2020-065 - Adopting Environmental Findings of Fact

Home Browse Search

The Warner Redhill Mixed -Use Project CEQA Findings of Fact • No Project/No Build Alternative • Reduced Project Alternative • Build Out of the Existing Land Use and Zoning Alternative Alternatives Not Selected for Analysis Alternative Site: An alternative site was considered and eliminated from further consideration. CEQA specifies that the key question regarding alternative site consideration is "whether any of the significant effects of the Project would be avoided or substantially lessened by putting the Project at another location." In addition, an alternative site need not be considered when implementation is "remote and speculative," such as when the alternative site is beyond the control of a Project proponent. The Project Applicant is the owner of the Project site, and the Project site building is underutilized in the existing condition. The Project objectives are to redevelop an existing underutilized parcel and implement new multi -family housing near employment, provide development consistent with other regional redevelopment in the Tustin Legacy Specific Plan and IBC and utilize existing infrastructure, all of which are consistent with the opportunities provided by the Project site. In addition, due to the urban and built out nature of the City, development of 1,150 multi -family residential units and 80,000 square feet of commercial uses on another 14.58-acre site at a different location would likely require demolition of existing structures, require similar mitigation, and have similar impacts as the proposed Project. CEQA specifies that the key question regarding alternative site consideration is "whether any of the significant effects of the project would be avoided or substantially lessened by putting the project at another location." Given the size and nature of the proposed Project and the Project objectives, it would be infeasible to develop and operate the Project on an alternative site with fewer environmental impacts. Therefore, the Alternative Site Alternative was rejected from further consideration. Description of Alternatives Alternative 1: No Project/No Build Alternative Pursuant to Section 15126.6(e)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines, the EIR is required to "discuss the existing conditions at the time the notice of preparation is published, or if no notice of preparation is published, at the time the environmental analysis is commenced, as well as what would be reasonably expected to occur in the foreseeable future if the project were not approved, based on current plans and consistent with available infrastructure and community services." Therefore, under this alternative, no development would occur on the Project site and it would remain in its existing condition with three existing buildings with a total 212,121 square feet. The Project site is located within a completely developed and highly used urban area, near freeways and transit, and contains three existing useable structures. Therefore, it is not reasonable to assume that the Project site would remain underutilized in the long-term. Thus, in the No Project/No Build condition it is reasonably expected that all of the 212,121 square feet of industrial building space would be re -occupied. Hence, this alternative compares impacts of the proposed Project with re -occupation at full capacity of the three existing industrial buildings Alternative 2 — Reduced Project Alternative Under this alternative, a reduction in the number of residential units and commercial square footage would be built, which would result in increased setbacks and reduced building heights. May 2020