Draft Program Environmental Impact Report
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Draft Program Environmental Impact Report General Plan Amendment, Zone Reclassification, and Final Map Subdivision, Town of Scotia (State Clearinghouse No. 2007052042) Prepared for: The Pacific Lumber Company For submittal to: Humboldt County Department of Community Development Services Consulting Engineers and Geologists, Inc. 812 W. Wabash Ave. Eureka, CA 95501-2138 January 2008 707/441-8855 005161.106 Reference: 005161.106 Draft Program Environmental Impact Report General Plan Amendment, Zone Reclassification, and Final Map Subdivision, Town of Scotia (State Clearinghouse No. 2007052042) Prepared for: The Pacific Lumber Company Lead Agency: Humboldt County Department of Community Development Services, Planning Division Contact: Michael Wheeler, Senior Planner Humboldt County Planning 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501 (707) 268-3730 [email protected] Prepared by: Consulting Engineers and Geologists, Inc. 812 W. Wabash Ave. Eureka, CA 95501-2138 707-441-8855 January 2008 QA/QC: MKF___ G:\2005\005161_ScotiaMasterPlan\106_PEIR\rpt\Draft PEIR\Pub-Rev-DraftPEIR-rpt.doc Draft Program Environmental Impact Report Executive Summary General Plan Amendment, Zone Reclassification, and Final Map Subdivision Town of Scotia, January 2008 Executive Summary Introduction The Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO) has submitted a tentative map to Humboldt County Department of Community Development Services, Planning Division to subdivide the Town of Scotia. An additional application has been filed with the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) to form a Community Services District (CSD). Humboldt County is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The purpose of the subdivision is to create individual parcels for existing residential and commercial properties, and public facilities. The proposed subdivision would involve the sale of residential and commercial lots (all of which are currently owned and operated by PALCO) to individual property owners. The purpose of the CSD is to transfer some portion, or all of the services currently managed by PALCO, to a CSD in support of the subdivision. The CSD would be administered by an elected board of directors, which would maintain the same duties and responsibilities as management under a city council. The proposed CSD and subdivision would require the following changes to Humboldt County General Plan land use designations and zoning code: 1. A General Plan Amendment to reclassify land use designations 2. A Text Amendment to the Humboldt County Code, Zoning Regulations, to allow for consistency in zoning classifications 3. A rezone from Unclassified (U) into six different zones 4. A Design Control “D” combining zone applicable to the residential and commercial portion of the project area subject to the proposed rezone, a Planned Development “P” combining zone applicable to the residential and commercial areas subject to the rezone, and a Noise Impact “N” combining zone to applicable residential areas subject to noise levels in excess of County noise compatibility standards--the project also proposes to apply a Qualified “Q” combining zone 5. Extension of Urban Limit Line The purpose of the General Plan amendment, text amendments to the zoning code, and rezone is to change land use designations and zoning to match existing land uses and to achieve consistency between land use designations and zoning. The purpose of combining zones is to address issues related to control, safeguard, preserve, and enhance areas of historical, scenic, civic or cultural significance (Design Control “D” zone); to encourage planned developments to allow flexibility in the administration of the development standards of the underlying zone (Planned Development “P” zone); and address noise levels exceeding County noise standards (N zone). The Qualified “Q” combining zone will apply to 35 existing multi-car garage lots in the Residential-One family, restricting the use. G:\2005\005161_ScotiaMasterPlan\106_PEIR\rpt\Draft PEIR\Pub-Rev-DraftPEIR-rpt.doc i Draft Program Environmental Impact Report Executive Summary General Plan Amendment, Zone Reclassification, and Final Map Subdivision Town of Scotia, January 2008 The design review procedure established under the “D” combining zone and the incorporation of Scotia Design Guidelines would establish both the procedure and performance standards sufficient to reduce the impact on historic resources to less than significant. The Scotia Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) would be merged under the CSD, which has enabling powers to oversee fire districts, and would continue to function as a volunteer fire department. Alternatively, Scotia will form a new fire district and a special benefit assessment fee will be implemented to pay for operations of the SVFD. Either decision does not require new buildings, but could require upgrades to the equipment. The formation of the fire district or inclusion of SVFD in the CSD are both considered environmentally neutral and would result in less than significant impacts. The project application before the County is a General Plan Amendment, Zone Reclassification, Final Map Subdivision, Planned Unit Development and Extension of the Urban Limit Line. The intent of the Program Environmental Impact Report (Program EIR) is to evaluate the environmental effects (including physical, biological, and social effects) of the proposed application submitted to the County in compliance with CEQA. Humboldt County Department of Community Development Services, Planning Division would be the lead agency under CEQA. In addition, LAFCO, as a responsible agency, will use the document to provide for CEQA analysis actions related to the formation of a CSD. Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Measures Significance of a Historical Resource A historic resources report was prepared for PALCO to address the historic significance of the Town, neighborhoods, and buildings (Scotia: Historic Assessment Study, TBA West, Inc., September 2007). The historic resources report included a discussion of historical background, description of the historical resources, evaluation of significance, impacts of the proposed project, and mitigation measures. Historic districts are a concentration of historic buildings, structures, objects, or sites within precise boundaries that share a common historical, cultural, or architectural background. Individual resources within an historic district may lack individual significance but be considered a contributor to the significance of the historic district. In terms of this assessment, significance resources that are components of the district are referred to as “contributing.” “Non-contributing” sites, although located in a district, do not possess integrity within the period of significance. Although it is the intention of PALCO not to seek historic district designation status, the assessment of effects of the proposed project is based on a potential historic district as defined by the State Historic Preservation Office. The period of significance of an historical resource is the date or span of time within which significant events transpired, or significant individuals made their important contributions. Based on the findings for Scotia, the period of significance is between 1896 and 1959. G:\2005\005161_ScotiaMasterPlan\106_PEIR\rpt\Draft PEIR\Pub-Rev-DraftPEIR-rpt.doc ii Draft Program Environmental Impact Report Executive Summary General Plan Amendment, Zone Reclassification, and Final Map Subdivision Town of Scotia, January 2008 Evaluation of Significance The historic resources report identified significant features and characteristics of Scotia’s residential, industrial, and commercial developments and other components. A total of 309 out of 341 historic resources were identified as “highly significant” and listed as “contributing” resources in terms of historic district eligibility. Table A Historically Significant Contributing Resources, Town of Scotia Resource Type # of Contributing Resources (total) Residential 271 (271) Commercial & Institutional 12 (19) Industrial 24 (48) Recreational and Landscape Areas A variety of manmade landscape elements in Scotia add to the character of the town Totals 309 (341) Historical Resources Findings Major findings of the historical resources study include: · Scotia’s setting, as the last company-owned town of its kind in California, has regional and statewide importance. Scotia’s uses are a vital part of a community directly associated with a single industry’s parent company. · Scotia’s vernacular architecture is significant, both as single, individual resources, and as homogenous, collective contributors to a larger, historically, architecturally, and culturally significant district. Shared and continuous elements connect the residences in a way that indicates Scotia’s historical status as a company town. These continuous elements include, but are not limited to, walls, uniform picket fences, landscape elements and signs. · Scotia’s social and cultural character, reflective of the hierarchy, structure, welfare, values, and attitudes of a company town, are associated with the company’s ability to provide services and amenities for its employees and staff. The historical and current availability of employment, housing, and accessible social activities is dependent on the company’s industrial sustainability. The physical layout of the town reflects the ideal vision of a model company town. · Industrial, residential, commercial, institutional, recreational, and landscape components