HomeMy WebLinkAboutAttachment 8.b. - Air Quality Improvement Plan
Freeway Commercial South Portion
Otay Ranch Town Center
Air Quality Improvement Plan
(AQIP)
September 2024
Prepared By:
Jeremy Louden, Principal
Ldn Consulting, Inc.
42428 Chisolm Trail
Murrieta, CA 92562
Project Sponsor/Applicant:
Brookfield Properties
733 Eighth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 794-6157
Contact: Tony Pauker
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Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... 1
A. Intent of AQIP ................................................................................................................. 1
B. Community Site Design Goals ........................................................................................ 2
C. Planning Features .......................................................................................................... 3
D. Modeled Effectiveness of Community Design ................................................................ 5
2. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 5
A. AQIP as Tool for Implementation of Ordinances ............................................................ 5
2a. Purpose & Goals ............................................................................................................ 5
A. Purpose of AQIP............................................................................................................. 5
B. Regulatory Framework Related to Air Quality ................................................................ 6
Figure 1: Ambient Air Quality Standards Matrix ............................................................. 8
Figure 2: Modeled Level Thresholds for Criteria Pollutants ........................................... 9
3. Project Description ......................................................................................................... 13
Figure 3: SPA Land Use Plan ...................................................................................... 14
Figure 4: Site Plan Illustration ...................................................................................... 15
4. Effect of Project on Local/Regional air Quality ............................................................... 15
5. Quantitative Project Design Evaluation .......................................................................... 19
Table ES1: LEED-ND v2009 Equivalency Scorecard .................................................. 20
6. Community Design and Site Planning Features ............................................................. 22
Figure 5: Community Design and Site Plan Features .................................................. 22
7. Chula Vista CO2 Reduction Plan .................................................................................... 24
Figure 6: Consistency with CO2 Reduction Action Measures ....................................... 24
8. Credit Towards Increase Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards ................................... 27
9. Compliance Monitoring .................................................................................................. 27
Figure 7: Air Quality Improvement Plan Compliance Checklist ........................ 28
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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Final Environmental Impact Report for the Otay Ranch Freeway Commercial Sectional
Planning Area Plan Planning Area 12 (“FEIR”) (identified by the City of Chula Vista as EIR 02-
04) contains a comprehensive disclosure and analysis of potential environmental effects associated
with implementation of the Sectional Planning Area (“SPA”) Plan and Freeway Commercial
(“FC”) 1 and 2 site in the City of Chula Vista (“City”) (City of Chula Vista 2003). The SPA Plan
was developed to refine and implement the land use plans, goals, and objectives of the Otay Ranch
General Development Plan (“GDP”) for the development of Planning Area (PA) 12.
In 2004, as part of the FEIR, the City approved the development of 1,215,000 square feet of
commercial uses within the SPA Plan area, including administrative and professional office
services, general commercial uses, and public and semipublic uses. The approved project also
included a light rail alignment or transit way and a station site for the San Diego Trolley,
accompanied by a park-and-ride facility. In May 2015, the City approved the General Plan and
Otay Ranch GDP Amendments, as well as entitlements, for the proposed modifications to rezone
the northerly FC 2 portion from Commercial to Mixed-Use Residential to add 600 residential units
through approval of the First Addendum to the FEIR. In September 2016, a Second Addendum to
the FEIR was prepared for the SPA Plan Amendments and a Tentative Map that implement s the
General Plan and Otay Ranch GDP. In May 2019, a Third Addendum to the FEIR was approved
to add 300 residential units to Freeway Commercial North (FC 2). The FEIR, First Addendum,
Second Addendum, and Third Addendum are collectively referred to herein as the “FEIR.”
The current project addresses proposed modifications (involving the General Plan, GDP, and SPA
Amendment) to the southerly FC 1 (Project Site) only (specifically, Assessor’s Parcel Numbers
643-061-02, -04, -05, -08, and -11).
A. Intent of AQIP
This Air Quality Improvement Plan (“AQIP”) has been prepared in conjunction with the
Otay Ranch FC South Portion (Otay Ranch Town Center) SPA Plan amendment, required
for the proposed project. The Otay Ranch FC SPA plan covers both Freeway Commercial
South (FC 1) site, which was developed as Otay Ranch Town Center mall in 2006, and
Freeway Commercial North (FC 2) site. The two parcels correspond to two major
ownerships of the property. Because of the independent ownerships, project plans have
been designed and structured to allow the two parcels develop separately but in a
coordinated manner.
The purpose of the AQIP is to provide an analysis of air pollution impacts that would result
from the proposed project in FC 1 and to demonstrate how the site design reduces vehicle
trips, maintains, or improves traffic flow, reduces vehicle miles traveled, and reduces direct
or indirect greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions. This AQIP also demonstrates how the
project has been designed consistent with the City’s Green Building Standards, Chula Vista
Municipal Code (“CVMC”) Chapter 15.26 and Energy Code 15.12, and represents the best
available design in terms of improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions.
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GHG emissions primarily include but are not limited to Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane
(CH4), and Nitrous Dioxide (N20). They occur both naturally, and are produced by human
activities, such as by automobile emissions and emissions from production of electricity to
provide power to homes and businesses. These gases prevent heat from escaping the earth’s
atmosphere, while allowing in sunlight, which has the effect of warming the air
temperature. Applicable action measures contained in the City’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Reduction Plan are also addressed.
B. Community Site Design Goals
Otay Ranch is a 23,000-acre master-planned community and includes a mix of land uses
within 20 villages and/or planning areas. The proposed project includes modifications
(involving General Plan, GDP, and SPA Amendments) to the FC 1 (Project Site) only. The
proposed project would allow development of up to 840 residential units (including 42
low-income and 42 moderate-income) while reducing the allowed commercial square
footage from 960,000 square feet to 816,000 square feet. Development of the up to 840
residential units would be centered within the northwest portion of the FC 1 site and would
have a density range of 18 to 56 units per acre. Three buildings are proposed: two
residential buildings and one mixed-use/residential building. Proposed residential uses
would range in square footage from approximately 600 square feet to 1,400 square feet,
ranging in height from two to six stories. Proposed amendments also include 3.05 acres of
public plaza/park space. The project is located east of north of Birch Road, south of FC 2,
east of State Route 125 (“SR-125”), and west of Eastlake Parkway.
The proposed project establishes a unified walkable mixed-use plan for the site. It is
intended to enhance living, working, shopping, and transit options in the area. It creates a
walkable neighborhood that offers urban-style, smaller-scale living accommodations
within walking distance to the already established local shops, services, schools,
entertainment, and dining, as well as a regional system of trails and open spaces.
The vision for this community is to develop a cohesive neighborhood with inter-connected
uses and densities. The mix of proposed residential, commercial, and community uses is
intended to provide a mixed-use environment that serves the needs of residents and
employees. The residential units will provide additional ridership opportunities for the
regional Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) and local bus system increasing the viability of transit
and reducing automobile dependence. The densities and design patterns envisioned for the
Otay Ranch Town Center focus on promoting a walkable and bikeable community with
less emphasis on automobile trips.
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C. Planning Features
The project includes the following planning features to achieve the community site
design goals:
Land Use features:
1) Integrated Circulation System
▪ Project residents and visitors are afforded non-automobile related circulation
options that include walking, bicycling, and transit. Main Street – the main
roadway from Eastlake Parkway – will include one new building featuring
ground-floor commercial with residential above and restricted vehicle access
in the middle segment – as well as interior streets – are designed to provide a
comfortable walking environment.
