Reso 2010-035 - Laserfiche WebLink

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EXPLANATION: a) Adoption of the Housing Element would have no impact on scenic vistas. The housing sites listed in the Element are predominantly infill sites on flat land and would be expected to accommodate low- to mid-rise buildings. Less than one percent of the City's housing capacity as defined by the Housing Element is located in hill neighborhoods where visual impacts would be most prevalent. Any development in these areas would be subject to site plan review, design review requirements, and View Protection (VP) zoning provisions on aproject-by-project basis. Visual impacts associated with housing development in San Leandro were also addressed in the General Plan EIR and. subsequent environmental documents such as the TOD Strategy EIR. General Plan policies have already been adopted to minimize the potential for impacts on scenic vistas. For example, Policy 2.08 ensures that alterations, additions, and new homes are designed in a manner that preserves access to sunlight and avoids the disruption of panoramic views. b) The Housing Element is a policy document that will not directly result in physical development. Thus, it will not damage scenic resources or alter state scenic highway view corridors. No new or increased impact will result above what was already anticipated and evaluated in the EIRs for the General Plan and the TOD Strategy. General Plan policies have been developed to reduce the potential for damage to scenic resources and these policies would not be altered by the Housing Element Update. Policy 2.13 specifically requires new development to be harmonious with its natural setting and to preserve features such as creeks, large trees, rigelines, and rock outcroppings. Future housing proposals would be subject to design review requirements which would further ensure that scenic resources are protected. c) As noted in "a" and "b", the project is a policy document. It would not adversely affect the visual character of the City and its surroundings. The visual effect of higher density development around the BART stations, in Downtown San Leandro, and along the East 14~` Street and MacArthur corridors was analyzed in the General Plan EIR. The visual effect of higher density development around the Downtown BART Station and surrounding areas was further analyzed in the TOD Strategy EIR. Both documents concluded that impacts would be less than significant because of Plan policies and other measures addressing urban design. The General Plan includes numerous policies to ensure the compatibility of new development with the City's visual character (see Policies 1.11, 2.04, 3.05, 6.06, 42.04, 42.07. 43.01, and 43.07). No new or increased impact will result above what was already anticipated in these two Plans and their associated EIRs. In addition, future housing developments will be subject to environmental review, enabling an assessment of visual impacts on aproject-by-project basis. d) Because the Housing Element is a policy plan rather than a physical development, its adoption would not result in new sources of light and glare. However, the Element does accommodate additional housing, which would have associated illumination impacts. These impacts have already been considered in the EIRs for the General Plan and the TOD Strategy. The Housing Element does not propose light sources outside of the areas that were identified for development in these two planning documents. The General Plan EIR mitigated potential light impacts by calling for street lighting standards and exterior lighting standards that were designed to reduce glare and that were oriented and positioned to reduce adverse effects. This measure would continue to apply after the Housing Element is adopted. Individual development projects will be subject to environmental review, at which time specific lighting impacts and standards will be assessed. e) Impacts of future growth on shadow effects were analyzed in the General Plan EIR and in'the TOD Strategy EIR. The Housing Element would not increase the number of housing units beyond the number projected by those two EIRs. In general, the Element supports denser construction and higher density housing, consistent with the Land Use Element of the General Plan. It recommends future zoning changes to increase the allowable Floor Area Ratio for mixed use projects (with housing) in the in CC and CN zones, and it suggests increasing the height limit in the NA-1 and NA-2 (North Area) zones from 30 to 40 feet. This is consistent with the General Plan land use definitions for these areas. The impact of these zoning changes would be less than significant due to the continued application of General Plan policies for visual compatibility as well as the City's design review requirements. Specifically, Policy 43.01 of the General Plan requires that the mass and scale of new structures be compatible with adjacent structures. In the case of the North Area (East 14~' Street from San Leandro Creek to Durant Avenue), development would still have to conform to the established guidelines and standards in the North Area Plan. Specific development projects will continue to be evaluated on a case by case basis, at which time shading impacts will be further assessed. Housing Element Initial Study and Negative Declaration 25 February 2010