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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Attch 2 Exh A-2 Response to Env Comments September 5, 2013 City of Dublin Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space (Linear Park) Project PLPA-2013-00044 Response to Environmental Comments Introduction The City of Dublin issued a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for this project on August 5, 2013 for a 30-day period to ensure California Environmental Quality Act compliance. The project being analyzed in the MND is the construction of a linear park, potential South San Ramon Creek realignment, and potential Iron Horse Regional Trail realignment on approximately 35 acres of land (12 acres to be owned by the City of Dublin as the public park and 23 acres owned by Zone 7 Water Agency). Proposed uses are primarily passive, but would also include some areas of higher activity recreation uses. Pedestrian and bicycle connections would be made with surrounding neighborhoods and Dublin High School. The development of the park may also include realignment of the Iron Horse Trail and the existing Zone 7 watercourse within the park. Construction of the park would require approval of a General Plan Amendment and rezoning by the City of Dublin as well as an amendment to the City of Dublin Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space (Linear Park) is located in the approximate center of Dublin, generally located between Amador Valley Boulevard and the Dublin-San Ramon City Limit Line along the Iron Horse Trail and former Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Changes and Modifications to the Initial Study The following changes to the Initial Study are made by reference and included in the document. 1. Exhibit 3 contained in the Initial Study will be changed from a view of the Proposed Park Site to the Conceptual Park Master Plan that has been developed for the project site. 2. Paragraph 4 on page 4 will be amended to read"A small vehicle parking lot with a maximum capacity for 15 vehicles is expected to be provided adjacent to Amador Valley Boulevard in the location shown in the Conceptual Park Master Plan." EXHIBIT A-2 TO ATTACHMENT 2 City of Dublin Page 2 Response to Comments-Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space(Linear Park) September 5,2013 Comment Letters and Responses Two comment letters were received, as follows: Letter No. Commenter Date A-Local Agencies A-1 Dublin San Ramon Services District 8/15/13 B-Interested Persons B-1 John Whitehead 8/27/13 Copies of these letters are annotated and attached. Each response corresponds numerically to the number of responses. City of Dublin Page 3 Response to Comments-Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space(Linear Park) September 5,2013 Annotated Comment Letters 0811512013 15:58 P.0011001 - � O DUBLIN 7051 Dublin Boulevard SAN Dublin,California 94568 SERVICES N a IP,��,,,,,, Phone:925 828 0515 a toO ,l L, FAX:925 829 1180 DISTIUCT `RMC9 1953 www.darad.com August 15,2013 Via Fax Kristi Bascom,Principal Planner City of Dublin, Community Development Dept. 100 Civic Plaza Dublin,CA 94568 Subject: Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Iron Horse Linear Park(PLPA-2013-00044) Dear Ms.Bascom: Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Iron Horse Linear Park Project(Notice of Intent). This proposed project is within the service area where Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) currently provides potable water service, recycled water service and wastewater collection service. DSRSD has identified no impacts or necessary mitigations beyond those identified in the Notice of Intent. We noted that the Initial Study states, "Potable water and sewer lines would need to be extended to portions of the future park to support public restrooms. Recycled water lines would also be extended into portions of the project site for irrigation of future landscaped areas." We also noted that plans for this park would include flow restrictors to minimize potable water consumption and "low flow" toilets to minimize future wastewater flow. This is Mitigation Measure UTIL-1. DSRSD agrees that development of Iron Horse Linear Park will have a less than significant impact on utilities and service systems with this mitigation measure. We also note the proposed use of recycled water on landscape irrigation to conserve potable water supplies. DSRSD does not deem any additional mitigation will be needed beyond those specified in the Notice of Intent for the District's potable water,recycled water or wastewater collection services to the community. We feel that the joint planning effort done between the City of Dublin and DSRSD has successfully identified those areas of concern and planned reasonable solutions to those areas. Sincerely, ..f' . STANLEY OLOD ,P.E. Associate Engineer SK/ST cc: Dave Requa,DSRSD Rhodora Biagtan,DSRSD DuOan Ban Raman SeMan DlatrW Is a MOC BndW Received T`i m e$ Aug. 15. *52 013°" 3: 5 8 P M'°N o. 10 3 0'f DuDlin\20 MCommeats on initlal Study Mit Nea Dec-Iron Horse Linear Park-9-2-I3.doo 2013Aug27 RECEIVED Kristi Bascom AUG 2 7 2013 Principal Planner City of Dublin DUBLIN PLANTING Community Development Department 100 Civic Plaza Dublin,CA 94568 Dear Ms. Bascom, Here are my comments on the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Iron Horse Linear Park. My name is John Whitehead,and in 19981 purchased my residence at the end of Conestoga Lane in Dublin. My home borders directly on the County-owned Kinder-Morgan pipeline property just south of Amador Valley Blvd,very close to the proposed traiihead facilities which are expected to include restrooms and a small parking lot. Comment 1 While I am very much in favor of the proposed park, I am concerned that the potential negative impacts upon me personally could be unfair and greater than on other residents near the park. I look forward to enjoying a reasonable degree of privacy for decades to come,in addition to benefiting from the -proximity to this wonderful new park. My greatest concerns are the potential for future growth of the parking lot toward my residence,and the potential for tobacco smoke to blow directly toward me. My concerns are explained in detail below,along with suggestions for improving the Mitigated Negative Declaration