EXECUTIVE SUMMARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO REVELLE COLLEGE APARTMENTS AND COMMONS DINING RENOVATION PROJECT

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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO REVELLE COLLEGE APARTMENTS AND COMMONS DINING RENOVATION PROJECT FINAL INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NO ) FEBRUARY 6, 2009

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3 REVELLE COLLEGE APARTMENTS AND COMMONS DINING RENOVATION PROJECT FINAL INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROJECT DESCRIPTION The proposed Revelle College Apartments and Commons Dining Renovation project would be built on an approximately 3.8-acre site within the Revelle College neighborhood of the West Campus at UCSD, located along Scholars Drive South. The proposed project is comprised of a residential housing component as well as an existing dining renovation. The residential component would involve the construction of three linked apartment building wings totaling approximately 154,000-gross square feet (gsf). The building would vary in height from five to ten stories, and would be designed in a hinged C shape to create a central quad area east of the three linked wings. The residences would house approximately 500 second-year students in apartment-style suites, and also would include common areas, meeting/conference rooms, and administrative space. The central quad area between the buildings would link the new student apartments to the renovated Commons and existing Fleet housing. The Commons renovation would modernize the dining facility and expand the restaurant-style venue with the addition of a new market and café, in order to meet the demand associated with additional students. Renovation would be entirely within the footprint of the existing Revelle Commons building, with no anticipated change in the size of the building. The proposed project would include numerous sustainable design features to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification, such as enhanced window glazing, appropriate building orientation, daylighting, natural ventilation and water conserving plumbing. Exterior building materials, finishes, and colors would be consistent with the existing Revelle College, and would include concrete, cement plaster, fiberglass grating, or similar materials. The project is to provide for a minimum 40 foot setback from the future Housing and Dining Services Administration Building to the north and a 15 foot setback is to be maintained from Scholars Drive. Fire/service access would be provided via a new access road proposed through the existing parking lots P103 and P104 connecting to Scholars Drive. Irrigation and stormwater runoff from rooftops and paving would 1

4 be directed into the three bioswales that would be integrated between the proposed wings of the apartment building. Hardscape elements identified in the project design guidelines and proposed site plan include architectural features (e.g., building materials and color schemes), circulation/access system amenities (e.g., enhanced pavement and pedestrian walkways), and site furnishings (e.g., bicycle racks, trash and recycling receptacles, and seating areas). The project has been designed to achieve a high degree of sustainability through the use of high performance architecture, low energy systems, renewable power generation onsite, sustainable landscape, and water conservation. Site improvements and building construction are anticipated to begin in September 2009 and would take approximately 23 months to complete. The proposed project is anticipated to be occupied by September PROJECT OBJECTIVES The following project objectives have been identified for the proposed project (UCSD 2008): Provide an on-campus living environment within Revelle College for second year students consisting of residential apartment-style units with a minimum of 500 beds; Provide a safe, secure, and accessible environment that reflects the geography, landscape, and architecture of Revelle College; Promote the interaction among residents and active uses of exterior spaces, including an open space, or quad, to link the new apartments with the renovated Revelle Commons; Incorporate sustainable design principles into as many aspects of the new buildings and renovated spaces as possible to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification for the Revelle College Apartments and LEED Certification for Commercial Interiors for the Revelle Commons Dining Renovation; and Renovate Revelle Commons to modernize the facility and meet the projected dining demand associated with additional student residents. 2

5 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS As a tiered CEQA document, the Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the proposed project relies, in part, on the 2004 LRDP EIR, for: 1) A discussion of general background and setting information for environmental topic areas; 2) Overall growth-related issues, associated with continuing campus-wide development; 3) Issues that were evaluated in sufficient detail in the 2004 LRDP EIR, for which there are no significant new information or changes in circumstances that would require further analysis; 4) Analysis of long-term cumulative impacts. This Tiered IS/MND analyzes the potential site-specific and localized impacts of the project, as well as the adequacy of the environmental assessment and mitigation measures in the 2004 LRDP EIR, with regard to 17 environmental topics, listed below: Aesthetics Mineral resources Agricultural Resources Noise Air Quality Population and Housing Biological Resources Public Services Cultural Resources Recreation Geology and Soils Transportation and Traffic Hazards and Hazardous Materials Utilities and Service Systems Hydrology and Water Quality Cumulative Impacts Land Use and Planning 3

