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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 4_1_Env Setting DEIR 10 12 18.pdfChapter 4. Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation 4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING, IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION 4.1 Approach to Environmental Analysis The proposed 201 Haskins Way Project (project) would be constructed in at least two development phases. Alexandria Real Estate Equities is proposing a specific development plan for the proposed Phase 1 site. Currently, there is no site - specific development program proposed for Phase 2; development of Phase 2 would require subsequent project -level site design. For the purposes of analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this Environmental Impact Report (EIR) assumes the project would be constructed in two phases with the proposed Phase 1 site plan and a conceptual Phase 2 development for buildout of the project site. Where applicable, the EIR presents separate analysis of the project impacts of the Phase 1 development in order to differentiate Phase 1 project impacts and/or identify any necessary, feasible mitigation measures. When separate, phased project analysis is not necessary, the EIR presents project impacts of Phase 1 and 2 development combined (referred to as "project buildout" in this EIR). 4. 1.1 Introduction to Analysis This section describes the format of the environmental analysis in each environmental topic section of the chapter; discusses the effect of Public Resources Code Section 21099 on the scope of CEQA analysis for the project; and explains the general approaches to baseline setting and cumulative analysis in this EIR. 4.1.2 Format of the Environmental Analysis Sections 4.2 through 4.11 address the physical environmental effects of the proposed project on the required CEQA environmental topics, as follows: Section 4.2, Air Quality Section 4.3, Biological Resources Section 4.4, Cultural Resources Section 4.5, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Section 4.6, Hydrology and Water Quality Section 4.7, Land Use and Planning Section 4.8, Noise and Vibration Section 4.9, Transportation and Traffic Section 4. 10, Utilities and Service Systems Section 4.11, Less - than- Significant Impacts 4.11.1, Introduction 4.11.2, Agriculture and Forest Resources 4.11.3, Aesthetics 4.11.4, Geology and Soils 4.11.5, Hazards and Hazardous Materials 4.11.6, Minerals and Energy Resources 4.11.7, Population and Housing 4.11.8, Public Services 4.11.9, Recreation 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.1 October 12, 2018 4.1 Approach to Environmental Sections 4.2 through 4.10 contain the following subsections: Environmental Setting, Regulatory Framework, and Impacts and Mitigation Measures, described below. Topics discussed in Section 4.11 include a brief description of the regulatory framework, significance criteria, approach to analysis, and impacts. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The Environmental Setting subsection for each environmental topic defines and describes the existing conditions in the project site and vicinity as they relate specifically to that topic. The description of existing environmental conditions serves as the "baseline" for measuring the changes to the environment that would result from the project and for determining whether those environmental effects would be significant. In general, existing conditions are the physical conditions that existed at the time that the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the proposed project is issued (CEQA Guidelines Section 15125(a)). However, the EIR may include projects that are approved and under construction and are reasonably likely to be completed and occupied or in operation when the proposed project is expected to be implemented. The EIR may also take into account former conditions or circumstances that have changed prior to publication of the NOP as the baseline for evaluating an impact(s). As further described below in Section 4.1.4, Approach to Baseline Setting, the modified existing conditions serve as the baseline for the analysis of environmental impacts. REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The Regulatory Framework subsection describes federal, state, regional, and local regulatory requirements that are directly applicable to the environmental topic. IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES The Impacts and Mitigation Measures subsection describes the physical environmental impacts of the proposed project for each topic, as well as any mitigation measures that could reduce potentially significant impacts to less- than - significant levels. This subsection begins with a listing of the significance criteria used to assess the severity of the environmental impacts for that particular topic based on the CEQA Guidelines Appendix G checklist. Environmental topic sections also include a topic- specific "Approach to Analysis," explaining the parameters, assumptions, and data used in the analysis. Under the "Impact Evaluation" discussion, the project -level impact analysis for each topic begins with an impact statement that reflects the applicable significance criteria. Some significance criteria may be combined in a single impact statement, if appropriate. Each impact statement is keyed to a subject area abbreviation (e.g., AQ for Air Quality) and an impact number (e.g., 1, 2, 3) for a combined alpha - numeric code (e.g., Impact AQ -1, Impact AQ -2, Impact AQ -3). When potentially significant impacts are identified, mitigation measures are presented, if feasible, to avoid, eliminate, or reduce significant adverse impacts of the project. Each mitigation measure is numbered to correspond to the impact statement to which it pertains (e.g., Mitigation Measure MM -AQ -1 corresponds to Impact AQ -1). If there is more than one mitigation measure for the same impact statement, the mitigation measure numbers include a lowercase letter suffix (e.g., Mitigation Measures MM -AQ -la and AQ -lb). 