“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” Thank you again for including Caltrans in the environmental review process. Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Marley Mathews, LDR Coordinator/Transportation Planner, via [email protected].
For future early coordination opportunities or project referrals, please contact LDR[email protected].
Sincerely,
YUNSHENG LUO
Acting District Branch Chief
Local Development Review
c: State Clearinghouse
Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments
3378-3386 El Camino Real ResidenƟal Project
August 2023
In ConsultaƟon with
Prepared by
3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential Project i Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments City of Santa Clara August 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1.0 Responses to Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Comments ........................1 Section 2.0 Draft Initial Study/Mitgated Negative Declaration Text Revisions...............................6 Attachment A: Initial Study Comment Letter
SECTION 1.0 RESPONSES TO INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED
NEGATIVE DECLARATION COMMENTS
In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15088, this document includes written responses to comments received by the City of Santa Clara on the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND). The IS/MND was circulated for 30 days from July 3, 2023 to August 2, 2023.
Comments are organized under headings containing the source of the letter and its date. The specific comments from each of the letter are presented with each response to that specific comment directly following. A copy of the letter is included in its entirety in Appendix A of this document. Comments received on the IS/MND are listed below.
Comment Letter and Commenter Page of Response
A. California Department of Transportation (July 28, 2023).................................................. 2 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential Project 2 Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments City of Santa Clara August 2023
A. California Department of Transportation (July 28, 2023) Comment A.1: Thank you for including the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in the environmental review process for the 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential. We are committed to ensuring that impacts to the State’s multimodal transportation system and to our natural environment are identified and mitigated to support a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system.
The Local Development Review (LDR) Program reviews land use projects and plans to ensure consistency with our mission and state planning priorities. The following comments are based on our review of the June 2023 IS/MND.
Project Understanding
The project proposes to demolish the existing commercial building and construct 22 three-story townhouses where each townhouse would have a two-car garage. Additional site features include bike parking and approximately 9,887 square feet of common open space.
The project site is located directly adjacent to State Route (SR)-82, within the Priority Development Area and Transit-Rich Area identified in Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)’s Plan Bay Area 2050.
Travel Demand Analysis
With the enactment of Senate Bill (SB) 743, Caltrans is focused on maximizing efficient development patterns, innovative travel demand reduction strategies, and multimodal improvements.
For more information on how Caltrans assesses Transportation Impact Studies, please review Caltrans’ Transportation Impact Study Guide (link).
The project VMT analysis and significance determination are undertaken in a manner consistent with the city’s adopted VMT policy. Per the IS/MND, this project is found to have a less than significant VMT impact, therefore working towards meeting the State’s VMT reduction goals.
Response A.1: The commenter has correctly summarized the project and the determination of the project’s vehicle miles traveled (VMT) impact. This comment does not raise any issues about the adequacy of the IS/MND. Therefore, no further response is required.
Comment A.2: Hydrology
If the project involves drainage work that flows into the State Drainage System, please provide a drainage design memo. The memo should show how the proposed drainage system flows on the plans. Drainage design memo should include pre- and post-project flows to the existing drainage system. Drainage Plan and Profile Sheets should include lengths, size, and types of new and existing pipes, inlets, outlets, and systems showing any utility conflicts. Include drainage details and profiles for connection to the existing drainage system. Assumptions and calculations used in designing the drainage system should be shown as well.
3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential Project 3 Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments City of Santa Clara August 2023
Response A.2: The City of Santa Clara owns and maintains the municipal storm drainage system which serves the project site. The lines that serve the project site drain into tributaries and streams in the area and eventually to the San Francisco Bay.
As mentioned on page 141 of the IS/MND, the proposed project would be required to adhere to local, regional and statewide regulations pertaining to stormwater runoff during construction and operation. The plan set dated January 6, 2023, includes a utility plan sheet which shows the existing and proposed storm drain lines and stormwater control plan sheets which provide additional details of the proposed treatment control measures. This comment does not raise any issues about the adequacy of the IS/MND. Therefore, no further response is required.
