June 11, 2004
Bill Fell, Chief of Planning Services
City of Monterey
City Hall
Monterey CA 93940
Dear Mr. Fell,
Subject: Public Service Center Draft EIR
Thank you for sending us a copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Monterey's proposed new Public Service Center. We have the following comments and questions regarding:
Project Objectives. These are quite comprehensive, with an emphasis on flexible building space that will meet future needs and projected growth in City staff. It would be helpful in considering Alternatives to determine which objectives have highest priority.
The 2000 Census showed a 7% decline in the City's population, and current operating budget and staff have had to be reduced due to revenue losses, yet there is a projected increase of 76 Civic Center employees (from 205 to 281) by 2020 (6.2, Growth Inducing Impacts, p. 215). This would be a 37% increase in Civic Center employees, plus additional City vehicles and visitors to the Center. The uncertainty as to future need for additional parking is closely related to the projected numbers of City employees. A full occupancy figure of 281 employees is termed a "worst case scenario" (p. 163) for its potential impact on long-term parking demand. The basis used to estimate the increase in employees during the next fifteen years should be explained.
The first objective listed is to "bring outlying divisions together to unify departments in one work area." Table 1, p. 24, showing Current and Proposed Use of Civic Center Buildings, should show which departments and employees would be moved to the new PSC. The project is planned to house only 21 of the additional Civic Center employees in 2020. Where will the others be accommodated?
The list of objectives includes, "Develop an energy-efficient green building," but there is no discussion of project features to accomplish this.
Land Use and Planning. Removal of existing City-owned residential buildings south of Madison in the 600 block of Van Buren Street, in order to add parking spaces for the Civic Center, will have impacts on historic resources and the residential character of the neighborhood. These would be considered significant and unavoidable consequences of the proposed project.
The EIR should also point out that the City is committed to eventual use of the sites it owns in this block of Van Buren for low and moderate-income housing, since the properties were purchased with Housing and Urban Development funds for this purpose. The concept plan for construction of housing, which includes use of the extended parking lot, should be considered in analyzing project alternatives for the Public Services Center. It should also be included in the list of future projects in the Cumulative Impacts Summary (Section 5).
Biological Resources (and Aesthetics). There also appears to be no mention in the DEIR of the existing trees and landscape plants among the houses that would be removed for the Van Buren Extension parking lot. What assessment has been done of the trees? What mitigation measures will be required to preserve and protect them if they are to be surrounded by paving for the proposed parking space? There should be a map or diagram showing the new parking lot, including trees to be removed, if any, and those to be retained.
Traffic and Parking. The traffic analysis uses standard daily peak travel times for measuring levels of service at nearby major intersections. During the school year, the earlier afternoon period when Monterey High School students and staff are leaving their campus is also a time of heavy automobile and pedestrian traffic. The possible benefits of closing Dutra to through traffic, in order to provide greater pedestrian safety between the new Public Services Center, Few Memorial Hall and Colton Hall may be offset by the negative impacts on Madison and Van Buren Streets. At peak times, there is often queuing in the left turn lanes at the intersection of Madison and Pacific. It may help to add a left turn on green arrow phase to the signal system.
The parking area to be created by removing existing houses on Van Buren is termed the "Van Buren Extension Lot" in the text and in Table 21, showing the Civic Center Parking Supply after construction of the project. This is somewhat confusing terminology, since access will be from Madison Street at El Cuartel, and possibly from the Fire Lot entrance on Pacific. The EIR should include a plan for the three adjoining parking areas, showing circulation patterns, spaces planned for City vehicles, and those for public use. With this project, there will be more cars entering and leaving the parking areas via Madison Street than at present. The added impacts and related safety issues should be included in the traffic analysis.
When the planned Van Buren Street housing development above the lot is defined, a new assessment of the long-term parking demand for the Civic Center area will be needed.
The location of parking spaces and building access for the disabled should be convenient and relatively level, with appropriate signage for visitors. It is not clear from the schematic drawings whether those with disabilities would be able to park and enter the new buildings from either the Madison St. or Van Buren lot.
Water Use. The EIR should include an estimate of the new water demand that will be created by the project. The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District may help to determine what is considered the current use by staff and visitors, and how much the new Center will add, with more visitors and a projected staff increase by 2020. The amount of the City's reserve allocation to be used should be approved before a building permit is issued.
At a time when City services and costs are being cut back, it is particularly important that the purposes of the project and need for this capital expenditure are clear to residents. Although the project size has been scaled down in response to their comments, their concerns about other potential impacts, as well as their suggestions for mitigation, should continue to be carefully addressed.
We will appreciate notice of completion of the EIR, and of further hearings on the project.
Sincerely,
Beverly G. Bean, VMD
President
