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Chapter 3 Findings Regarding Project Alternatives ^ Transportation-Under this alternative, a greater level of commercial development could result in greater vehicle trips associated with the proposed project site, resulting in potentially greater impacts. Implementation of Alternative 2 would result in lesser environmental impacts than the proposed project with respect to Aesthetics, Population and Housing, Public Services, and Utilities and Service Systems due to the lack of changes to existing land uses that would occur at the proposed project site. Impacts with respect to Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and SoIls, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, and Land Use would result in impacts similar to the proposed project under this alternative. Findings The City hereby fmds that the No Project/Development Under Existing General Plan Alternative is infeasible for the following environmental, economic, social, and other considerations: ^ Would not create an active, mixed-use urban village where it is possible to live, work, shop and play all within a short walk of each other to the extent of the proposed project. ^ Would not achieve the hazmonious integration of new mixed-use development within the existing fabric of the mid-rise and high-rise office environment due to the reduced development intensity compared to the proposed project. ^ Would not create a differentiation between different areas of the Overlay Zone. ^ Would not provide fox a mix of housing in order to encourage a continuum of living and a vaziety of household types to the extent of the proposed project. ^ Would not facilitate project designs that encourage adequate amounts of retail ox commercial space to service residents and/or employees within the development and the larger Overlay Zone. ^ Would not allow for the development of varied residential types in a mixed-use configuration including, but not limited to, loft-style units, live/work units, attached row houses, and high- quality stacked flats to the extent of the proposed project. ^ Alternative 3: Reduced Residential Component Alternative The Reduced Residential Component Alternative would involve construction of a smaller mixed-use development on the project site. This altemative would construct the buildings in the same location as under the proposed project, and maintain the ground floor use as commercial; however the height of each residential tower would be reduced to a maximum of 19 stories each. This would reduce the total FAR of the property from a 2.7 FAR under the proposed project, to a 2.5 FAR under this alternative, which is the minunum envisioned FAR in the Active Urban district under the proposed Overlay Zone. With a reduced height limit, the number of residential units would also be reduced from 374 to approximately 335. Implementation of Alternative 2 would result in lesser environmental impacts than the proposed project with respect to Aix Quality, Noise, Population and Housing, Public Services, Transportation, and Utilities and Service Systems due to the reduced level of development that would occur at the proposed project site. Impacts with respect to Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and SoIls, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, and Land Use would result in impacts similar to the proposed project under this altemative. Metro East Mixed Use Overlay Zone EIR Findings of Fact/Statement of Overriding Considerations 3-9 75B-75