Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration Date: December 6, 2017 Case No.: 2017-000188ENV Project Title: Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Project Zoning: Light Industrial District 40-X Height and Bulk District Block/Lot: 9900/031, 031H, 033 (Pier 31½), and 200-150-07 (Fort Baker) Project Area: 73,800 square feet (Pier 31½) and 39,200 square feet (Fort Baker) Project Sponsor National Park Service Brian Aviles – (415) 624-9685 Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Catherine Barner – (415) 561-3000 Port of San Francisco Diane Oshima – (415) 274-0553 Lead Agency: San Francisco Planning Department Staff Contact: Julie Moore – (415) 575-8733 [email protected] PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Alcatraz Island, a national historic landmark, is part of and managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a National Park Service unit that includes numerous park facilities within the San Francisco Bay area, including Fort Mason, Fort Baker, Ocean Beach, and Crissy Field. Under the proposed project, the Park Service seeks to enter into a long-term agreement with the Port of San Francisco for the development and operation of an improved ferry embarkation site at Pier 31½ to support Alcatraz Island visitors. The Port agreement would require the Park Service’s selected concessioner to renovate the marginal wharf, the Pier 33 bulkhead buildings, and portions of the Pier 31 shed building. In addition, the Park Service’s partner, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, would renovate the Pier 31 bulkhead building and portions of the Pier 31 shed building. Renovations would provide a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces to welcome, orient, and provide improved basic amenities for the public. The proposed project would also include other administrative and operational spaces, such as new boarding ramps and floats to support the berthing of up to three ferry boats at a time. These improvements would establish an identifiable and well-functioning facility to provide a quality experience for visitors. The proposed project would also establish limited ferry service between Pier 31½ and the existing Fort Baker pier, as well as interpretive cruises around the bay. FINDING: This project could not have a significant effect on the environment. This finding is based upon the criteria of the Guidelines of the State Secretary for Resources, Sections 15064 (Determining Significant Effect), www.sfplanning.org Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration CASE NO. 2017-000188ENV December 6, 2017 Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Project 15065 (Mandatory Findings of Significance), and 15070 (Decision to prepare a Negative Declaration), and the following reasons, as documented in the Initial Evaluation (Initial Study) for the project, which is attached. Mitigation measures are included in this project to avoid potentially significant effects. See Section F, Mitigation Measures and Improvement Measures. INITIAL STUDY TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Project Section Page A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1 B. PROJECT SETTING 24 C. COMPATIBILITY WITH EXISTING ZONING AND PLANS 28 D. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 34 E. EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 34 E.1 Land Use and Land Use Planning 35 E.2 Aesthetics 37 E.3 Population and Housing 43 E.4 Cultural Resources 45 E.5 Transportation and Circulation 55 E.6 Noise 80 E.7 Air Quality 91 E.8 Greenhouse Gas Emissions 114 E.9 Wind and Shadow 118 E.10 Recreation 120 E.11 Utilities and Service Systems 122 E.12 Public Services 127 E.13 Biological Resources 128 E.14 Geology and Soils 151 E.15 Hydrology and Water Quality 155 E.16 Hazards and Hazardous Materials 164 E.17 Mineral and Energy Resources 173 E.18 Agriculture and Forest Resources 174 E.19 Mandatory Findings of Significance 175 F. MITIGATION MEASURES AND IMPROVEMENT MEASURES 178 G. PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT 184 H. DETERMINATION 185 I. INITIAL STUDY PREPARERS 186 List of Figures Page 1 Vicinity Map 3 2 Area Map 4 3 Existing Site Program Use 5 4 Site Plan 9 5 Site Program 10 6 View of Pier 31½ from The Embarcadero under the Proposed Project 11 Case No. 2017-000188ENV Page i Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Project 7 Building Program 12 8 New Dock Arrangement 13 9 Fort Baker Concept Plan 15 10 Fort Baker Perspective Sketch 16 11 Existing View of Pier 31½ from Coit Tower 38 12 View of Pier 31½ from Coit Tower under the Proposed Project 39 13 View of Fort Baker 39 14 Project Site Vicinity Curb Usage 62 15 Existing and Proposed Project Northbound Curb Configuration 63 16 Eelgrass Mapped in Horseshoe Bay 132 List of Tables Page 1 Ferry Trips from Pier 31½ Under Existing Conditions 2 2 Visitor Numbers Under Existing Conditions 6 3 Ferry Trips from Pier 31½ Under Proposed Project Conditions 18 4 Visitor Numbers Under Proposed Project Conditions 18 5 Anticipated Construction Schedule 21 6 Cumulative Scenario Actions: Past, Present, And Future 25 7 Project Effects on The Port Of San Francisco Embarcadero