2) Mixed-Uses
▪ The project will mix residences, shops, restaurants, a park, and pedestrian
plaza. This type of development makes it easy for residents, visitors, and
employees to walk or bike to destinations, helping to efficiently connect the
city’s neighborhoods through sustainable mobility.
3) Residential Density
▪ The multi-family portion of the project is intended to promote walking and
biking as a feasible alternative to driving due to reduced distances and the
resulting proximity of various services and destinations.
4) Street Widths, Pavement and Street Trees
▪ Otay Ranch street sections are narrower than typical standards which reduces
asphalt pavement and the "urban heat-island effect" by limiting the amount
of reflective surfaces. Street trees provide shade which further reduces heat-
gain. Widened landscape medians and parkways to reduce paving, thereby
reducing heat gain and the demand for air conditioning. Street trees within
the parkways and medians provide shade to further reduce ambient air
temperatures.
5) Public Transportation
▪ The design plan for the development is transit ready. In conformance with
General Plan policy, public transportation is an integral part of Otay Ranch.
Public transit lines and stops are integrated into the plan and are adjacent to
the project. This is intended to help reduce the dependence on the passenger
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vehicle and encourage walking, biking, and transit trips. BRT service extends
easterly over SR-125 along the northern boundary of the project area then
southerly on the west side of Eastlake Parkway through to the Employment
center to the south of Birch Road. In addition, Local Bus routes 709, 707, and
635 serve the project, with a Park and Ride and transit stop on the northwest
corner of Main Street and Eastlake Parkway.
6) Alternative Travel Modes
▪ The Otay Ranch Town Center is connected to the regional trail network and
will feature sharrow lanes through the project. Sidewalks will be provided
throughout the project site. All internal roadways are designed to local street
standards with speed limits of 25 to 30-mph. Slow traffic speeds are
conducive to both walking and bicycling and provide the necessary linkage
to the regional bicycle circulation network.
Building and Design Element Features:
1) Use of low-VOC paints as required under San Diego County Air Pollution
Control District (SDAPCD) Rule 67.
2) Project-wide recycling as required under the County's recycling Ordinance
(SDCMC Section 66.0701)
3) Energy efficiency as required under the latest California Energy Code and
CalGreen (Currently 2022).
4) Indoor residential appliances that carry the Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) ENERGYSTAR® certification, as applicable and feasible.
5) Inclusion of all residential units in the local utility demand response program to
limit peak energy usage for cooling.
6) Indoor residential plumbing products that carry the EPA's WaterSense
certification.
7) Passive solar design and building orientation principles to take advantage of the
sun in the winter for heating and reduce heat gain and cooling needs during
summer.
8) Energy efficient lighting for streets, parks, and other public spaces as well as for
private development projects.
9) Installation of solar water heater pre-plumbing.
10) Installation of solar photovoltaic prewiring.
11) Installation of residential graywater stub-out.
Landscape Features:
1) Watering three times daily to control fugitive dust to meet the requirement s of
the SDAPCD.
2) High-efficiency irrigation equipment, such as evapotranspiration controllers, soil
moisture controllers and drip emitters for all projects that install irrigation water
meters, per the City of Chula Vista Landscape Water Conservation Ordinance of
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the CVMC Chapter 20, Section 12.
3) Water efficient vegetation, including native species, planted in public and private
landscape areas.
4) Natural turf in residential development limited to no more than 30% of the
outdoor open space.
5) Vertical landscape elements, such as trees, large shrubs, and climbing vines, shall
be installed in order to shade southern and western building facades to reduce
energy needs for heating and cooling.
6) Compliance with the City's Shade Tree Policy for parking lot design to achieve
50-percent shade cover in five to fifteen years through tree canopies, shade
structures, or light colored "cool" paving.
D. Modeled Effectiveness of Community Design
With implementation of the proposed site design features, the project is consistent with
the City of Chula Vista INDEX CO2 model requirements, as shown in Tables ES1 and
ES2 which describe the LEED-ND equivalency analysis (“LEA”) prepared for the
project.
2. INTRODUCTION
A. AQIP as Tool for Implementation of Ordinances
This AQIP has been prepared based on the best available design practices and serves to
implement key aspects of the City’s CO2 Reduction Plan, the Green Building Standards
(CVMC Chapter 15.12) and the City's Energy Code (CVMC 15.26). It should be noted,
a more detailed discussion on project compliance with such design practices is provided
within subsequent sections of the report.
2a. PURPOSE & GOALS
A. Purpose of AQIP
The purpose of the AQIP is to provide an analysis of air pollution impacts that would
result from development of the Otay Ranch Town Center and to demonstrate how the
project design reduces vehicle trips, maintains, or improves traffic flow, reduces vehicle
miles traveled, and reduces direct or indirect GHG emissions. This AQIP also
demonstrates how the project has been designed consistent with the City’s Green
Building Standards, (CVMC 15.12) and Energy Code (15.26) and represents the best
available design in terms of improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions.
GHG emissions include gases such as CO2, Methane (CH4), and NO2. They both occur
naturally, and are produced by human activities, such as by automobile emissions and
emissions from production of electricity to provide power to homes and businesses.
These gases prevent heat from escaping the earth’s atmosphere, while allowing in
sunlight, which has the effect of warming the air temperature. Applicable action
measures contained in the City’s CO2 Reduction Plan are also addressed.
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B. Regulatory Framework Related to Air Quality
There are a number of actions that Federal, State, and Local jurisdictions have taken to
improve air quality, increase energy efficiency, and reduce GHG emissions. This section
summarizes those actions.
Air quality is defined by ambient air concentrations of specific pollutants determined by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be of concern with respect to the health
and welfare of the public. The subject pollutants monitored by the EPA include the
following:
▪ Carbon Monoxide (CO),
▪ Sulfur Dioxide (SO2),
▪ Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2),
▪ Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
▪ Ozone (O3),
▪ Respirable 10- and 2.5-micron particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5),
▪ Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC),
▪ Reactive Organic Gasses (ROG),
▪ Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S),
▪ Sulfates,
▪ Lead (Pb),
▪ Vinyl Chloride, and
▪ Visibility reducing particles (VRP).
The EPA has established ambient air quality standards for these pollutants. These
standards are called the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The
California Air Resources Board (CARB) subsequently established the more stringent
California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). Both sets of standards are shown
in Figure 1 on the following page. Areas in California where ambient air concentrations
of pollutants are higher than the state standard are considered to be in “non-attainment”
status for that pollutant.
Regulation of air emissions from non-mobile sources within San Diego County has been
delegated to the SDAPCD. As part of its air quality permitting process, the SDAPCD has
established thresholds for the preparation of Air Quality Impact Assessments (AQIAs)
and/or Air Quality Conformity Assessments (AQCAs).
SDAPCD is the government agency which regulates sources of air pollution within the
county and established an “emissions budget” or Regional Air Quality Strategy (RAQS)
to provide control measures to try to achieve attainment status for state ozone standards
with control measures focused on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and oxides of
nitrogen (NOX).
Currently, San Diego is in “non-attainment” status for federal and state O3 and state
PM10 and PM2.5. An attainment plan is available for O3. The RAQS was adopted in
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1992 and has been updated as recently as 2016 which was the latest update incorporating
minor changes to prior updates. It should be noted that the County is currently updating
the RAQS, with adoption anticipated in 2023.
