2035 San Benito County General Plan Update
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FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2035 SAN BENITO COUNTY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE State Clearinghouse #2011111016 PREPARED FOR County of San Benito Planning & Building Department June 19, 2015 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2035 SAN BENITO COUNTY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE State Clearinghouse #2011111016 PREPARED FOR County of San Benito Planning & Building Department 3224 Southside Road Hollister, CA 95023 Tel 831.637.5313 Fax 831.637.5334 Byron Turner, Interim Director [email protected] www.cosb.us PREPARED BY EMC Planning Group Inc. 301 Lighthouse Avenue, Suite C Monterey, CA 93940 Tel 831.649.1799 Fax 831.649.8399 [email protected] www.emcplanning.com June 19, 2015 This document was produced on recycled paper. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................... 1-1 ORGANIZATION OF THE FINAL EIR ..................................... 1-1 2.0 COMMENTS ON THE REVISED DRAFT EIR AND RESPONSES TO COMMENTS .......................................... 2-1 CEQA Requirements ................................................................. 2-1 Comments on the Revised Draft EIR and Responses to Comments . 2-2 3.0 CHANGES TO THE REVISED DRAFT EIR ......................... 3-1 4.0 CHANGES TO THE RECIRCULATED DRAFT EIR SUMMARY ................................................................. 4-1 Tables Table 1 Comments Submitted and Environmental Issues .............................. 2-3 EMC PLANNING GROUP INC. This side intentionally left blank. EMC PLANNING GROUP INC. 1.0 INTRODUCTION San Benito County (the “County”), acting as the lead agency, determined that the proposed 2035 San Benito General Plan (hereinafter “Project” or “General Plan”) may result in significant adverse environmental effects, as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15064. Therefore, the County had a draft environmental impact report (Draft EIR) prepared to evaluate the potentially significant adverse environmental impacts of the project. The Draft EIR was circulated for public review from March 7, 2013 to April 22, 2013 and public comment was received. Based on those comments, the County made significant changes to the Draft EIR, resulting in the revised Draft EIR (the “RDEIR”), which was circulated for public review and comment from March 23, 2015 to May 6, 2015. CEQA Guidelines section 15200 indicates that the purposes of the public review process include sharing expertise, disclosing agency analysis, checking for accuracy, detecting omissions, discovering public concerns, and soliciting counter proposals. This final environmental impact report (Final EIR) has been prepared to respond to public comments received during the RDEIR public review period and to identify changes to the RDEIR, if any, that are being made in response to public comments. CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5(f)(1) describes the methodology and limits for responding to public comments received when both a Draft EIR is prepared and when the Draft EIR has been revised and recirculated: (1) When an EIR is substantially revised and the entire document is recirculated, the lead agency may require reviewers to submit