1_IntroductionPLACEWORKS 1-1
Introduction 1.
This document is an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration for The Hamptons Redevelopment
project (“proposed project”) prepared by the City of Cupertino (City) to determine if the proposed project
may have a significant effect on the environment as defined in the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) (Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq.). Pursuant to Section 15051 of the State CEQA
Guidelines, the City is the Lead Agency for the proposed project.
The project site is located on a 12.4‐acre site at 19500 Pruneridge Avenue, which is currently developed
with 342 occupied residential apartment units. The proposed project would involve demolishing the
existing apartment complex and constructing a new 942‐unit residential apartment complex with the net
new 600 residential units being consistent with the identification of the site as a “Priority Housing Element
Site” in the 2014 ‐ 2022 Housing Element. The project site is assigned Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN)
316‐06‐037 and is currently zoned Planned Development with Residential (P(Res)) and located within the
High Density with greater than 35 dwelling units per acre (High Density (greater than 35 du/ac)) General
Plan Land Use Designation. Under the current zoning and land use designations, the permitted residential
density is 85 du/ac and the maximum height is 75 feet or 60 feet for buildings located within 50 feet of
property lines abutting Wolfe Road, Pruneridge Avenue and the Apple Campus 2 (AC2) site.
1.1 INITIAL STUDY
Pursuant to Section 15063 of the CEQA Guidelines,1 an Initial Study is a preliminary environmental analysis
that is used by the lead agency as a basis for determining what form of environmental review is required
for a project. The CEQA Guidelines require that an Initial Study contain a project description, description
of environmental setting, identification of environmental effects by checklist or other similar form,
explanation of environmental effects, discussion of mitigation for significant environmental effects,
evaluation of the project’s consistency with existing and applicable land use controls, and the name of
persons who prepared the study.
1.2 TIERING PROCESS
The CEQA concept of "tiering" refers to the evaluation of general environmental matters in a broad
program‐level EIR, with subsequent focused environmental documents for individual projects that
implement the program. This Initial Study incorporates by reference the discussions in the City’s General
1 The CEQA Guidelines are found in California Code of Regulations, Title, 14, Sections 15000 et seq.
THE HAMPTONS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT INITIAL STUDY
CITY OF CUPERTINO
INTRODUCTION
1-2 APRIL 15, 2016
Plan Amendment, Housing Element Update, and associated Rezoning Project Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) that was certified by the Cupertino City Council in December 20142 and the addendum to
that EIR that was approved by the City Council in October 2015,3 together hereinafter “General Plan EIR.”
The analysis in this Initial Study concentrates on project‐specific issues of The Hamptons Redevelopment
project. CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines encourage the use of tiered environmental documents to reduce
delays and excessive paperwork in the environmental review process. This is accomplished in tiered
documents by eliminating repetitive analyses of issues that were adequately addressed in the program EIR
and by incorporating those analyses by reference.
Section 15168(d) of the State CEQA Guidelines provides for simplifying the preparation of environmental
documents on individual parts of the program by incorporating by reference analyses and discussions that
apply to the program as a whole. Where an EIR has been prepared or certified for a program or plan, the
environmental review for a later activity consistent with the program or plan should be limited to effects
that were not analyzed as significant in the prior EIR or that are susceptible to substantial reduction or
avoidance (CEQA Guidelines Section 15152[d]).
This Initial Study is tiered from the General Plan EIR in accordance with Sections 15152 and 15168 of the
CEQA Guidelines and Public Resources Code Section 21094. The General Plan EIR is a program EIR that
was prepared pursuant to Section 15168 of the CEQA Guidelines. The General Plan (Community Vision
2015–2040), hereinafter “General Plan,” is a comprehensive long‐range plan for the physical development
of the city and serves as the basis for all planning‐related decisions made by City staff, the Planning
Commission, and the City Council through the buildout horizon year 2040. The General Plan EIR analyzes
full implementation of uses and physical development proposed under the General Plan, and it identifies
measures to mitigate the significant adverse program‐level and cumulative impacts associated with that
growth. The proposed project is an element of the growth that was anticipated in the General Plan and
evaluated in the General Plan EIR.
By tiering from the General Plan EIR, the analysis presented in Chapter 5, Environmental Analysis, of this
tiered Initial Study relies on the General Plan EIR for the following:
a discussion of general background and setting information for environmental topic areas,
overall growth‐related issues,
issues that were evaluated in sufficient detail in the 2014 General Plan EIR for which there is no
significant new information or change in circumstances that would require further analysis,
assessment of cumulative impacts, and
mitigation measures adopted and incorporated into the General Plan.
This Initial Study evaluates the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project with respect to
the General Plan EIR to determine what level of additional environmental review, if any, is appropriate.
2 City of Cupertino, certified General Plan Amendment, Housing Element Update, and Associated Rezoning EIR, State
Clearinghouse Number 2014032007. December 4, 2014.
3 City of Cupertino, approved General Plan Amendment, Housing Element Update, and Associated Rezoning EIR Final
Addendum, State Clearinghouse Number 2014032007. December 4, 2014.
THE HAMPTONS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT INITIAL STUDY
CITY OF CUPERTINO
INTRODUCTION
PLACEWORKS 1-3
1.3 REPORT ORGANIZATION
This Initial Study is organized into the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Introduction. This chapter provides an introduction and overview of the Initial Study document.
Chapter 2: Initial Study Checklist. This chapter summarizes pertinent details for the proposed project,
including lead agency contact information, proposed project location, and General Plan and Zoning
designations.
Chapter 3: Project Description. This chapter describes the location and setting of the proposed project,
along with its principal components, as well as a description of the policy setting and implementation
process for the proposed project.
Chapter 4: Consistency with the General Plan EIR. This chapter describes the consistency of the proposed
project with the General Plan EIR.
Chapter 5: Environmental Analysis. Making use of the CEQA Guidelines Appendix G, Environmental
Checklist, and Appendix F, Energy Conservation, this chapter identifies and discusses anticipated impacts
from the proposed project, providing substantiation of the findings made.
Chapter 6: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. This chapter identifies the recommended
mitigation measures as well as the conditions set forth for project approval categorized by impact area.
Chapter 7: Organizations and Persons Consulted. This chapter presents a list of City and other agencies
and consultant team members that contributed to the preparation of the Initial Study.
THE HAMPTONS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT INITIAL STUDY
CITY OF CUPERTINO
INTRODUCTION
1-4 APRIL 15, 2016
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