Section 4.17 Public Facilities
4.17.1 Introduction
This section assesses the potential impacts associated with public facilities that could occur as a result of future development accommodated by the proposed project, General Plan Amendment No. 960 (GPA No. 960). The emphasis of this section is on the various public services and facilities provided within unincorporated Riverside County, including fire protection, law enforcement protection by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, solid waste management, schools, libraries and medical facilities. Wastewater (sanitary sewer) is discussed in Section 4.19 (Water Resources) along with other water supply issues; parks are addressed in Section 4.16 (Parks and Recreation).
This EIR section examines the effects of build out of the General Plan on public services and assesses whether any adverse environmental effects would result from the need to provide additional public services or facilities as a result of the project’s revisions to the General Plan. This chapter also includes analysis of changes to baseline conditions that would result from future development accommodated by the project. The Riverside County General Plan does not include a section on public services, as it is not one of the seven general plan elements (land use, circulation, housing, conservation, noise, open space and safety) required pursuant to California Government Code (CGC) Section 65302. However, public services are addressed directly or indirectly in a variety of locations in the General Plan.
A. Background on Data Sources and Methods
The three most prominent characteristics of Riverside County affecting the delivery of services are its size, diverse topography and land use patterns. The focus of the land use patterns and development within Riverside County center mainly around Riverside County’s 24 cities. These cities not only provide housing for citizens but also establish a pattern that relates directly to the location of citizens throughout Riverside County, incorporated as well as unincorporated, and their need for public services and facilities. The importance of public service availability cannot be overstated, for as this determines in a fundamental way where and when urban intensity development can occur. For example, without a safe and efficient municipal water system, land cannot be transformed from open or rural to a more urban closely knit development pattern, in which someone other than the end water user must be responsible for obtaining and distributing the water that is used. Electricity and telephony are similarly important. In addition, public facility providers must closely monitor existing service capacities and future projections to ensure that capacity continues to be available or added as an area grows.
For most public services, this future growth can be used to project future demand. Future demand is used by providers to establish long-range plans to ensure additional capacity is added at pace with, or in advance of, developing need. An example of this would be a school district beginning their planning for construction for a
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new high school now to eventually accommodate the increased number of children that are entering kindergarten today and who will need the high school space in 10 years.
Accordingly, public facility demands are most often determined on the basis of future demographic and/or socioeconomic projections, which can include population, dwelling units (residences) and employment sources (jobs), as well as growth rate predictions. Providers typically have usage factors they employ to calculate service needs based off these projections. For example, a water district may have water usage factors for a variety of land uses (such as 200 gallons per day for single-family homes and 180 gallons per day for multi-family homes).
As a result, the future demand on a public facility can be modeled (estimated) for a variety of future scenarios, such as the “build out scenario,” which is a theoretical point in time when all of the land uses planned would have been built. As detailed in Section 4.1 (Environmental Assumptions and Methods), the theoretical build out point used in this EIR for the existing General Plan and GPA No. 960 is approximately the year 2060. It should be noted, however, that build out represents a theoretical point in time, fixed in order to allow comparison between two differing outcomes. The ultimate outcome, that is, what actually gets built in the real world, is subject to many complex and varying factors over time. Hence, the theoretical approximation is more of a likely best (or worst) case scenario, rather than a precise acre-by-acre prediction. Also, these calculations also do not take into account any future annexations of unincorporated county areas into existing (or new) cities or public facility districts, which could lead to other agencies being responsible for provision of the public services. This is appropriate because doing so means the public service needs of the unincorporated county are, at worst, over- estimated so that, in an abundance of caution, mitigation needs are similarly overestimated.
Nevertheless, these theoretical build out projections are valuable because they provide a snapshot of how Riverside County might look if all of the land uses mapped in the existing (2008) General Plan were built as planned, and they enable a comparison of the possible outcome of the changes proposed by the project. In each of the subsections that follow, for each type of public facility, details are provided on how specific projections were developed, as well as the data sources and methods used.
B. Proposed Changes to the General Plan Relating to Public Services
As part of the project review process, land use and demographic data in the General Plan were updated and policies reviewed and revised where necessary. The existing General Plan addresses public facilities mainly in the Land Use (LU) Element. GPA No. 960 includes policies related to coordinating public facilities with future land use development. Texts of relevant existing and revised or new General Plan policies are provided under the applicable topic herein. For parks and recreation updates, see Section 4.16 (Parks and Recreation).
The variety of LUD and policy area changes proposed, as per the descriptions in Section 3.0 (Project Description) of this EIR and associated Figure 3-1 (and corresponding maps within each Area Plan), may indirectly affect public facilities and services. Such changes would lead to either an increase or decrease in development potential (density or intensity). Introducing new people and structures into areas would increase the use of existing public services and add incrementally to the need for additional facilities and services as well.
GPA No. 960 also includes new and revised policies which would be implemented at a future time in locations not foreseeable at present; for example, the new incidental rural Retail-Commercial policy, Indian fee land policies and others, as described in Section 3.0 of the EIR. Similarly, new maps for trails and county roads (General Plan Figures C-7 and C-1, respectively, plus corresponding maps within each Area Plan) indicate general road and trail alignments, but not specific locations since specific design and construction sites must be determined based on specific site topography, existing development and timing, as well as both existing and future levels of service to be met. Actual locations for these improvements would be determined based on site assessment of opportunities
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and constraints. Likewise, other infrastructure and utilities, such as power transmission lines, water and sewer lines, and such, are also developed based on the providing agency’s existing and future levels of service and need assessments and forecasts; typically based on five-year capital improvement plans. Generally, however, such improvements are not proposed until either specific new developments or overall growth within an area triggers their need.
Accordingly, specific locations and timing of future infrastructure, including power and natural gas transmission lines, water and sewer lines and pumps, as well as roads, schools and other public services are not presently foreseeable beyond the master countywide level (as addressed previously in EIR No. 441). These improvements would require site-specific analyses and mitigation when proposed as part of (or to serve) future development as the General Plan builds out. As such, future impacts and mitigation can only be assessed programmatically pursuant to the performance standards outlined in this EIR, as well as EIR No. 441, with project-specific analysis and mitigation developed at the later individual project stage. Nevertheless, this section presents theoretical estimates for both existing conditions and build out conditions. See each of the individual subsections that follow for specifics.
4.17.2 Fire Protection Services
A. Fire Protection – Existing Environmental Setting
The County of Riverside contracts with the State of California (the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also now known as “CalFire”) for fire protection. Under CalFire “Riverside Operational Unit” management, the Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD) operates 95 94 fire stations in 17 battalions with about 230 pieces of equipment. Fifty-one of these stations, as well as three stations operated directly by CalFire, are located in the unincorporated portion of Riverside County. See Table 4.17-A (Cities Served by the Riverside County Fire Department (CalFire)). In addition to all of unincorporated Riverside County, the CalFire Riverside Unit serves small portions of San Diego and Orange counties, and also operates 18 city fire departments and one community services district (CSD) fire department for the Rubidoux CSD. Combined, the Riverside Unit is one of the largest fire departments in the nation. The RCFD also responds to a number of cities and communities through mutual and automatic aid agreements and also provides dispatch under contract. See Table 4.17-B (CalFire Aid Agreements).
Within its service area, RCFD provides fire suppression, emergency medical, rescue and fire prevention services and is equipped to fight both urban and wildland emergency conditions. The State (CalFire) also has primary responsible responsibility for managing fires on lands designated “State Responsibility Areas” (SRAs). A variety of local fire agencies, for example city fire departments, have jurisdiction over “Local Responsibility Areas” (LRAs). And on federal lands, Federal Responsibility Areas (FRAs), federal agencies (BLM or U.S. Forest Service) are responsible. Within Riverside County, the CalFire Riverside Unit is responsible for 544,180 acres of SRA, plus 2,630 acres in San Diego County and 620 acres in Orange County. As the contract fire protection agency for various cities within Riverside County, CalFire is also responsible for 13,206 acres of LRA land within Riverside County. Other agencies, such as city fire departments, etc., are responsible for 572 acres of LRA. On federal lands (FRA) within Riverside County, the BLM is responsible for 52,650 acres and the U.S. Forest Service for 62,520 acres. For a full discussion on SRAs, LRAs, etc., see Section 4.13 (Hazardous Materials and Safety).
According to the CalFire Riverside Unit 2012 Strategic Fire Plan (page 9), State resources include 14 type 3 engines, one type 2 helicopter, two type 3 air tankers and three bulldozers. County resources include 81 type 1 engines, five type 2 engines, one bulldozer, water tenders, eight medic ambulances and two breathing supports.
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Other equipment in the RCFD inventory includes: structural engines, rural engines, brush engines, telesquirts, trucks, paramedic units, a helicopter, hazardous materials unit, incident command units, water tenders, fire crew vehicles, mobile communications centers, breathing support units, lighting units, power supply units, fire dozers, mobile training vans and emergency feeding units.
CalFire also operates Ryan Air Attack Base (RAAB) out of the Hemet-Ryan Airport in the French Valley area. RAAB Air Attack A310 provides firefighting air support for CalFire using OV-10A aircraft for airborne command and control functions (e.g., for directing tanker and helicopter drops from the air). It also uses S-2T tankers for air drops of water and fire retardant. Lastly, it operates a UH-1H Super Huey helicopter out of RAAB for helitack (firefighting support, e.g., water and retardant drops) and the air rescue program (e.g., hoist rescue operations, medical evacuations, etc.).
Table 4.17-A: Cities Served by the Riverside County Fire Department (CalFire) Western Riverside County Eastern Riverside County Banning Menifee Coachella Beaumont Norco Desert Hot Springs Calimesa Moreno Valley Indian Wells Canyon Lake Perris Indio Eastvale* San Jacinto La Quinta Jurupa Valley* Temecula Palm Desert Lake Elsinore Wildomar Rancho Mirage * City incorporated after NOP issuance date. Source: Riverside County GIS Dept., 2009. California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection, Strategic Fire Plan, 2012.
Table 4.17-B: CalFire Aid Agreements Automatic Aid Agreements Mutual Aid Agreements Dispatch Agreements1 Cabazon Band of Mission Indians California Rehabilitation Center (Norco) Pechanga Fire Department City of Corona (for HazMat) Chuckawalla Valley State Prison Fire Dept. Morongo Fire Department City of Hemet City of Corona (for HazMat) Idyllwild Fire Protection Dist. City of Murrieta Colorado River Indian Reservation (MAP)3 City of Palm Springs Imperial Valley2 City of Redlands2 La Paz County, Arizona (MAP)2,3 Idyllwild Fire Protection District March Air Reserve Base Morongo Band of Mission Indians Niland Fire District 2 Orange County Fire Authority2 Riverside County (MAP)3 Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians San Bernardino County (MAP) 2,3 Footnotes: 1. Agencies under a cooperative agreement for dispatch and communications services. 2. Located outside of Riverside County. 3. Mutual Aid Pact (MAP) between these parties, dated July 19, 1989. Source: California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection, Strategic Fire Plan, 2012, pages 9-10.
The RCFD is also the Operational Area Coordinator for the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System for all fire service jurisdictions in the county (such as, municipal, tribal, state and federal – that is, National Forests). Upon receipt of a call for mutual aid through Riverside County’s Emergency Command Center (ECC), Riverside County’s mutual aid coordinator will determine whether a city or the County of Riverside will provide a response. The ECC is a combined Riverside County, State of California and local agency dispatch center responsible for alerting and handling incidents over a 7,200-square mile area. Staffing is a mix of paid State of California and County of Riverside dispatchers with volunteer call handling support.
The Riverside County Fire Department provides the following services:
Ÿ Structural and wildland fire response
County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-4 Public Review Draft § February 2015 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Ä62 ^_Ä60 ^_ ^_ ^_^_ ^_ ^_ Ä62 CALIMESA ^_ DESERT HOT RIVERSIDE _ ^_ ^ ^_ ^_ SPRINGS ^_ 215 ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_¦¨§ BANNING ^_ NORCO^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ Ä60 ^_ _ ^_^_MORENO VALLEY 10 ^_^_ ^_ ^_^_ ^ ^_ ^_^_ ^_ ¦¨§ Ä111 ^_ Ä91^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ PALM ^_ ^_ SPRINGS ¤£95 ^_ ^_ _ ^_ CATHEDRAL ^^_ BEAUMONT CORONA ^_ CITY 177 ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ÄÄ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ Ä79 ^_ ^_^_ SAN JACINTO 243 ^_ ^_ 15 Ä ¦¨§ ^_^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ 10 PERRIS ^_ ^_ ^_ ¦¨§ ^_^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ _ Ä74_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ PALM DESERT ^ ^ RANCHO ^_ Ä74 ^_ ^_ ^_^_^_ ^_Ä MIRAGE ^_ ^_ HEMET ^_ ^_ ^_ MENIFEE INDIAN _ LAKE ELSINORE^_ ^_^_ ^_ ^_ WELLS ^INDIO^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_COACHELLA ^_ ^_ ^_ 10 ^_ 215 ^_ ¦¨§ ORANGE Ä74 _ WILDOMAR ^_¦¨§ LA QUINTA ^ ^_ BLYTHE COUNTY ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_^_ Ä74 ^_ ^_ ^_ MURRIETA ^_ Ä Ä86S ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_^_^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ ÄÄ371 ^_ ^_ TEMECULA ^_ ^_ Ä78 ^_^_ SALTON Ä79 ^_ Ä^_ SEA ¦¨§15 _ Ä86 111 ^^_ Ä ^_ LA PAZ COUNTY, AZ
SAN DIEGO COUNTY IMPERIAL COUNTY PACIFIC OCEAN
Data Source: Riverside County (2010)
^_ Fire Station Locations Highways Area Plan Boundary
City Boundary
Waterbodies Figure 4.17.1
Disclaimer: Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only. Map features are December 16, 2013 approximate, and are not necessarily accurate to surveying or engineering standards. The County of Riverside makes no warranty or guarantee as to the content (the source is often third FIRE STATIONS [ party), accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided, and assumes no legal responsibility for the information contained on this map. Any use of this product with Miles respect to accuracy and precision shall be the sole responsibility of the user. 0 10 20 \\agency\tlmagis\Projects\Planning\SafetyElement\Fire_Stations.mxd
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County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-6 Public Review Draft § February 2015 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Ä62
JURUPA CALIMESA VALLEY 15 DESERT HOT EASTVALE ¦¨§ SPRINGS ¦¨§215 Ä60 Ä62 NORCO RIVERSIDE BANNING MORENO Ä91 VALLEY ¦¨§10 Ä79 111 CORONA Ä BEAUMONT PALM SPRINGS Ä177 Ä ¤£95 215 ¦¨§ SAN JACINTO Ä243 CATHEDRAL CITY 15 PERRIS ¦¨§ RANCHO PALM MIRAGE DESERT Ä74 HEMET INDIO INDIAN MENIFEE WELLS
LAKE COACHELLA ELSINORE LA QUINTA ¦¨§10 ¦¨§10 WILDOMAR ORANGE Ä74 BLYTHE COUNTY Ä74 Ä79 MURRIETA Ä74
ÄÄ371 Ä111 Ä86S Ä78 TEMECULA SALTON Ä79 SEA ¦¨§15 Ä86
LA PAZ COUNTY, AZ
SAN DIEGO COUNTY IMPERIAL COUNTY PACIFIC OCEAN
Data Source: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), (2010)
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ)
Local Responsibility Areas State Responsibility Areas Federal Responsibility Areas Highways
Very High Very High Very High Area Plan Boundary
High High City Boundary
Moderate Moderate Waterbodies Figure 4.17.2
Disclaimer: Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only. Map features are December 16, 2013 approximate, and are not necessarily accurate to surveying or engineering standards. The County of Riverside makes no warranty or guarantee as to the content (the source is often third WILDLAND FIRE HAZARD [ party), accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided, and assumes no legal responsibility for the information contained on this map. Any use of this product with Miles respect to accuracy and precision shall be the sole responsibility of the user. SEVERITY ZONES 0 10 20 \\agency\tlmagis\Projects\Planning\SafetyElement\Fire_Susceptibility.mxd
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Ÿ Weed abatement
Ÿ Ambulance response
Ÿ Swift water rescue
Ÿ Level 1 hazardous material team
The Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD) fire stations are can be staffed by a mixture of State (CalFire), Riverside County (RCFD), contract city (if applicable) and volunteer firefighters. Currently, RCFD Battalion Chief Tracy Hobday reports that each engine unit is staffed with three personnel. Depending on the service area (Riverside County is divided into six), the staffing configurations are either: fire captain, fire apparatus engineer and fire fighter or Company officer (fire captain or fire apparatus engineer) and two firefighters. RCFD engine companies are also advanced life support paramedic assessment units. All units are dispatched by the ECC and are part of the “Integrated Fire Protection System,” under contract with the State of California. The fire stations serving Riverside County are identified in Table 4.17-B, below. According to the 2012 Strategic Fire Plan (page 9), during peak staffing, the Riverside Unit has 96 stations staffed with 1,150 CalFire career personnel, 240 Riverside County and OES personnel and 280 volunteer/reserve firefighters. CalFire also provides 11 battalion chiefs and 17 hand crews. County of Riverside resources include 30 battalion chiefs, two medical squads, eight truck companies and two hazmat units.
RCFD responsibilities include:
Ÿ Fire control – due to increasing population, RCFD is faced with a growing structural fire problem. Riverside County is one of the most active wildland fire counties in the state.
Ÿ Air attack program – CalFire and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) operate a joint air tanker base at the Hemet/Ryan Airport. The base is statistically the most active in the nation and deploys one CalFire and two USFS air tankers. Two air coordination aircraft and one CalFire helicopter are also stationed at Ryan Air Attack Base.
According to data published by the County in its “Financial Highlights (Fiscal Year 2008-2009),” within Riverside County the Fire Department provided medical assistance on just over 91,700 calls, extinguished over 4,400 fires and provided nearly 18,500 other services, including standby response to bomb threats, electrical hazards, gas leak hazards, etc., public service assistance and false alarms.
The County of Riverside also provides fire protection planning and engineering, in which County fire protection specialists review plans for all new residential developments, commercial and industrial buildings proposed within unincorporated Riverside County and the contract cities. Requirements are established to provide a high degree of life safety and property protection. Common requirements include installation of fire hydrants, sprinkler systems, early warning fire detection systems and fire safety zones in remote areas. See Section 4.13 (Hazardous Materials and Safety) for more information on building standards related to fire protection. In addition, as disaster and recovery planning are key elements for emergency services, the Riverside County Emergency Services Division maintains two underground Emergency Operation Centers with communications for government use during major events.
In terms of station locations and response times, according to EIR No. 441, prepared for the 2003 adoption of the RCIP General Plan, an acceptable response time is generally defined as within five minutes for urban areas, ten minutes for suburban and rural community areas and twenty minutes for rural outlying areas.
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Table 4.17-C: Fire Stations Serving Riverside County Sta. # Station Name Location City Services / Agencies1 1 Perris 210 West San Jacinto Blvd. Perris PARA 2 Sunnymead 23770 Sunnymead Blvd. Moreno Valley PARA 3 Nuview 29490 Lakeview Ave. Nuevo PARA 4 Cajalco 17650 Cajalco Blvd. Perris PARA 5 Quail Valley 28971 Goetz Road Quail Valley PARA 6 Towngate 22250 Eucalyptus Ave. Moreno Valley PARA 7 Sun City 27860 Bradley Road Sun City PARA 8 Woodcrest 17800 Van Buren Blvd. Riverside PARA 9 Goodmeadow 21565 Steele Peak Road Perris PARA 10 Elsinore 410 West Graham Ave. Lake Elsinore PARA 11 Lakeland Village 17643 Brightman Ave. Lake Elsinore PARA 12 Temecula 28330 Mercedes Street Temecula PARA 13 Home Gardens 135 N. McKinley Corona PARA 14 Corona 1511 Hamner Ave. Norco PARA 15 El Cerrito 20320 Temescal Canyon Road Corona PARA 16 Pedley 9270 Limonite Ave. Pedley 17 Glen Avon 10400 San Sevaine Way Mira Loma 18 West Riverside 7545 Mission Blvd. Riverside 19 Highgrove 469 Center Street Highgrove 20 Beaumont 1550 E. 6th Street Beaumont PARA 21 Calimesa 906 Park Ave. Calimesa 22 Cherry Valley 10055 Avenida Mira Villa Cherry Valley PARA 23 Pine Cove 24919 Marion Ridge Road Idyllwild PARA 24 Cabazon 14580 Broadway Cabazon PARA 25 San Jacinto 132 South San Jacinto Blvd. San Jacinto PARA 26 Little Lake 25954 Stanford Street Hemet PARA 27 Eastvale 6709 Cedar Creek Eastvale PARA 28 Sage 37381 Sage Road Sage PARA 29 Anza 56560 Highway 371 Anza PARA 30 Pinyon 70080 Highway 74 Mountain Center PARA 32 La Quinta 78136 Frances Hack Lane La Quinta PARA 33 Palm Desert 44400 Town Center Way Palm Desert PARA 34 Winchester 32655 Haddock Street Winchester PARA 35 Roy Wilson 72695 La Canada Way Thousand Palms PARA 36 DHS / Skyborne 11535A Karen Ave. Desert Hot Springs PARA 37 Desert Hot Springs 65958 Pierson Blvd. Desert Hot Springs PARA 38 Rubidoux 3590 Rubidoux Blvd. Riverside 39 Thermal 56925 Tyler Street Thermal PARA 40 Mecca 91100 Fourth Street Mecca PARA 41 North Shore 99065 Corvina Road North Shore PARA 42 Oasis 76800 Highway 86 Thermal PARA 43 Blythe 140 West Barnard Street Blythe PARA 44 Ripley 13950 Broadway Ave. Ripley PARA 45 Blythe Air Base 17280 West Hobson Way Blythe PARA 46 Riverbend HCR 20, Box 2411 Blythe Vol. Fire Co. 2 48 Sunnymead Ranch 10511 Village Road Moreno Valley PARA 49 Lake Tamarisk 43880 Lake Tamarisk Desert Center PARA 50 South Rancho Mirage 70801 Highway 111 Rancho Mirage PARA 51 El Cariso 32353 Ortega Highway Lake Elsinore PARA
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Sta. # Station Name Location City Services / Agencies1 52 Cottonwood 44222 Sage Road Aguanga Vol. Fire Co. 2 53 Garner Valley 59200 Morris Ranch Road Mountain Center PARA 54 Homeland 25730 Sultanas Road Homeland PARA 55 Indian Wells 44900 El Dorado Drive Indian Wells PARA 56 Sky Valley 72985 Dillon Road Desert Hot Springs PARA 57 Indio Hills Corydon 80400 Dillon Rd 3367 Corydon Av Desert Hot Springs Norco PARA 58 Moreno Beach 28020 Bay Ave. Moreno Valley PARA 59 Mead Valley 19450 Clark Street Perris PARA 60 Canyon Lake 28730 Vacation Drive Canyon Lake PARA 61 Wildomar 32637 Gruwell Street Wildomar PARA 62 Rancho Carrillo Lot #51 Verdugo Road, Box 1062 San Juan Capistrano Vol. Fire Co.2 63 Poppet Flats 49575 Orchard Banning PARA 64 Sycamore Creek 26425 Horsethief Canyon Rd. Elsinore PARA 65 Kennedy Park 15111 Indian Ave. Moreno Valley PARA 66 Beaumont City 628 Maple Street Beaumont PARA 67 Mesa View 73200 Mesa View Drive Palm Desert PARA 68 Menifee 26020 Wickerd Road Menifee PARA 69 Rancho Mirage North 71751 Gerald Ford Drive Rancho Mirage PARA 70 La Quinta South 54001 Madison Ave. La Quinta PARA 71 Palm Desert North 73995 Country Club Drive Palm Desert PARA 72 Valle Vista 25175 Fairview Hemet PARA 73 Rancho California 27415 Enterprise Circle West Temecula PARA 74 Rancho Capistrano 35420 Calle Grande Lake Elsinore Vol. Fire Co. 2 75 Bear Creek 38900 Clinton Keith Road Murrieta PARA 76 Menifee Lakes 29950 Menifee Road Menifee PARA 77 Lake Riverside 49937 Comanche Court Aguanga PARA 78 Mountain Center 28500 Highway 243 Mountain Center PARA 79 Coachella 1377 Sixth Street Coachella PARA 80 Sun City Shadow Hills 81025 Avenue 40 Indio PARA 81 North Bermuda Dunes 37955 Washington Palm Desert PARA 82 Lake Hills 17452 Lake Pointe Drive Riverside PARA 83 French Valley 37500 Sky Canyon Drive Murrieta PARA 84 Parkview 30650 Pauba Road Temecula PARA 85 McVicker Park 29405 Grand Ave. Lake Elsinore PARA 86 Indio 46-990 Jackson Street Indio PARA 43-715 Jackson Street 42900 Golf Center 87 North Indio Terra Lago Indio PARA Parkway 88 West Indio 46-621 Madison Street Indio PARA 89 Banning 172 North Murray Banning PARA 90 North Perris 333 Placentia Ave. Perris PARA 91 College Park 16110 Lassalle Street Moreno Valley PARA 92 Wolf Creek 32211 Wolf Creek Drive Temecula PARA 93 La Quinta North 44-555 Adams Street La Quinta PARA 94 Canyon Hills 22770 Railroad Canyon Rd. Lake Elsinore PARA 95 96 Glen Oaks 37700 Glen Oaks Rd. Temecula PARA 97 Rosetta Canyon 41725 Rosetta Canyon Drive Lake Elsinore 99 Morrison 13400 Morrison Street Moreno Valley 101 Perris 105 S. F Street Perris 276 Cabazon Indian Fire 84245 Indio Springs Road Indio TRIBAL 177 Pechanga Indian Fire Pechanga Indian Reservation Temecula TRIBAL
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Sta. # Station Name Location City Services / Agencies1 277 Pechanga Indian Fire Pechanga Indian Reservation Temecula TRIBAL 278 Morongo Indian Fire 11581 Potrero Road Banning TRIBAL 621 Idyllwild 54160 Maranatha Dr. Idyllwild MUNI. Bautista Conservation n/a 33015 Bautista Road Hemet CALFIRE Camp n/a Norco Conservation Camp 5th and Western Blvd. Norco CALFIRE Oak Glen Conservation n/a 41100 Pine Bench Road Yucaipa CALFIRE Camp n/a Ryan Air Attack Base 4530 Walden Weaver Road Hemet CALFIRE3 Footnotes: 1. All stations are CalFire/Riverside County Fire Dept./Contract City unless otherwise noted. “PARA” indicates stations that also provide paramedic services. 2. Mailing address only provided for Volunteer Fire Companies. Not fixed-location fire stations. 3. CalFire base for air-based fire-fighting operations for Inland Empire. Source: Riverside County Fire Dept. website, www.rvcfire.org/opencms/facilities/Fire Stations/index.html, accessed Feb. 17, 2011.Letter from Riverside County Fire Department to Kristi Lovelady, June 30, 2014
B. Policies and Regulations Addressing Fire Protection
1. State Regulations and Plans
2012 CalFire Riverside Unit Strategic Fire Plan (RUSFP): The RUSFP is used by the CalFire Riverside Unit to direct and guide its fire management activities for its service area. The plan emphasizes “pre-fire” management, which is the process to assess alternatives to protect assets from unacceptable risk of wildland fire damage and focus on those actions that can be taken in advance of a wildland fire to potentially reduce the severity of the fire and ensure safety. Pre-fire “project alternatives” may include a combination of fuels reduction, ignition management, fire-safe engineering activities and forest health improvement to protect public and private assets. In addition to its main emphasis on the San Jacinto Mountains and its at-risk communities, pre-fire projects have also been planned and implemented on SRA lands in and adjacent to the Cleveland National Forest. A number of cooperative projects have taken place with many more being planned. The Riverside Unit also treats fuels within the region’s Multi-Species Preserves and other public lands within SRAs, but not in National Forests. The overall goal of the RUSFP is to reduce total government costs and citizen losses from wildland fire in the Riverside Unit by protecting assets at risk through focused pre-fire management prescriptions and increasing initial attack success. See Section 4.13.2 (Existing Environmental Setting – Hazardous Materials and Safety) for additional details.
Public Resources Code (PRC) Sections 4290-4299: This portion of the PRC requires minimum statewide fire safety standards pertaining to: road standards for fire equipment access; standards for signs identifying streets, roads and buildings; minimum private water supply reserves for emergency fire use; and fuel breaks and greenbelts. With certain exceptions, all new construction in potential wildland fire areas is required to meet the statewide standards. State requirements, however, do not supersede more restrictive local regulations. See EIR Section 4.13 (Hazardous Materials and Safety) for full maps, discussion and analysis of hazardous fire areas within Riverside County.
PRC Sections 4102-4127 - State Responsibility Areas: PRC Section 4102 specifies that “’State responsibility areas’ means areas of the state in which the financial responsibility of preventing and suppressing fires has been determined by the [State Fire] Board pursuant to Section 4125, to be primarily the responsibility of the state.” These areas may contain state or privately owned forest, watershed and rangeland. Sections 4126-4127 of the PRC further specify the standards that define what does and does not constitute an SRA.
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California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 24, Parts 2 and 9 – Fire Codes: Part 2 of Title 24 of the CCR refers to the California Building Code which contains complete regulations and general construction building standards of State of California adopting agencies, including administrative, fire and life safety and field inspection provisions. Part 2 was updated in 2008 to reflect changes in the base document from the Uniform Building Code to the International Building Code. Part 9 refers to the California Fire Code, which contains other fire safety- related building standards. In particular, Chapter 7A, “Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure,” in the 2010 California Building Code addresses fire safety standards for new construction and Section 701A.3.2 addresses “New Buildings Located in Any Fire Hazard Severity Zone.”
CCR Title 14 – Natural Resources: These regulations constitute the basic wildland fire protection standards of the California Board of Forestry. They were prepared and adopted to establish minimum wildfire protection standards in conjunction with building, construction and development within SRAs. Among other things, Title 14 requires the design and construction of structures, subdivisions and developments in an SRA provide for basic emergency access and perimeter wildfire protection measures (fire fuel modification zones, etc.).
California Government Code (CGC) Sections 51178-51179 – Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones: Section 51178 specifies that the Director of CalFire, in cooperation with local fire authorities, must identify areas that are Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZs) in Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs), based on consistent statewide criteria and the expected severity of fire hazard. It further specifies that VHFHSZs “shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather and other relevant factors,” including areas subject to Santa Ana winds which are a “major cause of wildfire spread.” Section 51179 states that a local agency (such as a county) must also designate (and map) the VHFHSZs in its jurisdiction by ordinance. (See the discussion on Ordinance No. 787, below, regarding Riverside County’s VHFHSZs). Other portions of the Government Code outline when a local agency may use its discretion to exclude areas from VHFHSZ requirements or add areas not designated by the State of California to its VHFHSZ areas.
CGC Section 51182 – Defensible Space: This code outlines the standards for maintaining a “defensible space” around properties in areas designated as a very high fire hazard severity zone. See Section 4.13.3 (Policies and Regulations Addressing Hazardous Materials and Safety) for specifics.
PRC Section 4213 - Fire Prevention Fees: Pursuant to PRC Section 4213, in July of 2011, the State of California began assessing an annual “Fire Prevention Fee” for all habitable structures within the State’s Responsibility Area (SRA) to pay for fire prevention services. The SRA is the portion of the state where the State of California is financially responsible for the prevention and suppression of wildfires. The SRA does not include lands within incorporated city boundaries, Tribal or federally owned land. As of 2013, the fee is up to $150 per habitable structure (i.e., a building that can be occupied for residential use, which does not include incidental buildings such as detached garages, barns, outdoor bathrooms, sheds, etc.).
2. County Plans and Regulations
Riverside County Fire Department Fire Protection and EMS Strategic Master Plan: The County of Riverside has developed a strategic fire plan that details the department’s goals and strategies for proactively coordinating fire facility, service and equipment needs for 2009-2029. It incorporates CalFire’s management plan for several sub-zones within the county. The plan is aimed at ensuring that existing and future development maintains adequate service levels throughout Riverside County.
Ordinance No. 659 – Establishing a Development Impact Fee Program: This ordinance requires that new development pay Development Impact Fees to ensure that certain facility obligations are met in order to reasonably serve the subject development. Such obligations include the construction of new fire facilities. The
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ordinance ensures that there is a reasonable relationship between the use of the fees and the type of development projects on which the fees are imposed.
Ordinance No. 695 - Requiring the Abatement of Hazardous Vegetation: Each spring, the CDF and RCFD distribute hazard abatement notices. These notices, which currently go to about 30,000 Riverside County residents, require property owners to reduce the fuels around their property. Requirements for hazard reduction around improved parcels (those with structures) are set forth in Riverside County Ordinance No. 787 (and PRC Section 4291). A minimum 30-foot clearance is required around all structures, which can be extended to 100 feet in areas where severe fire hazards exist. On unimproved parcels, as set forth in Riverside County Ordinance No. 695, the property owner is required to disc or mow 100 feet along the perimeter of the property. The County of Riverside also requires a development within a high fire hazard area to design and implement fuel modification programs for the interface between developed and natural areas within and adjacent to the proposed project area.
Ordinance No. 787 - Fire Code Standards: This ordinance adopts a variety of state codes, such as the Uniform Fire Code (UFC), established by the International Fire Code Institute, for implementation and enforce- ment at the county level. This ordinance also addresses implementation of the California Uniform Building Code, based on the International Conference of Building Officials. Both major Codes prescribe performance character- istics and materials to be used to achieve acceptable levels of fire protection.
3. Existing County General Plan Policies for Fire Protection
The following policies are already part of the General Plan and are not part of the project, GPA No. 960. Rather, these policies are considered to play a role in ensuring any potential environmental effects are avoided, reduced or minimized through their application on a case-by-case basis. The County of Riverside has existing programs in place that ensure applicable policies are imposed once a development proposal triggers a specific policy or policies. The need for specific policies is determined through subsequent CEQA analysis performed for site- specific projects. These measures are implemented, enforced and verified through their inclusion into project Conditions of Approval.
a. Safety (S) Element
Policy S 5.9 (Previously S 5.2): Reduce fire threat and strengthen fire-fighting capability so that the County could successfully respond to multiple fires.
Policy S 5.10 (Previously S 5.3): Require automatic natural gas shutoff earthquake sensors in high-occupancy industrial and commercial facilities, and encourage them for all residences.
Policy S 5.12 (Previously S 5.5): Conduct and implement long-range fire safety planning, including stringent building, fire, subdivision and municipal code standards, improved infrastructure and improved mutual aid agreements with the private and public sector.
Policy S 5.13 (Previously S 5.7): Develop a program to utilize existing reservoirs, tanks and water wells in the county for emergency fire suppression water resources.
Policy S 7.3: Require commercial businesses, utilities and industrial facilities that handle hazardous materials to: install automatic fire and hazardous materials detection, reporting and shut-off devices; and install an alternative communication system in the event power is out or telephone service is saturated following an earthquake.
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b. Land Use (LU) Element
Policy LU 5.2: Monitor the capacities of infrastructure and services in coordination with service providers, utilities and outside agencies and jurisdictions to ensure that growth does not exceed acceptable levels of service.
Policy LU 10.1 (Previously LU 9.1): Require that new development contribute their fair share to fund infra- structure and public facilities such as police and fire facilities.
4. Proposed New or Revised County General Plan Policies
The following revisions to existing Safety (S) Element policies within the General Plan are included as part of GPA No. 960. These revisions are intended to enhance the policies’ implementation and comprehensive use. a. Safety (S) Element
Policy S 5.1: Develop and enforce construction and design standards that ensure that proposed development incorporates fire prevention features through the following:
a. All proposed development and construction within Fire Hazard Severity Zones shall be reviewed by the County Fire and Building and Safety departments.
b. a.All proposed development and construction shall meet minimum standards for fire safety as defined in the Riverside County Building or County Fire Codes, or by County zoning, or as dictated by the Building Official or the Transportation Land Management Agency based on building type, design, occupancy, and use.
c. b.In addition to the standards and guidelines of the California Uniform Building Code and California Uniform Fire Code fire safety provisions, continue to implement additional standards for high-risk, high occupancy, dependent, and essential facilities where appropriate under the Riverside County Fire Code (Ordinance No. 787) Protection Ordinance. These shall include assurance that structural and nonstructural architectural elements of the building will not impede emergency egress for fire safety staffing/personnel, equipment, and apparatus; nor hinder evacuation from fire, including potential blockage of stairways or fire doors.
d. c.Proposed development and construction in Fire Hazard Severity Zones Hazardous Fire areas shall provide secondary public access, unless determined otherwise by the County Fire Chief in accordance with County Ordinances.
e. f.Proposed development and construction in Fire Hazard Severity Zones Hazardous Fire areas shall use single loaded roads to enhance fuel modification areas, unless otherwise determined by the County Fire Chief.
f. Proposed development and construction in Fire Hazard Severity Zones shall provide a defensible space or fuel modification zones to be located, designed, and constructed that provide adequate defensibility from wildfires.
NEW Policy S 5.2: Encourage continued operation of programs for fuel breaks, brush management, controlled burning, revege- tation and fire roads.
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NEW Policy S 5.3: Monitor fire-prevention measures (such as fuel reduction) through a site specific fire-prevention plan to reduce long-term fire risks in the Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
NEW Policy S 5.4: Limit or prohibit development or activities in areas lacking water and access roads.
NEW Policy S 5.5: Encourage proposed development in Fire Hazard Severity Zones to develop where fire and emergency services are available or planned.
NEW Policy S 5.6: Demonstrate that the proposed development can provide fire services that meet the minimum travel times identified in Riverside County Fire Department Fire Protection and EMS Strategic Master Plan.
NEW Policy S 5.7: Minimize pockets of flammable vegetation that increase likelihood of fire spread through conceptual landscaping plans to be reviewed by Planning and Fire Departments in the Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The conceptual landscaping plan of the proposed development shall at a minimum include:
a. Plant palette suitable for high fire hazard areas to reduce the risk of fire hazards.
b. Retention of existing natural vegetation to the maximum extent feasible.
c. Removal of onsite combustible plants.
NEW Policy S 5.8: Design to account for topography of a site and reduce the increased risk from fires in the Fire Hazard Severity Zones located near ridgelines, plateau escarpments, saddles, hillsides, peaks, or other areas where the terrain or topography affect its susceptibility to wildfires by:
a. Providing fuel modification zones with removal of combustible vegetations, but minimizing visual impacts and limiting soil erosion.
b. Replacing combustible vegetation with fire resistant vegetation to stabilize slopes.
c. Submitting topographic map with site specific slope analysis.
d. Submitting erosion and sedimentation control plans.
e. Providing a minimum 30 foot of setback from the edge of the fuel modification zones.
f. Minimizing disturbance of 25% or greater natural slopes.
Policy S 5.11 (Previously S 5.4): Utilize ongoing brush clearance fire inspections to educate homeowners on fire prevention tips by implementing annual countywide weed abatement program.
Policy S 5.14 (Previously S 5.8): Periodically review inter-jurisdictional fire response agreements, and improve firefighting resources as recommended in the Riverside County Fire Department Fire Protection Master Plan and EMS Strategic Master Plan to keep pace with development, including construction of additional high-rises, mid-rise business parks, increasing numbers of facilities housing immobile populations and the risk posed by multiple ignitions, to ensure that:
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a. Fire reporting and response times do not exceed the goals those listed in the Riverside County Fire Department Fire Protection Master Plan and EMS Strategic Master Plan identified for each of the development densities described.
b. Fire flow requirements (water for fire protection) are consistent with Insurance Service Office (ISO) recommendations Riverside County Ordinance 787.
c. The planned deployment and height of aerial ladders and other specialized equipment and apparatus are sufficient for the intensity of development desired.
Policy S 5.15 (Previously S 5.10): Continue to utilize the Riverside County Fire Department Fire Protection and EMS Strategic Master Plan as the base document to implement the goals and objectives of the Safety Element.
NEW Policy S 5.17: Identify, map and update on an as-needed continual basis, the Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps [see General Plan Figure S-11].
NEW Policy S 5.18: Ensure that the Fire Department has appropriate municipal staffing and fire protection planning staff that meet the needs of development pressure and adequately respond to long range fire safety planning.
NEW Policy S 5.19: Implement a coordination program with fire protection and emergency service providers to reassess fire hazards after wildfire events and to adjust fire prevention and suppression needs, as necessary.
NEW Policy S 5.20: Implement a regional coordination program to increase support for coordination among fire protection and emergency service providers.
NEW Policy S 5.21: Implement a long-term training and education program among government agencies and communities about fire protection.
Policy S 7.1: Continually strengthen the Riverside County Office of Emergency Services’ Response Plan and Multi-Juris- dictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Multihazard Functional Plan and maintain mutual aid agreements with federal, state, local agencies and the private sector to assist in:
a. Clearance of debris in the event of widespread slope failures, collapsed buildings or structures, or other circumstances that could result in blocking emergency access or regress.
b. Heavy search and rescue.
c. Fire suppression.
d. Hazardous materials response.
e. Temporary shelters.
f. Geologic and engineering needs.
g. Traffic and crowd control.
h. Building inspections.
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b. Land Use (LU) Element
Policy LU 5.1: Ensure that development does not exceed the ability to adequately provide supporting infrastructure and services, such as libraries, recreational facilities, educational and child day care centers (i.e. infant, toddlers, preschool and school age children), transportation systems and fire/police/medical services.
NEW Policy LU 7.8: Require new developments in Fire Hazard Severity Zones to provide for a fuel clearance/modification zone, as required by the Fire Department.
C. Thresholds of Significance for Fire Protection
The proposed project would result in a significant impact related to fire protection if it would:
Result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered fire facilities. Or, result in the need for new or physically altered fire facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for fire protection services.
D. Effect of GPA No. 960 on the General Plan and on Fire Protection
The General Plan is concerned mainly with the physical build out of the county; many of the changes associated with GPA No. 960 would affect planned land usage. The proposed project’s update to the General Plan includes land use overlays, land use designation (LUD) changes and new or revised policies that would allow for the con- version of rural, semi-rural, agricultural and vacant lands into suburban or urban uses in areas throughout the county. As with the current General Plan, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 has the potential to introduce people, property and structures into previously undeveloped areas; all of which would require adequate fire protection services to ensure their safety.
Table 4.17-D (Theoretical Fire Station Needs With and Without the Project) provides a summary of the theoretical needs for fire stations within Riverside County according to the theoretical estimate of need associated with existing land uses, as well as that for build out of the known spatial components or locations addressed by GPA No. 960 (i.e., site-specific LUD changes, policy area and study area changes, etc.). It should be noted that the following projections are based on the assumption that all of the changes proposed under GPA No. 960 actually result in future development and fully build out (as part of overall implementation of the Riverside County General Plan). That is, it is a theoretical, worst-case scenario that likely over-states the actual development potential in the real world. The actual future development of the individual parcels and areas affected by GPA No. 960 proposals, as with build out of the rest of the General Plan, are subject to the discretion of many hundreds to thousands of individual property owners, including private individuals, business entities and even various public agencies and other entities.
The County of Riverside has little to no control over the decision to propose development (new or redeveloped) on a given site (though the County of Riverside is the entity with discretion for review and approval of such development applications for most cases within unincorporated Riverside County). Demand for additional development is often a result of many interrelated factors, including population growth and economic demand, as well as location, local supply (i.e., existing home inventory) and even infrastructure availability (water supply, electricity, etc.). For land use policy changes without currently assigned locations (Indian fee lands, incidental rural commercial, etc.), specific effects on fire needs cannot be delineated at present since they are location- dependent. For land use policy changes without currently assigned locations (Indian fee lands, incidental rural
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commercial, etc.), specific effects on fire services cannot be delineated at present since they are location- dependent. For the sake of comparison, however, Table 4.17-F (Comparison of Theoretical Fire Support Needs at General Plan Build Out) shows the theoretical fire protection service needs at build out for both the current General Plan and the General Plan as it would be if amended pursuant to proposed GPA No. 960.
The tables below summarize projected theoretical need for fire stations, as an indicator of the need for fire protection services, for three scenarios. Again, these calculations are all labeled “theoretical” because they use the same basic set of assumptions and factors to allow for valid comparisons between and amongst scenarios. In the real world, a number of additional factors that are beyond the scope of this analysis would apply (funding avail- ability, jurisdiction, available manpower and equipment, etc.). The actual planning, locations and development of fire stations and the provision of all associated services are under the purview of the RCFD. Table 4.17-D shows demand for the existing (baseline) level of development currently estimated to be present on the portions of Riverside County directly affected by proposed land use-related changes; compared against the full build out of all of the same areas as they would be permitted under the updated General Plan (e.g., pursuant to the changes proposed in GPA No. 960).
Table 4.17-D: Theoretical Fire Station Needs With and Without the Project Updated General Plan1,3 Build Out Associated with Existing Uses1,2 Generation Factors (with GPA No. 960) Land Use (per Fire Station) Fire Stations Build Out Total Fire Stations Total Units Difference Needed3 Units Needed2 Residential 2,000 units 5,850 du 2.9 16,600 du 8.3 + 5.4 Commercial4 3.5 million sq. ft. 580,000 sf 0.2 3,949,000 sf 1.1 + 0.9 Industrial5 3.5 million sq. ft. 2,108,000 sf 0.6 3,759,000 sf 1.1 + 0.5 Total Area 111,440 acres Totals 3.7 10.5 + 6.8 Footnotes: 1. Theoretical need for fire services associated with the given level of development indicated. RCFD determines and implements actual needs. All results rounded after analysis to the nearest 10 for dwelling units (du) and nearest 1,000 for square footage (sf). 2. Theoretical need attributed solely to the portion of Riverside County associated with the lands proposed for spatial changes as part of GPA No. 960. 3. Theoretical need for fire services associated with build out of the General Plan (including as updated pursuant to GPA No. 960) for the same spatial areas. 4. Includes the following land uses: commercial-retail (40%), commercial-tourist, commercial-office and business park. 5. Includes the following land uses: light industrial, heavy industrial and (for existing uses) ranches. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Fire protection standards (for fire stations needed) from EIR No. 441.
Because much of the area addressed by GPA No. 960 includes regions for which future development potential is being eliminated (e.g., deletion of Rural Village Study Areas), the first scenario (Table 4.17-D) includes many areas where the build out scenario under the updated General Plan is the same as that which would occur under the existing (current General Plan’s) mapped LUDs. As such, these areas do not represent new areas of growth attributable to the project, GPA No. 960, but rather simply reflect the anticipated build out of the County General Plan that would occur with or without the project. Thus, in order to focus on the areas where the proposed project would actually result in new development potential (i.e., potential impacts), a second scenario was developed. As shown in Table 4.17-E (Theoretical Fire Station Needs for Areas of New Development Potential), this second scenario includes only those areas proposed for a change that would result in an increase in future development density or intensity. This also includes all parcels in which an LUD was changed (except those being assigned to OS-CH due to their acquisition for open space conservation pursuant to the WRC-MSHCP; these parcels would be removed from development potential).
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Table 4.17-E: Theoretical Fire Station Needs for Areas of New Development Potential Existing Uses1,2 Build Out1,3
Generation Factors (New Development Areas Only) (New Development Areas Only) Land Use1 (per Fire Station) Fire Stations Build Out Total Fire Stations Total Units Difference Needed3 Units Needed2 Residential 2,000 units 2,060 du 1.0 6,350 du 3.2 + 2.1 Commercial4 3.5 million sq. ft. 254,000 sf 0.1 3,391,000 sf 1.0 + 0.9 Industrial5 3.5 million sq. ft. 1,478,000 sf 0.4 3,253,000 sf 1.0 + 0.6 Total Area 10,690 acres Totals 1.5 5.2 + 3.7 Footnotes: 1. Represents only the areas proposed for new development intensity or density under GPA No. 960 and with known spatial components. For example, omits areas where planned development would be “reduced” to that designated by existing General Plan LUDs (e.g., areas in which Rural Village Overlays or Study Areas were deleted). 2. Theoretical need for fire services associated with the given level of development indicated. RCFD determines and implements actual needs. All results rounded after analysis to the nearest 10 for dwelling units (du) and nearest 1,000 for square footage (sf). 3. Theoretical need attributed solely to the portion of Riverside County associated with the lands proposed for spatial changes as part of GPA No. 960 that increase development density or intensity above existing General Plan. 4. Includes the following land uses: commercial-retail (40%), commercial-tourist, commercial-office and business park. 5. Includes the following land uses: light industrial, heavy industrial and (for existing uses) ranches. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Fire protection standards (for fire stations needed) from EIR No. 441.
Lastly, the third table, Table 4.17-F, shows a “plan-to-plan” comparison between the build out conditions of the General Plan as it currently exists and then as it would be if GPA No. 960 were approved and fully implemented. This third table indicates the relative effects of the project on long-range planning, rather than environmental impacts per se, and is provided for informational purposes and to allow comparison between build out outcomes.
Upon build out of Riverside County pursuant to the existing (2008) General Plan, as shown in Table 4.17-F, Riverside County as a whole would require 390 fire stations in total (i.e., 295 additional stations). Under the updated General Plan, amended per GPA No. 960, this build out total would decrease to 358 (i.e., an additional 263 fire stations, an 8% decrease). Thus, on a comparative basis, the proposed project would contribute to fewer impacts to the environment at build out since up to 32 fewer new fire stations would need to be constructed.
Table 4.17-F: Comparison of Theoretical Fire Support Needs at General Plan Build Out General Plan as Amended Current General Plan by GPA No. 960 Land Use Fire Stations Fire Stations Build Out Total1 Build Out Total Difference Needed2 Needed2 Residential 534,100 du 267 498,000 du 249 - 18 Commercial3 68,059,000 sf 19 57,919,000 sf 17 - 2 Industrial4 361,013,000 sf 103 323,728,000 sf 92 - 11 TOTALS 4,013,400 acres 390 4,011,600 acres 358 - 32 Footnotes: 1. All results rounded to the nearest 100 for dwelling units (du) or 1,000 for square footage (sf) after analysis. 2. The theoretical total number of fire stations estimated to be needed at build out of the Riverside County General Plan (current and as proposed for amendment). As of 2009, there are 95 existing fire stations in Riverside County. 3 Includes land uses: commercial-retail (40%), commercial-tourist, commercial-office and business park. 4 Includes the following land uses: light industrial and heavy industrial. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Fire protection standards (for fire stations needed) from EIR No. 441.
In terms of actual development, however, as indicated in Table 4.17-D, the existing developed land uses and activities within Riverside County for the lands potentially affected by the project theoretically require 3.7 fire stations worth of services. These needs are currently met by the 95 fire stations in Riverside County that the RCFD operates. Build out of the same area pursuant to the updated General Plan would result in the need for
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just under seven (6.8) additional fire stations. Much of this growth, however, is already planned for in the existing General Plan and was analyzed under EIR No. 441, which was certified for the 2003 RCIP General Plan.
Table 4.17-E isolates just the areas of growth associated with GPA No. 960 that would potentially be greater than that originally planned under the existing General Plan. Once areas planned merely for growth according to the existing General Plan are removed, the resultant scenario indicates that the future new development potential arising from GPA No. 960 would result in the need for an additional 3.7 fire stations.
To determine where in the county these new stations would be needed, the same data was broken down by Area Plan. This analysis indicated that approximately 1.0 additional fire station would be needed in the Elsinore Area Plan region as a result of GPA No. 960, due primarily to future development of the proposed Meadowbrook and Good Hope Rural Village Land Use Overlays. The Northeast Business Park Overlay would add demand for roughly 0.7 additional fire stations to the Lakeview/Nuevo Area Plan, and the LUD changes associated with achieving ALUP consistency around the Blythe Airport would add roughly 0.6 fire stations worth of demand to the Palo Verde Valley Area Plan. And, lastly, both the Jurupa and Western Coachella Valley Area Plans would see roughly 0.3 fire stations worth of demand increase, while the San Jacinto Valley Area Plan would see 0.1. These are all due to the various County-initiated LUD changes proposed under GPA No. 960, plus the LUDs being adjusted within the Jurupa Area Plan to ensure consistency with the Flabob and Riverside Municipal Airport ALUPs.
In terms of General Plan changes, the project would only incrementally affect most of Riverside County’s Area Plans; in amounts not large enough to trigger the need for an additional fire station in most county areas. Not surprisingly, The increased demand for fire stations show up most clearly in the areas being planned for urbanization – the Meadowbrook and Good Hope Rural Village Overlays in particular. In terms of environmental effects, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would contribute incrementally to the need for additional fire stations and services throughout the county to ensure adequate levels of service and response times. For all but the Elsinore Area Plan, the development increases trigger less than one station in need. The environmental impacts and mitigation needed, if any, associated with these additional service needs are discussed in the section that follows, below.