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Figure 1: Ambient Air Quality Standards Matrix
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/aaqs2.pdf
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The City of Chula Vista has opted to adopt thresholds from the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (SCAQMD) to address the significance of air quality impacts
resulting from projects subject to CEQA environmental review. A project would result
in a substantial contribution to an existing air quality violation of the National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS)
for O3, which is a nonattainment pollutant, if the project’s construction emissions would
exceed SCAQMD’s VOC or NOx significance thresholds shown in Figure 2:
Figure 2: Screening Level Thresholds for Criteria Pollutants (SCAQMD)
Pollutant Total Emissions (Pounds per Day)
Construction Emissions
Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) 150 / 55
Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) 100
Sulfur Oxide (SOx) 150
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 550
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) 75
Reactive Organic Gases (ROG) 75
Operational Emissions
Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) 150 / 55
Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) 55
Sulfur Oxide (SOx) 150
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 550
Reactive Organic Gases (ROG) 55
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) 55
Source: (SCAQMD, 2015)
Summary of Energy Efficiency Standards
Title 24, Part 6 of the California Building Standards Code regulates energy use including
space heating and cooling, hot water heating, and ventilation. The energy code allows
new buildings to meet a “performance” standard that allows a builder to choose the most
cost-effective energy saving measures to meet the standard from a variety of measures.
These choices may include the following:
▪ Added insulation,
▪ Improved windows,
▪ Radiant barriers,
▪ Cool roofs,
▪ Improved HVAC systems,
▪ Alternative heating and cooling systems,
▪ More efficient water heating systems, and
▪ More efficient lighting systems.
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The California Energy Commission's (CEC) 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards
focus on several key areas to improve the energy efficiency of newly constructed
buildings and additions and alterations to existing buildings. The most significant
efficiency improvements to the residential standards include the introduction of
photovoltaics into the prescriptive package, improvements for attics, walls, water
heating, and lighting. The most significant efficiency improvements to the non-
residential standards include alignment with the ASHRAE 90.1 2017 national standards.
https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/CEC-400-2018-020-CME_0.pdf
The City's Energy and Water Conservation Regulations (CVMC 20.04) require that all
new residential units include the necessary plumbing to encourage the later installation
of solar hot water heating. In addition, the electrical conduit necessary for installation of
solar photovoltaic system is also required for all new residential units.
Water-related energy use consumes 19-percent of California’s electricity, 32-percent of
its natural gas, and 88-billion gallons of diesel fuel every year. The water-related energy
use includes water and wastewater treatment as well as the energy needed to transport
the water from it source (either northern California or the Colorado River). California
Green Building Code Title 24, Part 11 (CALGreen) requires that indoor water use be
reduced through stringent new water fixture flow rates. The City has also reduced the
demand for outdoor water use through the adoption of the Landscape Water
Conservation requirements (CVMC 20.12). The City of Chula Vista recently adopted a
residential graywater sub-out requirement to allow the future installation of a clothes
washer graywater irrigation system (CVMC 15.28.020).
CALGreen also requires that a minimum of 50-percent all new construction waste
generated at the site be diverted to recycle or salvage. Additionally, the State has set per
capita disposal rates of 5.3-pounds per person per day for the City of Chula Vista. The
City requires new construction to divert 100-percent of the inert waste and not less than
50-percent of the remaining waste generated during construction (CVMC 8.25.020).
Summary of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction
GHGs include but are not limited to CO2, CH4, and N2O. These gases allow solar
radiation (sunlight) into the Earth's atmosphere but prevent radiative heat from escaping,
thus warming the earth's atmosphere. GHGs are emitted by both natural processes and
human activities. As directed by Assembly Bill (AB) 32, the Climate Change Scoping
Plan (December 2008 prepared by CARB) includes measures to reduce statewide GHGs
to 1990 levels by 2020 from forecasted business-as-usual (BAU) 2020 emissions. Recent
guidance in the draft AB32 2017 Scoping Plan has identified a local government per
capita GHG emission goal of 6 MT CO₂e by 2030 and 2 MT CO₂e by 2050.
The majority of the reduction strategies are to come from the two sectors that generate
the most CO2 emissions statewide: transportation and electricity generation. The
majority of the reduction in transportation-related and energy-related CO2 emissions are
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to be achieved through statewide regulatory mandates affecting vehicle emissions and
types of fuel the vehicles use, public transit, and public utilities. The remaining
reductions are to be achieved through direct regulation and price incentive measures
affecting oil and gas extraction industries and forestry practices (including increased tree
planting programs).
BAU is defined as the emissions that would have occurred in the absence of reductions
mandated under AB32, including CHG reductions from the following:
• Implementation of Pavley 1 and Pavley 2 motor vehicle standards. Pavley
regulations establish specific GHG emissions levels for both passenger cars and
light-duty trucks. The standards become more stringent each year through 2016.
• Implementation of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). CARB has also
adopted a LCFS that sets carbon reduction standards for the types of fuels that
can be sold in California, particularly renewable fuels. This will reduce the GHG
emissions even if total fuel consumption is not reduced. Implementation of the
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). RPS requires investor-owned utilities,
electric service providers, and community choice aggregators to increase
renewable energy resources to 33-percent by 2020.
• Increased energy efficiency measures codified in Title 24 as of 2016. BAU uses
the energy efficiency standards codified in Title 24 as of 2005.
• Implementation of Federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.
The CAFE standards determine the fuel efficiency of certain vehicle classes.
The three most applicable measures to land use planning and development within the
City of Chula Vista’s control include the Regional Transportation-related GHG targets,
support for the Million Solar Roofs program, and energy efficiency measures. Since the
early 1990s, the City has been engaged in multiple climate change forums including the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Cities for
Climate Protection campaign and the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Climate Protection
Agreement. The key plans and ordinances that the City has adopted and implemented to
achieve citywide GHG emissions reductions are summarized below.
Each participant in the International Council of Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) was
to create local policy measures to ensure multiple benefits in the City and at the same
time identify a carbon reduction goal through the implementation of those measures. In
its CO2 Reduction Plan developed in 1995 and officially adopted in 2000, Chula Vista
committed to lowering its CO2 emissions by diversifying its transportation system and
using energy more efficiently in all sectors. To focus efforts in this direction, the City
adopted the CO2 reduction goal of 20-percent below 1990 levels by 2010. In order to
achieve this goal, specific actions were identified, which when fully implemented, were
anticipated to save 100,000 tons of CO2 each year.
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The 2008 GHG Emissions Inventory noted that compared to 1990, Chula Vista’s city-
wide GHG emissions have increased by 29-percent, however, per capita and per housing
unit levels are approximately 25-percent and 17-percent below 1990 levels, respectively.
The Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) helped develop recommendations to
reduce the community’s GHGs in order to meet the City’s 2010 GHG emissions
reduction targets. The CCWG ultimately chose seven measures that were adopted by the
City Council and the horizon date was delayed until 2012 instead of 2010.
During 2014, a CCWG reconvened to help update the City's Climate Action Plan (CAP).
Specifically, the CCWG developed recommendations, through an open and transparent
public process, for new greenhouse gas reduction strategies to assist Chula Vista in
reaching its carbon reduction goals.
The most recent and current plan is the 2017 CAP which was adopted by City Council
on September 26, 2017. New guidance, including the 2017 draft AB 32 Scoping Plan
Update, lists a local government per capita, or person, reduction goal of 6 MT CO2e by
2030 and 2MT CO2e by 2050.
The latest GHG inventory for 2020 was prepared in June 2022 and is still Draft form.
The 2020 inventory indicates that Chula Vista’s annual citywide GHG levels are
1,098,000 MT CO2e. Compared to 2005, Chula Vista’s citywide GHG emissions have
decreased by 17% and per capita emissions have decreased by 37-percent. While these
reductions are good and allowed the City to reach its 2020 GHG reduction goal, the
largest reduction came from the transportation sector, which decreased 13-percent below
2018. Emissions are expected to increase again as Covid-19 travel patterns return back
to more of a pre-COVID 19 operational setting.
