Laserfiche WebLink
3 Environmental Setting <br />This section provides a general overview of the environmental setting for the proposed Specific <br />Plan. More detailed descriptions of the environmental setting for each environmental issue area can <br />be found in Section 4, Environmental Impact Analysis. <br />3.1 Regional Setting <br />The Specific Plan Area is located in San Leandro, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay <br />Area. Figure 2 in Section 2, Project Description, shows the location of the Specific Plan Area in the <br />region. The East Bay consists of 33 cities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. More than one- <br />third of the Bay Area’s population resides in the East Bay. In 2016, the East Bay was home to 1.1 <br />million jobs and 2.7 million residents. San Leandro is the fifth largest city in Alameda County in <br />population, following Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, and Berkeley. San Leandro is located 8 miles <br />south of Downtown Oakland, 15 miles southeast of San Francisco, and 30 miles north of San Jose. It <br />is bounded on the north by Oakland and on the south by the unincorporated communities of San <br />Lorenzo and Ashland. The western edge of San Leandro is defined by San Francisco Bay, while the <br />East Bay hills define the eastern edge (City of San Leandro 2016i). <br />San Leandro is located in the San Francisco Bay Hydrologic Region. Drainage is generally to the west <br />towards the San Francisco Bay. San Leandro is within the seismically active region of the San <br />Andreas Fault Zone. <br />San Leandro enjoys a mild climate characterized by cool winters and moderate summers. According <br />to the Western Regional Climate Center, in Oakland (the closest data to San Leandro) average <br />temperatures range from about 64 degrees F in summer to 50 degrees F in winter. Annual rainfall <br />averages about 18 inches per year, with most rainfall occurring between October and April (Western <br />Regional Climate Center, 2009). <br />3.2 Project Site Setting <br />As shown in Figure 3 in Section 2, Project Description, the Specific Plan Area is at the eastern edge of <br />San Leandro, adjacent to unincorporated Alameda County. It includes the Bay Fair BART Station, <br />Bayfair Center, East 14th street and Hesperian Boulevard corridors, and a small amount of <br />residential neighborhoods. The Specific Plan Area is surrounded in most directions by single-family <br />neighborhoods. <br />The Specific Plan Area has a total acreage of 154 acres, with a majority of its land designated <br />towards retail and commercial uses. The remaining portion contains a mix of uses including office, <br />light industrial, and residential. The study area has different sub areas (e.g. Bay Fair BART Station, <br />Bayfair Center, Fashion Faire Place, and Fairmont Square shopping center), which are divided by two <br />intersecting corridors (East 14th Street and Hesperian Boulevard). <br />Major arterials providing immediate access to the Specific Plan Area include Interstates 880, 580, <br />and 238. The Specific Plan Area is also served by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) rail system. The <br />Bay Fair BART station is located in the southern corner of the Specific Plan Area. The Specific Plan <br />118