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Home My WebLink AboutEIR 80-06A (2) - RESOLUTION N0. EIR-80-6 A (CEQA Findings) RESOLUTION. OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION ADOPTING CEQA FINDINGS PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE - - SECTION 21081 _ WHEREAS, EIR-80-6 A was certified by the Chula Vista City Planning Commission - on December 2, 1981, and WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State of California and the City of Chula - Vista that no project shall be approved which would result in one or more significant environmental impacts unless it is infeasible to avoid those impacts due to specific ~ - ~ technical, economic, social or other considerations, and WHEREAS, it was the conclusion in final EIR-80-6 A (supplemental to EIR-80-6) that the revised development proposal of the East College Sectional Planning Area would result in one or more significant environmental effects. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Planning Commission, having reviewed and considered the information contained in EIR-80-6 and EIR-80-6 A, finds that the implementation of specific mitigation measures recommended in the final EIR will avoid significant adverse environmental effects in the following areas: a. Geology (EIR-80-6, Sec. 3.1) b. Soils (EIR-80-6, Sec. 3.2) c. Biology (EIR-80-6, Sec. 3.7) d. Schools (EIR-80-6, Sec. 3.13) e. Transportation {EIR-80-6, Sec. 3.17) BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in accordance with California Public Resources Code Section 27081, the Environmental Review Section of the Planning Department prepared Candidate CEQA Findings for consideration by the City Planning Commission, and I WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has considered the proposed project, . r. s: i conditions of approval, and the "Candidate CE DA Findings," NOW, THEREFORE, the Planning Commission of the Cityof Chula Vista, California ' hereby adopts the following CEQA Findings relating to the proposed .East College Sectional Planning Area development plan (Telegraph Point) 7. Aesthetics (EIR 80-6 A, Sec. 2.0) ~ - The project will result in a substantial aesthetic change from rolling hills and open space to building structures, paved surfaces and land- scaping. Aesthetic impacts are related to the overall grading, the extent to which the general topography is changed and the ultimate appearance ' _1_ ;i of the site. The impactswill be perceived in different ways from . - different individual's mental and physical perspectives. Views from private residences located north of the property site will be reduced although the blockage from the buildings in the project is not j considered substantial. Skyline views from private residences north of the project will not be blocked, however, hills visible to the south may be obstructed. Ac cordingto the California Environmental Quality Act, ' view obstructions are considered significant only .when the view is from a public place, such as a park or a publically owned view point. View blockage involving a privately owned residence is considered to be a land use issue and not an environmental consideration. Otay Lakes Road borders the site on both the west and south sides of the property. The City of Chula Vista's General Plan recognizes Otay Lakes Road as a scenic roadway. Scenic Road status is intended to protect a - ~ - road from uses offering poor visual quality and to .provide an aesthetically pleasing vista to vehicular travel. Implementation of the project would remove open space and alter the view of the property as seen by passers-by. Grading and cut and fill operations will change the appearanceof the land i form characteristics. The natural features of the site will be lost. Finding: li The aesthetic impact of the project will be significant although partially mitigable. Variable slope percentages that would result through the use of crib watts and the clustering of native plant materials are methods of reducing the impacts that would result through general grading of the site. However, such walls introduce a foreign element into the design and further ...'r - increase costs. The "reduced scope" alternative, involving a reduction in the number of units, is not a feasible alternative to reduce grading in view of the improvement costs (approximately $16,550 per unit) and other costs which would remain static regardless of any unit number reduction. The use of asplit-level design could add $5,000 to $6,000 per unit con- : struction costs (as experienced on the development directly west across ' Otay Lakes Road) while not eliminating a significant amount of grading. 2. Land Form Alteration (EIR-80-6 A, Sec. 3.0) li The project plan proposes to grade a large portion of the site which will involve cutting and filling 295,000 cubic yards of earth material. The j present proposal calls for the largest fill slope (along the south facing 2- slopes) to be 60 feet high and filled at a ratio of 2 to 1. Land form alteration proposed involves a substantial aesthetic change in the physical appearance of the property site. The grading. plan has made very ~ - little attempt at blending or retaining the natural slopes of the property j - site. The most significant amount of grading will take place on the south - - facing slopes on the east and west ends of the project site. The magnitude of the land form alteration is considered substantial due to the rigid j angular appearance of the slope banks. III Finding: E - Mitigation measures discussed in EIR-80-6.A to reduce the significance of I land form alteration to a level of insignificance are not effective. As it mentioned previously, further precision. grading to create split-level building pads would result in increased costs which will drive up unit costs. Physically, the reduction of manufactured slope heights by the use of split-level bui-lding pads is feasible, but it is economically _ infeasible in view of the static major street improvement costs, other static costs, and split-level design costs. The reduction in grading and resulting reduction in land form alteration would not be readily apparent over the entire site and the increased cost, of the units fora split-level design would be out of proportion to the I visual benefit gained. - BE IT~. FURTHER ~.`.RESOCVED: thate.the Planning Commission, having reviewed the - information in EIR-80-6 and EIR-80-6 A, the proposed project, and the conditions of approval adopts the following statement of overriding considerations: a. Any time a vacant 34 acre property is developed with severalhundred housing units, the result willbe a significant impact on the natural land form - - andnthe aesthetics related to that form. This will be partially mitigated by the construction of an attractive residential complex which will help -to fulfill the social need for housing which should be relatively moderate in cost as compared with detached single family homes. b. The project has been lowered in elevation from a previous proposal and structures have been sited so as to retain a good portion of the views presently afforded existing residents north of the site. c. A substantial portion of the grading to be accomplished is necessary in order to widen Otay Lakes Road. The on and off site widening of Otay Lakes Road will benefit traffic circulation and improve safety along this heavily traveled street. -3~ d. Complete steeet improvements, including curb, gutter, sidewalk, street lights, and drainage facilities, will provide for efficient water runoff and safety for pedestrians, autos and bicyclists. - e. The proposed development complies with density guidelines of the E1 - Rancho del Rey Specific Plan. i PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY.PLANNING COMMISSION OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA this 13th day of January, 1982,by the following vote, to-wit: AYES: Commissioners O'Neill, G. Johnson, Stevenson, Pressutti, Green, R. Johnson i and Williams NOES: None ABSENT: None ATTEST: ~j~~ C airman Secretary I i