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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05092000 - C5-C7 6.6 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: Supervisor Donna Gerber DATE: May 9, 2000 SUBJECT: Comments on the Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report for the East Bay Municipal Utility District Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATIMS)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION 1. Recommended Action: AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign the attached letter to the East Bay Municipal Utility District regarding the Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project. 11. Financial lm acct: No impact to the General Fund. Continued on Attachment:_A SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE —APPROVE —OTHER SIGNATURE(S): Donna Gerber,Chair Mark DaSaulnler ACTION OF BOARD ON May 9 , 2000 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED BOTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I hereby certify that this is a true and correct , _ UNANIMOUS(ABSENT - ) copy of an action taken and entered on the AYES: NOES: minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the ABSENT: ABSTAIN: date shown. ATTESTED: May 9, 2000 JB:eh:je PHIL BATCHE R, Clerk of the Board g:\transeng\2000\Bo-Te\EBMUDDEIR2 of Supervisors d gounty Administrator Orig.Div: Public Works(TE) Contact: J.Bueren—313-2342 By , Deputy c: D.Barry,CDD Transportation Planning,CDD Recirculated DEIR for EBMUD's proposed Walnut Creek-Sen Ramon Valley Improvement Project May 9, 2000 Page 2 Ill. Reasons for Recommendations and Rack-ground: The East Say Municipal Utility District (ESMUD) released a Draft Environmental Impact Report {EIR}for the proposed Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project in January 1999. Where was a 105 day comment period on the Draft EIR. The project consists of expanding the Walnut Creek Treatment Plant and the Danville Pumping Station and constructing 4.4 miles of large diameter transmission pipeline from Walnut Creek to Alamo. Much of the pipeline is proposed to be constructed in the County owned former Southern Pacific Right of Way. ESMUD made a presentation to the Board of Supervisors' Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee on March 15, 1999 about the proposed Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project. The Board of Supervisors submitted a letter of County concerns and comments on the Draft EIR in May 1999. In response to written and oral public comments received during the comment period, ESMUD made a number of changes to the project and have prepared a Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report. The public review period closes on May 10, 2000. The major changes to the project include a reconfiguration of the Walnut Creek Treatment Plant Expansion, reconfiguration of the Danville Pumping Plant Expansion and addition of an alternative pipeline alignment in the downtown Walnut Creek Area. The County's comments on the original Draft EIR focused on the project's impacts to the former Southern Pacific Right of Way, impacts to County roads and growth inducing impacts of the project. The Recirculated Draft EIR presents many of the same issues and concerns for the County which are discussed in the attached letter. They BoSupervisors r'1ii3o �. o I r /� ,+ ? le€k Baof tchelor Bard Costa and County Administration Building 1'x..1 !1, co�,n:y Administrator 651 Pine Street, Room 106 (925)335.1900 Martinez, California 94553-1293 County John G€o€a,1st District Gayle Ullkema,2nd District ~ Donna Gerber,3rd District Mark DeSau€nier,4th District - < Joe Canctam€€€a,5th District w` May 9, 2000 Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District 375 Eleventh Street Oakland, CA 94607-4240 RE: Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project Recirculated DEIR Dear Mr. Hanoian: County staff has reviewed the Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)for the Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project. The project has the potential to create several impacts to residents and businesses in Alamo and the City of Walnut Creek as well as major disruption to the roads and trails in the project area. Our specific comments are as follows. • Project Need The Recirculated DEIR states that the project need is identified in East Bay Municipal Utility District's (EBMUD) 1984 San Ramon Valley Master Plan and confirmed in the updated San Ramon Valley Water Service Facilities Draft Master Plan (1998). What is the process and schedule for adopting the Master Plan? Will this Recirculated DEIR be used to adopt the Draft Master Plan? Can page 