Background:
The Mountain View Whisman School District (“District”) developed the proposed New Slater Campus Project located at 220 North Whisman Road, in the City of Mountain View, CA (“Proposed Project”) to redevelop the former Kenneth N. Slater School into a new elementary school campus.
The Proposed Project consists of demolishing seven existing portable buildings that are currently used by the County Office of Education and the District’s Special Needs Preschool, constructing one- and two-story buildings, housing 21 classrooms and four toilet rooms including: a two-story, 2,880-sf classroom building; a two-story, 6,240-sf classroom building; a one-story, 2,880-sf library; a one-story, 2,880-sf administration building; a one-story, 6,288-sf multi-use room; and three, one-story, 960-sf portable “flex” classrooms on concrete foundations. The total new building square footage would be 39,908 sf compared to the existing 9,600 sf of building space. Total site development would be 27,000 sf of building footprint; 17,500 sf of concrete paving; 54,300 sf of asphalt paving; 112,000 sf (2.57 acres) of play fields; and 9,000 sf of landscaped area. The play fields would continue to be used by the public when not in school use.
A pick-up and drop-off loop and 48-space parking lot would be constructed along the eastern frontage, and the entry would align with Pacific Drive. Approximately 20 street trees would be removed for project construction. The new school would have a capacity of 450 students including 72 kindergarteners, with approximately 25 staff, including teachers.
Once the Proposed Project was developed, the District engaged Grassetti Environmental Consulting (“Grassetti”) to conduct an environmental review of the Project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). Grassetti determined that the Project could potentially cause significant environmental impacts, but with implementation of certain mitigation measures, there would be no significant environmental impacts. As a result, Grassetti prepared a Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration (“MND”) that discloses the components of the Project, analyzes the potential environmental impacts, and includes mitigation measures to reduce those significant environmental impacts to less than significant.
After Board authorization, on August 18, 2017, the District released the Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration for public review and comment. The comment period ended on September 18, 2017, 30 days later. One comment letter was received from the City of Mountain View Public Works Department, which raised vehicle and pedestrian safety concerns at the new North Whisman Road crossing and requested further study for traffic control at the North Whisman Road/Pacific Drive intersection. Grassetti prepared a response explaining that vehicle and pedestrian safety was fully analyzed and mitigated in the Mitigated Negative Declaration. Grassetti further explained that the traffic volume on North Whisman Road is just over 10,000 vehicles per day, and this low volume contributes to safety. As an accommodation, the District agreed to work with the City on desired traffic control but acknowledged that this is not a mitigation measure.
The response demonstrates that there is no fair argument or substantial evidence that the mitigated Project would potentially create a significant environmental impact or be cumulatively considerable. The response merely clarifies, amplifies, and elaborates the analyses and mitigation proposed MND. Neither the comment nor the response requires substantial revision of the MND or its recirculation.
Further, an environmental impact report is not required, since all potentially significant environmental impacts that may result from the Proposed Project are mitigated to less than significant. Grassetti prepared the proposed Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Proposed Project that incorporates all the mitigation measures identified in the MND.
Based upon the MND, Comment and Response, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, there is no substantial evidence or fair argument that the mitigated Project will potentially have a significant effect on the environment and the MND is the appropriate CEQA document to adopt in order to approve the Proposed Project.
Fiscal Implication:
N/A
Recommended Action:
That the Board of Trustees adopt Resolution No. 1659.10/17 to find that the Proposed New Slater Campus Project will not have a significant effect on the environment, adopt the Project’s Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, approve the Proposed Project, and direct staff to file a Notice of Determination with the County Clerk.