Figure illustration of Rose Hill Courts Redevelopment Phase I and Phase II
UltraSystems Prepared Environmental Documents for Los Angeles Housing Authority
In 2018, UltraSystems was selected by the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA) to prepare all the environmental documentation for the Rose Hill Courts Redevelopment Project. UltraSystems was honored to be part of this important project for HACLA and the residents they serve in the City of Los Angeles and we are excited to see Phase I nearing completion.
Rose Hill Courts is one of the oldest public housing communities in Los Angeles. Located in the El Sereno neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles, Rose Hill Courts was built in the 1940s post World War II era. In 2014, HACLA created a comprehensive 25-year strategic vision framework that, according to its website, “acts as our roadmap to expand affordable housing and improve quality of life for Angelenos through three focused visioning modules dedicated to People, Place and creating Pathways to opportunity.” The redevelopment of one of its oldest public housing communities, Rose Hill Courts, is one part of that vision coming true now.
The plan for Rose Hill Courts, includes the demolition of 15 existing structures and the construction of 185 affordable residential housing units in two phases. All units in the new development will be available to extremely low, very low and low-income families. New community features including shaded outdoor spaces, barbeque grills, a vegetable garden, an exercise area and a children’s playground will all be part of the redevelopment. Phase I will be completed in Summer 2023.
Rendering of Rose Hill Courts Redevelopment
UltraSystems was responsible for a variety of environmental reports at the initiation of this project. Given its status as a federally funded project, adherence to both California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines were required. An Initial Study (IS) for CEQA, an Environmental Assessment (EA) for NEPA and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) were prepared by UltraSystems for public review. A number of technical studies and analyses were performed including a Biological Resources Evaluation, a Cultural Resources Survey and a Traffic Impact Study. Mitigation measures for this project were also recommended and implemented to monitor nesting birds before and during construction, as well as reduce the impact of construction noise.
Given the age of the original buildings, it was advised by our Cultural Resource experts to mitigate the project’s impact on historical architecture by building an interpretive display onsite dedicated to the history of HACLA and public housing in Los Angeles. Additionally, a section of HACLA’s existing website will be devoted to its long-standing history within the community.
HACLA worked closely with residents in the planning phase to ensure that the redevelopment of Rose Hill Courts met the needs of the community. Accordingly, the comprehensive redevelopment will also include a bike path connecting residents to an existing bicycle network, new sidewalks and access to public transit, aiding residents and fulfilling the City of Los Angeles’ Community Plan’s policy created to encourage pedestrian activity and the use of public transportation.
About HACLA
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) was established in 1938 by City of Los Angeles Resolution No. 1241. HACLA has grown to become one of the nation’s largest and leading public housing authorities, providing the largest supply of quality affordable housing to residents of the City of Los Angeles.
About UltraSystems
UltraSystems, founded in 1994, is a multi-disciplinary, full service environmental consulting and planning firm serving both the public and private sectors. The 27-year-old firm provides expertise in development planning; site selection and analysis; CEQA and NEPA compliance; technical studies, and environmental compliance during construction. UltraSystems Environmental is certified as a WBE, SBE, DBE and WOSB company and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
