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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRCC AGENDA PK 1991/02/25negative declaration- PROJECT NAME: Conversion of Center and Garrett to one-way streets PROJECT LOCATION: Center Street between Fourth Avenue and Garrett Avenue; Garrett Avenue between Center and "F" Streets PROJECT APPLICANT: City of Chula Vista, Community Development Department CASE N0: IS-90-52 DATE: January 21, 1990 A. Pro.iect Setting The proposed project is located at Center Street, between Fourth Avenue and Garrett Avenue and Garrett Avenue between Center and F Streets. Center Street is currently an east/west trending street with a varying curb-to-curb width between Fourth and Garrett Avenues. From Fourth Avenue to a point approximately 350 feet east, Center Street is 32 feet wide with parking on the south side of the street. East of this point approximately 250 feet to Garrett Avenue, Center Street narrows eight feet on the south side to a width of 24 feet. There is no parking allowed in this section of Center Street. Garrett Avenue between "F" Street and Center Street is 40 feet wide from curb-to-curb. Surrounding land uses include a commercial center and office professional uses to the north, two condominium complexes to the south, a parking structure and office professional uses to the east, and Fourth Avenue to the west. B. Pro.iect Description On April 24, 1990, the City Council approved a resolution recommending the conversion of Center Street from a two-way street to a one-way eastbound street and the conversion of Garrett Avenue from a two-way street to a one-way northbound street between Center and "F" Street. The proposed project consists of the direction, as well as the establishment northern curb line of Center Street. This to a point 234 feet west and would be capacity. Hours of delivery are proposed Monday through Friday. C. Compatibility with Zonino and Plans implementation of Council's of a loading zone along the would occur from Garrett Avenue used by trucks under a 10-ton from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, The proposed project will not change existing land use designations on surrounding zoning, which includes (R-3) Apartment Residential, (C-0) Commercial Office, (C-B) Central Business, and (COD) Condominium. Surrounding general plan designations include Commercial Office, Commercial Retail, High Density Residential (18-27 du/ac), and Parks and Recreation designations. The proposed project would help to facilitate the extension of the greenbelt associated with Panhandle Park. city of chufa vista planning department environmental review section ~~~// ---- 2~ ~z~ CnY OF CHULA VISTA D. ~pliance with the Threshold/Standards Policv 1. 2. 3. Fire/EMS The Threshold/Standards Policy requires that fire and emergency medical units must be able to respond throughout the City to calls within five minutes in 75% of the cases and seven minutes in 85% of the cases. The project site is located 3/4 miles from the nearest fire station, and the estimated response time is two minutes. The Fire Marshall has indicated that fire apparatus may be required to travel south on Garrett Avenue and west on Center Street in emergency situations, which would be against the flow of traffic. With compliance to Fire Department regulations, the project is considered to be compatible with this Threshold Policy. Police The Threshold/Standards Policy requires that police units must respond to 84Yo of Priority 1 calls within 7 minutes or less and maintain an average response time to all Priority 1 calls of 4.5 minutes or less. Police units must respond to 62% of Priority 2 calls within 7 minutes or less and maintain an average response time to all Priority 2 calls of 7 minutes or less. The proposed project will comply with this Threshold Policy. Traffic The Threshold/Standards Policy requires that all intersections must operate at a Level of Service (LOS) "C" or better, with the exception that Level of Service (LOS) "D" may occur during the peak two hours of the day at signalized intersections. Intersections west of I-805 are not to operate at a LOS below their 1987 LOS. No intersection may reach LOS "F" during the average weekday peak hour. Intersections of arterials with freeway ramps are exempted from this policy. The existing average daily traffic volume (ADT) for Center Street is estimated to be 980 vehicles per day and 634 vehicles per day on Garrett. The estimated LOS for both streets is "A". The proposed project will comply with this Threshold Policy. Parks/Recreation The Threshold/Standards Policy for Parks and Recreation is 3 acres per 1,000 population. The project does not propose any residential uses that would create impacts on park and recreational facilities. Therefore, the proposed project is deemed compatible with this Threshold Policy. Drainage The Threshold/Standards Policy requires that storm water flows and volumes not exceed City Engineering Standards. The proposed project will not generate any new water flows and will have no impact on drainage, therefore it is deemed to be compatible with this Threshold Policy. -2- 6. Sewer The Threshold/Standards shall not exceed City will not generate any this Threshold Policy. 7. Water Policy requires that sewage flows and volumes Engineering Standards. The proposed project new sewage flows and will be compatible with The Threshold/Standards Policy requires that adequate storage, treatment, transmission facilities are constructed concurrently with planned growth and that water quality standards are not jeopardized during growth and construction. The proposed project has been deemed to be compatible with this Threshold Policy. E Identification of Environmental Effects An initial study conducted by the City of Chula Vista determined that the proposed project would have one or more significant environmental effects. Subsequent revisions in the project design have implemented specific mitigation measures to reduce these effects to a level of less than significant. The project, as revised, now avoids or mitigates the potentially significant environmental effects previously identified, and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report will not be required. A Mitigated Negative Declaration had been prepared in accordance with Section 15070 of the State CEQA Guidelines. Specific mitigation measures have also been set forth in the Mitigation Monitoring Program which is attached as Addendum "A". NOISE impacts have been determined to be potentially significant and are required to be mitigated to a