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HomeMy WebLinkAbout!Ch 04.00 SettingChapter 4 Environmental Setting Otay Ranch Village 8 West EIR CV EIR 10-03; SCH No. 2010062093 Page 4-1 City of Chula Vista November 2013 Chapter 4 Environmental Setting 4.1 Location The Village 8 West site is located within the city of Chula Vista, San Diego County, California. The project site is located approximately 0.5 mile west of SR-125. La Media Road currently terminates at the northerly boundary of Village 8 West and a portion of Magdalena Avenue runs along the northeast boundary of the site. Rock Mountain is located to the west and the Otay River Valley is south of the site. A reservoir facility owned and operated by the City of San Diego is located in approximately the center of the project site. This facility is not a part of the proposed Village 8 West SPA Plan. 4.2 Climate The climate in the project area is dominated by a semi-permanent high-pressure cell located over the Pacific Ocean. This cell influences the direction of prevailing winds (westerly to northwesterly) and maintains clear skies for much of the year. The nearest climatological monitoring station that records precipitation data is located at the lower Otay Reservoir, approximately three miles east of the project site. The normal precipitation in the lower Otay Reservoir area is 11 inches annually, occurring primarily from December through March (WRCC 2011a). Temperature is recorded at the monitoring station located in the community of Bonita, north of the Otay Ranch area. According to the Western Regional Climate Center, in summer (August) the normal daily maximum temperature in Bonita is 81 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and in winter (January) the normal daily minimum temperature is 40 °F (WRCC 2011b). 4.3 Landform and Vegetation Surface elevations across Village 8 West range from 500 feet AMSL near the northern end of the property down to 300 feet AMSL near the southern end of the property. From west to east, elevations range from 400 feet AMSL along the western edge of the property, to 600 feet AMSL in the central portion of the site, to 360 feet AMSL along the eastern edge. The project site generally slopes to the south, toward the Otay River Valley, with a rolling terrain divided by V-shaped drainages, and is currently undeveloped. Four native vegetation communities occur on the site: coastal sage scrub, maritime succulent scrub, mulefat scrub, and freshwater marsh. In addition to native habitats, non- native vegetation communities also occur in the project area, including non-native grasslands, agricultural lands, disturbed vegetation, and developed land. A few dirt and gravel access roadways have been established across the project site, primarily to access the reservoir located in the center of the site. Chapter 4 Environmental Setting Otay Ranch Village 8 West EIR CV EIR 10-03; SCH No. 2010062093 Page 4-2 City of Chula Vista November 2013 4.4 Access Regional vehicular access to Village 8 West is currently provided from SR-125 via Olympic Parkway to La Media Road. As discussed above, La Media Road and Magdalena Avenue currently terminate at the Village 8 West boundary. These roadways provide north/south access to the site, and as part of the project, La Media Road would be extended southward to become Otay Valley Road. Otay Valley Road would curve southeastward to provide another access point along the eastern boundary of the site. Main Street, which currently terminates at the intersection of Heritage Road, would be extended across the site as part of the project to provide the main east/west access. 4.5 Surrounding Land Uses Village 8 West is surrounded on three sides by undeveloped land. The future locations for Village 8 East, to the east of the site, and Village 4, to the west of the site, are currently undeveloped. Rock Mountain is located directly west of the site, and the Otay River Valley is located to the south. The open space area adjacent to the project site is the Otay Ranch component of the MSCP Subarea Plan Preserve, and the MSCP boundary extends within the southwestern portion of the project site, as seen in Figure 3-3. Village 7, to the northeast of Village 8 West, is partially developed and includes Olympian High School and Magdalena Avenue. Village 7 has also been planned in accordance with the traditional village model consisting of predominantly low-medium village residential neighborhoods, a small mixed-use village core, and limited multi-family uses adjacent to SR-125. The Otay Valley Rock Quarry is located approximately 0.3 mile southwest of the project site. The quarry has been approved to expand operations eastward to within approximately 300 feet of the Village 8 West boundary; however, this expansion has not yet occurred. The Otay Landfill is located approximately two miles west of the project site, and the Brown Field Airport is located approximately 1.5 miles to the southwest of Village 8 West.