Planning and Development Department
Current Planning Division
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
ACHESON COMMONS PROJECT
AND
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
State Clearinghouse #2011102035
Notice is hereby given that the City of Berkeley has completed a Draft Environmental Impact Report
(Draft EIR), pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), for the proposed Acheson
Commons Project in downtown Berkeley.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: The Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) is scheduled to receive public comments
on the Draft EIR on June 14, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Second Floor
Council Chambers, Berkeley, CA.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is scheduled to receive public comments on the
Draft EIR on July 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue,
Berkeley, CA.
PUBLIC REVIEW TIMELINE: The public review and comment period for the Draft EIR begins May
30, 2012 and ends July 16, 2012. The City must receive all written comments regarding the adequacy
of the Draft EIR within this time period. Written comments may be submitted in person, by mail or by
e-mail. The mailing address is Greg Powell, Land Use Planning Division, 2120 Milvia Street,
Berkeley, CA 94704 and the email address is GPowell@ci.berkeley.ca.us
DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY: Copies of the Draft EIR are available for review Monday through Friday,
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the City of Berkeley Planning and Development
Department, 2120 Milvia Street, Berkeley, California or online at http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/
ContentDisplay.aspx?id=62168 Copies are also available at the City Clerk, 2180 Milvia Street; the
Berkeley Main Public Library Reference Desk, 2090 Kittredge Street; and the Moffitt Library Reference
Desk, University of California, Berkeley.
PROJECT LOCATION: The project site is located in Downtown Berkeley, on a block bounded by
Shattuck Avenue on the west, University Avenue on the south, Walnut Street on the east and
Berkeley Way on the north. The project site is located in the Commercial, Downtown Mixed-Use (CDMU) Zoning District. The site includes Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs): 057-2046-004-00; 0572046-005-00; 057-2046-006-00; 0572046-008-02 to -03; 057-2046-010-00; and 057-2046-011-00.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The approximately 47,560-square foot project is currently developed with
multiple structures, including the MacFarlane Building (1970-1987 Shattuck Avenue and 2101-2109
University Avenue); the Krishna Copy Center building (2111-2113 University Avenue); the Crepes a
Go-Go building (2125 University Avenue); the Acheson Physicians Building (2127 and 2135½
University Avenue); the Ace Hardware Building (2145 University Avenue); and 2 residential buildings
(1922/1924 and 1930 Walnut Street). The Bachenheimer Building, located at 2119 University Avenue,
bisects the project site, and is not part of the proposed project. Existing land uses on-site include retail,
restaurant, and office; the residential buildings on the site are vacant. Several structures are
recognized as historically significant by the City of Berkeley and according to the criteria set forth by
2120 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510-981-7410
E-mail: planning@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Fax: 510-981-7420
the State Office of Historic Preservation, appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic
Places.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed project would involve the construction of 202 new dwelling
units, 3 live/work units and the rehabilitation of approximately 33,250 square feet of commercial
space. New five-story residential structures would be built above the MacFarlane, Krishna Copy
Center and the Ace Hardware Buildings. Existing ground floor commercial space would continue as
commercial use. The historic building façades along University Avenue would be retained and
rehabilitated. The Acheson Physicians Building would be converted from office use to residential use.
The two vacant residential buildings on Walnut Street would be demolished or relocated, and a new
mixed-use structure would be built. The ground floor of the Walnut Street Building would include a 50
stall parking garage. No other buildings on the site would include parking.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: The Initial Study (circulated in October 2011, and included as an
Appendix to the Draft EIR) identified no impacts or less-than-significant impacts to the following
environmental issues: Agricultural and Forestry Resources; Biological Resources; Land Use and
Planning; Mineral Resources; Population and Housing; Public Services; Recreation; and, Utilities and
Service Systems.
The Initial Study identified potentially significant impacts to the following environmental issues;
however, these were mitigated to a less-than-significant level with mitigation measures recommended
in the Initial Study: Archaeological and Paleontological Resources; Geology and Soils; Hazards and
Hazardous Materials; and, Hydrology and Water Quality.
The Draft EIR provides an evaluation of the following environmental issues:
x Aesthetics
x Cultural Resources
x Transportation and Traffic
x Air Quality
x Greenhouse Gas Emissions
x Noise
Impacts to Aesthetics, Transportation and Traffic, and Greeenhouse Gas Emissions would be less
than significant. Impacts to Air Quality and Noise would be mitigated to a less-than-significant level.
Impacts to Cultural Resources, specifically the additions to the MacFarlane, Krishna Copy Center and
Ace Hardware Buildings, and the demolition of the two Walnut Street Buildings, even with proposed
mitigation measures, would be significant and unavoidable.
The project site is not listed on the Cortese List, Govt. Code Section 65962.5 (an annually updated
list of hazardous materials release sites).
ALTERNATIVES: The CEQA Guidelines require analysis of a range of reasonable alternatives to the
project, or to the location of the project, which would feasibly attain most of the project’s basic
objectives and avoid, or substantially lessen, any of the significant effects of the project. The range of
alternatives required in an EIR is governed by a “rule of reason” that requires the EIR to set forth only
those alternatives necessary to permit a reasoned choice. The Draft EIR analyzes the following three
alternatives: 1) No Project alternative; 2) Full Compliance with Secretary of Interior Standards
alternative; and 3) Increased Stepbacks alternative.
QUESTIONS: If you have any questions about this project, contact Greg Powell at (510) 981-7414 or
GPowell@ci.berkeley.ca.us
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