HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 1 EIR 81-2 10-05-81OATE:
October 5, 1981
NEW BUSINESS NO. 1
Inter - C om
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Honorable Chairman and Planning Agency Members
Community Development Department
EIR 81-2
Applicant: Cal Pacific Properties
Location: Newport Avenue, between Main and E1 Camino Real
BACKGROUND:
Draft Environmental Impact Report 81-2 was prepared for the City of Tustin to
evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed Tustin Town Center project.
Specific environmental effects included land use and traffic. Per Section
15012(b) of the California Environmental Quality Act, an economic study is also
being presented.
The project site is approximately eleven acres fronting on Newport Avenue
between Main Street and E1 Camino Real (formerly Laguna Road). The majority-of
the site is currently used for the storage of large trucks and old farm equip-
ment, along with a few sheet metal warehouses and old packing houses. The
remainder of the site is vacant. The original use of the land was a packing
house for oranges, and a railroad line for shipping.
The site is zoned ~Planned Community-Co...ercial (PC-C), and has a general plan
designation of commercial. It is.located within the City's redevelopment area,
nearby to the Old Town Tustin area and adjacent to city hall.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed project will encompass five (5) phases, involving the development
of offices, financial, retail,entertainment, and restaurant uses. Full devel-
opment of the entire site will take approximately four to five years.
The first four phases are contained in Site I, located north of Sixth Street
between Main and Sixth Street. Land uses include: 285,450 square feet of
professional offices, 20,000 square feet of commercial retail, 15,000 square
feet of financial, 13,000 square feet of restaurant uses, and a 16,500 square ·
foot motion picture theater, for a total of 349,950 square feet. Three'
buildings will be constructed, along with a four level parking structure and a
plaza for parking.
As referenced on page seven of the Draft EIR (site plan), Building A is a four
story structure, approximately 75 feet tall, Building B is a six story struc-
ture, approximately 101 feet tall, and Building C is a six story structure,
approximately 101 feet tall. The measurement figures include the roof top
equipment, which is approximately 14 feet tall. As detailed on the site plan,
each structure is not entirely four or six stories, but building heights are
jogged from one to three stories to create visual interest, and reduce the
impact of the structure.
Site II encompasses the fifth phase and is located south of Sixth Street,
between E1Camino Real (Laguna Road) and Sixth Street. The proposal is for a
9,500 square foot restaurant and 30,500 square foot office building. The
office would be two stories, and the restaurant one.
The Draft EIR focused on the significant environmental impacts as outlined in
the initial study questionnaire, which included traffic and land use. An
economic analysis was also prepared, as requested by staff.
1. Traffic
The increased business activity and new construction is expected to
generate 'a total of 9,300 daily vehicle trips, with 7,970 going ~o Site
I and 1,330 going to Site II. Level of service for the Newport Avenue/
Main Street intersection is expected to change from A to B; level of
service for the Newport Avenue/Laguna Road intersection is expected to
change from B to C, and the level of service for the E1Camino Real/
Main Street intersection is expected to change from B to C-D upon com-
pletion of the project.
No mitigating measures are proposed, inasmuch as the service level for
key intersections does not drop below the D level. Left-turn lanes
will be required on E1Camino Real, to Site II, and are recommended for
eastbound Sixth Street. A similar left-turn lane should be placed on
Sixth Street for eastbound traffic entering Site I.
The Engineering Department has reviewed the traffic section, and addi-
tional evaluation is needed at some key areas. The decrease in level
of service at E1Camino Real/Main Street from B to C-D needs additional
research. Can the level of service be improved by restriping and what
impact would any parking removal have on downtown businesses? Addi-
tionally, the intersection of E1Camino Real and Sixth Street needs
further evaluation. Staff has included a table defining the six ser-
vice levels (A-F) of the National Highway Capacity Manual so that the
agency and public can gain a better understanding of what these service
levels mean.
One key point concerning traffic should be made. The Draft EIR (pg.
17) indicates that there is an increased demand for office space in the
City of Tustin, now and in the future. RegardleSs of whether this
office space is constructed at the proposed site or in another commu-
nity, the service level at these intersections will rise. This EIR
allows the City to evaluate this circulation system and its ability to
handle the increase in traffic. As the city has seen in the past, if
this project is constructed in another community, such as Irvine, no
evaluation would be done on this city's circulation system, but we will
still get the traffic and realize an impact, along with no increase in
our tax base.
Land Use
The proposed project is located in the City's Central Business Dis-
trict, within the redevelopment agency area. Under the criteria of the
Planned Community District, review and approval of a development plan
will assure the compatibility of the land uses with surrounding devel-
opments.