E. Fire Protection – Impacts and Mitigation
The following impacts related to fire protection that would result from implementation of the proposed project, GPA No. 960, were evaluated for significance and the need for mitigation, as indicated.
Would the project result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered fire facilities? Or, would it result in the need for new or physically altered fire facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for fire protection services?
Impact 4.17.A – Cause Adverse Environmental Effects Due to the Need for Fire Protection Services: Future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would incrementally increase rural, suburban and urban uses in localized areas throughout unincorporated Riverside County. Compared to the existing General Plan, the overall net effect of the project is to reduce the amount of dwelling units and industrial development, as well as the associated population, expected to occur within Riverside County over the next 50 years. In terms of actual changes to existing levels of fire services, however, localized development increases would trigger the need for additional fire services in specific areas, such as the Elsinore Area Plan. Construction and operation of new or
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improved fire stations within these areas would be subject to a number of regulatory measures that would ensure no significant environmental impacts occur.
1. Analysis of Impact 4.17.A
New development would introduce additional people and property requiring fire protection and emergency response services. This would result in additional fire and emergency responses from existing facilities. When new development is located outside the normal radius for acceptable response time, people and property would be at increased risk due to delayed response. An acceptable response time is generally defined as within five minutes for urban areas, ten minutes for suburban and rural community areas and twenty minutes for rural out- lying areas. The fire and emergency vehicles and equipment responding would experience increased wear and tear due to additional distances traveled. Increased travel times would also decrease the number of calls that could be responded to during a shift. When demand is great enough in a given region, additional fire facilities would be built. However, in areas where development remains sparse, response times would not be likely to be drastically improved.
Hence, future development in areas distant from existing or planned fire stations would be at greater risk of harm due to longer response times. In addition, where new development occurs along the interface between urban areas and wildlands, wildland fire hazards would be created or exacerbated. In areas without adequate services nearby, this could result in the exposure of people and property to high fire hazard conditions without adequate fire protection. See also fire hazards discussion in Section 4.13 (Hazardous Materials and Safety) for additional details and analysis.
As shown in Table 4.17-F, above, existing standards indicate that full build out of the existing General Plan, Riverside County would require a total of approximately 390 fire stations (295 additional stations) to fully protect the populace. Land use changes associated with GPA No. 960 would reduce the number of fire stations needed countywide to 358 (32 fewer stations). Within the areas with known spatial components directly affected by the proposed project (roughly 111,440 acres), as shown in Table 4.17-D, full build out according to the updated General Plan would trigger the need for 6.8 additional fire stations over the estimated 3.7 needed to serve the theoretical existing (baseline) uses. Lastly, as shown in Table 4.17-E, within the spatial project area, a total of roughly 10,700 acres (10%) would have an increase in development density or intensity and was estimated to trigger the need for 3.5 additional fire stations to serve the new development that would directly be accommodated by GPA No. 960.
At the Area Plan level, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would trigger the need for a total of 6.8 additional fire stations, mostly spread incrementally throughout Riverside County. As discussed previously in Section 4.17.2 (Fire Protection Services), regional analysis indicates that the increase would be negligible to non- existent for much of Riverside County and small for most of the rest of Riverside County. In these locations, future development as a result of the project would not result in significant adverse impacts on acceptable service ratios or response times. For the Elsinore Area Plan, however, a full 1.0 fire stations would be needed by 2060. Roughly a half-share of a fire station would be triggered for the Lakeview/Nuevo (0.7), Palo Verde Valley (0.6) and Mead (0.4) Area Plans. Three other area plans would have very minor directly attributable increases, as described in the prior section. Other than the four regions above, the data indicate that future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would only incrementally increase fire service needs in any given region. These small increases would not result in a significant impact on fire service response times in these areas.
Where new fire stations are needed to ensure adequate response times, environmental impacts would be associated with their construction to the extent that their location, construction methods and operations affect the surrounding area. Data indicate that within the affected Area Plans sufficient vacant lands exist within their
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general urban footprints. This vacant land availability means that situating new fire stations within these areas could be achieved in a manner that minimizes environmental impacts. In addition, impacts associated with con- struction of the 3.5 extra stations needed would be offset by the environmental impacts avoided in building 32 fewer fire stations throughout Riverside County. (That is, only 358 fire stations would be needed, opposed to the 390 that would be needed to serve the existing General Plan at full build out; see Table 4.17-F). Hence, the environmental impacts of construction of 3.5 fire stations within unincorporated Riverside County would not be significant and no project-specific mitigation is needed.
2. Regulatory Compliance for Impact 4.17.A
The above analysis indicates this impact would be less than significant and no project-specific mitigation is needed. Moreover, the following regulations, programs, policies and existing mitigation measures from prior EIR No. 441 would further reduce or minimize this already insignificant impact.
a. Compliance With Federal, State and County Regulations
California Codes: A number of California regulations, including PRC Sections 4290-4299 and CGC Section 51178, address fire safety. In particular, these sections require minimum statewide fire safety standards pertaining to: roads for fire equipment access; signage for identifying streets, roads and buildings; minimum private water supply reserves for emergency fire use; and, fire fuel breaks and greenbelts. They also identify primary fire sup- pression responsibilities among the federal, state and local governments. In addition, it sets fire safety standards for all buildings and structures in, or adjoining, mountainous areas, or forest-, brush- or grass-covered lands or any land covered with flammable material to protect property from wildland fires.
Riverside County Fire Department Fire Protection and EMS Strategic Master Plan: The County of Riverside has developed this plan to proactively plan facility, service and equipment needs for fire protection. The purpose is to ensure that new fire protection facilities are added when and where demand increases warrant them. It also incorporates the CDF Management Plan for several sub-zones within Riverside County. In addi- tion, to ensure adequate fire protection for all residents of Riverside County, the Riverside County Department of Building and Safety and the Riverside County Fire Department enforce fire standards as they review building plans and conduct building inspections. Other programs are enforced to ensure compliance with established fire standards (both county and state), including the mapping and tracking areas of high fire hazard and fuel dangers. Implementation of this plan helps reduce potential risks of fire for residents in fire hazard areas and ensures that the necessary fire protective services are available as needed.
Ordinance No. 787 - Fire Code Standards: This ordinance adopts the Uniform Fire Code and adds require- ments to further protect people and structures from fire risks, ensures that building would not impede emergency egress for fire safety personnel, equipment and apparatus would not hinder evacuation from fire, including potential blockage of stairways or fire doors.
Mitigation Fee: To accomplish these programs and ensure adequate services, the County of Riverside requires new development to pay fire protection mitigation fees pursuant to Ordinance No. 659. These fees are used by the Riverside County Fire Department to construct new fire protection facilities or provide facilities in lieu of the fee as approved by the Riverside County Fire Department. In addition, the County of Riverside requires all new structures constructed in unincorporated areas comply with the construction requirements of Riverside County Ordinance No. 787 and shall be provided with fire-retardant roofing material as described in the Uniform Building Code.
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b. Compliance With Existing County General Plan Policies
The following existing policies of the Riverside County General Plan would further reduce the already insignificant project impacts to fire protection services. See Section 4.17.2.B. for full text of each of these policies.
Policy LU 5.2: This General Plan policy ensures that new developments contribute funds to be used to provide necessary fire and emergency response services and that needed new facilities are constructed in a timely manner to ensure adequate protection of the people and property of Riverside County.
Policy LU 10.1: This policy requires that future developments contribute a fair amount for the funding of infrastructure, public facilities such as police and fire facilities in order to ensure adequate availability of such infrastructure and services, thereby, reducing potential hazards.
Policy S 5.12: This policy encourages the practice and implementation of long-range fire safety planning as well as more stringent codes and improved infrastructure aimed at the reduction of fire hazards including wildland fire hazards.
Policies S 5.9 and 5.13: These policies require that developments be constructed to various building and fire code standards to ensure structures: provide appropriate levels of fire resistance (such as tile roofs, for example); are situated in a manner that provides adequate emergency access and evacuation; and maintain appropriate fire fuel modification zones. These policies also direct the County of Riverside to provide appropriate fire protective services including, water connections and reservoirs for firefighting purposes. c. Compliance With Proposed or Revised General Plan Policies
Of the General Plan policies listed in Section 4.17.2.B, above, Policies LU 5.1 and LU 7.8, S 5.1-5.8, S 5.11 and S 5.14-5.21, in particular, provide mitigation for impacts associated with the provision of fire protection services. Implementation of these General Plan policies would aid in reducing the impacts of future growth and development within Riverside County to less than significant levels. Specifically:
Policies LU 5.1 and 7.8: These policies ensure that future development would not overburden infrastructure and public services and that such infrastructure and services would continue to operate at adequate levels. Policy LU 7.8 also requires future development located within designated Fire Hazard Severity Zones to provide for fuel modification as determined by the Fire Department.
Policies S 5.1-5.8, 5.11 and 5.14-5.21: These Safety policies mitigate wildland fire risks through construction design standards and requirements; coordination amongst various County agencies, water agencies and surrounding jurisdictions to implement long-range fire safety planning; improved infrastructure, fire response agreements and adequate water supply and flow with coordination driven by Riverside County’s Fire Protection Strategic Master Plan and the General Plan Safety Element; limiting development potential in areas that lack water and access roads; continued usage of fuel breaks, brush management, controlled burnings, revegetation and fire roads including clearance inspections; encouraging future development located within fire hazard zones to develop where adequate fire and emergency services already exist or are being planned; providing services that meet minimum travel times for fire; frequent updates of fire hazard maps; and fire mitigation through landscaping. Policy S 5.11 is implemented through Ordinance No. 659, described above. These policies help protect structures and ultimately Riverside County residents from fire damage, injury or loss of life.
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F. Fire Protection Services – Level of Significance After Mitigation
The analysis presented above indicates that future development accommodated by the proposed project, GPA No. 960, would have less than significant impacts on fire protection services and the environment. Moreover, compliance with the above-listed existing regulatory programs, standards and General Plan policies would further prevent or reduce any impacts associated with the project.
4.17.3 Law Enforcement Services
A. Law Enforcement Services – Existing Environmental Setting
Riverside County provides community policing and operates and maintains correctional facilities. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has 4,500 established positions, including roughly 2,300 sworn personnel, to provide for community policing services. The Sheriff’s Department is a “demand response” agency that maintains limited patrol services. Nine Sheriff Department stations are located throughout Riverside County to provide area-level community service. See Table 4.17-G (County Sheriff’s Department Substations Serving Riverside County), below, for the locations of these substations. In addition, the Sheriff’s Department operates the Moreno Valley Police Department station in the City of Moreno Valley, providing law enforcement services to that city under contract. The Sheriff’s Department also operates five adult correction or detention centers located throughout Riverside County. The Riverside County Probation Department operates the juvenile detention facilities.
Table 4.17-G: County Sheriff’s Department Substations Serving Riverside County Substation Name Location Cabazon 50290 Main Street, Cabazon Colorado River 260 North Spring Avenue, Blythe Hemet 43950 Acacia Avenue, Suite B, Hemet Thermal 86-625 Airport Boulevard, Thermal Jurupa Valley 7477 Mission Boulevard, Riverside Lake Elsinore 333 Limited Avenue, Lake Elsinore Palm Desert 73705 Gerald Ford Drive, Palm Desert Perris 137 North Perris Boulevard, Suite A, Perris Southwest 30755-A Auld Road, Murrieta Moreno Valley Police Department 22850 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley (contract city) Source: Riverside County GIS Dept., 2009.
In addition to the above stations, the Sheriff’s Department operates the following five adult correctional facilities:
Robert Presley Detention Center: Located in downtown Riverside, this facility contains a total of 807 beds.
Southwest Detention Center: Located in the City of Murrieta, this facility contains 1,111 beds.
Indio Jail: Located in Indio, the jail contains 353 beds.
Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility: Located in the City of Banning, this facility contains 1,520 beds.
Blythe Jail: Located in the City of Blythe, this jail contains 115 beds.
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The County of Riverside has also established a number of juvenile detention facilities, operated by the Probation Department, including:
Riverside Juvenile Hall: Located in the City of Hemet at 3933 Harrison Street. The Riverside Youth Academy, a juvenile youth camp that shares kitchen and other support elements, but operates as a separate entity with unique programming is also located at this site.
Indio Juvenile Hall: Located in the City of Indio at 47-665 Oasis Street. The Indio Youth Academy, a juvenile youth camp that shares kitchen and other support elements, is also located at this site.
Southwest Juvenile Hall: Located in the City of Murrieta at 30755C Auld Road.
Twin Pines Ranch: A juvenile camp located near the City of Banning at 49500 Twin Pines Road.
Van Horn Youth Center: A juvenile camp located in the City of Riverside at 10000 County Farm Road.
According to data published by the County of Riverside in its “Financial Highlights (Fiscal Year 2008-2009),” within Riverside County the Sheriff’s Department responded to 302,400 service calls within unincorporated Riverside County, booked just over 62,000 people and managed a coroner case load of nearly 9,600.
For future planning purposes, according to EIR No. 441 for the 2003 RCIP General Plan, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has established the following criteria for its staffing requirements in unincorporated areas of Riverside County:
Ÿ One sworn officer per 1,000 population
Ÿ One supervisor and one support staff employee per seven officers
Ÿ One patrol vehicle per three sworn officers
Ÿ One school resource officer per school
B. Policies and Regulations Addressing Law Enforcement Services
The following policies are already part of the General Plan and are not part of the project, GPA No. 960. Rather, these policies are considered to play a role in ensuring any potential environmental effects are avoided, reduced or minimized through their application on a case-by-case basis. The County of Riverside has existing programs in place that ensure applicable policies are imposed once a development proposal triggers a specific policy or policies. The need for specific policies is determined through subsequent CEQA analysis performed for site- specific projects. These measures are implemented, enforced and verified through their inclusion into project Conditions of Approval.
County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-26 Public Review Draft § February 2015 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Ä62 ^_ CALIMESA ^_ ^_ Ä62 215 BANNING DESERT HOT RIVERSIDE§ ^_ ¦¨ Ä60 SPRINGS NORCO Ä _ MORENO VALLEY ^_ ¨§10 111 Ä91 ^ ^_ ^_ ¦^_^_ ^_ Ä
CORONA^_ ^_ BEAUMONT 10 ¦¨§ ÄÄ177 Ä79 PALM SPRINGS CATHEDRAL ¤£95 CITY
SAN JACINTO ^_ Ä243 ¦¨§15 ^_^_ ^_ ^_ ^_ PERRIS RANCHO Ä74 ^_ MIRAGE PALM DESERT HEMET ^_ Ä74 MENIFEE INDIAN ^_ LAKE ELSINORE INDIO^_^_ WELLS COACHELLA ^_ ¦¨§215 LA QUINTA ¦¨§10 ORANGE Ä74 BLYTHE COUNTY Ä79 WILDOMAR ^_ Ä74 86S MURRIETA ^_ Ä ^_ ÄÄ371 Ä78 TEMECULA SALTON Ä79 SEA 15 ¦¨§ Ä86 Ä111 LA PAZ COUNTY, AZ
SAN DIEGO COUNTY IMPERIAL COUNTY PACIFIC OCEAN
Data Source: Riverside County (2010)
^_ Police and Sheriff Stations Highways Area Plan Boundary
City Boundary
Waterbodies Figure 4.17.3
Disclaimer: Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only. Map features are December 16, 2013 approximate, and are not necessarily accurate to surveying or engineering standards. The County of Riverside makes no warranty or guarantee as to the content (the source is often third POLICE AND [ party), accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided, and assumes no legal responsibility for the information contained on this map. Any use of this product with Miles respect to accuracy and precision shall be the sole responsibility of the user. SHERIFF STATIONS 0 10 20 \\agency\tlmagis\Projects\Planning\SafetyElement\Emergency.mxd
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1. County Regulations
Ordinance No. 556 - Authorizing Arrest and Citation for Violations of Statute or County Ordinance: This ordinance establishes that “certain classifications of officers and employees of the County of Riverside” are authorized with police powers to arrest persons in relation to misdemeanor or infraction violations of Riverside County statutes or ordinances, pursuant to California Penal Code Section 836.5.
Ordinance No. 469 - Relating to Training Standards for Peace Officers: This ordinance sets County of Riverside standards for the recruitment and training established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or Board of Corrections.
2. Existing Riverside County General Plan Policies
Although the General Plan does not include a Public Services Element, it does include the following Land Use (LU) Element policies intended to address the effects of future residents on law enforcement (Sheriff) protection services.
Policy LU 5.2: Monitor the capacities of infrastructure and services in coordination with service providers, utilities, and outside agencies and jurisdictions to ensure that growth does not exceed acceptable levels of service.
Policy LU 10.1 (Previously LU 9.1): Require that new development contribute their fair share to fund infrastructure and public facilities such as police and fire facilities.
3. Proposed New or Revised Riverside County General Plan Policies
The following revision to this existing General Plan policy is included as part of GPA No. 960. The revision is intended to enhance the policy’s implementation and comprehensive use.
Policy LU 5.1: Ensure that development does not exceed the ability to adequately provide supporting infrastructure and sheriff services, such as libraries, recreational facilities, educational and child day care centers (i.e. infant, toddlers, preschool and school age children), transportation systems and fire/police/medical services.
4. County Law Enforcement Provision Standards
According to the County Sheriff’s Department, the service criteria used by the County of Riverside and State of California to determine the level of personnel or capacity of correctional facilities is listed below.
Community Policing: For community policing efforts, the County Sheriff’s Department attempts to maintain a ratio of one deputy per 1,000 population.
Correctional Facilities: The capacity of the prison system is occupancy capacity, which is set by federal court order. The order provides that the County of Riverside cannot run the correctional system at more than 90% capacity. As such, the facilities are always at capacity and are projected to remain at capacity. However, the Sheriff’s Department indicates that there is a continuous turn-over in the prison population and the number of inmates remains relatively constant.
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The County of Riverside requires the payment of developer mitigation fees prior to the final inspection by the Building and Safety Department for any residential dwelling or mobile home installed on a permanent foundation. The fees are for the construction and acquisition of public facilities. The Sheriff’s Department’s ability to support the needs of future growth is dependent upon their financial ability to hire additional deputies. In addition, a growing population would require that the Sheriff’s Department secure sites for and construct new detention facilities on a timely basis.
C. Thresholds of Significance for Law Enforcement Services
The proposed project would result in a significant impact on law enforcement services if it would:
Result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered law enforcement facilities. Or, result in the need for new or physically altered law enforcement facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for any law enforcement services.
D. Effects of GPA No. 960 on the General Plan and Law Enforcement Services
The proposed update to the General Plan, GPA No. 960, includes land use overlays, land use designation (LUD) changes and new or revised policies that would allow for the conversion of rural, semi-rural, agricultural and vacant lands into suburban or urban uses in concentrated areas throughout Riverside County. As with the current General Plan, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 will introduce people, property and structures into previously undeveloped areas; all of which would require adequate law enforcement and public safety services to ensure their protection and security.
The tables below summarize projected need for law enforcement services for three scenarios, as defined by the needed level of staffing and equipment deemed to represent an adequate level of service. Pursuant to Mitigation Measure 4.15.C of EIR No. 441, which was certified for the adoption of the 2003 RCIP General Plan, the following service ratios were applied to these scenarios:
Ÿ 1.5 Sworn Peace Officers per 1,000 population (0.5 officers greater than the standard service ratio)
Ÿ 1 Supervisory Officer and 1 support staff per every 7 sworn officers
Ÿ 1 Patrol vehicle per every 3 sworn officers
Table 4.17-H (Theoretical Law Enforcement Needs With and Without the Project) provides a summary of the theoretical needs for law enforcement staffing within Riverside County according to the theoretical estimate of need associated with existing land uses, as well as that for build out of the known spatial components or locations addressed by GPA No. 960 (i.e., site-specific LUD changes, policy area and study area changes, etc.). It should be noted that the following projections are based on the assumption that all of the changes proposed under GPA No. 960 actually result in future development and fully build out (as part of overall implementation of the Riverside County General Plan). That is, it is a theoretical, worst-case scenario that likely over-states the actual development potential in the real world. The actual future development of the individual parcels and areas affected by GPA No. 960 proposals, as with build out of the rest of the General Plan, are subject to the discretion of many hundreds to thousands of individual property owners, including private individuals, business entities and even various public agencies and other entities.
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For land use policy changes without currently assigned locations (Indian fee lands, incidental rural commercial, etc.), specific effects on law enforcement needs cannot be delineated at present since they are location-dependent. For the sake of comparison, however, Table 4.17-J (Theoretical Law Enforcement Needs at General Plan Build Out) shows the theoretical law enforcement needs at build out for both the current General Plan and the General Plan as it would be if amended pursuant to proposed GPA No. 960.
The tables below summarize projected theoretical need for law enforcement staffing, as an indicator of the need for law enforcement and protection services, for three scenarios. Again, these calculations are all labeled “theoretical” because they use the same basic set of assumptions and factors to allow for valid comparisons between and amongst scenarios. In the real world, a number of additional factors that are beyond the scope of this analysis would apply (funding availability, jurisdiction, available manpower and equipment, etc.). The actual planning, locations and development of Sheriff’s substations and the provision of all associated services is under the purview of the Riverside County Sheriff.
Table 4.17-H shows demand associated with the existing (baseline) level of development currently estimated to be present on the portions of Riverside County directly affected by proposed land use-related changes; compared against the full build out of all of the same areas as they would be permitted under the updated General Plan (e.g., pursuant to the changes proposed in GPA No. 960).
In addition, to focus on the areas where the proposed project would actually result in new development potential (i.e., potential impacts), a second scenario was developed. As shown in Table 4.17-I (Theoretical Law Enforcement Needs for New Development Potential Area), this second scenario includes only those areas proposed for a change that would result in an increase in future development density or intensity. This also includes all parcels in which an LUD was changed (except those being assigned to OS-CH due to their acquisition for open space conservation pursuant to the WRC-MSHCP; these parcels would be removed from development potential).
Lastly, the third table, Table 4.17-J, shows a “plan-to-plan” comparison between the build out conditions of the General Plan as it currently exists and then as it would be if GPA No. 960 were approved and fully implemented. This third table indicates the relative effects of the project on long-range planning, rather than environmental impacts per se, and is provided for informational purposes and to allow comparison between build out outcomes.
Table 4.17-H: Theoretical Law Enforcement Needs With and Without the Project Associated with GPA No. 960 Build Out Staffing Item Generation Factors Existing Land Uses Total Staffing Needed2 Total Staffing Needed2 Difference Population1 16,520 persons 46,370 persons + 29,840 people 1.5 per 1,000 Sworn Officers 24.8 69.5 + 44.7 officers persons population3 Supervisors 1 per 7 officers 3.5 10.0 + 6.5 staff Support Staff 1 per 7 officers 3.5 10.0 + 6.5 staff Patrol Vehicles 1 per 3 officers 8.3 23.2 + 14.9 vehicles STAFFING TOTALS 31.9 personnel 89.4 personnel + 57.6 personnel Footnotes: 1. Theoretical population estimated for the land uses associated with the 111,440-acre area of known spatial project changes. Populations calculated as per General Plan Appendix E-1 standards. See Section 4.1 (Environmental Assumptions and Methods) for more information. All results rounded to the nearest 10 for dwelling units (du) and nearest tenth for staffing needs. 2. This is the theoretical need for Sheriff services associated with the given level of development indicated in each of the two population scenarios. The Sheriff’s Department determines and implements actual needs. 3. Although the stated planning standard reported by the Sheriff’s Department is 1.0 officers per 1,000, EIR No. 441 includes Mitigation Measure 4.15.C, which specifies the use of the 1.5-officer standard for new development mitigation purposes. Hence, this value is used herein for both scenarios. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Law enforcement service standards from EIR No. 441.
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Table 4.17- I: Theoretical Law Enforcement Needs for New Development Potential Area Associated with GPA No. 960 Build Out Staffing Item Generation Factors Existing Land Uses Total Staffing Needed2 Total Staffing Needed2 Difference Population1 6,590 persons 19,610 persons + 13,020 people 1.5 per 1,000 Sworn Officers 9.9 29.4 + 19.5 officers persons population3 Supervisors 1 per 7 officers 1.4 4.2 + 2.8 staff Support Staff 1 per 7 officers 1.4 4.2 + 2.8 staff Patrol Vehicles 1 per 3 officers 3.3 9.8 + 6.5 vehicles STAFFING TOTALS 12.7 personnel 37.8 personnel + 25.1 personnel Footnotes: 1. Theoretical population estimated for the land uses associated with the 10,690-acre area of known spatial project changes that would increase development intensity or density or change an LUD within the Community Development Foundation. Populations calculated as per General Plan Appendix E-1 standards. See Section 4.1 for more information. All results rounded to the nearest 10 for dwelling units (du) and nearest tenth for staffing needs. 2. This is the theoretical need for Sheriff services associated with the given level of development indicated in each of the two population scenarios. The Sheriff’s Department determines and implements actual needs. 3. Although the stated planning standard reported by the Sheriff’s Department is 1.0 officers per 1,000, EIR No. 441 includes Mitigation Measure 4.15.C, which specifies the use of the 1.5-officer standard for new development mitigation purposes. Hence, this value is used herein for both scenarios. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Law enforcement service standards from EIR No. 441.
Table 4.17-J: Theoretical Law Enforcement Needs at General Plan Build Out Existing General Plan GPA No. 960 Staffing Item Generation Factors Total Staffing Needed2 Total Staffing Needed2 Difference Build Out Population1 1,736,700 persons 1,599,000 persons - 137,800 persons Sworn Officers 1.5 per 1,000 2,600 2,400 - 200 Officers persons population3 Supervisors 1 per 7 officers 370 340 - 30 Supervisors Support Staff 1 per 7 officers 370 340 - 30 Supp. Staff Patrol Vehicles 1 per 3 officers 870 800 -70 vehicles STAFFING TOTALS 3,350 personnel 3,080 personnel - 260 personnel Footnotes: 1. Build out scenario populations for the unincorporated county. See Section 4.1 for more details on projection methods and assumptions. Populations rounded to nearest 100. All others rounded to nearest 10. 2. The theoretical total for law enforcement staffing estimated to be needed at build out of the Riverside County General Plan (current and as proposed for amendment). As of 2009, Riverside County had 2,300 sworn peace officers. 3. Although the stated planning standard reported by the Sheriff’s Department is 1.0 officers per 1,000, EIR No. 441 includes Mitigation Measure 4.15.C, which specifies the use of the 1.5-officer standard for new development mitigation purposes. Hence, this value is used herein. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Law enforcement service standards from EIR No. 441.
