XVI. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE

1. As described in sections VII. Biological Resources, and XIV. Cultural Resources, the project is not anticipated to have biological or cultural impacts.

2. The physical changes to the environment at the project site would not establish a disadvantage for long-term goals of the area. The substation would be consistent with long term regional and area goals for establishing reliable power to support regional growth. The substation site is an established utility-related use and would not conflict with the Town of Los Gatos' primary goals and policies regarding site development. Long term goals and policies related to energy resources are included within the Town of Los Gatos General Plan, Energy Element (Los Gatos, 1994). In general, the element highlights the need for energy conservation, and design considerations for use of solar power as an energy source. Project implementation would not conflict with the Town's energy-related goals as the substation would not prevent the implementation of energy conservation or solar energy related policies. PG&E, in coordination with the CPUC, also has established programs and incentives for conservation of energy resources. As discussed below under section XVI.c, the transmission of electrical power is considered growth accommodating rather than growth inducing. The project would accommodate project growth in the South De Anza and west San Jose area by providing additional electrical power to a system where the existing electrical capacity cannot meet projected needs (PG&E, 1997a). That growth would occur whether or not the project were constructed. However, the lack of electrical power capacity in this area would result in a deterioration of service, which could also have negative economic repercussions on regional industry and diminish power service reliability to residential areas. Long term environmental goals would not be altered or adversely impacted by the project. Therefore, implementation of the project would not have an impact related to the achievement of short-term goals to the disadvantage of long-term environmental goals.

3. The proposed Vasona substation would not be staffed and would undergo periodic maintenance. Therefore, the operation of the substation would not contribute to any impacts that would be cumulatively significant (e.g., traffic, air quality, water quality). Five other projects may be constructed at the same time (December to May) and in the vicinity of the proposed Vasona substation (Ordonez, 1997). These five projects include:

1. 973 University Avenue, 17,000 square feet of office space;

2. 742 University, 61,000 square feet of research and development space;

3. 14675 Winchester, building of 15,000 square feet of gym-related facilities;

4. La Montagne Court, four building permits for houses have been recently applied for; and

5. 16673 Lark Avenue, 24 residential units.

Construction impacts that are cumulative in nature include water quality, air quality, and traffic-related impacts. The City of Los Gatos includes standard conditions of approval for all construction projects to mitigate dust-related air quality impacts and drainage related water quality impacts. Conditions of approval to reduce air quality impacts include such measures as watering of graded soils, covering soil stock piles, and covering haul trucks. Where applicable, conditions of approval for water quality impacts include the use of silt screens, hay bails, and drainage buffers near creek resources. These measures would apply to the Vasona project as well as the five projects that may built during the same time period. Due to the standard incorporation of mitigations by the City, the Vasona project would not contribute to any significant cumulative impacts related to air quality and water quality. The construction of other proposed projects may generate construction traffic along roadways in the project vicinity, including Winchester Boulevard and Lark Avenue. However, given the temporary and intermittent nature of construction-related traffic and the fact that both Winchester Boulevard and Lark Avenue are major arterial roadways, potential cumulative construction-generated traffic impacts would not be expected to be significant.

4. As described in the previous sections of the Initial Study, the project is not anticipated to cause substantial adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly. Hazards during construction can be mitigated with standard mitigation measures. With incorporation of the mitigation measures into the project, no residual significant impacts would remain. Therefore, the project would have no impact related to adverse effect on human beings.

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