Common use of Initial Study Clause in Contracts

Initial Study. In the Initial Study, ICF will disclose each of the CEQA environmental topics to determine which would require additional discussion in the focused EIR, and which would present no change from what was previously analyzed in the ConnectMenlo EIR. For efficiency and consistency with other City documents, the Initial Study will follow the same format as the 1125 O’Brien Drive Project Initial Study.  Aesthetics – Aesthetic impacts were determined to be less than significant in the ConnectMenlo Draft EIR. The Project would include increased development intensity; therefore, the buildings would have more mass, bulk, height, lighting, and/or glare, resulting in potentially greater visual impacts. Upon receipt of site plans, building elevations, and/or visual simulations (if available) prepared by the Project Sponsor, ICF will determine whether the Project would result in conflicts with existing plans and policies protecting aesthetic resources, as compared to what was analyzed in the ConnectMenlo EIR. However, it is not expected that impacts would be greater than those previously analyzed.  Agricultural and Forestry Resources – No agricultural or forestry resources currently exist at the Project site. Therefore, no impacts would occur.  Air Quality – It is anticipated that all of the air quality topics will be discussed in the EIR, rather than in the Initial Study (see Task 6, below).  Biological Resources – The Project site is within an urban setting and is bordered on all sides by the Menlo Park Labs campus and industrial/warehousing uses. Although the Project site is near the Bay and the ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, it is separated by ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ and, therefore, is not expected to have an impact on special-status species inhabiting these areas. The Project site is currently developed with buildings and surface parking lots. Trees line the southern of the Project site, along O’Brien Drive, which could provide habitat for nesting birds. The Initial Study would consider potential impacts to nesting birds during construction. This scope assumes that the applicant will provide a Biological Resources Assessment (BRA), per Mitigation Measure BIO-1 from the ConnectMenlo EIR. ICF will review the BRA and incorporate it into the Initial Study.