Fountaingrove Environmental Impact Report - City of Santa Rosa ...

2.0 LIST OF COMMENTERS AND RESPONSE TO COMMENTS
• Objectives for the entire 1,250-acre Fountaingrove Ranch district include “retain[ing] the
general topographic and tree mass characteristics of the site and to protect other major
natural features of the site.” The objectives are intended to provide guidance for the
whole area, not be used as requirements for individual development projects. The
Project supports this objective by retaining the general topography of the site (see bullet
below on flat padding), retaining some of the native trees, and preserving Piner Creek.
There are no rock outcroppings on the site that would constitute a major natural feature.
• The Project will be consistent with the General Provisions for Landscaping
(Section IV(D) in the FRPCD Policy Statement), including compliance with the City’s
tree removal ordinance and protection during construction of trees to be retained.
Detailed landscaping plans will be completed during the design review process.
• Design standards regarding “flat padding” (Section VI(E)(4)) applies to development of
individual residential units. Though this standard does not apply directly to the Project,
the Project does meet the intent of the standard by addressing each building foundation
separately and having “breaks” in the building heights, which decrease as the elevation
decreases.
Regarding the proposed building sizes, CR land use criteria do not specify maximum
building height, lot coverage, and setbacks (Draft EIR p. 3-114). Instead, individual criteria
are established for each project by its Use Permit. As mentioned above, because the Project
is designated as a community care facility, it is allowed in any zoning district through the
Conditional Use Permit process. The Conditional Use Permit is required for community care
facilities and for development within the FRPCD to establish allowed uses, dimensional
standards, landscape requirements, parking requirements, and other development
standards (Draft EIR p. 3-120). It is the Conditional Use Permit application review by the
City that ultimately determines what the acceptable project size, grading, and landscaping
requirements.
General Plan Policy LUL-E-3 requires the City to avoid the concentration of large
community care facilities in any single residential neighborhood (Draft EIR p. 3-120). In the
northeast part of the City, existing continuing care facilities include Brighton Gardens,
Varenna, and Vineyard Commons. Determination of what is considered a “concentration”
of facilities is made on an individual basis by the City; in the case of the proposed Project,
the City’s Community Development Department has determined that the Project will not
create a concentration of community care projects in the area because the facilities are within
a variety of neighborhoods.
2.2.3 Oak Trees and Oak Woodland
Some comments expressed confusion about the number of trees protected under the City’s
ordinance that would be removed by the Project, how many and what species of trees
would be required to be replanted on the site, and how the replanted trees would be
accommodated on the site. These items are addressed below.
Oak trees within the Project’s Study Area were evaluated in 1999 and then reevaluated in
April 2006 (see Draft EIR p. 3-42). An inventory and evaluation of all trees over 4 inches in
diameter breast height (dbh) or 54 inches above grade, unless otherwise noted, was
conducted, the results of which are reported in the Fountaingrove Lodge Arborist’s Report
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