REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 17, 2020
FROM
BRENDON BIGGS, Director, Department of Public Works - Special Districts
SUBJECT
Title
Addendum to the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Snowdrop Road Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Addendum to the California Environmental Quality Act Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Snowdrop Road Project.
(Presenter: Trevor Leja, Deputy Director, 386-8811)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this Addendum will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as there are no costs associated with this action.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Snowdrop Road Project (Project) entails approximately 2.1 miles of road and drainage improvements to a residential area in an unincorporated area north of the City of Rancho Cucamonga. The Project extends from Haven Avenue westward along Snowdrop Road and Santina Drive, connecting to Archibald Avenue at the northern terminus of the City of Rancho Cucamonga. The purpose of the Project is to provide for the safety of residents in the Project vicinity by establishing adequate access roads and storm water conveyance infrastructure.
The property owners of the area requested that the Department of Public Works - Special Districts (Department) form an assessment district to provide a funding mechanism for the establishment of a paved road and drainage improvements, in addition to long-term maintenance of the road. On March 13, 2018 (Item No. 65), the Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted Resolution No. 2018-20 that resulted in the formation of AD 2018-1. Approval of AD 2018-1 implemented a special assessment on the annual tax roll of property owners to fund construction and maintenance of the Project.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines require that an environmental study be prepared for the Project. The Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was approved by the Board on March 19, 2019 (Item No. 41).
In July 2020, the Department solicited a peer review of the IS/MND to verify that the environmental impacts, taking into consideration design to narrow portions of the road, were still accurate. The peer-review evaluated the proposed mitigation to Riversidean Alluvial Fan Sage Scrub (RAFSS), assessing “existing studies, mapping of flood plains, the species of sage scrub comprised in the area, and the absence of scouring.” It was determined that the species of Sage Scrub did not meet the definition of RAFSS. “As this community is not a sensitive community under CEQA, impacts would be less than significant and no mitigation measure is required.” The peer-review study further examined the impacts to the coastal California gnatcatcher (CAGN) and found that the construction of the road would only eliminate a narrow strip of habitat and “would not result in substantial adverse effects to CAGN.”
Under CEQA Guidelines Section 15164, an addendum to an adopted negative declaration shall be considered by the decision-making body if minor technical changes or additions are necessary and none of the conditions described in Section 15162 calling for the preparation of a subsequent negative declaration or Environmental Impact Report (EIR) have occurred. Under Section 15162, the lead agency shall prepare an EIR or subsequent negative declaration if there are new significant environmental effects associated with the project. According to Section 15164 of the CEQA Guidelines, an addendum need not be circulated for public review and can be attached to the adopted negative declaration. As discussed above, the findings of the IS/MND peer-review identified environmental impacts that are lesser than originally analyzed in the IS/MND. The peer review of the IS/MND did not result in any new significant impacts, but rather indicate a decrease in environmental impacts.
The Addendum, now presented to the Board for approval, is intended to inform the Board and the public of the environmental effects of the proposed Project and the required mitigation measures prior to final implementation of the Project.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Katherine Hardy, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 22, 2020; Finance (Tom Forster, Administrative Analyst, 387-4635) on October 23, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on November 1, 2020.