ENVIRONMENTAL INITIAL STUDY FOR THE BERKELEY CITYWIDE POOLS MASTER PLAN CITY OF BERKELEY PARKS RECREATION AND WATERFRONT DEPARTMENT SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIAL STUDY BERKELEY CITYWIDE POOLS MASTER PLAN A PROJECT INVOLVING IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING SWIMMING POOL FACILTIES AT MARTIN LUTHER KING, WILLARD AND WEST CAMPUS SCHOOL SITES September 1, 2009 Project Sponsor and Lead Agency: City of Berkeley Department of Parks Recreation and Waterfront 2180 Milvia Street, 3 rd Floor Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 981 6706 William Rogers, Director Prepared with Assistance from: Donaldson Associates Environmental Consultants 627 Spokane Avenue Albany, CA 94706 (510) 528 3684
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE I. Introduction 1 II. Project Description 2 A. Location 2 B. Project Sponsor 4 C. Background and Project History 4 D. Existing Site Characteristics 5 E. Proposed Facilities 12 1. King Campus 12 2. Willard Campus 14 3. West Campus 16 F. Operating Plans 23 G. Summary Comparison of Existing and Proposed Facilities and Operations 25 H. Project Objectives 30 I. Relationship to Plans 31 1. Berkeley General Plan 31 2. Berkeley Zoning Ordinance 35 3. Berkeley Creeks Ordinance 36 J. Related Projects 37 K. Environmental Setting 38 III. Initial Study Checklist 40 Environmental Factors Potentially Affected 40 Determination 40 A. Aesthetics 42 B. Agricultural Resources 44 C. Air Quality 45 D. Biological Resources 48 E. Cultural Resources 52 F. Geology and Soils 53 G. Hazards and Hazardous Materials 56 H. Hydrology and Water Quality 59 I. Land Use and Planning 62 J. Mineral Resources 64 K. Noise 64 L. Population and Housing 68 ii
M. Public Services 68 N. Recreation 70 O. Transportation and Traffic 71 P. Water and Wastewater 80 Q. Mandatory Findings of Significance 82 R. References 84 LIST OF TABLES PAGE 1. Citywide Pools Master Plan Hypothetical Operational Scenarios 24 2. Comparison of Existing and Proposed Facilities 25 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Regional Location/Topographic Map 3 2. Martin Luther King School Campus 6 3. Willard School Campus 7 4. West Campus 8 5. King Pool Photos 9 6. Willard Pool Photos 10 7. West Campus Pool Photos 11 8. King Pool Site Plan 13 9. Design Variant King Pool Plan 15 10. Willard Pool Site Plan 17 11. West Campus Preferred Plan 19 12. West Campus Pool Sectional Cross Section 21 13. Design Variant West Campus Pool 22 iii
I. INTRODUCTION This report is an Environmental Initial Study (IS) prepared in compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Its purpose is to determine whether implementation of the proposed Berkeley Citywide Pools Master Plan (Master Plan) may have potentially significant adverse effects on the environment. The evaluation of potential environmental impacts follows the format suggested in the CEQA Guidelines with supporting analysis and references provided in response to the applicable questions. In areas where potential environmental impacts are identified, this Initial Study suggests mitigation measures that can be incorporated into the project approval. The decision makers in the City of Berkeley, and decision makers in responsible agencies with jurisdiction over one or more aspects of the project, will consider the information in the IS to determine whether the adoption of the Master Plan and the development of the pool improvements identified in the Master Plan (and in the Design Variants approved by City Council) for three existing pool sites and other necessary entitlements, with mitigation, will support a Negative Declaration. If it is determined that the project may have a significant effect on the environment which cannot be mitigated, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will have to be prepared. If an EIR is required, this report will be used to determine its focus and to assist in its preparation. The project is sponsored by the City of Berkeley, Department of Parks Recreation and Waterfront. The City will be responsible for construction of the proposed improvements, if the project is funded. This department is currently responsible for the operation and maintenance of existing swimming pools at each of the existing pool sites, and will retain this responsibility should the proposed new facilities be constructed. In June, 2010, the City expects to ask the voters to approve bonds to fund implementation of the project. 1
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION A. LOCATION The Master Plan has been prepared by the City of Berkeley and is intended to address the needs of the citizens of the city, located adjacent to San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County. See Figure 1. The Master Plan calls for the construction of new and/or renovated swimming pools at three existing public pool sites (King Pool, Willard Pool and West Campus Pool), in Berkeley, as shown generally on Figure 1. All three of the swimming pool improvement projects are proposed for existing pool sites located on existing and former Middle School sites owned by the Berkeley Unified School District. Aerial photos of the respective school sites, Martin Luther King, Willard and West Campus, are shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, respectively, and photographs of the existing facilities at the respective pools are shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. The Martin Luther King Middle School site is located on a 17.8 acre site between Hopkins and Rose Streets in north Berkeley, approximately two blocks west of The Alameda/Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The site consists of Assessor s Parcels 060 2445 001 2 and 3. The existing swimming pools and locker rooms are located on the north side of the site, near the tennis courts, running track and playing fields. The Willard Middle School site is located in South Berkeley, along Telegraph Avenue, between Derby and Stuart Streets. The site has 7.2 acres and the Assessors Parcel Number is 054 1713 001. The existing pools are located in the northwest corner of the site, adjacent to Telegraph Avenue and Derby Street. The West Campus site is located in West Berkeley, along University Avenue, between Bonar/Browning and Curtis Streets. The L shaped site has 6.0 acres and includes Assessor s Parcels 056 1980 001 and 056 1986 001. The existing pools are located on parcel 056 1980 001 along Curtis Street near the intersection with Addison Street. A fourth pool site, the Old Gym at Berkeley High School, houses the Warm Water Pool. This building is scheduled for demolition in 2011. Therefore, a new location for the warm water pool on a site other than the Berkeley High School site is addressed in the Master Plan. 2
