Welcome to the San Francisquito Creek Flood Protection, Ecosystem Restoration, and Recreation Project Upstream of Highway 101 Public Scoping Meeting June 6, 2013 Open House 7:00 7:15 Project Presentation 7:15 7:35 Public Comment Period 7:35 8:30 Open House 8:30 9:00
Scoping Meeting Presentations Kirsten Keith Welcome Karen Molinari Meeting Facilitator Len Materman and Kevin Murray Comprehensive plan and design objectives Matthew Jones Environmental review process Karen Molinari Public Comment Moderator
EIR Scoping Meeting Meeting format Materials and next steps Ground rules Please silence cell phones Be courteous to others speaking Keep comments focused on project and relevant to meeting topic
Scoping Meeting Objectives Share information on preliminary project alternatives within the overall SFCJPA program Discuss environmental review process Collect your input on: Range of alternatives and methods of assessment Potential impacts and mitigation measures Provide opportunity for 1-on-1 discussion
San Francisquito Creek Watershed Portola Valley Stanford Palo Alto Menlo Park East Palo Alto Floodplain 50 square miles; six towns; local, state, & national parks sites; major rail and highways, a regional airport and Postal Service facility, and a major research university
The SFCJPA is a government agency formed in 1999 to work on efforts of common interest to communities in the region. The agency is currently focused on efforts to: Implement projects that protect communities from flooding, enhance the environment, create opportunities for recreation, and build connectivity between neighborhoods Support the natural function and maintenance of the Creek channel Enhance the ability to local agencies to respond to disasters Turn a divisive liability into a unifying asset Provide comprehensive information, a single contact point, and consolidated public meetings
Redwood City Planned construction phases S.F. Bay Highway 101 Bridges & Bottlenecks upstream of Hwy. 101 (50-year protection) 100-year protection upstream of Hwy. 101 and along S.F. Bay East Palo Alto sfcjpa.org Creek and coastal 100-year floodplains in East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. SFCJPA projects would protect 8,400 properties against flooding, and enhance ecosystems and recreational connectivity. S.F. Bay Menlo Park Approximate number of parcels in the 100-year floodplains = creek floodplain only (3,500 parcels) = coastal floodplain only (2,700 parcels) = both floodplains simultaneously (2,200 parcels) Palo Alto 1 mile Mt. View
Redwood City S.F. Bay East Palo Alto Menlo Park Palo Alto 1 mile Mt. View
Project Study Area 101 US El Camino Real Lake Lagunita Searsville Lake INTERSTATE 280 CALIF ORNIA Felt Lake Study Area Area of potential work in or adjacent to the creek Potential floodwater detention sites San Francisquito Creek watershed FEMA-Designated 100-Year floodplain 0 0.5 1 Miles
Create opportunities for recreation that builds connectivity between neighborhoods New or improved bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways, and viewing stations on bridges
Habitat and bank restoration Stabilize eroding banks that contribute sediment to stream Replace invasive vegetation with natives Increase tree canopy for invertebrate and bird habitat, plus shade Increase roughness to reduce flow velocities
Flood Protection Alternatives Alternative 1: Modify bridges and widen creek bottlenecks to provide approximately 50-year flood protection Alternatives 2-4 build upon Alternative 1 to provide 100-year protection Alternative 2: Modified Alternative 1 plus new and higher floodwalls Alternative 3: Modified Alternative 1 plus construct an underground bypass culvert with some floodwalls Alternative 4: Modified Alternative 1 plus construct one or more upstream detention basins, potentially with some floodwalls Alternative 5: No Project
