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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEIR 79-02 BONITA LONG CANYON EQUESTRIAN ESTATES EIR-79-2 CANDIDATE CEQA Findings (Calif. Public Resources Code Sec. 21081) (Calif. Administrative Code Sec. 15088-9) A. BACKGROUND It is the policy of the State of California and the City of Chula Vista I that it shall not approve a project, if it would result in-a significant environmental impact and it is feasible to substantially lessen that effect. Only when there are specific economic, social or technical reasons which ! make it infeasible to mitigate an impact, can a project with significant impact be approved. Therefore, when an EIR has been completed which identifies one or more significant .environmental impacts, one of the following findings must be made: 1. Changes or alternatives have been required of, or incorporated into the project which mitigate or avoid the significant environmental effects identified in the final EIR, pr 2. Such changes or alternatives are within the reasonsibility and jurisdiction. of another public agency and not the agency making the finding. Such changes have been adopted by such other agency or can and should be adopted by such other agency, or 3. Specific economic, social or other considerations make infeasible the mitigation measures or project alternatives identified in the final EIR. B. Effects found to be insignificant The final EIR on this project concluded that the project would have no potential substantial and adverse impact in the following areas: _z_ 1: Impacts on ground water. 2. Impacts on mineral resources. 3. Impacts on air quality. 4. Impacts on water quality. 5. Impacts resulting from stationary noise sources. 6. Impacts on paleontological resources. 7. Impacts on historical resources. 8. Impacts on social structure. 9. Impacts on the City tax structure. 10. Impacts on parks and recreation services. 11. Impacts on fire and police services. 12. Impacts on waste disposal. C. Potentially Significant Impacts & Feasible Mitigation Measures 1. Geology The presence of a possible fault and several landslides and mudflows require further investigation in more detailed geotechnical studies. Such a study has been completed for phase one, three and four of the project. Finding I The project is being approved based on the condition that before considera- tion of tentative subdivision maps, detailed geotechnical reports wilt be prepared for the area involved and the recommendations of geological and/or soils engineers will be followed. Subject to this condition, impacts of the project can be avoided. 2. Soils Some of the soils on the site are characterized as having high expansive- Hess, compressibility, high runoff potential and average erodibility. -3 Findings i Standard development regulations require the submission of detailed I I soils reports and the recommendations of a soils engineer prior to the issuance of a grading permit. This will insure the avoidance of sub- stantial impacts due to soil conditions. Additionally, the provision of landscaping on newly graded slopes and siltation basins. downstream from graded areas will mitigate problems due to the erodibility of the soils. 3. Drainage 76% of the project area is located within-the Long Canyon drainage basin with the balance in the Sunnyside basin. Both of these drainage basins have existing drainage facilities which are inadequate to one degree or another. Insofar as the Sunnyside basin is concerned, the increased flows as a I~, percent of the ultimate 50 year storm runoff, is .82%. However, the same increase in the Long Canyon basin is 4%. Because the Long Canyon basin is bulb shaped at the upper southeastern end, there is a higher velocity of ~ runoff downstream and a higher intensity of runoff than would normally be expected. Thus the project would result in a small but significant increase in runoff which will aggravate the existing well documented drainage problems. I~ findings The project proponent is proposing to mitigate the downstream drainage problem by using on-site retention basins to control the amount of flow and reduce peak flow volumes. This would not only have the capacity to retain the increased runoff but would minimize the existing drainage problem. An alternative to this system would be off-site, downstream facilities which could cost over $700,000. If this alternative were implemented the developer of Bonita Long Canyon would be responsible for the proportion of the development within the drainage basin. _q_ 4. Land Form Approximately 2,659,600 cubic yards of cut and 3,328,300 cubic yards of fill will be necessary to implement the project. This is about 6,922 cubic yards of grading (cut and fill) per dwelling lot. The highest fill slopes are necessary to extend streets across canyons. The highest cut slope will be 28 ft. and the highest fill slope will be 75 ft. The project has been designed to minimize the amount of grading. Most of the steeper slopes-and canyon bottoms (flood plain) have been left essentially undisturbed (300 acres). The. alignment of roads, including Corral Canyon Road, was selected because it would minimize land form alteration. Finding The design of the plan with about 266 acres of natural open space including most slopes over 30% and canyon bottoms, mitigate much of the degradation of visual quality due to land form alteration. Contour grading and native and/or drought resistant planting as required by city code will I further reduce this effect. Thus mitigation measures have been incorporated into the project which i will reduce the level of impact to insignificant. 5. Mobile Noise The project will subject residents within the project and along access roads to potentially significant acoustical impacts. These areas include the following: 1. The dwellings in phase 1 which are adjacent to East "H" Street and the existing homes which front on East "H" Street. 2. Rutgers Avenue between East "H" Street and Telegraph Canyon Road. 3. The phase VI apartments and the existing condominiums to the north. 