2019-047 - Adopting Mitigated Negative Declaration Environmental Review No. 2018-75

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within the easterly apartment building with pedestrian access for project residents. The apartment building and parking structure are oriented towards Sunflower Avenue to focus development away from Taft Elementary school north of the site. Maintaining the existing driveway into the project for student drop-off at Taft Elementary school would minimize the amount of asphalt required for project trash collection. The project proposes on -site walkways to encourage pedestrian friendly access throughout the site. All off -site sidewalks adjacent to the site would be maintained with the project. All on -site utilities would be placed underground. The existing overhead power lines along the north side of Sunflower Avenue would be maintained in their existing overhead status. The project is generally consistent with the scale, bulk and pattern of the existing multi -family development south and southwest of the site. The apartment project directly south of the site is three stories in height and similar to the project that is five stories. The multi -family project southwest of the site is four stories in height and similar to the project. The project is generally consistent with the function and scale of the two multi -family development projects south and southwest of the site that are three and five stories in height, respectively. Although consistent with the multi -family use of the developments west and east of the project, those adjacent projects are two -stories in height where the proposed apartment building is five stories in height. Therefore, the project is consistent with the use and character of the multi -family development east and west of the project, but inconsistent with the height of the existing developments. New street trees are proposed along the north side of Sunflower Avenue to create a pleasant travel experience for pedestrians and motorists on Sunflower Avenue. Based on the proposed landscape plan, the use of trees, shrubs, and other landscape materials the project would create a diverse urban landscape throughout the project to buffer the project from adjacent surrounding development and provide an aesthetically pleasing project from surrounding areas. The project proposes both active and passive open space areas for project residents as shown in Figure 14. Overall, the project would comply with the General Plan and the Design Guidelines and have less than significant visual impacts. d) Create a new source of substantial light or glare that will adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area? Less Than Significant Impact. The interior and exterior lights of the existing church and the headlights of the cars that enter and leave the site during nighttime hours generate light to the immediate project area. Glare generated by the reflection of the sun on the windows of the church and cars in the parking lot also generates glare in the immediate project vicinity. The light and glare that is presently generated from the site is not known to impact adjacent surrounding land uses. The project site is exposed to light and glare that is generated by the existing residential uses to the west, south and east and Taft Elementary School adjacent to and north of the site. Motor vehicles traveling on Flower Street and Sunflower Avenue adjacent to the site also generate light and glare onto the site. The existing multi -family developments south and southwest of the site also generate light and glare that are visible from the site. There are numerous sources of light and glare both on and off the site, therefore, light and glare is not unique to the area. New sources of light generated by the project include City required exterior safety and security lighting associated with the proposed residential building, interior parking structure lighting, interior lighting of the proposed apartments, landscape lighting, entrance lighting, streets lights along Sunflower Avenue, etc. These new sources of lighting would increase the amount of light that is currently generated from the site. Legacy Sunflower Apartments Page 29 Mitigated Negative Declaration — March 14, 2019