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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAttach 4 CEQA AddendumQuarry Lane School, PA 99-064 Site Development Review April 2004 CEQA Addendum for the Quarry Lane School Phase II Expansion Project Location and Context The project site is located on the east side of Tassajara Road approximately 1.75 miles north ofi-580. The site address is 6363 Tassajara Road. The Assessor's Parcel Number is 985-0002-006-01. The site encompasses 10 acres of land within the Dublin city limits that is currently used as Phase ! of the Quarry Lane School, including a private elementary school for 200 students with 20 faculty and staff members. The adjacent property to the north is a single- family home and ranch, within a Planned Development Zoning District. The adjacent property to the south is a single-family home, landscape contracting business, and landscape nursery, within a Planned Development Zoning District. The property to the west is outside of the City limits and the property to the east is open space, which is designated for rural residential uses as part of the Dublin Ranch Planned Development Zoning District. The project area is within the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan area. Exhibit 1 depicts the location of the project area within the context of the larger City of Dublin area and Exhibit 2 shows the detailed site location. Proiect History and Previous CEQA Analyses The project site was previously reviewed for annexation and development as part of the Eastern Dublin EIR (SCH 91103604) prepared for the Eastern Dublin General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan project. The EIR was certified by the City Council on May 10, 1993. (Resolution 53-93, incorporated herein by reference). Numerous mitigation measures were adopted, and continue to apply to the Quarry Lane School project and project site as appropriate. Significant unavoidable impacts were also identified; therefore, the City Council adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations upon approval of the Eastern Dublin project. In April 1999, Alameda County approved a rezoning to the PD Planned Development District to allow the first phase of the Quarry Lane School, consisting of a 15,600-square -foot building for day care, preschool and elementary school grades with a maximum of 200 students. An Environmental Impact Report (Quarry Lane School, Environmental Impact Report, the 2060th Zoning Unit, August 1998, SCH #97122109, incorporated herein by reference) was certified by the County prior to approving the Phase I project. The EIR included the full build out of the school, consisting of 62,575 square feet of floor area for day care, preschool, elementary, middle and high school grades with a maximum of 950 students and 55 faculty and staff members. On December 19, 2000, the City of Dublin City Council approved a Planned Development District Prezoning and Annexation application for Phase 2 of the Quarry Lane School. The use, student population, building envelope, site layout, extent of grading, and construction were studied as part of the application. The total project size ATTACHMENT Project Location I ! I I ! I I ! I ! Exhibit 1 Project Area Exhibit 2 Detailed Site Location Quarry Lane School, PA 99-064 Site Development Review April 2004 increased from the 62,575 square feet in the County's EIR to 82,263 square feet, but the student population did not change. An Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared for the project that considered the following environmental factors: aesthetics; biological resources; public services; utilities/service systems; cultural resources; hydrology/water quality; noise; air quality; geology/soils; and transportation/circulation. The adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration determined that these impacts were less than significant with the mitigations incorporated into the project. (Resolution 204-00, December 5, 2000, incorporated herein by reference.) Project Description The current project application consists of a Site Development Review, and minor amendments to the approved Development Plan including a minor amendment to the project building size, and a minor amendment to the number of parking spaces. In addition, the project adds a second retaining wall with a height tapering up to six feet. The purpose of the first minor amendment to building size is to allow a small increase in the floor area of the building from the 66,685 to 70,289 square feet without increasing the building envelope, the student population, faculty and staffpopulation, or the number of classrooms. The number of classrooms will be reduced from 66 approved as part of the Planned Development to 51 classrooms in the current project. The new floor area will be used for additional storage rooms, mechanical rooms, and locker areas dispersed throughout the project. This area is within the building dimensions approved as part of the Planned Development in 2000, but not included in the floor area calculations at that time. The purpose of the second minor amendment is to allow a 10% reduction in the parking required under the Planned Development