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<br />Letter #2 <br /> <br /> <br />PORT OF OAKLAND <br /> <br />November 14, 2005 <br /> <br />Mr. Brian Wiese <br />Chief <br />East Bay Regional Park District <br />Planning/Stewardship Department <br />2950 Peralta Oaks Court <br />Oakland, CA 94605 <br /> <br />RE: Port of Oakland Comments on the Bay Trail Bridge at Oyster Bay Slough <br />Initial StudylMitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Wiese, <br /> <br />Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Bay Trail Bridge at Oyster Bay Slough <br />Initial StudylMitigated Negative Declaration. The Port supports the implementation of <br />Alternative #2, the most feasible alternative to making this vital Bay Trail connection. <br />The Port has the following comments on the Initial Study: <br /> <br />General Comments <br /> <br />Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Section 21002, "public agencies <br />should not approve projects as proposed if there are feasible alternatives or feasible <br />mitigation measures available which would lessen the significant environmental effects <br />of such projects." <br /> <br />An overall comment on this ISIMND relates to the Bay Trail Connection "Preferred <br />Alternative" Alternative #1 Retaining Structure. This alternative involves pile driving, #2-1 <br />filling of wetlands, construction of a retaining wall and construction of a new trail and <br />would cause significant effects in air quality, biological resources, geology and soils, and <br />land use and planning. Whereas, "Alternative #2 Mixed Use Trail/Road" which would <br />place the trail on the existing maintenance road, and involve no sheet piling, no filling on <br />the levee slope and no retaining wall, is a feasible alternative that accomplishes all oUhe <br />project's objectives with less potential for significant environmental impacts. This <br />Alternative #2 would avoid potential disturbapce oftheadjacent salt marsh and present <br />less impacts to air quality, biological resources, geology and soils, and land use/planning. <br />Under CEQA, the project sponsor is obligated to select Alternative #2 ifthe alternative <br />accomplishes all the project objectives (see page 1) with less potential significant impact. <br /> <br />530 ~Yr~et _ Jack London Square _ P.O. Box 2064 <br />Telephone: (510)627-1100 _ Facsimile: (510)627-1826 - <br /> <br />_ Oakland, California 94604-2064 <br />Web Page: www.portofoakland.com <br />