Appendix B: Notice of Preparation and Comment Letter

Appendix B: Notice of Preparation and Comment Letter
NOTICE OF PREPARATION
February 8, 2016
To:
State Clearinghouse, Responsible Agencies, Other Public Agencies,
Interested Individuals, Interested Organizations, and the County Clerk of
Santa Clara
From:
City of Sunnyvale
Community Development Department, Planning Division
456 West Olive Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Subject:
Notice of Preparation of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact
Report for the 1250 Lakeside Drive Project
Notice is hereby given that the City of Sunnyvale, as the Lead Agency under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Report (SEIR) for the 1250 Lakeside Drive project. In 2005, the City certified the CrescentLakeside Specific Plan Final EIR (2005 Final EIR, SCH# 2005022089) for the Lakeside
Specific Plan and approved a Special Development Permit for a hotel and residential
development project. The Supplemental EIR will be prepared in reliance upon the 2005 Final
EIR.
This Notice of Preparation (NOP) has been prepared in compliance with CEQA Guidelines
§15082. The purpose of this NOP is to solicit comments from the public and public agencies
on the scope and content of the SEIR for the project.
The City has determined that the project could result in potentially significant impacts and,
therefore, a SEIR is required. An SEIR is a detailed statement prepared under CEQA
describing and analyzing the significant environmental effects of a project and discussing
ways to mitigate or avoid the effects.
Members of the public and public agencies are invited to provide comments on the scope and
content of the SEIR to the City. The City would like to know the views of your agency as to
the scope and content of the environmental information that is germane to your agency’s
statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed project. Your agency may use the
SEIR prepared by the City when considering your permits or other approvals for the project.
Due to the time limits mandated by State law, your response must be sent at the earliest
possible date, but no later than the close of the 30-day NOP review period on March 11,
2016 by 5:00 PM. Please indicate a contact person in your response. You can email your
comments to: [email protected] or mail your response to:
City of Sunnyvale
Community Development Department, Planning Division
Attn: George Schroeder
456 West Olive Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
A public scoping meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 6:30pm in
the City Hall Council Chambers located at 456 W. Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086.
The project description, location, and the probable environmental effects are described below:
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the SEIR is to inform decision makers and the general public of the
environmental effects of a proposed project. The SEIR process is intended to: provide
environmental information sufficient to evaluate a project and its potential for significant
impacts on the environment; examine methods of reducing adverse environmental impacts;
and consider alternatives to the project. Upon finding the SEIR is complete and in
compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as amended, the
City Council will consider certification of the SEIR at a public hearing and may take action
on the proposed development project.
PROJECT LOCATION
The 8.83-acre project site is located at 1250 Lakeside Drive in Sunnyvale (Assessor Parcel
Numbers: 216-43-035 and 216-43-036). The project site is located south of U.S. Highway
101 and east of Lawrence Expressway. The project site is currently undeveloped.
Surrounding land uses include a hotel to the east of the project site, a man-made
pond/water feature and offices to the south, and residential apartments to the west of the
project site. A regional map, vicinity map, and aerial photograph of the project site are
shown on Figures 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The project proposes development within the development parameters of the existing
Lakeside Specific Plan (LSP), which was adopted by the City Council in 2005. Specifically,
the project proposes to develop a hotel with 263 rooms and market-rate rental apartments
with 250 units. The proposed project would require an amendment to the LSP to reflect the
proposed project and current City policies and/or code, a Special Development Permit, and
Tentative Map to create two lots for each land use, with an option for future condominium
conversion for the residential building.
The proposed hotel would be located on the eastern portion of the site. The proposed 263room hotel would be a six-story courtyard hotel totaling approximately 177,000 square feet.
