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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRCC MIN 2001/01/08 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION COMMISSION January 8, 2001 Public Services Building Conference Room 1 CALL MEETING TO ORDER: Vice-Chair Charles Bull called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. ROLL CALL/MOTION TO EXCUSE MSC (Diaz/T. Thomas) to excuse Chair Cindy Burrascano and Commissioner Pamela Bensoussan. Vote: (4-0) MEMBERS PRESENT: Vice-Chair Charles Bull, Commissioners Teresa Thomas, Juan Diaz, Steve Thomas and Pam Bensoussan (6:58 p.m.) STAFF PRESENT: Marilyn Ponseggi, Environmental Review Coordinator Edalia Olivo-Gomez, Environmental Projects Manger Ben Guerrero, Environmental Projects Manager Linda Bond, Recording Secretary GUESTS PRESENT: Bruce Mcintyre, Project Design Consultants APPROVAL OF MINUTES: September 11, October 12 and October 30,2000 Vice-Chair Bull stated that, hearing no objections to the minutes of September 11, 2000, they stand approved. The appropriate Commissioners were not present for approval of the October 12 and 30, 2000 minutes. The minutes were deferred until the next meeting on January 22, 2001. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. OLD BUSINESS: None. NEW BUSINESS The agenda items were taken out of order because the preparer of the Chula Vista Civic Center Master Plan was present. RCC Minutes - 2 - Januarv 8, 2001 2. IS-01-17 - Chula Vista Civic Center Master Plan and Police Headquarters Relocation Mr. Ben Guerrero (Environmental Projects Manager) stated that the Mitigated Negative Declaration considered four sites for the new Police Headquarters: · Mercy - A 5-acre parcel located at the southwest corner of Fourth Avenue and 'F' Street. · Commercial - A 3.28-acre site located at the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and 'F' Street. · Friendship Park - A 4-acre site located at the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and Davison Street. · Corporation Yard - A 6-acre site located at the northwest corner of 'F' Street and Woodlawn Avenue. The combined improvements will total approximately 150,000 square feet. The Initial Study looked at several potential project-related environmental impacts including the traffic associated with the Civic Center expansion and construction of the new Police facility, noise from the exterior heating and ventilation equipment for the Police facility, potentiallGse loss of recreational opportunities if the Friendship Park site were selected, lighting and glare from the new Police facility and paleontology impacts as a result of excavation activities. The Commissioners discussed their concerns and the impacts of Friendship Park as a possible proposed site. Ms. Marilyn Ponseggi (Environmental Review Coordinator) stated that the question before the Commission is whether or not the Mitigated Negative Declaration is an adequate document per CEQA. Friendship Park was analyzed as an alternative possible location to the CEQA analysis. It would be very appropriate, if the Commission were uncomfortable with that alternative, to make a recommendation that the document be adopted, but then to make a second motion stating how strongly they feel about not choosing that alternative. Mr. Guerrero indicated that the action of City Council is the approval of the actual Master Plan for expansion for the Civic Center and the Police Station. Commissioner S. Thomas indicated that he might have a potential conflict of interest; therefore, he would abstain from voting on the adequacy of the Mitigated Negative Declaration. RCC Minutes - 3 - Januarv 8. 2001 Commissioner Bensoussan arrived at 6:58 p.m. Commissioner Bensoussan felt that using Friendship Park as the site would be a very negative impact to the City. It would be symbolic of the RCC to make some kind of a statement that would support avoiding that site for the project because their mission is to protect the City's resources. Vice-Chair Bull noted that on page 14 of the Initial Study it says, "Measurements taken by Douglas Eiler & Associates identified ambient 24-hour noise levels as high as 70 dB(A)." That must be a maximum noise level. He could not imagine it for 24 hours. MSC (Bensoussan/T. Thomas) that the document is adequate for three of the alternatives and should be adopted for those alternatives, and that it is inadequate for the Friendship Park alternative. If the City Council chooses to adopt the Friendship Park alternative, the RCC recommends that a more complete environmental assessment of the Friendship Park site be prepared. Discussion: The analysis in the Initial Study did not, in any way, evaluate the feasibility of the potential for being able to replace Friendship Park particularly in the community in which it exists. Vote: (4-0-1-1) with S. Thomas abstaining and Burrascano absent. MSC (Diaz/S. Thomas) to recommend the Corporation Yard as the desired site. Vote: (5-0-0-1) with Burrascano absent. 