The Chula Vista City Council adopted 2030 community emissions reduction goal of 57-
percent below 2018 emission levels; the City will have to reduce its GHG emissions by
more than 605,220 MT CO2e or about 55-percent. All remaining emissions will either
need to be eliminated or offset to reach the net zero emission goal by 2045. The City has
not updated or adopted a new CAP to address these reduction goals.
The 2022 ARB scoping plan is in draft form and has not been adopted at the time this
AQIP was written. The new plan identifies a technologically feasible, cost-effective, and
equity-focused path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, or earlier, while also assessing
the progress the state is making toward reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by
at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, as called for in SB 32 and laid out in the
2017 Scoping Plan. The new plan’s focus on Carbon neutrality takes California one step
further by expanding actions to capture and store carbon including through natural and
working lands and mechanical technologies, while reducing anthropogenic sources of
carbon pollution at the same time. Specifically, the 2022 scoping plan:
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• Identifies a path to keep California on track to meet its SB 32 GHG reduction
target of at least 40 percent below 1990 emissions by 2030.
• Identifies a technologically feasible, cost-effective path to achieve carbon
neutrality by 2045 or earlier.
• Focuses on strategies for reducing California’s dependency on petroleum to
provide consumers with clean energy options that address climate change,
improve air quality, and support economic growth and clean sector jobs.
• Integrates equity and protecting California’s most impacted communities as a
driving principle throughout the document.
• Incorporates the contribution of natural and working lands to the state’s GHG
emissions, as well as its role in achieving carbon neutrality.
• Relies on the most up to date science, including the need to deploy all viable tools
to address the existential threat that climate change presents, including carbon
capture and sequestration as well a direct air capture.
• Evaluates multiple options for achieving our GHG and carbon neutrality targets,
as well as the public health benefits and economic impacts associated with each.
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/2022-draft-sp.pdf
3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The existing FC 1 (Otay Ranch Town Center) portion of the FC SPA is entitled for
960,000 square-feet of commercial space, as shown on Figures 3 and 4. The proposed
project would amend the FC SPA Plan to allow up to 816,000 square feet of commercial
space, up to 840 residential units, and 2.73-acres of public plaza/park space.
The approximately 16.57-acres of the northwest quadrant of the Otay Ranch Town
Center will be rezoned from Commercial to Mixed-Use/Residential. Town Center Drive
will be extended south from FC 2 to the northern limit of the existing commercial center.
The existing Town Center would continue to operate, but demolition of 37,200 square
feet of existing commercial space is proposed, to be replaced with a ground-floor
commercial area within the Mixed-Use/Residential (MU/R) building. The commercial
area to be demolished is located along the northwestern portion of Main Street/Kestrel
Falls Road. This would allow for the construction of one of three proposed residential
buildings. The other two buildings, which would be strictly residential, would be north
of the Mixed-Use/Residential (MU/R) building on the portion of the site that is currently
vacant/parking lot.
The 2.73-acres of public plaza/park space will serve both residents of the project as well
as visitors to the commercial spaces. The spaces are intended for general use and open
to the public. These spaces will encourage pedestrian-scale activity and allow residents
park and open space areas to enjoy the temperate climate of Otay Ranch.
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Town Center Drive will, generally, bisect the northern portion of FC 1 in a north to south
direction. The extension of Town Center Drive would promote a walkable, safe, and
visually appealing roadway for residents of FC 1 and FC 2, as well as visitors to the
entire SPA. The roadway would have a narrower street to encourage slower travel and
multimodal travel, angled parking, a landscaped median, landscaped buffers along the
edges, and wide pedestrian sidewalks.
Figure 3: Proposed SPA Land Use Plan
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Figure 4: Proposed Site Plan Illustration
4. EFFECT OF PROJECT ON LOCAL/REGIONAL AIR QUALITY
This section includes a generalized discussion of the short-term and long-term effects on
local and regional air quality including its contribution to global climate change.
The project site is currently served by three Metropolitan Transit Service (MTS) Routes.
The project is served BRT and local bus routes. The northwest corner of Main Street and
Eastlake Parkway includes a Park & Ride as well as a Transit Stop.
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Construction Related Emissions
Air pollutant emission sources during project construction include exhaust and
particulate emissions generated from construction equipment; fugitive dust from site
preparation, grading, and excavation activities; and volatile compounds that evaporate
during site paving and painting of structures. Because of their temporary nature,
construction activity impacts have often been considered as having a less-than-
significant air quality impact. However, the cumulative impact from all simultaneous
construction in the basin is a contributor to the overall pollution burden.
Impacts to air quality are addressed in Section 5.4 of the FEIR. The FEIR found that
impacts associated with air quality standard violations would be significant and
unavoidable. The FEIR found that volatile organic compound (VOC) and oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) emissions would exceed thresholds during construction, and that carbon
monoxide (CO), VOC, NOx, and particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter
(PM10) emissions would exceed thresholds during operation. Given the air quality –
related impacts identified in the FEIR, Mitigation Measures 5.4-1 through 5.4-4 were
incorporated in project design to address emissions of VOCs, NOx, CO, sulfur oxides
(SOx), PM10, and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) during
construction and operation. The proposed project would comply with the mitigation
measures to the extent they are applicable.
As indicated in the Air Quality and GHG Technical Report prepared for this project
(Dudek 2022) construction would not exceed SCAQMD’s daily thresholds. Therefore,
construction impacts associated with criteria air pollutant emissions would be less than
significant. When compared to construction emissions from the original FEIR, emissions
of CO and PM10 from the project modifications would slightly exceed original project
emissions estimates. However, consistent with the findings of the original FEIR, neither
CO nor PM10 would exceed the applicable daily significance thresholds.
Further, it should be noted that this development is subject to SDAPCD Rule 55 -
Fugitive Dust Control that requires restrictions of visible emissions of fugitive dust
beyond the property line. Construction fugitive dust will be reduced by implementing
the following dust control measures:
• Watering active grading sites and unpaved roads three times daily to control
fugitive dust to meet the requirements of SDAPCD Rule 55.
• Use of low-VOC as required under SPAPCD Rule 67.0.
• Replacement of ground cover as quickly as possible.
• Reducing speeds on unpaved roads to 15 miles per hour or less.
• Reduce dust during loading and unloading operations.
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Air Quality
Operational Air Quality impacts associated with the FC 1 project would include impacts
associated with vehicular traffic, as well as area sources such as energy use, consumer
products use, and architectural coatings use for maintenance purposes. Emissions
associated with project operations were estimated in the Air Quality and GHG Technical
Report (Dudek 2022) using the CalEEMod Model. As determined therein, operational
impacts would not exceed SCAQMD’s significance thresholds during operations, except
for VOC. The FEIR previously found that all criteria pollutant emissions would exceed
thresholds during operation, including CO, VOC, NOx, and PM10. The proposed
modifications would result in reduced impacts compared to the FEIR; however, the VOC
impact would continue to be significant, but reduced when compared to VOC emissions
from the FEIR.
The San Diego Air Basin has been designated as a federal nonattainment area for O3 and
a state nonattainment area for O3, PM10, and PM2.5. PM10 and PM2.5 emissions associated
with construction generally result in near-field impacts. The nonattainment status is the
result of cumulative emissions from all sources of these air pollutants and their
precursors within the San Diego Air Basin. As indicated in Tables 2 and 3, project-
generated construction and operational emissions would not exceed SCAQMD’s
emissions-based significance thresholds for NOx, CO, SO2, PM10, or PM2.5. The
proposed project would generate operational emissions that would exceed SCAQMD’s
VOC thresholds, and the FEIR also found that VOC emissions during operation would
exceed thresholds.
