Title
Adopt a resolution to certify the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Monterey County Government Center East and West Wings Renovation Project.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution to certify the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Monterey County Government Center East and West Wings Renovation Project.
SUMMARY:
Resource Management Agency (RMA) - Public Works is seeking certification of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) prepared for the Monterey County Government Center East and West Wings Renovation Project (SCH No. 2003011115) (Attachments 2 and 3). The SEIR supplements the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which was prepared for the Monterey County Government Center and certified on October 16, 2003 by the Board of Supervisors (Attachment 1) (Resolution No. 03-346). RMA-Public Works is requesting only that the Board certify the Final Supplemental EIR at this time and is not seeking approval of the project. Staff will return to the Board of Supervisors for consideration of a project after tenant occupancy has been determined and funding has been identified.
The SEIR was prepared to assess potential archeological and historical impacts of the East and West Wings Renovation Project (E&W Wings Renovation). The E&W Wings Renovation project was analyzed as part of the 2003 EIR for the Monterey County Government Center. This SEIR was prepared to address new information which was not known and could not have been known in 2003. The SEIR replaces Section 3.3 of that 2003 EIR.
DISCUSSION:
The 2003 EIR (Attachment 1) evaluated environmental impacts related to the construction of a new three-story County Administration building; renovations of the North Wing of the Courthouse; renovations of the East and West Wings of the Courthouse; a pedestrian promenade and parking modification.
The 2003 EIR evaluated a reasonable range of alternatives, including: the "No Project" (No Development) alternative; "Onsite Parking Alternative", which included a new County Administration building, renovations to the North, East and West Wings, and pedestrian promenade; and an "East Laurel or Fort Ord" alternative, which included construction of the new Administration building offsite and onsite renovations of the North, East and West Wings and pedestrian promenade.
The Board selected the "Onsite Parking Alternative," and the Monterey County Government Center has been built. All improvements have been completed with the exception of the renovations to the East and West Wings and improvements to the pedestrian promenade.
The 2003 EIR analyzed environmental impacts related to renovation of the E&W Wings. However, since certification of the EIR, the E&W Wings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) by the National Park Service, in January 2009. As a result of being placed on the National Register, the property has also been listed in the California Register of Historic Resources. Given the heightened historic status of the property, the County of Monterey determined that preparing a supplement to the 2003 EIR was appropriate to determine if any impacts to the building or the courtyard sculpture would occur-or could be avoided-with implementation of the renovation project. In addition, minor changes with respect to planned building occupancy have occurred since 2003.
The County has prepared a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report pursuant to Section 15163 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines to assess potential Archeological and Historical impacts of the E&W Wings Renovation Project, which is a component of the 2003 EIR (Attachment 2: SEIR).
The E&W Wings Renovation project includes replacement of windows, doors, seismic retrofits, cleaning and sealing exterior, exterior and interior Americans with Disabilities Act improvements, removal of some interior walls, creation of new walls partitions, a new elevator in the East Wing, automatic fire sprinklers, upgrades to heating, ventilation, and air condition system, update sanitary system, a new elevated pedestrian bridge/walkway, landscaping, and renovation of the existing Courtyard planter.
The SEIR analyzed potential impacts on Cultural/Historical resources, as related to renovation of the E&W Wings. Cultural resources are defined as prehistoric and historic sites, structures, or any other physical evidence associated with human activity considered important to a culture, a subculture, or a community for scientific, traditional, or religious reasons. Paleontological resources include fossil remains, as well as fossil localities and formations that have produced fossil material. This section replaces Section 3.3 of the certified 2003 EIR in its entirety.
The SEIR evaluated the impacts of the E&W Wings Renovation project on Archaeological, Paleontological, and Historic resources and identified several mitigation measures that were not previously identified in the 2003 EIR. The SEIR concludes that the E&W Wings Renovation project will not impact Archaeological and Paleontological resources and impacts to Historical resources will be mitigated to less than significant with implementation of mitigation measures identified in the SEIR.
Historical elements include bronze bas-relief features, exterior sculptured heads, travertine marble panels in the courtyard, window and doors, and the travertine sculpture in the middle of the courtyard. Although the interior of the buildings is not listed as a contributing historical feature and has signs of being altered from its original state, the former law library is a distinctive space that includes historical elements, including bookcases, molding, and fabric. The SEIR identifies several mitigation measures to mitigate historical impacts to less than significant that were not previously identified in the 2003 EIR.
On July 21, 2014, a Notice of Availability to Adopt a SEIR was filed with the Clerk of the Board. The document was circulated for public review from June 21, 2014 to September 4, 2014. Comment letters were received from the Native American Heritage Commission, the City of Salinas, Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District and Mark Edwin Norris. The Final SEIR provides responses to comments (Attachment 3: Final SEIR).
On March 6, 2014, these proposed renovations were presented to the Monterey County Historic Resource Review Board (HRRB). The HRRB suggested constructing one pedestrian bridge on the back side of the building between the E&W Wings; painting the pedestrian bridge the same color as the existing window trim or neutral colors; and keeping the windows free from storage and signs (Attachment 4 - HRRB Minutes).
Staff is not presenting the project for approval at this time, due to lack of funding and ongoing discussions regarding occupancy. In 2011, the estimated project cost was $35.9 million. The E&W Wings Renovation project is currently unfunded due to reallocation of funds to the Jail Housing Addition and New Juvenile Hall projects.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County of Monterey is the lead agency for the E&W Wings Renovation project. RMA - Public Works has circulated the SEIR to County land use departments, HRRB, City of Salinas and the State Clearinghouse.
FINANCING:
The SEIR was funded with General Funds (Fund 404). Currently, the East and West Wings Renovation Project is unfunded. Prior allocations of funds were reprogrammed to the Jail Housing Addition and the New Juvenile Hall projects.
Prepared by: Patricia A. Lopez, Management Analyst III (831) 755-8998
Approved by:
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Robert K. Murdoch, P.E. Director of Public Works
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Carl P. Holm, AICP, Acting RMA Director
Dated: March 13, 2015
Attachments: Resolution; Attach 1: Draft EIR July 2003 and Final EIR October 2003; Attach 2: SEIR; Attach 3: FSEIR (Comment Letters & Responses); Attach 4: HRRB Minutes (attachments on file with the Clerk of the Board)