5A Public Hearings 2018 0507 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Environmental Checklist Aesthetics Initial Study – Mitigated Negative Declaration 15 Table 2 Approximate Heights of Adjacent Buildings to Project Site Building Address Building Orientation to Project Site Approximate Height of Building* (in feet) Difference in Height to Project (in feet) Proposed Project n/a 40 n/a 2690 Alvarado St North 25 -15 610 Aladdin Ave East 48 +8 2777 Alvarado St West 25 -15 2823 Alvarado St West 21 -19 2800 Alvarado St South 36 -4 Note: Building heights were approximated by using Google Earth. Therefore, although the project would increase the height of onsite structures compared to current conditions, it would be consistent with heights of surrounding uses. The project would also improve the visual quality of the project site. The project would involve replacing a vacant, dilapidated warehouse building with a visually modern office and advanced manufacturing development. The project would also increase onsite landscaping coverage by planting an additional 64 accent trees, ornamental grasses, foundation-screening planting, and streetscape landscaping throughout the site. The corner of the project site at the intersection of Alvarado Street and Aladdin Avenue would include a landscaped bioswale featuring native grasses. Currently, the existing buildings have loading docks on the southwest corner of the site on Alvarado Street (Figure 3) and on Aladdin Avenue. The project would include loading docks on the rear (southern) portion of the site, thus screening them from view. Although the project would change the surrounding visual character of the project site it would not degrade the visual character or quality of the site and its surroundings. Impacts would be less than significant. LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT IMPACT d. Would the project create a new source of substantial light or glare which would adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area? The project site is in an urbanized area with relatively high levels of existing lighting. The adjacent commercial, industrial, and roadway uses generate light and glare along all sides of the property. Primary sources of light adjacent to the project site include lighting associated with the existing commercial and industrial buildings, including building mounted lighting and headlights from vehicles on nearby streets, and street lights. The primary source of glare adjacent to the project site is the sun’s reflection from metallic, glass and light-colored surfaces on buildings and on vehicles parked on adjacent streets and in adjacent parking areas. The project would introduce new sources of lighting in the form of building-mounted lighting and parking lot lighting. Light could also be visible from the building’s proposed skylights. However, these sources of light would be similar to existing sources of lighting on the site and its surroundings and would be consistent with other uses in the area. In addition, the building-mounted lighting and parking lot lighting would be equipped with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and all electrical designs would be compliant with California Green Building Standards (CalGreen) and Title 24 Codes. CalGreen Section 5.106.8 regulates light pollution by establishing maximum Backlight, Uplight, and Glare (BUG) ratings for light fixtures. According to the project’s photometric plan (Turtle & Hughes 2017), the lighting orientation and use of LED lighting would minimize light spillover such that 312