New report out on planned Target center

<p>A draft of a new environmental impact report on Regency Centers’ Target-anchored shopping center plan has been released, examining the latest version of the five-year-old project.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The 380,000-square-foot development, on the site of the former Kenilworth Junior High School at East Washington Street and Highway 101, would include several large retail spaces in addition to a Target store and garden center.</p><p>The latest EIR examines a project proposal that is mostly retail, with about 16,000 square feet of office space on the second floors of small retail buildings at the northern end of the project.</p><p>A 2007 version of the project — called East Washington Place — included more than 200 residential units, but those have been dropped from the plans.</p><p>In addition to the Target store, the project would include six retail spaces, each between 15,000 and 42,000 square feet, and 11 smaller shop areas.</p><p>The report released last week finds that the project would contribute to, but not be the sole cause of, traffic congestion on some nearby streets.</p><p>Petaluma’s General Plan allows for an “F” level of service at some intersections near the project site.</p><p>The amount of development allowed by the year 2025 under the city’s General Plan would lead to an “F” designation for the intersections of Lakeville and D streets, and Lakeville and Caulfield Lane, at certain times of the day.</p><p>The City Council in 2008 approved “overriding considerations” allowing for greater congestion at those intersections as part of approving the General Plan, the EIR notes.</p><p>Traffic plans for the project site call for a right-in, right-out driveway on East Washington Street east of the swim center, connecting to Kenilworth Drive.</p><p>A widened Johnson Drive would also lead to the project, as well as to parking lots associated with the swim center, skateboard park and Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds.</p><p>At the East Washington intersection with Johnson Drive, two left-turn lanes would allow westbound traffic to enter Johnson Drive, proceed around the swim center property and reach the project site.</p><p>Lindberg Lane would access the rear of the project site.</p><p>The most “significant and unavoidable” impacts of the project would be in the area of air quality, the EIR found.</p><p>The amount of vehicle emissions from the project would exceed what’s projected in a 2005 regional air quality plan, but that plan was based on the lower level of development anticipated in Petaluma’s 1987 General Plan, the EIR noted.</p><p>The air plan is being revised this year to account for Petaluma’s new growth blueprint, so the anticipated emissions will no longer be in conflict with the plan and will no longer pose a significant impact, the EIR stated.</p><p>The project would also generate new emissions that could affect long-term air quality, mostly through traffic, the EIR found. However, the level of traffic associated with the project does not exceed what was anticipated in Petaluma’s General Plan, adopted last year.</p><p>The EIR does recommend that Regency Centers take steps to reduce traffic emissions, such as creating bike lanes and pedestrian paths throughout the project, providing bike lockers for store employees and limiting the idling of delivery trucks.</p><p>A pedestrian and bicycle promenade in the center of the project should also be expanded and emphasized as a connection to the Highway 101 pedestrian overcrossing previously used by the junior high, the EIR suggested.</p><p>If approved, construction on the project is estimated to begin in March of next year, opening in July 2011, the EIR said.</p><p>The public comment period on the EIR is open until Aug. 31. A Planning Commission hearing on the EIR is scheduled for Aug. 25.</p><p>The document is available at the Petaluma library, at City Hall’s community development department, and online at the city’s Web site (www.cityofpetaluma.net/cdd/plan-eir.html).</p><p>(Contact Corey Young at corey.young@arguscourier.com)</p>