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

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8.B. - Page 94 2. Consolidated Outdoor Activities Alternative: The scenario evaluated under the Consolidated Outdoor Activities Alternative (Draft EIR: Summary section on p. 3- 4 and Section 7.3 on p. 93 -96 ) reduces the total amount of time during the school day that outdoor activities would occur, from 5.5 hours /day under the proposed Project, to 4.25 hours /day under this alternative, by reducing the overall regular school day recess time by 15 minutes, consolidating the separate 1 and 2 and the 3 through 5 grade morning recess times into one consolidated recess time for the 1 through 5 grades, and eliminating one of the two daily 30- minute after school recess periods (Draft EIR: p. 95, Table 7.3 -1). Under this alternative, noise levels would be incrementally higher during the morning recess period compared to the proposed Project, but the overall daily average noise level would decrease because the daily student outdoor activities would be reduced by 1.25 hours compared to the proposed Project. Because this alternative involves the reduction of outdoor play time for the children that is further reduced than what the Project proposes (which already proposes a reduced outdoor play time of 90 minutes compared to the California Department of Education recommendation of 100 minutes of physical education per week per student), staff recommends that the Planning Commission reject this alternative as infeasible. 3. Courtyard Play Area Alternative: The scenario evaluated under the Courtyard Play Area Alternative (Summary section on p. 5 and Section 7.4 on p. 96 -98 of the Draft EIR) identifies using the church's interior courtyard between the church sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall as a fourth outdoor play area, and constructing a 7 -foot high noise barrier along the northernmost perimeter of the courtyard or residential property line. Under this scenario, outdoor activities would occur in the three play areas identified under the proposed Project in addition to the interior courtyard area. Surrounding residences would be exposed to lower hourly noise levels during outdoor activities under this alternative compared to the proposed Project. However, under this alternative, the daily average noise levels would be similar to the proposed Project at 61 dBA CNEL, exceeding the City's 55 dBA CNEL compatibility threshold established for residential land uses by 6 dBA CNEL and substantially increased above existing conditions of 49 dBA CNEL. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission reject this alternative as infeasible because the Courtyard Area serves as the church's primary entrance and gateway to the property and would require substantial structural modifications to the existing courtyard, including the removal or relocation of a large boulder outcrop, which extends deep into the substrate and into the church itself, in order to construct a level play area. 4. Environmentally Superior Alternative: The scenario evaluated under the Environmentally Superior Alternative (Summary section on p. 5 -6 and Section 7.5 on p. 99 of the Draft EIR) combines both the Consolidated Outdoor Activities Alternative and the Courtyard Play Area Alternative by consolidating the outdoor activities, as identified in the Consolidated Outdoor Activities Alternative, while utilizing the Courtyard Play Area as a fourth outdoor play area. For the reasons stated for each of these alternatives, separately or combined, staff recommends that the Planning Commission reject this alternative as infeasible.