1. IS-01-12 - South Bay Distribution Center Ms. Edalia Olivo-Gomez (Environmental Projects Manager) indicated that this project includes the demolition of two metal buildings and the construction of a 39,800 square foot tilt-up concrete building for a produce distribution center. It is located on 2.41 acres in an industrial area on the north side of Anita Street and east of Industrial Boulevard and the MTDB trolley tracks. Staff is recommending the Mitigated Negative Declaration and the mitigation measure that has been included regarding potential asbestos in the existing buildings to be demolished. The RCC discussed the possible traffic impacts. Staff indicated that 250 ADT does not rise to the level of the criteria for a cumulative impact. Commissioner Bensoussan questioned the use of Chinese banyan trees in the 25-foot wide landscape strip. It was suggested that the City Landscape Planner investigate that particular tree. RCC Minutes - 4 - Januarv 8, 2001 MSC (Diaz/S. Thomas) to accept the Mitigated Negative Declaration as submitted. Vote: (5-0-0-1) with Burrascano absent. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Cont'd) Commissioner T. Thomas requested that the minutes of October 12 and 30, 2000 be approved now that there was a quorum from those meetings. Vice-Chair Bull stated that, hearing no objections to the minutes of October 12, 2000, they stand approved. Commissioner T. Thomas requested the following revisions to the October 30, 2000 minutes: . Page 2, #1 of the motion - delete the word 'sewage' . Page 2, #3 of the motion - revise as follows: 'That there be accessible pedestrian friendlv sidewalks and walkways....." Vice-Chair Bull stated that, if there are no objections to the October 30, 2000 minutes as revised, they stand approved. NEW BUSINESS (Cont'd) 3. Preservationist of the Year Award Ms. Ponseggi indicated that the agenda for next month would include tentative consideration of the Environmentalist of the Year and the Preservationist of the Year. The RCC needs to come up with written criteria for that. Commissioner Bensoussan agreed to put together something on the Preservationist of the Year. Commissioner T. Thomas agreed to write something regarding the Environmentalist of the Year. Each stated they would have criteria prepared for the January 22, 2001 meeting. Commission T. Thomas made a motion that the RCC nominate the Chula Vista Historical Society and their leaders for the 2001 Governor's Historic Preservation Award. Ms. Ponseggi indicated that she needed to find out first what the criteria are for the Commission to put in a nomination. She would let the Commission know at the next meeting. RCC Minutes - 5 - Januarv 8, 2001 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COORDINATOR COMMENTS Ms. Ponseggi indicated that Dave Byers, Mary Hofmockel and Joel Chew are scheduled to talk about landscape maintenance in the City at the next meeting. This is a presentation that the RCC had asked for. The RCC was given a memo at the last meeting on the status of all the presentations they had requested. If one of those presentations is going to be at a meeting where there is nothing else on the agenda, does the RCC want to go ahead with the meeting? The Commissioners agreed to go on with the meeting because the presentations seem to take longer. Ms. Ponseggi distributed three copies of the CO2 Reduction Plan as follows: Steve Thomas (1), Teresa Thomas (1), Pam Bensoussan and Charles Bull will share. Juan Diaz received a copy at the December 18, 2000 meeting. CHAIR COMMENTS: None. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: None. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 p.m. to a regular meeting on Monday, January 22, 2001, at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room 1 of the Public Services Building, 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA. Prepared by: ,..~~o[.~¿'. Q7( ¿'¿___ Lirida Bond Recording Secretary (A:\lIb\RCC#1\RCC010801 MINS.doc)