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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-03-06 City Council (16)City TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL City of Palo Alto Manager’s FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DATE:MARCH 6, 2000 CMR:161:00 SUBJECT:1237 AND 1275 N. SAN ANTONIO ROAD (FORMER LOS ALTOS TREATMENT PLANT SITE), FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, APPLICATION FOR ANNEXATION, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAP AMENDMENT, AND PREZONING TO ALLOW WETLANDS RESTORATION, . CONSTRUCTION OF °A HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY, AND OFFICE AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR THE CITY SOLID WASTE COLLECTION CONTRACTOR REPORT IN BRIEF The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the former Los Altos Treatment Plant (LATP) site development project has been prepared by the City of Palo Alto in response to comments by the public and the City on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The reduced project eliminating the Utilities storage and staging yard has been selected as the environmentally superior alternative and a mitigation and monitoring program has been developed. The proposed project will provide restoration of wetlands, a permanent household hazardous waste facility, and a dedicated site for the City’s solid waste collection contractor. On January 14, 1998, the Planning Commission took public testimony, reviewed, commented, and approved the adequacy of the DEIR, recommending that the reduced project alternative be implemented. CMR:161:00 Page 1 of 7 RECOMMENDATION Staffrecommends that the City Council: o Adopt the attached resolution certifying the adequacy of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the former Los Altos Treatme~at Plant (LATP) Site Development Project; Approve the Mitigation and Monitoring Program; Adopt a resolution for a Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment from "Public Park" to a combination of "Public Owned Conservation Land" and "Major Institution/Special Facilities;" Introduce and place on first reading an Ordinance pre-zoning the site to the Public Facilities Zoning District with a Site and Design Overlay [PF(D)] and, Direct staff to initiate annexation of the subject site. BACKGROUND The former LATP site development project covers a total area of 13.58 acres, including 0.32 acres for the existing Los Altos metering station. The project site is divided into three areas. Area A (4.0 acres) is undeveloped and currently consists of non-native grasslands on top of fill material and brackish marsh along the perimeter of a remnant slough channel, separated from Area B by a levee. Area B (6.64 acres) is the site of the former LATP; which contains a vacant industrial facility, non-native grassland, and six abandoned treatment ponds (B 1 through B-6). Area C (2.62 acres) adjacent to the Los Altos metering and lift station and separated from Area B by ’Ditch 1, is primarily undeveloped, mostly non-native grassland and contains a smaller vacant industrial facility. The original development project consisted of demolishing the existing structures on the site and developing the southerly portion (approximately 7.2 acres in Areas B and C). Three acres, located within both Areas A and B, would be used as a yard for the City solid waste collection contractor; 0.8 acres, located in the southerly portion of Area C, for a permanent City household hazardous waste facility; and 3.4 acres, located in the majority of Area B, for a City Utilities storage and staging yard. The two large ponds in Area B, B4 and B5 (approximately 2.1 acres) were targeted to combine with Area A (4.0 acres) to become conservation land. A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) was circulated from November 7, 1997 to December 22, 1997, to various federal, state, and local agencies, and to members of the general public for review and comment. The comment period was extended to January 14, 1998 to allow for additional comments. The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) contains responses to all comment letters on the DEIR and to comments at the public hearing held by the Planning Commission on January 14, 1998.’ CMR:161:00 Page 2 of 7 On January 14, 1998, the Planning Commission certified the adequacy of the DEIR and recommended that the City Council approve a Comprehensive Plan map arriendment to change the zoning from "Public Park" to a combination of "Public Owned Conservation Land" and "Major Institution/Special Facilities"; approve pre-zoning of the site to the Public Facilities Zoning District with a Site and Design Overl~ty [PF(D]; and initiate the annexation of the project site to the City of Palo Alto. , The Planning Commission also recommended the reduced project altemative, in Which the City Utilities storage and staging yard be constructed elsewhere. This reduced project alternative is considered the environmentally superior altemative. It would allow a majorit~ of the 3.4 acres originally targeted for a Utilities storage yard to either remain undisturbed or to be restored as wetlands. Staff is now, as recommended by the Planning Commission, pursuing the reduced project alternative. DISCUSSION Project Components Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF). The southerly portion of the si~e in Area C (approximately 0.8 acres) is proposed as a permanent facility for the collection, packaging and short-term storage of household