document(PLPA-2013-00044). Comment 2 Other than general site diagrams to indicate the park location,the entire document Is only words,so a plan (map)for the park should be included to support various statements that Impacts will be low, It is impossible to tell,for example,how far the parking lot and restrooms would be from the fence on my side. Comment 3 , A"small vehicle narking lot"is mentioned on page 4. Please Indicate the maximum number of parking spaces, i.e.15 spaces as recently explained to me by Rosemary Alex of the Dublin Parks Department. Also please add a statement that the parking lot borders will remain at least 125 feet(what's the right number?)from existing residential properties. Comment 4 Park hours are indicated as sunrise to sunset,also on page 4. There needs to be an explanation of how the hours would be enforced. In particular,there should be a means to prevent use of the parking lot at night. While the likelihood of people loitering after dark might be low, I presently enjoy cool evening j breezes through my screen door and windows,without any smoke from tobacco or diesel engines for example,and currently there Is no localized noise from people talking or cars coming and going. i i Comment 5 Item 1(a)(Aesthetics pages 14 and 24).says there would be no impact on a scenic vista. Presently,when standing in my open doorway, I regularly enjoy the serene and very wide view of the distant hills to the south and west because my eye level Is above the fence. The view from my doorway and windows includes open space and welcome trail users in the foreground,plus rooftops of houses beyond 300 feet away. Therefore,I feel that Item 1(a)should be changed to Indicate that vistas are not"limited,"and that mitigation will be done. The Parks Department plan shows a row of trees that would block my view of the parking lot and restrooms. At the same time,I would not want those trees to be large enough and close enough to me to block my view of the distant hills. As noted already as mitigation for Item 1(d),I look forward to not having any lights shining directly toward my residence. Comment 6 Item 3(Air Quality, pages 15 and 25-26)should be changed to point out that outdoor tobacco smoke has been defined as a nuisance by the City of Dublin(Municipal Code 5.56.160). It should be stated that the new park will be entirely"non-smoking,"with a plan for signage and enforcement. Presently I enjoy clean air coming across the vacant land with the prevailing breezes,while tobacco smoke is full of toxins that immediately give me headaches, Even New York City for example has outlawed tobacco smoke in all public parks(signs are posted),and there is similarly no excuse to condone It in Dublin. Merely going with the flow of existing law is not good enough,because existing law(5.56,050.C.2) permits tobacco smoke in parks larger than 8 acres(per the definition of"community park"). Presumably there was an assumption that residences are far away from such large parks,but that is obviously not true for the long and narrow Iron Horse linear Park,despite being larger than 8 acres. A related concern is that sometimes wind is lined up perfectly with the Iron Horse Trail,so trail users cannot escape the plume of smoke from a tobacco user on or near the trail. Signage prohibiting tobacco use is very helpful,so that concerned citizens can simply point to the signs instead of having a mere "difference of opinion"with tobacco users. When enjoying the Iron Horse Trail north of Amador Valley Blvd.,I have encountered underage people smoking tobacco on their walk to Dublin High School,which should never happen. Comment 7 Item 12(Noise.pages 20 and 37-42 plus Attachment 3)should explain that the measured noise on the site is mostly continuous smooth background sound from distant freeways. It needs to be acknowledged that the local noise of cars coming and going and revving up engines in a parking lot is a completely different kind of noise which does have an Impact,even if the decibel level is the same as or even less than the distant background noise. The appropriate mitigation is to ensure that hours are limited by parking lot gates or other enforcement,and that there is no future growth of the"small vehicle parking lot" Item 16(f)(Transportation/Traffic pages 21-22 and 43-44)says there will be no impact on the safety or Comment 8 I i performance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This item should state that the park plan Includes some changes to the Iron Horse Trail,which is a regional transportation corridor for bicycle traffic. Mitigation I for proposed changes should be done based on outreach to residents and trail users,given that many people bicycle on the Iron Horse Trail with a need to arrive at work on time, i i Comment 9 Item 18(b)(Mandatory Findings of Significance oases 23 and 45-46)says there will be no impacts from the effects of probable future projects. Please Include a clear statement in this Item that future expansion of the parking lot will not be accepted,or at least say that possible expansion is not covered by this Mitigated Negative Declaration. My concern is that if the park becomes popular as expected, there will be community pressure to expand the parking lot toward my residence,i.e.a"probable future project." In conclusion.thank you for reading my comments and for Incorporating my concerns into the planning for the Iron Horse Linear Park. I look forward to all the positive aspects of this future park,including meeting friendly people who are using the park near my residence for wholesome purposes with minimal negative impacts. Sincerely, aVa _ John Whitehead 6627 Conestoga Lane Dubl€n, CA 94568 (925)828-1824 (925)423-4847(at work,best for messages) i f City of Dublin Page 8 Response to Comments-Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space(Linear Park) September 5,2013 The following are responses to each of the comments. Letter from DSRSD: Comment: The District supports the proposed project and agrees that the development of the Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space (Linear Park) will have a less than significant impact on utilities and service systems with the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures. Response: DSRSD support of the project is noted and no further response is needed. Letter from John Whitehead