PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT EASTSHORE PARK PROJECT GENERAL PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT STATE CLEARINGHOUSE # 2002022051 July 2002 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT EASTSHORE PARK PROJECT GENERAL PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT STATE CLEARINGHOUSE # 2002022051 Gray Davis Governor Mary D. Nichols Secretary for Resources Ruth Coleman Acting Director of Parks and Recreation P.O.Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 July 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT SUMMARY ............................................................................ 1 A. PURPOSE OF THE EIR........................................................................................................ 1 B. PROPOSED PROJECT ......................................................................................................... 2 C. PLANNING PROCESS......................................................................................................... 4 D. EIR SCOPE............................................................................................................................ 5 E. SUMMARY........................................................................................................................... 5 F. REPORT ORGANIZATION................................................................................................. 7 II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION............................................................................................................... 9 A. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................9 B. REGIONAL LOCATION AND SETTING........................................................................... 9 C. PROPOSED PROJECT ......................................................................................................... 9 D. ANTICIPATED ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION................................................ 30 E. INTENDED USES OF THE EIR......................................................................................... 32 III. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES .......................................................... 35 A. AESTHETICS...................................................................................................................... 37 B. AIR QUALITY .................................................................................................................... 51 C. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 65 D. CULTURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................ 87 E. GEOLOGY AND SOILS..................................................................................................... 95 F. HAZARDS......................................................................................................................... 107 G. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY....................................................................... 123 H. LAND USE AND PUBLIC POLICY................................................................................ 137 I. NOISE................................................................................................................................ 153 J. PUBLIC SERVICES.......................................................................................................... 167 K. TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION .................................................................. 177 L. UTILITIES......................................................................................................................... 209 IV. ALTERNATIVES .................................................................................................................... 221 A. ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED .............................. 221 B. ALTERNATIVES TO THE DRAFT GENERAL PLAN.................................................. 223 C. ENVIRONMENTALLY-SUPERIOR ALTERNATIVE .................................................. 244 V. CEQA-REQUIRED ASSESSMENT CONCLUSIONS .......................................................... 245 A. GROWTH-INDUCING IMPACTS................................................................................... 245 B. SIGNIFICANT IRREVERSIBLE CHANGES.................................................................. 245 C. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS............................................................................................... 246 D. EFFECTS FOUND NOT TO BE SIGNIFICANT............................................................. 250 E. UNAVOIDABLE SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS................................................................... 251 F. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM USES OF THE ENVIRONMENT................................................................................................ 251 P:\Wrt130\Draft EIR\00-TOC.doc (07/12/02) i LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. EASTSHORE PARK PROJECT GENERAL PLAN EIR JULY 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS VI. EIR AND GENERAL PLAN PREPARATION....................................................................... 253 A. EIR PREPARERS.............................................................................................................. 253 B. GENERAL PLAN PREPARERS ...................................................................................... 254 C. REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 255 D. CONTACTS....................................................................................................................... 263 E. CONTACT INFORMATION............................................................................................ 266 APPENDICES CONTAINED IN THIS DRAFT EIR A: Notice of Preparation, Initial Study, and Written Comments B: Draft General Plan Guidelines TECHNICAL APPENDICES SEPARATELY BOUND C: Traffic Modeling Worksheets D: Air Quality Worksheets E: Noise Worksheets F: Projects Considered in the Cumulative Analysis P:\Wrt130\Draft EIR\00-TOC.doc (07/12/02) ii LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. EASTSHORE PARK PROJECT GENERAL PLAN EIR JULY 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS FIGURES Figure I-1: Regional Location Map...............................................................................................3 Figure II-1a: Project Boundaries and Key Features ......................................................................11 Figure II-1b: Key Adjacent Features .............................................................................................12 Figure II-2a: Land Use – Preservation ...........................................................................................15 Figure II-2b: Land Use – Conservation ..........................................................................................16 Figure II-2c: Land Use – Recreation ..............................................................................................17 Figure II-3a: Emeryville Crescent ..................................................................................................24 Figure II-3b: South Berkeley – North Emeryville ..........................................................................25 Figure II-3c: Berkeley Meadow/North Basin.................................................................................26 Figure II-3d: Albany Shoreline.......................................................................................................27 Figure II-3e: Pt. Isabel/South Richmond Shoreline........................................................................28 Figure II-4: Circulation.................................................................................................................31 Figure III.I-1: Noise And Land Use Compatibility Guidelines......................................................158 Figure III.K-1: Existing Roadway Geometrics and Characteristics.................................................179 Figure III.K-2: Study Area Intersection Locations and Geometrics ................................................187 Figure III.K-3: Existing Peak Hour and Daily Traffic Volumes......................................................189 Figure III.K-4: Project Trip Generation, Distribution, and Assignment..........................................193 Figure III.K-5: Existing Plus Project Peak Hour and Daily Traffic Volumes .................................195 Figure III.K-6: Year 2025 Baseline Peak Hour and Daily Traffic Volumes ...................................201 Figure III.K-7: Year 2025 Baseline Plus Project Peak Hour and Daily Traffic Volumes ...............203 Figure IV-1a: Alternative A: Conservation – Emeryville Crescent...............................................230 Figure IV-1b: Alternative A: Conservation – South Berkeley/North Emeryville..........................231 Figure IV-1c: Alternative A: Conservation – Berkeley Meadow/North Basin..............................232 Figure IV-1d: Alternative A: Conservation – Albany Shoreline....................................................234 Figure IV-1e: Alternative A: Conservation – Pt. Isabel/South Richmond Shoreline.....................235 Figure IV-2a: Alternative B: Recreation – Emeryville Crescent ...................................................237 Figure IV-2b: Alternative B: Recreation – South Berkeley/North Emeryville ..............................238 Figure IV-2c: Alternative B: Recreation – Berkeley Meadow/North Basin ..................................239 Figure IV-2d: Alternative B: Recreation