Environmental Checklist Form
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PROJECT TITLE: Bahia Heights Residential Subdivision P2015-084, P2016-096; P2016-097; P2016-098 LEAD AGENCY: City of Novato Community Development Department 922 Machin Ave. Novato, California 94945 CONTACT PERSON: Brett Walker Senior Planner, City of Novato [email protected] (415) 493-4711 PROJECT LOCATION: 143-272-07 Misty Road, Novato PROJECT APPLICANT: Ryder Homes of California, Inc. GENERAL PLAN Low Density Residential (R1) DESIGNATION: ZONING: Planned Development EXISTING LAND USE: Undeveloped with graded building pads PROJECT SUMMARY The proposed project site is located in a low density residential area approximately 3.5 miles east of downtown Novato, 1.3 miles northeast of the Hwy 37 Petaluma River bridge, and 0.84 mile from the Petaluma River. The site consists of Assessor’s Parcel Number 143-272-07 and is located at the end of Misty Road in Novato, California. The proposed project would include the development of nine single-family homes on a vacant 8.7-acre hillside parcel which would begin low on the hillside and rise upward above Topaz Drive and sit below the upper ridgelines of this hillside. The homes would be one or two stories, range from 2,730 to 3,569 square feet, and would be between 21 feet and 27 feet, 2 inches in height. The nine lot areas range from 0.32 acre to 3.59 acre. Four different floor plans would be constructed, including both one- story and two-story designs. Houses would have dedicated two- and three-car garages attached to the units. On-street parallel parking is located on the north side of Misty Road, and 5 on-street parking spaces are located on the south side of Misty Road in two separate parking Bahia Heights Residential Subdivision December 2017 Initial Study Page i bays. The project would include the construction of necessary infrastructure improvements to serve the proposed subdivision, including installation of water and sewer lines, tree removal, the extension of Misty Road including additional sidewalk, drainage improvements, followed by the completion of all required site improvements on individual lots and the construction of the nine residences. There would also be installation of individual lot landscaping in the project development including a four-foot landscaping strip on the northern side of the street between the sidewalk and the street, and six to 14-foot wide landscape strips on the southern side of the street. No sidewalks are proposed for the southern side of the street. The proposed project site is surrounded by single-family residential development and is within the existing Bahia Subdivision. The project is located on an undeveloped hillside which was previously graded with individual building pads. Sixteen and 8/10th percent (16.8%) of the parcel is in the 0-10% slope range, 15.3% in the 10-25% range and 67.9% is greater than 25% slope. The project site is accessible through an existing roadway network. Access to the Bahia Subdivision and to the proposed nine lots would be through Atherton Avenue onto Bugeia Lane to Bahia Drive and Topaz Drive. The subdivision would be served from an extension of Misty Road. The closest highways to the proposed project site are U.S. Route 101 and Highway 37. There are currently no trails for viewshed at the proposed project site. The closest schools are Olive Elementary School, which is approximately 3.2 miles from the proposed site, and Marin Oaks High School, which is approximately 4.5 miles from the proposed project site. San Marin High School is 5.3 miles from the site. Novato High School is 5.2 miles from the project site. Sinaloa Middle School is 5.2 miles from the project site. Bahia Heights Residential Subdivision December 2017 Initial Study Page ii TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................... v Project Location .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Description .............................................................................................................................. 1 Surrounding Land Uses and Setting ................................................................................................. 1 Background Documents and Plans ................................................................................................... 2 Proposed Project Characteristics ....................................................................................................... 2 Entitlements and Required Approvals ........................................................................................... 13 Environmental Factors Potentially Affected: ....................................................................................... 15 Determination: .......................................................................................................................................... 16 Evaluation of Environmental Impacts: ................................................................................................. 17 Report Preparers ...................................................................................................................................... 91 APPENDICES A California Emissions Estimator Model Results B List of Species Observed On Site C Plant Species with Potential to Occur D Wildlife Species with Potential to Occur E Historic and Cultural Resources Evaluations F Geotechnical Evaluation G Sight Distance Evaluation FIGURES 1 Regional Map .......................................................................................................................... 5 2 Vicinity Map ........................................................................................................................... 7 3 Site Plan ................................................................................................................................... 9 4 Water Line Plan .................................................................................................................... 11 5 CNDDB Map ......................................................................................................................... 31 6 Biological Resources Map ................................................................................................... 35 TABLES 1 Thresholds of Significance ......................................................................................................... 21 2 Average Daily Unmitigated Construction Emissions ............................................................ 24 3 Daily Unmitigated Operational Emissions ............................................................................. 26 4 Vegetation Communities and Land Cover Types .................................................................. 33 5 Special-Status Plant Species ....................................................................................................... 38 6 Special-Status Wildlife Species .................................................................................................. 39 7 Estimated Annual Unmitigated Operational Greenhouse Gas Emissions ......................... 56 8 Typical Construction Equipment Noise Emission Levels and Usage Factors ................... 69 9 Short-Term Sound Level Measurements and Traffic Counts ............................................... 70 Bahia Heights Residential Subdivision December 2017 Initial Study Page iii 10 Vibration Velocities for Typical Construction Equipment .................................................... 72 11 Average Daily Traffic Volume .................................................................................................. 79 12 Trip Generation Summary ......................................................................................................... 80 13 Trip Generation Summary for Construction Traffic .............................................................. 81 Bahia Heights Residential Subdivision December 2017 Initial Study Page iv ACRONYMS AB Assembly Bill ABAG Association of Bay Area Governments ADT average daily traffic AFY acre-feet per year APE area of potential affect BAAQMD Bay Area Air Quality Management District BMP best management practice CalEEMod California Emissions Estimator Model CAPCOA California Air Pollution Control Officers Association CARB California Air Resources Board CBC California Building Code CCAP Climate Change Action Plan CCR California Code of Regulations CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CH4 methane CMA Congestion Management Agency CMP Congestion Management Program CNDDB California Natural Diversity Database CNPS California Native Plant Society CO carbon monoxide CO2 carbon dioxide dBA A-weighted decibel EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency GHG greenhouse gas GIS geographic information system GWP Global Warming Potential IPaC Information, Planning and Conservation IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers LOS level of service mph miles per hour MRZ Mineral Resource Zone MS4 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System MT CO2E metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent N2O nitrous oxide NAHC Native American Heritage Commission NMWD North Marin Water District NOx oxides of nitrogen NUSD Novato Unified School District NWIC North West Information Center O3 ozone