RES 81127 - Laserfiche WebLink

City of Pleasanton Comments on the Draft EIR Moller Quarry, SMP-9 ~ile the Draft EIR (March 13 Draft plus April 10 Supplement) clearly addresses many of the impacts of the project, several areas have been omitted and others require amplification and correction to fully assess the environmental impacts of the project. Specific concerns of the City of Pleasanton follow: Environmental Setting The Draft EIR fails to clearly describe not only what exists in the vicinity of the project, but what has been approved and is planned. This is especially critical in understanding the City of Pleasanton's concerns over quarry traffic utilizing Foothill Road, an especially attractively designed thoroughfare leading to the prestige office/retail shopping center hub. Attached is a figure depicting the existing, approved, and planned major development in the area. Special note should be made of the park located directly opposite the proposed quarry entrance and the sensitive uses proposed along the Foothill Road routes. 2. Public Plans and Policies (a) It should be noted that while the Alameda County General Plan designates this area as Agricultural, the City of Pleasanton General Plan designates the area of the site within its sphere of influence as Open Space (Public Health and Safety) and Low Density Residential. This inconsistency should be noted within the text as it may affect the perspective of comments made by the City. (b) Although the Draft EIR mentions that Foothill Road is a County scenic route, it contains no mention of the policies corresponding to such routes. The EIR should contain County policies visa vis scenic routes and discuss the consistency of the proposal with those policies. 3. Aesthetics/Reclamation <a) If little or no t~psoil ~xistsontbe site, expandedanalysis of the site's ability to revegetate, including time frame, type of vegetation, and conformity with oak woodland habitat should be presented. (b) It appears the westerly terraced slope would be visible from Foothill Road, a city scenic route as well as a County scenic route. Quarrying generally is incompatible with the city's scenic route policie~ as would be the reclaimed, unnatural terrace land form. Note that this terrace may be hidden if the easterly edge of the quarry cut is kept at about 550 feet elevation rather than the 525 feet elevation proposed, a feasible mitigation. Such a berm would also assist in noise and dust mitigation. -1-