The FEIR estimated that operation of the project would exceed VOC thresholds by 264
pounds per day. The proposed project would exceed VOC thresholds by an estimated
7.24 pounds per day, a significant decrease. Therefore, VOC emissions would be
significant, but not more severe than determined in the FEIR. No new substantially
significant sources of operational air emissions beyond those identified in the FEIR
would occur with implementation of the proposed project and Mitigation Measures 5.4-
1 through 5.4-4 from the FEIR.
Global Climate Change
Operational and Construction GHG impacts were disclosed within the Air Quality and
GHG Technical Report (Dudek 2022) which also relied upon the same CalEEMod
Model as the Air Quality report. As determined therein, the GHG emissions generated
by the Project would not conflict with the goals and policies of the Chula Vista Climate
Action Plan, the CARB Scoping Plan, and the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and
Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS). Project impacts relative to greenhouse gas
emissions/global climate change were determined to be less than significant; the
implementation of mitigation measures is not required. Refer to the Air Quality and GHG
Technical Report (Dudek 2022) for additional discussion.
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Consistency with Air Quality Plans
The FEIR found that the original project would exceed air quality thresholds, but
concluded that as the Otay Ranch GDP project had been planned for many years and
included in regional transportation and air quality planning, it would not conflict with or
obstruct implementation of the RAQS or SIP.
The most recent Regional Housing Needs Assessment from the San Diego Association
of Governments (SANDAG) stated that the City needs to build 11,105 housing units
from 2021 through 2029 (SANDAG 2019). The project is expected to bring 840 units to
market from 2026 to 2030 as each phase completes, which would be within SANDAG’s
growth projection for housing during the 6th Cycle planning horizon. Therefore, the
project would not conflict with SANDAG’s regional growth forecast for the City.
In addition, the project as proposed would not result in a significant amount of new
mobile trips above what was proposed in the FEIR. As indicated in the Traffic Analysis
(LLG 2022), the proposed project would generate fewer trips than the amount to which
the Otay Ranch Town Center is entitled, and a vehicle miles traveled analysis was not
required. Therefore, the project’s VMT and associated mobile source emissions are
within what was previously evaluated in the FEIR. The increase in the housing units and
associated vehicle source emissions is not anticipated to result in air quality impacts that
were not envisioned in the F projections and Regional Air Quality Strategy, and the
minor increase in residential units in the region would not obstruct or impede
implementation of local air quality plans.
Health Risk Assessment
Due to the project’s proximity to SR-125, a Health Risk Assessment was prepared for
the proposed modifications by LDN Consulting Inc. (2022). A Health Risk Assessment
was not prepared as part of the FEIR.
New residential units have tighter building envelopes and better heating and ventilation
systems that are compatible with energy-efficient designs. All proposed residential units
would have mechanical heating and ventilation systems consistent with the latest
building codes, such as Title 24. Typical indoor air filtration systems used within current
heating and ventilation systems in California have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting
Value (“MERV”) of 13. The MERV rating is used to describe how well a particular
filtration media removes particles from the air. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency found that MERV 13 filtration on a supply ventilation system reduced
particulates of 1 to 3 microns by 85%, and particles less than 10 microns (PM10) by 90%
relative to outdoor ambient air (EPA 2022).
It was determined that, based on the worst-case scenario for outdoor receptors, cancer
risks would not exceed the applicable significance threshold of 10 per 1 million exposed
with the use of MERV 13 heating and ventilation systems. As indicated in the Health
Risk Assessment, the maximum risk exposure is 7.06 after 70 years of exposure.
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5. QUANTITATIVE PROJECT DESIGN EVALUATION
Criterion Planners Inc. has performed a quantitative analysis for FC 1 project using
Option (2): Alternative Modeling Programs, specifically Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design – Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) equivalency analysis
(LEA). This analysis only pertains to the FC 1 site and represents implementation of the
2003 full FC SPA AQIP which acknowledged that detailed FC 1 site planning had not
yet occurred. With that planning now complete, sufficient data is available to support an
LEA and fulfill the SPA AQIP requirements for FC 1.
• LEED-ND criteria are proposed as being more appropriate than INDEX
indicators for FC 1 for four reasons:
• INDEX indicators and thresholds were originally developed using residential
pilot projects in contrast to the mixed uses of FC 1 and FC 2. This difference was
acknowledged in the 2004 full SPA AQIP, Section II.7.3.
• INDEX indicators are primarily internal-focused, whereas FC 1 is an infill
project whose AQIP value derives in large part from surrounding uses that will
interact with FC 1 uses. LEED-ND criteria measure these benefits to a greater
and more accurate extent.
• The INDEX approach uses only 16 indicators, whereas LEED-ND has 56
indicators that are able to characterize a project much more comprehensively and
thoroughly, and ultimately capture more contributors to GHG emission
reductions.
• The underlying basics of the INDEX approach are nearly 15-years old, in contrast
to LEED-ND’s latest update in 2014, and amended in 2018. Consequently,
current best practices in urban design, green infrastructure, and resilient
neighborhoods are not addressed by INDEX indicators, but are covered by
LEED-ND criteria.
Based on the amended FC 1 site development plan, the LEA finds that the amended FC
1 plan results in minor ND criteria changes (residential density, residential share of total
floor area, diversity of residential units), but the changes are so small as to not alter the
original SPA plan ND score of 56 points (see following amended scorecard table). Based
on Criterion’s original development of the INDEX indicator thresholds for the City, and
the firm’s experience certifying over 100 LEED-ND projects nationally, they have
concluded that a base ND certification of 40 points is the functional equivalent of the
INDEX thresholds, and a score of 56 points therefore represents a notable exceedance
of the thresholds, and clear AQIP compliance.
Table ES1 identifies the INDEX indicators which correspond to each of the LEED ND
credits achieved by Otay Ranch Town Center. Each INDEX indicator has at least one
corresponding ND credit, and on average each indicator has four corresponding ND
credits. Where it matters the most for GHG emissions, auto driving and building energy,
the ND coverage jumps to 10 and 8 credits, respectively. The ND approach is able to
double or triple the depth and extent of measurements in relation to INDEX indicators.
