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SECTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE <br />This Initial Study (IS) has been prepared by the City of Redwood City (City) as the Lead Agency in <br />conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA Guidelines. <br />This IS evaluates the potential environmental impacts that might reasonably be anticipated to result <br />from the proposed Sandpiper Elementary School Facilities Expansion project. <br />In accordance with CEQA, this IS provides objective information regarding the environmental <br />consequences of the proposed project, both to the decision makers who will be considering and <br />reviewing the proposed project, and to the general public. <br />1.1 BACKGROUND AND PROJECT OVERVIEW <br />The project is located in the Redwood Shores community of Redwood City. The project site includes <br />two adjacent parcels, one parcel is owned by the City and the other parcel is owned by the Belmont <br />Redwood Shores School District (District). The City -owned parcel is approximately seven acres in <br />size and is developed with the Sandpiper Community Center and Sandpiper Park. The District - <br />owned parcel is approximately four acres in size and is developed with the existing Sandpiper <br />Elementary School. An existing Joint Use Agreement between the City and the District allows the <br />District to use the community center, sports fields, and parking lot for school operations. The current <br />capacity and enrollment at Sandpiper Elementary School is 566 students and 504 students, <br />respectively, ranging from Kindergarten through Grade Five. In order to acconnnodate future <br />student growth within the District, the District proposes to add 11 classrooms to the campus. A new <br />two-story modular building constructed on the City -owned parcel would provide ten new classrooms <br />along with ancillary facilities (restrooms, maintenance rooms, etc.). A new Kindetgarten classroom <br />building constructed on the District -owned parcel would provide one classroom. The new <br />classrooms would increase student capacity by 220 students and would accommodate Sixth, Seventh, <br />and Eighth Grade students at the school. Section 15051 of the CEQA Guidelines defines the criteria <br />for identifying a lead agency when two or more public agencies are involved with a project. The <br />City of Redwood City is the CEQA Lead Agency for the project, because the City and the District, <br />by agreement, designated the City as the lead agency. <br />1.2 OBJECTIVES <br />The District's objectives for the proposed project are to expand Sandpiper Elementary School and <br />make it a Kindergarten through Grade Eight (K-8) school that would accommodate up to 786 (220 <br />additional) students, 180 of which would be in Grades Six, Seven, and Eight. <br />1.3 USES OF THE INITIAL STUDY <br />This IS provides decision makers and the general public with relevant environmental information to <br />use in considering the proposed project. It is intended that this IS be used for appropriate <br />discretionary decisions and approvals necessary to implement the proposed project. These <br />discretionary actions may include, but are not limited to, the following: <br />City of Redwood City l Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration <br />Sandpiper Elementary School Facilities Expansion November 2016 <br />