new comments and, in such cases, need not respond to those comments received during the earlier circulation period. The lead agency shall advise reviewers, either in the text of the revised EIR or by an attachment EMC PLANNING GROUP INC. 1-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION to the revised EIR, that although part of the administrative record, the previous comments do not require a written response in the final EIR, and that new comments must be submitted for the revised EIR. The lead agency need only respond to those comments submitted in response to the recirculated revised EIR. In light of this guidance, this Final EIR includes responses to comments submitted only on the RDEIR. ORGANIZATION OF THE FINAL EIR The Final EIR is organized into the following sections: . Section 1 contains an introduction to the Final EIR. Section 2 contains written public comments on the RDEIR and responses to the public comments. Section 3 contains changes to the RDEIR. Section 4 contains changes to the RDEIR Summary. 1-2 EMC PLANNING GROUP INC. 2.0 COMMENTS ON THE REVISED DRAFT EIR AND RESPONSES TO COMMENTS CEQA REQUIREMENTS CEQA Guidelines section 15132(c) requires that the Final EIR contain a list of persons, organizations, and public agencies that have commented on the Revised Draft EIR (RDEIR). A list of the correspondence received during the public review period for the RDEIR is presented below. As explained in the RDEIR, Public Resources code 15088.5 allows the lead agency to require reviewers submit new comments when an EIR is substantially revised and the entire document is recirculated, as was done here. The County advised reviewers to submit new comments on the RDEIR and pursuant to Public Resources Code section 15088.5 need not respond to those comments received during the earlier circulation period. CEQA Guidelines sections 15132(b) and 15132(d) require that the Final EIR contain the comments that raise significant environmental points in the review and consultation process, and written response to those comments. A copy of each correspondence received during the public review period for the RDEIR is presented on the following pages. Numbers along the margin of each comment letter identify individual comments to which a response is provided. Responses are presented immediately following each letter. Where required, revisions have been made to the text of the RDEIR based on the responses to comments. These revisions are included in Section 3.0, Changes to the RDEIR. EMC PLANNING GROUP INC. 2-1 2.0 COMMENTS ON THE REVISED DRAFT EIR AND RESPONSES TO COMMENTS COMMENTS ON THE REVISED DRAFT EIR AND RESPONSES TO COMMENTS The following correspondence was received during the 45-day public review period on the RDEIR: Agencies: 1. Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) (May 5, 2015) 2. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (May 14, 2015) (Although received after the end of the public comment period, the County responds to these comments.) 3. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) (May 7, 2015) 4. California Department of Conservation (DOC) (May 11, 2015) (Although received after the end of the public comment period, the County responds to these comments.) 5. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) (May 7, 2015) 6. California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) (May 7, 2015) 7. Council of San Benito County of Governments, the Local Transportation Authority, and the San Benito County Airport Land Use Commission (COG) (May 7, 2015) 8. Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD) (May 7, 2015) 9. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) (May 7, 2015) Organizations: 10. Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter (Sierra Club) (May 6, 2015) Individuals and Companies 11. Floriani Family Ranch (Floriani) (May 6, 2015) 12. Mark H. Johnson (Johnson) (May 15, 2015) (Although received after the end of the public comment period, the County responds to these comments.) 13. TriCal, Inc. (TriCal) (May 7, 2015) 14. Natasha Wist (Wist) (No date, 2015) The table below summarizes the topics of significant environmental points raised in each comment letter. 2-2 EMC PLANNING GROUP INC. 2035 SAN BENITO COUNTY GENERAL PLAN FINAL EIR Table 1 Comments Submitted and Environmental Issues vironmental Analysis Analysis vironmental Project Description En the to Introduction Aesthetics Aesthetics Agriculture/Forest Resources Air Quality Biological Resources Resources Historical and Cultural Mineral Resources and Geology, Soils, Global Climate Change Materials Hazards and Hazardous Resources Hydrology and Water Land Use Noise Population and Housing Public Services Recreation and Circulation Transportation Utilities and Service Systems Alternatives Analysis Required CEQA Analyses 1. AMBAG X X X X X X X 2. BLM X X X X X X X X X 3. BOR X X X 4. DOC X 5. CAL FIRE X X 6. Caltrans X X X 7. COG X 8. MBU- X APCD 9. VTA 10. Sierra Club X X X X X X X 11. Floriani X X X X X X 12. Johnson X 13. TriCal X X 14. Wist X Source: EMC Planning Group 2015 EMC PLANNING GROUP INC. 2-3 ͷǡʹͲͳͷ Ǥ Ƭ ͵ʹʹͶ ǡͻͷͲʹ͵ Re: Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR) for the 2035 San Benito County General PlanUpdate Ǥǡ ʹͲ͵ͷ Ǥ Ǥ 1-1 GeneralComments ͵ȋ Ȍǡȋ ȌǡͳͶȋȌǡ ͳ ȋ Ȍ ͳͻ ȋ Ȍǡ ǣ x ͵Ǧ͵ǡ ͵Ǧͳǣ 1-2 Ǥ x ͵Ǧͺǡ͵Ǧʹǣ ǡ 1-3 Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ x ͵Ǧʹʹǡ ǡ ͓ͳͷǣ 1-4 Ǥ x ͵Ǧʹʹǡǡ ͓ʹʹǣ 1-5 Ǥ x ͵Ǧʹǡ ͵Ǥ͵ǣ Ǥ 1-6 Ǥ x Ǧ͵ʹǡǦǣ Ǥ 1-7 x ͳͶǦʹǡ ͳͶǤͳǣ Ǥ 1-8 Ǥ x ͳͶǦ͵Ͳǡ Ǧ͵Ǥͷǡ ǣ Dzdz 1-9 Dzdz Ǥ x ͳǦͷǣ ǯ Ǥ Ǥ ǣ Dz ȋȌ 1-10 ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǯ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ Ǥ x ͳͻǦͳǣDzȋ Ǧ Ȍ ȋ Ȍ 1-11 ʹͲͲͺ ʹͲͳ͵ ǯ Ǧ ʹͲͳͲ ʹͲ͵ͷ 1-11 cont. ȀǤdz RegionalGrowthForecast ʹͲͳͶ ǡ Ǥ ʹͲͳͶ Ͷ Ǥ 1-12 x ͶǦͷ Dz ǯ ʹͲͳͶ dz ǯʹͲͳͶ Ǥ x ͶǦͷDz ǯʹͲͳͶ ʹͲͳʹǤdz ǯ ʹͲͳʹǡǡʹͲͳͶǤ 1-13 Ǥ Ǥ x ͶǦDz ʹͲͳʹǡ Ǥdz 1- 14 ʹͲͳ͵ǡ ʹͲͳʹǤ ʹͲͳͶǤ Ǥ x ͶǦDz ǡʹͲͳʹ Ǧ Ǥdz Ǥ 1-15 Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ x ͶǦͳͲǡͶǦͷ ʹͲ͵ͷ ʹͲͳͶ 1-16 ǤǤ x Ǧ͵ͺǡǦͺǡ ͺǡͲͲ Dz 1-17 dz Ǥ x ͳǦ͵ͳǦͶǣ ʹͲͳͲ ʹͲ͵ͷ 1-18 Ǥ RegionalHousingNeedsAllocation ǡ ǡ ȋ Ȍ Ǥ Ǥ 1-19 ͳͶǦǡDz Ǧ ǡ Ǧ ȋǤǡǡǡȌǡ Ǥdz ǡ͵ͷǡǯ 1-20 ʹͲͳͷǤ ͳǦͷǤ Moving Forward Monterey Bay 2035 (Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy) 1-21 ǣȋ Ȍ 2 x ͵ǦͳͻǣDz͵ͷ ʹͲʹͲʹͲ͵ͷ ǯͳͺ ȋȌǤ ǯ ȋȌ 1-21 cont. ǡǡǤ ǡ ǯȋ ȌǤ ȋ ȌǡǦ ǡʹͲ͵ͷȀ ʹͲͳͶǤdz x ͳͳǦͺǣ ǡDzǡ ǡȋȌ 1-22 ͵ͷ dz ʹͲͳͶǤ x ͳͳǦʹͺǣ ǤDzǯ Ǧ 1-23 ǡ ͲǦ ǦǦ ȋ Ȍ ȋȌ ʹͲʹͲͷȂ ǦǦ ʹͲ͵ͷȋ ʹͲͳͳȌʹͲͲͷǤdz x ͳͻǦͳǣ ǯǤDz ʹͲ͵ͷȀȋȀȌǤ ȋȌǤǡ ̵ ȀǤ Ȁ ȋ ǡ Ȍǡȋ ǡ 1-24 ǡ Ȍǡ ȋȌǡǡ Ǥ ǦǤǦ Ǥ ʹͲʹͷ Ǥdz RegionalTransportationDemandModel ͳͻǦͳ͵ǡ ǯ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥǡ 1-25 Ǥ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ 3 1-25 cont.