Res99 RD-99-21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SIGNIFICANT EFFECT Impact The Redevelopment EIR evaluated the visual impacts associated with redevelopment of the Second Amendment area. The Redevelopment EIR concluded that redevelopment could result in development that is visually incompatible with surrounding land uses. This impact was considered significant. The City considered the merits of the Redevelopment Plan in light of the significant visual resource impacts during the approval process for the Plan. The Franklin Street Area Plan EIR evaluated the visual impacts associated with the proposed Project. The Franklin Street Area Plan EIR identified five visual impacts associated with development of the Project Site. These visual impacts were associated with changes in the visual environment from adjacent roadways and from within the plan area. The EIR concluded that the visual impacts, while considerable, would be beneficial for the local area. The City considered the merits of the Franklin Street Area Plan in light of the visual resource impacts during the approval process for the Plan. Although the Franklin Street Area Plan EIR identified significant visual impacts, its conclusion that the visual impacts would be beneficial was interpreted as indicating that no adverse visual impacts would occur with implementation of the Franklin Street Area Plan. The proposed Project will not include any changes in the previously evaluated redevelopment activities that will cause any new significant visual resource effects or substantial increases in the severity of previously identified effects. Site redevelopment is expected to substantially improve the visual character of the local area. For this reason, the incremental visual resource impacts of the proposed Project are not considered significant. Finding The Redevelopment Agency Board finds that changes or alterations have been incorporated into the Project which mitigate or avoid the significant visual impacts to a point where clearly no significant environmental effect would occur, and there is no substantial evidence in light of the whole record before the Redevelopment Agency Board that the Project, as revised, may have a significant environmental effect. Facts in Support of Finding The City has adopted Mitigation Measures 4C-1 and 4C-2, identified on page 4C-13 of the Redevelopment EIR, to ensure potential visual resource impacts associated with buildout of the Second Amendment area are reduced to less than significant. Although there would be no significant impacts to visual character associated with the proposed Project, the City has adopted Mitigation Measures 4-1 through 4-3 of the Franklin Street Area Plan EIR, included on pages 3-2 and 3-3 of the Initial Study, to further enhance the Project's beneficial visual effects. These mitigation measures will improve the visual character of the local area by requiring visually consistent development that will not detract from the architectural character of the downtown area. FRANKLIN STREET PROJECT -7- Findings RD99-21