2-8, the Recirculated DEIR states that the 69-inch diameter pipeline is needed to meet the 230-level demand projections as well as to provide flexibility to respond to several factors. It appears that extra capacity is built into the project. The document should clarify what size of pipe is needed to meet the 230-level demand projections and further analysis is required to document the need for anything larger. Appendix H, Annexation, Service to Dougherty Valley, and Secondary Effects of Growth asserts that the Dublin San Ramon Services District will be the water service provider for Dougherty Valley. However, if something changes and EBMUD is required to provide service to Dougherty Valley, it appears that additional improvements to the Walnut Creek Treatment Plant and the Danville Pumping Plant would be required beyond the scope of what is evaluated in this Recirculated DEIR. It would be preferable to incorporate any additional improvements required into the current proposed project to avoid two construction phases and minimize the disruption to the surrounding residents. Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 9, 2000 Page 2 • Visual Quality The disturbance and removal of vegetation for construction of the proposed pipeline within the County's transportation and utility corridor (TUC), the former Southern Pacific Right of Way, between Rudgear Road and Stone Valley Road in Alamo is considered to be a significant, but mitigatable impact. The County is developing a management program for the Southern Pacific Right of Way that would continue its use as a joint use facility for transportation and utility purposes but would also allow for the corridor to be enhanced with landscaping improvements. The section of the project between Rudgear Road and Stone Valley Road is considered a very desirable segment of the corridor. This section of the TUC has considerable mature vegetation that will be severely impacted by the construction of the pipeline. We are pleased to see that the Recirculated DEIR includes planting to enhance the Iron Horse Corridor in accordance with the Draft Iron Horse Corridor Management Program Landscape Element (Measure 2-1d). EBMUD should work with Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee, Alamo's Recreation Service Area R7A, the East Bay Regional Park District and the County Public Works Department to develop a landscaping plan. Water meters should be installed and water provided to irrigate landscaping within the corridor. We request that all plantings be warranted for a period of 3 years. • Traffic, Circulation and Recreation Impact 3-2: Pipeline installation within and across streets would reduce the number of, or the available width of, travel lanes on roads, resulting in temporary disruption of traffic flows and increases in traffic congestion, as well as affecting access to adjacent land uses for both general and emergency access. 4n page 3-3.27 the Recirculated DEIR proposes closing the northbound lane of the South Broadway south of Newell while maintaining the southbound lane for southbound traffic. On page 3-3.31, under proposed Mitigation Measure 3-2a, the Recirculated DEIR states that two-way traffic will be maintained on South Broadway south of Newell. Please clarify which is being recommended and what the associated impacts will be. The project will disrupt traffic on many local roads within the project area. The Recirculated DEIR discusses open-cut construction across Hillgrade Avenue, where limited alternative access is available, and across several local residential serving roadways where no alternative access is available, including Livoma Road West, Ramona Way, Litina Drive, Cervato Drive, Cervato Circle and Lunada Lane. The project also proposes open-cut construction into Danville Boulevard. In addition to the mitigation Measures 3-2a and 3-2b on page 3.3-30 through 3.3-32 of the Recirculated DEIR, EBMUD should be required to notify affected residents and emergency services of lane closures and traffic disruptions. EBMUD should provide a community liaison to help resolve issues and problems as they arise during construction and provide an 800 number for the public to call for information or to register complaints. Two lanes of traffic on Danville Boulevard must be provided at all times during construction and any disruption or closures of the bicycle lanes on Danville Boulevard will not be allowed if the Iron Horse Trail is not in operation. Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 9, 2000 Page 3 Impact 3-3: Project construction could increase wear and tear on area roadways used by construction vehicles. Mitigation Measure 3-3 includes conducting a pre-construction survey to document road conditions on key access routes to the project site. This survey should include a thorough road condition survey on all affected County and private roads and the San Ramon Creek Bypass area through the use of photo and video recordings. We recommend that an independent engineering consultant be mutually selected for this survey. The repair of all damaged areas may include additional mitigation measures if an affected County or private road was recently resurfaced. Impact 3-4: Project construction would increase potential safety hazards for vehicles, bicyclists and/or pedestrians on public roadways and trails. This is identified as a Significant and Unavoidable Impact in the Recirculated DEIR. Closure of the Iron Horse Trail during construction creates a significant impact for users of the trail, many of which use the trail for transportation to jobs and to school. In many locations, the only parallel route for a detour is Danville Boulevard which does have bicycle lanes but no facilities for pedestrians. Detours should be limited to the three signalized intersections on Danville Boulevard at Rudgear Road, Livoma Road and Stone Valley Road or temporary signals should be placed at detour crossings of Danville Boulevard as suggested in the Recirculated DEIR. Any detour of trail traffic needs to be well signed and easy to follow. In addition to providing transportation benefits, the Iron Horse Trail is also a major recreational facility in the area. It is heavily used by walkers, runners, in-line skaters and families with small children. It is more difficult to safely detour these activities to Danville Boulevard. Closure of the trail in areas where Danville Boulevard is the only detour option should occur in the winter months when the recreation uses in the corridor are lowest. The Recirculated DEIR assumes closure of the iron Horse Trail to accommodate the construction. EBMUD should explore alternatives to maintain the trail during construction, such as relocating the trail within the right of way and applying alternative construction methods. Another possibility may be to allow for the trail to be open during weekends and holidays when the recreational use is high. If it is determined that complete closure of the trail is necessary, a more thorough analysis of impacts and mitigation is required. The Recirculated DEIR identifies the closure of the Iron Horse Trail as a Significant and Unavoidable Impact. To help offset this impact, EBMUD should enhance the Iron Horse Trail when it is restored with landscaping, irrigation and amenities such as drinking fountains, informational signage and benches to mitigate for the inconvenience and disruption of use due to construction of the pipeline. EBMUD should work with Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee, Alamo's Recreation Service Area R7A, the East Bay Regional Park District and the County Public Works Department to develop a plan to enhance the Iron Horse Trail. Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 9, 2000 Page 4 Impact 3-9: Construction of the project could disrupt newly repaved streets. Mitigation Measure 3-9 states that EBMUD will comply with encroachment permit standards with respect to rehabilitation of roadways that have been recently paved or treated. The County will require EBMUD to comply with permit standards for all roadways impacted by the project, regardless of whether they have been recently paved or treated. One of the permit conditions may include the restoration of the entire width of the roadway within the construction area with an acceptable type of resurfacing material such as a slurry seal. In addition to pavement restoration, EBMUD will also be required to replace any traffic control devices, signing or striping that is removed for the project. The County is currently pursuing a project to install a lighted crosswalk on Hillgrade Avenue at the Iron Horse Trail. The project should be completed this year and will be in place during EBMUD`s proposed construction. • Noise Construction along the County's TUC south of Rudgear Road and increased truck traffic on the local roads to access the construction will create a noise impact for the residents whose homes back up to the TUC and who live along the proposed access routes. EBMUD should provide a community liaison to help resolve issues as they arise during construction and provide an 800 number for the public to call for information or to register a complaint. Specifications for construction contracts should include notice to the contractor(s) of the noise requirements and hours of work and specify fines for violation. • Surface Water Quality The comments