Petaluma General Plan 2025 Draft Environmental Impact Report STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NO. 2004082065 Prepared for City of Petaluma by September 2006 Table of Contents Executive Summary................................................................................................... E-1 E.1 Proposed Project................................................................................................E-1 E.2 Alternatives to the Proposed General Plan .......................................................E-6 E.3 Areas of Controversy..........................................................................................E-8 E.4 Summary of Impacts & Environmentally Superior Alternative .....................E-9 1 Introduction...........................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Purpose and Use of This EIR.............................................................................1-1 1.2 The General Plan Preparation Process..............................................................1-2 1.3 Public Participation and Review .......................................................................1-2 1.4 EIR Approach and Assumptions.......................................................................1-3 1.5 Issues Addressed in This EIR.............................................................................1-4 1.6 Documents Incorporated by Reference ............................................................1-5 1.7 Organization of the Draft EIR ...........................................................................1-6 2 Project Description...............................................................................................2-1 2.1 Introduction and Background...........................................................................2-1 2.2 Regional Location and Planning Area...............................................................2-2 2.3 Purpose & Objectives of the Proposed General Plan .......................................2-7 2.4 Characteristics of the Proposed General Plan ................................................2-10 2.5 Key Policy Direction ........................................................................................2-21 2.6 Implementation of the Proposed General Plan..............................................2-23 3 Environmental Setting, Impact Analysis, and Mitigation............................... 3-1 3.1 Land Use..........................................................................................................3.1-1 3.2 Transportation ................................................................................................3.2-1 3.3 Parks and Recreation ......................................................................................3.3-1 3.4 Public Services.................................................................................................3.4-1 3.5 Public Utilities and Energy .............................................................................3.5-1 3.6 Hydrology........................................................................................................3.6-1 3.7 Geology, Seismicity, and Soils ........................................................................3.7-1 3.8 Biological Resources........................................................................................3.8-1 3.9 Noise ................................................................................................................3.9-1 3.10 Air Quality.....................................................................................................3.10-1 i 3.11 Visual Resources............................................................................................3.11-1 3.12 Cultural Resources........................................................................................3.12-1 3.13 Hazardous Material.......................................................................................3.13-1 4 Impact Overview...................................................................................................4-1 4.1 Significant Unavoidable Environmental Impacts ............................................4-1 4.2 Irreversible Environmental Changes.................................................................4-1 4.3 Growth-Inducing Impacts.................................................................................4-2 4.4 Cumulative Impacts...........................................................................................4-3 4.5 Impacts Found Not To Be Significant ..............................................................4-6 5 Analysis of Alternatives ..................................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Background of Alternatives Development........................................................5-1 5.2 Description of Alternatives................................................................................5-2 5.3 Comparison of Alternatives...............................................................................5-6 5.4 Environmentally Superior Alternative............................................................5-22 6 Report Authors...................................................................................................6-1 7 Persons and Organization Consulted............................................................... 7-1 8 References........................................................................................................... 8-1 Glossary ................................................................................................................... G-1 ii Technical Appendices List Volume 1: Appendix A Survey of Residents (August 2002)...........................................................................................A-1 Notice of Preparation and Written Responses (August 2004) ...............................................A-2 Appendix B (Mobility) Draft Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan (July 2006)............................................................................ B-1 Traffic Model Development Report (September 2003) .......................................................... B-2 Volume 2: Appendix C Water Supply and Demand Analysis Report (June 2006).......................................................C-1 Volume 3: Appendix D Water Distribution System Master Plan (July 2006)...............................................................D-1 Appendix E (Surface Water) Facilities Review (Technical Memo 1, May 2003)................................................................... E-1 Operations & Maintenance Plan (Technical Memo 2, April 2003) ....................................... E-2 Volume 4: Appendix F Fiscal Impacts of the Preferred Plan (August 2006).................................................................F-1 Groundwater Feasibility Study (February 2004)......................................................................F-2 Biological Resources Review (Technical Memo 3, December 2003).……………………. F-3 Surface Water Model Calibration & Analysis Report (August 2006)…………………….. F-4 Appendix G Environmental Impact Report ................................................................................................G-1 iii List of Tables Table ES-1: Estimated Housing Units at Plan Buildout.......................................................... E-4 Table ES-2: Non-Residential Development at Plan Buildout (sq. ft.).................................... E-4 Table ES-3: Population and Employment ............................................................................... E-5 Table ES-4: Buildout Comparison – Proposed Plan and Alternatives................................... E-8 Table ES-5: Summary of Impacts and Proposed General Plan Policies that Reduce the Impact................................................................................................................... E-11 Table 2.1-1: Required Elements and Petaluma General Plan Elements..................................2-1 Table 2.4-1: Land Use Acreages Plan Buildout.......................................................................2-18 Table 2.4-2: Estimated Housing Units at Plan Buildout........................................................2-19 Table 2.4-3: Non-Residential Development at Plan Buildout (sf. ft.)...................................2-19 Table 2.4-4: Density and Intensity Assumptions Used in Buildout Projections ..................2-19 Table 2.4-5: Population and Employment..............................................................................2-20 Table 3.1-1: Petaluma UGB: Existing land Use Acreage (2004)...........................................3.1-2 Table 3.2-1: Journey to Work by Mode of Travel, Petaluma Residents...............................3.2-1 Table 3.2-2: Qualitative Description of Level of Service...................................................... 3.2-4 Table 3.2-3: Intersection Level of Service Criteria................................................................ 3.2-4 Table 3.2-4: Freeway Segment Level of Service Definitions................................................. 3.2-5 Table 3.2-5: Intersection Level of Service, Existing Conditions .......................................... 3.2-9 Table 3.2-6: Freeway Peak-Hour V/C Ratio and Existing LOS ......................................... 3.2-11 Table 3.2-7: Intersection Level of Service, Future with Project (Year 2025) Conditions..................................................................... 3.2-27 Table