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Table ES1 Otay Ranch FC-1 SPA Amendment - LEED-ND v2009 Equivalency Scorecard
LEED-ND v2009
Prerequisites and
Credits
Options Amended FC
North
Prerequisite
Compliance and
Equivalency
Points
Amended FC North Notes
SLLp1 Smart Location Transit served Yes 50-percent of dwellings and business within
1/2-mile walk of 179 weekday transit trips and
46 weekend daily trips (inclusive of BRT)
SLLc1 Preferred
Locations
1. Location type 3 Infill site, not previously developed
2. Connectivity 1 200 intersections/sq mi
SLLc3 Reduced Auto
Dependence
1. Transit served 3 Weighted allocation of points based on 179
weekday trips and 46 weekend daily trips
(inclusive of BRT)
SLLc4 Bike Network Bicycle network 1 Existing bicycle network of at least 5-miles
within 1/4-mile bicycling distance of project
boundary
SLLc5 Housing/Jobs
Proximity
1. Affordable residential
infill
3 71-percent residential share of total floor area,
and geographic center of project within 1/2-mile
walk distance of more than 900 jobs
SLLc6 Steep Slopes 1. No slope over 15% 1 No substantive slopes over 15-percent
SLLc7 Habitat Site
Design
1. No habitat 1 No significant habitat
LEED-ND v2009
Prerequisites and
Credits
Options Amended FC
North
Prerequisite
Compliance and
Equivalency
Points
Amended FC North Notes
NPDp1 Walkable Streets Yes 90-percent of public-space facing building
frontages with entries connected to sidewalks;
15-percent of street frontages with a building
height to street width ratio of 1:3; 90-percent of
streets with sidewalks on both sides; and less
than 20=percent of street frontages devoted to
garage or service bay openings
NPDp2 Compact
Development
Yes Residential density of 33.7 DU/acre, and
non-residential density of 1.5 Floor Area
Ratio (FAR) (weighted between retail and
hotels) NPDp3 Connected and
Open
Yes Internal connectivity of 200 intersections/sq
mi, and perimeter through-connections at least
every 800-feet, except where physically-
infeasible
NPDc1 Walkable
Streets
a. 25-feet setback 8 80-percent of street facing building façades
no more than 25-feet from the property line
d. Entries every 75-feet Functional entries to buildings occur at an
average of 75-feet or less
f. Ground-level glass facades Ground-level retail/service spaces with
clear-glass on 60-percent of façade
g. No blank walls Blank walls along sidewalks of no more than
50-feet or 40-percent of façade length
h. Unshuttered retail
windows
Ground-level retail/service spaces remain un-
shuttered at night
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i. On-street parking On-street parking allowed on internal
streets
j. Sidewalks All streets have sidewalks on both sides
k. Ground floor dwellings
above grade
Ground-floor dwellings at least 24 inches
above grade
n. 20-mph residential streets 20-mph residential streets
o. 25-mph non-re/mixed-
use streets
25-mph non-residential/mixed-use streets
p. Driveways limited Driveway widths are no more than 10-percent
of total street length
NPDc
2
Compact
Development
Compact development 3 Residential density of 33.7 DU/acre, and non-
residential density of 1.5 Floor Area Ratio
(weighted between retail and hotels)
NPDc
3
Mixed Use
Centers
Mixed use centers 4 Over 19 diverse uses within 1/4-mile walk of
50-percent of dwellings
NPDc4 Mixed Income 1. Diverse housing types 2 Site Development Index (SDI) of 0.67
2. Affordable housing 2 10-percent of units up to 60-percent of AMI
3. Mixed Income Diverse
Communities
1 Options 1 and 2 bonus point
NPDc
7
Transit Facilities Transit stop facilities 1 Transit stop planning/ongoing coordination
NPDc
9
Access to Civic
Spaces
Access to civic spaces 1 90-percent of dwelling units within 1/4-mile
walk distance of civic space
NPDc1
0
Access to
Recreation
Active rec space
outdoors/indoors
1 90-percent of dwelling units within 1/2-mile
walk distance of recreational facilities
NPDc1
1
Visitability and
Universal
Design
1. Residential units 1 100-percent of Dwelling Unit (DU) compliant
LEED-ND v2009
Prerequisites and
Credits
Options Amended FC
North
Prerequisite
Compliance and
Equivalency
Points
Amended FC North Notes
NPDc1
2
Community
Outreach
1. Community outreach 1 Consultation with stakeholders throughout and
communications Ongoing
NPDc1
3
Local Food 1. Neighborhood gardens 1 Neighborhood garden planned
3. Farmers market Farmers market at Town Center
NPDc1
4
Tree-
Lined/Shaded
Streets
1. Tree-lined streets 1 60-percent of streets with shade trees at
least every 40-feet.
2. shaded streets 1 40-percent of sidewalks shaded
NPDc1
5
School
Proximity
School proximity 1 62-percent residential share of total floor area,
and 50-percent of dwelling units within 1/2-
mile walk distance of elementary and high
schools (with BRT crossing)
GIBp1 Certified Green
Building
Certified green building Yes One building assumed, consistent with regional
certification rates
GIBp2 Minimum
Building
Energy
Efficiency
Minimum building energy
efficiency
Yes California energy code exceeds LEED-ND
2009 minimum
GIBp3 Minimum
Building Water
Efficiency
Minimum building water
efficiency
Yes California plumbing code exceeds LEED-ND
2009 minimum
GIBp4 Construction
Pollution
Prevention
Construction pollution
prevention
Yes California pollution prevention code exceeds
LEED-ND 2009 minimum
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GIBc2 Energy
Efficient
Buildings
Energy efficient buildings 1 California energy code equates to LEED-ND
2009 one-point level of energy savings
GIBc3 Water Efficient
Buildings
Water efficient buildings 1 California plumbing code equates to LEED-
ND 2009 one-point level of water savings
GIBc4 Water Efficient
Landscaping
Water efficient landscaping 1 California water code exceeds LEED- ND
2009 minimum
GIBc9 Heat Island
Reduction
3. Mix of roof and non-roof
measures
1 Mix of roof and non-roof measures on 75-
percent of qualifying areas
GIB
c13
Infrastructure
Energy
Efficiency
Energy
efficient
infrastructure
1 15-percent efficiency gain assumed
IDPc1 Innovation Exemplary performance 1 30+ diverse uses
IDPc2 Innovation Exemplary performance 1 Outdoor irrigation efficiency
IDPc3 Innovation Innovation 1 Achievement of SLLc5 Option 3 - non-
residential infill
IDPc4 Innovation Innovation 1 Environmentally-responsible landscape
maintenance program assumed
IDPc2 LEED
Accredited
Professional
((A(AP)ereee
LEED AP on team 1 LEED AP assumed
RPc1 Regional
Priorities
Regional priorities 4 Building water efficiency, walkable streets,
shaded streets, mixed use neighborhoods
Total equivalent points 56 Total Corresponding LEED-ND
Measurements
Equivalent certification
level
Silver
6 COMMUNITY DESIGN AND SITE PLANNING FEATURES
This section describes the specific strategies that have been integrated into the project to
create a sustainable community, including those project attributes designed to reduce air
quality impacts by promoting walking and alternative travel modes, reducing vehicle
miles traveled, and improving energy conservation. Figure 5: Community Design and
Site Plan Features, includes the list of specific measures that have been included in the
project.
Figure 5: Community Design and Site Plan Features
Transportation Related Measures
Otay Ranch Town Center provides a complementary, mixed-use environment with a focus
on promoting a walkable and bikeable community that promotes pedestrian activity and non-
automobile trips. Higher density uses support walking as distances are reduced, which results
in lower GHG emissions from vehicles.
Otay Ranch Town Center provides an integrated circulation system which enhances the
Project mixed use design enabling more non-automobile related circulation options.
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Otay Ranch Town Center design includes a pedestrian bridge over the SR-125 which extends
from the surrounding neighborhoods directly to the project site. This will have the benefit of
reducing automobile trips into the Otay Ranch Town center from adjacent residential land
uses as well as connectivity to transit stops.
Bike lanes and bike racks will be provided throughout the Otay Ranch Town Center
development footprint.
All internal roadways within the Otay Ranch Town Center were designed to local street
standards with speed limits of 25 to 30-mph. Slow traffic speeds are conducive to walking
and bicycling and provide the necessary linkage to the regional bicycle circulation network.
Low speed vehicles (LSVs) may travel on all internal streets with a maximum travel speed
of 20-30-miles per hour.
The Project is consistent with the regional transit plan and South Bay Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) plans by extending East Palomar Street along the southern boundary of the project.
which the The Project will add a local transit stop at the southeast intersection of Olympic Parkway and
Town Center Drive, closest to the hotels and mixed-use commercial uses. This transit stop
promotes the use of local transportation and reduces vehicle traffic from the Project which
would directly reduce air quality and greenhouse emissions.
The Project would synchronize traffic lights which will improve level of service in the area.
