Council certifies EIR and introduces ordinance for 1450 Artesia specific plan after discussion on contamination, traffic and community benefits

The Gardena City Council on Tuesday certified the final environmental impact report for the 1450 Artesia Specific Plan and introduced Ordinance No. 18-79 to implement a development agreement after a public hearing that drew developers, environmental consultants, union supporters and neighborhood critics.

City staff told the council the project site covers roughly 6.3 acres near the southwest corner of Artesia Boulevard and Normandy Avenue and would be redeveloped with a single 268,000-square-foot mixed-use building about 75 feet tall. Amanda (staff presentation) said the developer’s package includes self-storage, about 72,000 square feet of industrial/warehouse space on the ground floor, ancillary office and retail, and a portion of the site reserved for city-sponsored events.

The council heard technical testimony from Dudek environmental consultant Nicole Cobley, who summarized CEQA review and mitigation. Cobley said the draft EIR was circulated in August 2024, received six comment letters during the public review period, and that most resource areas could be mitigated to less-than-significant levels except for an unavoidable construction noise impact on the western edge of the site. She described mitigation proposals including requiring Tier 4 construction engines,…