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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEQCB Min 2002-03-13 .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 .22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 . 1CITY OF SEAL BEACH Environmental Quality Control Board Adjourned CEQA "Scoping" Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2002 The Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB) adjourned CEQA Scoping Meeting of March 13, 2002 was called to order by Chairperson Porter at 6:30 p.m. The meeting was held in City Council Chambers. Pledge of Allegiance II Roll Call Present: Absent: Also Present: Chairperson Porter, Members Hurley, Unrath, and Voce Member Jones Department of Development Services Mac Cummins, Assistant Planner Mr. Cummins reported that he had received a FAX from Member Jones stating that he would be unable to attend tonight due to work constraints. III Approval of Agenda MOTION by Hurley; SECOND by Voce to approve the Agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: 4-0-1 Hurley, Porter, Unrath, and Voce None Jones IV Oral Communications None. V Consent Calendar None. 1 These Minutes were transcribed from an audIotape of the meeting EQCB CEQA Scopmg Mtg 03-13-02 .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 .22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 .45 46 CIty of Seal Beach Environmental Qualtty Control Board Scoplng Meeting - NOP Boeing Site Project Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2002 VI Scheduled Matters None. VII Public Hearing 1. PUBLIC CEQA SCOPING MEETING RE: Notice of Preparation and Initial Study for Boeing Headquarters Site Project Draft EIR. Recommendation: Receive public comment and provide Staff with Board comments regarding areas of potential environmental impacts identified in the Notice of Preparation and Initial Study. Staff Report Mr. Cummins delivered the staff report. (Staff Report is on file for inspection in the Planning Department.) He provided some background information on CEQA along with along with a slide presentation. He stated that tonight's meeting is to receive input from the Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB) and from the public regarding this Notice of Preparation (NOP) and Initial Study which was circulated on March 4, 2002, for the proposed Boeing Space & Communications Headquarters site located at the southwest corner of Westminster Avenue and Seal Beach Boulevard. He reported that the comment period runs for 30 days and ends on April 4, 2002. He noted that the City and the contracted Environmental Impact Report (EIR) consultants, RBF Consulting, would record any oral or written comments received this evening for review. He continued by explaining the CEQA process. He emphasized that the NOP is not the EIR document and at this point no mitigation measures are to be proposed for any of the areas that have been identified as "potentially significant." He explained that this scoping meeting is not required under CEQA but is simply a means for determining if there are any environmental concerns or issues that may be pertinent to the proposed development. He indicated that under State law Staff must provide a written response to any comments received and this document, along with copies of the comment statements received, will be added to the EIR. Mr. Cummins reported that the Draft EIR (DEIR) with the Response to Comments will come before the EQCB for recommendations to the City Council for adequacy under CEQA. He explained that the applicant is proposing a General Plan Amendment (GPA) to create a Specific Plan for the site and the DEIR would have to come before the Planning Commission, with City Council making the final determination on the project. Mr. Cummins described the proposed project using slide photographs of the property. He reported that the existing zoning on the site is for Light Manufactunng (M-1) and he noted that the property at the far northeast corner that contains a strip mall is not included in the project boundaries. He also reported that the Accurate Metal facility located at the southeast corner of the property along Seal Beach Boulevard (SBB) is not included. (See scoping meeting Staff Report for maps.) Mr. Cummins explained that EQCB CEQA Scopmg Mtg 03-13-02 2 .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 .22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 .45 City of Seal Beach Environmental QualIty Control Board Scoping Meeting - NOP Boeing Site Project Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2002 the difference between the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) previously submitted for the Pacific Gateway Business Center for this property and the NOP presented tonight is that the current proposal will include a Specific Plan for the area to assist in clarifying land uses for the project site. He described four planning areas for the project as follows: . Planning Area 1 - Approximately 42.0 acres of the existing Boeing campus. The existing buildings will remain and may be converted to business park/light industrial use. At some future point the existing buildings in Planning Area 2 may be relocated to Planning Area 1. . Planning Area 2 - Approximately 7.90 acres of existing Boeing industrial buildings. The existing buildings may be