Title
Department of Transportation recommending the Board take the following actions pertaining to the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange Project Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SCH 1988050215):
1) Certify that:
a) The Supplemental Environmental Impact Report on the Silva Valley Interchange Project (consisting of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report dated January 2011, Revised Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report dated May 9, 2011, and the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report dated June 2011) have been completed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act);
b) The Board has reviewed and considered the information within the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report prior to approving the Project and finds the information adequate to approve the Project; and
c) The Supplemental Environmental Impact Report reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the Board.
2) Adopt the Findings of Fact and Statements of Overriding Consideration Related to the Certification of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report on the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange Project June 2011. (Legistar Attachment F)
3) Adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan (Legistar Attachment G).
4) Approve the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange Project as described in this staff report and in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report.
5) Authorize DOT staff to proceed with ordering and payment of title reports and certified appraisals to commence the acquisition process for the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange Project #71328 improvements affecting parcels: APN 122-720-09, EDH 52, APN 122-720-05, Presbytery of Sacramento, APN 122-720-06, Ruminson Grado Ventures, LLC, APN 122-720-07, KFRD Investments-Tong Ranch LLC, APN 118-170-02 KFRD Investments-Tong Ranch LLC, APN 122-720-03, El Dorado Hills Investors, Ltd., APN121-280-01 El Dorado Hills Investors, Ltd., APN118-170-01, El Dorado Hills Investors, Ltd., APN 118-170-04, Huddinge Partners, APN 121-280-12, Huddinge Partners, APN 121-160-03, Serrano Associates, LLC, APN121-120-22, Serrano Associates, LLC, APN 122-590-01 Serrano Associates, LLC. (Est. Time: 30 Min.)
These actions are based upon the Findings of Fact and Statements of Overriding Consideration Related to the Certification of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report on the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange Project (Legistar Attachment F).
FUNDING: The Silva Valley Interchange Project is included in the Adopted 2010 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and is funded by 2004 General Plan Silva Valley Interchange Set Aside Traffic Impact Mitigation (TIM) fees.
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: N/A
Project Funding:
The Silva Valley Interchange Project is included in the Adopted 2010 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and is funded by 2004 General Plan Silva Valley Interchange Set Aside Traffic Impact Mitigation (TIM) fees.
Background:
The El Dorado Hills Specific Plan (EDHSP), adopted in 1987, identified the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange as a key transportation component to accommodate traffic demand resulting from development identified in the plan. A funding source was established in the form of a "set aside account" allocating approximately 30% of Traffic Impact Mitigation (TIM) fees collected in the area toward completion of the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange.
Following the 1987 adoption of the EDHSP, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Project was prepared evaluating at equal weight two build alternatives (The Ridge Design and the Undercrossing Design) as well as a No-Build Alternative. The Ridge Design was determined to be the preferred alternative. In 1991, the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange Project was approved and the associated EIR (SCH No. 88050215) was certified by the Board of Supervisors.
Subsequent to the 1991 EIR certification, substantial development has occurred in the EDHSP and surrounding region. Based upon the identified need for the Project, funding availability and past actions, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has moved forward with the Project and prepared this Supplemental EIR. Although the Project remains very similar to the "Ridge Design" Project approved in 1991, minor alterations from the original Project have been incorporated including; on-ramps designed to accommodate ramp metering, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, additional lanes added at the off-ramp intersections to improve traffic operations, and Project phasing. Figure 2 of the Draft SEIR, (Attachment D) illustrates the proposed Project.
Reason for Recommendation:
The Department of Transportation recommends that the Board of Supervisors review these materials and approve the project because, as discussed more fully in the staff report and findings of fact, the project has long been recognized as an important element of the El Dorado Hills Specific Plan, there are current funding sources identified for its' construction, the project has been fully analyzed under CEQA, all feasible mitigation measures have been incorporated, and there are no environmentally superior alternatives which meet the project goals.
Project Location/Description:
The U.S. 50/Silva Valley Parkway Interchange is located approximately one mile east of the U.S. 50/El Dorado Hills Boulevard Interchange, in the community of El Dorado Hills. The new highway interchange will connect the existing Silva Valley Parkway / White Rock Road to US Highway 50.