project from 166 parking spaces to 149 parking spaces while complying with the conclusions and recommendations of the Quarry Lane Traffic and Circulation Study prepared by Abrams Associates, dated July 12, 2000. This change was considered in conjunction with the project's change in number of classrooms. The total number of classrooms approved as part of the Planned Development project was 66. The current project provides 51 classrooms. The parking required pursuant to City of Dublin Zoning Ordinance Chapter 8.76 would be reduced from 160 spaces to 130 spaces. An analysis of the Zoning Ordinance parking requirements for the SDR project is attached as Exhibit B. The third project amendment is the addition of a second retaining wall with height tapering up to six feet, located below the slope of the hillside in the northern part of the project area. The purpose of the wall is to widen the playing field area by one or two feet to provide disabled access and to flatten the slope of the path along the northern part of the project by one to four feet for disabled access. The amount of additional grading is estimated to be less than 1% of the project grading. Furthermore, the grading required for this wall is off-set by the reduction of grading further up the slope. The previous project approved in the Planned Development District included grading to the 520-foot elevation. According to the project plans and project engineer, the grading proposed as part of the SDR project is limited to the 500-foot elevation, reducing the overall cut required. Quarry Lane School, PA 99-064 Site Development Review April 2004 Subsequent EIRs and Negative Declarations City Staff reviewed the current project under the provisions found in Section 15162 of the CEQA Guidelines, Subsequent EIRs and Negative Declarations. The intent of this section is to identify the circumstances under which further environmental review would be required. It states that agencies are prohibited from requiring further Environmental Impact Reports unless "substantial changes" would require major revisions to the EIR. This section provides certainty to applicants once in-depth review has already occurred, the time for challenging the EIR has expired, and the issue is whether or not circumstances have changed to the point that the E1R process must be repeated,i Pursuant to Section 15162, when an EIR has been certified or a negative declaration adopted for a project, no subsequent EIR shall be prepared for that project unless the lead agency determines, on the basis of substantial evidence in the light of the whole record, one or more of the following: (1) Substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require major revisions of the previous EIR or negative declaration due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; (2) Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertaken which will require major revisions of the previous EIR or Negative Declaration due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; or (3) New information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the previous EIR was certified as complete or the Negative Declaration was adopted, shows any of the following: (21) The project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previous EIR or negative declaration; (B) Significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the previous EIR; (C,) Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible, and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the project, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative; or (D) Mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in the previous EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative. Quarry Lane School, PA 99-064 Site Development Review April 2004 City Staff determined that the changes to the project consisting of a small increase in useable floor area, reduction in parking, and addition of a small retaining wall would not require major revisions to the previous EIRs or Mitigated Negative Declaration because the changes would not have new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. City Staff reviewed the environmental factors that were considered in the prior reviews and determined that because the building envelope, building location, extent of grading and student population were unchanged, the impacts and appropriate mitigations were the same; no new mitigations were required. Furthermore, City Staff determined that no change in circumstances would result in new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects because no new circumstances have developed since the EIRs were certified and the Mitigated Negative Declaration was adopted. Addendum to an EIR or Negative Declaration City Staff reviewed the project under the provisions found in Section 15164 of the CEQA Guidelines, Addendum to an EIR or Negative Declaration. This section provides clear authority for an addendum as a way of making minor corrections in EIRs and negative declarations without recirculating the EIR or negative declaration,ii Pursuant to Section 15164, the lead agency shall prepare an addendum to a previously certified EIR if some changes or additions are