level of less than significant. VISUAL IMPACTS and TRAFFIC/CIRCULATION are deemed to be less than significant and no mitigation is deemed necessary. A discussion of each of these potentially significant impacts from the proposed project follows. IMPACTS DEEMED TO BE POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT Noise Impacts The proposed project is associated with potentially significant noise impacts due to the proximity of the proposed loading zone to surrounding sensitive noise receptors - the existing condominiums to the south (Parkwood Condos and One Park Place Condos). Currently, there is an existing loading zone on the east side of Boney's Market where the majority of the commercial truck deliveries are being provided. With the provision of the proposed loading zone, loading and unloading activities will be expanded further west along Garrett Avenue and approximately 30 feet from the existing Parkwood Condos. -3- Chula Vista Noise Ordinance standards imposed on this project consist of the following: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (weekdays) 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (weekdays) 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (weekends) 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (weekends) 50 dBA 60 dBA Operation of the proposed loading zone would be from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. A noise study was conducted to analyze noise impacts of the proposed project. The results of this study indicated that existing noise levels at a point 5 feet from Parkwood Condos along Garrett Avenue are 56.8 dBA. The noise study indicated that noise sources on site are currently associated with existing traffic patterns in the area. Projected noise levels would be associated with the loading and unloading of merchandise from small and medium sized trucks between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Noise impacts would be created from idling of the trucks, movement of merchandise inside the vehicles, running the truck refrigeration units, and the unloading of merchandise. An acoustical analysis was performed at the existing Boney's Market in Pacific Beach to obtain representative noise level projections for this project. The activity producing the highest noise levels was the use of a dolly on a metal ramp on concrete surface, which produced a reading of 65.82 dBA at 25 feet. Other representative noise levels included 65-70 dBA for the idling of diesel trucks, 70-75 dBA for truck positioning, 65-75 dBA for moving merchandise inside the vehicles, and 75 dBA for an idling truck containing a refrigeration unit. The noise study concluded that the anticipated operations to take place in the proposed loading zone are expected to exceed the 60 dBA Leq hourly noise standard between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. In order to reduce potentially significant noise impacts to a level of less than significant, project specific noise mitigation will be required, as discussed in Section F of this document and in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (Addendum "A"). IMPACTS DEEMED LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT Visual Impacts The proposed project to one-way streets. associated with the south of the site. is the conversion of Center Street and Garrett Avenue The project could create potential visual impacts proximity of the loading zone to residential land uses -4- The surrounding condominium complexes represent sensitive visual receptors since the upper two stories of the residential uses look down upon the rear of the commercial center. Currently, the primary commercial activities which occur along Center and Garrett at the rear of the commercial center are the loading and unloading of trucks making deliveries. With this project, the number of truck deliveries are not expected to increase. Only their ingress and egress patterns will change with the conversion of Center and Garrett to one-way streets. Visual impacts are not deemed to be significant, since the proposed project will only change the direction of the flow of traffic and the establishment of a loading zone area, which will not substantially alter the visual environment. Except for an increase in trucks parked along Center Street for intermittent periods, there will be no change to the physical environment. Therefore, potential visual impacts are deemed to be less than significant. Traffic Impacts The proposed project would change existing circulation patterns along Center Street and Garrett Avenue. Because the internal circulation of the commercial center was changed during remodeling, it is now difficult for trucks and delivery vehicles to access the entrance to the existing commercial uses due to narrower aisles and additional landscaping. It is now necessary for commercial deliveries to utilize the rear of the commercial center, thereby reducing the overall size of the circulation network along Center Street and Garrett Avenue, creating a potential traffic/safety hazard. In order to mitigate traffic impacts, the proposed project would convert Center Street and Garrett Avenue into one-way streets to provide a more manageable circulation network between the commercial center and the surrounding residential uses. Additionally, the revised circulation pattern would complement the development of a greenbelt along the west side of Garrett Avenue in conjunction with the extension of Panhandle Park. The Engineering Department has reviewed the proposed project and has indicated that there will not be any significant, adverse traffic/circulation impacts with the proposed project. The proposed project would actually provide a positive benefit by reducing potential traffic safety hazards associated with the reduction of roadway along these streets which will be taken up by the loading zone area. Therefore, potential traffic impacts are deemed to be less than significant. F. Mitigation necessarv to avoid significant effects Specific project mitigation measures and project redesign have been required to reduce potentially significant noise impacts identified in the initial study for this project to a level of less than significant. -5- Mitigation measures have been incorporated into the project design and have been made conditions of project approval, as well as requirements of the attached Mitigation Monitoring Program (Addendum "A"). Mitigation measures set forth in this document shall also be ensured through the conditions of project approval. Noise Mitigation The following project specific noise mitigation will be required for the proposed project, in order to reduce potentially significant noise impacts to a level of less than significant. These mitigation measures will be made conditions of project approval: I. The proposed loading zone will be limited to small trucks and vans that will unload their delivery by hand only. 2. All medium and large trucks or vehicles requiring the use of a loading ramp or mechanical device will be required to unload at the existing loading dock located on Garrett Avenue. 