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IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS
L. PUBLIC SERVICES
INTRODUCTION
This section of the Draft EIR describes public servIces within the project area and whether
implementation of the project would cause a substantial adverse effect on public services from
implementation of the Precise Plan and subsequent phases of the Master Plan. Information is provided for
police and fire protection services. Information provided in this section is based on the City's General
Plan and on communications with local service providers. The Draft EIR for the proposed project
evaluates environmental impacts related to police and fire protection and emergency services for the
project. Where appropriate, this section provides project level analysis for the Phase 1 Precise Plan, and
program level analysis for the remainder of development proposed by the Gateway Business Park Master
Plan. A regulatory framework is also provided in this section describing applicable agencies and
regulations related to public services.
No comment letters related to public services were received in response to the June 16, 2008 Notice of
Preparation (NOP) and the October 22, 2009 Revised NOP circulated for the project. The NOP and
comment letters are included in Appendix A of this Draft EIR.
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
Existing Conditions
Police
Police service within the project area is provided by the South San Francisco Police Department
(SSFPD). The SSFPD has an agreement with the San Mateo County Harbor District for radio
communication and emergency response coordination. The SSFPD includes the following divisions:
Administration, Services, Records, Communications, Investigations, and Patrol. These divisions include
special sections and units staffed by both civilians and sworn officers for a total of 35 civilian staff and 79
sworn officers employed by the SSFPD.! One chief of police, two captains, five lieutenants, 10 sergeants,
17 corporals, and the remaining 44 sworn personnel are police officers.
The Administration division, under the direction of the Chief of Police, has the ultimate responsibility for
management of the SSFPD and ensures policing needs in the community are being met. The Services
division oversees administrative duties and personnel within the administrative support area of the SSFPD
and also manages the production of the budget and grants. The Records division is responsible for
processing, filing and distribution of all police reports to the district attorney, allied agencies, and the
public. Records personnel also greet those who arrive at the station, respond to all non-emergency
11 Jon Kallas, Planning and Crime Prevention Sergeant, South San Francisco Police Department, written
response to request for service information, September 1,2008.
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business calls, do fingerprinting, manage evidence, and ensure compliance with state and federal
mandates related to police operations and reporting. The Communications division employs dispatchers
for police, fire, and medical emergencies. The Investigations division handles all investigation on major
cases in South San Francisco and coordinates with allied agencies at the municipal, state, and federal
level.
The Patrol division operates under the direction of the Police Captain. The patrol division is responsible
for the primary law enforcement activities in the City, and is the first to respond to all police-related
emergencies. The SSFPD is projected for a maximum of 46 officers in the Patrol Bureau. Those 46
officers are divided into six teams: two day shift teams, two swing shift teams, and two grave shift teams.
The patrol team utilizes a team concept for supervision, and teams work together for approximately one
year tours. Each team has a supervisor (sergeant), a team leader (corporal), and several police officers.
Officers work in a solo capacity-one officer per patrol vehicle.
The City of South San Francisco Police Department uses the Community-Oriented Policing and Problem
Solving (COPPS) philosophy for evaluation of service. For specific planning and development projects,
the department utilizes the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) philosophy.
Traffic Demand Management (TDM) is also a primary concern with respect to project approval.
The City's officer-to-population ratio is currently an acceptable level of 1.4 officers per 1,000 population.
Police, Fire, and Parks and Recreation departments share facilities within the City's Municipal Services
Building. The nearest SSFPD station is located at 33 Arroyo Drive, approximately 3 miles west of the
project site. The SSFPD is generally able to respond to high priority calls within the City in two to three
minutes time. The SSFPD responds to all calls for service on a priority basis, which is in keeping with the
department's performance standards. Police response to reported crimes are continually monitored by
department management and supervisors to ensure appropriate response times.
The project site is located within Beat 4 reporting district? Crime statistics for this reporting district are
generally low with calls for service including, but not limited to, false alarms, vehicle burglaries and
grand thefts.
Fire Protection
Fire protection and emergency services within the project area is the responsibility of the South San
Francisco Fire Department (SSFFD). The SSFFD is staffed by 76 employees organized into five
divisions: Administration, Fire Prevention, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Medical Services, and
Operations. There are currently five fire stations located throughout South San Francisco. In addition to
the paramedics, the rest of the fire personnel are certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) EMT-
D (defibrillation certified to help those who have cardiac related emergencies that need to be defibrillated
as soon as possible). The SSFFD also has Advanced Life Support (ALS) engines that arrive on scene with
a paramedic aboard.
2
Jon Kallas, Planning and Crime Prevention Sergeant, South San Francisco Police Department, written
response to request for service information, September 1,2008.