demolished or relocated to Planning Area 1. If the buildings are relocated this area may consist of a total of 145,300 square feet of new building floor area to be utilized for business park/light industrial that would be constructed in place of the old buildings. . Planning Area 3 - Approximately 52.4 acres currently consisting of eight buildings and a fire system tank farm. All of the existing facilities will be demolished and replaced with 724,350 square feet of business park/light industrial uses. Three drainage ditches run east-west across this property. . Planning Area 4 - Approximately 4.5 acres located at the easternmost portion of the site with frontages on both Seal Beach and Westminster Boulevards. It is currently primarily vacant land and is proposed to be developed with 32,500 square feet of retail uses and a 120-room hotel. Mr. Cummins described the phasing of the project noting that potentially rough grading and construction of infrastructure could occur in one phase for Planning Areas 2 and 3 with projected completion in mid-2004 with occupancy taking place in 2004-2006. He noted that Staff is working with the Boeing team regarding circulation to help In designing the roads to current County standards. He stated that traffic and circulation have been identified as potentially significant environmental Impacts. Mr. Cummins then introduced Mr. Glen LaJoie, Vice-President of Planning and Environmental Services for RBF Consulting, for his presentation on the Initial Study. Mr. Lajoie stated that he is the Project Director for the preparation of the EIR for the Boeing Project. He described the services provided by RBF and stated that their role is to prepare and process environmental documentation for the proposed project and to serve as an extension of City Staff to assure proper and objective review. Mr. Lajoie then briefly reviewed the CEQA process noting the status of the proposed project within this process. He described the key project issues that require comprehensive evaluation in the EIR document as follows: ~ Land Use - evaluate project densities and compatibility of the proposed project. EQCB CEQA Scopmg Mtg 03-13-02 3 .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 .22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 .45 46 City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board Scoping Meeting - NOP Boeing Site Project Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2002 ~ Aesthetics - evaluate overall scenic value in terms of on-site conditions and views of the property from surrounding locations, architectural features, lighting and glare impacts, additional parking. ~ Traffic and Circulation - evaluate traffic generation, overall turning movement, and access Into the site and off-site impacts. ~ Air Quality - evaluate short-term impacts with regard to construction, air emission, dust conditions, etc., and long-term impacts from additional cars and vehicular emissions. ~ Noise - evaluate short-term impacts related to construction and long-term impacts from introduction of new land uses and traffic noise from additional cars. ~ Biological Resources - includes a comprehensive review of on-site conditions focused on the 3 drainage ditches on the westerly portion of the site. ~ Cultural Resources - includes comprehensive review with emphasis on specific archaeological resources on the site. ~ Geology and Soils - will investigate seismic conditions and geologic and soil factors related to soil stability. ~ Hydrology and Drainage - review of drainage off-site and the quantities of drainage and water quality ~ Public Health and Safety - review of the historical use of the entire project area to evaluate long-term history and potential for underground storage tanks or transmission lines. ~ Public Utilities - review of sewer capacity and water availability. Mr. Lajoie stated that pursuant to CEQA Guidelines the consultants would also conduct a mandatory comprehensive evaluation of areas that might include growth inducement factors. He explained that CEQA Guidelines require that a project be evaluated to determine whether the project has the potential to induce substantial growth into the area. He indicated that cumulative impacts of the project would also be evaluated. He stated that in terms of the range of alternatives that will be evaluated, alternatives have yet to be defined. He noted that in accordance with CEQA Guidelines a possible reduced density alternative would also be investigated. Mr. LaJoie commented that this Scoping Meeting is vital to his firm as it allows for public input to bring forward issues that RBF may have missed, and also to help confirm the issues already identified. He emphasized that the Scoping Meeting was not meant to evaluate the merits of the proposed project, but is conducted to focus on the environmental concerns so that a more comprehensive EIR may be completed for presentation to the lead agency, the pub~ic, and all concerned parties. He reported that Public Comment Forms for wntten EQCB CEQA Scopmg Mtg 03-13-02 4 .