Comment A.3: Multimodal Transportation Planning
Please review and include the reference to the Caltrans District 4 Pedestrian Plan (2021) and the Caltrans District 4 Bike Plan (2018) in the IS/MND. These two plans studied existing conditions for walking and biking along and across the State Transportation Network (STN) in the nine-county Bay Area and developed a list of location-based and prioritized needs.
Please note that any Complete Streets reference should be updated to reflect Caltrans Director’s Policy 37 (link) that highlights the importance of addressing the needs of non-motorists and prioritizing space-efficient forms of mobility, while also facilitating goods movement in a manner with the least environmental and social impacts. This supersedes Deputy Directive 64-R1, and further builds upon its goals of focusing on the movement of people and goods.
Response A.3: The regulatory framework in Section 4.17 has been updated to include the Caltrans District 4 Pedestrian Plan and the Caltrans District Bike Plan (refer to Section 2.0 of this document for the text revisions. The IS/MND does not include references to complete streets. Therefore, this comment does not raise any issues about the adequacy of the IS/MND. No further response is required.
Comment A.4: Construction-Related Impact
Potential impacts to Caltrans’ Right-of-Way (ROW) from project-related temporary access points should be analyzed. Mitigation for significant impacts due to construction and noise should be identified. Project work that requires movement of oversized or excessive load vehicles on State roadways requires a transportation permit that is issued by Caltrans. To apply, please visit Caltrans Transportation Permits (link).
Prior to construction, coordination may be required with Caltrans to develop a Transportation Management Plan (TMP) to reduce construction traffic impacts to the STN.
Response A.4: The IS/MND includes an analysis of Air Quality, Noise, and Hazard and Hazardous Materials impacts associated with the proposed project. These impacts were found to be less than significant or were mitigated to a less than significant level with the incorporation of measures as identified in Sections 4.3, 4.9, and 4.13 of the IS/MND. The proposed project would be required to acquire all necessary permits from Caltrans to complete construction. Additionally, the proposed project will coordinate with Caltrans on the development of a TMP, if required. 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential Project 4 Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments City of Santa Clara August 2023
Comment A.5: Lead Agency
As the Lead Agency, the city of Santa Clara is responsible for all project mitigation, including any needed improvements to the STN. The project’s fair share contribution, financing, scheduling, implementation responsibilities and lead agency monitoring should be fully discussed for all proposed mitigation measures.
Equitable Access
If any Caltrans facilities are impacted by the project, those facilities must meet American Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards after project completion. As well, the project must maintain bicycle and pedestrian access during construction. These access considerations support Caltrans’ equity mission to provide a safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation network for all users.
Response A.5: The City of Santa Clara prepared a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) which details all mitigation to be incorporated into the project, the timing of implementation, and the responsibility for oversight. The City is responsible for ensuring that all mitigation measures are adhered to. No impacts to the STN were identified.
Additionally, the proposed project would be required to comply with state and local regulations for ADA accessibility and maintain bicycle and pedestrian access during construction. This comment does not raise any issues about the adequacy of the IS/MND. Therefore, no further response is required.
Comment A.6: Encroachment Permit
Please be advised that any permanent work or temporary traffic control that encroaches onto Caltrans’ ROW requires a Caltrans-issued encroachment permit, including relocation of driveways and/or any tree removal work that requires the use of Caltrans’ ROW.
As part of the encroachment permit submittal process, you may be asked by the Office of Encroachment Permits to submit a completed encroachment permit application package, digital set of plans clearly delineating Caltrans’ ROW, digital copy of signed, dated and stamped (include stamp expiration date) traffic control plans, this comment letter, your response to the comment letter, and where applicable, the following items: new or amended Maintenance Agreement (MA), approved Design Standard Decision Document (DSDD), approved encroachment exception request, and/or airspace lease agreement. Your application package may be emailed to [email protected].
To obtain information about the most current encroachment permit process and to download the permit application, please visit Caltrans Encroachment Permits (link).
Thank you again for including Caltrans in the environmental review process. Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Marley Mathews, LDR Coordinator/Transportation Planner, via [email protected].