Concord Dr a Ave Ave Ave Willow Rd Alternative 1: Modify bridges and widen creek bottlenecks to provide approximately 50-year protection Gilbert Ave Mckendry Dr Middlefield Road Bridge Willow Oaks Park Lexington Dr Middlefield Rd Byron St Webster St Woo dlan Pop e St d Ave Pal o Alto Ave Fulton St Central Ave Mena Pope-Chaucer Bridge Chaucer St Hale St Seneca St Gui Boyce Ave St E Okeefe St Oak Ct Forest Ave Fife Ave Menlo Park Palo Alto Manhattan Ave Crescent Dr Martin Ave Center Dr University Ave Southwood Dr Eleanor Pardee University Avenue Bridge Edgewood Dr Kings Ln W Bayshore Rd Newell Rd Hamilton Ave oto D r Clarke Ave Newell Road Bridge Ave East Palo Alto Oconnor St University Square Park E Bayshore Rd Woodland Ave Patricia Ln Jackson Dr Hilbar Pulgas Ave Ln Azalia Dr Verbe na Larkspu Wisteria Dr Camellia Dr Daph ne Wa Caltrans Project
Existing bridge Existing ground Potential new bridge New floodwall
Removing bottlenecks within the creek channel Existing fence Existing floodwall Existing floodwall Palo Alto home Existing sacked concrete Woodland Ave Proposed widened channel in public right-of-way
Concord Dr Alternative 2: Modified Alternative 1 plus new & higher floodwalls a Ave Ave Ave Willow Rd Gilbert Ave Mckendry Dr Middlefield Road Bridge Willow Oaks Park Lexington Dr Middlefield Rd Byron St Webster St Woo dlan Pop e St d Ave Pal o Alto Ave Fulton St Central Ave = extent of floodwalls Mena Pope-Chaucer Bridge Chaucer St Hale St Seneca St Gui Boyce Ave St E Okeefe St Oak Ct Forest Ave Fife Ave Menlo Park Palo Alto Manhattan Ave Crescent Dr Martin Ave Center Dr University Ave Southwood Dr Eleanor Pardee University Avenue Bridge Edgewood Dr Kings Ln W Bayshore Rd Newell Rd Hamilton Ave oto D r Clarke Ave Newell Road Bridge Ave East Palo Alto Oconnor St University Square Park E Bayshore Rd Woodland Ave Patricia Ln Jackson Dr Hilbar Pulgas Ave Ln Azalia Dr Verbe na Larkspu Wisteria Dr Camellia Dr Daph ne Wa Caltrans Project
Alternative 3: Modified Alternative 1 plus construct an underground bypass culvert with some floodwalls = extent of bypass culvert under Woodland Floodwalls from Hwy. 101 to just upstream of Newell Rd. and just downstream of the Pope-Chaucer Bridge
Alternative 4: Modified Alternative 1 plus construct one or more upstream detention basins Lake Lagunita Searsville Lake INTERSTATE 280 CALIF ORNIA Felt Lake Potential floodwalls downstream
Environmental Review Process
California Environmental Quality Act Projects require environmental review before they can be considered for approval. CEQA is implemented by the JPA for the communities it serves.
An Environmental Impact Report: Describes the purpose and need for the project Describes the project elements Describes the local environmental setting Identifies potential environmental impacts Lists ways to avoid or reduce significant impacts Evaluates potential alternatives to the proposed project
Environmental Review Schedule
Purpose of the Scoping comment period Review scope of the project and the environmental review process Hear public comments on the following: range of alternatives, methods of assessment, potential environmental effects on resources Aesthetics Air Quality Biological Resources Cultural Resources Geology and Soils Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change Hazardous Materials & Public Health Hydrology and Water Resources Land Use Noise and Vibration Public Services Recreation Transportation and Traffic Utilities and Service Systems potential mitigation measures
Public Comments Ground rules Be courteous to others speaking Keep comments focused on project and relevant to topic Limit to 3 minutes if needed
Written Comments The Notice of Preparation is available online at sfcjpa.org Scoping comment period ends at 5:00 p.m. on July 8, 2013 Comment letters by U.S. mail to: San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority Attn: Kevin Murray, Project Manager 615 B Menlo Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 By email with subject Public comment to: kmurray@sfcjpa.org