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 .22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 .45 46 City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board Scoplng Meeting - NOP Boeing Site Project Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2002 comments would be made available for any member of the public who did not wish to speak tonight. Chairperson Porter then asked for introductions to the Boeing Team. Mr. Gary Powley, Project Manager for Boeing Realty, introduced himself, then Mr. Clay Corwin from Stonecreek, and Mr. Dave Bartlett, who would be handling the entitlement efforts for this project were also introd uced. Public Comment Chairperson Porter opened the Public Comment session. Mr. Terry Sears, an employee of Seal Beach Leisure World, stated that he represents some of the residents of Leisure World. He said that he wished to make sure that the City Planners know that there is a very heavy concentration of seniors in the 56 apartments along the northern border of the project. He reported that the average age of these residents is 77-78 years. He said that this portion of the population is extremely sensitive to noise, dust, and airborne particulates. He noted that they would like to see plans for more than adequate mitigation of these issues. He said that in addition to the 56 apartments along the northern border, there are many other residents in the apartments on the other side of these buildings. He reported that when the wind comes in from the south, it will carry over dust from the project, and It is his hope that wind readings will be taken to assist in minimizing this. He stated that because many of the residents have trouble sleeping or are ill and sleep during the day, it is important to keep noise levels down. Mr. Sears stated that with regard to the commercial component, he would rather see this moved to the middle of the site rather than near Westminster Avenue. Vice-Chairperson Hurley asked Mr. Sears if he knew how good the noise insulation in the Leisure World apartments would be. Mr. Sears stated that he did not have this information. He said that his experience with the City has shown that the noise regulations will vary with the activity. Mr. Cummins interjected that Staff has identified noise as a potential impact, and maximum noise standards will be evaluated and published in the EIR. He said that anything exceeding these noise standards would be mitigated. Mr. Sears also reported that because the Newport/lnglewood Fault runs along Westminster Avenue, he was cunous about any gas lines that might be included with the new construction. He stated that this area has an extremely high water table and he would like to see gas lines installed that are designed to withstand strong seismic activity. There being no one else wishing to speak, Chairperson Porter closed the Public Comment session. Board Comments Member Unrath asked if with regard to population density the Board had to consider the Hellman Project to the south of the Boeing site. Mr. Cummins stated that this would have to be evaluated as part of the cumulative impact as a full build out. Member EQCB CEQA Scopmg Mtg 03-13-02 5 .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 .22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 .45 46 City of Seal Beach Environmental QualIty Control Board Scoping Meeting - NOP Boemg Site Project Meetmg Minutes of March 13, 2002 Unrath inquired about the phasing with regard to completion dates for both projects. Mr. Cummins reported that pending resolution of all Coastal Commission issues, the Hellman Project should be completed before the Boeing Project. Member Unrath stated that this would translate into dust and noise being an issue for prospective residents of the newly completed Hellman Project and should be evaluated for the Boeing EIR. Mr. Cummins stated that this was correct. Member Unrath requested clarification as to the divisions for Planning Areas (PA) 2 and 3. Mr. Cummins explained that the existing buildings in PA2 have satellite and other line of sight facilities that go to bUildings located in PA 1 and for this reason the buildings in PA2 cannot be demolished at this time. He stated that the alternative of removing these buildings and moving the total square footage into PA1 and adding business park/light industrial will be evaluated. Member Unrath noted that the satellite parking areas in PA3 that serve PA2 will be lost and will create an impact as far as traffic circulation is concerned when new construction is added to PA 1. Member Unrath expressed his concerns with urban runoff from paved parking lots and cement as opposed to the open fields that are now in PA2 and PAE3. He asked if doing nothing was an alternative for the EIR. Mr. Cummins responded that thiS would be included as an alternative. Member Unrath clarified that the fault line actually runs along Gum Grove Park, but is still close enough to the proposed site to create concern. He commented that the cumulative effect from all the various projects being completed in Seal Beach (Bixby Project, Hellman Project, Boeing Project, widening of SR22 Freeway) would create a major impact on traffic circulation. Mr. Cummins stated that a cumulative project impact analysis in terms of traffic circulation is to be completed. Vice-Chairperson Hurley asked how much of the previous MND on this site did RBF intend to Include in the EIR. Mr. LaJoie stated that the MND provides substantial background information, which will be carried over into the EIR. Vice-Chairperson Hurley referred to Page 1 of the Initial Study (IS) under Section 1.2 