For future early coordination opportunities or project referrals, please contact [email protected]. 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential Project 5 Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments City of Santa Clara August 2023
Response A.6: The proposed project will comply with all applicable requirements for any work that encroaches onto Caltrans’ ROW. This comment does not raise any issues about the adequacy of the IS/MND. Therefore, no further response is required. 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential Project 6 Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments City of Santa Clara August 2023
SECTION 2.0 DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/MITGATED NEGATIVE
DECLARATION TEXT REVISIONS
This section contains revisions to the text of the 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential IS/MND dated June 2023. Revised or new language is underlined. All deletions are shown with a line through the text.
Section 4.1.1.2, The third paragraph will be REVISED as follows:
Immediately east of the site is a used car dealership. A one-story office is located on the dealership lot and is set back further from El Camino Real than the existing building on-site. A billboard is located on the dealership lotsite, adjacent to the property line shared with the project site. A two-story, multifamily apartment complex is located south of the project site. Refer to Photos 3 and 4. A full access driveway along El Camino Real (adjacent to the west boundary of the project site) provides access and parking to the apartment complex, in addition to the two-story commercial building located west of the site.
Similar to the existing commercial buildings along El Camino Real, the two-story building is set back from the roadway via sidewalks and a surface parking lot. The building is occupied by various businesses and entrances are located along the eastern building façade. West of this building is a mixed-use development currently under construction. Refer to Photos 5 and 6.
Section 4.17.1.1, A new subheading and paragraph will be ADDED under the State
Caltrans District 4 Bike Plan (2018)
The Caltrans District 4 Bike Plan (Bike Plan) was developed in cooperation with local and regional partners to ensure that the improvements to the State highway system complement proposals for local networks. The Bike Plan identifies infrastructure improvements that can enhance bicycle safety and mobility throughout District 4 and removes some of the barriers to bicycling in the region and prioritizes utilitarian bicycle travel to work, school, shopping, and other similar purposes, or to connect to transit.
Section 4.17.1.1, A new subheading and paragraph will be ADDED under the State
Caltrans District 4 Pedestrian Plan (2021)
The Caltrans District 4 Pedestrian Plan (Pedestrian Plan) identifies and prioritizes pedestrian needs along and across the State Highway 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential Project 7 Responses to Initial Study/MND Comments City of Santa Clara August 2023
System. The Pedestrian Plan complements the Bike Plan and both documents promote alternatives to driving as a means to reduce congestion and GHGs. The Pedestrian Plan would be used by Caltrans staff, as well as regional and local agency partners, to address high priority needs along and across the State Transportation Network, which includes the State Highway System and all other multi-modal facilities owned and operated by Caltrans, including parallel paths, frontage roads, and other facilities not directly on a State Highway System mainline.
Attachment A: Initial Study Comment Letter
“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” DISTRICT 4
OFFICE OF REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY PLANNING
P.O. BOX 23660, MS–10D | OAKLAND, CA 94623-0660
www.dot.ca.gov
July 28, 2023 SCH #: 2023060805
GTS #: 04-SCL-2023-01214
GTS ID: 30307
Co/Rt/Pm: SCL/82/13.94
Nimisha Agrawal, Senior Planner
City of Santa Clara
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Re: 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential– Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND)
Dear Nimisha Agrawal:
Thank you for including the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in the environmental review process for the 3378-3386 El Camino Real Residential. We are committed to ensuring that impacts to the State’s multimodal transportation system and to our natural environment are identified and mitigated to support a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system.
The Local Development Review (LDR) Program reviews land use projects and plans to ensure consistency with our mission and state planning priorities. The following comments are based on our review of the June 2023 IS/MND.
Project Understanding
The project proposes to demolish the existing commercial building and construct 22 three-story townhouses where each townhouse would have a two-car garage.
Additional site features include bike parking and approximately 9,887 square feet of common open space.
The project site is located directly adjacent to State Route (SR)-82, within the Priority Development Area and Transit-Rich Area identified in Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)’s Plan Bay Area 2050.
