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Tesoro del Valle (Phases A, B, C)
Draft Supplemental EIR

6.6.3 REDUCED DEVELOPMENT AREA ALTERNATIVE

Description of the Alternative

The purpose of the Reduced Development Area Alternative is to reduce significant aesthetic
impacts and project traffic impacts that would occur with the proposed project by reducing the
acreage and number of units proposed for development. Specifically, the Reduced Development
Area Alternative would involve development of 245 dwelling units which would be comprised of
132 single family homes and 113 age-qualified senior housing, which would avoid significant and
unavoidable traffic impacts. In order to accommodate the senior housing component of this
alternative and in order to avoid aesthetic impacts associated with development on the ridgelines,
development would be clustered within the southeastern corner of the project site from an
extension of Avenida Rancho Tesoro via a loop road connecting to Reyes Adobe Way as shown
on Exhibit 6-3, Reduced Development Area Alternative. Development would be limited to Area B
and would not occur within Areas A and C. This alternative would result in a reduced development
footprint as compared to the proposed project and therefore, would result in less earthwork
quantities and activities.

Comparative Analysis of Environmental Impacts

Aesthetics
The Reduced Development Area Alternative would reduce the number of proposed dwelling units
by approximately 575 units, resulting in a total of 245 dwelling units which would all be developed
within Phase B. The proposed Project was determined to result in alterations to secondary and
primary ridgelines as shown in Viewpoints 4, 6, 7, and 8 and would result in significant and
unavoidable impacts to the aesthetic/visual character of the project site. The Reduced
Development Area Alternative would avoid the development on the ridgelines as shown on Exhibit
6-3, Reduced Development Area Alternative, which would avoid significant and unavoidable
impacts to the aesthetic/visual character of the project site. Development under this alternative
would occur up to the ridgelines, which would result in less than significant impacts related to
alterations to existing viewsheds visible along San Francisquito Canyon Road. Therefore, impacts
would be less than those identified for the proposed Project and the significant and unavoidable
aesthetic impacts would be avoided.

Agriculture/Forest

As described in Section 5.2 of this Draft EIR, no portion of the project site is designated as Prime
or Unique Farmland or Farmland of Statewide Importance. Phases B and C were entirely zoned
A-2-2, the current zoning is largely R-1, except the northeastern portion which is still zoned A-2-
2. Said areas are vacant and not currently being used for agricultural purposes. The project is not
located in a forest land, timberland, or zoned timberland production area. As with the proposed
Project, potential impacts to agriculture/forest resources would be considered less than
significant. Impacts associated with the Reduced Development Area Alternative would be the
same as with the proposed Project.

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