PC 09.a.Workshop Draft EIR E. Cherry Ave. Specific PlanMEMORANDUM
TO: PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM: TERESA McCLISH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
BY: JOHN RICKENBACH, CONSULTING PLANNER
SUBJECT: WORKSHOP TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR) FOR THE E. CHERRY
AVENUE SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT
DATE: MAY 17,2016
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the PIanning Commission take public comments and provide
input to City and consultant staff on the Draft EIR for the East Cherry Avenue Specific
Plan Project. No action on the project is being considered at this time.
BACKGROUND:
Location
Figure 1. Project Location
PLANNING COMMISSION
WORKSHOP ON DRAFT EIR FOR THE E. CHERRY AVENUE SPECIFIC PLAN
MAY 17,2016
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The Specific Plan area encompasses 15.29 acres of undeveloped, vacant, and
agricultural land at the southern commercial gateway of the City of Arroyo Grande
(Figure 1). The plan area consists of five parcels (street addresses of 490 and 112
East Cherry Avenue, and 501 Traffic Way) under three separate ownerships. For the
purpose of the Specific Plan, these are organized into three subareas as shown in
Table 1.
Table 1. East Cherry Avenue Specific Plan Properties
1 Harshad and Vina 076-621-076, -077, -078 Traffic Way Mixed-Use 2.16
(TMU 0-2.1 I)/ Mixed-use
Total Acres 15.29
Notes: TMU D-2.11 -Traffic Way Mixed-Use with 0-2.11 Design Overlay.
Source: City of Arroyo Grande 2015a.
The Specific Plan area is situated north of the Vagabond Mobile Home Park, single-
family residences, and the Saint Barnabas' Episcopal Church; east of Traffic Way
and its interchange with U.S. Highway 101; south of East Cherry Avenue; and west of
Luana Lane and Los Olivos Lane.
PLANNING COMMISSION'S PURVIEW:
The Planning Commission is taking public testimony and input on the Draft EIR for
the proposed project. It is not considering the merits of the project at this time, nor is
it considering potential project approval. These actions will occur later in the process,
once the Final EIR is prepared. The Final EIR will consist of the Draft EIR and any
changes that may result to that document based on input received during the 45-day
comment period, which is from April 8 to May 23, 2016.
City staff and its EIR consultant, Amec Foster-Wheeler, will be taking public input. As
part of the Final EIR, the consultant will respond to public input received at this
workshop, as well as any letters or other written input received during the 45-day
public review period. All testimony received during that period will be included in the
Final EIR, as well as written responses to that testimony. As appropriate, the Draft
EIR will be modified to respond to this input. Potential changes could include
updates or corrections to information included in that document, or possibly updates
or modifications to the existing analysis.
PLANNING COMMISSION
WORKSHOP ON DRAFT EIR FOR THE E. CHERRY AVENUE SPECIFIC PLAN
MAY 17,2016
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Once completed, the Final EIR must be certified by the City Council prior to (or
concurrent with) potential project approval. The Planning Commission will have an
opportunity to consider potential project approval once the Final EIR is completed,
and prior to that document's certification.
SCOPE OF THE DRAFT EIR:
This EIR assesses the potential environmental impacts that could occur with
implementation of the Project. The scope of the EIR includes evaluation of potentially
significant environmental issues identified in the Initial Study (IS) and raised in
response to the Notice of Preparation (NOP) and during scoping discussions. The IS
and NOP scoping process determined that the Project may result in potentially
significant impacts with respect to the following issue areas, which are addressed in
detail in this EIR:
Aesthetics and Visual Resources
Agricultural Resources
Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Biological Resources
Hazards and Hazardous Materials
Hydrology and Water Quality
Land Use and Planning
Noise
Recreational Resources
Transportation and Traffic
Utilities and Service Systems
Other Required CEQA Disclosures
This EIR addresses the issues referenced above and identifies potential
environmental impacts, including Project-specific and cumulative effects of the
Project, in accordance with the provisions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines. In
addition, the EIR recommends feasible mitigation measures, where necessary, that
would reduce or eliminate adverse environmental effects.
A summary of cumulative impacts, which gives consideration to other projects in the
vicinity, are described in each resource section within Section 3.0, Environmenfal
Impact Analysis and Mitigation Measures. Cumulative project analyses represent a
comprehensive assessment of potential impacts on City resources using a list of
past, present, and probable future projects capable of producing related or
cumulative impacts.