Nimisha Agrawal, Senior Planner
July 28, 2023
“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” Travel Demand Analysis
With the enactment of Senate Bill (SB) 743, Caltrans is focused on maximizing efficient development patterns, innovative travel demand reduction strategies, and multimodal improvements. For more information on how Caltrans assesses Transportation Impact Studies, please review Caltrans’ Transportation Impact Study Guide (link).
The project VMT analysis and significance determination are undertaken in a manner consistent with the city’s adopted VMT policy. Per the IS/MND, this project is found to have a less than significant VMT impact, therefore working towards meeting the State’s VMT reduction goals.
Hydrology
If the project involves drainage work that flows into the State Drainage System, please provide a drainage design memo. The memo should show how the proposed drainage system flows on the plans. Drainage design memo should include pre- and post-project flows to the existing drainage system. Drainage Plan and Profile Sheets should include lengths, size, and types of new and existing pipes, inlets, outlets, and systems showing any utility conflicts. Include drainage details and profiles for connection to the existing drainage system. Assumptions and calculations used in designing the drainage system should be shown as well.
Multimodal Transportation Planning
Please review and include the reference to the Caltrans District 4 Pedestrian Plan (2021) and the Caltrans District 4 Bike Plan (2018) in the IS/MND. These two plans studied existing conditions for walking and biking along and across the State Transportation Network (STN) in the nine-county Bay Area and developed a list of location-based and prioritized needs.
Please note that any Complete Streets reference should be updated to reflect Caltrans Director’s Policy 37 (link) that highlights the importance of addressing the needs of non-motorists and prioritizing space-efficient forms of mobility, while also facilitating goods movement in a manner with the least environmental and social impacts. This supersedes Deputy Directive 64-R1, and further builds upon its goals of focusing on the movement of people and goods.
Construction-Related Impact
Potential impacts to Caltrans’ Right-of-Way (ROW) from project-related temporary access points should be analyzed. Mitigation for significant impacts due to construction and noise should be identified. Project work that requires movement of oversized or excessive load vehicles on State roadways requires a transportation permit that is issued by Caltrans. To apply, please visit Caltrans Transportation Permits (link).
Nimisha Agrawal, Senior Planner
July 28, 2023
“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” Prior to construction, coordination may be required with Caltrans to develop a Transportation Management Plan (TMP) to reduce construction traffic impacts to the STN.
Lead Agency
As the Lead Agency, the city of Santa Clara is responsible for all project mitigation, including any needed improvements to the STN. The project’s fair share contribution, financing, scheduling, implementation responsibilities and lead agency monitoring should be fully discussed for all proposed mitigation measures.
Equitable Access
If any Caltrans facilities are impacted by the project, those facilities must meet American Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards after project completion. As well, the project must maintain bicycle and pedestrian access during construction. These access considerations support Caltrans’ equity mission to provide a safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation network for all users.
Encroachment Permit
Please be advised that any permanent work or temporary traffic control that encroaches onto Caltrans’ ROW requires a Caltrans-issued encroachment permit, including relocation of driveways and/or any tree removal work that requires the use of Caltrans’ ROW.
As part of the encroachment permit submittal process, you may be asked by the Office of Encroachment Permits to submit a completed encroachment permit application package, digital set of plans clearly delineating Caltrans’ ROW, digital copy of signed, dated and stamped (include stamp expiration date) traffic control plans, this comment letter, your response to the comment letter, and where applicable, the following items: new or amended Maintenance Agreement (MA), approved Design Standard Decision Document (DSDD), approved encroachment exception request, and/or airspace lease agreement. Your application package may be emailed to [email protected].
To obtain information about the most current encroachment permit process and to download the permit application, please visit Caltrans Encroachment Permits (link).
Nimisha Agrawal, Senior Planner
July 28, 2023
“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” Thank you again for including Caltrans in the environmental review process. Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Marley Mathews, LDR Coordinator/Transportation Planner, via [email protected].
For future early coordination opportunities or project referrals, please contact LDR[email protected].
Sincerely,
YUNSHENG LUO
Acting District Branch Chief
Local Development Review
c: State Clearinghouse