Aspen was contracted by the Los Angeles Unified School District to prepare a Program EIR that assessed the program-wide impacts of implementing the district's new school construction program. The Program EIR addressed 125,000 of the total 200,000 new seats to be provided by the district through the construction of new schools and the expansion of existing schools. Aspen prepared the Notice of Preparation (NOP) and Initial Study (IS), which was published in May 2003. Key issues included traffic, noise and air quality associated with new school construction. Aspen conducted the community outreach during the public scoping. Scoping included eight public meetings throughout the district to solicit public comment on the NOP/IS, advertisement in 22 local newspapers, distribution of public notices to approximately 2,100 interested parties, distribution of over 100 documents, placement of reports in 29 public repository sites, and the preparation of a scoping report. Aspen considered the input received during the public scoping and conducted extensive analysis of traffic, land use, community demographics, and policy issues associated with the 704-square-mile area that the district comprises.

Aspen prepared the Draft Program EIR report, which was published in March 2004. The Program EIR addressed all environmental issue areas and documented site selection, design, construction, and operation measures that the LAUSD agreed to implement, as applicable, on all projects. The report evaluated environmental impacts associated with projects before specific sites were identified. It provides information on applicable regulations that will be implemented by the LAUSD in carrying out its program and documents how traffic, cultural resources, air quality, noise, and other environmental resource area assessments will be carried out and evaluated when specific sites are selected and new schools or school additions are designed and constructed.

Six public meetings were held to take comments on the Draft Program EIR. Over 100 copies of the document were distributed; two separate mailings were conducted to notify the public about the release of the draft document and the six public meetings (approximately 2,100 notices for each noticing event); documents were distributed to the 29 public repositories; and two separate advertisements were placed in 22 newspapers regarding the release of the document and the public meetings. Comments made at the public meetings and provided in written letters during the 45-day public review period, were addressed in the Final EIR. The Final EIR was published on May 11, 2004. The Board of Education certified the Program EIR on June 8, 2004. The public notification for the certification meetings were at the same level as those conducted for the Draft Program EIR. In addition, all public information materials were made available in four languages (English, Spanish, Armenian, and Korean). For public scoping, public information materials were also translated into Japanese, Chinese, and Russian.

Since 1998, Aspen has prepared total of 37 CEQA environmental review documents, including:

• East Valley High School No. 2 (Gemco) EIR
  

  This new high school was proposed on a commercial lot, which was the previous location of a Gemco retail store. Aspen worked with a traffic consultant to address concerns with traffic and parking and with the LAUSD and the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation in addressing potential mitigation measures. This project was a fast-track project that required quick turnaround in order to secure needed funding. Aspen worked closely with the LAUSD and was able to make the funding deadline. The report was certified on time and the project was executed on schedule. In addition, portions of the EIR were used to update the EIR template for future LAUSD projects.

• Valley New High School No. 1 (CSUN) EIR
  

  This new high school was proposed on the campus of the California State University Northridge (CSUN). This school was proposed as an academy high school and would share athletic facilities with CSUN. This project was highly controversial with the neighboring community and required extensive interaction with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to address concerns with traffic. Aspen assisted with the preparation for public meetings and participated in the public scoping meeting and public hearing on the Draft EIR. A revised traffic study was needed to address the public comments on traffic and to explore additional traffic mitigation; traffic was a significant unavoidable impact after mitigation. The report was certified by the Board of Education and was not challenged by the public despite significant controversy regarding traffic impacts.

• Pio Pico School Playground Expansion EIR
  

  Aspen completed the Administrative Draft EIR for the expansion of a playground at the existing Pio Pico School in the LAUSD. The playground was proposed on five privately-owned properties that currently include multi-family and single family residences. One of the residences is a potentially significant historical resource because of its association with an African American woman journalist, Fay M. Jackson. A Notice of Preparation and an Initial Study were prepared in August 2002 to identify the key issues to be considered in the EIR. Based on the Initial Study, a focused EIR was prepared that evaluated air quality, hazardous materials, historic resources, noise, land use, and transportation/traffic. The project was cancelled by the LAUSD after completion of the Administrative Draft report.

• East Valley Middle School No. 2 EIR
  

  This middle school was proposed to be located at the previous Van Nuys Drive-In site. The EIR focused on impacts associated with air quality, hazards and hazardous materials, noise, land use and planning, and traffic and transportation. Major issues of concern included traffic and noise generated by school operation activities. The EIR included LAUSD design standards and measures employed to minimize environmental impacts.

• Canoga Park New Elementary School IS/MND
  

  This elementary school would be developed on a parcel of land owned by the non-profit organization, New Economics For Women (NEW). This "Turn-Key" project consisted of a Charter Elementary School to be developed by NEW and sold to the LAUSD for operation. It was later decided that NEW would lease the school back and run it as a charter school. Issues of concern included, pedestrian safety, traffic, air quality, noise, and land use.