As shown in the plan-to-plan comparison in Table 4.17-J, at build out, the project would result in a net decrease in the overall number of Sheriff’s Department personnel needed throughout Riverside County when compared to build out of the existing General Plan. Staffing needs would require 260 fewer personnel, including 200 fewer sworn peace officers than what had been previously forecast for General Plan build out. Although the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department did not provide generation factors for detention facilities, as with the other population-dependent calculations, it can be reasoned that a similar reduction in the need for such facilities would occur.
Thus, on a comparative basis, the proposed project would result in less impact on the environment due to a reduced need for Sheriff stations and detention facilities. Such a reduced need would be reflected in any of several ways, including through a reduction in the capacity needed within existing detention facilities; by delaying the need for construction of new detention facilities; or, by reducing the size of new detention facilities constructed.
In terms of future development, however, as indicated in Table 4.17-H, future development accommodated by the project would introduce a total of just under 30,000 new residents to Riverside County. These residents
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would trigger the need for a total of approximately 58 additional law enforcement personnel, including 45 sworn officers, as well as 15 additional patrol vehicles. This total represents demand across Riverside County, however. The actual increases would be spread throughout the 19 Area Plans of unincorporated Riverside County, plus the remainder area of eastern desert not in an Area Plan. As such, the adverse effects on any single area would be small to negligible. Also, these increases would occur incrementally over the next several decades, allowing ample time for long-range planning and provision of necessary services.
Table 4.17-I isolates just the areas of growth associated with GPA No. 960 that would potentially be greater than that originally planned under the existing General Plan. This enables to see changes that differ from the background levels already planned for under the existing General Plan. Once these areas are removed, the resultant scenario indicates that the future new development potential arising from GPA No. 960 would speci- fically result in the need for an additional 20 officers and 6 staff personnel. To determine where in Riverside County these personnel would be needed, this data was further broken down by Area Plan.
This analysis indicated that statistically, the Elsinore Area Plan would need approximately 7 additional law enforcement personnel (6 officers, 1-2 staff) as a result of GPA No. 960, due primarily to future development of the proposed Meadowbrook and Good Hope Rural Village Land Use Overlays. The LUD changes associated with achieving ALUP consistency around the Blythe Airport would necessitate roughly 5 additional personnel (roughly 4.5 officers, 1 staff) within the Palo Verde Valley Area Plan. The Jurupa, Mead and Western Coachella Valley Area Plans would see an increase in staffing needs of about 2-3 officers and 1 staff each. These are all due to the various Riverside County-initiated LUD changes proposed under GPA No. 960, plus the LUDs being ad- justed within the Jurupa Area Plan to ensure consistency with the Flabob and Riverside Municipal Airport ALUPs. Lastly, the San Jacinto Valley Area Plan would see its staffing needs go up by roughly one officer.
E. Law Enforcement Services – Impacts and Mitigation
The following impacts related to law enforcement that would result from implementation of the project, GPA No. 960, were evaluated for significance and the need for mitigation, as indicated.
Would the project result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered law enforcement facilities? Or, would it result in the need for new or physically altered law enforcement facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain accep- table service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for any law en- forcement services?
Impact 4.17.B – Cause Adverse Environmental Effects Due to The Need for Law Enforcement Services: Future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would incrementally increase rural, suburban and urban uses in localized areas throughout unincorporated Riverside County. Compared to the existing General Plan, the overall net effect of the project is to reduce the amount of dwelling units and industrial development, as well as the associated population, expected to occur within Riverside County over the next 50 years. In terms of changes to existing levels of service, however, localized development increases would incrementally create demand for additional law enforcement personnel and services in specific areas, such as the Elsinore and Palo Verde Valley Area Plans. None of these increases, however, would trigger the need for new or improved facilities in order to meet the additional demand. The additional personnel (officers, supervisors and support staff), equipment and vehicles necessary could readily be accommodated at existing facilities. Therefore, the project would not have a significant adverse effect on law enforcement services due to the need to construct new facilities. Moreover,
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compliance with a variety of existing regulatory programs and General Plan policies would further prevent or reduce any impacts to law enforcement service associated with the project.
1. Analysis of Impact 4.17.B
New development would introduce additional people and property requiring law enforcement and emergency response services. This would result in additional enforcement calls and emergency responses from existing facilities by existing staff. When new development is located outside the normal radius for acceptable response time (defined by the Sheriff’s Department as being typically within 5 minutes), people and property would be at increased risk due to delayed response. Law enforcement (Sheriff’s Department) vehicles and equipment responding would experience increased wear and tear due to additional distances traveled. Increased travel times would also decrease the number of calls that can be handled during a shift. When demand is great enough in a given region, an additional Sheriff’s station would be built. However, in areas where development remains sparse, response times would not be likely to drastically increase. Hence, future development in areas distant from existing or planned Sheriff’s stations would be at greater risk of harm due to longer response times.
As shown in Table 4.17-J, above, existing standards indicate that full build out of the existing General Plan would accommodate a population of over 1.7 million people within unincorporated Riverside County. To protect and serve this population, the Sheriff’s Department would require an estimated total of 2,600 sworn officers, plus 370 supervisors and a similar number of support staff, plus 870 patrol vehicles. On a plan-to-plan basis, the land use changes associated with GPA No. 960 would mean a reduction in the expected population of Riverside County at capacity of nearly 138,000 people (to roughly 1.6 million) and require roughly 200 fewer sworn officers. Supervisors, support staff, patrol vehicles, equipment and facility needs would be similarly reduced. Similarly, the need for law enforcement facilities, including Sheriff’s stations and detention facility space (beds), would also be reduced (by about 6%) compared to those originally forecast. Accordingly, environmental impacts associated with construction of new or improved facilities would be avoided or postponed.
In terms of changes from baseline conditions at the Area Plan level, as shown in Table 4.17-I, GPA No. 960 would accommodate increased future development potential that would increase Riverside County’s population by roughly 13,000 people, spread widely throughout Riverside County, but with concentrations in several areas plans, such as Elsinore and Mead. These increases would require roughly 20 additional sworn officers (an increase of less than 1%), three additional supervisors and a similar number of additional support staff, as well as 6-7 additional patrol vehicles. As discussed previously in Section 4.17.3-D, regional (area plan) analysis indicates that the increase would be negligible to non-existent for much of Riverside County and small (7 or fewer) for the few portions of Riverside County experiencing localized increases. Because these increases are less than 1% of existing levels, it is predicted that the future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would not result in significant adverse impacts on acceptable service ratios or response times.
Where additional staff is needed, increases could be offset through reassignment of resources, for example from areas not growing as quickly. As local increases are small, the additional personnel (officers, supervisors and support staff), equipment and vehicles necessary could be readily accommodated at existing facilities. None of these staffing increases would trigger need for new or improved facilities in order to meet increased demands. Also these increases would occur incrementally over the next several decades, allowing ample time for long-range planning and provision of services as demand arises.
Hence, the proposed project, GPA No. 960, would not result in any substantial adverse physical impact on the environment resulting from the need to provide new or physically altered law enforcement facilities. Project impacts on law enforcement services would be less than significant. No project-specific mitigation is needed.
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Existing regulatory programs, such as those outlined in existing EIR No. 441, as well as herein, for example, would also further reduce or avoid impacts to law enforcement services and further enhance public safety.
2. Regulatory Compliance for Impact 4.17.B
The above analysis indicates that this impact would be less than significant and hence no project-specific mitigation is needed. Moreover, the following regulations, policies and existing mitigation measures from prior EIR No. 441 would further reduce or minimize this already insignificant impact. a. Compliance with Existing County General Plan Policies
Land Use (LU) Policies LU 5.1, 5.2 and 10.1 from the existing Riverside County General Plan would further reduce the already insignificant project impacts on law enforcement services. See Section 4.17.3.B for full text of each of these policies.
b. Compliance with Existing Mitigation Measures from EIR No. 441
In EIR No. 441, prepared for the 2003 RCIP General Plan, Mitigation Measures 4.15.2A, B, C and D were imposed to ensure that “communities and large private facilities provide private security” and set specific levels of services for law enforcement services to ensure impacts to law enforcement services are less than significant. Although the potential impacts of this project, GPA No. 960, are already less than significant, these measures were programmatic in nature and thus remain applicable to this project.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.2A: The County of Riverside shall require as a part of the development review process, proponents of new businesses, recreational and commercial land uses such as shopping centers, health clubs, large hotels over 200 rooms, convention centers and commercial recreational activities to provide onsite security.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.2B: The TLMA [Riverside County Transportation and Land Management Agency] shall inform the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department of the existence of all new homeowner’s associations within the county. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department shall coordinate with homeowner’s associations to establish a Neighborhood Watch Program.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.2C: Riverside County shall meet and maintain a goal of 1.5 sworn officers per 1,000 population, as recommended by the International City Managers’ Association.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.2D: The County [of Riverside] shall require the development applicant to pay the [Riverside] County Sheriff’s established development mitigation fee prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy on any structure as they are developed. The fees are for the acquisition and construction of public facilities.
F. Law Enforcement Services – Level of Significance After Mitigation
The analysis presented above indicates that future development accommodated by the proposed project, GPA No. 960, would have less than significant impacts on law enforcement services. In addition, compliance with the above-listed existing regulatory programs, standards, General Plan policies and existing Mitigation Measures
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4.15.2A through 4.15.2D from EIR No. 441, would further prevent or reduce any impacts associated with the project.
4.17.4 Solid Waste Management
A. Solid Waste Management – Existing Environmental Setting
1. Solid Waste Facilities
The following section discusses the active landfills, transfer stations, diversion and recycling programs that currently serve the unincorporated area’s solid waste disposal service needs. Figure 4.17.4 (Landfill Locations) shows the location of active landfills within unincorporated Riverside County. Table 4.17-K (Solid Waste Disposal Facilities in Riverside County), below, identifies the primary landfills within Riverside County, as well as those that are either inactive or open limited times.
The Riverside County Waste Management Department (RCWMD) is responsible for the efficient and effective landfill disposal of non-hazardous county waste. To accomplish this, the RCWMD operates six active landfills and administers a contract agreement for waste disposal at the private El Sobrante Landfill. The Department also oversees several transfer station leases, as well as a number of recycling and other special waste diversion pro- grams. As all of the private haulers serving unincorporated Riverside County ultimately dispose of their waste to Riverside County-owned or contracted facilities, they are not further discussed separately here. Rather, the waste they transport to Riverside County landfills (plus El Sobrante) are included in the data discussed here.
All of the active landfills currently located in Riverside County are rated as Class III landfills according to Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR). Such landfills only accept nonhazardous, municipal solid wastes. Franchise solid waste collection companies are granted permits to collect commercial and residential waste throughout unincorporated Riverside County under Riverside County’s general operating authority. These companies are regulated by the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health (RCDEH). In addition, County landfills accept wastes collected in incorporated cities. Within these cities, solid wastes are either collected by the city as a municipal service or are collected by private firms pursuant to a franchise agreement with the city. As part of its long-range planning and management activities, the RCWMD also ensures that Riverside County has a minimum of 15 years of capacity, at any time, for future landfill disposal.
The RCWMD reports that in the past, trash was disposed of in ‘dumps’ and either burned or buried in a hole. Over time, stringent regulations have been enacted to ensure that landfills are designed, operated, monitored and ultimately closed in a safe and sanitary manner to protect the communities in which they are located. After a landfill closes, the site is capped and continues to be monitored for landfill gas and groundwater quality for a minimum of 30 years. In this manner, in addition to active landfills, the RCWMD also maintains closed landfills and historic ‘dump sites’ within Riverside County. The RCWMD is involved in the closure and post-closure of 30 disposal sites, requiring in some cases construction, monitoring and/or maintenance activities. Closed landfills are discussed in Section 4.13 (Hazards and Hazardous Materials), rather than here, as they are no longer an active solid waste disposal resource.
All of Riverside County’s sanitary landfills accept normal solid wastes, household refuse and yard trimmings as well as furniture, household appliances, televisions and computers, and other electronic wastes. The following are not allowed to be disposed of in any of Riverside County’s sanitary landfills: hazardous wastes, household
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hazardous wastes (i.e., cleaners, pesticides, pool chemicals, paints, aerosol cans, etc.), explosives or ammunition, untreated medical or infectious wastes (including sharps) or items containing asbestos (such as some floor tile and roofing materials).
Solid waste not dumped directly in a landfill is deposited temporarily in several transfer stations throughout Riverside County. Table 4.17-K identifies the transfer stations serving Riverside County. The region’s transfer stations play a vital role in accommodating throughput to landfills, serving as collection and separation points for solid waste and recyclables. Transfer stations also help reduce traffic congestion and provide flexibility for hauling waste to distant landfills or processing plants outside the region when appropriate.
The County of Riverside also operates separate collection facilities for household hazardous wastes (HHW) and offers free one- and two-day HHW collection events throughout the year to provide residents with an environmentally safe way to properly dispose of or recycle their HHW. As defined by the State Health and Safety Code, HHW are hazardous wastes generated incidentally to the owning and maintaining of a residence. They do not include hazardous wastes generated by commercial, industrial or medical uses, even if such use occurs in a residence. Common types of HHW include certain paints, cleaners, stains and varnishes, car batteries, motor oil, lawn and pool chemicals and pesticides that are unused or leftover consumer products. Fluorescent bulbs, ballasts and fire extinguishers may also be disposed of as HHW. HHW also includes sharps and needles, if properly contained.
Improper disposal of these materials (such as in the regular trash or down a storm drain) can be hazardous to people and the environment, as well as potentially illegal. Items that are not accepted at the HHW facilities include: business, non-profit or out-of-county hazardous waste, explosives and ammunition, radioactive materials, asbestos, appliances, tires, containers larger than five gallons and compressed gas cylinders weighing over 40 pounds. For any of these types of wastes, special arrangements must be made for their disposal.
In addition to the HHW facilities, there are three regional ABOP facilities within the county. One operated by RCWMD; the other two by Burrtec, a private waste company. ABOP stands for “antifreeze, batteries, oil and paint,” the four most common types of HHW. The facilities accept ABOP, which includes oil filters and paint, but only latex. They do not accept any other types of HHW. For automotive oil and filters, there are also Certified Used Oil Collection Centers throughout California that accept used vehicle oils of 5 gallons or less, often for free.
Hazardous waste that inadvertently enters Riverside County landfills is handled through a Load Check Program, which consists of random waste load inspections, temporary storage of any discovered/recovered hazardous waste at the Lamb Canyon’s central accumulation facility and removal of the accumulated hazardous waste by a licensed hazardous waste hauler for recycling and disposal.
2. Existing Landfill Capacities and Waste Volumes
In general, waste originating from anywhere within Riverside County may be accepted for disposal at any of Riverside County’s sites. In practice, to minimize truck traffic and vehicular emissions, each landfill has a service area, as follows:
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Table 4.17-K: Solid Waste Disposal Facilities in Riverside County Facility Location Hours 1 Operator Primary Riverside County Landfills 31125 Ironwood Ave., Moreno Riv. Co. Waste Badlands Sanitary Landfill M - Sa, 6 am - 4:30 pm Valley Management Dept. M – F and 1st Sat of each month, Riv. Co. Waste Blythe Sanitary Landfill 1000 Midland Road, Blythe 8 am - 4 pm Management Dept. 17991 Kaiser Road, 2 days per year: 1st Thurs of Feb & Riv. Co. Waste Desert Center Sanitary Landfill Desert Center Aug, 8 am - 4:30 pm Management Dept. 10910 Dawson Canyon Road, Privately owned: Waste El Sobrante Sanitary Landfill M - Sat, 6 am - 6 pm Corona Mngmnt Inc. 16411 Lamb Canyon Road, Riv. Co. Waste Lamb Canyon Sanitary Landfill M - Sat, 6 am - 4:30 pm Beaumont Management Dept. 2 days per year: 2nd Sat of April & Oct, Riv. Co. Waste Mecca II Sanitary Landfill 95250 66th Avenue, Mecca 8 am - 4:30 pm Management Dept. 2 days per week: Riv. Co. Waste Oasis Sanitary Landfill 84-505 84th Avenue, Oasis Wed & Sat, 8 am - 4:30 pm Management Dept. Transfer Stations / Collection Centers 2 M - F, 7 am - 6 pm; Sat, 7 am - 4:30 Robert A. Nelson Transfer Station 1830 Agua Mansa Road, Riverside Burrtec pm; Sun, 8 am - 3 pm Anza Transfer Station 40329 Terwilliger Rd, Anza Thurs - Mon, 8 am - 4:30 pm Waste Mngmnt, Inc. M - F, 8 am - 5 pm; Coachella Transfer Station 87-011 Landfill Road, Coachella Burrtec Sat, 8 am - 12:00 pm 28100 Saunder Meadow Rd., Idyllwild Transfer Station Thurs - Mon, 8 am - 4:30 pm Waste Mngmnt, Inc. Idyllwild Pinion Flats Road, Su - M, 9 am-1 pm; Th, 7-11 am; Pinion Flats Transfer Station Waste Mngmnt, Inc. Pinion Flats F, 1:30-5:30 pm; Sat, 8 am - 4 pm 70-100 Edom Hill Road, Cathedral M - Sat, 7:30 am – 5 pm; Edom Hill Transfer Station Burrtec City Sun, 1 pm - 5 pm Moreno Valley Transfer Station 17700 Indian St., Moreno Vlly M - F, 8 am - 5 pm Waste Mngmnt, Inc. Perris Transfer Station 1706 Goetz Road, Perris M - F, 7 am - 6 pm CR&R Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Facilities Palm Springs Regional Permanent 1100 Vella Road, Oct. thru May: Sat, 9 am - 2 pm; Co. residents only. HHW Collection Facility Palm Springs June thru Sept: Sat, 7 am - Noon Accepts e-waste. Lake Elsinore Regional Permanent 521 N. Langstaff Street, 1st Sat of each month, except Dec., 9 am Co. residents only. HHW Collection Facility Lake Elsinore - 2 pm Accepts e-waste. Agua Mansa Regional Permanent 1780 Agua Mansa Road, Co. residents only. Sat., 9 am - 2 pm HHW Collection Facility Riverside Accepts e-waste. Regional ABOP Collection Facilities 3 Murrieta Area Regional ABOP County Road Yard, 25315 Riv. Co. Waste Sat., 9 am - 2 pm Collection Facility Jefferson Ave., Murrieta Management Dept. East Coachella Valley Area Regional Coachella Vlly Transfer Stn., 87- M - F, 8 am - 5 pm; Burrtec ABOP Collection Fac. 011A Landfill Rd, Coach. Sat, 8 am - Noon North-West Coachella Valley Area Edom Hill Transf Stn, 70-100 Sat., 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Burrtec Regional ABOP Coll. Fac. Edom Hill Rd, Cathedral City Footnotes: 1. Note, any of these facilities may be closed without warning due to rain, snow, excessive winds or other hazardous conditions at Riverside County’s discretion. Landfills are also closed on various holidays. 2. All privately owned or operated on Riverside County land. Operators listed in far-right column. 3. “ABOP” stands for “Antifreeze, Battery, Oil (and Filter) and Paint (Latex).” Source: Riverside County Waste Management Department, www.rivcowm.org (agency website), 2011.
County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-38 Public Review Draft § February 2015 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
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CALIMESA Ä62 DESERT HOT SPRINGS BANNING NORCO MORENO Ä60 RIVERSIDE VALLEY ¦¨§10 Ä91 Ä111 §215 Ä ¦¨ 10 CATHEDRAL BEAUMONT PALM SPRINGS¨§ CORONA ¦ CITY Ä177 Ä79 Ä ¤£95
15 SAN ¦¨§ JACINTO Ä243 PALM PERRIS RANCHO DESERT Ä74 MIRAGE INDIO HEMET LAKE MENIFEE Ä74 ELSINORE 215 ¦¨§ INDIAN WELLS COACHELLA LA QUINTA ¦¨§10 ORANGE Ä74 WILDOMAR BLYTHE COUNTY Ä79 Ä74 Ä Ä86S MURRIETA
371 TEMECULA ÄÄ Ä78 SALTON Ä79 SEA ¦¨§15 Ä86 Ä111 LA PAZ COUNTY, AZ
SAN DIEGO COUNTY IMPERIAL COUNTY PACIFIC OCEAN
Data Source: Riverside County (2007)
Landfills Highways
Area Plan Boundary
City Boundary
Waterbodies Figure 4.17.4
Disclaimer: Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only. Map features are December 16, 2013 approximate, and are not necessarily accurate to surveying or engineering standards. The County of Riverside makes no warranty or guarantee as to the content (the source is often third LANDFILL LOCATIONS [ party), accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided, and assumes no legal responsibility for the information contained on this map. Any use of this product with Miles respect to accuracy and precision shall be the sole responsibility of the user. 0 10 20 \\agency\tlmagis\Projects\Planning\SafetyElement\Schools.mxd
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Badlands: The local service area for the Badlands Landfill is generally considered to include the City of Moreno Valley and surrounding cities and unincorporated communities. The landfill accepts residual waste from the Robert A. Nelson Transfer Station/Materials Recovery Facility, which primarily serves the City of Riverside. As a regional disposal facility, the landfill is also permitted to receive waste from the cities and unincorporated communities of the Coachella Valley in the eastern portion of Riverside County.
Blythe: The Blythe Sanitary Landfill receives solid waste for disposal from the East Riverside County service area, generally considered to include the City of Blythe and the unincorporated communities of Chiriaco Summit, Colorado River Communities, Colorado River Indian Tribe, Desert Center, Eagle Mountain, Lake Tamarisk, Mesa Verde and Ripley.
Desert Center: The Desert Center Sanitary Landfill serves the communities of Eagle Mountain, Desert Center and Lake Tamarisk.
El Sobrante: The local service areas for the El Sobrante Landfill typically include cities/communities within southwestern Riverside County, as well as multiple jurisdictions within the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego. Located near the center of the highly populated western third of Riverside County, according to Waste Management, Inc., the landfill’s operator, it processes approximately 43% of Riverside County’s annual waste.
Lamb Canyon: The local service areas for the Lamb Canyon Landfill typically includes the cities of Beaumont, Banning, San Jacinto and Hemet, and the unincorporated communities of Pine Cove, Cherry Valley, Cabazon, Idyllwild, Homeland, Romoland and Winchester. In addition, this landfill receives waste from the entire Coachella Valley through the Edom Hill and Coachella Valley Transfer Stations.
Mecca II: The Mecca II Sanitary Landfill services the Coachella Valley communities of Mecca, Oasis, North Shore and Thermal.
Oasis: The Oasis Sanitary Landfill services the Coachella Valley communities of Mecca, Oasis, North Shore and Thermal.
All RCWMD sites have the potential for expansion. Currently, the Lamb Canyon Landfill is in the design and permitting stage for its next expansion (Phase 3), which is estimated to provide capacity for additional 30-plus years beyond the estimated closure date of 2021. The closure dates listed for RCWMD sites are estimated dates and subject to change based on actual tonnage received and any future RCWMD re-permitting activities. The specific operational details, such as daily, yearly and lifetime capacities, intake volumes and estimated closure dates, are provided in Table 4.17-L (Active Landfills in Riverside County) for each active landfill serving Riverside County.
Table 4.17-L: Active Landfills in Riverside County Year 2010 Year 2010 Year 2010 Estimated Permitted Daily Average Total Remaining Landfill Active Landfills 1 Capacity Current Design Intake Intake Capacity 5, 7 Closure (days per year open) (tons/day) Capacity 4 (tons) (tons/day) (tons) (tons) Date Badlands 4,000 17,619,521 1,667 516,676 8,987,467 2024 (open 310 days/yr) Blythe 400 1,930,912 60 16,256 1,289,543 2047 (open 269 days/yr) Desert Center 60 58,516 17 34 18,045 2018 (open 2 days/yr)
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Year 2010 Year 2010 Year 2010 Estimated Permitted Daily Average Total Remaining Landfill Active Landfills 1 Capacity Current Design Intake Intake Capacity 5, 7 Closure (days per year open) (tons/day) Capacity 4 (tons) (tons/day) (tons) (tons) Date El Sobrante 2 5,000 3 52,320,000 2,201 680,086 N/A2 2045 3 (open 311 days/yr) Lamb Canyon 5,000 15,646,000 1,703 529,744 8,647,603 2021 (open 311 days/yr) Mecca II 400 229,427 1.5 3 1,332 2037 (open 2 days/yr) Oasis 400 247,411 14 1,407 69,275 2021 (open 103 days/yr) Totals 88,051,787 tons 1,744,206 tons 19,013,265 tons 2 Footnotes: 1. All listed active landfills, except for El Sobrante, are public facilities owned and operated by Riverside County. 2. El Sobrante Landfill is the only private landfill in the county and is owned and operated by USA Waste of California, a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. It is permitted to receive out-of-county waste. The data in the above table represent only the in-county portion of the landfill’s waste capacity permitted and received that is readily available to the County of Riverside. The rest of the data should be obtained directly from the landfill operator. 3. Based on the current SWFP, El Sobrante is authorized to receive up to 70,000 tons per week, with a daily tonnage limit of 16,054 tons. It is projected to close in 2045. Pursuant to the Second Amendment to the Second Landfill Agreement between the County of Riverside and the landfill owner, a maximum of 52.32 million tons of the landfill’s design capacity and 5,000 tons of the permitted daily capacity are reserved for in-county waste. 4. Current design capacity data as of June 30, 2010, based on the latest JTDs and 2010 GASB Report. 5. Year end remaining capacity estimates for Riverside County-owned landfills were derived from the estimates in the 2010 GASB and tonnage data from site info. 6. Estimated closure dates are projections published in the current permitting documents, i.e., RDSI/JTDs. These projections rely not only on landfill capacity design, but also on the economy, which affects waste generation and disposal quantities. Therefore, they are regularly re-evaluated internally for planning purposes. 7. This landfill data is subject to minor system-wide adjustments up to one year after reporting. Source: Governmental Accounting Standard Board Report, 2010. Riverside County Waste Management Dept., 2011.