and inquired as to why a list of all of the Responsible Agencies and Trustee Agencies was not provided. Mr. Cummins stated that he could proVide a copy of the list. Vice-Chairperson Hurley stated that this list should be provided for all interested parties. Vice-Chairperson Hurley then asked if Leisure World management was Informally consulted on this project. Mr. Cummins stated that notice was mailed to them. Vice-Chairperson Hurley countered that this was not consulting, but was simply notifying them. He commented that in order to facilitate review of the IS, better graphics, maps, and diagrams should be included to prevent confusion with regard to the Planning Areas. Vice-Chairperson Hurley noted that on page 5 of the IS under the title "Surround Land Uses," the text is identical to that used in the Pacific Gateway MND dated February 2001, and stated that he was disappointed with the fact that this section, which he felt was inadequate, was not rewritten for the IS. Vice-Chairperson Hurley then reported that the median age for Leisure World residents is 78 years. He noted that senior citizens have changing sensitivities and needs and encouraged consulting a gerontology expert when completing the EIR. He then referred to page 37 of the IS and requested that the nOise analysis from the Pacific Gateway MND not be used for the current EIR. He stated that the noise analysis is definitely EQCB CEQA Seopmg Mtg 03-13-02 6 " .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 .22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 .45 46 City of Seal Beach Environmental Qualtty Control Board Scoplng Meeting - NOP Boeing Site Project Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2002 flawed as it states that grading should take six months, which he believes is too long for seniors to have to deal with loud noises. He stated that the discussion of noise in the PaCific Gateway MND was inadequate He noted that If grading is allowed to begin at 8:00 a.m., this would add to the existing noise from morning rush hour traffic, with the same problem occurring in the evening with 5:00 p.m. traffic. Mr. Hurley recommended restricting loud work to non-rush hours, providing a system of warning residents at least 24 hours in advance of excessively noisy work days, and providing an independent on- call monitor to measure noise decibel levels outside residences when requested. He ended by encouraging Staff and the City consultants to carefully consider the impacts from this project upon this community of senior citizens. Member Voce stated that with regard to issues on Air Quality he wanted the parameters by which automobile emissions will increase from the intensification of land use to be thoroughly evaluated. He stated that the EIR must be as close as possible to the actual final proposal. He noted that air quality and traffic circulation issues needed to be carefully evaluated. He stated that before the construction phase begins he would like to know how traffic signals will be timed and how traffic will be restricted and how and where traffic flow will be slowed. He said he also wanted a review of alternate routes drivers might take to avoid the slow down in traffic. He said that he would also like to know what the increases the project and its variables would bring to the already existing level of service. He stated that the flow of traffic along Seal Beach Boulevard (SBB) is still quite poor and the City has yet to catch up on synchronizing the lights along this street. Member Voce wondered how long it would be before traffic lights along SBB are properly synchronized, particularly If extra signal lights are to be added. He said if extra signals are to be added he wants to know for how long they will be timed. He stated that in terms of circulation, he would like to see a review of every aspect of traffic not only in terms of the proposal and its variables, but also for any alternatives. He stated that he was not concerned with the impact the Hellman Project would have as this involves only 70 residences, but he is concerned with the effect a new light industrial/retail development would have as it would generate more traffic from people driving to work there and people visiting the retail shops. VIII Staff Concerns None. IX Board Concerns Chairperson Porter noted that because California law allows placement of school age children within the school district area where parents are employed, this could create an impact upon the Los Alamitos School District and McGaugh School. Vice-Chairperson Hurley asked under which topic would School Impacts be discussed. Mr. LaJoie stated that this has not been noted as a concern at this time, but RBF would now include this as a potential impact issue. EQCB CEQA Scopmg Mtg 03-13-02 7 '. .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 . . City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board Scoping Meeting - NOP Boeing Site Project Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2002 X Adjournment Chairperson Porter adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, ~~t\ _ _ C\.~ ~~ Carmen Alvarez, Executive Secretary ~ Department of Development Services The Board on March 27, 2002 approved the Minutes of the ~~onmental Quality Control Board Scoping Meeting of Wednesday, March 13, 2002. . EQCB CEQA Seopmg Mtg 03-13-02 8