6 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES Based on the analysis presented in the Tiered IS/MND, it was determined that this project would not result in any significant impacts that cannot be mitigated to less than significant levels or are not sufficiently addressed by the 2004 LRDP EIR. As such, no project-specific mitigation measures are required to address the proposed project s direct impacts. One project-specific mitigation measure is required to reduce the project s contribution to cumulative air quality impacts resulting from 2004 LRDP implementation. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS The Tiered IS/MND was prepared in conformance with the State CEQA Statutes and Guidelines and the University of California procedures for Implementation of CEQA. As noted earlier, the IS/MND was tiered from the 2004 LRDP Program EIR, pursuant to Section of the CEQA Guidelines. The IS/MND was circulated for agency and public review and comment, between October 20, 2008 and November 18, COMMENTS AND RESPONSES The Draft IS/MND was reviewed by various state, regional and local agencies, and by a number of interested individuals and organizations, on and off campus. A total of two comment letters were received from the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar and San Diego County Archaeological Society (SDCAS). The MCAS Miramar letter dated October 24, 2008 noted the location of the project site within the MCAS Miramar Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) and determined that the proposed project is compatible with AICUZ guidelines for noise and safety compatibility. It was also confirmed that the proposed building heights do not appear to exceed the airspace surface or have an impact on air navigation; however, MCAS Miramar indicated that official determination of the project design to be within Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines would have to be completed by the agency itself. UCSD submitted a Notice of Proposed Construction or Alteration to the FAA while the Tiered IS/MND was out for public review. In response, the FAA conducted an aeronautical study 4

7 of the project design to determine if the proposed building wings would penetrate any of the safety surfaces surround the airfield for MCAS Miramar. Based on their review, it was determined there would be no hazard to air navigation as a result of the proposed housing project. The FAA determination letter has been appended to the Tiered IS/MND (refer to Appendix C).UCSD also contacted staff at the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC), who determined that the project site is not located within the Airport Influence Area (AIA) for MCAS Miramar, and therefore, no additional review by the ALUC is necessary. In its letter dated November 18, 2008, the SDCAS concurred with the University s conclusion that no significant adverse impacts to cultural resources would result from the project. The University acknowledges this conclusion. None of the comments received raise additional environmental issues that were not previously addressed in the Draft IS/MND or the 2004 LRDP EIR. Therefore, no changes to the Tiered IS/MND are required in order to address these comments. MINOR REVISIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS TO THE TIERED IS/MND Two minor text changes were made in the Transportation/Traffic section of the Tiered IS/MND (specifically, Items 13.a and 13. f) to make the IS checklist responses consistent with the Transportation/Traffic discussion that follows. Those text changes are described herein and are shown in strikeout/underline format to signify deletions and inserts. The Tiered IS/MND checklist has been modified in the final document for Items 13.a and 13.f to shift the checklist response from the Project Impact Adequately Addressed in LRDP EIR column to the Less Than Significant column. The Project Impact Adequately Addressed in LRDP EIR column applies where the potential impacts of the proposed project were adequately addressed in the 2004 LRDP EIR and LRDP Mitigation Measures are required to mitigate any impacts of the proposed project. As demonstrated in the IS discussion on pages 53 through 56, the proposed project would result in less than significant impacts because it would not cause an increase in traffic that is substantial in relation to the existing street system and would not result in inadequate parking capacity. As such, no LRDP Mitigation Measures are required to mitigate proposed project impacts 5

8 and the Less Than Significant column has been checked. Page 15 of the Tiered IS/MND contains a description of the column headings identified in the checklist. This minor checklist modification would simply shift the locations of the two checklist boxes and not change the conclusions reached in the Tiered IS/MND. In addition, while the Tiered IS/MND was out for public review, the FAA conducted an aeronautical study of the project design to determine if the proposed building wings would penetrate any of the safety surfaces surround the airfield for MCAS Miramar. Based on their review, it was determined there would be no hazard to air navigation as a result of the proposed housing project. The FAA determination letter has been appended to the Tiered IS/MND (refer to Appendix C). 6