More specifically, the Project includes the following improvements:
· The interchange is a partial cloverleaf with loop on-ramps in the northeast and southwest quadrants and diagonal on and off-ramps in each direction of travel on the freeway.
· Continuous auxiliary lanes are proposed between El Dorado Hills Boulevard and the Silva Valley Parkway Interchange, connecting the on-ramps with off-ramps.
· A 1,000' and 1,300' auxiliary lane will be constructed at the eastbound diagonal on-ramp and westbound diagonal off-ramp, respectively.
· The Silva Valley Parkway overcrossing would be constructed over the freeway (U.S. 50) and would provide a minimum of 16.5 feet of vertical clearance over U.S. 50. The structure would have four lanes for through traffic on Silva Valley Parkway in addition to left turn lanes for the loop on-ramps.
· The ramp intersections will be signalized.
· The intersection of Old Silva Valley Parkway and White Rock Road will be signalized.
· New ramp crossings at Carson Creek and Old Silva Valley Parkway will require new structures. The new undercrossings will have a vertical clearance of 15 feet minimum.
· Safety lighting and signs will be constructed.
· On-ramps will be designed to accommodate future ramp metering, HOV lanes and California Highway Patrol enforcement areas.
· The existing Silva Valley Parkway at the Clarksville Underpass will remain a 2 lane local road with Class II bike lanes on each side of the road and a concrete sidewalk on the west side.
· Class II bicycle facilities will be provided on the new Silva Valley Parkway Overcrossing and on the Old Silva Valley Parkway.
· The existing Tong Road north of the freeway will be relocated to provide access to the parcels in the northeast quadrant and connect to new Silva Valley Parkway. This connection may be replaced with a full access intersection once the Country Club Drive connection with Silva Valley Parkway is constructed. Country Club Drive is separate from the interchange Project, and identified in the CIP as a future Project.
· All public utility facilities impacted by the proposed Project will be relocated and/or accommodated as necessary within one of three potential utility corridors.
Phasing: The Silva Valley Interchange SEIR covers both phases as identified in the Adopted 2010 CIP. Phase 1 will include the majority of the Interchange improvements with the exception of the eastbound diagonal on-ramp and the westbound loop on-ramp. These ramps will be constructed in Phase 2, anticipated to be constructed between 2020 and 2030.
Purpose and Objectives of Project: The Project purpose has not changed since the 1991 EIR approval. The purpose of the Project is to accommodate planned growth as noted in the County's General Plan as well as the El Dorado Hills Specific Plan, and to accommodate commercial and residential development of the area. In addition, conditions of approval for the West Valley Village Tentative Map (TM99-1359) addressed obligations and mechanisms for development and funding of the SVIC. The 2011 Draft SEIR reanalyzed traffic patterns and concluded that the Silva Valley Interchange is necessary to mitigate level of service failures at both the U.S. 50/El Dorado Hills and the U.S. 50/Bass Lake Road Interchanges.
Agency and Public Notification and Input:
DOT distributed a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of a Draft SEIR on May 1, 2010 to provide the opportunity for agencies and the public to obtain information and to provide input regarding the issues they wanted addressed in the Draft SEIR. The NOP was distributed for a 30-day comment period that ended on May 30, 2010. Comments about the NOP were considered in the preparation of the Draft SEIR.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft SEIR was distributed to various public agencies, citizen groups, and interested individuals and surrounding property owners, announcing a 45-day public review period, from January 21, 2011, through March 07, 2011. The Draft SEIR is posted on the DOT website. Hard copies are available at the DOT offices in Placerville and the public libraries in Placerville and El Dorado Hills.
DOT conducted a public meeting on February 28, 2011 at the El Dorado Hills Library to provide an overview of the Project and the CEQA process, answer questions, and receive public comments. The public meeting notice was also distributed to public agencies, citizen groups, interested individuals and surrounding property owners, as well as the Mountain Democrat and posted on DOT's website.
The Draft SEIR included a mitigation measure prohibiting nighttime construction. However, Caltrans policy and County safety procedures require that some construction activities occur at night. The mitigation measure was revised to reflect that change and the noise section of the Draft SEIR was recirculated to ensure that the public had adequate time to comment on the revised mitigation measure.
