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03. Stv. Crk. Corr. Mstr. Plan CITY OF CUPERTINO 10300 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, California 95014 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REPORT FORM Application: Applicant: Location: CP-2006-01, EA-2006-01 Agenda Date: May 23, 2006 City of Cupertino Stevens Creek Corridor between McClellan Road and Stevens Creek Boulevard Application Summary: Review of the initial study/mitigated negative declaration prepared for the Stevens Creek Corridor Park Master Plan and Restoration Plan ,.. RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Commission's role is to provide a forum for additional comments on the initial study/mitigated negative declaration. The project has already been defined by the City Council, through a significant public outreach and hearing process, described below. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission: 1) Open the public hearing and accept oral and written comments about the initial study/mitigated negative declaration, and 2) Forward any comments to the City Council that the Planning Commission may have. BACKGROUND: Creek & Park Planning. The City acquired the subject properties in five purchases over a 25-year period. In the mid-1990s, funds were authorized for a Master Plan, but no work was done. In 2000, City Council interest in trails moved the corridor planning up in priority. The planning originally started with a pl'Oposed trail along Stevens Creek, and evolved into a major creek restoration and park renovation project with the trail as a subcomponent. The project included a public visioning process to determine what Blackberry Farm should become if its focus on paid/ catered picnicking were to change. This process included three phases: solicitation of comments from stakeholder groups, a survey of residents' opinions conducted by Godbe Research, and distribution of 320 design kits to people interested in the design of the park. Restoration of the creek and the adjacent riparian area emerged as an important goal for the community. After the public visioning process concluded, the City Council reaffirmed its goals for the Stevens Creek Corridor project in September 2003. Between September 2003 and the present, staff, residents and the Parks and Recreation 3~1 CP-2006-01 Page 2 May 23, 2006 Commission worked to refine the Council's preferred alternative design into a conceptual plan that would improve the habitat values of the corridor. The Santa Clara Valley Water District joined the effort as partner in restoring steelhead trout rearing habitat in the corridor, and the Council authorized a number of applications for grant funding for the project. Environmental Review. An environmental report called the Stevens Creek Corridor Master Plan and Restoration Plan Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (enclosed) was prepared for the preferred project. The 30-day public review period for the environmental document began on April 28th and will conclude May 28th. The document is available at the library and city hall and can be down-loaded from the city's website. Interested parties have been encouraged to comment electronically, in writing, or orally at the Planning Commission meeting. All comments received during the public review period will be made a part of the record for the project environmental review, and comments will be studied and responded to prior to City Council consideration of the document for final approval. The Planning Commission is requested to provide this forum for public input because of its past experience in dealing with environmental impacts of projects. DISCUSSION: A detailed description of the project, its environmental impacts and mitigations will be presented by staff and the City consultants at the Commission hearing. The Environmental Review Committee considered the documents and recommended, on a 4-1 vote, to the City Council that a mitigated negative declaration be adopted for the project. The main features of the Stevens Creek Corridor Master Plan and Restoration Plan are: · Convert a commercial picnic facility into a neighborhood park · Restore in-stream and riparian habitat along the creek within the 100-year floodplain · Enhance adjacent upland oak woodland habitat · Construct a 5,900 foot all weather trail · Develop a new environmental education center · Demolition old and build new park and golf maintenance facilities The initial study identified numerous potentially significant environmental impacts that staff believes can be reduced to less than significant levels with the mitigations proposed. 2 3~~ CP-2006-01 Page 3 May 23, 2006 Biological Resources Impact 1: The removal of structures and the removal of vegetation could impact nesting birds, if present. Mitigation: Vegetation, tree, bridge and building removal activities shall be scheduled outside of the nesting season. Pre-construction surveys for raptor nests would also be completed. Impact 2: Construction activities can result in the abandonment of the big brown bat maternity roost. Mitigation: Avoidance measures would be implemented as necessary by a qualified biologist including temporal avoidance, construction buffer zones, pre- construction surveys, and exclusion. Impact 3: If present, California red-legged frogs, Western pond turtles, and Dusky-footed woodrats could be crushed by project activities. Mitigation: Avoidance measures including pre-construction surveys, employee education program, daily monitoring and implementing speed limits would be used. Impact 4: Steelhead trout could perish due to construction activities within the creek. Mitigation: Best Management Practices (BMPs) from the Santa Clara Valley Water District's 200S BMP Handbook would be used to avoid impacts to steelhead. Impact 5: Expanded visitor use and new dog use within the project area could impact sensitive wildlife and habitat. Mitigation: Minimization and avoidance measures are proposed including posting signs, patrols and citations by City Parks Service employees, volunteer patrols and education, limiting creek use, park clean-up, screen trail, and adaptive management. Impact 6: Trail alignment may affect root zones of native or heritage trees. Mitigation: Calculations for Recommended Tree Protection Zones would be prepared by a certified arborist to reroute trail outside driplines. Impact 7: Tree trimming or removal could violate Cupertino and California Department of Fish and Game policies. Mitigations: Coast live oaks would be replaced 3:1. - Additional tree removal permits for heritagef specimen trees if needed 3 ?r?; CP-2006-01 Page 4 May 23, 2006 - Planting activities would be consistent with the Restoration Plan and with Guidelines and Standards for Land Use Near Streams (SCVWRPD 2OOS). Cultural Resources Impact 8: The project could reveal as yet unknown prehistoric or historic archaeological resources. Mitigation Measures: The Project Manager shall conduct a tailgate meeting to inform all construction personnel of the potential for exposing subsurface cultural resources and how to recognize possible buried cultural resources. Upon discovery of possible buried prehistoric and historic cultural resources, work within 25-feet of the find shall be halted and the Project Manager notified. All excavation contracts for the project shall contain a "stop work" provision in the vicinity of a find in the event of exposure of significant archaeological resources. Full-time archaeological monitoring shall be undertaken during subsurface construction within and within a 100-ft buffer zone of SCL-71S. Part-time archaeological monitoring is required to allow for spot-checking of subsurface construction for areas outside of the SCL-715 boundary and 100- foot buffer zone. Construction methods to minimize subsurface disturbance shall be implemented where feasible and practical. Hazards and Hazardous Waste Impact 9: Ground disturbance could involve soils with pesticide residue as a result of past farming/ orchard uses. Mitigation: Soil testing would be performed where major soil disturbance would occur. If pesticides are detected, the appropriate contaminated material and handling protocol would be followed. HydrologyjWater Quality Impact 10: Park and trail users could be subjected to health risks from heavy flow events. Mitigation: In the event of significant flood events, the City would close the trail corridor and would post signs to alert users of the closure, Land Us¡ifPlanning Impact 11: Since the exact design of the proposed environmental education center is not known at this time, any design submitted may not be consistent with the McClellan Ranch Master Plan. 4 3~+ CP-2006-01 Page 5 May 23, 2006 Mitigation: The environmental education center shall be designed to fit in with existing buildings and to be consistent with the McClellan Ranch Master Plan mission statement. Prepared by: Colin Jung, Senior Planner Approved by: Steve Piasecki, Director of Community Development Therese Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation Enclosures: . Stevens Creek Corridor Park Master PIan and Restoration PIan Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (previously distributed) . Stevens Creek Corridor Park Master Plan and Restoration Plan Initial Study Technical Appendices (previously distributed) G: PlanningIPDREPORT /pcCPreport/2006CPreport/CP-2006-0 I 5 3--5