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Shea Homes Residential Proj ect Environmental Impact Report Findings and Facts in Support of Findings 6.2 ALTERNATIVES ADVANCED FOR FURTHER EVALUATION IN THE EIR 6.2.1 No ProjectlExisting Conditions Alternative Under the No Project Alternative, the project site would be developed in accordance with the City's current Single Family Residential (R-l) zoning on the property. Under the current zoning, a total of 36 residential units could be developed. Additionally, the R-l zoning would only permit a maximum 8- foot sound wall to be constructed along the rear yards of residential uses adj acent to the Santa Ana Freeway, unless a variance was granted. Therefore, the existing 10- foot to 16- foot CalTrans sound wall would provide the primarily sound attenuation for the proposed residential uses. Under the No Project Alternative, the project would not be able to meet the City's exterior noise standard and the second story of residential units adjacent to the sound wall would not be able to meet the City's interior noise standard. Because the alternative would not reduce the significance of noise impacts, the No Project Alternative would not be considered an environmentally superior alternative. 6.2.2 Compliance with Noise Standards by Construction of Sound Wall Alternative Under the Compliance with Noise Standards by Construction of Sound Walls Alternative, the proposed project would be able to comply with the City's exterior and interior noise standards through the construction of a sound wall ranging in height from 16.5- feet to 50-feet. However, the City has deteTll1ined that a sound wall exceeding 20-feet would result in significant aesthetic impacts and would not be feasible to construct. While the alternative would allow the project to comply with the City's noise standards, it would result in significant aesthetic impacts. Because the project would still have unavoidable significant impacts, the Compliance with Noise Standards by Construction of Sound Walls Alternative would not be considered environmentally superior. 6.2.3 Compliance with Noise Standards by Building Setback Alternative Under the Compliance with Noise Standards by Building Setback Alternative, the proposed project would be able to comply with the City's exterior noise standard by locating the proposed residential units at a distance where the project would be within 65 CNEL contour. However, in order to do this, the residential units would need to be located 3,497- feet away from the existing sound wall on the project site. At this distance the 65 CNEL would extend beyond the property and would preclude the development ofresidential uses on the project site. Because the project would not meet the objective to provide residential uses on the project site, the compliance with Noise Standards by Building Setback Alternative would be not considered environmentally supenor. 6.3 COMPARISON OF IMPACTS Table 1 compares potentially significant impacts of the Shea Homes Residential Project with the No Project Alternative, Sound Wall Alternative and the Building Setback Alternative. Page 22 7 SCr89