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.2 October 12, 2018 4.1 Approach to Environmental Each impact statement describes the impact that would occur without mitigation. The level of significance of the impact is indicated in parentheses at the end of the impact statement based on the following terms: • No Impact — No adverse physical changes (or impacts) to the environment are expected. • Less than Significant — Impact that does not exceed the defined significance criteria or would be eliminated or reduced to a less - than - significant level through compliance with existing local, state, and federal laws and regulations. • Less than Significant with Mitigation — Impact that is reduced to a less- than - significant level through implementation of the identified mitigation measures. • Significant and Unavoidable with Mitigation — Impact that exceeds the defined significance criteria and can be reduced through compliance with existing local, state, and federal laws and regulations and/or implementation of all feasible mitigation measures, but cannot be reduced to a less - than - significant level. • Significant and Unavoidable — Impact that exceeds the defined significance criteria and cannot be eliminated or reduced to a less - than - significant level through compliance with existing local, state, and federal laws and regulations and for which there are no feasible mitigation measures. The proposed project's cumulatively considerable contributions to significant cumulative impacts are described in a separate subsection following the project -level impact analysis for each environmental topic. Cumulative impact statements are numbered consecutively for each impact statement with a combined alpha- numeric code to signify it is a significant cumulative impact. For example, C -AQ -1 refers to the first significant cumulative impact for Air Quality. 4.1.3 Public Resources Code Section 21099 Public Resources Code Section 21099 requires that the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR) amend the CEQA Guidelines to provide an alternative to level of service (LOS) for evaluating traffic impacts of proposed projects. The new Guidelines must establish criteria that "promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses." Public Resources Code Section 21099(b)(2) states that upon certification of the revised guidelines for determining transportation impacts pursuant to Section 21099(b)(1), automobile delay, as described solely by level of service or similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion, shall not be considered a significant impact on the environment under CEQA. In January 2016, OPR published for public review and comment a "Revised Proposal on Updates to the CEQA Guidelines on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA," recommending that transportation impacts for projects be measured using a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) metric, and in November 2017 OPR published a "Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA." A VMT and induced automobile travel impact analysis is provided in Section 4.9, Transportation and Traffic. The topic of automobile delay, nonetheless, may be considered by decision - makers, independent of the environmental review process, as part of their decision to approve, modify, or disapprove the proposed project. Therefore, a discussion of automobile delay is provided for informational purposes. The VMT metric does not apply to the analysis of impacts on non - automobile modes of travel such as riding transit, walking, and bicycling. 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.3 October 12, 2018 4.1 Approach to Environmental 4.1.4 Approach to Baseline Setting Project development characteristics are typically compared to the existing physical environment to isolate impacts caused by the project on its surroundings. In other words, the existing condition (also referred to as the environmental setting) is normally the baseline against which the project's impacts are measured to determine whether impacts are significant. Therefore, the Environmental Setting subsection of each topic describes existing conditions on and around the project site. These existing conditions are ordinarily established as of the date that the NOP is published. In some circumstances, however, it is appropriate to use a different baseline to identify project impacts to account for circumstances that can change over time during the course of the environmental review, project construction, and operation. The baseline setting for the proposed project includes the existing uses on the Phase 1 and Phase 2 parcels. An EIR also may take into account former conditions or circumstances that have changed prior to publication of the NOP as the baseline for evaluating an impact(s). The baseline setting for the proposed project includes the historical light industrial trucking use at 201 Haskins Way, which was recently vacated prior to publication of the NOP. Presented below is a list of the development projects that are approved and expected to be operational prior to construction of the proposed project and would affect the environmental setting of the East of 101 Area. For these reasons, the development projects are considered part of the baseline condition against which the proposed project is evaluated for environmental impacts. The number of each project listed corresponds to its numbered location on Figure 4.1.1: Location of Baseline and Cumulative Projects. The figure shows the location of baseline projects within the vicinity of the project site. Figure 4.1.1 also corresponds to the locations of projects for which the City of South San Francisco (City) had an application on file, but for which construction had not commenced as of the date the NOP for the proposed project was published. Such projects are considered additional reasonably foreseeable future projects and are discussed below in Section 4.1.5, Approach to Cumulative Impact Analysis, on pp. 4.1.7- 4.1.9. For several physical environmental topics, project - related impacts are unlikely to interact with conditions greater than a 0.5 -mile radius from the project site, such as aesthetics, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, and noise and vibration. However, some impacts related to air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, population growth, and water quality can affect existing conditions on a more regional scale. Several other City projects are located more than 0.5 mile from the project site but within the East of 101 Area and are confined by the same infrastructure network, particularly with regard to transportation and circulation, public services, and utilities and service systems. Therefore, the impacts generated by these projects have also been considered to provide a final adjusted baseline in order to properly reflect conditions against which the proposed project is analyzed. 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.4 October 12, 2018 U .O Q a 2 .6 U 0 55 CL Q a) � � 2 0- CO m C) IL -J0 a1 d J dmpr--- 0 S u P 4 m y y > N N N O t o a @ N @ - N d ma > ¢ w L` @ 'UO aci d m 'O aci m > ¢ -o 1C�6 N N w O w a > d O o C N '° ¢ j, U U U �= N c O @ y d N N O m' U C 0) > m O a E U V c a @ Y Co O N C O C L m 3 0 S u P 4 m y y ` T Cu C i co) , O v d D) d m 1 c y �+ Q 7 I m 0 UL Co U) 8 I © I I 1 1 N 1 1 ♦ I ♦ ` i I I wow �• •� !6019 �• Q0 0 0 0 0 o0)a`ED HK N ■a I61 O N_ O I O 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.5 October 12, 2018 F- U W O Cx a W Q J U c Z Q W Z J W Q m W 0 Z Q V 0 r- W U 76 > N N N O t a a @ @ V c a @ @ O N C O C L m 3 a -2 T a° 0 L � @ N N o C c 3 a M o o o o 3 M V O U ` T Cu C i co) , O v d D) d m 1 c y �+ Q 7 I m 0 UL Co U) 8 I © I I 1 1 N 1 1 ♦ I ♦ ` i I I wow �• •� !6019 �• Q0 0 0 0 0 o0)a`ED HK N ■a I61 O N_ O I O 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.5 October 12, 2018 F- U W O Cx a W Q J U c Z Q W Z J W Q m W 0 Z Q V 0 r- W U 76 4.1 Approach to Environmental The following baseline projects are located within a 0.5 -mile radius of the project site (the numbers are keyed to Figure 4.1.1): 1. 249 East Grand Avenue. The project includes construction of four office /research and development (R &D) buildings totaling approximately 540,000 square feet (sq. ft.), and a four - level parking garage on a 15.75 -acre site. (Entitled October 2017, final building to be completed Quarter 1 of 2019) 2. Genentech Childcare Facility. The project includes construction of an 11,000- sq. -ft. administrative building and four 11,300- sq. -ft. classrooms serving up to 500 children and 175 staff members. (Entitled August 2017, construction completed June 2018.) 3. Genentech Building B -40. The project includes construction of an eight - story, 160,000- sq. -ft. office and amenity building. (Entitled March 2017, construction to be completed in Quarter 4 of 2019.) The following baseline projects are located in the East of 101 Area (the numbers are keyed to Figure 4.1.1): 4. 213 -221 East Grand Avenue (Merck Campus Buildings 1 -3). The project includes construction of a nine - story, 291,000- sq. -ft. office /R &D building, and a multi -level parking garage on a 6.2 -acre site. (Entitled June 2017, construction to be completed in Quarter I of 2019.) 5. 475 Eccles Avenue. The project includes construction of two four -story office /R &D buildings totaling 262,287 sq. ft., and a five -level parking garage on a 6.1 -acre site. (Entitled June 2017, site preparation underway, construction completion date TBD.) 6. 560 Eccles Avenue (USDA Office Building). The project includes construction of a 21,807 -sq.- ft. office building on a 3.62 -acre site. (Entitled December 2017, construction initiated winter 2017, construction to be completed in Quarter 2 of 2019) 7. 550 Gateway Boulevard. The project includes construction of a five -story hotel with 151 rooms and 87,120 sq. ft. on a 2 -acre site. (Entitled September 2016, construction to be completed in Quarter 1 of 2019) 8. 127 West Harris (Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites). The project includes construction of a five - story hotel with 128 rooms on a 64,117- sq. -ft. site. (Entitled August 2015, construction to be completed in Quarter 4 of 2018) 9. Britannia Cove at Oyster Point. The project includes construction of seven office /R &D buildings totaling 88,344 sq. ft.; a 200 -room, 126,000- sq. -ft. hotel building; 20,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant uses; and an eight -story parking structure. (Entitled February 2014, construction to be completed in Quarter 3 of 2019) 10. Oyster Point Redevelopment Plan Phase 1. The project includes a multi - phased development of the 81 -acre Oyster Point site. Phase I includes 508,000 sq. ft. of office/R &D use. (Phase I approved and under construction, estimated to be completed in Quarter 3 of 2020) 11. Gateway Business Park Master Plan Phase 1 (850 -900 Gateway Boulevard). The Phase I Gateway Business Park project involves construction of two business park buildings, totaling 451,485 sq. ft., with a two -level basement parking garage and a 47,938- sq. -ft. amenity building on a 6.3 -acre site at 850 -900 Gateway Boulevard. (Phase 1 entitled April 2013, construction to be completed in Quarter 3 of 2019) 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.6 October 12, 2018 4.1 Approach to Environmental 12. Caltrain Station Improvement Project. The project will realign the existing South San Francisco Caltrain station to allow easier pedestrian access to downtown, as well as improve station safety and disabled access. An underpass and plaza will be constructed to allow pedestrians access from downtown to the newly renovated station and to the east side of U.S. 101. (Construction initiated Q4 2017, estimated to be completed in 2020) 4.1.5 Approach to Cumulative Impact Analysis Cumulative impacts are two or more individual effects which, when considered together, are considerable or which compound or increase environmental impacts. The individual effects may be changes resulting from a single project or a number of separate projects. Cumulative impacts are impacts of the project in combination with other closely related past, present, and reasonably foreseeable probable future projects (CEQA Guidelines Section 15355(a)(b)). The following factors are considered to determine the level of cumulative analysis in this EIR: • Similar Environmental Impacts — A relevant project contributes to effects on resources that are also affected by a proposed project. A relevant future project is defined as one that is "reasonably foreseeable," such as a proposed project for which an application has been filed with the approving agency or has approved funding. Geographic Scope and Location — A relevant project is located within the geographic area within which effects could combine. The geographic scope varies on a resource -by- resource basis. For example, the geographic scope for evaluating cumulative effects on air quality consists of the affected air basin, while the geographic scope for evaluating cumulative effects on traffic typically consists of the roadways within a reasonable distance from the project site that could carry additional vehicles as a result of vehicle trips generated by the proposed project. • Timing and Duration of Implementation — Effects associated with activities for a relevant project (e.g., short-term construction or demolition, or long -term operations) would likely coincide in timing with the related effects of a proposed project. CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(b)(1) sets forth two primary approaches to the analysis of cumulative impacts. The analysis can be based on (1) a list of past, present, and probable future projects producing related impacts that could combine with those of a proposed project, or (2) a summary of projections contained in a general plan or related planning document. For the purposes of this EIR, past projects are established within existing conditions and present projects approved or under construction but not yet fully operational as of NOP publication are discussed as a part of the baseline as established above. Any additional reasonably foreseeable probable future projects are considered further in cumulative impact analysis. Cumulative impact analysis in this EIR generally employs either a list -based approach or a projections approach, depending on which approach best suits the individual resource topic being analyzed. The cumulative analyses for those topics using a list -based approach typically consider individual projects from a list of nearby future projects anticipated in the project area. The particular projects to be considered in the cumulative analysis for each topic vary by environmental topic, and are appropriately tailored to the particular environmental topic based on the potential for combined localized environmental impacts under the topic. 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.7 October 12, 2018 4.1 Approach to Environmental Presented below is a numbered list of reasonably foreseeable probable future projects. Generally, these are projects for which the City had an application on file as of publication of the NOP for the proposed project (April 18, 2018), but for which construction would not be complete prior to construction of the proposed project, are not yet entitled, and/or projects that the City has otherwise determined are reasonably foreseeable. These projects are mapped on Figure 4.1.1 on p. 4.1.5. For some physical environmental topics, project - related impacts are unlikely to interact with conditions greater than a 0.5 -mile radius from the project site, such as aesthetics, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, and noise and vibration. However, some impacts related to air quality, biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, population growth, and water quality can affect existing conditions on a more regional scale. Several other City projects are located more than 0.5 mile from the project site but within the East of 101 Area and are confined by the same infrastructure network, particularly with regard to transportation and circulation, public services, and utilities and service systems. The following cumulative projects are located within a 0.5 -mile radius of the project site (the number is keyed to Figure 4.1.1): 13. 