The 15-year projection of disposal capacity is prepared each year by the RCWMD as part of the annual reporting requirements for the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP). The most recent 15-year projection submitted to the State Integrated Waste Management Board by the RCWMD is shown in Table 4.17-M (Fifteen-Year Disposal Capacity Projections for Riverside County). Riverside County’s projection is disposal- based, accounting for both growth in disposal needs or demand (4% per year) and diversion requirements.
Table 4.17-M: Fifteen-Year Disposal Capacity Projections for Riverside County Additional Capacity Needed Year End Countywide Disposal 1 Countywide Remaining Capacity 1, 2 3 2009 2,433,709 77,395,297 0 2010 2,462,691 74,932,606 0 2011 2,561,968 72,370,638 0 2012 2,665,251 69,705,387 0 2013 2,772,701 66,932,686 0 2014 2,884,485 64,048,201 0 2015 3,000,781 61,047,420 0 2016 3,121,768 57,925,652 0 2017 3,247,638 54,678,014 0 2018 3,378,586 51,299,428 0 2019 3,514,818 47,784,610 0 2020 3,656,548 44,128,063 0 2021 3,054,895 40,370,193 0 2022 3,146,167 36,507,762 0 2023 3,894,403 32,613,360 0 2024 4,051,734 28,561,626 0 Footnotes: 1. Disposal and Remaining Capacity figures for 2009 are measured values and those for the rest of the projection years are growth estimates. Countywide remaining capacity was based on 2009 landfill data reported to the State (CalRecycle) in accordance with GASB standards. Disposal figures for 2009 do not include out-of-county tonnage received at El Sobrante Landfill.
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2. A Second Amendment to the Second Lease Agreement for the El Sobrante Landfill operation became effective with the issuance of a revised Solid Waste Facility Permit in Sept. 2009, whereby approximately 5 million tons was added to the county disposal capacity reserve. The added capacity is due to airspace (volume) gained from effective refuse compaction, not from literal expansion beyond current permitted boundaries. 3. The Riverside County waste disposal system, with the added capacity at the El Sobrante Landfill in late 2009 and at current disposal rates, would be able to meet disposal needs until mid-2030. Moreover, this countywide capacity reserve would be further expanded by an additional 614,000 tons per year, should the Eagle Mountain Landfill become operative. Most importantly, significant expansion potential exists beyond current refuse disposal footprints at the Badlands and Lamb Canyon Landfills. Source: Riverside County Waste Management Dept., 2009 Annual Report, Appendix E-1, July 2010.
3. Recycling
Commercial and residential municipal solid waste (MSW) is delivered to Riverside County landfills by both waste hauling companies and self-haulers. Within the unincorporated portion of Riverside County, the waste-hauling companies operate under franchise agreements with the RCDEH. These agreements require haulers to imple- ment residential curbside recycling programs and some commercial recycling. Within the cities, solid waste is either collected by the city itself or by a waste hauler under a franchise agreement with the city. The cities or their haulers carry out similar source reduction and recycling programs. In its 2009 Annual Report to the State of California, the RCWMD reported that in 2008, hauler programs diverted over 18,000 tons of recyclable materials and Riverside County franchise haulers also collected nearly 30,000 tons of curbside green waste. To conserve landfill capacity and promote recycling, the RCWMD also operates several recycling programs at the Riverside County landfills. Metals, appliances and tires are some of the materials recycled through these programs. According to the RCWMD, in 2008 County landfills diverted nearly 1,500 tons of metal from appliances and other sources for recycling. Wood wastes are diverted to green/woody waste recyclers for processing into mulch and fuel. At the Colmac energy facility in the Coachella Valley, biomass is recycled as fuel to generate electricity (see Section 4.10 (Energy Resources) for more information on this program). In 2008, nearly 116,400 tons of wood waste was processed into fuel. In addition, clean green waste that has been ground by local green waste/woody waste recyclers is used for alternative daily cover (instead of soil) at landfills, with over 36,000 tons used at Riverside County landfills in 2008. The RCWMD also operates a construction and demolition waste diversion program to recycle and reuse materials such as concrete and asphalt. Of an estimated 920 tons of construction and demolition waste generated, 620 tons were diverted in 2008. A total of 520 tons of tires were also diverted from landfills. Through the HHW and ABOP efforts outlined previously, the County of Riverside kept nearly 650 tons of these wastes out of its sanitary landfills.
B. Policies and Regulations Addressing Solid Waste Management
1. Federal Regulations
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA): This law was enacted in 1976 and is the principal federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) oversees waste management regulation pursuant to Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Under RCRA, however, states are authorized to carry out many of the functions of the federal law through their own hazardous waste programs and laws, as long as they are at least as stringent (or more so) than the federal regulations. Thus, CalRecycle manages the State of California’s solid waste and hazardous materials programs pursuant to US EPA approval.
2. State Regulations
CalRecycle: This is the term the State of California uses for its Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, formerly known as the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). This state agency
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performs a variety of regulatory functions pursuant to CCR Title 27 and other regulations. Among other things, CalRecycle set minimum standards for the handling and disposal of solid waste designed to protect public health and safety, as well as the environment. (See CCR Section 20050, for example). It is also the lead agency for implementing the State of California municipal solid waste program deemed adequate by the US EPA for compliance with RCRA.
California Integrated Waste Management Act (IWMA), AB 939: This act, Assembly Bill 939 (AB 939), was passed by the State Legislature in 1989 to reduce dependence on landfills for the disposal of solid waste and to ensure an effective and coordinated system for the safe management of all solid waste generated within California. With its passage, solid waste management practices were redefined to require California State’s cities and counties to divert disposal of solid waste by 50% by the year 2000. It also required local governments to prepare and implement plans to improve waste resource management by integrating management principles that place importance on first reducing solid waste through source reduction, reuse, recycling and composting before disposal at environmentally safe landfills or via transformation (e.g., regulated incineration of solid waste materials). These plans must also be updated every five years.
Mandatory Diversion and Recycling, AB 341: Approved in 2011, this act amended the California Public Resources Code (Section 42649 et seq.) to address solid waste diversion (i.e., recycling) targets to decrease the amount of wastes going to landfills and thus extend their usable lives. AB 341 requires cities and counties, including Riverside County, to include source reduction, recycling and composting in their integrated waste management plans (IWMP). In addition, under AB 341 counties were required to “divert 50% of all solid waste from landfill disposal or transformation [e.g., incineration] by January 1, 2000, through source reduction, recycling and composting activities.” By 2020, the target rises to “not less than 75% of solid waste.” The RCWMD is responsible for implementing AB 341 in the unincorporated portions of Riverside County. The annual progress report on Riverside County’s status towards attaining AB 341 requirements is also prepared by the RCWMD.
In addition to the above, the act also requires the County of Riverside (i.e., the RCWMD) to implement a commercial solid waste recycling program meeting specific elements outlined in the law. It sets new commercial solid waste recycling requirements. And, it also requires “commercial or public entities” that “generate more than 4 cubic yards of commercial solid waste per week” and “multifamily residential dwelling[s] of five units or more” to source separate recyclable materials and arrange for recycling services starting July 1, 2012.
3. County Regulations
As a variety of state and federal regulations exist to ensure that landfill operations minimize impacts to public health and safety, as well as the environment, an important part of the RCWMD’s mission is to apply sound environmental practices to ensure compliance with these regulations. The RCWMD manages and oversees compliance with a variety of permits necessary for the operation of their active landfills in Riverside County. These include: solid waste facilities permits, waste discharge requirements, stormwater discharge permits and permits to construct and operate gas management systems and leachate collection systems. These permits are issued and enforced by multiple regulatory agencies, including CalRecycle, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD, which enforces air quality regulations) and the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards (which enforce water quality regulations and stormwater runoff controls). The RCDEH is the local enforcement agency (LEA) for CalRecycle. CCR Title 27 and SCAQMD Rule 1150.1 are the main regulations. In some cases, certain projects may also fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (for waters of the US), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (for protected plants, animals or habitats). The RCWMD also evaluates all projects for compliance with CEQA to ensure that any project that could have an impact on the environment is fully analyzed and that any significant impacts are mitigated to the fullest extent possible.
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Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan: The Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP) was prepared in accordance with the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, Chapter 1095 (AB 939), and is updated every five years. The CIWMP outlines and codifies the goals, policies and programs the County of Riverside and its cities are implementing to create an integrated and cost-effective waste management system that complies with the provisions of AB 939 and its diversion mandates. The CIWMP’s components include the Countywide Summary Plan, the Countywide Siting Element, the Source Reduction and Recycling Element, the Household Hazardous Waste Element and Non-Disposal Facility Element. Each of these Elements address plans for both Riverside County and each of its cities. The Riverside Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan was approved by the California Integrated Waste Management Board in September of 1996 and has subsequently been updated at five-year intervals as required by law.
The RCWMD is specifically charged with the responsibility of: 1) implementing programs that adhere to the goals, policies and objectives outlined in Riverside County’s Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE) to ensure that unincorporated Riverside County achieves 50% diversion of solid waste from landfill disposal; 2) implementing programs that adhere to the goals, policies and objectives outlined in Riverside County’s Household Hazardous Waste Element to reduce the amount of HHW disposed within landfills; 3) continuing to meet the solid waste disposal needs of all Riverside County residents into the future; and 4) maintaining and updating the CIWMP and reporting to the CIWMB on Riverside County’s progress in complying with AB 939.
The Countywide Siting Element addresses the need for Riverside County and its cities to identify, plan for and, eventually implement, adequate sites and space for the waste facilities needed over time. The Siting Element serves as a policy manual that outlines various strategies for meeting the disposal needs of all Riverside County residents and enabling the County of Riverside to provide a minimum of 15 years of disposal capacity at all times.
The RCWMD prepares an Annual Report each August that is submitted to CalRecycle. The Annual Report serves as a basis for determining if the Siting Element and Summary Plan should be revised to include additional disposal capacity, reflect new or changed local and regional solid waste management issues, or include new or changed goals and objectives. The Annual Report is reviewed by the State of California to determine if the County of Riverside is making progress toward meeting its goals and objectives. The CIWMP is also subject to a five-year review to assess if revision is necessary and to determine that Riverside County’s waste management practices remain consistent with the hierarchy of waste management practices.
RCWMD Design Guidelines for Refuse and Recyclables Collection and Loading Areas: Part of the RCMWD Planning Section’s review of land-use/development projects is to ensure adequate space is provided for collection of recyclables and that solid waste disposal capacity of Riverside County facilities is not overburdened. As such, most new development projects are required to provide refuse/recycling collection and loading areas, as well as submit a Waste Recycling Plan. Specifically, the County of Riverside requires recycling storage/collection areas provided within new commercial, industrial and multi-family developments. Development near or adjacent to a RCWMD facility may be subject to additional requirements or restrictions. These projects are addressed on a case-by-case basis. The Design Guidelines are intended to assist project proponents in identifying space and other design considerations for refuse and recyclables collection and loading areas per the California Solid Waste Reuse and Recycling Act of 1991. Compliance with the Guidelines is necessary for obtaining RCWMD clearance in order to obtain a building permit within unincorporated Riverside County. In addition, projects that have the potential to generate construction or demolition (C&D) waste are required to complete a County of Riverside Waste Recycling Plan (WRP) to identify the estimated quantity and location of recycling for C&D waste resulting from construction. As part of the WRP, a waste recycling report is required upon completion of project con- struction demonstrating the actual quantity of C&D waste recycled.
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4. Existing Riverside County General Plan Policies
Although the General Plan does not include a Public Facilities Element, it does include a General Plan policy from the Land Use Element, LU 5.2, which addresses impacts related to solid waste generation, disposal and management.
Policy LU 5.2: Monitor the capacities of landfills in coordination with service providers, outside agencies and jurisdictions to ensure that projected growth does not exceed acceptable levels of service for landfills.
5. Proposed New or Revised Riverside County General Plan Policies
Policy LU 5.1: Ensure that development does not exceed the ability to adequately provide supporting infrastructure and services, such as libraries, recreational facilities, educational and child day care centers (i.e. infant, toddlers, preschool and school age children), transportation systems, and fire/police/medical services.
Policy LU 31.2 (Previously 25.2): Protect major public facilities, such as landfill and solid waste processing disposal sites and airports, from the encroachment of incompatible uses.
C. Thresholds of Significance for Solid Waste Management
The proposed project would result in a significant impact on solid waste management if it would:
1. Be served by a landfill with insufficient permitted capacity to accommodate the project’s solid waste disposal needs.
2. Impede or prevent compliance with federal, state or local statutes and regulations related to solid wastes, including the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP).
D. Effect of GPA No. 960 on the General Plan and on Solid Waste Management
The proposed update to the General Plan pursuant to GPA No. 960 includes land use overlays, land use designation (LUD) changes and new or revised policies that would allow for the conversion of rural, semi-rural, agricultural and vacant lands into suburban or urban uses in concentrated areas throughout Riverside County. As with the current General Plan, future development consistent with GPA No. 960 has the potential to introduce people, property and structures into previously undeveloped areas. The resultant growth population (from new residential uses) and jobs and economic activity (from commercial, industrial and institutional uses) would result in a corresponding increase the amount of solid waste generated by these various uses, both during their construction (short-term) and their operation (long-term). The disposal of this additional waste would incrementally increase the wastes going into existing landfills, potentially hastening the end of their usable lives and contributing to the eventual need for new or expanded landfill facilities.
The following tables summarize projected existing and future solid waste generation rates based on baseline (existing) conditions and various build out projections. For the purposes of effects on landfills, changes proposed by the project are relevant only if they would result in an ultimate increase in waste-generating activities. Changes that do not adversely affect (increase or re-allocate) populations or land uses within the unincorporated Riverside County area are not discussed further here. For a summary of these areas and the rationale for their omission, see Section 4.17.1.
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Solid waste generation rates estimate the amount of waste created by residences and businesses over a certain amount of time (day, year, etc.). Waste generation includes all materials discarded, whether or not they are later recycled or disposed of in a landfill. Waste generation rates for residential and commercial activities can be used to estimate the impact of new developments on the local waste stream. In this way, they are useful in providing a general level of information for planning purposes and estimating potential effects. It should be noted that these tables and rates do not take into account any recycling, reduction or diversion. That is, the reductions (potentially upwards of 50%-75%) associated with compliance with AB 341 are not shown. However, in an abundance of caution, these calculations do not apply source reductions.
Table 4.17-N (Theoretical Solid Waste Generation for Existing and Build out Condition) provides a summary of the theoretical needs for landfills (as indicated by solid waste generation) within Riverside County according to the theoretical estimate of need associated with existing land uses, as well as that for build out of the known spatial components or locations addressed by GPA No. 960 (i.e., site-specific LUD changes, policy area and study area changes, etc.). It should be noted that the following projections are based on the assumption that all of the changes proposed under GPA No. 960 actually result in future development and fully build out (as part of overall implementation of the County General Plan). That is, it is a theoretical, worst-case scenario, that likely over-states the actual development potential in the real world and does not take any source reduction programs into account. The actual future development of the individual parcels and areas affected by GPA No. 960 proposals, as with build out of the rest of the General Plan, are subject to the discretion of many hundreds to thousands of indi- vidual property owners, including private individuals, business entities and even various public agencies and other entities.
For land use policy changes without currently assigned locations (Indian fee lands, incidental rural commercial, etc.), specific effects on solid waste management cannot be delineated at present since they are land use- dependent. For the sake of comparison, however, Table 4.17-P (Comparison of Theoretical Solid Waste Gener- ation at Build Out) shows the theoretical waste disposal needs at build out for both the current General Plan and the General Plan as it would be if amended pursuant to proposed GPA No. 960.
Accordingly, Table 4.17-N shows the annual tons of solid waste estimated to be generated for the existing (baseline) level of development currently present within the portions of Riverside County directly affected by pro- posed land use-related changes and for the land use of those same parcels of land as they would develop pursuant to the proposed project; in essence, with and without the proposed project. Because much of the area addressed by GPA No. 960 includes regions for which future development potential is being eliminated (e.g., deletion of Rural Village Study Areas), the first (Table 4.17-M) scenario includes many areas where the build out scenario under the updated General Plan is the same as that which would occur under the existing (current General Plan’s) mapped LUDs. As such, these areas do not represent new areas of growth attributable to the project, GPA No. 960, but rather simply reflect the anticipated build out of the Riverside County General Plan that would occur with or without the project.
Table 4.17-N: Theoretical Solid Waste Generation for Existing and Build Out Conditions Theoretical Solid Waste Generation (tons/year) General Plan Build Out Existing Uses of Land2 Difference Land Use1 Generation Factors With GPA No. 9603 0.41 tons per 5,850 du 16,570 du + 10,720 du Residential dwelling unit 2,400 tons/year 6,790 tons/year + 4,390 tons/year 2.4 tons per 579.6 ksf 1,413.0 ksf + 833.4 ksf Commercial4 1,000 sq. feet 1,390 tons/year 9,480 tons/year + 8,090 tons/year 10.8 tons per 2,108.0 ksf 6,295.2 ksf + 4,187.2 ksf Industrial5 1,000 sq. feet 22,770 tons/year 40,600 tons/year + 17,840 tons/year Total Area 111,440 acres 26,560 tons/year 56,870 tons/year + 30,320 tons/year
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Footnotes: 1. Theoretical solid waste generation for the indicated level of development. All results rounded after analysis to the nearest 10 for dwelling units (du) and tons, and the nearest 100 for thousand square footage (ksf). 2. Theoretical need attributed solely to the portion of Riverside County associated with the lands proposed for spatial changes as part of GPA No. 960. See Section 4.1 for more details on how projections were derived. 3. Theoretical need associated with build out of the General Plan (including as updated pursuant to GPA No. 960) for the same spatial areas. 4. Includes the following land uses: commercial-retail (40%), commercial-tourist, commercial-office and business park. 5. Includes the following land uses: light industrial, heavy industrial and (for existing uses) ranches. Source: Riverside County Planning Dept., Project application data and analysis, 2010. Riverside County, EIR No. 441, 2003, for service standards.
Thus, in order to focus on the areas where the proposed project would actually result in new development potential (i.e., potential impacts), a second scenario was developed. As shown in Table 4.17-O (Theoretical Solid Waste Generation for New Development Potential Areas), this second scenario includes only those areas proposed for a change that would result in an increase in future development density or intensity. This also includes all parcels where an LUD was changed (except those being assigned to OS-CH for acquisition as open space conservation pursuant to the WRC-MSHCP; these parcels would be removed from development potential).
Lastly, the third table, Table 4.17-P, shows a “plan-to-plan” comparison between the build out conditions of the General Plan as it currently exists and then as it would be if GPA No. 960 were approved and fully implemented. This third table indicates the relative effects of the project on long-range planning, rather than environmental impacts per se, and is provided for informational purposes and to allow comparison between build out outcomes.
On a comparative plan-to-plan basis, as shown in Table 4.17-P, the proposed project would result in a net decrease of roughly 441,800 tons in the overall amount of solid waste generated annually in unincorporated Riverside County. It can reasonably be projected that services related to the disposal of this amount of solid waste, such as transfer stations, HHW and ABOP facilities, etc., would be similarly decreased in proportion to the overall growth accommodated by the changes of the proposed project.
Table 4.17-O: Theoretical Solid Waste Generation for New Development Potential Areas Theoretical Solid Waste Generation (tons/year) General Plan Build Out Existing Uses of Land2 Difference Land Use1 Generation Factors With GPA No. 9603 0.41 tons per 2,060 du 6,350 du + 4,290 du Residential dwelling unit 850 tons/year 2,600 tons/year + 1,750 tons/year 2.4 tons per 254.3 ksf 855.5 ksf + 601.2 ksf Commercial4 1,000 sq. feet 610 tons/year 8,140 tons/year + 7,530 tons/year 10.8 tons per 1,478.2 ksf 5,789.3 ksf + 4,311.1 ksf Industrial5 1,000 sq. feet 15,970 tons/year 24,760 tons/year + 8,790 tons/year Total Area 10,690 acres 17,420 tons/year 35,500 tons/year + 18,070 tons/year6 Footnotes: 1. Theoretical solid waste generation for the indicated level of development. All results rounded after analysis to the nearest 10 for dwelling units (du) and tons, and the nearest 100 for thousand square footage (ksf). 2. Theoretical estimates for the land uses associated with the 10,690-acre area of known spatial project changes that would increase development intensity or density or change an LUD within the Community Development Foundation. See Section 4.1 for more information on how land use estimates were calculated. 3. Need for build out of the General Plan (including as updated pursuant to GPA No. 960) for the same spatial areas. 4. Includes the following land uses: commercial-retail (40%), commercial-tourist, commercial-office and business park. 5. Includes the following land uses: light industrial, heavy industrial and (for existing uses) ranches. 6. Per the RCWMD Jurisdictional Landfill Tonnage Report for First Quarter 2012 (dated July 12, 2012), the total scaled solid waste disposed of at all Riverside County landfills (plus El Sobrante) was 753,331.43 tons, yielding an annual Riverside County disposal total of 3,013,325.7 tons per year. For unincorporated Riverside County, tonnage disposed was 17,259.56 for Badlands, 1,593.08 for Blythe, 28,469.77 for El Sobrante and 9,458.55 tons for Lamb Canyon landfill. Source: Riverside County Planning Dept., Project application data and analysis, 2010. Riverside County, EIR No. 441, 2003, for service standards.
In terms of actual land use and changes to baseline conditions, future development accommodated by the proposed General Plan changes would increase the amount of solid waste generated annually by approximately 30,320 tons net, as shown in Table 4.17-N. This additional waste would be generated at numerous individual locations throughout Riverside County, however, not localized to any single landfill service area or hauler
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franchise area. It would also increase in small increments across a roughly 50-year build out period. As such, impacts to any single landfill or waste facility would be negligible and much of this growth is already planned for in the existing General Plan and was analyzed under EIR No. 441, which was certified for the 2003 RCIP General Plan.
As mentioned above, Table 4.17-O isolates just the areas of growth associated with GPA No. 960 that would potentially be greater than that originally planned under the existing General Plan. This highlights the changes that differ from the background levels already planned for under the existing General Plan. Once these areas are removed, the resultant scenario indicates that the future new development potential arising from GPA No. 960 would result in the generation of a total of roughly 18,070 tons of solid waste per year (before any recycling or diversion programs). Because effects to Riverside County landfills (and El Sobrante Landfill) are dependent upon geography, this solid waste generation data was further broken down by Area Plan.
The analysis indicated that the bulk of the additional tonnage would come from areas of western Riverside County, particularly from within the Elsinore Area Plan (12,500 tons), Lakeview/Nuevo Area Plan (6,100 tons) and Mead Area Plan (4,100 tons), as a result of the new Rural Village Land Use Overlays associated with Good Hope and Meadowbrook, plus the revisions to the Lake Elsinore Environs (Lakeland Village) Policy Area. These areas are within the El Sobrante Landfill’s service area and account for roughly 80% of all of the new waste generated. The roughly 22,500 tons, however, is a small fraction (1%) of the roughly 1,930,000 tons collected annually (as projected from the first quarter 2012 El Sobrante disposal totals per the Jurisdictional Landfill Tonnage Report issued by the RCWMD, dated July 12, 2012) and is not expected to be until full build out of Riverside County (roughly 50 years hence).
Table 4.17-P: Comparison of Theoretical Solid Waste Generation at Build Out General Plan as Amended Current General Plan by GPA No. 960 Land Use Tons/Year Tons/Year Difference Build Out Total1 Build Out Total Generated2 Generated2 (Tons/Year) Residential 534,100 du 218,900 498,000 du 204,200 - 14,800 Commercial3 68,059 ksf 163,300 57,919 ksf 139,000 - 24,300 Industrial4 361,013 ksf 3,898,900 323,728 ksf 3,496,300 - 402,700 TOTALS 4,013,400 acres 4,281,300 tons 4,011,600 acres 3,839,400 tons - 441,800 tons Footnotes: 1. All results rounded to the nearest 100 for dwelling units (du) and nearest 1,000 for thousand square footage (ksf). 2. The theoretical total tonnage of solid waste estimated to be generated annually at build out of the County General Plan (current and as proposed for amendment). Rounded to nearest 100 tons after analysis. 3 Includes land uses: commercial-retail (40%), commercial-tourist, commercial-office and business park. 4 Includes the following land uses: light industrial and heavy industrial. Source: Riverside County Planning Dept., Project application data and analysis, 2010. Riverside County, EIR No. 441, 2003, for service standards.
Roughly 2,600 tons would be generated out of the Palo Verde Valley Area Plan region, most likely to be disposed of at the Blythe landfill and roughly 1,400 tons from the Western Coachella Valley Area Plan would go to the Lamb Canyon landfill. The remaining Area Plans would contribute insignificant amounts of waste (115 tons for the REMAP area, 65 tons for the San Jacinto Valley Area Plan and 3-30 tons for six other areas). Analysis of the first quarter landfill disposal patterns for unincorporated Riverside County indicate that roughly 64% of this waste typically goes to the El Sobrante landfill, 18% to the Badlands landfill and 17% to Lamb Canyon, with the remaining 1% going to the Blythe, Desert Center and Oasis landfills. It is assumed that these percentages and distributions would continue for the expected life spans of Riverside County’s active landfills. Again, these totals also do not account for any source reductions or diversions. If full AB 341 compliance is achieved, these amounts would be reduced by 75% by 2020 and thereafter as well.
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E. Solid Waste Management – Impacts and Mitigation
The following impacts related to solid waste management that would result from implementation of the proposed project, GPA No. 960, were evaluated for significance and the need for mitigation, as indicated.
1. Would the project be served by a landfill with sufficient permitted capacity to accommodate the project’s solid waste disposal needs?
