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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 5.C 01/26/20095.0 January 26, 2009 City of Petaluma, California Memorandum City Manager's Office, 11 English Street, Petaltuna, CA 94952 (707) 778-4345 Far (707) 778-4419 E-mail. cihnaett'deLpetalatna.ca. its DATE: January 22, 2009 TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: John C. Brown, City Manager SUBJECT: Dutra Letter Pursuant to Council's direction, attached please find an amended letter to the County based on comments received from members of Council prior to distribution in today's packet. Additionally, at Councilmember Healy's request, attached is his suggested letter, which includes a signature block for the entire Council, to underscore the seriousness of the matter. I Januury 22, 20090tobLr-W-.-2808 Rue-herchSunervisur Paul Kelley, Chair Sonoma County Izlanning-c m mNsionlloard of Supervisors ?4-4emora-A-vtn ie575 Administration Drir-e. Room 100A Santa Rosa, CA 95403 RG: City of Petaluma Comments on the Proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant Dear Chair Parch -Kelley, and Members of the{'-lamring-C-C-cnt}mi:;iienl3oard oC Suncrvisn: On Monday, Aclo4er-6—_N08January 26. 2009, the Petaluma City Council again reviewed the proposal to locate the Dutra asphalt plant on property at 3355 Petaluma Boulevard South. Although the project site is currently outside of the city limits, it is within the City's Urban Growth Boundary; and more importantly, it is directly across the river from Shollenberger Park and its critical wildlife and wetland habitats that attract thousands of residents and visitors each year. Ai-the-cunalusiurr-o{'_tha-public-c.3mmenls-otrthe-prnpusnl-includjnp;-u prarrrtxtien—b5�--a—represantatiae—fit+m-9utr.t(;cncr.d(v, the City Council genetttl}ra}prev'.;ed-itrsupports I'ofthc Dutra operation and its economic value to the south county. However, the City Council was particularly focused on the potentially detrimental impacts of the plant operations on the sensitive wildlife habitats on the site and across the river at Shollenberger Park, as well as its effect on the experience of the many local residents and visitors to the Park. The Petaluma River is a vital natural habitat and a "working" river. Shollenberger Park is an invaluable community resource, in part, because it offers its users an up -close, first-hand experience of those very features. The Park and the adjacent Alman Marsh, will soon be expanded further to include the "polishing wetlands" that are part of the City's new water recycling facility, making it one of the largest contiguous wetland habitats in the Bay Area and the seasonal home to thousands of native and migratory birds and other wildlife. The City Council cannot stress enough how critical it is to effectively mitigate the potential impacts of the Dutra facility in order to maintain the high-quality aesthetic, habitat and recreational values that make Shollenberger Park so attractive to so many Sonoma County residents. We respectfully call on the members of the Sonoma County Planning Commission to formulate a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors that will fully protect Shollenberger Park and the adjoining wetlands as it evolves - through the efforts of numerous volunteers and organizations - into a world-class environmental education site and wildlife habitat. More specifically, we ask that the Planning Commission incorporate the following comments into the final project mitigations and conditions of approval, where appropriate: • The project site is located at southerly entrance to Petaluma and is considered one of the City's gateways. Buildings, including the design and location of the San Antonio Fire Department, landscaping and other features should result in a thoughtful, coordinated and well-designed appearance that reflects gateway status of the property along Petaluma Boulevard South. • Minimize the impacts to local Petaluma traffic and streets by requiring all truck traffic to and from the site to use Highway 101 and the closest freeway access. • Require that waiting trucks have appropriate idling restrictions in order to minimize diesel emissions and ensure diesel filters are installed on all trucks comine and eoine from facility. • Project related noise shall be mitigated to conform to the City's adopted General Plan outdoor noise standard of 60dbCNEL at Shollenberger Park, adjoining wetlands and the future project located at Quarry Heights on Petaluma Boulevard South. • Night-time lighting shall only be used when the plant is in operation. All lighting should be designed to shine downward and to insure that artificial light does not spillover into sensitive habitat areas adjacent to the site and at Shollenberger Park and adjoining wetlands. • If rubberized asohalt nroduction occurs the entire plant should be- I Formatted: Bullets and Numbering enclosed to contain emissions and odors related to rubberized asnhall production. Addilionaliv an undated FIR should be oerflormed to evaluate the environmental imoacts of rubberized asohall nroduction. • Economic imoacts of the facility located near eco -tourism destination-- --"' I Formatted: Bullets and Numbering should be analvzed as it relates to investment of riublic resources towards eco -tourism. wetlands restoration and local tourism industry. • The recycling of asphalt shall only be done during daytime business