2.
Response
to
Comment
2.4
Master
Responses
to
Comments
information
refer
to
a
date
other
than
December
2010,
an
explanation
of
the
validity
of
the
baseline
information
in
relation
to
December
2010
baseline
conditions
is
provided.
Since
1990,
the
soil
processing
operations
on
174
acres
of
the
former
landfill
portion
of
the
Project
Site
(Baylands
Soil
Processing)
have
continuously
modified
the
soil
level/ground
elevations
in
the
former
landfill
area,
and
as
of
2013
when
the
Draft
EIR
was
published,
the
quantity
and
height
of
soil
stockpiles
were
greater
than
they
were
in
2010.
Baylands
Soil
Processing
has
been
processing
soils
onsite
through
an
Interim
Use
Permit
from
the
City
of
Brisbane.
This
temporary
operation
is
not
a
part
of
the
proposed
Baylands
development
scenarios
that
were
analyzed
in
the
Draft
EIR.
The
currently
larger
soil
piles
would
not,
however,
change
the
conclusions
of
the
environmental
analysis
of
the
proposed
development
in
this
portion
of
the
Project
Site.
The
operations
of
Baylands
Soils
Processing
are
described
among
the
interim
uses
within
the
Baylands
on
page
of
the
Draft
EIR.
These
ongoing
operations
have
resulted
in
the
placement
of
soils
on
the
former
landfill,
increasing
its
height
subsequent
to
the
2010
baseline
year
for
the
Draft
EIR.
Therefore,
the
photographs
of
existing
conditions
used
for
visual
simulations
in
Section
4.A,
Aesthetics
,
illustrate
soils
heights
that
were
lower
in
2010
than
they
were
in
2013
or
the
present
date.
Photosimulations
of
future
conditions
presented
in
that
section
of
the
Draft
EIR
to
illustrate
impacts
of
proposed
development
reflect
proposed
future
grades,
and
are
therefore
unaffected
by
changes
in
existing
grades
resulting
from
soils
processing
activities
from
2010
to
the
present.
These
changes
in
the
height
of
soils
on
the
former
landfill
provide
for
a
worst-case
analysis
of
proposed
Baylands
development.
Since
the
height
of
soils
within
the
former
landfill
was
lower
in
2010
than
in
2013
or
the
present
time,
impacts
related
to
changes
in
landfill
height
from
existing
to
post-development
elevations
will
be
greater
for
the
2010
baseline
year
than
they
would
be
using
2013
or
present-day
elevations.
2.4.8
Master
Response
8,
Biological
Resources:
Level
of
Detail
in
the
Biological
Resources
Analysis
Comments
Comments
pertaining
to
biological
resources
raised
questions
about
level
of
detail
and
methodology
undertaken
for
the
biological
surveys
conducted
for
the
Draft
EIR.
Some
commenters
were
also
concerned
that
the
mitigation
measures
proposed
to
offset
impacts
may
not
be
sufficiently
detailed,
and
questioned
the
mechanism(s)
in
place
to
make
sure
mitigation
actually
occurs.
A
number
of
comments
included
requests
for
specific
studies
to
be
undertaken
based
on
concerns
that
impacts
were
not
identified
accurately
or
completely.
This
Master
Response
is
intended
to
clarify
the
approach
used
to
prepare
Draft
EIR
Section
4.C,
Biological
Resources
,
including
characterizing
existing
conditions
and
analyzing
impacts
associated
with
the
anticipated
20-year
buildout
of
the
Baylands
Project
Site.
Brisbane
Baylands
Final
EIR
2.4-21
May
2015