494 Forbes Boulevard. The project would involve construction of two five -story office /R &D buildings totaling 326,020 sq. ft. and a three -level parking structure on a 7.48 -acre site. (Construction completion date to be determined.) The following cumulative projects are located in the East of 101 Area (the numbers are keyed to Figure 4.1.1): 1. 328 Roebling Road. The project would involve construction of two office/R &D buildings totaling 105,536 sq. ft., and at grade and basement parking on a 2.97 -acre site. (Construction completion date to be determined.) 2. Gateway Business Park Master Plan — Phases 2 through 5. The project involves multi - phased development of up to six business park buildings totaling approximately 1,230,570 sq. ft., and parking structures on four parcels totaling a 22.6 -acre site. Phases II -V are conceptual and involve construction of three to four buildings totaling 779,085 sq. ft. with surface parking in a 16.3 -acre area. (Construction of Phases II -V to be determined.) 3. Oyster Point Redevelopment. The project includes a multi - phased development of the 81 -acre Oyster Point site. Phases II though IV would involve construction of a total of approximately 1,742,000 sq. ft. of office /R &D use, a 350 -room hotel, 40,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space, and new park and recreation and marina uses. (Construction of Phases II through IV to be determined.) The Genentech Master Plan Update project addresses the planned expansion of the Genentech campus, which now includes the approximately 162 acres identified in the prior 2007 Master Plan, as well as approximately 45 acres which have since been added to the campus and have been incorporated into the City of South San Francisco's Genentech Master Plan overlay zoning district. It would establish a higher density and development potential within the campus by removing the 2007 Master Plan's temporary growth limitations, yet remaining within the limits of the City's underlying zoning standards (i.e., a floor area ratio of 1.0). At a 1.0 floor area ratio, the approximately 207 -acre campus will have an overall buildout potential of just over 9 million sq. ft., enabling construction of approximately 4.3 million sq. ft. of net new office /R &D building space over the 4.7 million sq. ft. of existing building space. 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.8 October 12, 2018 4.1 Approach to Environmental The Downtown Station Area Specific Plan in the Eastern Neighborhood would involve an increase in development potential in Transit Office/R &D Core and Business Commercial zones, an expanded street network, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, new public open space, and a U.S.101 under- crossing connection. The Specific Plan would allow development of new office/R &D uses (1,185,049 sq. ft.), Business Commercial uses (511,780 sq. ft.), Commercial uses (268,800 sq. ft.), and Industrial uses (21,250 sq. ft.). The Specific Plan would also involve the development of up to 1,400 housing units. Projection -based cumulative analysis relies on population forecasts presented in Association of Bay Area Government (ABAG) Citywide growth in Projections 2013. ABAG forecasts account for projects that are currently in various stages of the entitlement process, construction, and occupation, as well as future development to accommodate projected employment and residential growth not accounted for in known development that is currently under review or under construction. Cumulative analyses based on projections from ABAG include those in Population and Housing, Public Services, and Air Quality. The traffic analysis for the proposed project is based on the City's traffic modeling system initially applied to the Oyster Point Specific Plan Subsequent Environmental Impact Report, as revised by ongoing updates associated with future development assumptions. The traffic modeling system includes a travel demand forecasting model to estimate traffic volumes based on known and assumed future development. The travel demand forecast model covers the East of 101 Area and the downtown area. It also includes assumptions for traffic growth at the boundaries of those areas based on traffic forecasts from the regional travel forecast model maintained by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in coordination with ABAG. For cumulative conditions, the 2040 traffic forecasts from the City model were used as a base (without project) scenario, and the project traffic was added to the 2040 base scenario. 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.9 October 12, 2018 4.1 Approach to Environmental This page intentionally left blank. 201 Haskins Way Project Draft EIR 4.1.10 October 12, 2018