hours and shall comply with strict noise and dust control regulations and be contained within a permanent enclosure. Although the City Council supports the recycling of asphalt as a sustainable, green building element, it is concerned about the impacts of the recycling operation on nearby sensitive habitat and recreational areas been se4f,:.;-wand the Council stroneiv recommends that the facility must be contained within a permanent enclosure. Should available regulation not be sufficient to mitigate the noise and dust impacts of the recycling operation, the City Council would request that the Planning Commission consider eliminating the recycling operation from the site, or consider an alternative site, away from sensitive habitat and recreational areas. • Require a binding commitment from Dutra Materials to allow public access to the 19 acres of wetlands and open space immediately adjacent to the project site. On behalf of the Petaluma City Council, I want to thank the Planning C-emmissionBoard of Sunervisors in advance for its efforts to reach a recommendation to-the-Aeafd-ok'-Snper-visers--that will allow the Dutra asphalt plant to operate while protecting a unique and valuable environmental and economic resource and the residents and visitors who will use it. Sincerely, Pamela Torliatt Mayor cc: City Council Members nodid-oliSupe. sms Petaluma Recreation, Music and Parks Commission City Manager City Atum ey Parks and Recreation Director Community Development Director POST OFFICE Box 61 PETALUMA, CA 94953-0061 Pamela Torliatt hfm•or January 26, 2009 Teresa Barrett David Glass Mike Harris Mike Healy David Rabbitt Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Tiffany Rca@e 575 Administration Drive, Room 100A Cauncthnembers Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2887 RE: City of Petaluma Comments on the Proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant Dear Chairman Kelley and Members of the Board of Supervisors: The Petaluma City Council has received an exceptional outpouring of public concern regarding the proposal to locate a Dutra asphalt plant on property at 3355 Petaluma Boulevard South. Although the project site is currently outside of the city limits, it is within the City's Urban Growth Boundary; and more importantly, it is directly across the river from Shollenberger Park and its critical wildlife and wetland habitats that attract thousands of residents and visitors each year. Much of the concern expressed by the public focuses on the issue of assuring that there are no harmful releases of fumes or gasses upwind of Shollenberger Park 00, Managers office and the Petaluma Marsh. We agree that the public's concerns about this issue 11 English street have not been addressed adequately by the applicant. Petaluma, CA 94952 Phone (707) 778-4345 However, our preeminent concern has to do with the extraordinary visibility of Fax (707) 778-4419 this proposed project from Highway 101. The location of this site makes it an E -Mail cu)-mgr@ccpetah,ma.ca.us important gateway both to Petaluma and to all of Sonoma County. The site is almost adjacent to Highway 101. The visual simulations contained in the Draft Human Resources. Environmental Impact Report for the project leave no doubt of the massive visual Phone (707) 778-1534 impact of the proposed project, viewed either from Highway 101 or from across For (707) 778-4539 e-Afail the Petaluma River at Shollenberger Park. hwnanresourees@ ci.petahmta.ca.us Moreover, the site is precisely adjacent to the footprint of the new Petaluma Information TechnologyBoulevard South interchange, which as you know is one of the few elements of Phone (707) 778-4417 the Novato Narrows widening that is currently funded through construction. The Fax (707) 776-3623 new section of freeway through this segment will be at a significantly higher E -Ahad in7cipe1ahm1a.caus elevation than the existing freeway. The new interchange will worsen the visibility impact of the proposed project in three ways: (1) the new interchange Risk nfanagement will adjoin the project site with no buffer; (2) the higher elevation of the new I English Street freeway and interchange make the project site more visible to the public; and (3) Petaluma, Cd 94953 Phone (707) 776-3695 the increased elevation will diminish the effectiveness of any landscaping that Fax (707) 776-3697 E -Afar/ r,skmgtnci.petal oma. ca. us might be planted on the project site as a visual screen. We note that the EIR does not even attempt to analyze visual impacts from the new interchange or freeway elevation. In sum, the current proposal is not designed appropriately for an important gateway both to Petaluma and to Sonoma County. Additionally, the air quality issues have not been addressed adequately. Accordingly, we respectfully request that the current proposal not be approved at this time. We recognize the importance to the local economy of locating a permanent asphalt plant somewhere in southern Sonoma County. In light of this, the City of Petaluma is willing to work collaboratively with the applicant, the County, and other stakeholders either to improve the proposal for the proposed site or to identify a mutually satisfactory alternative site. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Pamela Torliatt Mayor David Glass Councilmember Mike Healy Councilmember Tiffany Renee Councilmember Teresa Barrett Vice -Mayor Mike Harris Councilmember David Rabbitt Councilmember