REGIONAL LOCATION/ TOPOGRAPHIC MAP FIGURE 1 Source: Donaldson Associates; USGS 7.5 Minute Richmond and Oakland West Quadrangle Maps from Maptec 3
B. PROJECT SPONSOR The project is sponsored by the City of Berkeley. The Berkeley Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront has taken the lead in preparing the Master Plan, and all three of the proposed swimming pool improvement projects would be constructed and operated by the Department. All of the pool sites are located on land owned by the School District, which has been involved throughout the preparation of the Master Plan. The City of Berkeley is the Lead Agency under CEQA and will be responsible for funding the projects. In 2010, the City expects to request voter approval of a bond issue to raise capital funds for construction of the three projects. The Berkeley Unified School District will be a Responsible Agency under CEQA and will utilize this Initial Study in its decision making related to the project. C. BACKGROUND AND PROJECT HISTORY In June 2004, the Berkeley Unified School District completed a master plan for the south half of Berkeley High School, located between Milvia Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, generally south of Bancroft Avenue. This plan calls for the demolition of the seismically unsafe Old Gymnasium and the warm water pool within it, and construction of new classrooms. These projects are expected to begin in June, 2011. The Berkeley High School South Campus Master Plan originally anticipated the construction of a new warm water pool, to be operated by the City of Berkeley, on an existing parking lot at the northeast corner of Milvia Street and Bancroft Avenue; however, the School District now prefers an alternative site for the warm water pool, because it believes that the Milvia/Bancroft site will be needed for future expansion of the High School. Accordingly, in 2007, the City undertook a Berkeley Warm Water Pools Study, to develop a program, design and costs for a new warm water pool facility. Simultaneously, the City assessed the three neighborhood pools and determined needed repairs and associated costs. A bond measure was expected to fund replacement of the warm water pool facility and repair the three neighborhood pools. However, based on a survey of likely voters and other considerations, the City Council decided not to place the ($23 million) bond issue on the November, 2008 ballot. Instead, the Council and the School Board both passed a resolution to develop a Citywide Pools Master Plan to comprehensively assess the needs, options and 4
alternatives for the warm water pool, the community pools, and possible new pools. The City and School District subsequently established a Pools Task Force of key stakeholders to develop the Master Plan. The Task Force was formed in September 2008, and consisted of ten community members representing warm water pool users, competitive swimmers, pool neighbors, and three City commissions (Parks and Recreation, Youth, and Disability). Six additional non voting members from the City and School District staffs were appointed, and consultants were hired to provide technical support. The Task Force held thirteen intensive work sessions between September 2008 and March 2009, resulting in the publication of the Final Draft of the Berkeley Citywide Pools Master Plan on April, 2, 2009. 1 D. EXISTING SITE CHARACTERISTICS The City of Berkeley lies along the coastal plain and foothills of the Coastal Range on the east side of San Francisco Bay. The elevation ranges from sea level to about 1,200 feet, and its land area is generally urbanized. The City has a population of about 103,000 people, living in about 45,000 households. The three existing pool sites proposed for new and renovated swimming pool facilities are generally centralized within the City, with the King Pool site in north central Berkeley, the Willard Pool site in south central Berkeley and the West Campus Pool site in a west central location. See Figure 1. All three of the sites for the proposed swimming pools and related facilities currently have swimming pools. Accordingly, the project will not change the existing land use at these sites; but there would be changes in the size, type, functionality and user appeal at each of the respective pools. The King Pool site is located on a graded site behind the tennis courts along Hopkins Street near Carlotta Street. The pool facilities at this site were constructed in 1966. The Martin Luther King Middle School is located on the opposite side of the campus, fronting Rose Street, and at a higher elevation. A moderately steep, wooded slope 1 City of Berkeley, Pools Task Force, Final Draft Berkeley Citywide Pools Master Plan, April 2, 2009, 46 pps. Available at: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedfiles/parks_rec_waterfront/level_3 General//FINAL%20Formatted%20April%203.pdf 5
MARTIN LUTHER KING CAMPUS FIGURE 2 Source: ELS Architecture and Urban Design 6
WILLARD SCHOOL CAMPUS FIGURE 3 Source: ELS Architecture and Urban Design 7
WEST CAMPUS FIGURE 4 Source: ELS Architecture and Urban Design 8