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Home My WebLink About07 IRVINE RESPONSE - EIR FOR 2851 ALTON PKWY 09-18-06AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: SEPTEMBER 18,2006 TO: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER FROM: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: CITY OF TUSTIN RESPONSE TO CITY OF IRVINE DRAFT SUBSEQUENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR 2851 ALTON PKWY PROJECT SUMMARY City Council authorization is requested for the City of Tustin's response to the subject Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report for a proposed City of Irvine General Plan Amendment and Zone Change, Transfer of Development Rights, and other discretionary actions to permit residential development consisting of 170 multi-family condominium units at the northwest corner of Alton Parkway and Murphy Avenue (Location Map - Attachment A). RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council authorize staff to forward the attached response letter to the City of Irvine. FISCAL IMPACT: There are no fiscal impacts associated with this action. BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION: The proposed project includes the development of 170 multi-family condominium units at the northwest corner of Alton Parkway and Murphy Avenue (Location Map-Attachment A). The Community Development and Public Works Departments have reviewed the subject Subsequent Draft EIR. Staff believes that it is in the City's interest to be on record regarding this matter and has prepared correspondence expressing the City's concerns regarding the Subsequent Draft EIR document (see Attachment B). Staff requests that the Tustin City Council review and consider these comments and, if acceptable, authorize their formal transmission to the City of Irvine. City Council Report DSEIR 2851 Alton Pkwy Project September 18, 2006 Page 2 Scott Reekstin Senior Planner Elizabeth A. Binsack Community Development Director Attachments: A. Location Map B. Draft Comment Response Letter S:\Cdd\CCReports\DSEIR Irvine 2851 Alton Parkway Housing.doc ATTACHMENT A Location Map 3. Project Description r' , \. " ; I t'. 1__. I? :~ .,' l;, ~,.~ SanIa' ,c: . . Ana '. ~. ....i~.... Local Vicinity .... .. " c':>;tJt_ .....u. '/, . . I . . , . I ! l '} ~%.: >~> . ,,-~,&., ," .." ,14- ':.,' Tustin . ..-,,---,...,....,"- . -.~ . .' ,'~./' PA36 ;l'."'r" ....,/./. ~ ..... ~cF'.# ...... * E ..' ~~. ~ .' . . $I . '. , John . (: 1rvine Wayne . Airport . I ~ ~. //~ <, \ >v.,.' /) ~,"$/ ~ . > ~. q .t.) UnivMsIIy Dr ... "~~ f +r . "~ :"', -""'.$.,-: ; '~",..r-"',:",....' . l''''~''-' Ii ~.iMj!!:,~'" .', to -;'\t1-~J;:-:,A ,-y' "',,," '. , . '1" / ~, ,^, y' , I.) UCI LnJ City of Irvine Boundary .......... Planning Area Boundary NOT TO SCALE [!J 2851 Aiton Parkway . Flgu,.. 3.2 ATTACHMENT B Draft Comment Response Letter September 19, 2006 Ms. Pam Davis City of Irvine One Civic Center Plaza P.O. Box 19575 Irvine, CA 92623-9575 SUBJECT: REVIEW OF DRAFT SUBSEQUENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR 2851 ALTON PARKWAY RESIDENTIAL PROJECT IN THE CITY OF IRVINE Dear Ms. Davis: Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (DSEIR) for the 2851 Alton Parkway Residential Project in the City of Irvine. The project is proposed to include the development of 170 multi-family residences at the northeast corner of Murphy Avenue and Alton Parkway in the City of Irvine ("2851 Alton Parkway Project"). The City of Tustin has identified the following comments and concerns: 1. The City of Tustin continues to be concerned with the significant changes in land uses (i.e., from commercial buildings to residential, etc.) in the IBC area that have occurred to date and will likely continue to be processed in the future. The preparation of a project-specific DEIR for the 2851 Alton Parkway Project is yet another example of the City of Irvine's piecemeal approach to analyzing the environmental impacts resulting from the significant residential development and redevelopment that is occurring and is projected to continue to occur in the Irvine Business Complex in accordance with the new vision plan that the Irvine City Council is considering for the area. These land use changes could result in significant modifications to the anticipated traffic impacts and planned mitigations. While individually each project, including the 2851 Alton Parkway Project, may show limited changes in, for example, traffic patterns, the cumulative impacts of these projects when combined with the 2851 Alton Parkway Project will be more significant. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of CEQA, the City requests that the DEIR include a comprehensive analysis of the Project's cumulative environmental effects, including, but not limited to traffic, air quality, noise, parks and recreation, and public services and utilities impacts. Moreover, due to the proximity of the 2851 Alton Parkway Project and other projects in the IBC to the City of Tustin, the collective environmental impacts of these projects will extend beyond the boundaries of Irvine to the City of Tustin. Therefore, the DEIR must define the geographic scope of the area affected by the particular cumulative Pam Davis 2851 Alton Parkway Residential September 19,2006 Page 2 effect to include certain areas within the City of lrustin (See CEQA Guidelines S 15130 (b)(3)). 2. The future traffic analyses were only performed for year 2025 and post-2025 conditions at Tustin Ranch Road / Warner Avenue, but this intersection is anticipated to be constructed by 2010. This intersection must be included in the year 2010 analysis. 3. The traffic analyses and the underlying traffic model assumptions need to accurately reflect the current planning and anticipated construction at the Tustin Legacy. In particular, the road construction assumptions at the Tustin Legacy will have a significant impact on the traffic model projections. 4. There must be assurance that the most current planned design for Barranca Parkway is included in the intersection and street segment analyses. 5. The current development plan and circulation plan for the remaining portions of the Tustin Legacy were recently approved. A copy of the Tustin Legacy Traffic Analysis, dated February 2006, is available at the Tustin Public Works Department for review. This DSEIR traffic study must be consistent with the Tustin Legacy traffic analyses. 6. Analyses need to be included in the DSEIR to verify/update the future improvement needs as related to the MCAS Tustin mitigation agreements. These evaluations must be added to the DSEIR. 7. As identified in comments on the Notice of Preparation ("NOP"), there is a "Red Hill Avenue" traffic study that was jointly conducted by the City of Irvine and City of Tustin that includes further definition of traffic mitigation responsibilities for development projects in the IBC. The 2851 Alton Parkway Project must be subject to the findings, requirements, and agreements that will result from this study. 8. The existing and/or future intersection lane geometries are not clearly identified in the DSEIR. This information is important in clarifying the road system and intersection lane assumptions for each traffic analysis condition and therefore should be provided in the body of the DSEIR. 9. The Mitigation Measures presented in the DSEIR indicate no required project participation in many of the original IBC traffic mitigations. In addition, the DSEIR must include any additional mitigation measures that are required to address any changed conditions that have occurred since the original mitigation, and mitigation to address the cumulative traffic impacts of the 2851 Alton Parkway Project when combined with the numerous past, present, and future projects that have or will occur in the IBC. As previously noted in City of Tustin comments on the NOP, the project will need to contribute toward the needed improvements in the IBC study area since the Pam Davis 2851 Alton Parkway Residential September 19, 2006 Page 3 DSEIR assumes some of the IBC improvements to be in place when analyzing cumulative traffic impacts. 10. The "Performance Criteria" used in the traffic analyses are City of Irvine criteria. For locations within the City of Tustin, any traffic analyses must be based on City of Tustin criteria and methodologies. Please contact Principal Engineer Terry Lutz at (714) 573-3263 for information regarding Tustin's requirements. Thank you again for the opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the 2851 Alton Parkway Residential Project. Please provide me with a copy of all public notices relating to the City of Irvine's consideration of the 2851 Alton Parkway Project. If you have any questions regarding the City's comments, please call me at (714) 573-3016 or Terry Lutz, Principal Engineer, at (714) 573-3263. Sincerely, Scott Reekstin Senior Planner cc: Elizabeth A. Binsack Jason Retterer Tim Serlet Dana Kasdan Dana Ogdon Terry Lutz Steve Sasaki SR:environmental ete/lrvine 2851 Alton Parkway Housing DSEIR Letter.doc