• Hamilton High School Master Addition IS/MND
  

  Aspen prepared an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for a proposed expansion of the Hamilton High School, located in the City of Los Angeles. Aspen was responsible for overall coordination and communications with the Los Angeles Unified School District (District) staff and its consultants; and, preparation of the document. Aspen also participated during the project's public hearings and community outreach meetings.

• Bellevue Primary Center Interim Facility IS/MND
  

  Aspen prepared an IS/MND for the District's Bellevue Primary Center Interim Facility. The project consisted of the temporary relocation of a primary center located in the City of Los Angeles.

• Aldama Elementary School Master Addition IS/MND
  

  Aspen prepared an IS/MND for a proposed addition to the Aldama Elementary School, located in the City of Los Angeles. Aspen was responsible for overall coordination and scheduling of the project's environmental review, communications with the Los Angeles Unified School District, senior technical review of all documents produced, and presentation during the project's public hearings.

• Wonderland Avenue Elementary School Master Addition EIR
  

  Aspen is preparing an EIR for a proposed addition to the Wonderland Avenue Elementary School, located in the City of Los Angeles. Issues of concern include potential liquefaction and geological impacts due to the site's location in the steep topography of Laurel Canyon, and impacts of earthmoving activities during construction on the surrounding neighborhood. Neighborhood traffic impacts are also being evaluated in the EIR. Aspen has also been responsible for presentation during the project's public scoping meetings and hearings, and assurance of public noticing.

• Portable Classrooms IS/MNDs
  

  Aspen has prepared eleven separate Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration documents for portable classrooms proposed at eight existing high schools in the LAUSD. These schools included Narbonne, Cleveland, Wilson, Kennedy, Locke, Venice, Reseda, Westchester, Polytechnic, Washington, and Fairfax Senior High Schools. These projects required substantial detail with regard to traffic and parking, air quality, and noise assessments. These reports were all fast-track and were completed concurrently within a six month period. These early reports established the format and basis of subsequent IS/MND documents prepared for the LAUSD.

• Program EIR
  

  Aspen is preparing a Program EIR that will assess the program-wide impacts of implementing Phase II and future phases of the district's new school construction program. Phase II and future phases of the program will provide more than 125,000 new school seats to the district through the construction of new schools and the expansion of existing schools. Aspen completed the Notice of Preparation and Initial Study for these phases of the program. Eight public meetings throughout the district were held to obtain input on the scope of the Program EIR. Also, the community outreach included translation of meeting materials and simultaneous translation of presentations in as many as seven different languages, an extensive mailing list, publication of meetings and other notices in 22 newspapers, and a telephone hotline number for receiving public input on the program. Aspen prepared an Administrative Draft Program EIR, which considered the comments and concerns presented during public scoping. The Draft Program EIR is expected to be released to the public in mid-October 2003 and the EIR is anticipated to be certified by the Board of Education in February 2004. This Program EIR is a fast-track challenging project that must meet the Board certification date in order to begin Phase II as planned by the LAUSD.

• Hughes Middle School Site Re-Opening Project IS and MND or EIR
  

  Aspen initiated the preliminary environmental review for the proposed re-opening of the Hughes Middle School as a Senior Academy High School. The project involved re-use of three existing schools, including the relocation of an Adult School as well as District administrative offices. Efforts on the project were primarily focused on development of the project's "Project Description," traffic-related issues associated with the Hughes campus, and determining the appropriate level of environmental review under CEQA. During these initial efforts, the District opted to postpone the project's environmental review until a later date.

• Belmont Senior High School Modular Building Project Analysis in Support of a CEQA Class 32 Categorical Exemption
  

  Aspen provided the LAUSD with the technical analysis necessary to demonstrate the proposed project's eligibility for a Class 32 In-Fill Development Project's Categorical Exemption. The proposed two-story, 20-classroom modular building would be located within the current Belmont Senior High School campus in City of Los Angeles. During a multi-year modernization project, LAUSD proposed this project to accommodate the need for interim classrooms. Upon completion of the modernization project, the building would remain for use as additional classroom space. The technical memorandum accompanying the Class 32 Categorical Exemption included a project description detailing the existing conditions, project objectives, characteristics, and an evaluation of the proposed project's effects on traffic, noise, air quality, and water quality pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332(d).

• Mt. Washington Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room Addition Project
  

  This proposed addition of a two-story, 10,800 square-foot multi-purpose room to an existing elementary school generated substantial public controversy, mainly in regard to the proposed use of neighborhood streets for evening activity parking. Aspen prepared an IS/MND for the project, which addressed the parking issue and includes mitigation for Cultural Resources and Noise.

• Historic Resources Consulting and CEQA Review
  

  The disregard with which LAUSD is perceived to treat historical buildings has traditionally been a point of contention between LAUSD and neighborhoods surrounding proposed school projects. To confront this problem, Leslie Heumann and Associates and Chattel Architecture, under contract to Aspen and as part of Aspen's Master Services Agreement, provided LAUSD with historic resources consulting services, and reviewing cultural resources reports of other contractors with LAUSD and making recommendations for changes or additional research or concurrence with the report. This included review of fourteen FEMA and modernization projects to verify compliance with the historic resources provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act.