of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (Flood Control District) are included as follows. Mitigation measure 8-1b states that, "For construction adjacent to or crossing any creeks or drainage channels, the District will obtain an encroachment permit from the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.' We wish to reiterate some of our key concerns associated with the work in and around our facilities, and restate that our reviews will focus on such issues as: a) The potential effects of trenching near flood control channels. The release of soil pressure from the channel walls during the trenching, or tunneling, and pressure created during backfilling of the trenched sections, could threaten the integrity of the channel structures. We request that a Geotechnical and Structural report addressing these issues be submitted to the Flood Control District for review and approval. Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 9, 2000 Page 5 b) The proposed pipeline crosses a number of existing and future drainage lines in Drainage Areas 10 and 13 (as highlighted on the enclosed Drainage Area maps, County Drawings#D- 12475, D-12476, and D-12704). A large diameter pipeline with 6 feet of cover could preclude the Flood Control District's ability to cross the water line with these proposed drainage outfalls to the creek due to insufficient fall. Therefore, we request that the waterline designed to prevent any conflicts with these outfalls. Further, the Flood Control District should be given an opportunity to review plans for any construction in these areas. c) The Flood Control District also has a proposed drainage line that parallels the new pipeline in the West Alamo area, and may like to construct that line in a collaborative effort with EBMUD. d) Any Flood Control permit will include provisions requiring submittal of a cash bond to ensure protection of Flood Control District facilities against damage incurred during construction. The California Alignment calls for either open-cut trenching across Las Trampas Creek on the east side of 1-680 or jack-and-bore construction of the pipeline under Las Trampas Creek on the west side of 1-684. Since it would be less invasive to the natural creek channel,we favor the jack- and-bore method to the open-trench crossing the creek, should the California Alignment prove necessary. EBMUD must enter into a license agreement, which will include provisions for payment of an annual fee to the Flood Control District, for use of Flood Control District right of way (R1W)where such R/W is held in fee title. EBMUD must obtain a joint use agreement where the Flood Control District has an easement. EBMUD will be responsible for the Flood Control District's costs associated with the preparation and execution of these documents. Impact 8-3 references the Walnut Creek WTP and the Danville Pumping Plant's less than significant impacts with regard to the increased impervious surface areas. It should be noted that the Walnut Creek WTP is located within Drainage Area 46 (DA 46), and the Danville Pumping Plant is located within Drainage Area 13 (DA 13). Both DA 46 and DA 13 have fee ordinances, previously adopted by the Board of Supervisors. These project sites would be subject to drainage area fees for any increases in impervious surface areas created as a result of new construction. Plans for the new facilities will need to be submitted for Flood Control District review and calculation of fees. Growth Inducement: The document concludes that the growth projections are consistent with County and City general plans without thorough analysis to support such statements. From the information presented in the Recirculated DEIR, one cannot determine if the demand projections that the project proposes to address are consistent with the growth projections of the County and City general plans. The boundaries of ABAG growth forecasts are typically not coterminous with the boundaries of urban Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 9, 2000 Page 6 development permitted in adopted general plans. It would also be useful to see an overlay of the EBMUD Ultimate Service Boundary on the County's urban limit line to determine if any growth is projected outside the urban limit line or within areas designated agricultural land/open space. • Analysis of Alternatives In Section 6.2, Alternatives to the Project, the Recirculated DEIR discusses four alternatives to the project that were evaluated: Alternative 1, Expanding the existing Upper San Leandro Water Treatment Plant; Alternative 2, Constructing a new water treatment plant at the Rifle Range Site in Alameda County; Alternative 3, Constructing