A Notice of Availability of the recirculation of the Noise Section of the Draft SEIR was distributed to various public agencies, citizen groups, and interested individuals and surrounding property owners, from May 09, 2011 to June 07, 2011. The recirculated Noise Section is on the DOT website and hard copies at the DOT offices.
Final SEIR
During the initial public review period, DOT received 14 written comment letters. During the recirculation of the Noise Section of the SEIR, 2 comments were received. Following consideration of the comments received by the public during both public review periods, a Final SEIR has been completed containing copies of all comments, the County's response to those comments and revisions to the text of the Draft SEIR. The substantive comments and response are summarized in the Supplemental Staff Report (Legistar Attachment B).
CEQA Findings of Fact and Statements of Overriding Consideration:
CEQA requires the decision-making agency to balance, as applicable, the economic, legal, social, technological or other benefits of the Project against its unavoidable environmental risks when determining whether to approve the Project. If the specific economic, legal, social, technological or other benefits of the Project outweigh the unavoidable adverse environmental effects, those effects may be considered "acceptable" (CEQA Guidelines §15093(a)). CEQA requires the agency to state, in writing, the specific reasons for considering a Project acceptable when significant impacts are not avoided or substantially lessened.
As set forth in the Findings for Fact and Statements of Overriding Consideration, three impacts were determined to be Significant but Unavoidable. These impacts are:
· Impact Traf-2m: LOS (level of service) F during the p.m. peak hour at the EB slip/diagonal on-ramp of the Silva Valley Interchange in 2030:
Discussion:
Based on recent traffic analysis, the 1991 determination of Significant but Unavoidable remains valid. The analysis assumes that in 2020, the initial phase of the interchange would be built, which includes an EB loop on-ramp in lieu of the EB slip/diagonal ramp. The 2020 p.m. peak EB loop on-ramp is LOS D.
The analysis further assumes that the 2030 ultimate interchange adds the EB slip/diagonal on-ramp. The 2030 p.m. peak EB loop on-ramp LOS is D, and the EB slip /diagonal on-ramp is F. However, overall, the Silva Valley Interchange improves the LOS for U.S. EB 50 mainline as is identified in Impact 2l.
· Impact NOI-2a: Possible vibration-induced annoyance to residents or vibration-induced damage to structures on adjacent properties
Discussion: See NOI-4a
· Impact NOI-4a: Temporary construction-related noise in proximity to existing residential land uses north and south of the Project site as a result of night time construction.
Discussion:
These temporary construction impacts are necessary due to safety hazards and traffic congestion concerns along U.S.50 and Silva Valley Parkway. As shown in the recirculated Noise section of the DSEIR, mitigation measures are required and will generally reduce impacts to a less than significant level; however, there may be limited times when these noise levels are exceeded.
The Project will meet its' intended purpose by providing portions of the roadway infrastructure necessary to accommodate planned growth as noted in the County's General Plan as well as the El Dorado Hills Specific Plan and to accommodate commercial and residential development within the Project area. The Project will relieve existing traffic congestion and reduce commute travel distance for a significant number of area residents. These Project benefits are substantial and important to meeting the areas' traffic circulation and growth needs.
As set forth in the Findings of Fact and Statements of Overriding Consideration (Legistar Attachment F), staff recommends the Board of Supervisors find that the Project's benefits outweigh the Project's significant and unavoidable impacts, and chooses to approve the Project despite its significant and unavoidable effects. Substantial evidence supports these benefits. Such evidence can be found in the Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Consideration, incorporated by reference into this section, the Draft SEIR, the Final EIR, and the documents which make up the Record of Proceedings.
Mitigation Measures: The County will adopt and implement a mitigation monitoring and reporting plan which includes any mitigation measures adopted in conjunction with the Project Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan. (Legistar Attachment G)
Project Construction: The DOT would retain a construction contractor who would be responsible for compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, and ordinances associated with construction activities and for implementation of the adopted construction-related mitigation measures.
Action to be taken by the DOT following Board approval:
1) DOT staff will file a Notice of Determination with the office of the County Recorder/Clerk.
2) DOT staff will proceed with the Project Phase 1 through completion of plans, specifications and estimates.
3) DOT staff will begin the right-of-way acquisition process.
Contact:
James W. Ware, P.E.
Director of Transportation
Concurrences: County Counsel