HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Resolution 10294 (Dominican College Campus)RESOLUTION NO. 10294
RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL CERTIFYING THE
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE
DOMINICAN COLLEGE CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The City Council of the City of San Rafael finds and determines that:
WHEREAS, on May 1, 1996, applications requesting approval of a General Plan
Amendment, a Zone Change to designate the Dominican College Planned Development, a Master
Use Permit, a Master Environmental and Design Review Permit for the Campus Development
Plan, and an Environmental and Design Review Permit for Phase I of the Campus Development
Plan were filed with the City of San Rafael; and
WHEREAS, the City, as lead agency for the preparation and consideration of
environmental documents for the proposed projects, completed an Initial Study, consistent with
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and
WHEREAS, on July 9, 1996, the Planning Commission held a public Scoping Hearing
on the Initial Study of the proposed project and directed City staff to contract with an
independent consultant to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) addressing the issues;
and
WHEREAS, on December 27, 1996 an application for an Environmental and Design
Review Permit (ED96-154) for four additional parking spaces adjacent to Calereuga Hall was
filed with the City of San Rafael and incorporated into the scope of work; and
WHEREAS, Nichols -Berman, Environmental Planning prepared a Draft EIR for the
proposed project and the Draft EIR was provided to the State Clearinghouse (#96072033) and to
the public on March 17, 1997; and
WHEREAS, prior to the close of the public review period the applicant requested that
the review period be extended and on June 16, 1997 the review period was extended "until
further notice"; and
WHEREAS, on June 20, 1997 Dominican College officials and members of the group
formed as the Dominican Neighborhood Committee announced that they had signed a
Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to certain modifications to the College's proposed
Campus Development Plan; and
WHEREAS, on August 1, 1997, Dominican College withdrew its said original
applications, with the exception of the Environmental and Design Review Permit for the parking
lot adjacent to Calereuga Hall and commenced to prepare revised applications; and
WHEREAS, on August 20, 1997, Revised Campus Development applications requesting
approval of a General Plan Amendment (GPA97-2), a Zone Change to designate the Dominican
College Planned Development (ZC97-7), a Master Use Permit (UP97-45), a Master
Environmental and Design Review Permit (ED97-146) for the Campus Development Plan, and
an Environmental and Design Review Permit (ED97-89) for Phase I of the Campus Development
InRAIAIN,f",I Boa^k
Plan, including a Recreation Center, and Grand Avenue parking lot were filed with the City of
San Rafael; and
WHEREAS, Nichols -Berman, Environmental Planning prepared a Revised Draft
Environmental Impact Report, (DEIR) for the revised applications and the application for the
parking lot by Calereuga Hall which was provided to the State Clearinghouse (#96072033) and
to the public on December 23, 1997, for public review; and
WHEREAS, a 45 -day public review period was observed closing on February 6, 1998,
which included a public hearing at the Planning Commission on January 27, 1998; and
WHEREAS, the City has evaluated the comments received by public agencies,
organizations and persons who reviewed the March 1997 Draft EIR and the Revised Draft EIR
and has prepared responses to comments received during the respective comment periods; and
WHEREAS, on June 29, 1998, a Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) Response to
Comments document was completed and distributed to those agencies, organizations and persons
who commented on the Draft EIR; and
WHEREAS, the Final EIR consists of the list of persons, organizations and public
entities commenting on the Revised Draft EIR; written comments submitted on the Revised Draft
EIR and the March 1997 Draft EIR; summarized oral comments made at the January 21, 1998
San Rafael Design Review Board meeting and the January 27, 1998, Planning Commission
Public Hearing on the Revised Draft EIR; master responses to certain comment topics raised in
multiple comments; and responses to all significant environmental issues raised in the
comments; and
WHEREAS, the Final EIR consists of two volumes: the Response to Comments on the
Draft EIR (volume 2) and the Draft EIR of December, 1997 (volume 1); and
WHEREAS, the Responses to Comments have made certain revisions to the Revised
Draft EIR, but those revisions have not contained or considered any new information as defined
as significant by section 15088.5(a) of the State CEQA Guidelines, as set forth on page 7 of the
Final EIR and described within the text of the Final EIR; and
WHEREAS, therefore, recirculation of the Revised Draft EIR as additionally revised is
not required; and
WHEREAS, the City desires and intends to use the FEIR for the Dominican College
Campus Development Plan project as the environmental documentation required by CEQA and
the State CEQA Guidelines for each of the above -referenced discretionary actions to the extent
authorized by the law; and
WHEREAS, on July 14, 1998, the Planning Commission accepted public testimony on
Volume 2, Response to Comments on the Draft EIR, and adequate responses to public and
Commissioners' comments on that document and the Final EIR were placed in the record by staff
and the EIR consultant; and
WHEREAS, on a 5-0-2 vote the Planning Commission adopted Resolution 98-18
recommending to the City Council certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report; and
WHEREAS, on August 10, 1998, the City Council accepted public testimony on Volume
2, Response to Comments on the Draft EIR; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the Final Environmental Impact Report for
the project in its entirety, as well as all staff and Planning Commission reports related to the
environmental review of the project, and all evidence received by the Planning Commission at
the duly noticed public hearings regarding the environmental review of the project, all of which
are hereby incorporated by reference into this Resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the San Rafael City Council finds (1) that
the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Dominican College Campus Development Plan
has been prepared in accordance with the required provisions of the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines, (2) that the City Council has reviewed and
considered the information in the Final EIR, and (3) that the Final EIR reflects the City's
independent judgment, and hereby certifies the Final Environmental Impact Report.
I, JEANNE M. LEONCINI, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing
resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a special meeting of the City
Council held on Monday, the tenth of August, 1998 by the following vote to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS : Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS : None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS : None
JEANNE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk