To: Public Agencies and Concerned Citizens/Interested Parties
From: Town of Corte Madera, 300 Tamalpais Drive Corte Madera, CA 94925
Project Applicant: Reneson Hotels, Inc.
Notice: Notice is hereby given that the Town of Corte Madera, acting as Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), will receive public comment and recommendations on a Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (REIR) prepared for the Corte Madera Inn Rebuild Project. The review period extends for 45 days beginning July 17, 2015 and ends at 5:00 pm on August 31, 2015. All comments regarding the REIR must be received by this ending date/time.
Project Location: 56 Madera Boulevard, Corte Madera, CA
Project Description: The applicant, Reneson Hotels, proposes building demolitions and new construction to develop a hotel with 187 total rooms. The new hotel would be a “dual-branded” hotel project, with one part being a limited-service traditional transient occupancy hotel (79 total rooms) and the other being an extended-stay hotel (i.e., with kitchenettes) (108 total rooms). The extended-stay hotel would be called Residence Inn by Marriott and the limited-service hotel would be called SpringHill Suites by Marriott. New landscaping would be added to the perimeter of the site as well as interior portions of the site. A pool, spa, and water features would be provided for hotel guest use.
The Draft EIR (DEIR) on the original project, as described above, was made available for public review from November 17, 2014 to January 20, 2015. The general public was advised of the availability of the DEIR through notification via email and Notices of Availability mailed to neighbors of the project site. Public agencies and interest groups were also notified by mail. The DEIR was posted on the Town’s website on November 17, 2014. A public hearing on the DEIR was held on December 9, 2014, to obtain oral public comments on the DEIR. During the public review period on the DEIR, written comments were also made on the DEIR. A copy of written comments and responses to the comments will be provided in the Final EIR (FEIR) that will be prepared and circulated after circulation of this REIR.
This REIR provides a new alternative for Chapter 5, Alternatives, of the DEIR. The new alternative is referred to as “Alternative 4: Alternative with Retention of the Pond and 187-Room Hotel” and is described in more detail below. Three alternatives to the proposed project were previously evaluated in Chapter 5, Alternatives, of the DEIR. They were:
? Alternative 1: No Project
? Alternative 2: Alternative with Retention of the Pond and 147-Room Hotel
? Alternative 3: Alternative with Filling in the Pond and 111-Room Hotel
The new Alternative 4 addressed in this REIR provides a revised site plan that includes the same number of hotel rooms as the original project (187 rooms) and a reduced parking supply (192 spaces) compared to the original project. However, the parking supply would meet the Town’s requirements. This new Alternative 4 would retain the existing onsite pond in its current location. Because of the resulting site constraints, Alternative 4 would include a new “L”-shaped building that would range from two to four stories in height. The REIR compares the impacts of Alternative 4 to the impacts of the proposed project. In addition, the ability of Alternative 4 to meet project objectives is also evaluated. Alternatives 2 and 3 were found to meet some but not all of the project objectives. Alternative 4 was also found to meet many but not all of the project objectives. In addition to the No Project Alternative, Alternative 2 would be the environmentally superior alternative. While Alternative 4 may have impacts similar to those of the proposed project, new impacts were identified as related to aesthetics, and for this reason it was concluded that the environmentally superior alternative would be Alternative 2. For reference purposes, the full Alternatives Chapter of the DEIR can be accessed on the Town’s website at:
http://www.townofcortemadera.org/531/Corte-Madera-Inn-Rebuild-Project or by visiting Corte Madera Town Hall at 300 Tamalpais Drive, lower level.
The REIR also addresses a new study that assessed potential circulation improvements on Madera Boulevard to improve overall safety with the project. The REIR incorporates the results of this study and revises applicable mitigation measures in Section 4.12, Transportation/Traffic, of the DEIR. In May 2015, a traffic study was completed by the firm of Parisi Transportation Consulting. This study evaluated the overall safety conditions as related to traffic circulation on Madera Boulevard between Tamal Vista Boulevard, and U.S. Highway 101. This study was originally recommended in Mitigation Measure TRAFFIC-1 of the DEIR; however, it was determined that the study should be done prior to certification of the EIR in order to identify more specifically the mitigation necessary to reduce potential significant impacts to less-than-significant levels.
Potential Environmental Impacts: In the REIR, no new potentially significant impacts are identified. However, mitigation measures related to traffic and pedestrian safety are revised based on the results of the Madera Boulevard traffic study. The Town of Corte Madera, as lead agency, would ensure implementation of the mitigation measures; therefore, all impacts will be less than significant.
Public Review Period: The public review period for the REIR extends from July 17, 2015 through August 31, 2015.
Only comments related to the content of this REIR will be addressed at this time. The comment period for the original DEIR is closed and responses to comments received on the original DEIR, as well as comments on this REIR, will be included in the FEIR. No comments on the original DEIR will be accepted at this time.
Location Where Document Can Be Reviewed: The Town has prepared an REIR for the subject project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. This document is available for review at the Town of Corte Madera’s Town Hall at 300 Tamalpais Drive, lower level, or may be downloaded from the Town’s website at: http://www.townofcortemadera.org/531/Corte-Madera-Inn-Rebuild-Project.
Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report must be received, in writing, by the end of the review period, August 31, 2015, at 5:00 p.m.
Submit comments to:
Adam Wolff, Planning and Building Director
Town of Corte Madera Planning Department
300 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera CA 94925
Or Email to : AWolff@tcmmail.org
Phone: (415) 927-5064
