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2450 Washington Apartments 3 October 2011 POTENTIALLY POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT LESS THAN NO ISSUES SIGNIFICANT UNLESS SIGNIFICANT IMPACT SOURCES ISSUES MITIGATION IMPACT INCORPORATED -- - - - =_ a. Have a substantial, adverse effect on a scenic vista? X 2, 3, 4 b. Substantially damage scenic resources, including, but X 2, 3, 4 not limited to, trees, rock outcroppings, and historic buildings within a state scenic highway? C. Substantially degrade the existing visual character or X 2, 3, 4 q uality of the site and its surroundings? d. Create a new source of substantial light or glare which X 2, 3, 4 would adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area? EXPLANATION: a,b) The proposed project site is in a relatively flat portion of the City in central San Leandro. The visual setting is characterized by one- and two -story residential, commercial office and industrial buildings. The project site has been previously graded and disturbed and is developed with a 43,200 square foot commercial office building constructed in 1965, with an associated asphalt parking lot. Surrounding land uses include a mobile home park to the south and east (Trailer Haven), single- family residential to the north, and retail and industrial businesses to the west across Washington Avenue. There is ornamental landscaping on the project site and in the project vicinity that currently provides visual buffering of views to the site from surrounding land uses. The project site is visible from Washington Avenue and from some portions of San Leandro Boulevard on the east. Distant views to and from the project site are limited due the flat topography and the presence of surrounding development. There are no designated scenic vistas or scenic resources on or adjacent to the project site or project vicinity. Accordingly, the proposed project would have no impact on scenic resources nor damage scenic resources within a state scenic highway. C) The proposed project could change the visual character and quality of the project site, which is currently developed with a 43,200 square foot commercial office building and currently surrounded by low -rise, residential and commercial buildings. The proposed development of the project site would change the project setting by introducing a multi- family residential land use to an existing commercial land use, thereby introducing visual elements and features that would change the existing visual landscape. However, given the nature of the existing building mass changing from a single building into a cluster of low- profile groups of buildings, the proposed use will not create a significant visual impact. d) Existing lighting at the project site is associated with on -site parking areas, as well as exterior security lighting for the office building. Surrounding light sources are characterized by low- intensity security and safety lighting on adjacent residential and commercial properties and at building entrances. The proposed project will include lighting plans to address nighttime and security lighting, however, the new residential buildings will be required to utilize lighting designs that will reduce potential light and glare impacts for neighboring uses, therefore there is no significant impact, with implementation of the mitigation measures outlined below. Mitigation Measure #1: The applicant shall be required to go through the City of San Leandro Planned Development (PD) process to ensure that the architecture and design of the proposed project is compatible with the surrounding community, in accordance with General Plan Policy 42.04 Mitigation Measure #2: Project lighting shall be placed to reduce glare or excessive light spillage on the surrounding neighborhood. Building illumination and architectural lighting shall be indirect. Mitigation Measure #3: Lighting adjacent to surrounding residential areas shall be shielded with cut -off luminaries. Mitigation Measure #4: Lighting shall provide a minimum average of one -foot candles in parking lots and .25 foot candles in pedestrian areas. Maximum illumination levels shall not exceed twenty -foot candles (20 FC) at any point. Im lementation of Mitigation Measures #1 to # 4 reduce potential impacts to a less than significant level. 2450 Washington Apartments 3 October 2011