SU0014674 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

mitigation is derived from mitigation discussed in the 1994 Master EIR. The Initial Study does not disclose significant environmental effects that were not previously examined in general within the 1994 Master EIR. The Initial Study completed for the Neighborhood F Project has not identified additional environmental effects that were not addressed in the 1994 Master EIR. For instance, concerning transportation, traffic generation has changed for some roads (sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing the amount of trip generation, however, none of these changes are substantial). The Master Plan recognized that certain roads, depending upon subsequent more specific analysis (which would correspond to the specificity of the pending approval), would require additional improvements. The project was responsible to provide a fair share contribution to operation and safety improvements to certain roads identified in the Master Plan. These operation and safety improvements include widening roadways. Roadway widening was identified in the Master Plan as an express mitigation measure. Concerning noise, the Master Plan requires project design(including soundwalls) to reasonably reduce noise to as close to a Ldn of 60 dB as possible. Based on the 1994 Master EIR, the Master Plan considered the impacts of noise and included eight additional mitigation measures. In terms of cumulative growth since 1994, a number of projects in the regional area of the Mountain House site that were discussed in the 1994 Master EIR have either been completed or withdrawn from application. In addition, new projects have been proposed in the greater Tracy, Alameda County, and Contra Costa County areas. However,the focus of the 1994 Master EIR was on the general 2010 build-out of San Joaquin County and neighboring counties rather than project specific build-outs. The EIR cumulative impacts also incorporated build-out of the entire Mountain House New Community as well as the specific neighborhoods of Specific Plan I. Therefore, conclusions of the "Cumulative Impacts" section of the 1994 Master EIR are not altered by the change in specific projects in the greater region, and the project's proportional contribution to cumulative impacts remains relatively unchanged. No substantial changes have occurred in the cumulative traffic analysis which would require major revisions to the 1994 Master EIR. Cumulative traffic impacts have been recalculated for 2010 using the same accelerated build-out assumptions for Mountain House as the 1994 Master EIR, but with current regional housing, employment and traffic projections. The traffic study found that projected cumulative traffic conditions are essentially of similar or lower overall volumes than documented in the 1994 Master EIR resulting in generally similar or lower cumulative traffic volumes. Cumulative traffic impacts are also essentially similar or of lower impact than the 1994 Master EIR. The Initial Study traffic study found substantial decreases in freeway and highway traffic on 7 of the 9 segments evaluated and small increases on two segments. All freeway/highway segment levels of service remained the same or improved in comparison to the 1994 Master EIR traffic analysis. Of the 24 arterial road segments evaluated, 11 had similar levels of service, 11 had improved levels of service, and two, Grant Line Extension and Tracy Boulevard north of Lammers Road, had decreased levels 8