Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Steve Monowitz, Community Development Director
Subject: Approval of the Taube Family Carriage House Project and Adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution approving the Taube Family Carriage House Project and adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
body
BACKGROUND:
The County Courthouse Museum is owned by San Mateo County but is leased to the San Mateo County Historical Association, which uses the property to operate the San Mateo County Courthouse Museum (History Museum). A lease agreement between the Historical Association and San Mateo County was amended on October 22, 2019 to allow the utilization of the proposed project site for the Carriage House addition, subject to approval from the Board of Supervisors. The addition and associated improvements are intended as part of a single cultural attraction (Museum Block), containing the Courthouse Square, the History Museum (including the new Carriage House addition), and the Lathrop House. The Courthouse building and Lathrop House are both on the National Register of Historic Places. Upon approval by the Board of Supervisors of the Carriage House Project, the Historical Association will need to secure all appropriate approvals from the San Mateo County Building Official and encroachment permits from the County Department of Public Works and Redwood City.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed Carriage House addition (“Project”) consists of a 3-story, 14,000 square foot addition to the History Museum located at 2200 Broadway Avenue in downtown Redwood City. The new Carriage House addition will be located at the rear of the County Courthouse building, behind an annex structure that was added to the Courthouse building in 1941. The Courthouse building (but not the annex) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The addition would be located in a paved parking area on the northeast corner of the existing Courthouse building near the intersection of Marshall Street and Middlefield Road. The Project plans are included as Exhibit A to this report.
Consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the County prepared an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). The MND is available at <https://planning.smcgov.org/ceqa-docs> and the MND’s conclusions are summarized below.
The MND became available for public review and comment for 30 days beginning September 23, 2020 and ending on October 22, 2020. One comment letter was received from the Redwood City Planning Department. A response to Redwood City comments was prepared along with an erratum to the MND to clarify and correct non-material Information. The response to comments and errata is included in Exhibit B.
The MND identified the following categories of potentially significant environmental impacts associated with the Project: air quality, biology, geology, and cultural resources.
The MND identifies mitigation measures that are incorporated into the Project. Mitigation measures identified in the MND include the following, among others:
• Following BAAQMD dust control measures.
• Scheduling construction to occur outside of bird nesting and bat roosting seasons.
• Implementing protection measures including construction fencing around the Lathrop House to prevent damage to the federally listed historic resource.
Adoption of the resolution includes adoption of a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan (Exhibit B) which will ensure project compliance with all mitigation measures identified in the MND.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
In accordance with resolution No. 077000 the San Mateo County Historical Association is responsible for all costs related to construction and maintenance of the Carriage House. Adoption of the resolution by the Board of Supervisors would result in no Net County Cost.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Exhibit A - Taube Family Carriage House Plans
Exhibit B - MND Response to Comments and Errata
Exhibit C - Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan