San Diego River Ruffin Canyon Trail & Urban Walk
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SAN DIEGO RIVER RUFFIN CANYON TRAIL & URBAN WALK Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared for March 2013 San Diego River Conservancy SAN DIEGO RIVER RUFFIN CANYON TRAIL & URBAN WALK Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared for March 2013 San Diego River Conservancy 9191 Towne Centre Drive Suite 340 San Diego, CA 92122 858.638.0900 www.esassoc.com Los Angeles Oakland Orlando Palm Springs Petaluma Portland Sacramento San Francisco Santa Cruz Seattle Tampa Woodland Hills 120129 TABLE OF CONTENTS San Diego River Ruffin Canyon Trail & Urban Walk Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration Page 1. Project Description ......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1-1 1.2 Project Location ................................................................................................. 1-1 1.3 Environmental Setting ....................................................................................... 1-7 1.4 Project Evolution ............................................................................................... 1-7 1.5 Project Description ............................................................................................ 1-8 1.6 Project Construction ........................................................................................ 1-10 1.7 Project Operation ............................................................................................ 1-16 1.8 Project Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Summary ..................... 1-16 1.9 CEQA Finding ................................................................................................. 1-17 1.10 Project Review and Approvals ......................................................................... 1-17 2. Environmental Checklist ................................................................................................ 2-1 2.1 CEQA Initial Study Form ................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Environmental Factors Potentially Affected ....................................................... 2-2 2.3 Determination .................................................................................................... 2-2 3. Environmental Impact Analysis ...................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Aesthetics .......................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Agricultural Resources ...................................................................................... 3-4 3.3 Air Quality .......................................................................................................... 3-7 3.4 Biological Resources ....................................................................................... 3-11 3.5 Cultural Resources .......................................................................................... 3-34 3.6 Geology, Soils, and Seismicity ........................................................................ 3-38 3.7 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................ 3-43 3.8 Hazards and Hazardous Materials .................................................................. 3-45 3.9 Hydrology and Water Quality ........................................................................... 3-49 3.10 Land Use and Land Use Planning ................................................................... 3-54 3.11 Mineral Resources .......................................................................................... 3-58 3.12 Noise ............................................................................................................... 3-60 3.13 Population and Housing .................................................................................. 3-64 3.14 Public Services ................................................................................................ 3-66 3.15 Recreation ....................................................................................................... 3-69 3.16 Transportation and Traffic ............................................................................... 3-71 3.17 Utilities and Service Systems .......................................................................... 3-74 3.18 Mandatory Findings of Significance ................................................................. 3-77 San Diego River Ruffin Canyon Trail and Urban Walk i ESA / 120929.00 Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration March 2013 Table of Contents Page 4. References, Acronyms, and Report Preparers .............................................................. 4-1 4.1 Document References ....................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Acronyms .......................................................................................................... 4-2 4.3 Report Preparers ............................................................................................... 4-5 Figures Figure 1-1: Project Location .............................................................................................. 1-2 Figure 1-2: Proposed Project Alignment ........................................................................... 1-3 Figure 1-3: Detailed Ruffin Canyon Trail Alignement (1 of 3) ............................................ 1-4 Figure 1-3: Detailed Ruffin Canyon Trail Alignment (2 of 3) .............................................. 1-5 Figure 1-3: Detailed Ruffin Canyon Trail Alignment (3 of 3) .............................................. 1-6 Figure 1-4: Proposed Construction Locations (1 or 4) .................................................... 1-11 Figure 1-4: Proposed Construction Locations (2 of 4) ..................................................... 1-12 Figure 1-4: Proposed Construction Locations (3 of 4) ..................................................... 1-13 Figure 1-4: Proposed Construction Locations (4 of 4) ..................................................... 1-14 Figure 1-5: Restoration Opportunity Map ........................................................................ 1-15 Figure 3-1: Zoning ............................................................................................................. 3-5 Figure 3-2: Vegetation Communities Map ....................................................................... 3-13 Figure 3-3: California Natural Diversity Database Results .............................................. 3-18 Figure 3-4: Jurisdictional Resources Map ....................................................................... 3-28 Tables Table 3-1: Summary of Study Area Vegetation Communities ........................................ 3-12 Table 3-2: Project Vegetation Community Impacts ........................................................ 3-26 Table 3-3: Summary of Jurisdictional Impacts ............................................................... 3-27 APPENDICES Appendix A Biological Technical Report Appendix B Cultural Letter Report Appendix C Geological Reconnaissance San Diego River Ruffin Canyon Trail and Urban Walk ii ESA / 120929.00 Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration March 2013 SECTION 1 Project Description 1.1 Introduction The San Diego River Conservancy (SDRC) and State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), in cooperation with the City of San Diego (City) and local community groups, are proposing to create a trail system within the canyons located in the Serra Mesa, Mission Valley, and Normal Heights communities, all of which fall within the boundaries of the City of San Diego. The trail, which includes existing sidewalks that would be identified and signed as “urban walks”, is planned to eventually provide a path for pedestrians and bicyclists to travel from Serra Mesa to Normal Heights via a trail system that intersects with the developing San Diego River Trail in Mission Valley. The entire trail system that would provide upland neighborhood connections to the San Diego River is classified as a ‘destination trail’ under City of San Diego trail definitions and is referred to as the San Diego River Tributary Canyons Project; however, at this time, only planning for the Serra Mesa-to-Mission Valley portion is proceeding. It is referred to as the Ruffin Canyon Trail and Urban Walk. This mitigated negative declaration (MND) covers only the Ruffin Canyon Trail and Urban Walk portion of the San Diego River Tributary Canyons Project. For purposes of this CEQA analysis, the Ruffin Canyon Trail and Urban Walk connecting Serra Mesa to Mission Valley is the proposed project. The proposed project has independent utility as it would serve to connect the Serra Mesa community, which includes Serra Mesa residents, the Serra Mesa Public Library, Serra Mesa Park, and the Serra Mesa Business District with Mission Valley and the Fenton Marketplace, Mission Valley Public Library, and the Fenton Parkway Trolley Station. It would serve Mission Valley residents in the Mission City neighborhood with improved access to the Ruffin Canyon Open Space and the amenities of Serra Mesa. 1.2 Project Location The proposed project is located in the City of San Diego. The canyon trail segment and a northern urban walk segments are within the community of Serra Mesa while a southern urban walk segment