necessary but none of the conditions described in Section 15162 calling for preparation of a subsequent EIR have occurred. (b) An addendum to an adopted negative declaration may be prepared if only minor technical changes or additions are necessary or none of the conditions described in Section 15162 calling for the preparation of a subsequent EIR or negative declaration have occurred. (c) An addendum need not be circulated for public review but can be included in or attached to the final EIR or adopted negative declaration. (d) The decision making body shall consider the addendum with the final EIR or adopted negative declaration prior to making a decision on the project. (e) :t brief explanation of the decision not to prepare a subsequent EIR pursuant to Section 15162 should be included in an addendum to an EIR, the lead agency's. findings on the project, or elsewhere in the record. The explanation must be supported by substantial evidence. City Staff determined that the Site Development Review, changes to the building floor area, reduction in the number of parking spaces, and addition of a retaining wall did not necessitate the preparation of a subsequent Environmental Impact Report, Mitigated Negative Declaration or Negative Declaration for the reasons outlined in the section Quarry Lane School, PA 99-064 Site Development Review April 2004 above. This addendum to the adopted EIRs and Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared to support the determination that the changes to the project would not have new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. The following report reviews the changes in light of the environmental factors considered in the prior environmental reviews. CEQA Environmental Checklist The Mitigated Negative Declaration adopted for the Quarry Lane Planned Development and Annexation on December 19, 2000, identified ten potential impacts. These impacts and the comparison of the current project with the project approved as part of the Planned Development are listed in the table below: Environmental Current Project Mitigations Factors Chant~e Aesthetics No change. Although building size No additional impact. Mitigations would increase by 3,604 square incorporated into Planned feet, the building envelope, Development are sufficient and have landscaping, height, and site layout been made conditions of approval of are unchanged, the current project. Biological Resources No change. Building location, site No additional impact. Mitigations layout, and proximity to biological stated in the Eastern Dublin EIR are resources identified in the Eastern sufficient and would continue to apply Dublin EIR are the same as to the current project. Mitigations Planned Development Project. include a biological survey of the site prior to grading. Public Services No change. Student population No additional impact. Mitigations would continue to remain at 950 incorporated into the Planned students. Faculty and Staff Development project are sufficient population would remain at 55. and have been made conditions of approval of the current project. Utilities/Service No change. Student population No additional impact. Mitigations Systems would continue to remain the same incorporated into the Planned at 950 students. Faculty and Staff Development project are sufficient population would remain at 55. and have been made conditions of approval of the current project. Cultural Resources No change. Extent of grading No additional impact. Mitigations would remain the same as Planned incorporated into the Planned Development project. Development project through the project review and the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan would continue to apply to the current project. Hydrology/Water No change. Building location, site No additional impact. Mitigations Quality layout, and proximity to Tassajara ~ncorporated into the Planned Quarry Lane School, PA 99-064 Site Development Review April 2004 Creek tributary have not changed. Development project through the project review and the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan would continue to apply to the current project. Noise No change. Student population No additional impact. Mitigations would continue to remain at 950 incorporated into the Planned students. Faculty and Staff Development project through the population would remain at 55. project review and the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan would continue to apply to the current project. Air Quality No change. Air Quality impacts No additional impact. Mitigations identified in the EIRs and MND incorporated into the Planned were primarily from construction- Development project through the related activities. Building project review and the Eastern Dublin dimensions have not changed and Specific Plan would continue to apply construction activities have not to the current project. changed. Geology/Soils Project adds a second retaining No additional impact. Mitigations wall with height tapering up to six incorporated into the Planned feet to provide disabled access Development project through the slope and path along the northern project review and the Eastern Dublin part of the project. Impact