a new water treatment plant at the Johnston Road Site in an area east of San Ramon; and Alternative 4, No Project Alternative required by CEQA. Table 6-1 on page 6-3 shows that both Alternatives 1, 2 and 3 meet the project objectives to provide capacity to meet existing and forecast demands within the Ultimate Service Boundary to the year 2020, to improve system flexibility and reliability and to provide for changing water quality regulations. Table 6-1 also shows that Alternatives 1, 2 and 3 will not meet the project objectives to minimize costs to customers and to minimize environmental impacts. However, the comparison of impacts of the proposed project to the alternatives, shown in Table 6-3, are qualitative and need further analysis to support the conclusion that the Walnut Creek-San Ramon Valley Improvement Project is the preferred alternative. Table 6-5 in Section 6.5, Alternatives Rejected Prior to Evaluation in this Recirculated DEIR, lists four potential alternatives to the project that were considered, but not evaluated in this Recirculated DEIR. The Recirculated DEIR does not provide much explanation as to why these alternatives were rejected and should include an analysis of cost, technical feasibility and environmental impacts. In addition, since the San Ramon Valley is the area of greatest demand and will receive the most benefit from the project, it seems an evaluation of a water treatment facility in the San Ramon Valley would be appropriate. • Right of Way Issues Construction in the County's TUC will limit access for the County to maintain the right of way. EBMUD should be required to provide maintenance such as weed abatement and maintain drainage within the TUC for the duration of the project. The former Southern Pacific Right of Way contains many subsurface easements for underground utilities, including a high pressure petroleum line, fiber optic cable, sanitary sewer, gas and water lines. There are also surface easements for access and maintenance of these facilities. The East Bay Regional Park District has a license agreement to operate and maintain the Iron Horse Trail. Walnut Creek has an easement for the South Broadway Extension and the County Flood Control District has an easement for their Walnut Creek Channel. The County is required to provide for the opportunity to develop a transit facility within the corridor. All of the existing rights and the provision for a future transit facility precede any new rights granted for additional uses. How EBMUD's project will impact the existing facilities within the right of way needs to be addressed. Granting rights for a new facility limits future opportunities within the corridor and this impact should also be addressed. Harvey P. Hanoian, Senior Civil Engineer East Bay Municipal Utility District May 9, 2000 Page 7 Though our comments relate to the impacts in the unincorporated area of the County and to our ownership of the former Southern Pacific Right of Way, we have also received comments from residents in the incorporated areas of Walnut Creek that will be impacted by the project. We worked with the City of Walnut Creek, the East Bay Regional Park District and the Town of Danville to coordinate our comments. We continue to support their concerns regarding the project. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Please call Julie Bueren in our Public Works Department at (925) 3132342 if you have any questions. Very truly yours, Donna Gerber Chair, Board of Supervisors JRB:Je G:\GrpDatalTransEng\2000\TE\DEIREBMU02.doe cc: M.Shiu,Public Works Director G.Connaughton,PWD Maintenance J.Bueren,PWD Transportation N.Leary,Flood Control District D.Barry,Community Development Director D.Chamberlain,Community Development S.Goetz,CDD Transportation W.Kirkpatrick,EBMUD M.Kimmerer,City of Walnut Creek T.Tucker,City of Walnut Creek S.Lake,City of Danville S.Fiala,EBRPD Iron Norse Corridor Advisory Committee Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County, State of California IN THE MATTER OF SUPPORTING ) RESOLUTION NO.20001222 ASSEMBLY BILL 212 CALIFORNIA } COMPENSATION AND RETENTION ) ENCOURAGE STABILITY (CARES) } WHEREAS, according to a growing body of research,the single most important determinant of high-quality child care services for young children and their families is the presence of consistent, sensitive, well-trained, and well-compensated caregivers; and WHEREAS, child care programs throughout California.are experiencing an extreme staffing shortage, fueled by poor compensation and few opportunities for advancement; and WHEREAS,the child care field in California is suffering an annual job turnover rate of 30 percent; and WHEREAS,the expansion