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The Administration Division is responsible for providing the vision, direction, and control of all divisions
of the SSFFD through the use of strategic planning, resource identification and allocation, financial
management, introduction of new technologies and cost recovery. The Fire Prevention Division is headed
by the fire marshal and is responsible for the prevention of fires, hazardous materials incidents, or other
situations that threaten health, the environment, or property. This division also enforces the South San
Francisco Municipal Code (SSFMC) through public safety announcements regarding smoke detectors,
fire safety demonstrations, adoption of local amendments to the Uniform Fire Code, construction plan
checking, site inspection, and investigation of SSFMC violations. The Disaster Preparedness Division is
responsible for coordinating citizen, business, and City efforts to prepare and respond to manmade and
natural disasters through the creation and support of community emergency response teams, provision of
advanced training in disaster response and management, participation in county-wide disaster simulations,
and writing disaster mitigation plans.
The Emergency Medical Services Division is led by the Deputy Fire Chief and its daily operations are
supervised by the Emergency Medical Services Coordinator. This division is responsible for the SSFFD's
injury and illness prevention programs, throughout its offering of community classes in first-aid, CPR,
child-car safety seat inspections, and senior fall prevention. This division also cares for the sick and
injured in the event of a medical emergency. The Operations Division is responsible for response to
emergency incidents including fires of all types, medical emergencies, natural disasters, and hazardous
material incidents. Each fire station has at least one fire engine staffed by three fire fighting personnel.
Two of the fire engines also have a permanently fixed aerial ladder that can reach up to 75 feet. Two of
the fire stations house fire rescue ambulances that are staffed by two fire fighting paramedics.
The SSFFD has 3 fire engines, 2 quints, 2 ambulances, and a battalion truck. A quint, or quintuple
combination pumper, functions as a hybrid of a fire engine and a fire truck, as the quint carries its own
water and elevating ladders, and has more equipment than a fire truck.
Station #62 is the closest station to the project site and is located within one mile, at 249 Harbor Way.
Station #62 provides all first response services to the area East of US 101, and would also provide first
response to any emergency at the project site upon project completion? Currently, Station #62 houses one
quint (a small style ladder truck) and a 500-gallon carrying capacity, as well as a Type 3 Heavy Rescue
vehicle. Currently, Station #62 has three full-time personnel. A second fire station, Station #61, is located
at 480 North Canal Street, approximately 1.5 miles from the project site. Currently, Station #61 has eight
full-time personnel. Estimated emergency response times from Stations #62 and #61 to the project site are
approximately 4 minutes and 6 minutes, respectively.
3
Luis Da Silva, Fire Marshall, South San Francisco Fire Department, written response to request for service
information, September 24, 2008.
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Regulatory Setting
Federal
There are no federal regulations related to fire protection or police services applicable to the proposed
project.
State
The 2001 California Fire Code contains regulations relating to construction and maintenance of buildings
and the use of premises. Topics addressed in the code include fire department access, fire hydrants,
automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire and explosion hazards safety, hazardous materials
storage and use, provisions intended to protect and assist fire responders, industrial processes, and many
other general and specialized fire-safety requirements for new and existing buildings and premises. The
Code contains specialized technical regulations related to fire and life safety.
Local
The City's General Plan contains implementing policies regarding public services and utilities of which
the applicable policies are discussed below.
Police
General Plan Policy 8.5-1-1 calls for the Police Department to provide rapid and timely response to all
emergencies and maintain the capability to have minimum average response times. While there are no
response time goals, the current average response time throughout South San Francisco (which is roughly
eight square miles, geographically) are approximately 5-7 minutes depending on priority of calls for
servIce.
Fire and Emen!ency Services
City of South San Francisco General Plan Policy 8.4-G-l calls for minimization of the risk to life and
property from fire hazards in the City, and Policy 8.4-G-2 calls for fire protection that is responsive to
citizens' needs. The fire response goal is 3.5 to 4 minutes for engines and quints, and 4.5 minutes for
medical or rescue vehicles.
Health and Safetv Element: Fire Hazards
Policy 8.4-1-1
Institute a comprehensive fire hazard management program to reduce fire hazards on public lands in those
management units identified in Figure 4.12-2, in the South San Francisco General Plan, shown on page
265.
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Policy 8.4-1-2
Explore incentives or programs as part of the comprehensive fire hazard management program to
encourage private landowners to reduce fire hazards on their property.
Policy 8.4-1-3
Require site design features, fire retardant building materials, and adequate access as conditions for
approval of development or improvements to reduce the risk of fire within the City.
