fireboat museum; a public pier at 7th Street; Ports O’ Call redevelopment; creation of new cruise facilities in the Outer Harbor; and a variety of transportation improvements that include extension of the Waterfront Red Car Line to Warehouse One, the Outer Harbor and Cabrillo Beach.
A waterfront plan for San Pedro has been under analysis and discussion in one form or another for more than a decade. The Proposed Project going before the board on September 29th was created with consideration of all the various plans over the years and with significant community input gathered through literally thousands of hours of public meetings, workshops and presentations. It also reflects the Port’s commitment to sustainability, requiring green LEED certified buildings (Silver minimum), recycled water for landscaping and water features, drought tolerant plants and shade trees, solar panels, numerous pedestrian and bicycle path linkages, water conservation measures, and aggressive air quality mitigation measures on a scale not found anywhere else in the world.
The San Pedro Waterfront Project FIES/EIR will be available for review on the Port’s website at www.portoflosangeles.org. Hard copies will also be available for viewing in the lobby of the Port administration building, located at 425. S. Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro, and in the following area libraries: Los Angeles Public Library San Pedro Branch (921 S. Gaffey Street, San Pedro), Wilmington Branch (1300 North Avalon Boulevard, Wilmington), and Central Branch (630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles). CD copies of the FEIS/EIR are also available upon request.
In light of the hundreds of comments received during public comment period for the draft EIR, the Port is encouraging regional stakeholders and Harbor area residents alike to attend the September 29th meeting and express their opinions about the project to Harbor Commissioners. Comment cards will be made available for those who wish to write a comment or speak directly to the Board. Spanish translation service will be provided for bilingual speakers.
Free public parking is available in the Liberty Hill Plaza parking lot, with overflow parking available in the parking lot at Los Angeles Fire Station 112, located at 444 S. Harbor Boulevard, just south of Fifth Street.
The Port of Los Angeles, also known as “America’s Port,” has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy and the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. A recipient of numerous environmental awards, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 Clean Air Excellence Award, the Port of Los Angeles is committed to innovating cleaner, greener ways of doing business. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.