Arroyo Seco Master Plan

Pasadena City Council Meeting of April 14, 2003

Recommendation of the City Manager - Certification of the Master Environmental Impact Report

 

CERTIFICATION OF THE MASTER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (MEIR) AND APPROVAL OF THE ARROYO SECO MASTER PLANS

Recommendation of City Manager: It is recommended that the City Council: (1) Certify the MEIR for the Arroyo Seco Master Plan, adopt the appropriate CEQA findings (including a Statement of Overriding Considerations for potentially significant short-term air quality impacts) and a mitigation monitoring and reporting program, direct staff to file a Notice of Determination with the County Clerk and Governor's Office of Planning and Research, and direct staff to pay the appropriate California Department of Fish and Game fees; and (2) Adopt the Central Arroyo Seco Master Plan, the Rose Bowl Use Plan, the amended Lower Arroyo Master Plan, the amended Hahamongna Master Plan, and the amended Design Guidelines as proposed in Attachment G and Attachment I of the agenda report.

Recommendation of the Recreation and Parks Commission and the Hahamongna Water Shed Park Advisory Committee: At the April 8, 2003 joint meeting of the Recreation and Parks Commission and the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee, the joint body voted to recommend to City Council: (1) Certify the Master Environmental Impact Report (MEIR) and state its desire to review any future Rose Bowl project which has the potential to impact parkland. The vote was 8-1. (2) A separate motion was made to express the intent of the Commission and Committee to be silent on the Environmental Clearance of the Rose Bowl Use Plan due to the lack of their involvement in the preparation of the Rose Bowl Use Plan. The vote was 8-1. (3) Approval of the base framework for the Hahamongna Watershed Park Master Plan that was originally represented to the Council along with the proposed amendments in Attachment I of the agenda report. The vote was 6-2 with one abstention. (4) Approval of the Design Guidelines (which differs from the Arts Commission recommendation in that it states that public art should be focused in the Central Arroyo). The joint body voted 8-0 with one abstention.

Recommendation of the Recreation and Parks Commission: Following the April 8, 2003 joint meeting of the Recreation and Parks Commission and the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee the Recreation and Parks Commission voted to recommend to City Council: (1) Approval of the Lower Arroyo Master Plan along with the proposed amendments in Attachment I of the agenda report. The vote was 3-2 with one abstention. (2) Approval of the Central Arroyo Master Plan. Included in the motion was the recommendation to develop a separate park plan for Brookside Park, and to reinforce City Council's previous action to limit the use of temporary lights on Area H. The vote was 3-2 with one abstention. (3) Recommend the rejection of the Rose Bowl Use Plan because the document is considered insufficient for review and recommendation. The vote was 6-0.

Recommendation of the Design Commission regarding the Design Guidelines: On February 10, 2003, the Design Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Design Guidelines as modified in the underline-strikeout version in Attachment F of the agenda report.

Recommendation of Arts Commission regarding the Design Guidelines: On February 5, 2002, the Arts Commission recommended modifying Chapter 10 of the Design Guidelines from the underline- strikeout version prepared by a subcommittee of the Design Commission (Attachment F of the agenda report) and includes the recommendations to Chapter 10 which the Arts Commission has proposed.