National Historic District 47 8 Transit Routes, Stops, And Frequencies Near Pier 31½ 57 9 Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled – Existing Conditions 66 10 Existing and Future Daily Person Trips to The Alcatraz Embarkation Site 67 11 Existing and Future Peak Hour Person Trips to The Alcatraz Embarkation Site 67 12 Person Trips by Mode 68 13 Vehicle Trips by Mode 69 14 Peak 15-Minute Passenger Loading Zone Activity 71 15 Net Increase in Parking Demand at Pier 31½ 72 16 Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled – Year 2040 Conditions 76 17 Typical Noise Level of Proposed Construction Equipment 83 18 Construction Noise at Pier 31½ 84 19 Construction Noise at Fort Baker 86 20 Operational Noise from Fort Baker Limited Ferry Service 87 21 Vibration Receptors in The Vicinity of Pier 31½ 88 22 Typical Vibration Levels of Proposed Construction Equipment 89 23 Guideline Vibration Damage Potential Threshold Criteria 89 24 Criteria Air Pollutant Significance Thresholds 93 25 Construction Emissions (Average Pounds Per Day), Pier 31½ And Fort Baker 101 26 Construction Emissions (Average Pounds Per Day), Pier 31½ And Fort Baker with Improvement Measures 103 27 Annual Operational Emissions, Pier 31½ And Fort Baker (Tons/Year) 106 28 Daily Operational Emissions, Pier 31½ And Fort Baker (Pounds/Day) 108 29 Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Pier 31½ And Fort Baker 116 30 Hay Road and Redwood Sanitary Landfills Throughput and Capacity 125 31 Species with Designated Essential Fish Habitat Within the Immediate Project Area 133 32 Proposed Project Pile Details 140 Case No. 2017-000188ENV Page ii Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Project Appendix Appendix A Federal and State Listed Species with the Potential to Occur in the Study Area Case No. 2017-000188ENV Page iii Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Project Initial Study Pier 31½, Port of San Francisco/Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Project Planning Department Case No. 2017-000188ENV A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Alcatraz Island, a national historic landmark, is part of and managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a National Park Service unit that includes numerous park facilities within the San Francisco Bay area, including Fort Mason, Fort Baker, Ocean Beach, and Crissy Field (Figures 1 and 2). Under the proposed project, the Park Service seeks to enter into a long-term agreement with the Port of San Francisco for the development and operation of an improved ferry embarkation site at Pier 31½ to support Alcatraz Island visitors. The Port agreement would require the Park Service’s selected concessioner to renovate the marginal wharf, the Pier 33 bulkhead buildings, and portions of the Pier 31 shed building. In addition, the Park Service’s partner, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, would renovate the Pier 31 bulkhead building and additional portions of the Pier 31 shed building. Renovations would provide a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces to welcome, orient, and provide improved basic amenities for the public. The proposed project would also include other administrative and operational spaces, such as new boarding ramps and floats to support the berthing of up to three ferry boats at a time. These improvements would establish an identifiable and well-functioning facility to provide a quality experience for visitors. The proposed project would also establish limited ferry service between Pier 31½ and the existing Fort Baker pier, as well as interpretive cruises around the bay. Project Location, Existing Site Characteristics, and Operations Pier 31½ Pier 31½ is located along the northern end of The Embarcadero and within Port jurisdiction. The existing embarkation site is located primarily in the open area between the Pier 33 shed to the north and the Pier 31 shed to the south, and to the rear (bay side) of the Pier 33 and Pier 31 bulkhead buildings. The outdoor site occupies approximately 0.95 acre along the water. The site lies within the Port of San Francisco Embarcadero Historic District. Figure 3 shows the layout of the existing embarkation site, which has been operated by Alcatraz Cruises, LLC, since 2006. The ferry embarkation site program is located on the marginal wharf,1 except for a portable restroom facility and limited operational space located in the Pier 33 shed. The site features a portable ticket booth, several exhibits, and a small parking area of approximately 15 spaces for Park Service operations, located on the southeastern portion of the marginal wharf. There is a large canopy structure over the queuing area adjacent to the water, a seating area with café tables and chairs under eight market umbrellas, and a temporary fabric canopy over a concession stand. The Pier 33 bulkhead building is occupied by the privately-operated Alcatraz Café and Grill. A passenger loading zone compliant with Federal Accessibility Standards for tour bus operations is 1 A wharf is a docking structure oriented parallel to the shore. A wharf built as a continuation of the shoreline is known as a “marginal wharf.” Case No.