South San Francisco Municipal Code
The City of South San Francisco Fire Department adopted an amended version of the 2001 California Fire
Code, as Chapter 15.24 (Fire Code) ofthe SSFMC.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Methodology
The assessment of whether the project would result in a significant adverse impact related to public
services or utilities was determined by first evaluating whether for a given public service, additional
resources would be required to serve the project at acceptable service standards, or if serving the project
under current resources would reduce services to the existing public below accepted or current standards,
and second, by evaluating whether construction of new facilities would result in potentially adverse
effects. This analysis focuses on the potential impacts to the SSFPD and the SSFFD.
Thresholds of Significance
The following thresholds of significance are based on Appendix G of the 2006 CEQA Guidelines. For
purposes of this Draft EIR, implementation of the proposed project could result in potentially significant
impacts on public services, including police and fire protection if the proposed project would result in any
of the following:
. Result III substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provIsIOn of new or
physically altered governmental facilities, need for new or physically altered governmental
facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to
maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for any of
the public services, including the following:
o Police protection; and
o Fire protection.
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Project Impacts
Impact IV.L-l: The proposed project would not result in substantial adverse physical impacts
associated with the provision of new or physically altered governmental facilities, need for new or
physically altered governmental facilities, the construction of which could cause significant
environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other
performance objectives for any of the public services, including police protection.
As described earlier, the project site is currently served by the SSFPD. The SSFPD's jurisdictional area
includes the entire City. Two unincorporated pockets, including the California Golf and Country Club, are
under the jurisdiction of the San Mateo County Sheriff's office. The entire City is patrolled except for the
undeveloped Sierra Point area.
Implementation of the proposed project would increase development within the project area. The
proposed project would involve increasing density at the site by developing the site up to an FAR of 1.25.
This change in FAR translates to an increase in development at the site from approximately 284,000 sf to
359,800 sf after development of the Precise Plan. Upon completion of all subsequent phases of the Master
Plan, the square footage would increase to approximately 1,230,570 sf, or a net change of946,570 sf from
the current development. As discussed previously, the City's officer-to-population ratio is currently an
acceptable level of 1.4 officers per 1,000 population. As discussed in Section IV.K (Population and
Housing), the current population of the City of South San Francisco is 61,900. The daytime population of
the City of South San Francisco was 72,587, as of 2000.4 The Gateway Business Park currently employs
approximately 750 people.s Overall, with the combined development of the Precise and Master Plans, the
project would generate 1,613 employees with completion of the Precise Plan and Phase 2 in 2015, and a
total of 3,281 employees upon completion of all subsequent phases of the Master Plan by 2020.6 Taking
into account the existing employees on the site, development of all phases of the Master Plan would result
in 2,531 new employees on site constituting a minor increase (3 percent) in the City's daytime population
and would not lead to a change in response times and/or requirement for construction of new facilities.
The SSFPD is generally able to respond to high priority calls within two to three minutes time. These
times are within the department's response time goals. With implementation of the proposed project,
police surveillance at the project site would continue adequately with routine patrols and responses to
calls for assistance.
The South San Francisco General Plan (1999) establishes guiding policies 8.5-Gl to 8.5-G2 to provide
police services that are responsive to citizen's needs to ensure a safe and secure environment for people
and property in the community and to assist in crime prevention through physical planning and
4
u.s. Census Bureau, Estimated Daytime Population, Table 3. Selected Places by State, website:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/daytime/daytimepop.html, accessed September 8, 2008.
Chamberlin Associates, 2008.
The number of additional employees generated by the project was calculated as follows: 604,800 sf of office
space/(375 sjlemployee) and 1,230,370 sf of office space/(375 sf/employee) to create a total of 1,613 and 3,281
employees in 2015 and 2020, respectively.
5
6
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community design. As implementation of the proposed project, which includes development of the
Precise and Master Plans, would constitute a negligible increase in the City's population, and would not
result in SSFPD's inability to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times, or other performance
objectives. Current response times and service ratios are adequate and no new facilities that would result
in potential significant impacts would be required. Therefore, the impact would be less than significant
and no mitigation measures are required.
Impact IV.L-2: The proposed project would not result in substantial adverse physical impacts
associated with the provision of new or physically altered governmental facilities, need for new or
physically altered governmental facilities, the construction of which could cause significant
environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other
performance objectives for any of the public services, in clu ding fire protection.
As discussed in Section IV.I (Land Use and Planning), the land uses within the master plan area include
commercial, manufacturing, and research and development activities. Beyond the topographic, climatic,
and land use conditions that create fire hazards, two factors contribute to fire risk in individual locations:
Ve2:etation
As discussed in Section IV.G (Hazards/Hazardous Materials), the master plan area is urbanized and there
are no wildland corridors containing high fire fuel loads in the immediate vicinity of the project site. The
project site is bordered on all sides by urban land uses, which do not contain vegetation conducive to
wildland fires. Therefore, the master plan area does not have a significant fire risk.