Impact 4.17.C-1 – Adversely Affect or Exceed the Permitted Capacity of a Landfill: Future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would increase rural, suburban and urban uses, both residential and non- residential in localized areas throughout unincorporated Riverside County. These increases, however, are to some extent offset by reductions anticipated from other proposed changes of GPA No. 960 (in particular decreases in future commercial-retail and light industrial uses). Overall, future development resulting from the project would increase the annual amount of solid waste requiring disposal in sanitary landfills by roughly 9,000 tons per year over the next 50 years (conservatively assuming only achievement of the current state-mandated 50% diversion rate, but not the 75% by 2020 reduction rate. See Table 4.17-O). Compared to existing and projected capacities at Riverside County landfills, this amount would incrementally increase the county fill rate by roughly 0.6% overall (even conservatively assuming no additional diversion or recycling reductions). In terms of actual changes from baseline conditions, this 0.6% increase due to project-related waste generation would occur in small increments throughout Riverside County over a roughly 50-year period. For these reasons, these amounts represent insignificant incremental increases, and it is projected that sufficient landfill capacity would exist to accommodate the project’s future solid waste disposal needs. Accordingly, the project’s impact on landfill capacity would be less than significant. Moreover, regulatory compliance, particularly mandatory recycling and diversion programs, as outlined below, would also further reduce the already insignificant impact.
a. Analysis of Impact 4.17.C-1
The proposed update to the General Plan (pursuant to General Plan Amendment No. 960) includes land use overlays, land use designation (LUD) changes and new or revised policies that would allow for the conversion of rural, semi-rural, agricultural and vacant lands into suburban or urban uses in concentrated areas throughout Riverside County. As with the current General Plan, future development consistent with GPA No. 960 has the potential to introduce people, property and structures into previously undeveloped areas. The resultant growth population (from new residential uses) and jobs and economic activity (from commercial, industrial and institutional uses) would result in a corresponding increase in the amount of solid waste generated by these various uses. The disposal of this additional waste would incrementally increase the wastes going into existing landfills, potentially hastening the end of their usable lives, and contribute to the need for new or expanded sanitary landfill facilities.
On a comparative plan-to-plan basis, as shown in Table 4.17-P, the proposed project would result in a net de- crease of nearly 442,000 tons in the overall amount of solid waste generated annually in unincorporated Riverside County. It can be reasonably projected that services related to the disposal of this amount of solid waste, such as transfer stations, HHW and ABOP facilities, etc., would be similarly decreased in proportion to the overall growth accommodated by the proposed changes. Since the increase associated with the proposed project is less than that which would have been projected under the existing General Plan without the project, over the long run the GPA No. 960 can be said to have a net positive effect on Riverside County landfill capacity in that it would serve to decrease the amount of solid waste generated throughout Riverside County over time, reducing the capacity needed in existing landfills, delaying the construction of new landfills and/or reducing the size of new landfills needing to be constructed. For these reasons, the need for additional, new or physically altered solid
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waste disposal services or facilities would similarly be reduced. These reduced rates would be reflected in any of several ways, including through a reduction in the capacity needed within existing landfills; by delaying the need for construction of new landfills; or, by reducing the size of new landfills constructed.
In terms of actual changes from baseline conditions, future development consistent with the proposed project could increase the amount of solid waste generated annually by approximately 30,320 tons net, as shown in Table 4.17-N. This additional waste would be generated numerous individual locations throughout Riverside County, however, not localized to any single landfill service area or hauler franchise area. It would also increase in small increments across a roughly 50-year build out period. As such, impacts to any single landfill or waste facility would be negligible.
As shown in previously referenced Table 4.17-L, the total solid waste intake for the year 2010 was 1,744,206 tons. The remaining capacity at the end of that year was 19,013,265 tons. Table 14.17-M projects Riverside County’s generation of solid waste through to the year 2024, showing a remaining capacity estimated at 28,561,626 tons. When compared against this total, solid waste generation directly attributable to GPA No. 960 (18,070 tons as per Table 4.17-O) is 0.06% of the total waste generated in Riverside County annually. In addition, since AB 939 mandates the reduction of waste disposal in landfills with a 50% diversion rate, when this is taken into account the amount of solid waste resulting from the project actually reaching sanitary landfill disposal would drop to roughly 9,000 tons. (And, per AB 341, a 75% diversion rate is to be achieved by 2020.) On a relative basis, both fractional project increases are negligible. Accordingly, the project’s impact on landfill capacity would be less than significant and no project-specific mitigation is required. Regulatory compliance, as outlined below, would also further reduce the less-than-significant impact. b. Regulatory Compliance for Impact 4.17.C-1
The above analysis indicates this impact would be less than significant and hence no project-specific mitigation is needed. Moreover, the following regulations, programs, policies and existing mitigation measures from prior EIR No. 441 would further reduce or minimize this already insignificant impact.
(1) Compliance With Federal, State and County Regulations
Compliance with the following state, federal and county regulations would further prevent already insignificant impacts to solid waste disposal facilities.
Compliance with State of California and federal RCRA requirements would ensure that the County of Riverside continues to implement programs for the proper identification and collection/diversion of hazardous wastes away from sanitary landfills. Continued implementation of the myriad of plans, policies and programs contained in the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan would ensure that the County continues to operate its landfills in a safe manner to protect the health and welfare of both its residents and the environment. The Plan would also ensure that appropriate long-range planning and implementation of the actions needed to assure continued solid waste disposal facilities with adequate capacities remain available within Riverside County.
In regards to State of California reduction mandates, in particular the AB 341 target of reducing “not less than 75%” of solid waste from landfill disposal by 2020, the County of Riverside (RCWMD) has implemented a number of measures. In terms of new (future) impacts arising from new development approved within unincor- porated Riverside County, key compliance is through mandatory measures required as standard Conditions of Approval for new projects. Standard measures require recycling facilities (enclosures, etc.) be provided for all new commercial and industrial developments. Further, all plot plans are required to comply with the RCWMD’s
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Design Guidelines for Recyclables Collections and Loading Areas, as well as submit a Waste Recycling Plan (WRP) for each building proposed. To verify AB 341 compliance for the recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) materials, RCWD requires accurate records for both C&D recycling, as well as solid waste disposal, be kept. According to RCWD procedures, County occupancy permits will not be cleared for issuance unless the required evidence (e.g., receipts) demonstrating appropriate WRP compliance is presented to the RCWMD.
For residential, commercial and industrial developments, as well as public facilities, other Conditions of Approval are added through issuance of a “clearance letter” by RCWMD. The clearance letter outlines the additional project-specific requirements to ensure that individual project developers provide adequate areas for collecting and loading recyclable materials, such as “paper products, glass and green wastes.” No building permits will be issued unless/until RCWD verifies compliance with the clearance letter conditions.
(2) Compliance with Existing County General Plan Policies
Existing Policy LU 5.2 from the Land Use Element of the Riverside County General Plan would further reduce the already insignificant impact to solid waste disposal facilities. See Section 4.17.4.B for full text of this policy.
(3) Compliance with Proposed New or Revised General Plan Policies
Revised Policies LU 5.1 and 31.2 of the Riverside County General Plan would further reduce the already insignificant impact to solid waste disposal facilities. See Section 4.17.4.B for full policy texts.
(4) Compliance with Existing Mitigation Measures from EIR No. 441
In EIR No. 441, prepared for the 2003 RCIP General Plan, Mitigation Measures 4.15.3A through 4.15.3F were imposed to reduce impacts to solid waste facilities to less than significant. Although the potential impacts of GPA No. 960 would already be less than significant, these EIR mitigation measures are programmatic in nature and thus remain applicable to this project (even though some are now outdated).
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.3A: Riverside County shall work with its franchise hauling companies to expand curbside and commercial recycling services throughout the unincorporated area of the County [of Riverside].
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.3B: Riverside County shall follow State regulations in implementing the goals, policies and programs identified in the Riverside County[wide] Integrated Waste Management Plan in order to achieve and maintain a 50% reduction in solid waste disposal through source reduction, reuse, recycling and composting.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.3.C: In accordance with State regulations, Riverside County shall prepare an annual report of progress for the CIWMB to determine [Riverside] County’s progress toward meeting its diversion goals and objectives, to project [Riverside] County’s waste disposal needs and to determine if any of the elements that comprise the Riverside CIWMP require revision to include additional disposal capacity, reflect new or changed local and regional solid waste management issues, or reflect new or changed goals and objectives.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.3D: In accordance with CCR Section 18788, Riverside County shall review the Riverside CIWMP every five years to determine if [Riverside] County’s waste management practices remain consistent with waste diversion goals and objectives and to assess if revision is required.
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Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.3E: The County [of Riverside] shall require all future commercial, industrial and multifamily residential development to provide adequate areas for the collection and loading of recyclable materials (i.e., paper products, glass and other recyclables) in compliance with the State Model Ordinance, implemented on September 1, 1994, in accordance with AB 1327, Chapter 18, California Solid Waste Reuse and Recycling Access Act of 1991.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.3F: The County [of Riverside] shall require all development projects to coordinate with appropriate [Riverside] County departments and/or agencies to ensure that there is adequate waste disposal capacity to meet the waste disposal requirements of the project, and the County [of Riverside] shall recommend that all development projects incorporate measures to promote waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting.
c. Finding on Significance for Impact 4.17.C-1
The analysis presented above indicates that development consistent with the proposed project, GPA No. 960, would have less than significant impacts on solid waste disposal capacity within Riverside County. In addition, compliance with the above-listed existing regulatory programs, standards and General Plan policies, as well as existing Mitigation Measures 4.15.3A through 4.15.3F from EIR No. 441, would further reduce or avoid the insignificant impacts associated with the project.
2. Would the project impede or prevent compliance with federal, state and local statutes and regulations related to solid wastes, including the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP)?
Impact 4.17.C-2 – Cause Inconsistencies With Applicable Statutes and Regulations Related to Solid Waste, Including the County Integrated Waste Management Plan: Future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would increase rural, suburban and urban uses, both residential and non-residential in localized areas throughout unincorporated Riverside County. These increases, however, are to some extent offset by reductions in other parts of Riverside County. Project-related waste generation would increase incrementally throughout Riverside County over a roughly 50-year period. Any future development authorized pursuant to the project would be required to comply with all applicable state, federal and county requirements for solid waste disposal, including the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan. Accordingly, the project would not have a significant adverse impact on the implementation, attainment or compliance with any of these statutes or regulations. Moreover, regulatory compliance, as outlined below, would further reduce the already insignificant impact.
a. Analysis of Impact 4.17.C-2
All development of future land uses would be required to comply with all applicable federal, state and local statutes and regulations related to solid waste. The RCDEH has the primary responsibility for ensuring the proper operation and closure of solid waste facilities and disposal sites in Riverside County. It also is responsible for ensuring the proper storage and transportation of solid wastes. The RCDEH is the local enforcement agency (LEA) for CalRecycle. As such, it provides solid waste inspection and permitting services to the various jurisdictions within Riverside County; conducts enforcement, inspection and permitting for solid waste facilities, operations and disposal sites, including those that are permitted, exempt, illegal, inactive, closed or abandoned; maintains LEA certification in good standing with the State (CalRecycle); maintains communication with CalRecycle as well as other local enforcement and regulatory agencies; and, promotes interagency cooperation with all entities involved in solid waste management and disposal in Riverside County.
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In terms of development application and approval, both the RCWMD and the RCDEH review all development applications within unincorporated Riverside County. Project conditions of approval are required by these departments as deemed appropriate for implementation of and compliance with the various County solid waste regulations and programs, including the CIWMP. Nothing proposed by the project, GPA No. 960, would interfere with or alter this process. Nor would project changes preclude the attainment of CIWMP policies, plans or goals. Any future development would be required to comply with the CIWMP as part of standard project conditions of approval. Also, no land use changes are proposed for lands within existing or proposed Riverside County landfills. For these reasons, the project’s effects on compliance with federal, state and local statutes and regulations, including the CIWMP, would be less than significant. No project-specific mitigation is needed.
b. Regulatory Compliance for Impact 4.17.C-2
The above analysis indicates that this impact would be less than significant and hence no project-specific mitigation is needed. Moreover, a variety of existing regulations, programs, plans, policies and existing mitigation measures from prior EIR No. 441 would further reduce this already insignificant impact. See discussion under “Existing Regulatory Compliance” for Impact 4.17.C-1, above. c. Finding on Significance for Impact 4.17.C-2
The analysis presented above indicates that development consistent with the proposed project, GPA No. 960, would have less than significant impacts on the implementation or achievement of existing federal, state and local statutes and regulations related to solid waste, including the CIWMP. In addition, compliance with the above- listed existing regulatory programs, standards and General Plan policies, as well as existing Mitigation Measures 4.15.3A through 4.15.3F from EIR No. 441, would further reduce or avoid the insignificant impacts associated with the project.
F. Solid Waste Management – Level of Significance After Mitigation
The analysis presented above indicates that development consistent with the proposed project, GPA No. 960, would have less than significant impacts on solid waste disposal facilities, programs, statutes and regulatory programs. In addition, compliance with the above-listed existing regulatory programs, standards and General Plan policies, as well as existing Mitigation Measures 4.15.3A through 4.15.3F from EIR No. 441, would further reduce or avoid the insignificant impacts associated with the project.
4.17.5 Schools
A. Schools – Existing Environmental Setting
Public schools and educational facilities are mandated by the California Department of Education and administered by the Riverside County Board of Education and Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE). Educational facilities within unincorporated Riverside County have their own state-mandated requirements to ensure a high quality of education is provided for all of the citizens of Riverside County. School districts offer education to all school-aged residents of the region, but operate entirely independent of the Riverside County government. Specifically, school School districts were created by the State of California and are subject to the
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overview by the of the State Legislature. Elected governing school boards are responsible for budgeting and decision-making. The California Department of Education establishes school sites and construction standards.
Within Riverside County, the RCOE provides educational and administrative support services to the 23 school districts and over 430,000 students living in Riverside County. It also acts as an intermediary between the State of California and the local school districts. The RCOE also supports or directly provides a variety of specialized needs, such as Special Education for the severely handicapped, Head Start, Migrant Education, Alternative Education through independent study, Community Schools and Juvenile Court Schools and Career Technical Education programs designed to teach workforce skills aiding future employment.
A total of 23 school districts serve Riverside County. Most of these are “Unified School Districts” providing schooling for grades K (kindergarten) through 12. Occasionally, differing grades are provided by separate districts. Perris Union High School District serves grades 9-12 and four additional districts serve elementary grades (K-8): Perris, Romoland Union, Nuview Union and Menifee Union School Districts. The RCOE reports a total of 467 K-12 school sites, including 17 charter schools, 273 elementary sites, 75 middle/junior high sites, 69 high school sites and 33 continuation/ adult education sites. The County also offers 16 Head Start/preschool program sites. The RCOE also reports that the average State funding per pupil is $5,011 for elementary districts, $6,022 for high school districts and $5,239 for unified districts. The Riverside County Public School Directory for 2010-2011 indicates there are more than 18,742 teachers and 17,476 non-teaching school employees serving Riverside County.
Table 4.17-Q (Total School Enrollment for Riverside County School Districts), below, indicates student en- rollment levels for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. It also indicates the number of schools or sites for each type of school. The 18 charter schools and four “independent study” schools located in Riverside County are privately run and not included in the table. Since provision of private educational services, such as charter schools, is based on economic factors, rather than state mandate, they are not further discussed or analyzed in this section. Figure 4.17.5 shows the locations of the public schools within Riverside County.
Table 4.17-Q: Total School Enrollment for Riverside County School Districts 2010 – 2011 Number of Schools2/ Sites School District Total Enrollment1 Elementary Middle / Jr. High High Other Alvord Unified 19,765 14 4 2 3 Banning Unified 4,608 4 2 1 3 Beaumont Unified 8,514 6 2 1 3 Coachella Valley Unified 17,551 14 3 3 2 Corona-Norco Unified 53,153 31 7 5 8 Desert Center Unified 18 1 0 0 0 Desert Sand Unified 29,172 20 7 4 4 Hemet Unified 22,268 14 4 4 7 Jurupa Unified 20,000 16 3 3 3 Lake Elsinore Unified 22,051 14 4 5 3 Menifee Union 8,884 9 3 n/a 0 Moreno Valley Unified 36,221 23 6 5 7 Murrieta Valley Unified 22,363 11 4 4 1 Nuview Union 2,016 2 1 1 0 Palm Springs Unified 22,901 16 4 4 3 Palo Verde Unified 3,567 3 1 1 1 Perris 5,600 8 n/a n/a 0 Perris Union High 10,610 n/a 1 3 4 Riverside COE 3 3,388 1 1 Riverside Unified 4 42,580 30 7 5 5 Romoland 2,995 3 1 n/a 0
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2010 – 2011 Number of Schools2/ Sites School District Total Enrollment1 Elementary Middle / Jr. High High Other San Jacinto Unified 9,672 7 2 2 0 Temecula Valley Unified 29,365 18 6 4 1 Val Verde Unified 19,678 12 4 2 3 District TOTALS 416,940 286 76 60 62 Charter5 7,317 2 1 6 4 Community Colleges 68,058 n/a n/a n/a 7 Footnotes: 1. Projected enrollment. 2. Elementary schools K-5 (or K-8); middle schools 6-8, (or intermediate 5-6 and middle 7-8), junior highs 7-9, high school 9-12. “Other” represents continuation, alternative education, independent study and/or adult education schools and may cover a variety of grades as well. 3. Includes California School for the Deaf and Sherman Indian High. 4. Includes four elementary schools listed by the State as being “Critically Overcrowded,” as of April 2003. 5. For this category, “other” includes preparatory schools covering grades K-12 (K-10 for one). Source: Riverside County Public Schools Directory, 2010-2011.
Overcrowding in public schools is caused by increases in student enrollment. In April 2003 (the most recent year of data available), the State Department of Education established a list of schools and school districts identified as overcrowded under criteria set by the State of California. To be classified as a “Critically Overcrowded School,” a school must have a pupil density greater than 115 pupils per acre for grades K through 6 and 90 pupils per acre for grades 7 through 12. Within Riverside County, five elementary schools within the Riverside Unified School District were identified as such. No other schools or school districts within Riverside County were included in the State’s list.
In Riverside County there are also several Community College Districts that provide advanced educational instruction. The Riverside Community College District has three campuses, one in Norco, Moreno Valley and Riverside City. The Mount San Jacinto Community College District has campuses in San Jacinto and in Menifee. The Palo Verde Community College District has one campus, and the College of the Desert, located in Palm Desert, has a single campus as well. There are also a number of private, public and technical/professional schools of higher education that also serve the students of Riverside County.
B. Policies and Regulations Addressing Schools
1. State Regulations
Assembly Bill (AB) 16: In 2002, AB 16 created the Critically Overcrowded School Facilities program, which supplements the new construction provisions within the School Facilities Program (SFP). The SFP provides State of California funding assistance for new facility construction projects and modernization projects. The Critically Overcrowded School Facilities program allows school districts with critically overcrowded school facilities, as determined by the California Department of Education (CDE), to apply for new construction projects in advance of meeting all SFP new construction program requirements. Districts with SFP new construction eligibility and school sites included on a CDE list of source schools may apply.
Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act (SB 50): Senate Bill 50 (SB 50) was enacted by the State Legislature in 1998 and made significant amendments to existing state law governing school fees. In particular, SB 50 amended prior California Government Code (CGC) Section 65995(a) to prohibit state or local agencies from imposing school impact mitigation fees, dedications or other requirements in excess of those provided in the statute in connection with “any legislative or adjudicative act...by any state or local agency involving...the planning, use, or development of real property....”
County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-56 Public Review Draft § February 2015 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
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SAN DIEGO COUNTY IMPERIAL COUNTY PACIFIC OCEAN
Data Source: Riverside County (2009)
School Districts
Alvord Unified Desert Center Unified Moreno Valley Unified Riverside Unified ¹º School Sites
Banning Unified Desert Sands Unified Murrieta Valley Unified Romoland & Perrris Union High Highways
Beaumont Unified Hemet Unified Nuview Union & Perris Union High San Jacinto Unified Area Plan Boundary
Coachella Valley Unified Jurupa Unified Palm Springs Unified Temecula Valley Unified City Boundary
Colton Joint Unified Lake Elsinore Unified Palo Verde Valley Unified Val Verde Unified Waterbodies
Corona-Norco Unified Menifee Union & Perris Union HIgh Perris & Perris Union High Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified Figure 4.17.5
Disclaimer: Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only. Map features are December 16, 2013 approximate, and are not necessarily accurate to surveying or engineering standards. The County of Riverside makes no warranty or guarantee as to the content (the source is often third [ party), accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided, and assumes no PUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATIONS legal responsibility for the information contained on this map. Any use of this product with Miles respect to accuracy and precision shall be the sole responsibility of the user. 0 10 20 \\agency\tlmagis\Projects\Planning\SafetyElement\Schools.mxd
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County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-58 Public Review Draft § February 2015
The legislation also amended CGC Section 65996(b) to prohibit local agencies from using the inadequacy of school facilities as a basis for denying or conditioning approvals of any “legislative or adjudicative act [involving] the planning, use or development of real property.” Further, SB 50 established the base amount of allowable developer fees: $1.93 per square foot for residential construction and $0.31 per square foot for commercial. These base amounts are commonly called “Level 1 fees” and are the same caps that were in place at the time SB 50 was enacted. Level 1 fees are subject to inflation adjustment every two years.
In certain circumstances, for residential construction, school districts can impose fees that are higher than Level 1 fees. School districts can impose Level 2 fees, which are equal to 50% of land and construction costs if they: (1) prepare and adopt a school needs analysis for facilities; (2) are determined by the State Allocation Board to be eligible to impose these fees; and (3) meet at least two of the following four conditions:
Ÿ At least 30% of the district’s students are on a multi-track year-round schedule.
Ÿ The district has placed on the ballot within the previous four years a local school bond that received at least 50% of the votes cast.
Ÿ The district has passed bonds equal to 30% of its bonding capacity.
Ÿ Or, at least 20% of the district’s teaching stations are relocatable classrooms.
Additionally, if the State of California’s bond funds are exhausted, a school district that is eligible to impose Level 2 fees is authorized to impose even higher fees. Commonly referred to as “Level 3 fees,” these fees are equal to 100% of land and construction costs of new schools required as a result of new developments.
2. Existing County General Plan Policies
As stated previously, the General Plan does not contain a Public Services Element. The following Land Use (LU) Element policy is provided in the General Plan to encourage the County to coordinate with public service agencies.
Policy LU 5.2: Monitor the capacities of infrastructure and services in coordination with service providers, utilities, and outside agencies and jurisdictions to ensure that growth does not exceed acceptable levels of service.
C. Thresholds of Significance for Schools
The proposed project would result in a significant impact to schools if it would:
Result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered schools. Or, result in the need for new or physically altered schools, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios or other performance objectives for any schools.
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D. Effect of GPA No. 960 on the General Plan and on Schools
The proposed update to the General Plan (pursuant to General Plan Amendment No. 960) includes land use overlays, land use designation (LUD) changes and new or revised policies that would allow for the conversion of rural, semi-rural, agricultural and vacant lands into suburban or urban uses in concentrated areas throughout Riverside County. As with the current General Plan, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 has the potential to introduce people, property and structures into previously undeveloped areas or increase densities of existing areas. The resultant increase in population would increase the number of students enrolled in existing schools and create the need for new or expanded school facilities.
The tables below summarize projected theoretical student populations, as an indicator of the need for schools and educational facilities and staff, for three scenarios. Again, these calculations are all labeled “theoretical” because they use the same basic set of assumptions and factors to allow for valid comparisons between and amongst scenarios. In the real world, a number of additional factors that are beyond the scope of this analysis would apply (funding availability, jurisdiction, available staff, etc.). The actual planning, locations and development of schools and the provision of all associated services is under the purview of the respective school districts.
Table 4.17-R shows the student populations associated with the existing (baseline) level of development currently estimated to be present on the portions of the county directly affected by proposed land use-related changes; compared against the full build out of all of the same areas as they would be permitted under the updated General Plan (e.g., pursuant to the changes proposed in GPA No. 960). For the purposes of effects on schools, changes proposed by the project are relevant only if they would result in an ultimate increase in population. Changes that do not adversely affect (increase or reallocate) populations within unincorporated Riverside County are not discussed further here.
The build out scenario for Table 4.17-R (Theoretical Student Generation With and Without the Project) includes regions where the updated General Plan is the same as that which would occur under the existing (current General Plan’s) mapped LUDs. As such, these areas do not represent new areas of growth attributable to the project, GPA No. 960, but rather simply reflect the anticipated build out of the Riverside County General Plan that would occur with or without the project. Thus, in order to focus on the areas where the proposed project would actually result in new development potential (i.e., potential impacts), a second scenario was developed. As shown in Table 4.17-S (Theoretical Student Generation for New Development Potential Areas), this second scenario includes only those areas proposed for a change that would result in an increase in future development density or intensity. This also includes all parcels in which an LUD was changed (except those being assigned to OS-CH).
The third table, Table 4.17-T (Theoretical Student Generation at General Plan Build Out), shows a comparison between the build out conditions of the General Plan as it currently exists and as it would exist if the proposed project is approved and fully implemented. This third table indicates the relative effects of the project on long- range planning, rather than environmental impacts per se.
Upon build out of Riverside County pursuant to the existing (2008) General Plan, as shown in Table 4.17-T, the County of Riverside as a whole would generate a student population of 435,800. Under the updated General Plan, amended per GPA No. 960, this build out total would decrease to 406,300. This represents roughly 29,500 fewer students than originally anticipated in the General Plan, a decrease of 6.8%. This reduced population and need would be reflected in any of several ways, including through a reduction in the capacity needed within existing schools, by delaying the need for construction of new schools or by reducing the size of new schools constructed. For this reason, on a comparative basis, the proposed project would contribute to fewer impacts to the
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environment at build out, since fewer schools would need to be constructed to serve the expected student populations.
Further, the proposed project would result in a net decrease in the overall number of students generated across each category – elementary, middle and high school. It can reasonably be projected that students requiring special programs, such as Head Start or continuation school, would similarly increase incrementally in proportion to the overall population growth in a given school district. As a result, fewer new or expanded facilities would be required to accommodate the expected population.
Table 4.17-R: Theoretical Student Generation With and Without the Project Projected Total Students School Type Generation Factors General Plan Build Out, Existing Land Uses1 Difference With GPA No. 9601 Population2 16,520 persons 46,370 persons + 29,840 people Elementary School 0.369 students per dwelling unit 2,160 6,120 + 3,960 students Middle School 0.201 students per dwelling unit 1,180 3,330 + 2,160 students High School 0.246 students per dwelling unit 1,440 4,080 + 2,640 students Total Students 4,780 13,520 + 8,750 students Footnotes: 1. These two scenarios encompasses the 111,440-acre area of known spatial project changes. 2. Populations calculated as per General Plan Appendix E-1 standards. See Section 4.1 (Environmental Assumptions and Methods) for more information. All results rounded to the nearest 10. Each school district determines and implements actual needs. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Riverside County, EIR No. 441, 2003, for service standards.