hazardous waste, including, but not limited to, paints, pesticides and herbicides, used motor oil, and similar materials, prior to ultimate recycling or disposal outside the City. Presently, a temporary HHWF is operated one day per month in the administration/guest parking lot of the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant (PARWQCP). A pre-engineered building of approximately 2,000 square feet would be located on the site, including office space, a materials bulking/packing area, secondary containment storage bays, restroom and showers. It is anticipated that the HHWF would be open to the public three days per week (Thursday through Saturday), with the hours of operation expected to be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Solid waste collection and hauling facility. Approximately 3.0 acres of the site located within both Areas A and B is proposed to house administrative offices, truck maintenance and fueling operations, and parking for solid waste collection vehicles and employee vehicles for the City contract solid waste hauler. An 8,500 square foot pre-engineered building would be constructed that would include a three bay vehicle maintenance shop, a spray paint booth and related maintenance operations. Attached to the maintenance building would be administrative offices of approximately 4,200 square feet. Total building area, including the refuse collection and hauling facility and the HHWF would be 14,700 square feet. Truck servicing and parking is at the rear as well as a separate truck fueling and wash area. A 12,000 gallon vaulted underground diesel fuel storage tank and an above ground 300-gallon propane storage tank are proposed. A majority of solid waste collection vehicles would leave the proposed facility between the hours of 5:00 to 7:00 a.m., Monday through Friday. On Saturday, four to five vehicles would leave the site at 5:00 a.m. returning at noon. CMR:161:00 Page 3 of 7 Additional site modifications include installation of a landscape buffer adjacent to N. San Antonio Road; a landscaped area in the southeast comer of the site; 75 on-site parking spaces for employees and visitors; 38 spaces for solid waste trucks; security lights on the rear of proposed contract waste hauler’s administration building, and a 6 foot high black vinyl clad chain link security fence around each facility. Wetlands Mitigation and Monitoring Program The EIR identifies impacts on wetlands that can be mitigated through creation and restoration of wetlands on the site. Those issues are addressed in the LATP Site Development Project Monitoring and Mitigation Plan. Surveys were conducted in the project impact areas to evaluate the habitat that falls within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). USACE jurisdictional waters (including wetlands) at the project site total approximately 3.9 acres. With implementation of the reduced project alternative, the areas of impact to the waters oftheU.S. (including wetlands) total approximately 0.5 acres. The federal government requires a 2:1 mitigation ratio. Therefore, a minimum of 1.0 acre of wetlands will need to be created or restored on site to provide for the mitigation. The restoration design would create a mosaic of habitats totaling 7.4 acres of jurisdictional area (jurisdiction of the USACE). This includes 4.4 acres of brackish marsh habitat and 1.9 acres ofmudflats and channels. This also includes approximately 0.7 acres of open water habitat and 0.4 acres of island habitat. The mitigation site and wetlands are sparsely vegetated. These wetland habitats are isolated and are of low habitat value. The surrounding non-native grassland areas were vegetated with such ruderal species as soffchess, ripgnt, slender oats and yellow star-thistle and no special status plant species are expected in the project area. The implementation ofwetlat~dmitigfition measures is proposed to restore brackish marsh habitat to the majority of Areas A and B. The mitigation plan is designed to provide a variety of high quality habitats that will improve water quality within the site and better mimic those conditions found in the Palo Alto Flood Basin. The existing levee between Area A and area B will be removed. This would restore the hydrologic link between Areas A and B and the existing ponds B3, B4, B5 and B6. A new 42" culvert connecting Area A and the flood basin will also be installed to hydrologically connect the mitigation area with the flood basin. Photo documentation of the site will be conducted from five fixed locations at year 1, 2, 3, and 5. The observer will walk around the site nine times a year to record all birds seen and heard within the mitigation areal ‘The Walk will be within 4.5 hours of sunrise corresponding to the peak period of a bird activity and detectability. The observer will note evidence of nesting during these surveys, although formal nest searches will not be conducted. CMR: 161:00 Page 4 of 7 The results of each year will be compared to the previous year. By the end of Year 5, the created wetland should be jurisdictional, well established and self-sufficient. When final monitoring goals have been met, the project proponent will submit a letter to the permitting agencies requesting approval to cease monitoring. Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment , The entire subject site is, at present, designated "Public Parks" on the City’s Comprehensive Plan Land Use & Circulation Map. Prior to proceeding with the entitlement portion of the project, and prior to Council approval of the Mitigation and Monitoring Plan, it will be necessary to amend the existing Comprehensive Plan Map designation to designations consistent with, and reflective of, the proposed project. An application to amend the Comprehensive Plan Map has already been submitted to the Planning Division. Specifically, staff recommendsthat the site’s land use designation be amended to "Major Institution/Special Facilities" for the southerly portion of the site proposed for development, and "Publicly Owned Conservation Land" for the northerly portion of the site proposed for wetlands restoration. These proposed Comprehensive Plan designations were discussed at the January 14, 1998 Planning Commission meeting and were unanimously recommended by the Commission for adoption by the City Council. Annexation and Pre-Zoning The subject property is jointly owned by the cities of Palo Alt0 and Los Altos. The site, however, is incorporated solely within the jurisdiction of Los Altos and will, therefore, need to be annexed to Palo Alto prior to the entitlement phase of the project. On January 27, 1998, the Los Altos City Council unanimously adopted a Resolution (see attached City of Los Altos Resolution 98-4) to de-annex the subject site and allow its incorporation to Palo Alto. Since the site is already located within Palo Alto’s urban service area, the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) does not need to review the proposed annexation, which can be initiated by a Palo Alto City Council Resolution. In conjunction with the annexation, the subject site needs to be pre-zoned. This simply means that the site, which presently lacks a Palo Alto zoning designation since it is outside the City’s jurisdiction, would be given a zoning designation that would become effective upon finalization of the annexation process. At the January 14, 1998 Planning Commission meeting, the Commission recommended that the site be designated Public Facilities (PF) with a Site and Design (D) oxierlay, consistent with other sites in the baylands area. Staff concurs with this proposed pre-zoning. RESOURCE IMPACT Funds for the facility design of the project site, preparation and submittal of permit documents and environmental assessments are available in the F¥ 1999-00 Refuse Fund Budget. Staff will retum to Council for additional funding of the land acquisition, final wetlands restoration, and construction of facilities. In July 1984 the LATP property was CMR:161:00 Page 5 of 7 purchased for $2,247,544 and was paid for in equal annual installments of $280,943 for eight years. The majority of expenses to date are for consultant contracts, estimated at $450,000. The estimated future costs moving forward is $400,000 for permitting and final design (available in Refuse Fund FY 1999-00), $3.9M for construction ($1.5M available in the Refuse Fund FY 1999-00), and $500,000 for wetlands mitigation and monitoring. Costs for acquisition are not known at this time and staff will continue negotiations with I~os, Altos. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The FEIR shows the boundaries of the reduced project alternative, and shows the revised configuration of the household hazardous waste facility and refuse collection contractor facility. The changes would result in reduced traffic, noise, and visual impacts. All impacts for the reduced project alternative were fully evaluated in the DEIR because it analyzed worst-case impacts from developing the entire site, including the Utilities storage yard. The DEIR did not need to be revised and re-circulated because no new impacts would result from implementing the reduced project alternative and no significant new information has been identified since the DEIR was circulated. TIMELINE In accordance with the August 19, 1984 Lease/Purchase Agreement between the City of Palo Alto and the City of Los Altos for the former LATP site, Palo Alto completed purchase of its 1/2 interest in the site on August 10, 1999. The Agreement provides that Palo Alto now has an option to purchase Los Altos’ 1/2 interest, and the cities are now in the process of determining the fair market value. Staff will return to Council with the appraisal information and request direction on further negotiations with the City of Los Altos. The City of Los Altos has already passed a resolution which will detach the property. The former LATP portion of the site will return as a site and design application subject to Planning Commission, Architect Review Board (ARB) and City Council action. Copies of the attachments to this CMR:161:00 may be viewed at the Public Works Department counter located at 250 Hamilton Avenue, 6th Floor, Palo Alto, or at the Main Library at 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) LATP Site Development Project " ~’ Attachment B:LATP Site Development Project Mitigation and Monitoring Plan Attachment C:Responses to.Comments Final Environmental Impact Report LATP Site Development Project Attachment D:Planning Commission Staff Report, January 14, 1998 CMR:161:00 Page 6 of 7 Attachment E: Attachment F: Attachment G: Attachment H: Resolution certifying adequacy of EIR Vicinity Map Resolution Amending Comprehensive Plan Map Ordinance Amending Zoning Map Prezoning property to PF(D) District PREPARED BY: DEPARTMENT HEAD: Michael Jackson, Deputy Director of Public Works/Operations Director of Public Works DEPARTMENT HEAD: Director of Planning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: JUNE City Manager CMR:161:00 Page 7 of 7