2012-001 - Statement of Overriding Considerations, and Adopting a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program

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Chapter 3 Findings Regarding ProjectAftrnathres Attachment "A" potential for sewer spills and nuisance odors; enhanced City worker and vehicular safety; improved appearance of the immediate area (i.e., hardscape/landscape improvements); and the provision of a generally more reliable and efficient lift station facility as compared to the existing facility. The No Project Alternative would increase impacts to the environment under long-term conditions as compared to the Project. The existing Segerstrom Lift Station facility was originally constructed in the 1960s and has exceeded its design life. The existing lift station facility has become inadequate to handle existing sewerage flows and is obsolete in comparison to modern lift station designs. The existing lift station is prone to frequent maintenance (two to three times per week) in order to clear blockages due to debris collected in the system. In addition, due to the age of the equipment, the existing pumps are subject to frequent mechanical failure (requiring maintenance) and it is difficult to obtain necessary replacement parts for the existing facility. These conditions result in an increased potential for sewer spills as compared to the Project. With the increased potential for sewer spills under long-term conditions, impacts to air quality (odors), hazards/hazardous materials, and water quality/hydrology would increase under the No Project Alternative. Since the existing lift station is located within the northbound travel lanes of South Bristol Street, long-term maintenance of the existing facility would result in periodic lane closures along South Bristol Street, which would result in increased impacts to traffic and air quality. The City finds that the No Project Alternative would fail to meet the Project's basic objectives and would result in an increase in long-term impacts to the environment, and therefore rejects the No Project Alternative as infeasible. 3.4.2 Modified Construction Configuration C.2 Alternative 3.4.2.1 Summary of the Modified Construction Configuration C.2 Alternative The Modified Construction Configuration C.2 Alternative (analyzed in RDEIR Section 5.4.2) would incorporate a modified construction schedule for the five (5) weeks in which Construction Configuration C.2 would need to be in place. Specifically, traffic control measures associated with Construction Configuration C.2 would be restricted to between the hours of 6:45 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. instead of allowing for 24-hour lane closures as proposed by the Project. All other aspects of construction activities would be identical to the Project, and there would be no change to the long- term operational characteristics of the facility under this alternative. 3.4.2.2 Comparison of Environmental Effects Implementation of this alternative would reduce the Project's near-term significant and unavoidable construction-related impact at the intersection of South Bristol Street/West Segerstrom Avenue, which would occur between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. (Monday through Friday) by approximately two weeks. However, because construction activities associated with Construction Configuration C.2 would be modified to occur in the nighttime, between the hours of 6:45 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., a significant and unavoidable noise impact would result due to the exposure of nearby sensitive receptors to noise levels in excess of the City's Noise Ordinance standards. Impacts related to air quality/greenhouse gas emissions, hazards/hazardous materials, utilities/service systems, and water quality/hydrology would be similar to the proposed Project's impacts during construction. During long-term operation of the proposed facility, all impacts would be the same under both the Modified Construction Configuration C.2 Alternative and the proposed Project. San Lorenzo Lift Station EIR (Project No. 06-3510) 3-5 CEQA Findings of Fact/Statement of Overriding Considerations