AgdaPkt 2003-08-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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�' J FINDINGS CONCERNING PROJECT ALTERNATIVES An EIR must describe a range of reasonable alternatives to the project, or the location of the project, which would feasibly obtain most of the basic objectives of the project, bot would avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant environmental effects of the p. oject, and evaluate the comparative merits of the alternatives. Even if a project alternative will avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant environmental effects of the project, the decision -maker may reject the alternative if it determines that specific considerations make the alternative infeasible. The findings with respect to alternatives identified in the FOR are described below. NO- PROJECT ALTERNATIVE Description of Alternative: Under the No- Project Alternative, no new development would occur at the project site. None of the campus buildings would be developed. The existing outdated inpatient and outpatient facilities would continue to operate at the Medical Center campus. The consolidation of existing medical offices from elsewhere in Redwood City to the Medical Center would not take place and Kaiser would be unable to provide additional inpatient and outpatient services at the campus. The projected increase in Kaiser members in the Redwood City area would occur with or without the proposed project. However, Kaiser would not be able to meet the increase in demand for services at the existing Medical Center. Per California Senate Bill 1953, the Hospital would need to close by 2013. Finding: The No- Project Alternative would have the same or less impact on land use, transportation and circulation, air quality, noise, hazardous materials, population and housing, and utility and service systems than the Project. The No- Project Alternative would avoid the less- than - significant impacts of the Project on visual quality, but would be inconsistent with many of the City policies to promote beautification and revitalization of the downtown area. The No- Project Alternative would have a significant adverse impact on public services relative to the Project, because the inpatient facilities at the site would be required by law to close by the year 2013. State law (SB 1953) requires Kaiser to implement seismic safety improvements at the existing inpatient facilities by 2013 or else close the facility. The Project includes seismic safety improvements that would allow the inpatient facilities to remain open after 2013, but the seismic safety improvements would not be implemented under the No- Project Alternative. Therefore, under the No- Project Alternative, the inpatient facilities would be required to close by 2013. Closing the inpatient facilities would eliminate 209 beds, 25 provider offices, and 772 staff, thereby significantly adversely affecting public services in the City. The No- Project Alternative would fail to satisfy the following objectives of the Project, as identified in the FEIR: • To provide a new, state -of- the -art inpatient facility for Kaiser Permanente members in the Redwood City area by replacing 29