Environmental Impact Analysis
Representative Projects
Garden's Gate Subdivision (Mendocino County)
LCA prepared the EIR and has recently completed the Final EIR for a 197-unit subdivision adjacent to the City of Ukiah. The project includes affordable housing units. Critical issues included the impacts of extending a new road into an existing residential neighborhood, water availability, and impacts to biological resources. The FEIR is awaiting certification. PDF Part 1 and Part 2 here.
Congregation Kol Shofar Use Permit (Marin County)
The congregation proposed a new, large multi-use facility adjacent to its existing synagogue. Residences surround the site, once a public school. The project was very controversial as many neighbors objected to increased use, especially at night. LCA prepared the EIR on the project, which the Town of Tiburon certified. Subsequently, a group of neighbors filed a lawsuit, making various claims about inadequacies of the EIR. The Marin County Superior Court determined that the EIR met all CEQA requirements and found in favor of the Town.
Wal-Mart Store and Airport Industrial Park Planned Development (Mendocino County)
A proposed Wal-Mart Store in a commercial/industrial planned development was highly controversial; the required EIR was the result of a lawsuit. The EIR included three levels of analysis: a full analysis of the proposed Wal-Mart Store, an analysis of the changes in impacts due to proposed land use changes in the surrounding industrial park, and an analysis of the cumulative impacts of buildout of the 150-acre industrial park. At the request of the City of Ukiah, a full economic assessment of the impact of buildout on the existing downtown commercial center was conducted, including community surveys to determine retail "leakage."
Fort Bragg Shopping Center (Kmart) (Mendocino County)
The proposed shopping center in Fort Bragg included over 130,000 square feet of commercial space anchored by a Kmart Store; 33,000 square feet of motel space; and 60 residential units. The EIR included a full fiscal/economic analysis and a visual analysis that incorporated photomontage techniques. All other areas of potential impact were also addressed.
Maxwell Village Shopping Center (Sonoma County)
LCA prepared an EIR on a proposed 94,000 square-foot shopping center located on Highway 12 outside the City of Sonoma. A fiscal analysis was prepared since the project included annexation to the City. This analysis was extended to include several adjacent developments that the City was also considering annexing. A basic economic assessment of the project's impacts on existing businesses was included. Finally, a detailed assessment of how the project "fit" with an adjacent regional park was prepared.
City of 10,000 Buddhas Training Academy (Mendocino County)
LCA actually prepared three EIRs on a project that was highly controversial given the size and proposed use of the buildings in a rural, agricultural setting. The initial proposal was to construct an 850,000 square-foot private university on agricultural land in Mendocino County. The project included numerous 5-10 story buildings. The EIR focused upon impacts on agriculture, views, public services, geology, and biota. The County rejected the initial project due to visual and other impacts. Five years later, the applicant submitted a revised proposal and we prepared a second full EIR. The applicant again revised the project, and we prepared a third EIR. This final EIR was certified, and a modified project was approved.
Sanguinetti Estates (Calaveras County)
Development of this proposed 150-unit subdivision in Copperopolis would include oak tree removal and recreational impacts on nearby Lake Tulloch. Subsequent to submittal of our draft EIR, the applicant redesigned the project. We were near completion with the revisions to the EIR in 2009 when the applicant withdrew the project.
Lincoln Creek Apartments (Solano County)
LCA prepared a full EIR on an affordable housing project adjacent to Interstate 80 in the City of Dixon. The main issues were traffic safety, noise, and crime; a complete assessment of the relationship of affordable housing projects to criminal activity was included.