Laserfiche WebLink
Minutes No. 83-22 -3-December 8, 1983 <br />Commissioner Crooks said he saw a number of advantages to the community from <br />the proposed development but noted there would also be some trade-offs for <br />those advantages. In particular, he requested that attention be given to the <br />possible impacts of traffic from the project on the off-ramps from the Nimitz <br />Freeway closest to the site·. <br />Commissioner Pretto asked Mr. Sampson if he or his firm had developed simila·r <br />projects in the Bay Area. Mr. Sampson replied that the most recent project <br />generally comparable to this is a project in Pinole, on Appian Way, on a slightly <br />larger site. <br />Commissioner Hesseltine as~ed· Mr. Sampson whether he felt the traffic distri- <br />bution shown in Figure 5 of the Draft EIR was a correct analysis of customer <br />traffic based on his experience in retail deve.l opment. Mr. Sampson re.pl i ed <br />that the distribution, done by a traffic engineering consulting firm, \-Jas <br />consistent with what he believed would occur. Commissioner Hesseltine said <br />it appeard to him the percentage of traffic assigned to the freeway approaches <br />might be small, because the pr:lncipal trading area would be the nearby communitiPs. <br />Cammi ssHmer Ness asked whether the· percentage of compact car parking sta 11 s <br />shown, at 23%,. was not low when compared with the approximately 50% ratio of <br />compact to large cars in California. The Secretary explained that in a retail <br />development of this nature, it was desirable to have the number of compact <br />stalls somewhat less than the actual demand, and to have them located in lower <br />priority areas on the site so that large cars would not be inclined to use·the <br />sma 11 er sta 11 s. <br />Chairman Ness then.announced that there would be a 10 minute recess to permit <br />members of the Commission and persons in the audience to review the exhibit <br />drawings brought in by Mr. Sampson. <br />Upon reconvening, the Secretary reviewed the Draft EIR, including reviewing <br />alternative land uses for the site and the specific mitigation measures recom- <br />mended to offset project impacts. <br />Commissioner Hesseltine asked regarding the timing of the proposed ramp con- <br />nection from State Route 238 to southbound on State Route 17 (Nimitz Freeway). <br />The Secretary replied that environmental and design studies v1ere getting under- <br />way and it is possible construction could start in 1986. Commissioner Hessel- <br />tine said that, from the Draft EIR, it appeared the connection would have a <br />significant beneficial impact on the surface streets that now .provide the <br />connection and would help ·the offramp intersection at Washington Avenue and <br />the Lewelling/Hesperian intersection to function better. <br />Mr. Dan Low, of the San Lorenzo Japanese Christian Church on the north side of <br />Lewelling Blvd., said Mr. Sampson had met with church leadership on the evening <br />of December 6. He explained that they had reviewed the project carefully with <br />Mr. Sampson and, in addition to the general traffic and noise impacts, had <br />three principal concerns. These are: (1) that there be no fast food type <br />restaurant next to church property; (2) there be no loading or delivery area <br />adjacent to or facing church property; and (3) that if they lose some of t heir <br />property for the widening of Lewelling Blvd. that the applicant provide an <br />offsetting amount of property so there would be no net loss to the church. <br />64