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REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />May 8, 2017 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Consider the Final Environmental Impact Report for the California Way Water Tank, <br />Pump Station and Pipeline Project and Select a Project <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Hold a Public Hearing and either (1) Adopt a Resolution Certifying the Final <br />Environmental Impact Report for the California Way Water Tank, Pump Station and <br />Pipeline Project (FEIR) and Select the Proposed Project (Attachment 1) or (2) Adopt a <br />Resolution Certifying the FEIR and Select the Hillside Alternative (Attachment 2) <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />In 2011 the City prepared a Water System Master Plan that identified the Easter Bowl, <br />California and Wilmington North Zones as having a water storage deficit and <br />recommended a new water storage tank in the California Zone. The Plan identifies the <br />California Way site as a suitable location for a 750,000-gallon water tank to eliminate <br />the deficit. The City’s Capital Improvement Plan includes funding for design and <br />construction of the California Way water tank ($5.8 million is currently allocated). <br /> <br />In 2013, a draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared consistent with the <br />California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines to evaluate the potential <br />environmental impacts associated with the California Water Tank and Pump Station <br />project (the “Proposed Project”). Public comments received at the October 1, 2013 <br />Planning Commission meeting expressed concern with site selection, noise, safety, loss <br />of residential parking on the site and visual impact. Commenters and Planning <br />Commissioners requested staff consider alternative design options to the Proposed <br />Project. No action was taken on the MND. <br /> <br />City staff evaluated additional design options to lessen the visual prominence of the <br />tank and on July 20, 2016, the City released the Draft Environmental Impact Report <br />(Draft EIR) that considered these options as alternatives to the Proposed Project. The <br />Draft EIR was available for a 45-day public review period. The Planning Commission <br />conducted a public hearing on August 30, 2016 to receive public comments. Six public <br />comments were received on the Draft EIR. The public review period concluded on <br />September 6, 2016. <br /> <br />The Final EIR includes Response to Comments received during the public review <br />8.A. - Page 1