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Job No. 33903-06 Draft Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration Proposed RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School 3001 North Ventura Road, Oxnard, California Prepared for: Dr. John Puglisi Superintendent Rio School District 2500 Vineyard Ave., Suite 100 Oxnard, California 93036 Prepared by: Tetra Tech, Inc. 5383 Hollister Avenue, Suite 130 Santa Barbara, California 93111 and Sage Institute, Inc. 2945 Townsgate Road, Ste 200 Westlake Village, CA 91361 May 12, 2016 TETRA TECH, INC. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Proposed RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School, 3001 North Ventura Road, Oxnard, California TETRA TECH, INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 REQUIRED CONTENT .................................................................................................. 1-1 2.0 PROJECT INFORMATION ......................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ..................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................. 2-2 2.4 OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES WHOSE APPROVAL IS REQUIRED ......................... 2-4 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST ............................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED .................................. 3-1 3.2 DETERMINATION: (To be completed by the Lead Agency) ........................................ 3-2 3.3 EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.................................................... 3-3 3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS .................................................................. 3-5 3.4.1 AESTHETICS .................................................................................................... 3-5 3.4.2 AGRICULTURE AND FOREST RESOURCES ............................................. 3-10 3.4.3 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................. 3-13 3.4.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES .......................................................................... 3-18 3.4.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................. 3-24 3.4.6 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ................................................................................. 3-29 3.4.7 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ................................................................. 3-35 3.4.8 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ............................................ 3-38 3.4.9 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ...................................................... 3-43 3.4.10 LAND USE AND PLANNING ........................................................................ 3-55 3.4.11 MINERAL RESOURCES ................................................................................ 3-58 3.4.12 NOISE ............................................................................................................... 3-61 3.4.13 POPULATION AND HOUSING ..................................................................... 3-65 3.4.14 PUBLIC SERVICES ........................................................................................ 3-68 3.4.15 RECREATION ................................................................................................. 3-71 3.4.16 TRANSPORTATION/TRAFFIC ..................................................................... 3-73 3.4.17 UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS ......................................................... 3-81 3.4.18 MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE .......................................... 3-84 4.0 LIST OF PREPARERS................................................................................................................. 4-1 5.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 5-1 APPENDICES A California Emissions Estimator Model Data B California Historical Resources Information System Data C Native American Heritage Commission Contact Information D National Pipeline Mapping System Database Output E Traffic and Circulation Study Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Proposed Page i RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School, 3001 North Ventura Road, Oxnard, California TETRA TECH, INC. LIST OF FIGURES 2-1 Site Location 2-2 Site Map 2-3 RiverPark Land Use Plan 3-1 Image of Existing Site Area Looking North (embedded on page 3-7) 3-2 Image of Existing Site Area Looking Northeast (embedded on page 3-7) 3-3 Image of Existing Site Area Looking West (embedded on page 3-8) 3-4 Major Reservior Locations LIST OF TABLES 3-1 Applicable Rules (embedded on page 3-14) 3-2 Project Construction Emissions of Criteria Pollutants (lb./day) (embedded on page 3-15) 3-3 Project Operation Emissions of Criteria Pollutants (lb./day) (embedded on page 3-16) 3-4 Special-Status Species that Could Occur within Project Site (embedded on page 3-20) 3-5 Project Construction and Operation Emissions of GHGs (embedded on page 3-36) 3-6 Project Site Land Use Designations (embedded on page 3-54) 3-7 Population and Housing (embedded on page 3-65) 3-8 Fire Station Locations (embedded on page 3-68) 3-9 Study Area Intersections (embedded on page 3-73) Page ii Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Proposed RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School, 3001 North Ventura Road, Oxnard, California TETRA TECH, INC. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION This Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) has been prepared for the Rio School District (RSD or District)) by Tetra Tech, Inc. to evaluate whether the proposed RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School would have a significant effect on the environment. RSD acting as the Lead Agency, may prepare a Negative Declaration if there is no substantial evidence that the project or any of its aspects may cause a significant effect on the environment. According to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15070, a public agency shall prepare or have prepared a proposed negative declaration or mitigated negative declaration for a project subject to CEQA when: (a) The initial study shows that there is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the agency, that the project may have a significant effect on the environment, or (b) The initial study identifies potentially significant effects, but: (1) Revisions in the project plans or proposals made by, or agreed to by the applicant before a proposed mitigated negative declaration and initial study are released for public review would avoid the effects or mitigate the effects to a point where clearly no significant effects would occur, and (2) There is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the agency, that the project as revised may have a significant effect on the environment. 1.2 REQUIRED CONTENT A Negative Declaration circulated for public review shall include: (a) A brief description of the project, including a commonly used name for the project, if any; (b) The location of the project, preferably shown on a map, and the name of the project proponent; (c) A proposed finding that the project will not have a significant effect on the environment; (d) An attached copy of the Initial Study documenting reasons to support the finding; and (e) Mitigation measures, if any, included in the project to avoid potentially significant effects. Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Proposed Page 1-1 RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School, 3001 North Ventura Road, Oxnard, California TETRA TECH, INC. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Page 1-2 Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Proposed RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School, 3001 North Ventura Road, Oxnard, California TETRA TECH, INC. 2.0 PROJECT INFORMATION Project title: RiverPark West K-8 STEAM School Lead agency name and address: Rio School District 2500 E Vineyard Ave, Oxnard, CA 93036 Contact person and phone number: Dr. John Puglisi Rio School District Superintendent (805) 485-3111 Project location: 3001 North Ventura Road Oxnard, CA Project sponsor’s name and address: Rio School District 2500 E Vineyard Ave, Oxnard, CA 93036 General Plan Designation: School (SCH) and Commercial Regional (CR) Zoning Designation: River Park Specific Plan: Schools/Community Park and Commercial: Office Surrounding land uses: Northeast: Windrow Park and Residential Southwest: Commercial/Office and Undeveloped Land Southeast: Residential Northwest: Santa Clara River and Agricultural Uses 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The project site is located within the 702-acre River Park development at 3001 North Ventura Road in the City of Oxnard in Ventura County, California (Figure 2-1). The Site, accessed from North Ventura Road, comprises County of Ventura Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APN) 132-011-001 (10.16 acres), and 132- 010-026 (1.38 acres), for a total of 11.54 acres. (Please refer to Figure 2-2) The Site is relatively flat with surface elevations ranging from approximately 77 to 83 feet above mean sea level (msl). The Site is currently a vacant, unoccupied lot vegetated with low shrubs and grasses that is surrounded by a locked six-foot high chain link fence. 2.2 BACKGROUND