AgdaPkt 2007-02-26 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Mr. Tom Passanisi December 18, 2006 Page Two The report states that the Downtown Precise Plan would be considered to have a significant Ja..'1d use impact if it would conflict with any applicable land use plan, policy, or regulation of the City of Redwood City. ({is,3.l) The report also specifically mentions that the Redwood City Planning Divisioll Urban Design G\.\idelines require that natural sunlight shall be encouraged for all projects. (p.2.4) Nonetheless, the report concludes that despite the fact that the Downtown Precise Plan will create substantial shadowing, no significant environmental impact has been identified. The report bases its conclusion on the fotlowing reasoning: "The proposed Precise Plan would facilitate the construction of new 5 to 12 story buildings that could cast substantial shadows on adjacent commercial, office, and public: areas during part of the year... In any event, shadowing effects would not represent a significant environmental impact under CEQA (the CEQA significance criteria for aesthetics and visual resources, which are listed in Section 7.3.1 herein, do not address shadow impacts)." (p. 7-21) This reasoning is extraordinary since it is solely based upon I (a - d) of the Environmental Checklist Fonn (Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines). (p.7-6, fn. 1) However, Appendix G does not regard the fonn as definitive since it states that the form is only suggested, and "lead agencies are free to use different formats," (p. 3, para, 8) Moreover, Appendix G encourages lead agencies "to incorporate into the checklist references to informatioo sources for potential impacts (e.g., general plans, zoning ordinances) ..," (p, 3, para. 6) Thus, the report bases its conclusion that the substantial shadows that will be created by the plan along Brewster Avenue cue not significant on a tonn that CEQA merely suggests and does not require, while ignoring Redwood City's own land LIse policies. This reasoning is also extraordinary since Redwood City reached precisely the opposite conclusion in the Environmental Impact Report, dated March 5, 2003, for the Marina Shores Village Project. Impact 5-5 in that report determined that the shadowing caused by the proposed buildings in that project would have a significant visual impact that would be contrary to Redwood City's policies. The Downtown Precise Plan EIR must be revised to address the effect ufthe shadowing on my clients' property and to evaluate, as an alternative to the present plan, the proposed amendment which is enclosed herewith and identified as Exhibit A. Second, the report states that the Downtown Precise Plan would be considered to have a significant land use impact ifit would physically divide the community. Gl5.3.1) In addition, the Redwood City Planning Division Urban Design Guidelines states that excessive density and bulk shaH be disallowed for new developments, (!F.2.4) Contrary to these policies, the Downtown Precise Plan proposes a unifOlm wall of 8-story buildings along Brewster Avenue, Of course, those buildings will be set back and separated from the sidewalk by smaller buildings. Nonetheless, it will be seen by those 011 the street and, especially, by the residents in the neighborhood across the street as a wall physically dividing the downtown from the residential neighborhood, 98 Page 14 }q - JCl.OZ- )ot,t>>