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MAY 17,2016
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Consistent with CEQA Guidelines (Section 15126.6[d]), the EIR includes the
assessment of a reasonable range of alternatives to the Project that could feasibly
attain the project objectives while avoiding or substantially lessening any of the
significant effects of the Project. These include the following:
No Project Alternative (two approaches: no development or development
under existing zoning)
o Reduced Development Alternative
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS IDENTIFIED IN THE DRAFT EIR:
The significance of each impact resulting from implementation of the Project has
been determined according to CEQA thresholds. Table ES-1 of the Draft EIR
summarizes the impacts, mitigation measures, and residual significance of those
impacts from implementation of the Project. In summary, the Project would result in
significant and unavoidable Project level and cumulative impacts to certain City
roadway intersections. Certain air quality impacts are also considered significant and
unavoidable. Project level impacts with respect to all other identified issues are
either less than significant, or would be reduced to a less than significant level with
proposed mitigation measures.
In order to assess cumulative impacts, the Draft EIR uses a combination of the list
method and General Plan projection method approaches that includes programs
included in the City's General Plan as well as specific past, present, and probable
future projects that are reasonably foreseeable that could produce related or
cumulative impacts, including, if necessary, those projects outside the control of the
Lead Agency (CEQA Guidelines Section 15130). Cumulative impacts for more
complex resource sections such as Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases,
Transportation and Traffic, and Hydrology and Water Quality, have been assessed in
regards to General Plan build out projections for the City. Cumulative impacts
associated with a particular resource are assessed in Sections 3.1 through 3.1 1 of
the Draft EIR.
PROPOSED PROJECT OVERVIEW:
Proiect Description
The project is a Specific Plan, General Plan Amendment, Development Code
Amendment, Vesting Tentative Tract Map and two (2) Conditional Use Permits.
While the first three entitlements would address the entire 15-acre site, the Vesting
Tentative Tract Map would only address the central portion of the site encompassing
12.62 acres, which is described further below as Subarea 2. Subareas I and 3 are
each subject to a Conditional Use Permit.
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The Specific Plan site area is divided into three (3) subareas, with development
envisioned in each as follows:
Subarea 1. Subarea 1 is currently zoned Traffic Way Mixed Use (TMU) with a
Design Overlay (D-2.11). The primary purpose of the D-2.11 Design Overlay is to
encourage the use of design elements to enhance the character and appearance of
this southern commercial gateway to Arroyo Grande.
Uses allowed within the TMU zone are limited to automobile and light truck sales and
services and related automotive parts stores, repair shops, and similar vehicle sales,
services and accessory uses. All other permitted uses and Minor Use permitted uses
would be considered subject to a Conditional Use Permit.
The EIR evaluates potential hotel and restaurant uses, which is consistent with the
property owner's goals for this site. While no changes to the current TMU zone are
proposed, the Design Overlay provision that incentivizes auto sales and use is
proposed to be removed under the Specific Plan.
Subarea 2. Subarea 2, the largest portion of the site, is proposed for residential
development. Conceptually, the Specific Plan includes a 60-lot subdivision with a
total of 58 single-family residential lots, which are shown in more detail in a proposed
Vesting Tentative Tract Map. Access to the project site would be via East Cherry
Avenue. No private driveways will be located on East Cherry Avenue. All homes will
be accessed via residential streets and alleyways. A second access is located at the
future property boundary with the Subarea 3 property.
An existing drainage feature is located at the toe of the slope approximately twenty
feet from the southerly border of the property. This drainage feature, created in this
location due to the historical agricultural activities, takes sheet flows from the hillside
below the St. Barnabas' Church property. A 2- to 5-foot tall concrete retaining
wallldrainage facility would be located along the southern boundary of the residential
lots at the base of the hillside. A neighborhood park (about 0.35 acres) is planned for
interior to the project site on proposed Lot 59.
Subarea 3. The proposed Arroyo Grande Valley Japanese Welfare Association
(JWA) land use plan for Subarea 3, the eastern 1.51 acres of the Specific Plan area,
identifies a private historically-oriented park that would highlight the lssei pioneers
(first generation settlers) of Arroyo Grande. Proposed land uses would include
historical residential and public assembly uses, and would provide expanded
commercial use and residential density necessary for present and future economic
sustainability of the property. Specifically, Subarea 3 would include limited
commercial retail (farm stand), passive recreation (historic walking paths and
gardens), limited residential (independent senior housing consisting of approximately
10 units), public and quasi-public community facilities (cultural archive and
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community center), visitor-serving (B&B guest house), and public assembly (heritage
and demonstration gardens) uses, as well as related support amenities (e.g., onsite
parking). While the current Subarea 3 includes approximately 1.51 acres, an
additional approximately 0.5-acre parcel would be added via the Subarea 2 Vesting
Tentative Tract Map and a future lot merger.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Planning Commission (PC) take public comments and
provide input to City and consultant staff on the Draft EIR for the E. Cherry Avenue
Specific Plan Project. No action on the project is being considered at this time.
Attachment:
1. Draft E. Cherry Avenue Specific Plan Draft EIR and supporting materials