SUMMARY University of California San Francisco Institute for Regeneration Medicine

Transcription

1 SUMMARY University of California San Francisco Institute for Regeneration Medicine Final Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (State Clearinghouse No ) March 2008

2 INSTITUTE FOR REGENERATION MEDICINE FINAL INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION SUMMARY PROJECT DESCRIPTION The proposed project consists of constructing new research and instruction space at the Parnassus Heights campus site, including a 71,000 gross square feet (gsf) research building to house the Institute for Regeneration Medicine and an 8,000 gsf Auditorium to replace the lecture hall functions of Toland Hall within the seismically poor UC Hall building. The proposed project site is located on the southern end of the developed area, or shelf at Parnassus Heights. The site is bounded by Medical Center Way to the South and Health Sciences East / West Towers to the North. The Institute for Regeneration Medicine building would be designed to accommodate 25 Faculty Principal Investigators and about 205 associated laboratory staff and administrative staff. The Institute building would provide modern biomedical research laboratories, core laboratories, offices, administrative functions, and supporting space. The proposed Institute building design is based upon a modular, open, and continuous lab scheme to facilitate interaction and maximize the flexibility that is required to meet the demands of interdisciplinary research within the building. The proposed design of the long, horizontal Institute building, with steps up the slope of Medical Center Way, would relate to and respond to its hillside setting. The building would include green roof terraces as an environmental feature. The facade cladding would be primarily corrugated metal panels and would be accented with large spans of glazing along the south facade to provide open views to and from the lab areas and the open space reserve across Medical Center Way. The Institute for Regeneration Medicine building would be supported by a steel space frame platform resting on seismic base isolators located at intervals on the site. This design would create a stepped building site on a steeply sloping hillside, and the space-frame geometry is expressed on the north elevation of the building. Localized drilled piers would limit foundation and construction site disturbance. The building would cantilever on the north side above the sloping terrain, adjacent to the Health Sciences buildings. The Institute for Regeneration Building would be delivered under a construction design-build contract. The Design-Build Team Award is estimated to be in June Construction is planned to begin August 2008, and be completed within 24 months (August 2010). The proposed Auditorium facility would contain up to 225 seats in the main hall, along with two break-out or function rooms one of which could be further divided for small groups. The building would be sited at ground level between Health Science West and the School of Nursing Building. The facade materials have not yet been confirmed but the exterior would likely be of metal panels similar to the Institute building. As previously mentioned, The Auditorium would provide replacement space for the Toland lecture hall in the UC Hall building. Page 1.

3 Although the proposed project site is identified as a future development site in the LRDP, its Functional Zone label is Logistical Support consistent with the former uses in the now demolished MR I & II buildings. Project approvals would include a minor amendment to the LRDP to change the Functional Zone on a 0.9-acre portion of the 1.9-acre project site to Instruction and Research to reflect the proposed building uses including research, academic / administrative office, and teaching / seminar space. In addition, the boundaries of the Mount Sutro open space reserve would be adjusted to exclude the area on the campus shelf between Medical Center Way and the Health Sciences Buildings (approximately 0.5 acre). In exchange, Buildings 4 and 5 in the Aldea San Miguel Housing are scheduled for demolition, and their footprints and surrounding aprons totaling approximately 0.5 acre would be included in the open space reserve. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed project would provide space that is needed to support the University s mission and to relocate functions out of seismically poor or obsolete structures at the Parnassus Heights campus site. The proposed project would implement a number of goals and objectives of the 1996 LRDP, and would specifically implement the LRDP proposal that identified the need for new research and teaching space in one or more new developments totaling up to 85,000 gsf at the Parnassus Heights site. The proposed project has been identified by the University as meeting that need. Thus, the Initial Study is tiered from the LRDP EIR. The tiered Initial Study analyzes the potential site-specific and localized impacts of the project, as well as the adequacy of the environmental assessment in the LRDP EIR with regard to the following environmental topics: Aesthetics Agriculture Resources Air Quality Biological Resources Cultural Resources Geology/Soils Hazards & Hazardous Materials Hydrology/Water Quality Land Use/Planning Mineral Resources Noise Population/Housing Public Services Recreation Transportation/Traffic Utilities/Service Systems Mandatory Findings of Significance Based on the analysis presented in this Initial Study, it has been determined that for all resource areas, the proposed project would not result in any new significant impacts that cannot be mitigated to a less than significant level. Page 2.