This improved level of service will reduce the time vehicles are at intersections near the
project and would reduce air quality emissions by reducing traffic congestion.
Energy Conservation Related Measures
The residential uses will be limited to multi-family uses at the highest density allowed under
the proposed land use. Since multi-family units have a reduced energy footprint compared to
single family uses, a reduced energy footprint per capita would be expected. This would
indirectly reduce air and greenhouse gas emissions.
CVMC 8.25.095 requires all new construction and demolition projects to divert 100 percent
of inert waste (asphalt, concrete, bricks, tile, trees, stumps, rocks and associated vegetation
and soils resulting from land clearing from landfill disposal); and 50 percent of all remaining
waste generated. Contractors working on Otay Ranch Town Center will be required to put
up a performance deposit and prepare a Waste Management Report form to ensure that all
materials are responsibly handled. Upon verification that the diversion goals have been met
the performance deposit will be refunded.
Utilize solar heating technology as practical. Generally, solar panels can be cost-effectively
used to heat water for domestic use and for swimming pools. Advances in solar technology
in the future may make other applications appropriate.
The Project will utilize the latest building code to include Title 24 at the time a building
permit is requested. At the time of this AQIP, Title 24 (2022) would be utilized. Incorporating
energy reduction measures of Title 24 will reduce energy requirements which will reduce air
quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Project would install solar water heater pre-plumbing for all residential units in the Otay
Ranch Town Center development.
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The Project will provide prewiring for any future photovoltaic systems to be installed by
future residents within all residential units of the Otay Ranch Town Center development.
The Project would install grey water stub outs at residential units.
Other Measures to Improve Air Quality
Install only electric or natural gas fireplaces in new development. Wood burning fireplaces
will be prohibited which will reduce particulate matter from being deposited into the air.
When siting sensitive land uses such as residences, schools, day care centers, playgrounds,
and medical facilities the recommendations set forth in Table 1-1 of California Air Resources
Board’s (CARB) Land Use and Air Quality Handbook (CARB 2004) will be used as a
guideline. Specifically, new sensitive uses would not be located within 50-feet of any
typical-sized gas station (one that has a throughput of less than 3.6-million gallons per year).
No gas stations with a throughput of 3.6-million gallons per year or greater shall be developed
within the project. These efforts will ensure residential uses are not exposed to excessive air
quality emissions which will limit chronic and acute health risks. Also, the Project will install
air filtration having a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV) of 13 at all residential
unit areas adjacent to SR 125.
The Project will ensure shade trees are planted to meet or exceed the City's Shade Tree
Policy. Parking lot design will all achieve at least a 50-percent shade cover in 5 to 15 years
through tree canopies, shade structures and or light colored "cool" paving surfaces.
The Project will use Architectural coatings consistent with San Diego Air Pollution Control
Districts Rule 67. This will limit the VOCs entering the ambient air.
7. CHULA VISTA CO2 REDUCTION PLAN
This section provides a comparative evaluation between the community/site design
features specific to Otay Ranch Town Center and the energy efficiency emission
reduction action measures contained in the City’s CO2 Reduction Plan.
Figure 6: Summary of Otay Ranch Town Center SPA CO2 Reduction Action Measures
Action Measure Project/Community Design Features
Describe how project design will
Implement CO2 Reduction Action
Measures
Measure 6 (Enhanced
Pedestrian Connections to
Transit): Installation of
walkways and crossings
between bus stops and
surrounding land uses.
The Project will add a local transit stop
at the southeast intersection of Olympic
Parkway and Town Center Drive, closest
to the hotels and mixed-use commercial
uses. Otay Ranch Town Center SPA
provides a complementary, mixed-use
environment with a focus on promoting
a walkable and bikeable community that
promotes pedestrian activity and non-
automobile trips.
This transit stop along with the
walkable design promotes the use of
local transportation and reduces
vehicle traffic generation from the
Project which results in lower GHG
emissions from vehicles.
Measure 7 (Increased
Housing Density near
Transit): General increase in
land use and zoning
designations to reach an
Otay Ranch Town Center SPA provides
as dense mixed-use development with
840 residential units on a 15.46 acre area
This design dense design has access
to transit areas which provides an
opportunity to reduce vehicle traffic
generation from the Project which
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Action Measure Project/Community Design Features
Describe how project design will
Implement CO2 Reduction Action
Measures
average of at least 14-18
dwelling units per net acre
within ¼ mile of major transit
facilities.
(54 units/acre) and includes a transit stop
location.
results in lower GHG emissions
from vehicles.
Measure 8 (Site Design with
Transit Orientation):
Placement of buildings and
circulation routes to
emphasize transit rather than
auto access; also includes bus
turn-outs and other transit stop
amenities.
The Project is consistent with the
regional transit plan and South Bay Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) plans by extending
East Palomar Street along the southern
boundary of the project.
The Site Design has been developed
with focus on transit and includes
circulation routs conducive to non-
automobile transportation
opportunities which reduces
vehicular travel resulting in lower
GHG emissions.
Measure 9 (Increased Land
Use Mix): Provide a greater
dispersion/variety of land uses
such as siting of neighborhood
commercial uses in residential
areas and inclusion of housing
in commercial and light
industrial areas.
The Otay Ranch Town Center SPA
converts commercial uses to high
density residential uses to enhance the
overall mixed-use design.
The greater variety of land uses
provided by the Otay Ranch Town
Center SPA which reduces vehicular
travel resulting in lower GHG
emissions.
Measure 10 (Reduced
Commercial Parking
Requirements): Lower
parking space requirements;
allowance for shared lots and
shared parking; allowance for
on-street spaces.
The SPA converts a portion of Main
Street from parking lot and drive isle
into a park plaza, which activates the
heart of the Shopping Center by creating
a pedestrian-friendly environment and
amenity. In addition, the Project would
allow for on-street parking which
reduces the need for large parking lots
The proposed SPA vehicular travel
reduces the parking lot areas and
increases pedestrian access
providing for an environment
conducive to reducing vehicular
travel resulting in lower GHG
emissions.
Measure 11 (Site Design with
Pedestrian/Bicycle
Orientation): Placement of
buildings and circulation
routes to emphasize pedestrian
and bicycle access without
excluding autos; includes
pedestrian benches, bike
paths, and bike racks.
The Site design has been adjusted to
increase pedestrian access through
pedestrian friendly amenities. The
Project would install multiple bike
access paths, bike racks and storage. The
Project would be consistent with Cal
Green requirements for nonresidential
buildings.
The redesign promotes pedestrian
and bicycle access which reduces
vehicular travel which will reduce
GHG emissions.
The Project design will be consistent
with CalGreen and local regulations
which established benchmarks for
bicycle rack placement, storage
placement and showers as needed to
be successful under Measure 11.
Measure 12 (Bicycle
Integration with Transit and
Employment): Provide
storage at major transit stops
and employment areas.
Encourage employers to
provide showers at the place
of employment near major
transit nodes.
As noted in Measure 11 Design
Features, the site design has been
adjusted to increase pedestrian access
through pedestrian friendly amenities.
The Project would install multiple bike
access paths, bike racks and storage. The
Project would be consistent with Cal
Green requirements for nonresidential
buildings.
The redesign promotes pedestrian
and bicycle access which reduces
vehicular travel which will reduce
GHG emissions.
The Project design will be consistent
with CalGreen which established
benchmarks for bicycle rack
placement, storage placement and
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Action Measure Project/Community Design Features
Describe how project design will
Implement CO2 Reduction Action
Measures
showers as needed to be successful
under Measure 12.
