AgdaPkt 2014-07-28 Closed, Special and Joint SA

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8.B. - Page 92 discussed during this meeting, the Draft EIR found that the Project would not result in significant traffic impacts, but would result in significant unavoidable noise impacts resulting from the Project's outdoor activities. The predominant concerns raised at the meeting included: • Existing traffic and safety concerns in connection with the expansion of Roosevelt School from grades kindergarten through 5 to kindergarten through 8 grade; • Traffic and safety concerns resulting from operations of the Project; and • Noise concerns resulting from Project - related outdoor activities. While the Draft and Final EIRs do not identify significant traffic impacts related to the Project, staff acknowledges the neighborhood traffic and safety concerns. Staff has observed a reduction in complaints regarding Roosevelt School's pick -up /drop -off activities compared to the first few weeks of school operations in August. It is typical that schools, parents, and the neighbors experience a temporary increase in traffic and queuing during the first few weeks of school, and such activities would decrease as parents get acclimated to driving routes and peak times. Roosevelt School continues to refine its pick -up and drop -off policies for its students by exploring multiple pick -up and drop -off areas to its property. With regard to the Project pick -up and drop -off methods, the arrival and departure times are staggered to maintain vehicular queuing onsite and to minimize spillover onto the residential neighborhood streets. The City prepared written responses to the comments received during the 45 -day Draft EIR public review period, which was held from August 2, 2013 to September 16, 2013, and included these responses in the Final EIR. A separate document was prepared entitled, "Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Cambridge Academy Project, SCH# 2013012016, November 2013," which together with the Draft EIR constitutes the Final EIR, as further discussed below. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Purpose. The purpose of an EIR is to evaluate a project's physical impacts to the environment, and to serve as an informational document to inform public agency decision makers and the public of the significant environmental effects of a Project, identify possible ways to minimize significant effects, and to describe reasonable alternatives to a project. Significant Unavoidable Impacts. The Draft EIR identified significant and unavoidable noise impacts resulting from the Project's outdoor activities, both under Project - related outdoor activities (Section 4.2.3.2 on p. 32 -35 of the Draft EIR) and under cumulative conditions (Section 6.1.4 on p. 86 -88 of the Draft EIR), which considers the cumulative noise impact from project - related noise activities in combination with noise associated with the existing Montessori preschool onsite at full enrollment. Implementation of mitigation measures MM NOI -1 (Section 4.2.4.1 on p. 35 of the Draft EIR) and MM CUM NOI -1 (Section 6.1.5.1 on p. 88 of the Draft EIR), both of which require that a 7 -foot tall noise barrier be constructed between the proposed play areas and the adjacent