An open-to-the-public, full-service restaurant of approximately 3,393 square feet, as well as
indoor meeting and banquet space, is proposed on the ground floor. Hotel parking would be
located in an attached three-level above grade parking structure. The hotel building would be
ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO: P.O. BOX 3707 SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA 94088-3707
TDD (408)730-7501
up to 85 feet tall, with rooftop features (e.g., mechanical equipment screen) up to 100 feet
tall. The proposed residential development would be located on the western portion of the
site. The 250 residential units would be constructed in a five-story building located on top of
a two-story, above-grade podium parking garage. The residential building would be
approximately 445,921 square feet in size (276,008 square feet of apartment area and
169,913 square feet of parking garage) and up to 78 feet tall.
POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT
In accordance with §15063(c) of the CEQA Guidelines, an Initial Study has been prepared to
focus the SEIR on the effects determined to be significant. The analysis in the Initial Study
tiers off the certified 2005 The Crescent – Lakeside Specific Plan Final EIR (SCH#
2005022089) and concluded that a SEIR should be prepared to evaluate the project’s
transportation impacts. The SEIR will describe the existing environmental conditions on the
project site and will identify the significant transportation impacts anticipated to result from
development of the project. Where potentially significant impacts are identified, the SEIR will
identify mitigation measures to avoid or reduce those impacts, as feasible. The SEIR will also
discuss a reasonable range of alternatives to the project that could reasonably attain most of
the basic objectives of the project and would avoid or substantially lessen any of the
significant transportation impacts (CEQA Guidelines §15126.6(a)). A copy of the Initial Study
is not attached to this NOP. The Initial Study will be attached as an appendix to the SEIR.
ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO: P.O. BOX 3707 SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA 94088-3707
TDD (408)730-7501
Figure 1: Regional Map
ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO: P.O. BOX 3707 SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA 94088-3707
TDD (408)730-7501
Figure 2: Vicinity Map
ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO: P.O. BOX 3707 SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA 94088-3707
TDD (408)730-7501
Figure 3: Aerial Photograph
ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO: P.O. BOX 3707 SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA 94088-3707
TDD (408)730-7501
VTA Development Review Program Contact List Last Updated: 12/18/2015 Please route development referrals to: Environmental (CEQA) Documents, Site Plans, other miscellaneous referrals Roy Molseed – [email protected] – 408.321.5784 Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Reports and Notification Forms: Robert Cunningham – [email protected] – 408.321.5792 Eugene Maeda – [email protected] – 408.952.4298 Electronic/email referrals are preferred, but please mail any hardcopy documents to: [Name of recipient(s) as detailed above, depending on type of document] Planning & Program Development Division 3331 North First Street, Building B‐2 San Jose, CA 95134‐1906 Contacts for specific questions related to VTA comments on a referral are below by topic area: Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines (General Questions) Robert Swierk – [email protected] – 408.321.5949 Robert Cunningham – [email protected] – 408.321.5792 Auto LOS Methodology VTA Highway Projects & Freeway Ramp Metering Shanthi Chatradhi – [email protected] – 408.952.4224 VTA Transit Service, Ridership & Bus Stops Rodrigo Carrasco – [email protected] – 408.952.4106 Nicholas Stewart – [email protected] – 408.321.5939 TDM Programs Congestion Management Program (CMP) VTA Eco Pass Program Questions Before Project Approval (e.g. when writing Conditions of Approval) Robert Cunningham – [email protected] – 408.321.5792 VTA Eco Pass Program Questions After Project Approval (e.g. Program Implementation) Dino Guevarra – [email protected] – 408.321.5572 BART Silicon Valley Extension Kevin Kurimoto – [email protected] – 408.942.6126 VTA Bicycle & Pedestrian Projects Lauren Ledbetter – [email protected] – 408.321.5716 Page 1 of 2 VTA Real Estate Jennifer Rocci – [email protected] – 408.321.5950 VTA Permits (Construction Access Permit, Restricted Access Permit) Victoria King‐Dethlefs – Victoria.King‐[email protected] – 408‐321‐5824 Cheryl D. Gonzales – [email protected] – 408‐546‐7608 Other Topics and General Questions about VTA Comments Roy Molseed – [email protected] – 408.321.5784 Page 2 of 2