Recommendation of the Planning Commission regarding the Draft MEIR and the Lower, Central and Hahamongna Watershed Master Plans: During the preparation of the concept master plans, the Planning Commission reviewed and recommended conceptual approval of the Lower Arroyo Master Plan in November 1995. The Planning Commission reviewed and recommended conceptual approval of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Master Plan in November 1999. The Planning Commission reviewed the Central Arroyo Master Plan at a joint meeting with the Recreation and Parks Commission in December 2000 and chose to withhold its recommendation until the completion of the draft MEIR. The Commission indicated its general support of the Central Arroyo Master Plan and provided a letter to the City Council indicating its concerns and comments regarding Council's consideration of the conceptual Central Arroyo Master Plan. The Planning Commission provided input on the draft Master MEIR at its regularly scheduled meeting of August 28, 2002 and made the following recommendations: (1) The City re-examine and re-draft the Master Plan; and (2) The MEIR not be certified, based on the determination that the MEIR does not adequately address the potential impacts because: (a) It does not adequately address the potential impacts from additional major events at the Rose Bowl. (b) It does not adequately address the potential impacts to water quality and hydrology (including the Watershed Feasibility Study and potential removal of the flood control channel); (c) It fails to provide an effective alternative for consideration of the restoring/conserving of the existing character of the Arroyo Seco; and (d) The proposed threshold for Design Review does not provide an effective mitigation to the potential impacts to aesthetics. While the Planning Commission acknowledged current City procedures dictate that the Recreation and Parks Commission act as the advisory body to the City Council for Park Master Plans and its associated environmental documentation, it expressed its desire to City Council to refer the Master Plans and MEIR back to the Planning Commission for its consideration. At the Planning Commission's March 26, 2003 meeting, the Commission directed the Commission Chair to prepare a letter to the City Council asking the Council to refer the matter back to the Planning Commission such that the Commission could review the adequacy of the final MEIR. The Commission received an informational update regarding the status of the Master Plans and MEIR at its April 9, 2003 meeting and reconfirmed the request for a letter to the City Council reiterating its request that this matter be referred back to the Planning Commission such that the Commission could review the adequacy of the final MEIR and provide the City Council its recommendation. The letter is Attachment B of the agenda report.

Recommendation of the Design Commission regarding the Draft MEIR: The Design Commission provided input on the draft Master Environmental Impact Report at its regularly scheduled meeting of September 8, 2002 and made the following recommendations: (1) Acknowledge the purpose and intent of the Arroyo Seco Design Guidelines (Chapter 1); (2) Confirm the Draft MEIR's finding of potentially significant unavoidable effects on aesthetics due to the proposed parking garage in Hahamongna Watershed Park and that all other potential aesthetic effects can be mitigated; (3) Confirm the draft MEIR"s finding that potentially significant effects on cultural resources can be mitigated; and (4) Recommend certification of the MEIR for the Arroyo Seco Master Plan with the understanding that design review shall be required for projects in the Arroyo Seco in accordance with Chapters 2.75, 2.80 and 17.92 of the Pasadena Municipal Code.

Recommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission regarding the Draft MEIR: The Historic Preservation Commission provided input on the draft Master Environmental Impact Report at its regularly scheduled meeting of July 15, 2002 and made the following recommendations: Recommend the City Council certify the draft Master Environmental Impact Report (MEIR) for the Arroyo Seco Master Plan with the understanding that staff will add mitigation measures for: (1) Design review of any new projects in the Arroyo Seco shall be in accordance with Chapters 2.75, 2.80 and 17.92 of the Pasadena Municipal Code; and (2) Completion of a Cultural Landscape Report to address all the historic resources in the area within a year (if feasible) of adoption of the MEIR.

Comments of the Transportation Advisory Commission regarding Draft MEIR: The Transportation Advisory Commission provided individual comments on the draft MEIR at its regularly scheduled meeting of June 21, 2002. No action or recommendations were made at this meeting, listed below is a summary of the Commission's comments: (1) The Plan includes too many infrastructure projects. For example, in the Lower Arroyo, parking lots, wider streets, and a bike path are proposed. The Plan should be more "wilderness" oriented. (2) The Plan and EIR include references to bringing facilities up to industry standards. What are these standards? (3) On Page 3.12-4 of th EIR, reference is made to Mountain Street accessing the Central Arroyo. What is Mountain Street's lane configuration? How was it considered for traffic accessing the Central Arroyo and the Rose Bowl?

Comments of the Utility Advisory Commission regarding the Draft MEIR: The Utility Advisory Commission provided individual comments on the draft MEIR at its regularly scheduled meeting of August 21, 2002. No action or recommendations were made at this meeting, listed below is a summary of the Commission's comments: (1) The flood channel and the bike path should be removed. (2) The City should investigate the feasibility of installing plastic liners under the playing fields to limit pesticides leaching into the soil. (3) Reclaimed water should be used for athletic fields and the lakes. (4) Alternatives from the Phillip Williams Study should be explored.

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