Table 4.17- S: Theoretical Student Generation for New Development Potential Areas Projected Total Students School Type Generation Factors General Plan Build Out, Existing Land Uses1 Difference With GPA No. 9601 Population2 6,590 persons 19,610 persons + 13,020 people Elementary School 0.369 students per dwelling unit 760 2,340 + 1,580 students Middle School 0.201 students per dwelling unit 410 1,280 + 860 students High School 0.246 students per dwelling unit 510 1,560 + 1,050 students Total Students 1,680 5,180 + 3,500 students Footnotes: 1. Area analyzed for these two scenarios encompasses 10,690 acres of known spatial project changes that would increase development intensity or density or change an LUD within the Community Development Foundation. 2. Populations calculated as per General Plan Appendix E-1 standards. See Section 4.1 (Environmental Assumptions and Methods) for more information. All results rounded to the nearest 10. Each school district determines and implements actual needs. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Riverside County, EIR No. 441, 2003, for service standards.
Table 4.17-T: Theoretical Student Generation at General Plan Build Out Theoretical Total Students School Type Generation Factors Existing General Plan General Plan Build Out Difference Build Out * With GPA No. 960* Build Out Population 1,736,700 persons 1,599, 000 persons - 137,800 people Elementary School 0.369 students per dwelling unit 197,100 183,800 - 13,300 students Middle School 0.201 students per dwelling unit 107,400 100,100 - 7,300 students High School 0.246 students per dwelling unit 131,400 121,500 - 8,900 students Student Totals 435,800 406,300 - 29,500 students * Build out of Riverside County as per the directives and maps in the existing General Plan, with and without the project. Source: Riverside County Planning Dept., Project application data and analysis, 2010. Riverside County, EIR No. 441, 2003, for service standards.
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In terms of actual changes expected from existing baseline conditions, as indicated in Table 4.17-S, when examining student population growth attributable directly to GPA No. 960 changes, the project would introduce roughly 3,500 new students to the schools of Riverside County. This population would arise from numerous individual locations throughout the county, however, rather than be localized to any single school district. As such, for most areas of Riverside County, adverse effects to any single school would be small to negligible. Also, these increases would occur incrementally over the next several decades, allowing ample time for long-range planning and provision of necessary facilities and staff. To determine specifically to what extent the individual school districts of Riverside County would be affected by the proposed project, land use-related impacts were analyzed according to their region (by area plan) and by school district. The results of this analysis is shown in Table 4.17-U (Total Project-Related Student Population Changes by School District), below.
In terms of regional effects, as with other public services, the same patterns of growth and future development intensity increases were apparent in the student generation data. Roughly one-third (1,040) of the new students generated would fall within the Elsinore Area Plan due to the two new Rural Village Overlays. The Palo Verde Valley Area Plan would see roughly 810 additional students. Jurupa, Western Coachella Valley and Mead Valley Area Plans would each see between 400-470 students. The San Jacinto Valley Area Plan would see a small increase (130 students) and seven area plans would see increases of between 2-60 students. One region, Eastvale Area Plan, was forecast to lose one student.
In terms of effects on specific school districts, as shown in Table 4.17-U a number of districts would either have no change (0 students gained or lost) or a negative change (for example, due to a higher residential density being replaced with lower density residential or a non-residential use). Four districts would see minor (20 or fewer) or moderate (21 to 100) increases in student populations. However, three districts are forecast to see large increases in student populations: Palm Springs Unified (722 additional students), Palo Verde Unified (534 additional students) and Perris Union High (145 additional students). Since these projected increases are forecast to occur over a roughly 50-year period, none of the minor or moderate increases would result in a significant adverse effect to those districts, including the ‘Critically Overcrowded’ Riverside Unified School District. Additionally, school impact mitigation fees would be used to accommodate the needs of these students and reduce effects for all of these districts.
Table 4.17-U: Total Project-Related Student Population Changes by School District Decrease in Number of Students (at project build out) 1 Banning Unified (-1) 2 Jurupa Unified (-123) Coachella Valley Unified (-570) Lake Elsinore Unified (-838) No Change in Number of Students (No Students Gained or Lost) Beaumont Unified (0) Nuview Union (0) Coachella Valley Unified (0) San Jacinto Unified (0) Colton Joint Unified3 (0) Val Verde Unified (0) Menifee Union (0) Minor Increase in Number of Students (1 to 20 Additional Students) Alvord Unified (+1) Riverside Unified (+6) Moreno Valley Unified (+3) Romoland (+17) Moderate Increase in Number of Students (21 to 100 Additional Students) Corona-Norco Unified (+59) Murrieta Valley Unified (+25) Desert Sand Unified (+28) Perris (+84) Hemet Unified (+33) Temecula Valley Unified (+37) Large Increase in Number of Students (100 or More Additional Students) Palm Springs Unified (+722) Perris Union High (+145) Palo Verde Unified (+534) Footnotes: 1. Comparison of theoretical number of students generated by land use changes proposed under GPA No. 960 compared to theoretical student generation associated with existing land uses for the same parcels of land.
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2. Value in parenthesis is total change in number of students. All values rounded to nearest whole number. 3. Included here because the District does include a portion of Riverside County. Only land use change proposed, however, is acquisition/designation of vacant land as Open Space-Conservation. Source: Riverside County GIS Dept., Analysis of project application and GIS data, 2010.
For the remaining three districts, student population increases could be substantial and require expansion of existing or construction of new additional facilities to serve these new students. As such, environmental impacts would be associated with construction of new school sites/facilities to the extent their location, construction methods and operations affect the surrounding area. Data indicate that each of these Area Plans contain thousands of acres of vacant lands. This vacant land availability means that situating new school sites for these areas could be achieved in a manner that minimizes environmental impacts.
E. Schools – Impacts and Mitigation
The following impacts related to schools that would result from implementation of the proposed project, GPA No. 960, were evaluated for significance and the need for mitigation, as indicated.
Would the project result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered schools? Or, would it result in the need for new or physically altered schools, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios or other performance objectives for any schools?
Impact 4.17.D – Cause Adverse Environmental Effects Due to the Need for Schools: Future development consistent with GPA No. 960 would incrementally increase rural, suburban and urban uses in localized areas throughout unincorporated Riverside County resulting in a comparable increase in population, including students requiring educational services. Compared to the existing General Plan, the overall net effect of the project is to reduce the amount of dwelling units and the associated population expected to occur within Riverside County over the next 50 years. In terms of actual changes to existing student populations and service levels, localized development increases would incrementally generate additional students creating demand for additional school facilities, services and personnel in specific areas, particularly within the Palm Springs School District, Palo Verde Unified School District and Perris Union High School District. Outside of these three districts, none of the project-related population increases would trigger the need for new or improved facilities. The additional students generated over the next 50 years could readily be accommodated at existing facilities and such districts would not have a significant impact. For the remaining three districts, however, compliance with existing laws (Senate Bill 50, in particular) and the policies of the Riverside County General Plan would be sufficient to ensure that this impact is less than significant.
1. Analysis of Impact 4.17.D
New development would introduce additional people to Riverside County who require school services. This would result in the need for additional classroom space, teaching and support staff where increases exceed current capacity. Where increases trigger new school facilities or expansion of existing facilities, environmental impacts could potentially occur.
As shown in Table 4.17-T, above, existing standards indicate that full build out of the existing General Plan would accommodate a population of roughly 1.7 million people within unincorporated Riverside County. Using standard student generation factors, this population is estimated to include a total of roughly 436,000 students
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throughout Riverside County. The land use changes associated with GPA No. 960 would reduce expected population of Riverside County by nearly 138,000 people. The total student population would be similarly reduced (by roughly 29,500) to a total of roughly 406,000. Accordingly, environmental impacts associated with construction of new or improved school facilities would be avoided or postponed.
In terms of the project’s effects on baseline environmental conditions, as indicated in Table 4.17-R, beyond the growth anticipated in the area under the existing General Plan, GPA No. 960 would result in changes that could introduce 3,500 additional new students to schools in Riverside County. This total, however, represents the net increase for all affected schools across the county. When examined by school district, however, it was found that some districts would have little to no change, some would show decreases in student populations and three show large increases in population. See Table 4.17-U. Specifically, three districts are forecast to see large increases in student populations: Palm Springs Unified (720 additional students), Palo Verde Unified (530 additional students) and Perris Union High (150 additional students). Since these projected increases are forecast to occur over a roughly 50-year period, for all but the three districts mentioned above, the project would not have any significantly adverse effects. This includes the ‘Critically Overcrowded’ Riverside Unified School District. Also, with the increases occurring incrementally over several decades, the districts would have ample time for long- range planning and provision of necessary school services as need arose.
For the remaining three districts, student population increases could be substantial and require expansion of existing or construction of new additional facilities to serve these new students. As such, environmental impacts would be associated with construction of new school sites/facilities to the extent their location, construction methods and operations affect the surrounding area. Data indicate that each of the Area Plans in which these new school sites would be located contain hundreds of acres of vacant lands. This vacant land availability means that situating new school sites for these areas could be achieved in a manner that minimizes environmental impacts.
2. Regulatory Compliance for Impact 4.17.D
As detailed and explained below, compliance with the following existing laws, programs and General Plan policies would be sufficient to ensure that impacts to schools as a result of GPA No. 960 would be less than significant.
Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act (SB 50): Development fees are required to be paid pursuant to development Conditions of Approval. Pursuant to this law, the payment of these school fee amounts provided for in CGC Sections 65995, 65995.5 and 65995.7 would constitute full and complete mitigation for school facilities.
Compliance with Existing Riverside County General Plan Policies: General Plan Policy LU 5.2 aids in preventing significant impacts to schools. It directs the County of Riverside to take action to ensure that development does not cause growth to exceed acceptable levels of service. In terms of schools, this is implemented through requirements for development fees to be paid as part of project Conditions of Approval. See Section 4.17.5.B for full text of the policy.
F. Schools – Level of Significance After Mitigation
SB 50 states that the exclusive method of mitigating the impact of school facilities according to CEQA is to pay the maximum school fees and that such fees are “deemed to provide full and complete school facilities mitigation” related to the adequacy of school facilities when considering the approval or the establishment of conditions for the approval of a development project (Government Code 65996(a) and (b)). Because the
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Government Code states that compliance with SB 50 would provide full and complete mitigation, no significant impact would occur.
4.17.6 Libraries
A. Libraries – Existing Environmental Setting
The County of Riverside operates a system of 32 35 libraries and two book mobiles (one serving Coachella Valley and one serving western Riverside County) to serve unincorporated populations. The names and locations of these Riverside County libraries are presented in Table 4.17-V (County Libraries Serving Riverside County), below. Figure 4.17.6 shows the locations of the public libraries within Riverside County.
Table 4.17-V: County Libraries Serving Riverside County Library Location Anza 57430 Mitchell Road, Anza Cabazon 50425 Carmen Avenue, Cabazon Calimesa 908 Park, Calimesa Canyon Lake 31508 Railroad Canyon Road, Canyon Lake Cathedral City 33-520 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City Coachella 1538 7th Street, Coachella Desert Hot Springs 11691 West Drive Eastvale 7447 Cleveland Ave., Eastvale El Cerrito 7581 Rudnell Road, Corona Glen Avon 9244 Galena Road, Riverside Highgrove 690 W. Center Street, Highgrove Home Gardens 3785 Neece Street, Corona Idyllwild 54185 Pinecrest Ave., Idyllwild Indio 200 Civic Center Mall, Indio La Quinta 78-080 Calle Estado #2, La Quinta Lake Elsinore 400 West Graham Ave., Lake Elsinore Lakeside 32593 Riverside Drive, Lake Elsinore Lake Tamarisk 43880 Lake Tamarisk Drive, Desert Center Mecca 65-250A Coahuilla Street, Mecca Mead Valley 21580 Oakwood Street, Mead Valley Mission Trail/Wildomar 34303 Mission Trail, Wildomar Norco 3954 Old Hamner Ave., Norco Nuview 29990 Lakeview Road, Nuevo Palm Desert 73-300 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert Paloma Valley 31375 Bradley Road, Menifee Perris 163 E. San Jacinto, Perris Romoland 26000 Briggs Road, Romoland Robidoux 5840 Mission Blvd., Riverside San Jacinto 165 W. 7th Street, San Jacinto Sun City 26982 Cherry Hills Blvd., Sun City Temecula – Grace Mellman 41000 County Center Drive, Temecula Temecula – Public 30600 Pauba Road, Temecula Thousand Palms 72-715 La Canada Way, Thousand Palms Valle Vista 43975 E. Florida Ave., Hemet Woodcrest 16625 Krameria Ave., Riverside Source: Riverside County Library System, http://rivlib.info/riverside-County-library-system/, accessed April, 2011.
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In addition, the Riverside County Library System operates an automated network that currently deploys over 350 computer/terminal workstations in the library branches of the Riverside County Library System, Riverside Public Library, Moreno Valley Library, Murrieta Public Library, Murrieta Valley High School and College of the Desert. The network can also be accessed by Riverside County residents via the Internet. The library system manages the library catalog of the 1.3 million items in the library system and the annual checkout of over 3.5 million books, audios and videos. For 2010, the Riverside County Library System reported a total of 681,117 ‘registered borrowers’ utilizing county library services.
According to data published by the County of Riverside in its “Financial Highlights (Fiscal Year 2008-2009),” within Riverside County the County Library System circulated 3,464,550 items (books, videos, etc.) and answered nearly 382,800 reference questions to a patron door-count of over 3,170,400 library visitors. There were also over 5,600 programs offered that were attended by over 127,700 people.
In addition to providing the opportunity to review and/or check-out materials for personal use, the County of Riverside also operates a number of specific programs including adult and family literacy, and after-school and pre-school programs. Riverside County’s ability to support the needs of future growth is dependent upon its ability to secure sites for, construct, and stock new libraries on a timely basis. At present, there is no specific funding mechanism for expansion of library facilities.
The Riverside County library system did not indicate that it maintained a specific numerical factor to analyze the needs created by new development. However, the American Library Association suggests that an appropriate service criteria would be availability of convenient library facilities and book reserves at a rate of 0.5 square foot of library space and 2.5 volumes per capita. The County’s ability to support the needs of future growth is dependent upon its ability to secure sites for, construct and stock new libraries on a timely basis. At present, there is no specific funding mechanism for expansion of library facilities. Based on 2010 reported registered borrowers (681,117) and current square footage of library facilities available (333,884), at present facilities provide approximately 0.49 square feet of space per registered borrower (not the Riverside County population as a whole).
B. Policies and Regulations Addressing Libraries
Ordinance No. 659 – Development Impact Fee Program: This ordinance establishes the need for addressing impacts caused by new development of residential, commercial and industrial uses. Thus, the ordinance establishes a development impact fee (DIF) program by which new development is charged fees to address the increased need for additional facilities, services and also open space. For each category of land use (single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial and industrial), DIF charges are determined based on the location of the property to be developed (fees vary by Area Plan), as well as the density/intensity of the proposed use. Residential fees are charged on a per-dwelling unit basis and run from roughly $3,000 to $7,300. For commercial, industrial and surface mining, fees are charged on a per-acre basis and can run from between $20,000 to $35,000 for commercial uses, $10,000 to $18,000 for industrial uses and roughly $4,500 to nearly $9,000 for surface mining. See the ordinance for specific values.
The DIF ordinance does establish fees to be collected for “library books” as $341 per dwelling unit for single- family homes and $286 per dwelling unit for multi-family homes. The ordinance enforces the program by stating that “no building permit shall be issued for any development project except upon the condition that the development impact fees required by this ordinance are paid.”
County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-66 Public Review Draft § February 2015 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Ä62 Æc Æc Æc ÆcCALIMESA Æc Ä62 DESERT HOT SPRINGS Æc¦¨§215 Ä Æc Æc Æc BANNING Æc RIVERSIDE Ä60 NORCO ÄÆc91 Ä Æc MORENO VALLEY Æc ÆcÆc Æc ¦¨§10 Æc Ä111 ÆcÆc Æc BEAUMONT PALM SPRINGS 10 ¦¨§ ÄÄ177 CORONA Æc 215 Ä79 ¤£95 ¦¨§ Æc Æc CATHEDRAL ÆcCITY Æc Æc Ä243 Æc 15 SAN JACINTO ¦¨§ PERRIS Æc PALM DESERT Æc Æc RANCHO Ä74 HEMET Æc Ä74 MIRAGEÆcÆc INDIO Æc INDIAN Æc WELLS MENIFEE Æc ÆcCOACHELLA Æc ÆcLAKE ELSINOREÆc Æc LA QUINTA 10 WILDOMAR ¦¨§ ORANGE Ä74 Ä79 BLYTHE COUNTY Æc Æc Ä74 86S MURRIETA Ä Æc Æc Æc Æc ÄÄ371 Ä78 TEMECULAÆc SALTON Ä79 SEA ¦¨§15 Ä86 Ä111 LA PAZ COUNTY, AZ
SAN DIEGO COUNTY IMPERIAL COUNTY PACIFIC OCEAN
Data Source: Riverside County (2010)
Æc Library Locations Highways
Area Plan Boundary
City Boundary
Waterbodies Figure 4.17.6
Disclaimer: Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only. Map features are December 16, 2013 approximate, and are not necessarily accurate to surveying or engineering standards. The County of Riverside makes no warranty or guarantee as to the content (the source is often third PUBLIC LIBRARY [ party), accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided, and assumes no legal responsibility for the information contained on this map. Any use of this product with Miles respect to accuracy and precision shall be the sole responsibility of the user. LOCATIONS 0 10 20 \\agency\tlmagis\Projects\Planning\SafetyElement\Hospitals.mxd
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2. Proposed New or Revised County General Plan Policies
The General Plan, although it does not include a Public Services Element, does include a policy addressing the effects of future development on library facilities. This policy would help ensure adequate library facilities as development occurs.
Policy LU 5.1: Ensure that development does not exceed the ability to adequately provide supporting infrastructure and services, such as libraries, recreational facilities, educational and child day care centers (i.e. infant, toddlers, preschool and school age children), transportation systems and fire/ police/medical services.
C. Thresholds of Significance for Libraries
The proposed project would result in a significant impact on libraries if it would:
Result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered library facilities. Or, result in the need for new or physically altered library facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios or other performance objectives for libraries.
D. Effect of GPA No. 960 on the General Plan and on Libraries
The proposed GPA No. 960 update to the General Plan includes land use overlays, land use designation (LUD) changes and new or revised policies that would allow for the conversion of rural, semi-rural, agricultural and vacant lands into suburban or urban uses in concentrated areas throughout Riverside County. As with the current General Plan, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 has the potential to introduce people, property and structures into previously undeveloped areas. The resultant increase in population would similarly increase the number of people using library services and create the need for new or expanded library facilities and inventory.
Table 4.17-W (Theoretical Library Services Need Projections), below, summarizes estimated library service needs (as indicated by library floor space and book volumes) for three scenarios. The first two scenarios compare existing (i.e., baseline) conditions of actual current (2008) uses of land and derived populations for the same against build out (fully developed) conditions that would occur if the lands in question were developed according to the updated General Plan (i.e., changed per GPA No. 960). Thus, this scenario represents the change associated with the project plus currently planned growth. The second scenario represents a subset of the first. In this one, only areas in which GPA No. 960 would result in an increase or change in density or intensity are included. Deleted are the areas in which development potential would be equal to or less than that currently planned under the existing General Plan. This serves to isolate just the areas in which the project would increase an effect, preventing reductions elsewhere from masking potential environmental effects. Lastly, scenario three shows build out conditions for all of unincorporated Riverside County, not just the areas of foreseeable spatial effects associated with the project, for the existing and proposed updated General Plans. This provides a side-by- side snapshot of how GPA No. 960 would affect the ultimate need for library services in Riverside County over time.
Again, these calculations are all labeled “theoretical” because they use the same basic set of assumptions and factors to allow for valid comparisons between and amongst scenarios. In the real world, a number of additional factors that are beyond the scope of this analysis would apply (funding availability, jurisdiction, etc.). For the
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purposes of effects on libraries, changes proposed by the project are relevant only if they would result in an ultimate increase in population. Changes that do not adversely affect (increase or reallocate) populations within the unincorporated county area are not discussed further here.
Upon build out of Riverside County pursuant to the existing (2008) General Plan, as shown in Table 4.17-W, Riverside County as a whole would require roughly 868,000 square feet of library space and 4.3 million volumes (including existing facilities and resources). Under the updated General Plan, amended per GPA No. 960, this build out total would decrease roughly 8% to just under 800,000 square feet and 4 million volumes. Thus, on a comparative basis, the proposed project would result in fewer impacts on the environment due a reduced need for libraries. Such a reduced need would be reflected in any of several ways, including through a reduction in the capacity needed within existing libraries, by delaying the need for construction of libraries or by reducing the size of new libraries constructed.
In terms of specifically that future development increasing as a result of the project, however, the project would result in just over 13,000 additional new residents in Riverside County. These residents would trigger the need for a total of approximately 6,500 square feet of additional library space and the need for 35,500 additional volumes. This total represents demand across Riverside County, however. The actual increases would be spread throughout the 19 Area Plans of unincorporated Riverside County, plus the remainder area of eastern desert not in an Area Plan. As such, the adverse effects on most individual regions would be small to negligible. Also, these increases would occur incrementally over the next several decades, allowing ample time for long-range planning and provision of necessary services.
To examine effects to the individual regions of Riverside County, the library data was further broken down by Area Plan. This analysis indicated that effects would vary regionally, in the same pattern previously described. Approximately 30% of the increased demand would be concentrated in the Elsinore Area Plan region as a result of GPA No. 960, due primarily to future development of the proposed Meadowbrook and Good Hope Rural Village Land Use Overlays. The Mead Valley Area Plan is also affected by these RVOs, but to a lesser degree (900 square feet as opposed to Elsinore’s 1,900). The Palo Verde Valley and Jurupa Area Plans would need an additional 1,410 and 1,010 square feet, respectively. The Western Coachella Valley Area Plan would see an increase of roughly 700 square feet and the San Jacinto Valley Area Plan would see 210 square feet. Four other area plans (Temescal Canyon, Southwest, Eastern Coachella Valley and the Harvest Valley/Winchester) would also see lesser increases (120, 90, 80 and 60, respectively). Of the remaining seven regions, three would have 20 square feet or less in additional library floor space needs, three would have no increase and one (Eastvale) would actually see demand decrease very slightly (-7 square feet). The need for additional volumes would increase (or decrease) in the same proportions.
In terms of General Plan changes, the project would only incrementally affect most of Riverside County’s Area Plans; in amounts not large enough to trigger the need for an additional library in many county areas. Not surprisingly, the increased demand for library services show up most clearly in the areas being planned for urbani- zation – the Meadowbrook and Good Hope Rural Village Overlays, in particular. In terms of environmental effects, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would contribute incrementally to the need for additional library services throughout Riverside County to ensure adequate levels of service. The environmental impacts and mitigation needed, if any, associated with these additional service needs are discussed in the section that follows, below.
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Table 4.17-W: Theoretical Library Services Need Projections Existing Condition Revised Condition Service Item Generation Factors1 Difference (No Project) (With Project) Scenario 1: Existing Conditions / Updated General Plan Build Out, Full Project Spatial Area2 Population1 16,520 persons 46,370 persons + 29,840 people Library 0.5 square feet per person 8,300 sq feet 23,200 sq feet + 14,900 sq feet Floor Space Volumes 2.5 per person 41,300 vols 115,900 vols + 74,600 vols Scenario 2: Existing Conditions / Updated General Plan Build Out, Areas of New Development Potential Only3 Population1 6,590 persons 19,610 persons + 13,020 people Library 0.5 square feet per person 3,300 sq feet 9,800 sq feet + 6,500 sq feet Floor Space Volumes 2.5 per person 16,500 vols 49,100 vols + 35,500 vols Scenario 3: Build Out of Current General Plan / Updated (per GPA No. 960) General Plan, Countywide4 Population5 1,736,700 persons 1,599,000 persons - 137,800 people Library 0.5 square feet per person 868,400 sq feet 799,500 sq feet - 68,900 sq feet Floor Space Volumes 2.5 per person 4,341,800 vols 3,997,400 vols - 344,400 vols Footnotes: 1. Populations calculated as per General Plan Appendix E-1 standards. See Section 4.1 (Environmental Assumptions and Methods) for more information. All results rounded to the nearest 10 for population in scenarios 1 and 2, and nearest 100 for everything else. 2. Theoretical population estimated for the land uses associated with the 111,440-acre area of known spatial project changes. Existing condition is the current uses of land within these areas. Revised condition is the build out (development) of the same areas pursuant to the General Plan as updated per GPA No. 960. 3. Encompasses just the 10,690 acres proposed for new or increased development intensity or density under GPA No. 960. Eliminates growth effects from areas that would develop per the existing General Plan, isolating just the effects of the proposed project. Existing condition is the current uses of land within the limited area. Revised condition is the build out of the same area per the General Plan as updated per GPA No. 960. 4. Existing condition is the build out of unincorporated Riverside County pursuant to the existing (2008) General Plan. Revised condition is build out of the same pursuant to the General Plan as updated by GPA No. 960. 5. Population data provided by Riverside County Center for Demographic Research, 2010. Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Library service standards from EIR No. 441.
E. Libraries – Impacts and Mitigation
The following impacts to library services that would result from implementation of the proposed project, GPA No. 960, were evaluated for significance and the need for mitigation, as indicated.
Would the project result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered library facilities? Or, would it result in the need for new or physically altered library facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios or other performance objectives for any library services?
Impact 4.17.E – Cause Adverse Environmental Effects Due to the Need for Library Services: Future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would incrementally increase rural, suburban and urban uses in localized areas throughout unincorporated Riverside County. Compared to the existing General Plan, the overall net effect of the project is to reduce the amount of dwelling units and the associated population expected to occur within Riverside County over the next 50 years. In terms of actual changes relative to baseline environmental conditions, localized new development would incrementally increase populations creating demand for additional library services – as indicated by floor space and volumes. Because the increases are spread throughout Riverside County and would occur over roughly 50 or more years, the additional 6,500 square feet of library floor space and 35,500 additional volumes needed as a result of new development potential from the project would be met through current long-range library planning and existing development impact mitigation programs (such as Ordinance No. 659). For these reasons the project would not have a significant adverse effect on library services.