3. All trucks or vehicles with a refrigeration unit shall be restricted to unloading at the existing loading dock on Garrett Avenue. 4. Any violation of the noise mitigation standards will be subject to the review of the Planning Department and could result i the elimination of the use of the proposed loading zone if the City receives complaints from adjacent land uses. G. Findings of Insignificant Impact Based on the following findings, it is determined that the project described above will not have a significant environmental impact and no environmental impact report needs to be prepared. 1. The project has the potential to substantially degrade the quality of the environment, substantially reduce the habitat of a fish or wildlife species, cause a fish or wildlife population to drop below self-sustaining levels, threaten to eliminate a plant or animal community, reduce the number or restrict the range of a rare or endangered plant or animal, or eliminate important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory. The project site will not impact any rare or endangered species, nor the habitat of any sensitive plant or animal species. The conversion of Center Street and Garrett Avenue to one-way streets will not create any adverse impacts to cultural resources. -6- The project has the potential to achieve short-tervi environmental goals to the disadvantage of long-term environmental goals. The project will not achieve any short-term goals to the disadvantage of long-term environmental goals, since long-term goals will be achieved through compliance to the mitigation measures required for the proposed project. 3. The project has possible effects which are individually limited but cumulatively considerable. As used in the subsection, 'cumulatively considerable' means that the incremental effects of an individual project are considerable when viewed in connection with the effects of past projects, the effects of other current projects, and the effects of probable future projects. The proposed project does not have possible effects which are individually limited but cumulatively considerable. Although there is a potential for cumulative noise impacts associated with the unloading of merchandise from truck deliveries, the noise mitigation required for the proposed project will mitigate those impacts to a level below significance. 4. The environmental effects of a project will cause substantial adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly. The proposed project will not result in any significant increases in hazardous substances, the release of emissions, or any significant increase in ambient noise levels, with compliance to the conditions of project approval. The proposed project will not create any substantial adverse impacts to human beings and no human health impacts were identified in the initial study. H. Consultation Individuals and Organizations City of Chula Vista: Maryann Miller, Planning Department Alex Saucedo, Building and Housing Roger Daoust, Senior Civil Engineer Carol Gove, Fire Marshal Shauna Stokes, Parks and Recreation Department Keith Hawkins, Police Department Steve Griffin, Current Planning Miguel Tapia, Community Development Pam Buchan, Community Development -7- 2. Documents Chula Vista General Plan (July 11, 1989) Chula Vista General Plan Update EIR (P & D Technologies, May 31, 1989) Title 19, Chula Vista Municipal Code, Noise Performance Standards "Boney's Market Loading Zone Noise Technical Report," prepared by ERCE, November 1990. This determination, that the project will not have any significant environmental impacts, is based on the attached Initial Study, and comments on the Initial Study and any comments on this Negative Declaration. Further information regarding the environmental review of the project is available from the Chula Vista Planning Department, 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 92010. ErNYVIRO~NMENTAL REVIEW COORDINATOR EN 6 (Rev. 12/90) WPC 8784P -8- ADDENDUM "A" Mitigation Monitoring Program Conversion of Center and Garrett IS-90-52 This Mitigation Monitoring Program is prepared for the conversion of Center and Garrett project, in order to comply with AB 3180. This legislation requires public agencies to ensure that adequate mitigation measures are implemented and monitored on mitigated negative declarations, such as IS-90-52. AB 3180 requires monitoring of potentially significant and/or significant environmental impacts. The mitigation monitoring program for the proposed project ensures adequate implementation of mitigation for potentially significant noise impacts: Due to the nature of the environmental issues identified, the Mitigation Compliance Coordinator (MCC), Consultant shall be the Environmental Review Coordinator (ERC) for the City of Chula Vista. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the conditions of the Mitigation Monitoring Program are met to the satisfaction of the ERC. Noise/Mitigation The proposed project is associated with potentially significant noise impacts on site. Mitigation of Potentially Significant Land Use Impacts will be ensured through the following: The following project specific noise mitigation will be required for the proposed project, in order to reduce potentially significant noise impacts to a level of less than significant. These mitigation measures will be made conditions of project approval: 1. The proposed loading zone will be limited to small trucks and vans that will unload their delivery by hand only. 2. All medium and large trucks or vehicles requiring the use of a loading ramp or mechanical device will be required to unload at the existing loading dock located on Garrett Avenue. 3. All trucks or vehicles with a refrigeration unit shall be restricted to unloading at the existing loading dock on Garrett Avenue. 4. Any violation of the noise mitigation standards will be subject to the review of the Planning Department and could result i the elimination of the use of the proposed loading zone if the City receives complaints from adjacent land uses. WPC 8786P