Infrastructure
Public infrastructure, particularly site access and water supply, affect the City's ability to respond to fire.
Buildings on the project site are currently in compliance with code requirements. Water for fire protection
on the site is currently delivered through the same pipe network as the domestic water system. A 12-inch
looped water main would be installed upon complete buildout that would improve fire flow to all
buildings as well as creating redundant water service to the project. Adherence to the fire code that
contains regulations pertaining to fire hydrants, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire and
explosion hazards safety, and other fire safety requirements for new and existing building and premises
would reduce any significant building specific impacts.
The proposed Master Plan would result in the development of approximately 946,570 sf of new uses on
the project site and would increase the number of people on the project site, presenting new fire and life
safety risks to people. The project would generate 1,613 employees with completion of the Precise Plan
and Phase 2 in 2015, and a total of 3,281 employees upon completion of all subsequent phases of the
Master Plan by 2020. Additionally, the project would result in the intensification of development on the
site through each phase of the project. In the future, fire requirements would need to be analyzed for each
individual building based on the size, type of construction and fire sprinkler system associated with the
building. The fire flow requirements would need to be analyzed specific to the development of each phase
or each building as they are proposed in order to determine if the local system can adequately handle the
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fire flow needs. If the local system is found undersized or deteriorating, then the pipelines shall be
modified by upsizing, new connections, and or the installation of pumps and tanks to supply the new
requirements prior to occupancy of that phase of the project.
As described in Section IV.K, Population and Housing, implementation of the Precise Plan and all
subsequent phases of the Master Plan development would constitute a negligible increase in the City's
population and would not result in SSFFD's inability to maintain acceptable service ratios, response
times, or other performance objectives.? Current response times and service ratios are adequate, and no
new facilities that would result in potential significant impacts would be required. Therefore, the impact
would be less than significant and no mitigation measures are required.
CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
This cumulative impact analysis considers development of the proposed project, in conjunction with other
development within the City of South San Francisco. This analysis accounts for all anticipated cumulative
growth within the City and the proposed project's contribution to a cumulative impact on public services.
As additional development occurs in the City, there may be an overall increase in the demand for police
protection services, including personnel, equipment, and/or facilities. The provision of adequate police
protection services is of critical importance to the City, and funds are allocated to these services during
the annual monitoring and budgeting process to ensure that police protection services are responsive to
changes in the City. Funds collected in the form of plan check fees and inspection fees (for new
development) are deposited into the General Fund and allocated to City services, as needed. In addition,
staffing levels are evaluated by the SSFPD during the annual budgetary process, and personnel are hired,
as needed, to ensure that adequate police protection services are provided. The cumulative impact,
therefore, on police services in the City would be less than significant. The proposed project's
contribution to this cumulative impact is also less than significant because current response times are
adequate and not expected to increase as a result of the proposed project. There would only be a
negligible increase in daytime population as a result of the project, which ensures that the officer to
population ratio would remain adequate. In addition, existing city programs, practices, and procedures
would continue to ensure the adequate provision police protection services. Therefore, the contribution of
the proposed project to cumulative impacts on police protection services would not be cumulatively
considerable. This is considered to be a less-than-significant impact.
As additional development occurs in the City, there may be an overall increase in the demand for fire
protection services, including personnel, equipment, and/or facilities. The provision of adequate fire
protection services is of critical importance to the City, and funds are allocated to these services during
the annual monitoring and budgeting process to ensure that fire protection services are responsive to
changes in the City. Funds collected in the form of plan check fees and inspection fees (for new
development) are deposited into the General Fund and allocated to City services, as needed. In addition,
Luis Da Silva, Fire Marshall, South San Francisco Fire Department, written response to request for service
information, September 24, 2008.
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staffing levels are evaluated by the SSFFD during the annual budgetary process, and personnel are hired,
as needed, to ensure that adequate fire protection services are provided. The cumulative impact, therefore,
on fire services in the City would be less than significant. The proposed project's contribution to this
cumulative impact is also less than significant because current response times are adequate and not
expected to increase as a result of the proposed project. There would only be a negligible increase in
daytime population as a result of the project, which ensures that the officer to population ratio would
remain adequate. In addition, existing city programs, practices, and procedures would continue to ensure
the adequate provision police protection services. Therefore, the contribution of the proposed project to
cumulative impacts on fire protection services would not be cumulatively considerable. This is considered
to be a less-than-significant impact.
MITIGA TION MEASURES
Because no impacts related to public services have been identified, no mitigation measures are required or
recommended.
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