is Specific Plan are sufficient and would unchanged as this retaining wall continue to apply to the current will be off-set by other reductions project. in grading. Transportation/ Parking would be reduced from No additional impact. Mitigations Circulation 166 spaces to 149 spaces. Although incorporated into the Planned building size would increase by Development project through the 3,604 square feet, student Traffic and Circulation Report population would continue to prepared for the project review and the remain at 950 students. Faculty Eastern Dublin Specific Plan would and Staff population would remain continue to apply to the current at 55. Classrooms would be project. Reduction in parking is reduced from 66 to 51 in the supported by the Traffic and current project. Parking required Circulation Report incorporated into under Zoning Ordinance is the project's Mitigated Negative described in Exhibit B. Declaration. Other Environmental Factors In the Mitigated Negative Declaration adopted on December 19, 2000, the City deternfined that there were no impacts to hazards and hazardous materials, mineral resources, agricultural resources, recreation, land use/planning, or population/housing. City Staff have determined that the changes to the Quarry Lane School project would not alter the project so that it impacts these environmental areas. Quarry Lane School, PA 99-064 Site Development Review April 2004 Statement of Overriding Considerations The City Council previously balanced the benefits of the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan project approvals against the significant and potentially significant adverse impacts identified in the Eastern Dublin EIR. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors also weighed the benefits of the project against the potentially significant unavoidable impact of construction noise. The impacts that apply to the Quarry Lane School project amendments and the benefits of the project are discussed in Exhibit A, attached. i Source: California Code of Regulations. Discussion following CEQA Guidelines section 15162: see also ?ww.ceres.ca.gov. "Source: California Code of Regulations. Discussion following CEQA Guidelines section 15164: see also www.ceres.ca.gov. EXHIBIT A STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS 1. General. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15093, the City Council of the City of Dublin adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations for those impacts identified in the Eastern Dublin EIR as significant and unavoidable. (Resolution 53-93, May 10, 1993.) The City Council carefully considered each impact in its decision to approve urbanization of Eastem Dublin through approval of the Eastern Dublin General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan project. The Community Development Director is currently considering a Site Development Review application for the Quarry Lane School property in Eastern Dublin. The Quarry Lane School project proposes to expand the current school of 200 students to a total of 950 students in a new building, including additional parking, and creation of a new sports field. The impacts of the expansion, including the construction of the new building and sports field, were studied in the Quarry Lane School EIR, certified by the County of Alameda, and in a Mitigated Negative Declaration certified by the City of Dublin as part of the annexation and Planned Development approvals for the property. After the Planned Development project was approved, Site Development Review and Conditional Use Permit applications were submitted by the applicant to complete final architecture and design considerations, pursuant to City regulations. An Addendum document has been prepared that reviews the changes that were made to the project as part of these applications; the changes are collectively referred to herein as the project "amendments". The City Council adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations with the original land use approvals for urbanization of Eastern Dublin. Pursuant to a recent court decision, the Planning Commission hereby adopts specific overriding considerations for the Quarry Lane School project amendments. ~ The Planning Commission finds that many of the unavoidable environmental effects identified in the Eastern Dublin EIR that are applicable to Quarry Lane School site will be substantially lessened by mitigation measures adopted with the original approvals by the City and County, by the environmental protection measures adopted through the Quarry Lane School Planned Development and Annexation approvals, and by the environmental protection measures adopted through the Quarry Lane School project amendments approval, and the related Conditions of Approval, to be implemented with the development of the project as amended. Even with mitigation, the Planning Commission recognizes that the implementation of the project carries with it unavoidable adverse environmental effects as identified in the Eastern Dublin EIR and the Quarry Lane School EIR. The Planning Commission specifically finds that to the extent that the identified adverse or potentially adverse impacts for the Quarry Lane School project amendments have not been mitigated to acceptable levels, there are specific economic, social, environmental, land use, and other considerations that support approval of the Project. 