PROJECT TITLE: Sutter Medical Center, Castro Valley, Replacement Hospital Project (“SMCCV Project”)

PROJECT NO.: ZU-2259/S-2164

PROJECT SPONSOR: Sutter Medical Center, Castro Valley (SMCCV), an affiliate of Sutter Health

PROJECT LOCATION: 20103 Lake Chabot Road on Assessor Parcel Numbers 084A-0279-001-01, 084A-0279-002, 084A-0279-005-10, 084A-0279-007 and 084A-0279-010-00, in the unincorporated Castro Valley area of Alameda County, California.

BRIEF PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The SMCCV Project is in accordance with the Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983 (“Alquist Act”) as amended by California State Senate Bill 1953 (SB 1953), which requires the replacement or seismic retrofit of existing acute care facilities that do not meet current earthquake resistant standards for hospitals prior to the compliance date of January 1, 2013. The project would develop a new acute care hospital, totaling approximately 230,000 square feet (sf) (approximately 130 licensed beds) to replace an existing hospital. The project would also relocate an existing helistop and construct a new 80,000 sf Medical Office Building (MOB). The project will involve demolition of two existing hospitals, small medical office buildings, and a 42-unit apartment building, and result in a net increase of 5,652 square feet in total building area on the Project Site. The existing hospital would remain operational until completion of the new hospital.

LEAD AGENCY: County of Alameda, California

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The County of Alameda has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the SMCCV Project pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public Resources Code Section 21000 et. seq. The DEIR analyzes potentially significant environmental impacts in the following environmental categories: Land Use, Plans and Policies; Aesthetics; Transportation, Circulation and Parking; Air Quality; Noise; Cultural Resources; Biological Resources; Geology/Seismicity; Hydrology and Water Quality; Hazardous Materials; Public Services; Utilities and Service Systems; and Population, Housing and Housing. The DEIR identifies significant unavoidable environmental impacts related to Traffic and Noise. The Project site has not been identified on the Cortese List of Hazardous Waste and Substance Sites as of the date of this Notice.

DEIR AVAILABILITY: Copies of the DEIR are available for review or distribution to interested parties at no charge at the Alameda County Planning Department, 224 W. Winton Ave., Room 111, Hayward, CA 94544, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

Alameda County is hereby releasing this DEIR, finding it to be accurate and complete and ready for public review. Members of the public are invited to comment on the DEIR. There is no fee for commenting, and all comments received will be considered by the County prior to finalizing the EIR and making a decision on the Project. Comments on the DEIR should focus on the sufficiency of the EIR in discussing possible impacts on the physical environment, ways in which potential adverse effects might be minimized, and alternatives to the Project in light of the EIR’s purpose to provide useful and accurate information about such factors. Comments may be made at the public hearings described above or in writing within the timeframe specified below. Please address all written comments to Jana Beatty Weldon, Senior Planner, Alameda County Planning Department, 224 W. Winton Ave., Room 111, Hayward, CA 94544; or send written comments by fax to (510) 785-8793; or via electronic mail to jana.beatty@acgov.org. Comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Please reference the project number indicated at the top of this Notice in all correspondence. If you challenge the environmental document or Project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues raised at either of the public hearings described above, or in written correspondence received by Alameda County prior to 5:00 on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. After all comments are received, a Final EIR will be prepared and the Alameda County will consider certification of the Final EIR and render a decision on the Project at a later meeting date to be scheduled.

The County is holding two public hearings to which members of the public are invited:

Monday, December 15 at 6 p.m.
Castro Valley Unified School District Office
4400 Alma Avenue, Castro Valley

Tuesday, January 5, 2009 at 6 p.m.
Alameda County Planning Commission
Public Hearing Room
224 West Winton Avenue, Hayward

For further information, please contact Jana Beatty Weldon at (510) 610-5400 or the electronic mail address provided above.

Albert Lopez, Director, Alameda County Planning Department