Comment 1: The commenter is concerned about growth (expansion) of the parking lot and the potential for tobacco smoke to blow towards the commenter's dwelling. Response: The parking lot designed for the park will accommodate a maximum of 15 parking spaces. Should any future expansion be proposed to the parking area that is not in substantial conformance with the Conceptual Park Master Plan (Revised Exhibit 3 to the MND), future analysis and an accompanying CEQA document would need to be completed. Comment 2: The commenter notes that a site plan for the park should be included in the document to better demonstrate potential impacts. Response: City of Dublin Staff have been working with park designers and the community to select a site development plan for the park that best balances anticipated recreation opportunities for the public and privacy needs for the residents closest to the proposed park. Exhibit 3 of the MND has been revised to provide more detail on the resulting proposed park design. The Planned Development Ordinance that is recommended for approval describes the future permitted uses in the park, which include "a public park with a mix of low-intensity, passive recreation uses near existing residential areas and a few nodes of more active uses at key locations, public open space, stream corridor, and a regional multi-use trail." Comment 3: The commenter requests confirmation that the maximum number of parking spaces constructed as part of the park would be 15 and that there would be a minimum 125 foot buffer from existing residential properties. Resl)onse: The MND will be amended to state that "A small vehicle parking lot with a maximum capacity for 15 vehicles is expected to be provided adjacent to Amador Valley Boulevard in the location shown in the Conceptual Park Master Plan." City of Dublin Page 9 Response to Comments-Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space(Linear Park) September 5,2013 Comment 4: How will hours of operation, identified as sunrise to sunset, be enforced? There should be a means of preventing use of the proposed parking lot during nighttime hours to minimize noise from diesel engines. There is currently no localized noise from people talking or vehicles? Response: The posted public park hours will be sunrise to sunset. As with any other public park in the City of Dublin, violations are subject to enforcement by Dublin Police Services. Comment 5: The commenter is concerned that future park improvements, specifically a row of trees, could block his views of distant hills from his house. Response: Consistent with CEQA, the issue of potential blockage of views is limited to blockage of views from public parks, playgrounds and other vista points, not private dwellings. Therefore there is no need to change the conclusion of the Initial Study. As the specific design details are developed at the time of park construction, City Staff will take a look at the tree species to be planted along the park perimeter. Comment 6: A concern is raised regarding potential air quality impacts from tobacco smoke affecting the commenter. Response: The City of Dublin prohibits smoking in any City park. "No Smoking" signs will be posted and violations are subject to enforcement by Dublin Police Services. The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a facility operated by the East Bay Regional Park District, which their own policies related to smoking. Comment 7: The commenter requests the noise section of the Initial Study should explain that the existing noise measurements taken on the site mostly consist of smooth background noise from distant freeways. The anticipated noise of cars coming and going and revving engines in the proposed parking lot does have an impact, even if the decibel level is the same or less than distant background noise. The suggested mitigation is to ensure that park hours of operation are limited by parking gates or other enforcement and there is no enlargement of the proposed parking lot. Response: The acoustic report prepared for the project by the firm of RGDL (Attachment 3 to the Initial Study) includes a brief discussion of the sources of existing noise in the neighborhood that was recorded in early May, 2013. Page 4 of the RGDL report notes that a motorcycle passing the project area generated a noise event of 58 decibels (DBA). This noise level is generally equivalent or perhaps noisier than a standard passenger vehicle, so that at a measured event of 58 decibels, this noise is lower than the City noise standard of 60 decibels for residential areas. Therefore, future noise from the proposed small (15-vehicle) parking lot is not anticipated to be a significant noise impact or community nuisance. However, if a consistent and on-going noise issue becomes apparent at the park site, Parks and Community Services Staff shall be notified to investigate if there are City of Dublin Page 10 Response to Comments-Iron Horse Nature Park and Open Space(Linear Park) September 5,2013 operational issues. Individual violators are subject to enforcement by Dublin Police Services. Comment 8: The commenter notes that these could be some changes to the current alignment of the Iron Horse Trail. There should be mitigation measures included based on outreach to residents and trail users of the proposed changes since many people on bicycle use the Trail for commuting and need to arrive at work on time. Response: The Initial Study notes that there could be minor changes to the existing alignment of the iron Horse Trail to better integrate the function of the Trail with the proposed park. However, any changes to the alignment of the Iron Horse Trail would be minor and would not significantly impact local commuters and times to work. Comment 9: The commenter requests that a clear statement be made that a future expansion of the proposed parking lot will not be accepted, or at lease say that possible expansion is not covered by the Mitigated Negative Declaration. If the park becomes popular, there could be community pressure to expand the parking lot toward the commenter's residence. Response: The MND will be amended to state that "A small vehicle parking lot with a maximum capacity for 15 vehicles is expected to be provided adjacent to Amador Valley Boulevard in the location shown in the Conceptual Park Master Plan."