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<br /> <br /> <br />52 <br />standard policies, and conditions of approval applicable to development would ensure best practices for protecting <br />wetlands and regulated waters are followed. For this reason, the proposed project component is expected to have no <br />effect on any wetlands or regulated waters. Therefore, the Housing Component would have no impact. This <br />component is consistent with the analysis in the Focused GPU EIR because it would not create new impacts or increase <br />impacts and there is no new information of substantial importance for CEQA purposes. <br />d. The Focused GPU program EIR (Focused GPU program EIR pp. 4.4-32 through 4.4-35 and 4.4-36 through 4.4-37) <br />concluded that development facilitated by the Housing Element Update could impact nesting birds and habitat <br />providing roosting habitat for bats, representing a potentially significant impact. Mitigation Measure BIO-5 of the <br />Focused GPU program EIR provides protection for burrowing owl nesting and wintering burrows; Mitigation Measure <br />BIO-7 requires that all tree removal and trimming take place outside of the breeding season or that a qualified biologist <br />conduct a survey for nesting birds prior to tree removal or trimming; and Mitigation Measure BIO-8 requires bat <br />habitat assessments prior to any demolition or construction activities. In addition, Mitigation Measure BIO-13 requires <br />uniformly applied design standards for housing projects to reduce the risk of avian collision. The impacts were reduced <br />to less than significant with mitigation. <br />The Housing Component, as a housing project that would require building demolition and tree removal, is subject to <br />the requirements of Mitigation Measures BIO-5, BIO-7, BIO-8a, BIO-8b, and BIO-13 of the Focused GPU program <br />EIR. These mitigation measures, which shall be required as a condition of approval for this project component, would <br />reduce the potential impacts of this project component on migratory wildlife, including movement of species and on <br />established wildlife corridors, to a less-than-significant level. This Housing Component is consistent with the analysis <br />in the Focused GPU EIR because it would not create new impacts or increase impacts and there is no new information <br />of substantial importance for CEQA purposes. <br />e. The Focused GPU program EIR (Focused GPU program EIR p. 4.4-48) concluded that development facilitated by the <br />Focused GPU would be consistent with relevant General Plan policies and the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance <br />(Chapter 35 of the Municipal Code), resulting in no impact. Also, street trees in Redwood City are regulated under <br />Chapter 29 of the Municipal Code. <br />According to the arborist report prepared for the Housing Component by HortScience/Bartlett Consulting (1/9/23), <br />there are seven trees on site and four trees located immediately off site (for a total of 11 trees assessed in the arborist <br />report): one cherry, four Coast redwood, and six Chinese elm. According to the arborist report, eight of the existing <br />trees are in poor condition, and the three remaining trees are in fair condition. The Housing Component proposes to <br />remove the seven on-site trees (i.e., Chinese elm and cherry), and retain the four immediately adjacent trees (i.e., <br />Coast redwoods). The Housing Component proposes 21 new street, courtyard, accent, and buffer trees at ground level, <br />including a combination of trident maple, silverleaf oak, California fan palm or Queen palm, crimson bottlebrush, city <br />sprite zelkova, fruitless olive, after dark peppermint, sweet bay, forest pansy redbud, Dr. Hurd manzanita, dark <br />shadows tea tree, and frontier elm; 10 new trees on the Level 2 podium courtyard; and one tree on the Level 5 sky <br />deck (Plan Sheets LC1 and LC2;10/6/2023). <br />As described in the previous paragraph, the four off-site redwoods to the east would be preserved. These redwood <br />trees may experience impacts from the project component’s on-site demolition and building construction activities. It <br />is likely that the redwoods would also require pruning to accommodate the planned building. The arborist report for <br />the Housing Component includes tree preservation guidelines, including project design recommendations, pre- <br />demolition and pre-construction period recommendations, and recommendations for tree protection during <br />construction to reduce impacts to off-site trees from development and maintain their health and structural stability <br />through the Housing Component clearing, grading, and construction phases (HortScience/Bartlett Consulting, pp. 7- <br />8). The Housing Component’s implementation of the tree preservation guidelines included in the arborist report, which <br />is required as a project component condition of approval, along with implementation of applicable tree preservation <br />standards set forth in the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance, would ensure potential impacts to the off-site redwood <br />trees would be less than significant. <br /> According to the arborist report, all existing on-site trees are considered “protected” by the City of Redwood City. <br />The Housing Component would be required to comply with the City’s Street Tree Ordinance (which require the <br />planting, pruning, or removal of trees in the public right-of-way to secure a permit from the City) and Tree Preservation <br />Ordinance (which require the pruning or removal of “protected” trees to secure a permit from the City), as a condition <br />of approval. Compliance with this Ordinance would reduce the potential impacts of the Housing Component related <br />to conflict with local policies or ordinances protecting biological resources to a less-than-significant level. <br /> In addition, the Housing Component proposes a courtyard for residents, with a play area for children, planters, built- <br />in seating, low concrete plinths for seating/climbing, and related amenities, at podium level (Plan Sheet LC2; 10/6/23). <br />ATTY/RESO.0031/CC RESO CEQA GUIDELINES (901 EL CAMINO REAL) <br />REV: 04-22-25 VR <br /> <br />Page 52 of 148