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Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Division and Department of Transportation recommending the Board take the following actions related to the Certified Final Environmental Impact Report for the Public Safety Facility Project:
1) Approve the Addendum, which focuses on roadway improvements and signalization planned for the intersections of Missouri Flat Road/Industrial Drive and Missouri Flat Road/Enterprise Drive, to the Certified Environmental Impact Report adopted by the Board of Supervisors on March 8, 2016 for the Public Safety Facility Project; and
2) Approve the Public Safety Facility Project as revised in the Addendum to the Certified Environmental Impact Report.
FUNDING: Roadway Improvements: Tribe Funds (46%), General Fund/Discretionary - Contribution from the Sheriff's Department (27%), Accumulative Capital Outlay Fund (16%), and Traffic Impact Mitigation Fees - Zones 1-7 (11%). (Local Funds)
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Division and Department of Transportation (Transportation) recommend the Board approve the Addendum to the Certified Environmental Impact Report (Addendum), which focuses on roadway improvements and signalization planned for the intersections of Missouri Flat Road/Industrial Drive and Missouri Flat Road/Enterprise Drive related to the traffic analysis for the Public Safety Facility Project.
The recommended Board actions are based on the following findings:
1) The Addendum on file with the Clerk of the Board was prepared pursuant to Public Resources Code §21000 et seq., and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2) There is no substantial evidence that the Addendum, as mitigated, will have a significant effect on the environment.
3) The Addendum reflects the Chief Administrative Office’s independent judgment and analysis, as lead agency for the County.
On March 8, 2016 (Item 27), the Board approved the Public Safety Facility Project (Project) and associated Environmental Impact Report (2016 EIR), located in the Diamond Springs area, approximately three (3) miles southwest of the City of Placerville. The Project includes development of a multi-building public safety facility on approximately 11 acres of the 30.34-acre Project site for the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, with a maximum development potential totaling approximately 106,331 square feet.
Since certification of the 2016 EIR, Transportation has started design for roadway improvements and signalization for the intersections of Missouri Flat Road/Industrial Drive and Missouri Flat Road/Enterprise Drive. The Project components have not been altered from the components analyzed in the 2016 EIR; rather, the aforementioned improvement plans provide project-specific information that was not available at the time the 2016 EIR was prepared. The Addendum provides a summary of the proposed intersection signalization improvements.
Addendum: The County is proposing an Addendum to the 2016 EIR focusing on roadway improvements planned for the intersections of Missouri Flat Road/Industrial Drive and Missouri Flat Road/Enterprise Drive. Both intersections are located approximately 1,000 feet east of the Project site.
The Addendum includes the following:
1) Evaluation of the Missouri Flat Road/Industrial Drive intersection signalization. Specifically, the evaluation determined whether any of the criteria in Section 15162 of the CEQA Guidelines would be triggered, thus warranting further CEQA review.
2) Evaluation of the Missouri Flat Road/Enterprise Drive intersection signalization in regards to CEQA Section 15162 criteria.
3) Evaluation of a Traffic Operations Analysis, prepared by Transportation, which determined that signalization is not required at the Missouri Flat Road/China Garden Road intersection to fully mitigate the Project’s impact. Rather, as allowed in Mitigation Measure 4.10-2(a) of the 2016 EIR, the County will modify the intersection to restrict the eastbound and westbound approaches to right-turns only. This would be accomplished with signage and a painted or raised median.
4) Adjusted timeframe for the implementation of the above. The intersection signalization projects will be constructed by the year 2020.
CEQA: CEQA Guidelines Section 15164(a) provides that the lead agency or a responsible agency shall prepare an addendum to a previously certified EIR or Negative Declaration (ND) if some changes or additions are necessary but none of the conditions described in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 calling for preparation of a subsequent EIR or ND have occurred (CEQA Guidelines, Section 15164(a)).
An addendum need not be circulated for public review but can be included in or attached to the Final EIR or ND (CEQA Guidelines Section 15164(c)). The decision-making body shall consider the addendum with the Final EIR prior to making a decision on the project (CEQA Guidelines Section 15164(d)). An agency must also include a brief explanation of the decision not to prepare a subsequent EIR or ND pursuant to Section 15162 (CEQA Guidelines Section 15164(e)).
This Addendum and attached documents constitute substantial evidence supporting the conclusion that preparation of a supplemental or subsequent EIR is not required prior to approval of the proposed intersection signalization projects, and provides the required documentation under CEQA.
Mitigation Measures: The intersection of Missouri Flat Road/China Garden Road operates at Level of Service (LOS) F today and will require improvements to achieve an acceptable LOS. This impact was identified in the 2016 EIR and mitigation required to reduce the impact to a less-than-significant level. The Traffic Operations Analysis prepared for this Addendum clarifies that the alternative mitigation strategy identified in the 2016 EIR related to restricting the eastbound and westbound approaches to right- turns only is the preferred mitigation. This would restore the intersection to acceptable LOS during both peak hours.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve the Addendum to the 2016 EIR. The Project will move forward without addressing the findings of the Traffic Operations Analysis prepared for the Addendum. This could potentially increase the overall Project cost and delay the intersection signalization projects.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Addendum to the 2016 EIR for the Project.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in any change to net County cost. The intersection signalization projects are included in Transportation’s 2018 Capital Improvement Program, which was approved by the Board on June 26, 2018 (Item 61).
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
TRANSPORTATION FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) File a Notice of Determination with the office of the County Recorder/Clerk.
2) Proceed with the intersection signalization projects through final design and construction.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Russ Fackrell, Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Manager
Rafael Martinez, Director, Department of Transportation