Existing land uses surrounding the project site include the Civic
Center across Main Street to the north, commercial across Newport
Avenue to the east, commercial across E1Camino Real (Laguna Road) to
the south, and multi-family residential and some commercial immediately
to the west. The nearest single-family home is approximately 1500 feet
away. '
The project as envisioned would represent a departure from previous
mixed use developments in the community. The height and architecture,
as well as the scope of the project (390,000 square feet, Site I and
II), would make this the most ambitious development undertaken in the
co...unity. Staff's major concern in evaluating the impact of the
development and land uses is that the project help solidify the area
and encourage a viable downtown Tustin.
Considering the current land uses, almost any new development will help
in revitalizing the area. Beyond this obvious point, it is staff's
contention that the mixed land uses and scope of the project will make
the site suitable for evening as well as daytime activities. This
intensity of daily use will serve as a consolidating factor for the
downtown area, by tying together with this project the Civic Center and
Old Town Tustin area. Daytime office workers will utilize this area to
shop and eat. Evening activities will include the City's Community
Center, the proposed motion picture theater, a live dinner playhouse in
the Old Town area, along with a variety of restaurants. It is antici-
pated that due to this level of activity, the area will bcome identi-
fied as the downtown, and serve as a major center for the City.
If handled properly, the use of contemporary architecture and the
height should not be a detrimental factor to the community. The appli-
cant is proposing to utilize a wood treatment and landscaping to soften
the street level, and to jog the building heights to reduce the overall
height impact. Staff does feel that this is one of the few areas where
taller structures can be constructed, but also realizes that careful
evaluation should be undertaken before approval of the development plan
is given.
3. Economic Analysis
Staff requested that the applicant prepare a cost/benefit analysis to
determine the city's cost to serve the new project, as well as the tax
dollars brought to the city by the development. The project is within
EMK/11 h
the redevelopment area and falls under the jurisdiction of the redevel-
opment plan..
The full market value of the proposed development is $62,145,000, based
on a $130 per square foot construction cost. The redevelopment agency
will receive 100% of the value minus the 1976 base value, which works
out to be $61,208,480 or $612,084 in taxes per year. Based on a five
year buil dout, the agency will realize approximately 15.5 million
dollars in revenue for the remaining life of the agency.
The City's general fund will still receive $2,180 per year in property
tax along with an estimated $4,400 for business tax and 88,600 for
sales tax revenue for a yearly total of $95,180.
The estimated costs to the City generated by the project are approxi-
mately $30,404. Staff feels that the method utilized to generate these
figures is cursory at best, but even if the cost factors are only rough
approximates, the City would still realize a major cost benefit by
generating $707,264 in tax revenue per year.
Level of
Service
LEVEL OF SERVICE DESCRIPTIONS
Traffic Quality
Nominal Range
of ItU (a)
Low volumes; high speeds; speed not restricted
by other vehicles; all Signal cycles clear with
no vehicles waiting ~hrou§h more ~han one signal
cycle.
Operating speeds beginning to be affected b7
other traffic; between one and ten percent of
the signal cycles have ome or more vehicles
which wait through more than one signal cycle
during peak traffic pert~d~.
Opera:img speeds and maneuverability closely
controlled by other traffic; between ll and 30
percent of the signal cycles have' one o= more
vehicles which wait through more than one signal
cycle during peak traffic periods; recommended
ideal desig-a standard.
Tolerable operating speeds; 31 to 70 percent of
~he signal cycles have one or more vehicles
which wait through more than one signal cycle
during peak traffic periods; often used as
design standard in urban areas.
Capacity; the maximum traffic volume an inter-
section can accommodate; restricted speeds; 71
to 100 percent of the signal cycles have one or
more vehicles which wait through more than one'
signal cycle during peak traffic periods.
Long queues of traffic; unstable flow; stoppages
Of long duration; traffic volume and traffic
speed can drop to zero; traffic volume will be
less than the volume which occurs at Level of
Service E.
0.00 - 0.60
0.61 - 0.70
0.71 - 0.80
0.81 - 0.90
0.91 - 1.00
Not Meaningful
(a)
Source:
Although the Highway Capacity Manual recommends the above relationship
between level of service and volume/capacity ratios, field observation
shows that a more appropriate relationship would be as follows:
A, 0.00 to 0.80 ; B, 0.81 to 0.85 ; C, 0.86 to 0.90 ; D, 0.91 :o 0.95 ;
and E, 0.96 to 1.00.
Himhwav Caoacitv Manual, tlighway Research Board Special Report 87,
National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., 1965, page 320,