DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Foothill College Facilities Master Plan State Clearinghouse # 2007091014 Prepared for: Foothill De Anza Community College District 12345 El Monte Road Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 Prepared by: August 2008 FOOTHILL COLLEGE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT PREPARED FOR: Foothill De Anza Community College District 12345 El Monte Road Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 PREPARED BY: Christopher A. Joseph & Associates 610 16th Street, Suite 514 Oakland, CA 94612 August 2008 SCH NO: 2007091014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ I-1 II. SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................II-1 III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................ III-1 A. Overview of Environmental Setting ...................................................................... III-1 B. Foothill-De Anza Community College District 2007 Facilities Master Plan ...... III-21 C. Project Characteristics ......................................................................................... III-24 D. Project Objectives ................................................................................................ III-31 E. Discretionary Actions .......................................................................................... III-32 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS ............................................................ IV.A-1 A. Impacts Found To Be Less Than Significant ..................................................... IV.A-1 B. Air Quality ......................................................................................................... IV.B-1 C. Biological Resources ......................................................................................... IV.C-1 D. Cultural Resources ............................................................................................. IV.D-1 E. Noise ...................................................................................................................IV.E-1 F. Transportation/Circulation .................................................................................. IV.F-1 V. GENERAL IMPACT CATEGORIES ............................................................................ V-1 A. Summary of Significant Unavoidable Impacts ....................................................... V-1 B. Growth Inducing Impacts of the Proposed Project ................................................. V-1 VI. ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECTS ................................................. VI-1 A. Purpose ................................................................................................................... VI-1 B. Assumptions and Methodology ............................................................................. VI-1 C. Selected Alternatives ............................................................................................. VI-2 D. Environmentally Superior Alternative ................................................................... VI-9 VII. PREPARERS OF THE EIR .......................................................................................... VII-1 VIII. REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... VIII-1 IX. ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................. IX-1 Foothill College Facilities Master Plan Table of Contents Draft Environmental Impact Report Page i LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A: NOTICE OF PREPARATION (NOP) AND INITIAL STUDY APPENDIX B: RESPONSES TO THE NOP APPENDIX C: AIR QUALITY DATA APPENDIX D: HISTORIC RESOURCE EVALUATION APPENDIX E: NOISE DATA APPENDIX F: TRAFFIC STUDY Foothill College Facilities Master Plan Table of Contents Draft Environmental Impact Report Page ii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure III-1 Regional and Project Vicinity Map ............................................................... III-2 Figure III-2 Foothill College Campus Aerial Photograph ................................................. III-3 Figure III-3 Existing Map of Foothill College Campus .................................................... III-4 Figure III-4 Views 1-2 ....................................................................................................... III-5 Figure III-5 Views 3-4 ....................................................................................................... III-6 Figure III-6 Views 5-6 ....................................................................................................... III-7 Figure III-7 Views 7-8 ....................................................................................................... III-8 Figure III-8 Views 9-10 ..................................................................................................... III-9 Figure III-9 Foothill College Master Plan ....................................................................... III-17 Figure IV.C-1 Location of Drainages at the Project Site .................................................. IV.C-3 Figure IV.D-1 Potential Historic District: Contributing Buildings ................................... IV.D-7 Figure IV.E-1 Noise Measurement Locations ....................................................................IV.E-7 Figure IV.F-1 Existing Lane Geometry and Traffic Control ............................................. IV.F-2 Figure IV.F-2 Transit Network .......................................................................................... IV.F-6 Figure IV.F-3 Bicycle Facilities ......................................................................................... IV.F-8 Figure IV.F-4 Project Trip Distribution ........................................................................... IV.F-17 Foothill College Facilities Master Plan Table of Contents Draft Environmental Impact Report Page iii LIST OF TABLES Page Table II-1 Summary of Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures ......................II-5 Table III-1 Existing Foothill College Buildings ............................................................ III-10 Table III-2 Existing District Buildings ........................................................................... III-12 Table III-3 Measure E Projects ...................................................................................... III-13 Table III-4 2007 Facilities Master Plan Construction .................................................... III-15 Table III-5 Proposed Foothill College Building Square Footage .................................. III-16 Table III-6 Project Approvals ........................................................................................ III-22 Table IV.B-1 California and National Ambient Air Quality Standards ........................... IV.B-3 Table IV.B-2 Ambient Air Quality Attainment Status for San Francisco Air Basin ....... IV.B-4 Table IV.B-3 Sunnyvale - Ambient Air Monitoring Station ......................................... IV.B-16 Table IV.B-4 Redwood City - Ambient Air Monitoring Station ................................... IV.B-17 Table IV.B-5 Existing Facilities in Los Altos Hills, Emission Inventory (tons/year) ................................................................................................ IV.B-18 Table IV.B-6 Santa Clara County - 2006 Estimated Annual Average Stationary Sources Emissions (tons/day) .................................................................. IV.B-18 Table IV.B-7 BAAQMD Thresholds of Significance .................................................... IV.B-20 Table IV.B-8 Estimated Daily Operational Emissions – Proposed Project ................... IV.B-24 Table IV.B-9 Project Consistency with 2006 CAT Report Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies ................................................................ IV.B-25 Table IV.B-10 Predicted Proposed Project Operational Greenhouse Gas Emissions ..... IV.B-31 Table IV.C-1 Potentially-Occurring Special-Status Plant Species .................................. IV.C-6 Table IV.C-2 Potentially-Occurring Special-Status Wildlife Species ........................... IV.C-10 Table IV.D-1 Potential District Contributors, Buildings ................................................. IV.D-6 Table IV.D-2 Potential District Non-Contributors, Buildings ......................................... IV.D-8 Table IV.D-3 Potential Impacts to Historic Resources by the Project ........................... IV.D-15 Table IV.E-1 Representative Environmental Noise Levels ..............................................IV.E-2 Foothill College Facilities Master Plan Table of Contents Draft Environmental Impact Report Page iv LIST OF TABLES (CONTINUED) Page Table IV.E-2 Reaction of People and Damage to Buildings at Various Continuous Vibration Levels .........................................................................................IV.E-5 Table IV.E-3 Sound Level Measurements in dBA at Selected Locations On-Site ..........IV.E-6 Table IV.E-4 Existing Roadway Noise Levels Offsite .....................................................IV.E-8 Table IV.E-5 State Noise and Land Use Compatibility Criteria ....................................IV.E-10 Table IV.E-6 Los Altos Hills General Plan Maximum Decibels Noise Sources Day/Night ..................................................................................................IV.E-11