HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Meeting 10-16-08 (Reso 2676-2008) - 213 E Grand CEQA
RESOLUTION NO. 2676-2008
PLANNING COMMISSION, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL
MAKE FINDINGS AND CERTIFY AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
REPORT INCLUDING A STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING
CONSIDERATIONS AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND
REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE 213 EAST GRAND AVENUE
OFFICE R&D PROJECT.
WHEREAS, an application was submitted by Alexandria Real Estate Equities to approve a
nine-story, 291,634 square foot Office/Research and Development building, including a five-level
parking garage and a tenant amenity at 213-221 East Grand Avenue (“Project” or "213 East Grand
Avenue Project"), in the P-I Planned Industrial Zone District; and
WHEREAS, the City determined that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was required to
evaluate the impacts of the proposed project; and
WHEREAS, The Final EIR (FEIR) for the Project consists of the Draft EIR, Response to
Comments, and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and
WHEREAS, the Draft was prepared and circulated for 45-day public/agency review period
from May 19 2008 through July 3, 2008; and
WHEREAS, notices of the availability of the Draft EIR were published in the San Mateo
Times, mailed to property owners within a 300-foot radius of the site, noticed to local agencies and
cities, and circulated through the State Clearinghouse; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed meeting during the review period
on June 19, 2008 to take public testimony on the Draft EIR; and
WHEREAS, the Draft Environmental Impact Report reviewed and analyzed the following
potential environmental impacts:
• Aesthetics including the visual character of the proposed project, including lighting;
• Air Quality, including construction dust;
• Geology and Soils, including ground shaking, soil stability, landslides, lateral
spreading, liquefaction and expansive soils;
• Hazardous materials;
• Hydrology and Water Quality, including water quality degradation;
• Land Use and Planning, including the maximum square footage of development
allowed by the General Plan;
• Noise;
• Transportation and Circulation, including trips generated in peak hours, impacts to
freeway segments, declines in Level of Service at nearby intersections, and
restrictions on parking to reduce congestion;
• Utilities, including water availability, and impacts to aging wastewater collection
facilities and cumulative demand for wastewater treatment capacity;
• Project alternatives; and
• Cumulative impacts
WHEREAS, a Final EIR was prepared, including responses to comments received on the
Draft EIR and sent to agencies and individuals from whom comments on the Draft EIR were
received; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has reviewed and carefully considered the
information in the DEIR and the Final EIR at two duly noticed public hearings held on October 2,
2008 and October 16, 2008, 2008, and recommends their certification as objective and accurate
documents that reflect the independent judgment of the City in the identification, discussion and
mitigation of the Project’s environmental impacts; and
WHEREAS, The DEIR identifies 28 potentially significant impacts. Mitigation measures
have been incorporated into the Project to reduce identified impacts to a level of less than significant
for all but one impact; and
WHEREAS, no feasible mitigation exists for the one significant and unavoidable
transportation impact that would reduce the impact to a less-than-significant level; and
WHEREAS, the Project cannot be approved unless a Statement of Overriding Considerations
is adopted which evaluates the benefits of the proposed Project against its unavoidable transportation
impact, and an earlier Statement of Overriding Considerations was made by the City and also applies
to the Project as follows:
1. The City of South San Francisco approved an update to its General Plan and
Environmental Impact Report in October, 1999. The City Council made a statement of
overriding considerations in its approval of the General Plan update, because the
measures identified to mitigate for traffic congestion along US 101 and regional air
pollution would not be sufficient to reduce the impacts to less than significant levels.
2. The 213 East Grand Avenue Project would impact some of the same freeway segments
that were identified in the General Plan EIR and whose traffic effects could only be
partially mitigated.
3. Therefore, the Statement of Overriding Considerations that was made for approval of the
General Plan would also apply to decision-making on the 213 East Grand Project by the
City.
4. Additionally, the Project offers specific benefits as stated in the Statement of Overriding
Considerations adopted for the Project, as found in the Findings of Fact and Statement of
Overriding Considerations incorporated herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that based on the entirety of the record before it,
which includes without limitation, the South San Francisco General Plan, the California
Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code § 21000, et seq. (“CEQA”) and the CEQA
Guidelines, 14 California Code of Regulations § 15000, et seq., the project application including site
plans, all reports, minutes, and testimony submitted as part of the Planning Commission's duly
noticed October 2, 2008, and October 16, 2008, meetings, and any other evidence (within the
meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the Planning Commission hereby finds
as follows:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct.
2. Based on the Planning Commission's independent judgment and analysis, the
Planning Commission makes the findings regarding the Project's significant impacts and project
alternatives set forth in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated by reference.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the
South San Francisco City Council make the CEQA findings attached as Exhibit A, and certify EIR-
07-0001, including a Statement of Overriding Considerations, attached as Exhibit B, and Mitigation
Monitoring and Reporting Program, attached as Exhibit C.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the resolution shall become effective immediately upon
its passage and adoption.
* * * * * * *
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Planning Commission of the
City of South San Francisco at the regular meeting held on the 16th day of October, 2008 by the
following vote:
AYES: Commissioner Oborne, Commissioner Prouty, Commissioner Sim, Commissioner Zemke,
Vice Chairperson Teglia and Chairperson Giusti
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Commissioner Moore
ATTEST:
Commission Secretary
Susy Kalkin
1157361.1
Exhibit A
CEQA Findings
Exhibit B
Statement of Overriding Considerations
Exhibit C
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
Included in Final EIR