HomeMy WebLinkAboutNOI_580 Dubuque_220119 NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC REVIEW AND
NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A MITIGATED NEGATIVE
DECLARATION FOR THE PROPOSED
580 DUBUQUE AVENUE PROJECT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: that the City of South San Francisco Planning Division has completed the
Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the 580 Dubuque Avenue Project. This
IS/MND is now available for public review and comment. The IS/MND may be accessed on the City’s
website at https://weblink.ssf.net/weblink/ under Planning Division/Environmental Reports
(https://weblink.ssf.net/weblink/Browse.aspx?dbid=0).
Physical copies of the IS/MND and all documents incorporated by reference are available for review at
the Planning Division at 315 Maple Avenue. Additional physical copies of the IS/MND are available at the
Orange Avenue Library at 804 W. Orange Avenue, the Grand Avenue Library at 306 Walnut Avenue, and
the City Clerk’s Office at 400 Grand Avenue.
PROJECT LOCATION: The 1.89‐acre project site (Assessor’s Parcel Number 015‐021‐998) is located in the
City of South San Francisco, California at the southern end of Dubuque Avenue, north of the Grand
Avenue overpass as it intersects with U.S. 101. It is bordered by Dubuque Avenue and the U.S. 101
highway on the west, the Caltrain right‐of‐way and station property on the east and south, and
development and parking on the 720 Dubuque Avenue parcel to the north. Figure 1 shows the project
location. As a part of the Caltrain station relocation and upgrade, the project site was recently used for
construction staging. The project site is currently vacant and fenced.
The site is impacted by contamination from historic and adjacent uses, mostly due to historic railroad
use of the site and undocumented fill. The main contamination of concern is mainly low levels of lead
and other metals in the soil. Removal of impacted soil is proposed as part of the project (see below).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project applicant, South City Ventures, LLC, is proposing construction and
operation of a new 295,000‐square‐foot, 8‐story, office / research and development (R&D) building and
structured parking 4 stories below grade, with approximately 350 parking spaces. Project site
improvements would also include sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting along Dubuque Avenue. Ground
floor amenities would include a fitness center, conference space, and a café with an adjacent outdoor
terrace near the building’s entry lobby. The applicant is targeting life science tenants. Figure 2 shows the
site plan.
The site is within the boundaries of the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan (DSASP). However, the site
was not specifically indicated for development in the DSASP as it was in use as part of the Caltrain
station property at the time, prior to the station relocation and upgrade. Project applicants are
requesting a rezoning from Freeway Commercial to Downtown Station Area Specific Plan District; Transit
Office/R&D Core Subdistrict as well as a related General Plan Amendment (land use map and text
amendments), East of 101 Area Plan Amendment, Downtown Station Area Specific Plan Amendment
(land use map and text amendments), Zoning Map Amendments, Conditional Use Permits (Parking
Reduction, Floor Area Ratio Increase), Design Review, and a Transportation Demand Management Plan.
Project construction activities are anticipated to span approximately 2 years. The project would involve
removal of contaminated soil, with approximately 5 to 9 feet of soil being removed across 60% of the
site and disposal of the contaminated soil off site. Excavation for subsurface parking would extend to
depths of up to about 60 feet below ground surface and would require construction during excavation.
Site preparation and foundation work would run approximately the first 9 months, followed by building
580 Dubuque Project ‐ Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration Page 2 of 4
construction over about 12 months and finishing/paving/landscaping over about 3 months. A total of
about 325 workers are anticipated to be onsite throughout the construction process.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: The IS/MND that has been prepared for the project concludes that impacts
of the project are considered to be less than significant with mandatory compliance with existing
federal, State and local standards and the implementation of mitigation measures listed in the
document. Mitigation measures relate to minimizing potential construction‐period impacts, including
construction dust and emissions best practices; surveys for and buffering of nesting birds; monitoring for
and appropriate response to undocumented cultural, paleontological, or tribal cultural resources;
compliance with design plans prepared by appropriate engineers; implementation of a Response Plan
pursuant to the previously‐approved CLRRA Agreement (Docket No HSA‐FY19/20‐013) in coordination
with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to safely remove the contaminated soil at
the project site; and implementation of measures to improve driver site distance at the shared
project/Caltrain parking lot driveway intersection with Dubuque Avenue. Implementation of the project
would not degrade the quality and extent of the environment or result in adverse effects on human
beings, provided the project adheres to all mandated policies, rules and regulations of all relevant
governing bodies.
PUBLIC REVIEW COMMENT PERIOD: The City of South San Francisco is soliciting comments regarding
the analysis contained in the IS/MND. All comments must be received by the City of South San
Francisco Planning Division no later than 5:00 PM on February 17, 2022. Written comments on the
IS/MND may be sent via email or U.S. mail and addressed to:
Christopher Espiritu, Senior Planner
City of South San Francisco
Economic and Community Development Department
315 Maple Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Comments may also be sent via email to [email protected]
For comments sent via email, please include “MND Comments: 580 Dubuque Project” in the subject line
and the name and physical address of the commenter in the body of the email.
For additional information please contact Christopher Espiritu, Senior Planner at (650) 877‐8535 and/or
[email protected].
Date: January 19, 2022
[email protected]
Telephone: (650) 877‐8535
580 Dubuque Avenue Project ‐ Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration Page 3 of 4 Figure 1: Project Location
580 Dubuque Project ‐ Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration Page 4 of 4 Figure 2: Project Site Plan