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y a . 4 SECTION IV ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING, . IMPACTS AND SUGGESTED MITIGATION MEASURES INTRODUCTION j The Final EIR for the proposed project provides an analysis of the impacts associated with development of the project as originally proposed. (Please refer to Sections IV and V, pages i 15-64 of the FEIR for Morada Meadows, GPA No. 87-16 and ZR No. 87- 35, February 1988. ) The following section provides relevant data pertaining to the physical characteristics of the alternative site and evaluates the various impacts associated with development of the proposed project on the alternative site. Due to the proximity of the alternative site to the proposed project site, a majority of the impacts associated with the proposed project would also occur as a result of approval of the pp proposed project at the . alternative site. In those instances where new impacts have been identified,. this SEIR provides mitigation measures. A. LAND USE AND PLANNING POLICY The alternative site is located within the Morada Rural' Residential Area and is presently in agricultural use. It contains healthy young to mature walnut trees. Directly east of the site (and outside of the designated General Plan boundaries of Morada) the land is also planted in orchards. Orchards also occupy some of the rural . residential parcels to the north and south of the site. (See Figure 3. ) The adjacent lands to the west are developed with rural residential uses. The alternative site contains one soil type designated by the USDA Soil Conservation Service as Clear Lake clay (CL) . This soil type is considered Class IIs - 5 prime if irrigated and Class IVs- 5 prime if nonirrigated. According to the SCS, percolation rates of'Clear Lake clay soils are rated severe and present significant constraints to development of sanitary facilities. The FEIR provides background information on the agricultural economy and agricultural operations, including crop yields, as well as pesticide information relative to orchards and row crops. (See Section IV, pages 15-18. ) This information would pertain to the alternative site as well. The primary land use impacts identified for the proposed project are the loss of 60.93 acres of prime agricultural land and land use conflicts associated with the proximity of residential uses to agriculture. These impacts are discussed in Section IV of the FEIR. (See pages 18-20. ) i r y i 17 i is