75A - PH - EIR -1584 E SANTA CLARA AVE

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Final EIR No. 2011 -01, VA No. 2012 -04 and VTTM No. 2012 -02 March 4, 2014 Page 2 DISCUSSION At the February 10, 2014 Planning Commission hearing, one of the primary topics raised by both the public and the Commission pertained to the alternatives analysis of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). More specifically, several speakers expressed concerns with the lack of a preservation alternative that consisted of 50 percent development and 50 percent preservation (50/50 alternative). Section 15126.6 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines requires an EIR to consider and discuss a range of reasonable alternatives to the project, or to the location of the project, which would feasibly attain most of the basic objectives of the project but would avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant effects of the project. To comply with this guideline, the EIR considered a total of eight different alternatives. Of the alternatives considered, the 50/50 alternative was not studied for several reasons. First, the EIR complied with the CEQA guidelines as it studied a wide range of alternatives that had different environmental impacts. The eight alternatives that were studied included a No Build alternative, a lower density alternative, a hybrid alternative and an alternative that consisted of the demolition of the farmhouse, garage and orange trees. Second, it was determined that the 50/50 alternative could not feasibly accomplish most of the basic objectives, including provide for the current and future move -up housing needs of the City and provide land uses that are similar to surrounding uses in character. Finally, since the original project of 24 units and no preservation of the historically designated site represents the environmentally "worst case" scenario, and the full preservation of the site as agriculture represents the alternative with the fewest environmental impacts, no other alternatives that consider different proportions of housing and orchard preservation is needed. The "worst case project" was found, with mitigation, to not have any significant impacts except for cultural resources, based on the demolition of the residence. The new Historic Preservation alternative was found to comply with Secretary of Interior standards, and therefore mitigates cultural resource impacts to a level of less than significance. All variations with less than 24 -units and some protection of the Sexlinger site have similar or lesser impacts than the original 24 -unit project analyzed in the EIR. Therefore, the Final EIR is adequate for any combination of the Sexlinger residence and some orchard preservation in conjunction with less than 24 new houses. As a result of the public review process, a Historic Preservation alternative was developed. This alternative consists of a 23 -unit development, including the preservation of the Sexlinger residence and garage and a small portion of the orchard while allowing for development of the site with 22 new single family residences. This new alternative would protect and renovate the existing residence and garage in their current location along with 16 existing and /or new orange trees, evoking the historic setting, topography and context consistent with the Secretary of Interior Standards. Due to its preservation of the historic resources and reduction of environmental impacts to less than significant, this alternative has evolved into the proposed project for the site. 75A -2