Measure 13 (Bike Lanes,
paths, and Routes): Continued
implementation of the City’s
bicycle master plan.
Emphasis is to be given to
separate bike paths as opposed
to striping bike lanes on
streets.
The SPA would provide specific bike
paths within the Otay Ranch Town
Center development
The Project will provide specific
bike paths as noted in Measure 11
and 12 which would reduce
vehicular traffic and reduce GHGs.
Measure 14 (Energy Efficient
Landscaping): Installation of
shade trees for new single-
family homes as part of an
overall City-wide tree planting
effort to reduce ambient
temperatures, smog formation,
energy use, and CO2.
The Otay Ranch SPA has been designed
to increase density which in turn reduces
landscaping and would also install shade
trees throughout the development.
The Otay Ranch SPA has been
designed to increase density which
in turn reduces landscaping. The
SPA would limit the uses of grasses
and high-water dependent
landscaping features. The Project
would Plant Trees and encourage
drought tolerant native plants. The
Project would encourage mulch
usage to reduce water evaporation.
Reducing water requirements and
increasing shade trees reduces
energy consumption directly and
indirectly through reduced energy
and water demand which reduces
GHG emissions.
Measure 16 (Traffic Signal &
System Upgrades): Provide
high-efficiency LED lamps or
similar as approved by the
City Engineer.
The City of Chula Vista’s traffic
intersections are being upgraded with
smart traffic controls as part of a master
plan adopted by the City Council in
2017. In addition, the City’s lights can
be updated with LED. The Project would
install the latest intersections where
applicable.
Traffic Signal improvement is
achieved through better controls and
synchronization which limits idling
time at controlled intersections. LED
lights reduce energy. The combined
effort to improve controls and
synchronization and the
improvement to the lighting
technologies would reduce GHG
emissions.
FREEWAY COMMERCIAL SOUTH PORTION
Otay Ranch Town Center
Air Quality Improvement Plan
27 | P a g e
Action Measure Project/Community Design Features
Describe how project design will
Implement CO2 Reduction Action
Measures
Measure 18 (Energy Efficient
Building Recognition
Program): Reducing CO2
emissions by applying
building standards that exceed
current Title 24 Energy Code
requirements.
Project will meet code.
The latest Title 24 building code is
2022 at the time of this report. The
Project buildout would be over
multiple years and would be required
to implement the latest code
requirement at the time building
permits are submitted. Because of
this, GHG emission reductions from
building code enhancements will be
achieved for the Otay Ranch Town
Center development.
Measure 20 (Increased
Employment Density Near
Transit): General increase in land-
use and zoning designations to
focus employment-generating
land-uses within ¼ mile of major
transit stops throughout the City.
The Project will add a local transit stop
at the southeast intersection of Olympic
Parkway and Town Center Drive, closest
to the hotels and mixed-use commercial
uses. Otay Ranch Town Center SPA
provides a complementary, mixed-use
environment with a focus on promoting
a walkable and bikeable community that
promotes pedestrian activity and non-
automobile trips.
Overall, the Project increases the
transit activities to the hotels and
mixed use commercial areas which
has a combined effect of increasing
the usage of transit. The Otay Ranch
Town Center development would
reduce GHG emissions through this
SPA.
8. CREDIT TOWARDS INCREASED MINIMUM ENERGY EFFICIENCY
STANDARDS
The Otay Ranch Town Center SPA will ensure that all development complies with the
latest building codes including maximizing consistency with energy codes and would
comply with Chapter 15.12 (Green Building Standards) and Chapter 15.26 (Energy
Code) of Chula Vista’s Municipal Code.
9. COMPLIANCE MONITORING
This section includes a written description and a checklist (Figure 7) summarizing the
project design features and mitigation measures that have been identified to reduce the
development's effects on air quality and improve energy efficiency.
FREEWAY COMMERCIAL SOUTH PORTION
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Air Quality Improvement Plan
28 | P a g e
Figure 7: Air Quality Improvement Plan Compliance Monitoring Checklist
Method of
Verification1
Timing of
Verification
Responsible
Party2
Project Consistency
& Compliance
Documentation3
PLANNING
AQIP Project Design
Features/Principles
Pedestrian oriented development Plan Review Tentative Map (TM) City of Chula
Vista
Widened landscape medians and
parkways with street trees
Plan Review
TM
City of Chula
Vista
Integrated circulation system Plan Review TM City of Chula
Vista
Mix of uses Plan Review TM City of Chula
Vista
Higher density (54 units/acre) Plan Review TM City of Chula
Vista
Local Bus Stop Transit Review TM SANDAG/City
Class II Bicycle facilities Plan Check
TM
City of Chula
Vista
Opportunity for employee
services to be located near
employers
Plan Review TM City of Chula
Vista
Circulation pattern for internal
roads are between 20 and 30
miles per hour
Plan Review TM City of Chula
Vista
Available public transportation Plan Review TM City of Chula
Vista
Transit Plan Transit Review TM SANDAG/MTS/
City
Compliance with the City's
Shade Tree Policy for parking
lots
Plan Review Precise Plan,
Construction Plans
City of Chula
Vista
Air Quality Mitigation
Measures
Construction related emissions Permit Review Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
Use of low-VOC paints - Rule
67
Permit Review Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.sdapcd.org/
content/dam/sdapcd/doc
uments/rules/rule-
archive/2021/Rule-
67.0.1.pdf
Siting of sensitive land uses Permit Review TM City of Chula
Vista
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MERV 13 filtration installed at
all residential units adjacent to
SR-125.
Permit Review Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.epa.gov/ind
oor-air-quality-iaq/what-
merv-rating
BUILDING
Green Building Standards
New Construction Recycling Plan Waste
Management
Report Review
Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://calrecycle.ca.gov/
lgcentral/library/canddm
odel/instruction/newstruc
tures/
Project wide recycling Plan Check TM San Diego County
Energy Efficiency
Standards
Compliance with 2022
California Energy Code or latest
code per date of request for
building Permit
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.energy.ca.g
ov/programs-and-
topics/programs/building
-energy-efficiency-
standards
Participation in a Utility Demand
Response program
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.sdge.com/b
usinesses/savings-
center/energy-
management-
programs/demand-
response
Compliance with 2022 CalGreen
Indoor Water Use requirements
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.dgs.ca.gov/
BSC/CALGreen
Compliance with EPA's
WaterSense certification
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.epa.gov/wat
ersense
Compliance with EPA's
Energystar certification for
indoor residential appliances
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.energystar.g
ov/products
Efficient irrigation equipment Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
Water efficient / native
landscaping will be provided
Plan Check TM City of Chula
Vista
Turf limited to 30-percent in
residential areas
Plan Check TM City of Chula
Vista
Solar access - use passive solar
design and building orientation
principles
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
Solar access - Use of vertical
landscape elements to reduce
heating/cooling loads
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
Energy efficient LED lighting /
for all streets, parks, and public
spaces
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
Installation of solar water heater
pre-plumbing
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
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Air Quality Improvement Plan
30 | P a g e
Installation of solar photovoltaic
prewiring – (Solar Ready)
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
https://www.nrel.gov/state-
local-
tribal/blog/posts/solar-
ready-building-design-a-
summary-of-technical-
considerations.html
Installation of residential
graywater stub-out
Plan Check Pre-Construction City of Chula
Vista
Notes:
1. Method of verification may include, but is not limited to, plan check, permit review, site
inspection.
2. Identify the party responsible for ensuring compliance (City of Chula Vista, San Diego APCD,
Other)
3. This column shall include all pertinent information necessary to confirm compliance
including document type, date of completion, plan/permit number, special
notes/comments, and contact information.