2014-069 - Final Environmental Impact Report No. 2014-01

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Harbor Boulevard Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan Findings and Facts in Support of Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations However, despite adherence to these measures, this impact would remain significant and unavoidable. (3) Construction activities related to buildout of the Harbor Boulevard Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan could expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations. Proposed mitigation measures would reduce the project's regional construction emissions and therefore also reduce the project's localized construction- related criteria air pollutant emissions to the extent feasible. However, because existing sensitive receptors may be close to project - related construction activities, construction emissions generated by individual project have the potential to exceed South Coast Air Quality Management District's localized significance thresholds. Despite reductions resulting feasible mitigation measures, this impact would remain significant and unavoidable. (4) The Harbor Boulevard Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan is a regionally significant project that would contribute to an increase in frequency or severity of air quality violations in the South Coast Air Basin and would conflict with the assumptions of the applicable air quality management plan. Proposed mitigation measures would reduce the project's regional construction - related and operational phase criteria air pollutant emissions to the extent feasible. However, given the potential increase in growth and associated increase in criteria air pollutant emissions, the project would continue to be potentially inconsistent with the assumptions in the Air Quality Management Plan. Upon implementation of proposed mitigation measures, this impact would remain significant and unavoidable. B. ALTERNATIVES The EIR evaluated two alternatives to the project and analyzed whether these alternatives could avoid or substantially lessen the unavoidable environmental impacts of the proposed project. The alternatives lessened some or all of the unavoidable air quality impacts of the proposed project. The Reduced Residential Intensity Alternative was determined to be environmentally superior to the project and feasible. Although this alternative would reduce impacts to air quality, those impacts would remain significant and unavoidable. Furthermore, this alternative would not fully meet most of the project objectives. 3. CONSIDERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS The following section describes the benefits of the project that outweigh the project's unavoidable adverse effects and provides specific reasons for considering the project acceptable even though the Final EIR has indicated that there will be significant project impacts that are infeasible to mitigate. 47 July 2014