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1. Analysis of Impact 4.17.E
New development would introduce additional people to Riverside County library services. This would result in additional use of existing facilities and work for existing staff. When demand is great enough in a given region, an additional library would be built. However, in areas where development remained sparse, development of new libraries would be unlikely.
As discussed in Section 4.17.6.D, above, existing standards indicate that full build out of the existing General Plan would accommodate a population of roughly 1.7 million people within unincorporated Riverside County. To serve this population, the Riverside County library system would require an estimated total of 868,000 square feet of library space and roughly 4.3 million volumes. The land use changes associated with GPA No. 960 would reduce expected population of Riverside County by nearly 138,000 people and require 69,000 square feet less library floor space and roughly 344,000 fewer library books. Educational, reference, mobile book delivery and other library service needs would be similarly reduced. Accordingly, environmental impacts associated with construction of new or improved facilities would be avoided or postponed.
At the Area Plan level, however, as shown in Table 4.17-W, GPA No. 960 would allow for additional future development that would increase Riverside County’s population by roughly 13,000 people, mostly spread incrementally throughout Riverside County. This increase would require an estimated 6,500 additional square feet of library floor space and roughly 35,500 additional volumes. Overall, because some portions of Riverside County would experience a population decrease or neutral change, many areas of Riverside County would not have any significant adverse impact to library services as a result of future development pursuant to this project.
Some areas would have minor increases. In these areas, future development as a result of the project would not result in significant adverse impacts on library services and facilities. Also, these increases would occur incrementally over the next several decades, allowing ample time for long-range planning and provision of necessary services.
The three areas covered by the Elsinore, Jurupa and Palo Verde Valley Area Plans, however, would need larger numbers of volumes (17,000, 5,000 and 7,000, respectively). In these areas in particular, additional library services and volumes would be required to continue to provide adequate levels of service within the communities. The regulatory compliance below outlines measures that would be necessary to provide for the needed additional services in order to ensure impacts to libraries are less than significant. No project-specific mitigation is needed.
It should also be remembered that the build out of the new development leading to this population growth is projected to take roughly 50 years. This is ample time to allow for adequate long-range planning and provision of additional services as need arises. In addition, GPA No. 960 is projected to result in roughly 138,000 fewer people at build out than originally planned for under the current General Plan and would similarly reduce the need for additional library services. This change would be reflected in any of several ways, including through a reduction in the capacity needed within existing libraries, by delaying the need for construction of new libraries or, by reducing the size of new libraries constructed.
2. Regulatory Compliance for Impact 4.17.E
As detailed and explained below, compliance with the following existing Riverside County ordinance and General Plan policies is sufficient to ensure that impacts to libraries as a result of GPA No. 960 would be less than significant.
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a. Compliance with Existing Riverside County Policies and Ordinances
Ordinance No. 659 – Development Impact Fees Program: Under this ordinance, all new residential, industrial and commercial development is required to pay development impact fees commensurate with the level of new development proposed in order to offset impacts to existing and future public facilities. For library services, the ordinance establishes a base per-dwelling unit fee for both single- and multi-family homes; $341 and $286 per dwelling unit respectively. The ordinance enforces the program by stating that “no building permit shall be issued for any Development Project except upon the condition that the Development Impact Fees required by this ordinance are paid.” These funds are collected and used to provide both library services and construction of new facilities pursuant to the Public Facilities Needs List maintained by the County of Riverside and updated annually.
Riverside County General Plan Policies: Policy LU 5.1 in the Riverside County General Plan aids in the prevention of significant impacts to libraries. It directs the County of Riverside to take action to ensure that development does not cause growth to exceed acceptable levels of service. In terms of libraries, this is implemented through requirements for development fees to be paid as part of project Conditions of Approval. See Section 4.17.6.B for full text of the policy. b. Compliance with Existing Mitigation Measures from EIR No. 441
In EIR No. 441, prepared for the 2003 RCIP General Plan, Mitigation Measure 4.15.6A was imposed to reduce impacts to libraries to less than significant. This measure remains applicable to this project and would lessen impacts to libraries by setting a performance standard that must be met by new development proposals. This standard is implemented with funds collected pursuant to County Ordinance No. 659, as discussed above.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.6A: Riverside County shall provide a minimum of approximately 0.5 square foot of library space and 2.5 volumes per county resident.
F. Libraries – Level of Significance After Mitigation
With the implementation of the above-listed existing General Plan policies and existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.6A from EIR No. 441, GPA No. 960 would have a less than significant impact on libraries.
4.17.7 Medical Facilities
A. Medical Facilities – Existing Environmental Setting
The County of Riverside operates the Riverside County Regional Medical Center (RCRMC) located in Moreno Valley at 26520 Cactus Avenue. The RCRMC also operates a number of adjunct clinics. The Riverside County Department of Public Health operates ten separate clinics located throughout Riverside County. Additional medical facilities and services, such as private/for profit and municipal facilities, exist within Riverside County that are not addressed in this analysis.
The RCRMC is a 520,000-square foot state-of-the-art tertiary care and level II adult and pediatric facility, licensed for a total of 439 beds. This includes 362 licensed beds in the main acute-care hospital and 77 licensed beds in a separate psychiatric facility (in the Arlington area of Riverside). All of its rooms are single-bed rooms. A Joint
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Commission-accredited teaching hospital with a staff of approximately 2,100, the RCRMC can provide 200,000 annual patient visits in its specialty outpatient clinics and upwards of 100,000 annual patient visits to its emergency room/trauma unit. The RCRMC has 12 operating rooms, a helipad located directly adjacent to the Trauma Center and advanced digital radiology services, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) equipment. There are also adult, pediatric and neonatal intensive care units, a birthing center and complete pulmonary services, including hyperbaric oxygen treatment facilities. The facility also offers a pharmacy, occupational and physical therapy, complete clinical laboratory services and diagnostic services, as well as an infusion center for outpatient intravenous treatment. (Communication from S. Lefebvre)
The community-based clinics operated by the Riverside County Department of Public Health provide a wide array of family care services in a locally based setting. The clinic in Mecca operates out of a Riverside County- owned site through an agreement with a non-profit community care provider. See Table 4.17-X (Riverside County Family Care Clinics and Related Facilities) for full list of clinics and locations. The Family Care Centers (FCC) will see any patient regardless of residency or insurance status. Each FCC has at least one family medicine physician on staff and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The general services pro- vided by each FCC include:
Ÿ Primary care, including ambulatory care for urgent and chronic illnesses for adults and children Ÿ Pediatric and adult immunizations Ÿ Confidential HIV testing Ÿ Tuberculosis testing and screening Ÿ Testing and treatment for sexually-transmitted disease Ÿ Family planning Ÿ Comprehensive perinatal (post-birth) services Ÿ Child health examinations Ÿ Nutrition services
Table 4.17-X: Riverside County Family Care Clinics and Related Facilities Facility Name Facility Location Notes Banning Family Care Center 3055 W. Ramsey Ave., Banning Clinic operated under agreement with non- Blythe Family Health Clinic 321 W. Hobsonway, Blythe profit provider Corona Family Care Center 505 S. Buena Vista Ave., Suite #101, Corona Hemet Family Care Center 880 North State Street, Hemet Indio Family Care Center 47-923 Oasis Street, Indio Jurupa Family Care Center 9415 Mission Blvd., Riverside Lake Elsinore Family Care Center 2499 E. Lakeshore Drive, Lake Elsinore Also provides travel immunizations Clinic operated under agreement with non- Mecca Family Health Clinic 91275 66th Avenue, Suite #500, Mecca profit provider (Also provides travel immunizations and Palm Springs Family Care Center 1515 North Sunrise Way, Palm Springs HIV/AIDS primary care) (Also provides urgent care, travel Perris Family Care Center 308 E. San Jacinto Ave., Perris immunizations, HIV/AIDS primary care and (Dr. Robert Bruce Reid Health Clinic) occupational health services) Riverside Neighborhood Health Center 7140 Indiana Ave., Riverside (includes the Rubidoux Dental Office Rubidoux Family Care Center, (Don 5256 Mission Blvd., Riverside operating 7:30 am to 5 p.m., Mon. - Friday at Schroeder Family Care Center) this same location) (Clinic operated under agreement with non- Temecula Neighborhood Healthcare 41715 Winchester Road, Temecula profit provider) Source: Riverside County GIS Dept., 2011.
County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-74 Public Review Draft § February 2015 LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Ä62
CALIMESA Ä62 DESERT HOT SPRINGS v® ¦¨§215 Ä BANNING v® RIVERSIDE 60 NORCO Ä91 Ä v® MORENO VALLEY ® 10 v¦¨§ Ä111 v® v®v® v® v® BEAUMONT PALM SPRINGS 10 v® ¦¨§ ÄÄ177 CORONA Ä79 ¤£95 v® CATHEDRAL CITY v® Ä243 15 SAN JACINTO ¦¨§ PERRIS v® PALM DESERT ® RANCHO Ä74 HEMETv Ä74 MIRAGE INDIO v® INDIAN WELLS MENIFEE v® COACHELLA LAKE ELSINORE 215 LA QUINTA 10 WILDOMAR ¦¨§ ¦¨§ ORANGE Ä74 BLYTHE COUNTY v® Ä74 86S v® MURRIETA Ä v® ÄÄ371 Ä78 TEMECULA SALTON Ä79 SEA ¦¨§15 Ä86 Ä111 LA PAZ COUNTY, AZ
SAN DIEGO COUNTY IMPERIAL COUNTY PACIFIC OCEAN
Data Source: Riverside County (2010)
v® Hospital Locations Highways
Area Plan Boundary
City Boundary
Waterbodies Figure 4.17.7
Disclaimer: Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only. Map features are December 16, 2013 approximate, and are not necessarily accurate to surveying or engineering standards. The County of Riverside makes no warranty or guarantee as to the content (the source is often third MAJOR HOSPITAL [ party), accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided, and assumes no legal responsibility for the information contained on this map. Any use of this product with LOCATIONS Miles respect to accuracy and precision shall be the sole responsibility of the user. 0 10 20 \\agency\tlmagis\Projects\Planning\SafetyElement\Hospitals.mxd
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County of Riverside Environmental Impact Report No. 521 4.17-76 Public Review Draft § February 2015
Medical services are provided throughout Riverside County by a complex network of both public and private pro- viders. In some cases, both populations of patient are served by the same providers and facilities. For a variety of reasons, full data on all of the medical encounters occurring within Riverside County are not available. However, the County of Riverside has published data on its services. According to Riverside County’s “Financial Highlights (Fiscal Year 2008-2009)” report, the Riverside County Community Health Agency provided nearly 125,800 patient visits and performed 466,800 patient services including family planning, primary health care, prenatal care, urgent care, child health and disability prevention. The RCRMC also provided nearly 88,550 treatments and over 9,700 mental health services through its emergency department (emergency room), nearly 129,200 clinic visits and 23,250 admissions with a total of over 118,450 patient-days of in-patient care provided.
According to the 2008 Regional Medical Facility Profile report, in 2005, there were 80,932 licensed hospital beds in California, a rate of 2.2 beds per 1,000 residents. Riverside County had 2,880 licensed beds, a rate of 1.47 beds per 1,000 residents, 33% lower than the California rate. No specific adopted criteria are maintained for deter- mining future needs for public hospital or medical clinics. The Riverside County Department of Public Health reports that Riverside County only has 50% of the needed hospital beds necessary to meet current needs. According to the Department, while the FCCs are sized to meet current needs, approximately one additional clinic of 15,000 to 20,000 square feet (or corresponding increase in size of an existing clinic) would be needed for every 250,000 person increase in population. (Communication from M. Osur)
B. Policies and Regulations Addressing Medical Facilities
Although the Riverside County General Plan does not include a Public Services Element, it does include the following Land Use (LU) Element policy that addresses the effects of future development on medical facilities by ensuring that development does not exceed adequate medical services.
Policy LU 5.1: Ensure that development does not exceed the ability to adequately provide supporting infrastructure and services, such as libraries, recreational facilities, educational and child day care centers (i.e. infant, toddlers, preschool and school age children), transportation systems, and fire/police/medical services.
C. Thresholds of Significance for Medical Facilities
The proposed project would result in a significant impact on medical facilities if it would:
Result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered medical facilities. Or, result in the need for new or physically altered medical facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for any medical facilities.
D. Effect of GPA No. 960 on the General Plan and on Medical Facilities
The proposed update to the General Plan (pursuant to GPA No. 960) includes land use overlays, land use designation (LUD) changes and new or revised policies that would allow for the conversion of rural, semi-rural, agricultural and vacant lands into suburban or urban uses in concentrated areas throughout Riverside County. As with the current General Plan, future development consistent with GPA No. 960 has the potential to introduce people, property and structures into previously undeveloped areas. The resultant increase in population would
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similarly increase the use of existing medical and health care services and facilities, as well as contribute incrementally to demand for new or expanded services and facilities.
The tables below summarize projected theoretical medical encounters (E.R. visits, inpatient and outpatient needs, etc.) to indicate the need for various types of medical services and facilities. Again, three scenarios are presented and all calculations are all labeled “theoretical” because they use the same basic set of assumptions and factors to allow for valid comparisons between and amongst scenarios. In the real world, a number of additional factors that are beyond the scope of this analysis would apply (funding availability, market conditions, available staff, etc.). The actual planning, locations and development of medical facilities is under the purview of a variety of authorities.
Table 4.17-Y (Theoretical Medical Service Needs With and Without the Project) shows representative medical statistics associated with the existing (baseline) level of development currently estimated to be present on the portions of Riverside County affected by proposed land use-related changes. These are compared against full build out of the same areas as they would be permitted under the updated General Plan (e.g., per the changes proposed in GPA No. 960). For the purposes of effects on medical services, changes proposed by the project are relevant only if they would result in an ultimate increase in population. Changes that do not adversely affect (increase or reallocate) populations within the unincorporated county area are not discussed further here.
Again, in order to focus on the areas where the proposed project would actually result in new development potential (i.e., potential impacts), a second scenario was developed. As shown in Table 4.17-Z (Theoretical Medical Needs for Areas of New Development Potential), this second scenario includes only those areas pro- posed for a change that would result in an increase in future development density or intensity. This also includes all parcels in which an LUD was changed (other than those being assigned to OS-CH, which has essentially no development potential).
The final table, Table 4.17-AA (Theoretical Medical Service Needs at General Plan Build Out), shows a com- parison between the build out conditions of the General Plan as it currently exists and as it would exist if the proposed project is approved and fully implemented. This third table indicates the relative effects of the project on long-range medical planning, rather than environmental impacts per se.
Table 4.17-Y: Theoretical Medical Service Needs With and Without the Project Generation Factors Existing Uses of Land GPA No. 960 Build Out Staffing Item Difference (per 1,000 population) Total Needs2 Total Needs2 Population1 16,520 persons 46,370 persons + 29,840 people Hospital Beds 1.9 beds 30 beds 90 beds + 60 beds Hospital Admissions 95 admits 1,570 admits 4,400 admits + 2,840 admits ER Visits 275 visits 4,540 visits 12,750 visits + 8,210 visits Outpatient Visits 275visits 4,540 visits 12,750 visits + 8,210 visits Inpatient Days 493 days 8,150 days 22,860 days + 14,710 days TOTAL MEDICAL ENCOUNTERS3 17,230 encounters 48,360 encounters +31,130 encounters Footnotes: 1. Theoretical population estimated for the land uses associated with the 111,440-acre area of known spatial project changes. Populations calculated as per General Plan Appendix E-1 standards. See Section 4.1 (Environmental Assumptions and Methods) for more information. All results rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Existing land uses indicate current (baseline) conditions. The second represents medical needs associated with build out (development) of the same areas pursuant to the General Plan as updated per GPA No. 960. 3. Total of patient-contact statistics (outpatient visits, hospital admissions and hospital inpatient days). Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Medical service standards for California from www,StateHealthFacts.org, 2008.
Upon build out of Riverside County pursuant to the existing (2008) General Plan, as shown in Table 4.17-AA, the County of Riverside as a whole would generate roughly 1.8 million medical service encounters per year and need a
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total of 3,300 hospital beds (including those presently existing). Under the updated General Plan, as amended per GPA No. 960, this build out total would decrease roughly 8% to just under 1.6 million encounters and 3,000 beds. Thus, on a comparative basis the proposed project would result in fewer impacts on the environment due a reduced need for medical facilities. Such a reduced need would be reflected in any of several ways, including through a reduction in the capacity needed within existing facilities, by delaying the need for construction of additional medical facilities or by reducing the size of new facilities constructed.
Table 4.17- Z: Theoretical Medical Needs for Areas of New Development Potential Generation Factors Existing Uses of Land GPA No. 960 Build Out Staffing Item Difference (per 1,000 population) Total Needs2 Total Needs2 Population1 6,590 persons 19,610 persons + 13,020 people Hospital Beds 1.9 beds 13 beds 37 beds + 25 beds Hospital Admissions 95 admits 230 admits 1,860 admits + 1,240 admits ER Visits 275 visits 1,820 visits 5,400 visits + 3,580 visits Outpatient Visits 275visits 1,820 visits 5,400 visits + 3,580 visits Inpatient Days 493 days 3,260 days 9,680 days + 6,420 days TOTAL MEDICAL ENCOUNTERS3 6,890 encounters 20,470 encounters +13,570 encounters Footnotes: 1. Theoretical population estimated for the land uses associated with the 10,690-acre area of known spatial project changes that would increase development intensity or density or change an LUD within the Community Development Foundation. Populations calculated as per General Plan Appendix E-1 standards. See Section 4.1 (Environmental Assumptions and Methods) for more information. All results rounded to the nearest 10, except beds not rounded. 2. Existing land uses indicate current (baseline) conditions. The second represents medical needs associated with build out (development) of the same areas pursuant to the General Plan as updated per GPA No. 960. 3. Total of patient-contact statistics (outpatient visits, hospital admissions and hospital inpatient days). Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Medical service standards for California from www,StateHealthFacts.org, 2008.
Table 4.17-AA: Theoretical Medical Service Needs at General Plan Build Out Generation Factors Existing General Plan Updated General Plan Staffing Item (per 1,000 Build Out2 Build Out2 Difference population) Total Needs Total Needs Build Out Population1 1,736,700 persons 1,599,000 persons -137,800 persons Hospital Beds 1.9 beds 3,300 beds 3,000 beds - 300 beds Hospital Admissions 95 admits 165,000 admits 151,900 admits - 13,100 admits ER Visits 275 visits 477,600 visits 439,700 visits - 37,900 visits Outpatient Visits 275 visits 477,600 visits 439,700 visits - 37,900 visits Inpatient Days 493 days 856,200 days 788,300 days - 67,900 days 1,811,400 TOTAL MEDICAL ENCOUNTERS3 1,667,700 encounters - 143,700 encounters encounters Footnotes: 1. Population estimates for entire unincorporated Riverside County at General Plan build out (2060). All results rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Build out scenarios for General Plan without and with the changes proposed per GPA No. 960. 3. Total of patient-contact statistics (outpatient visits, hospital admissions and hospital inpatient days). Source: Riverside County General Plan, 2008. Riverside County Planning Dept., project land use data, 2011. Medical service standards for California from www.StateHealthFacts.org, 2008.
Using the demand factor for additional health clinics issued by the County Department of Public Health (one additional 15,000 to 20,000 square-foot facility for every 200,000 population increase), the additional population (13,020) arising from future development directly attributable to project changes (i.e., Table 4.17-Z) would represent an increment increase of 6.5% of the total need for an additional clinic. However, the total represents demand across Riverside County. The actual increases would be spread throughout the 19 Area Plans of unincorporated Riverside County, plus the remainder area of eastern desert not in an Area Plan. As such, the adverse effects on most individual regions would be small to negligible. Also, these increases would occur incrementally over the next several decades, allowing ample time for long-range planning and provision of necessary services.
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To examine effects to the individual regions of Riverside County, the medical statistics were further broken down by Area Plan. Analysis indicated that effects would vary regionally, in the same pattern previously described. Approximately 30% of the increased demand would be concentrated in the Elsinore Area Plan region, with Palo Verde Valley (22%), Jurupa (16%), Mead Valley (14%) and Western Coachella Valley (11%) Area Plans accounting for another 8,300 medical encounters (roughly 60% total). The remaining 9% is distributed throughout Riverside County. Generally, the need for additional hospital beds, clinic space and staff would increase (or decrease) in the same proportions.
In terms of General Plan changes, the project would only incrementally affect most of Riverside County’s Area Plans; in amounts not large enough to trigger the need for an additional medical clinic, for example, in any single county area. Not surprisingly, however, the increased demand for medical services shows up most clearly in the areas being planned for urbanization – the Meadowbrook and Good Hope Rural Village Overlays, in particular. In terms of environmental effects, future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would contribute only incrementally to the need for additional medical facilities and staff throughout Riverside County to ensure adequate levels of service. Associated environmental impacts and mitigation associated with these additional needs are discussed below.
E. Medical Facilities – Impacts and Mitigation
Impacts to medical facilities and services that would result from implementation of the proposed project, GPA No. 960, were evaluated for significance and the need for mitigation, as indicated.
Would the project result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered medical facilities? Or, would it result in the need for new or physically altered medical facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts, in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response times or other performance objectives for any medical facilities?
Impact 4.17.F – Cause Adverse Environmental Effects Due to the Need for Medical Facilities: Future development accommodated by GPA No. 960 would increase rural, suburban and urban uses in Riverside County, resulting in a small overall population increase that would contribute incrementally (by about 6.5%) to the need for an additional community clinic and generating roughly 13,500 medical encounters. However, since the population increase would be spread throughout unincorporated Riverside County and occur over 50 years, associated impacts to medical facilities and services would be negligible. In terms of overall General Plan build out, the project would result in a net decrease of roughly 143,700 Riverside County residents. Thus, for long- range provision of needed medical facilities and services, the project would slightly lower (by roughly 8%) the expected increase in demand for new or expanded medical facilities and services over time. In total, the project would not have a significant adverse effect on medical facilities or services, nor would it cause significant adverse environmental impacts by necessitating construction of new facilities.
1. Analysis of Impact 4.17.F
New development would introduce additional people within Riverside County to medical services. This would result in additional use of existing facilities and work for existing staff. When demand is great enough in a given region, an additional clinic or other medical facility would be built. However, in areas where development remained sparse, development of new facilities would be unlikely.
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As discussed in Section 4.17.7.D, above, existing standards indicate that full build out of the existing General Plan would accommodate a population of roughly 1.7 million people within unincorporated Riverside County. To serve this population, the medical system (both county and private) would require an estimated total of 3,300 hospital beds and generate roughly 1.8 million medical service encounters. The land use changes associated with GPA No. 960 would reduce expected population of Riverside County by nearly 138,000 people and require 300 fewer beds and generate 143,700 fewer encounters. Diagnostic, laboratory, surgical, rehabilitation, mental health, pharmacy and other medical service needs would be similarly reduced. Accordingly, environmental impacts associated with construction of new or improved facilities would be avoided or postponed.
At the Area Plan level, however, as shown in Table 4.17-X, GPA No. 960 would allow for additional future development that would increase Riverside County’s population by 13,000 people, mostly spread widely throughout Riverside County. This increase would require an additional 25 hospital beds and generate an additional 13,570 medical encounters. Overall, because some portions of Riverside County would experience a population decrease or neutral change, many areas of Riverside County would not have any significant adverse impact to medical services as a result of future development pursuant to this project.
Some areas would have minor increases. In these areas, future development as a result of the project would not result in significant adverse impacts on medical services and facilities. Also, these increases would occur incrementally over the next several decades, allowing ample time for long-range planning and provision of necessary services.
The three areas covered by the Elsinore, Palo Verde Valley and Jurupa Area Plans, however, would need more additional facilities and services (for example, 7, 6 and 4 more hospital beds, respectively). In these areas in particular, additional medical services and facilities would be required to continue to meet the community demand for care.
It should also be remembered that the build out of the new development leading to this population growth is projected to take roughly 50 years. This is ample time to allow for adequate long-range planning and provision of additional services as need arises. In addition, GPA No. 960 is projected to result in roughly 138,000 fewer people at build out than originally planned for under the current General Plan and would similarly reduce the need for additional medical services. This change would be reflected in any of several ways, including through a reduction in the capacity needed within existing facilities, by delaying the need for construction of new facilities or by reducing the size of new medical facilities constructed. In total and based on the 6.5% increase in community demand attributable to project-related new development potential, the project would not have a significant adverse effect on medical facilities or services. No project-specific mitigation is needed.
2. Regulatory Compliance for Impact 4.17.F
The above analysis indicates that this impact would be less than significant and hence no project-specific mitigation is needed. Moreover, the following General Plan policy and existing mitigation measures from prior EIR No. 441 would further reduce or minimize this already insignificant impact.
a. Compliance with Proposed New or Revised Riverside County General Plan Policies
General Plan Policy LU 5.1 would further contribute to ensuring development impacts to medical services and facilities are less than significant. The policy directs the County of Riverside to take action to ensure that development does not cause growth to exceed acceptable levels of service for medical facilities. See Section 4.17.7.B for full text of the policy.
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b. Compliance with Existing Mitigation Measures from EIR No. 441
In EIR No. 441, prepared for the 2003 RCIP General Plan, Mitigation Measures 4.15.7A and 4.15.7B were imposed to reduce impacts to medical facilities and services to less than significant. Although the potential impacts of this project are already less than significant, these measures were programmatic in nature and thus remain applicable to this project.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.7A: Riverside County shall perform a periodic medical needs assessment to evaluate the current medical demand and level of medical service provided within each Area Plan. A periodic medical needs assessment shall be conducted every three years.
Existing Mitigation Measure 4.15.7B: Riverside County shall fund the new construction and/or expansion of existing medical facilities according to the level of demand for medical services. The level of demand would be based on and determined by the outcome of the periodic medical needs assessments.
F. Medical Facilities – Level of Significance After Mitigation
The analysis presented above indicates that development consistent with the proposed project, GPA No. 960, would have less than significant impacts on medical services and facilities. In addition, compliance with the above-listed existing General Plan policy and existing Mitigation Measures 4.15.7A and 4.15.7B from EIR No. 441, would further reduce or avoid the insignificant impacts associated with the project.
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