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Water Quality and Hydrology -concern for pollutants discharged to the Arroyo Mocho which affect the water quality and the aquatic resources inhabiting the Arroyo. Mitigation calls for specific water quality management plans. Flood and flood hazards -numerous regional discussion on how best to handle potential flood hazards. The Draft EIR identifies the creation of a storm water community services authority which would be responsible for a detention facility in the neighborhood park. The City of Livermore will construct flood improvements to solve the flood problems in the project site, and in the event that Livermore does not do this, the County will initiate those improvements. • Noise - there is concern about noise at the senior continuing care community from aircraft and vehicular traffic on I-580. Even though the project calls fora 20-foot high berm and an eight-foot tall soundwall along I-580, there is a potential for noise impacts. Mitigation sets standards for reducing aircraft noise and calls for a detailed study at the time the project is ready to come forward to reduce potential freeway noise. Mr. Jeung stated that part of CEQA's role is to look for ways to minimize the potential impacts that have been identified for the project, and one of the ways to do this is to identify other alternatives that would accomplish some of the project objectives. He described each of the four alternatives identified for the project: 1. No Project Alternative - do nothing; the site would remain as is without constructing any of the proposed projects, which would not satisfy the project objective to develop the site with economically beneficial land uses. This alternative is present only to satisfy CEQA. It would not be relevant in the long-term because the site will eventually be developed. 2. Existing Specific Plan Alternative -the existing Specific Plan governs the land uses in this area is associated with a substantial amount of development. It would allow 30 acres of retail service commercial uses or 350,000 square feet of additional commercial floor space and 70 acres of service commercial and light industrial uses which, according to the City's Floor Area Ratio, would be close to a million square feet. 3. Ice Center Alternative - a four-rink, 138,000-square-foot ice-skating facility that would accommodate 2,200 spectators is proposed within the 17-acre community park. With the exception of this change for the community park, all other project proposals would stay in place. 4. Open Space Alternative -passive recreational activities at the community park; no active recreation currently proposed for the community park would be built. Mr. Jeung stated that CEQA requires that an environmentally superior alternative be identified which would consider only the environmental and physical impacts and not include the fiscal, socio-economical, or other community needs. He noted that this would identify the alternative which would have the least effect in terms of changing the physical environmental. The environmentally superior alternative would be the open space alternative. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, May 14, 2008 Page 7 of 14