DATE: June 18, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Assessor-Recorder’s Parking Lot Improvements Project - Initial Study Application No. 7590, State Clearinghouse No. 2019059040
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Consider and adopt Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the Assessor-Recorder’s Parking Lot Improvements Project, on the corner of L and Merced Street in the City of Fresno (Initial Study Application No. 7590, State Clearinghouse No. 2019059040) and direct staff to file a Notice of Determination with the Fresno County Clerk.
REPORT
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Department of Public Works and Planning, Development Services Division, prepared an Initial Study, which determined that mitigation measures are required to reduce Parking Lot Improvements Project (Project) impacts on the environment to a less than significant level, see Exhibit A. A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) have been prepared for the Project, see Exhibits B and C. If the MND is adopted by your Board, the County as the CEQA lead agency will file a Notice of Determination (NOD) with the Fresno County Clerk and pay the accompanying California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) filing fee for review of the Project’s potential impacts on wildlife within five working days after project approval. This item pertains to a location in District 3.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose not to adopt the MND if your Board determines that a significant environmental impact may result from the Project and then direct the Department to modify the MMRP or prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Project.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The CDFW fee for this project is $2,354.75. Additionally, the Fresno County Clerk charges a fee of $50 total when filing the NOD and MND. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Assessor-Recorder’s Special Revenue Fund 0035 FY 2019-20 Recommended Budget.
DISCUSSION:
According to CEQA Guidelines Section 15063(c), the purpose of an Initial Study is to provide a preliminary analysis of a proposed action to determine whether a Negative Declaration or an EIR should be prepared. An Initial Study also enables the County to modify a project, mitigating adverse impacts in lieu of preparing an EIR, thereby enabling the Project to qualify for a MND. If mitigation measures are required to reduce impacts to a less than significant level, a MND and an accompanying MMRP are prepared. The EIR is required if the Initial Study determines that the Project may have a significant impact on the environment that cannot be reduced to a less than significant level.
The proposed project consists of reconstruction of an existing parking lot and removal of underground storage tanks on a 0.43-parcel at the corner of L and Merced Streets in the City of Fresno (Assessor Parcel Number: 466-115-15). The site was originally a gas station, which was demolished in 1981 and has since served as a parking lot. In 2017, the Assessor-Recorder Office obtained the property and is proposing to improve the lot to provide parking for staff.
Initial Study Application No. 7590 indicates that impacts from the Project, when the mitigation measures in the attached MMRP are incorporated, will not exceed significant thresholds established by regulatory agencies. The MMRP includes mitigation measures to address potential impacts to Aesthetics, Cultural and Tribal Cultural Resources, and Energy. Implementation of the mitigation measures is required to complete the Project
Based on the Initial Study, the Department has concluded that preparation of an EIR is not required for the Project, and recommends adoption of the MND based upon the findings of the Initial Study. A Notice of Intent to adopt an MND for the Project was published in the Fresno Business Journal on May 8, 2019. With your Board’s approval, the MND will be adopted for the Project, the Notice of Determination will be filed with the Fresno County Clerk, and the associated CDFW fee will be paid.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #4, August 8, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
Exhibits A-C
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa