pages: PlanningBoard/2008-08-11.pdf, 7
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PlanningBoard | 2008-08-11 | 7 | Board member Cunningham moved and Board member McNamara seconded the motion to continue this item to the regularly scheduled Planning Board meeting of September 8, 2008. The motion passed by the following voice vote: 5-0-0. 9-B. Planned Development Amendment, Major Design Review - PDA05-0004, DR05-0073 - 523 South Shore Center - Harsch Investment Corp. The applicant requests approval of Planned Development Amendment and Major Design Review entitlements and certification of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for redevelopment and expansion of Alameda Towne Centre. The project includes redevelopment of the site, resulting in full build-out of up to approximately 706,650 square feet of gross leasable floor area, construction of a new parking structure, pedestrian, bicycle and transit improvements, new signage and other minor site improvements. (DG). (Continued from July 14, 2008). Staff addressed issues raised by the public and the Board at the previous Planning Board meeting on July 14, 2008. Staff's report tonight will address the following 1) noise specifically for residential property on Otis Drive near the shopping center area; 2) adequacy of the traffic study; and 3) general concerns from the Board regarding future development of the center. Regarding noise on Otis Drive staff's investigation included the code enforcement department surveying the area with a decibel meter. Code enforcement found no violations of city noise standards. Noise generated by the shopping center, including a parking lot sweeper, was substantially less than the traffic generated on Otis Drive. Noise was not identified as having a significant impact in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). There are conditions in the resolution presented tonight that prohibit more intensive activities within 200 feet of residential properties, which goes above and beyond requirements. Regarding the traffic study, the City retained a third party consultant, Dowling & Associates, to have licensed engineers review the original study prepared for this project. Dowling & Associates also reviewed the traffic study plan for the Transportation Element Update of General Plan. They concurred with the methodology used to prepare the study and noted that it complied with the requirements of the City. Dowling also noted that many of the assumptions used in the original study were extremely conservative and projected a greater number of trips than are likely to occur. In some cases, it was overstated as much as 50% more than what Dowling found in their own studies from 2007. Staff believes this is a very conservative traffic study and the study has accounted for full build out of the center. Mitigation measures to reduce impacts to less than significant levels have been identified. Dowling noted that because of the methodology required by the City's traffic study guidelines, it could be argued that the analysis is "segmented" under CEQA. Staff has addressed this argument in the EIR and concluded is that it is not segmented. Page 7 of 21 | PlanningBoard/2008-08-11.pdf |