GOVERNMENT
CITY OF NORWALK
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
HEART OF NORWALK SPECIFIC PLAN
AVAILABILITY OF DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
(STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NO. 2024040140)
TO: Area Residents, Agencies, Organizations, and Interested Parties
APPLICANT: City of Norwalk
SUBJECT: Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Heart of Norwalk Specific Plan
DEIR PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD: June 24, 2025 – August 8, 2025
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21092 and the State CEQA Guidelines (Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 15087), that the City of Norwalk has completed the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Draft Heart of Norwalk Specific Plan (HON Specific Plan) described below, and that the DEIR is available for public review.
Project Location: The HON Specific Plan Area (Plan Area) is comprised of commercial and residential uses in the center of the City. The Plan Area encompasses approximately 0.96 square miles, or 615 acres. The Plan Area is roughly bounded by Imperial Highway to the north; I-5 Freeway to the east; Rosecrans Avenue to the south; and Pioneer Boulevard to the west. Regional access to the Plan Area is provided by I-5, I-605, I-105, and U.S. Route 91. Local access is provided by Imperial Highway, Pioneer Boulevard, Rosecrans Avenue, and Norwalk Boulevard / San Antonio Drive. Currently, the majority of the Plan Area is zoned and designated for residential, commercial, open space, and light industrial uses.
Project Description: The Proposed Plan includes the adoption and implementation of the HON Specific Plan, including proposed zone changes and General Plan amendments. The Proposed HON Specific Plan establishes new zoning regulations and development standards within the Plan Area. The Proposed Plan regulations will supersede base regulations within the City’s zoning code. Where the HON Specific Plan is silent on an issue, municipal code regulations will apply.
The HON Specific Plan establishes land use regulations which encourage development to provide public benefits through the allocation of additional density and other development standard concessions. The Development Opportunity Reserve (DOR) program is a specialized land use tool that can be utilized in concert with the HON Specific Plan to assign density or other incentives where the objective is to reward a developer/investor for providing community benefits. Projects that meet City and community objectives may receive DOR incentives in exchange for implementing identified priority public improvements, such as infrastructure, parks, or public facilities.
The HON Specific Plan identifies the following three districts and three corridors: Front Street Historic District, Town Square District, Triangle District, Firestone Boulevard Corridor, Railway Trail Corridor, and San Antonio Drive Corridor and is organized around three community values: Pride in People, Health and Wellness, and Supportive Community. The new zoning and land use within each district is the result of a combination of four pieces: permitted uses, density, height, and frontage and setback requirements. These four components are provided in the Proposed Plan for each parcel and dictate allowable uses in the same way traditional zoning works. Buildout of the Proposed Plan by 20551 will result in:
• 3,087 residential units and a net increase of 2,285,418 square feet of residential development;
• 275,747 square feet reduction in commercial uses;
• 18,310 square feet reduction in industrial uses; and
• 53,011 square feet reduction in institutional uses.
It should be noted that although overall there will be a decrease in non-residential square footage, the HON Specific Plan does assume 173,250 square feet of new commercial development will be constructed over the course of the planning horizon. This could be in the form of mixed-use development in one of the residential districts or new commercial development in the Front Street Historic District or other commercial corridors. However, overall, there would be a net reduction in non-residential square footage as the existing commercial, industrial and institutional uses are replaced with new uses.
Notice of Preparation (NOP): A NOP was circulated on April 3, 2024, to solicit comments and inform the public of the Proposed Plan. The Proposed Plan was described, potential environmental effects associated with implementation were identified, and agencies and the public were invited to review and comment on the NOP. The NOP review and comment period closed on May 3, 2024. At the time of preparation of this DEIR, the City received one written comment regarding the scope and content of the DEIR from the California Department of Transportation and one comment regarding tribal consultation from the Native American Heritage Commission.
Scoping Meeting: Pursuant to Section 15206 of the CEQA Guidelines, the City of Norwalk hosted a scoping meeting at 6:00 p.m. on April 23, 2024, at the City of Norwalk City Hall, 12700 Norwalk Boulevard, City Council Chambers, Norwalk, California.
Notice of Preparation and Scoping Meeting Results: City staff and the consultant gave a brief presentation of the Proposed Plan and highlighted key components of the Proposed Plan. Consequently, verbal comments were received at the April 23, 2024 scoping meeting from a property owner and potential developers, which demonstrated interest in HON Specific Plan and questions were asked regarding the Proposed Plan and any potential developments within the HON Specific Plan area.
Environmental Determination: The DEIR analysis determined that implementation of the Proposed Plan has the potential to result in significant impacts related to:
• Air Quality (construction):
o Construction under the HON Specific Plan has potential to result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of criteria pollutants for which the region is non-attainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard.
o Construction under the HON Specific Plan could expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations.
• Noise (construction):
o Construction under the HON Specific Plan could result in a generation of a substantial temporary or permanent increase in ambient noise levels in the vicinity of development in excess of standards established in the local general plan or noise ordinance, or applicable standards of other agencies.
o Construction under the HON Specific Plan could result in a generation of excessive groundborne vibration or groundborne noise levels.
Public Review Period and Document Availability: The City welcomes input and comments on the DEIR and alternatives in repose to this NOA. The DEIR is available for a 45-day public review period beginning June 24, 2025 and ending August 8, 2025. If you are commenting on behalf of an agency or organization, please indicate a contact person for your agency or organization. Copies of the DEIR are available for review at (physical locations during normal business hours):
City of Norwalk Planning Division
Community Development, Room 12
12700 Norwalk Boulevard
Norwalk, CA 90650
Norwalk Library
12350 Imperial Highway
Norwalk, CA 90650
Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21092(b)(1), the DEIR and all documents referenced in the DEIR are available for inspection at the address above. The DEIR is also available for viewing online at the:
Heart of Norwalk website:
https://www.heartofnorwalk.com/
City website:
https://www.norwalk.org/departments_services/community_development/heart_of_norwalk.php.
Public Comments: The City will accept written comments regarding the DEIR and this notice through the close of business on August 8, 2025. Please send your written comments to Carlos Rojas, Senior Planner, City of Norwalk Community Development, Room 12, 12700 Norwalk Boulevard, Norwalk, CA 90650; or by e-mail at CRojas@norwalkca.gov.
Please send your responses and comments with the subject heading “Heart of Norwalk DEIR” and include the name, phone number, and e-mail address of a contact person in all responses.
Upcoming Public Meetings: Members of the public are invited to provide comments and input on the DEIR. For additional information on the City’s community outreach efforts and access to draft documents, please visit:
https://www.norwalk.org/departments_services/community_development/heart_of_norwalk.php
More Information: Questions concerning the matter should be directed to Carlos Rojas, Senior Planner at (562) 929-5769 or CRojas@norwalkca.gov.
Accessibility: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in a City meeting or other services offered by this City, please contact the City Clerk Department at (562) 929-5720. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting or time when services are needed will assist the City staff in assuring that reasonable arrangements can be made to provide participation in the meeting or service. Assisted hearing devices will be available at this meeting without prior notification.
Dated this 27th day of June 2025.
Theresa Devoy, CMC
City Clerk
1While the Proposed Plan has a plan year of 2055, buildout of the Proposed Plan is anticipated to occur over the next 16 years, through 2040. The earlier buildout date provides a more conservative analysis of the Proposed Plan’s potential impacts.
The Norwalk Patriot
6/27/25