4 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES This Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration is a tiered document from the LRDP EIR and all applicable LRDP mitigation measures are included in the proposed project. In addition, two project-specific impacts and mitigation measures were identified as follows: PROPOSED PROJECT MITIGATION MEASURES AIR QUALITY: IRM-1. Air Pollutant Emissions (Construction). Demolition and construction activities proposed at the Parnassus Heights site under the LRDP would generate PM 2.5 emissions which may exceed annual-levels of state air quality standards. Construction-related PM 2.5 emissions could result in violations of that standard. TRANSPORTATION: IRM-2. Construction Traffic and Parking (Construction). Construction of the proposed project could cause demand for construction parking spaces to significantly exceed the designated supply of construction parking at Parnassus Heights and could adversely impact traffic flow on Medical Center Way including circulation, access and pedestrian safety along the roadway. UCSF would require in all construction contracts for work at Parnassus Heights that the contractors reduce major criteria air pollutant emissions by complying with the air pollution control strategies developed by the BAAQMD, especially those related to PM 2.5 emissions. Prepare a transit use goal and plan for construction employees and subcontractor employees. The plan should consider an alternative for the contractor to provide shuttle service to/from public transportation transfer nodes such as Caltrain and BART. This plan would be incorporated into the construction contract between UCSF and the contractor. Stage construction activities to avoid the need to close Medical Center Way. Should complete road closure be required, provide at least 72 hours notice to campus community and public and prepare detour routes and signage for drivers and pedestrians during the road closure. All potential impacts of the proposed project were fully examined in the LRDP EIR or can be mitigated to less than significant levels through implementation of LRDP and project-specific mitigation measures. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS The tiered Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration were prepared in conformance with the State CEQA Statutes and Guidelines and the University of California procedures for Implementation of CEQA. The document was circulated for public and agency review from February 2, 2008 to March 3, COMMENTS AND RESPONSES During the public review period the tiered Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration were reviewed by various state and local agencies, as well as by interested individuals and organizations. The local agencies completed their review without comment. Fourteen comments were received from members of the public and one from a state agency, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). In addition, a community meeting was held on February 5, 2008, Page 3.

5 where UCSF staff took notes concerning additional comments on the Project. The comments received generally related to building visibility, traffic volume and safety, open space, views, demolition of UC Hall, and DTSC recommendations. Although building visibility is a concern, the Institute building will not be visible from any public views prior to the demolition of UC Hall. After UC Hall is razed, the Institute building will be more visible, but its height will be far shorter than the research towers in front of it. Views of Mount Sutro will still be available and will not be eliminated by the Institute building. A traffic analysis addressed the concerns about traffic volume and safety. A traffic model analyzed the existing volumes and anticipated changes. The analysis concluded that no noticeable effect on the existing traffic volumes or changes in the level of service at the intersection of Parnassus Avenue and Medical Center Way will result from the Project. Comments on open space do not relate to the adequacy of the environmental analysis. The proposed exchange of open space within the permanent open space reserve will exclude a 0.5 acre area within the proposed Project footprint in exchange for designating approximately 0.5 acres of the footprints for Building 4 and 5 in the Aldea San Miguel Housing as open space reserve. One comment suggested that UCSF should prepare an EIR to analyze the impact from demolition of UC Hall. UCSF prepared an EIR for the proposals identified by the 1996 LRDP and updated its analysis in the 2005 LRDP Amendment #2 EIR. Both EIRs evaluated the decommissioning and demolition of UC Hall to occur within the 1996 LRDP timeframe of 2011/2012. UCSF is in the process of developing and implementing a relocation plan for the building s occupants with the objective of emptying the building by The demolition of UC Hall is an adopted 1996 LRDP project which has been previously analyzed in two EIRs. Therefore, under CEQA when the campus moves forward with project funding to decommission and demolish the structure, UCSF would evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the UC Hall demolition project with respect to the existing LRDP EIR analysis to determine what level of additional environmental review, if any, is appropriate. DTSC recommended that the campus investigate and mitigate potential environmental concerns from lead based paint and organochlorine pesticides from termiticide applications. Also, the site includes existing underground fuel tanks that may be an environmental concern. The Parnassus Heights site was developed as a health sciences campus over 140 years ago and there are no known environmental concerns at the site which require a property evaluation and cleanup program. During construction and operation of the Project, UCSF would continue to work closely with all regulatory agencies, including DTSC, to implement all applicable laws and regulations. No further changes or amendments to the tiered Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration are warranted as a result of public comments. All comments received and UCSF s subsequent responses to them are included in the Final Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration. Page 4.