4. The extension of Corral Canyon Road through the project and the Corral Canyon Road-Central Avenue link to the north. _5_ The single family dwellings within the project along East "H" Street and Corral Canyon Road will be shielded from significant acoustical impact by decorative masonry walls. The proposed apartments on Otay Lakes Road will have to conform to the 45dBA interior noise level standard. Depending on location this may require measures beyond standard construction techniques to insure adequate acoustical reduction. Exterior active and private open space areas should also be shielded. The change in dBA for existing dwelling units would be as follows: II Corral Canyon Road (North of project) +4 dBA Central Avenue +2 Rutgers Avenue +3 ~ East "H" Street +3 Tim Street/Acacia Avenue +1 Otay Lakes Road No change (assuming the future extension of East "H" Street to Otay Lakes Road) These changes will not result in any increase above the 65 dBA criteria for existing dwelling units. Due to future projects which are not currently planned, the 1995 noise level may exceed the 65 dBA criteria. Finding The mitigation measures incorporated into the project and those which are standard development regulations will avoid any significant acoustical impact. 6. Biology The project as first designed was generally responsive to the biological sensitivity of the site. In addition, a section of the project (Q Street) has been redesigned to preserve a large portion of the unique Cleveland sage population on the site. In addition, the following potential measures were noted in the final EIR: -6- 1. Long term preservation and maintenance of the open space areas. 2. Revegetation of slopes with native plant species and transplanta- tion and seeding culture from on-site 0 untia and Simmondsia respectively. 3. Clearly marked equestrian and hiking trails. 4. Planning of grading operations to avoid unnecessary disturbance of open space areas. Finding -The proposed project as refined and the inclusion of the mitigation measures. specified above will avoid any substantial biological impact. 7. Archaeology The project area includes two sites (SDi 5829 & 5830) which are considered to be of major potential informational significance. After an initial reconnaissance of the property test excavations were conducted on these two sites and indications of subsurface cultural material were found. In addition there is a previously impacted site (SDi 4891) which will be indirectly impacted by informal, undocumented collection. A program of surface and subsurface excavation, including a series of postholes, would mitigate the impact on these significant archaeological I resources. Finding The proposed mitigation will avoid any significant impact on archaeological resources. 8. Aesthetics The project area is largely undisturbed containing large stands of native .vegetation and involving rough topography. Much of the natural vegetation and landform would be retained, however, the ridges would be lowered by up to 30 ft., the sides of some canyons would be filled and the areas developed 7- with houses; streets, a school and other uses. The introduction of non-native vegetation such as large trees would have a visual effect. The adversity of this. effect is a very subjective judgment. Although I the project. will result in a substantial aesthetic impact, the effect is not considered adverse. Finding The project design incorporates mitigation measures which avoid a ~ significant aesthetic impact. ~ 9. Schools The project .would add school students in school districts andneighbor- hoods which have enrollments above school capacities. About 494 elementary and 412 secondary students are anticipated. Ordinance No. 1848 of the Ghula Vista Municipal Code Chapter 17.11, provides that under conditions of overcrowding the city may require the dedication of land, the payment of fees or both for the purpose of providing ' interim school facilities as required by the affected school districts. The provision of land and interim educational facilities in a timely ' fashion, as development of this phased project takes place over several years, will partially mitigate this significant impact. The long range fiscal problems of school districts throughout the state in providing permanent educational facilities is beyond the province of this project and-the EIR. ' Finding The project is being approved subject to the provision of adequate educational facilities. This will reduce the level of impact on the ability to provide educational services to less than substantial. 10. Utilities .(Sewer) Most of .this project will connect to a sewer line that for a short distance has a very level grade .(0.4%). During peak periods this section -g- would accordiiag 'to Cii;y standards be ai: capacity. It may ~e necessary to replace that portion of the line, install a parallel line or ta;<e other measures to insure adequate line capacity. Now that the potential problem has been identified further studies will be made and appropriate improvements required when the existing line reaches capacity. Finding I Approval of the project is based. on a requirement for the necessary calculations for each phase of development to assure no impact will result or that necessary improvements be made to avoid any significant impact. ' 10. Traffic ' The project could have a significant impact on street or intersection capacities in the vicinity of the project. The following mitigation measures, tied to each phase of the project; are necessary to avoid any significant impact. Phase I ' -East "H" Street .shall be extended from Rutgers westerly to Otay Lakes Road. -Otay Lakes Road shall be widened to four .travel lanes between Bonita Road ~ and Telegraph Canyon Road. -Via .Hacienda and Canyon Drive shall be extended to Otay Lakes Road. , I I Phase III ' -Central Avenue shall be improved to a four lane configuration from Corral Canyon Road to Bonita Road. Phase IV ' -Corral Canyon Road shall be extended south to East "H" Street. Finding Subject to the inclusion of the above noted mitigation measures in the project or their implementation prior to an appropriate phase of the project, the project will not have a significant traffic impact on street service levels. _g_ There will be a substantial increase in traffic on exist ing streets (Bonita Road and Telegraph Canyon Road) until East "H" Street is extended from I-805 to Otay Lakes Road. I I I