2. Unavoidable Siqnificant Adverse Impacts. The following unavoidable significant environmental impacts identified in the Eastern Dublin EIR for future development of Eastern Dublin and in the Quarry Lane School EIR apply to the Quarry Lane School project amendments: Eastern Dublin EIR Land Use Impact 3.1IF. Cumulative Loss of Agricultural and Open Space Lands; Visual Impacts 3.8/B; and, Alteration of Rural/Open Space Character. Although considerable development has occurred south of the Quarry Lane School area, the site was agricultural grazing land prior to construction of the current school, and the site has some remaining open space character. Future development of the Quarry Lane School site will contribute to the cumulative loss of open space land. ~ "...public officials must still go on the record and explain specifically why they are approving the later project despite its significant unavoidable impacts." (emphasis original.) Communities for a Better Environment v. California Resources Aqency 103 Cal.App. 4th 98, (2002). 1 Traffic and Circulation Impacts 3.3/B, 3.3/F. 1-580 Freeway, Cumulative Freeway Impacts: The Traffic Study prepared for the Quarry Lane School project and the Dublin Transit Center EIR update cumulative impacts to the I- 580 and 1-680 freeways from development in Eastern Dublin. While city street and interchange impacts can be mitigated through planned improvements, transportation demand management, the 1-580 Smart Corridor program, and the extension of Fallon Road to Tassajara Road and other similar measures, mainline freeway impacts continue to be identified as unavoidable, as anticipated in the Eastern Dublin EIR. Future development on the Quarry Lane School site will incrementally contribute to the unavoidable freeway impacts. Community Services and Facilities Impact 3.4/S. Consumption of Non-Renewable Natural Resoumes and Sewer, Water; and Storm Drainage Impact 3.5/F, H, U. Increases in Energy Usage Through Increased Water Treatment, Disposal and Operation of Water Distribution System: Future development of the Quarry Lane School project will contribute to increased energy consumption. Soils, Geology, and Seismicity Impact 3.6/B. Earthquake Ground Shaking, Primary Effects: Even with seismic design, future development of the Quarry Lane School project could be subject to damage from large earthquakes, much like the rest of the Eastern Dublin planning area. Air Quality Impacts 3.11/A, B, C, and E: Construction of the Quarry Lane School project will contribute to cumulative dust deposition, construction equipment emissions, mobile and stationary source emissions. Quarry Lane School EIR Noise Impacts, Chapter IV.G: Using the Model Noise Ordinance allowable level of 75 dBA, the Quarry Lane School construction operations could potentially produce an adverse response by adjacent resident within 300 feet. Despite the temporary nature of the effect, this would constitute a significant noise impact. Application of mitigation measures would not fully reduce these impacts to a level of insignificance. 3. Overriding Considerations. The City Council previously balanced the benefits of the Eastern Dublin project approvals against the significant and potentially significant adverse impacts identified in the Eastern Dublin EIR. The Planning Commission now balances those unavoidable impacts that apply to future development on the Quarry Lane School site against its benefits, and hereby determines that such unavoidable impacts are outweighed by the benefits of the Quarry Lane School project as further set forth below. A. The Quarry Lane School has a history of high academic achievement. High-quality schools are a complement to existing and planned residential land uses in the vicinity. An educated future workforce is an asset to the community. B. The School site contains a large area of open space and undeveloped hillside. The open area will contribute to the aesthetics of the community and offer a rural component to the area. C. The School site is easily accessible as it is located 1.75 miles north of 1-580 on a planned arterial street. D. The School offers after-school care for students. Therefore, the Quarry Lane School Phase II project as amended provides important benefits to the City of Dublin, Alameda County and the Bay Area, and the benefits of the project outweigh any remaining adverse impacts that may remain after the adoption of Mitigation Measures and other project components. 2 EXHIBIT B Quarry Lane School CEQA Addendum - Parking Requirement 2000 Planned Development Approval Building ClaSsrooms'- HS/LS Students Required Parking~ Phase I 14 LS N/A 28 (2/class) Phase II 42 LS N/A 84 (2/class) Phase II 10 HS 150 10 (1/class) 38 (1/4 student) Total 66 160 2004 SDR Project Building Classrooms HS/LS Students Required Parking~ Phase I 13 LS N/A 26 (2/class) Phase II 28 LS N/A 56 (2/class) Phase II 10 HS 150 10 (1/class) 38 (1/4 student) Total 51 130 Pursuant to City of Dublin Zoning Ordinance Chapter 8.76