of job opportunities in the public schools,resulting from class size reduction, threatens to drain the child care field of its most qualified caregivers; and WHEREAS, California invests millions of dollars each year through the community college system and other programs to train entry-level child care teachers and providers, yet due to high job and occupational turnover,many of these training dollars are lost; and WHEREAS, current subsidies and parent fees fail to provide sufficient revenue to create viable child care employment; and WHEREAS, child care providers, as well as the children, families, and businesses that depend upon them, suffer the consequences of inadequate compensation; and WHEREAS,the child care profession fails to provide workers with a wage necessary to achieve self-sufficiency; and WHEREAS,California has historically demonstrated leadership in the field of child care; NOW,THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,that the Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County urges the Governor of California, Gray Davis, to support AB212 (D- Aroner), California CARES (Compensation and Retention Encourage Stability, to reward the pursuit of child development training and to promote the retention of committed, qualified child care teachers and providers. Introduced by: I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of an order entered on the Minutes of the Board of.Supervisors. . Witness my hand and the Seal of the Board of Supervisors affixed this 9th Donna Ger 'er Suipervisor day of May, 2000. District PHIL BATCHELOR, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator. Deputy Clerk The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County In the Matter of Resotubon No. 2000/214 SUPPORTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF"ROSIE THE RWE CER/WORLD WAR II HOME FRONT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARIS" WHEREAS,HR 3910,introduced by Congressman George Miller in the 105th Congress,provided for a feasibility study by the National Park Service to determine whether Rosie the Riveter Parr is suitable for designation as a National l� ted site,and ..' �. -.s'r* WHEREAS,the findd' y lore Natzon ,'ark._ ire 046t it ismn6t;Wy feasible,suitable and appropriate that the Rivetex,l ens sri be,destighated as an`.4 fated Area in the National Parr�1 t t�ti publicly-owned a fntnerl 'ocu by the Kaiser Richmond mrd>-tie<Ftird Asseutl}ly 13urid cig ieco ne t I R#e {�' orld War II Home l i6int Natiaxral, tp l f"a and °, } WHf*tEA , In 106 Cfogress, Repr�sentat�ue George 31er h sntrodu 3 An th,,dH�e of R+ Sentat yes,-�40b ?and Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne,,i'06'telln h'a� U64,in t Senate„° 294, which would establish in Richmond aliform l crsie the i rater/W Var II H,p*efront National Historic Park,and. i x z W� •sL-L ."4E163 being lby T'�e .,ta.ti' k.#. fin'"t 3 s +�i`w••zii. C1i rts# ser4 Rosa L DeLauro, l.airs Evans, Ron K ix patsy T.- li $rtttC Erorst,Pat Darruli C.Dixon,Martin Frost Barbara Lee and Royb V .; l ' WHE the _ oil of tl Gditty of Ri c has stro t i h rent a f a Rosie the ' der 'War War II.Homfro�rtr �< to pa }, en 'theYr fx 3, w Ll1La il7i�' at: -99 expressing . � u9i national historical.s<te in pa itt r 1p w�� l�atioi�l Pari k� r Resolutts�ii 2t?3-97 utTl g ►rep Ation of it6;6i rl lr`: 'uut,tiVIA ' rat tfor Rel oric Landm**ale ort fof5hip and ; a utxl , tli the }o q a.. blit may{}�,.. ci z tong. .. .. . pito � �4 :s and 3; a resoluti 9n authoriaazrg submitWl i 6h lamed , .•.z��n ,•. : 3 z 23 z z3£s x r x z: less rilai 6n for the..Ri�ond SN-pyards Histr � � 1. ti f3 Q�#}C10 to v2tci < tlae 1�i�Memorial,and the funding of axilo establishte ntgbte irk W =Il y Hcefintatiori r N,.. >3a 2 WHFI ,�S, pM lft ntenir W the Rosie the Riveter/.W li � �I��crrtt��>historic Park in Rpni alit~ will bring prestige to Contrasaujr alid tt , t alifornia and will bre h6ntii'lu sa11�er<ic#ns whose relatives o' V-be a artiCip fted, the homefront effort to win Vt 'ld. z imn $ r X. T1IEREPC}RE BE IT , that die Bl ar ,f u �' aunty of Contra Costa qu reests the California Lep, California Congressional Delegation to support HR 4063 and �; c ' vYoulcl establish in Richmond, California the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Homefront National Historic Park. PASSED ivy uNAiVxuow vo7E of mE CommA CmTA Coo myy BoAm MEmERS PRESENTtS l""DAY MAY,2000. � 4 f"PA "16n Gioia, District I G e B. t , Dtstrlct II Do G 01suict In Mark DeSautnter, District IV �e iamiIla, District V my hand and the Seat of Me Board of t Supervtos afted this V'Clay of May,2000. f' PHIL BATCHELOR Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator M rbc . Introdu