December 13 17 Board Packet
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Castaic Lake Water Agency Memorandum December 6, 2017 To: CLWA Board of Directors From: Brian Folsom Engineering and Operations Manager Subject: Approve a Resolution Adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Under the California Environmental Quality Act for the Central Park Recycled Water Main Extension (Phase 2A) Project SUMMARY On September 22, 2017, the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) released a Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Central Park Recycled Water Main Extension (Phase 2A) Project (Project) for public review in compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CLWA is the CEQA lead agency and must adopt the IS/MND and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) prior to approving the Project for design. Staff recommends that the Committee review the IS/MND and MMRP and recommend that the Board of Directors adopt the attached resolution approving the IS/MND and MMRP. DISCUSSION Background and Project Description: The Draft Recycled Water Master Plan (Draft RWMP) sets forth a plan to expand the recycled water system in the Santa Clarita Valley to offset potable water demands. The existing recycled water system is referred to as Phase 1 and provides approximately 450 acre-feet per year (afy) of recycled water to golf courses and median landscapes. Phase 2 includes four separate phases (2A, 2B, 2C and 2D) that will expand the recycled water system to the east, west and south portions of the Santa Clarita Valley. The Central Park Recycled Water Main Extension (Phase 2A) Project will provide recycled water to the service areas of Santa Clarita Water Division (SCWD) and Valencia Water Company (VWC) by using recycled water from the Valencia Water Reclamation Plant (WRP). It is estimated that up to 560 afy would be available to SCWD and VWC to serve nearby existing irrigation customers along the pipeline alignment. As proposed, up to a 24-inch transmission pipeline would originate at the Valencia WRP at The Old Road and extend for approximately 5.25 miles, or up to 33,000 linear feet, along Rye Canyon Road and Newhall Ranch Road. At the Newhall Ranch Road and Bouquet Canyon intersection, the proposed Project will continue in one of two directions to Central Park. The first alternate alignment would be north along Bouquet Canyon Road, while the second alternate direction would be east along Newhall Ranch Road to the River Village development and then north to Central Park. This pipeline would serve industrial and non-potable irrigation demands adjacent to the alignment. Anchor irrigation customers would be Valencia High School, Valencia Heritage Park, Bridgeport Park and Central Park. CEQA Analysis: CLWA, with the assistance of Meridian Consultants, prepared a draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Project. The IS/MND analyzed the potential environmental impacts for the Project and concluded that with mitigation, there would be no significant impacts. Mitigation measures needed to mitigate or avoid potentially significant impacts are included in the IS/MND for the following environmental factors: Noise, aesthetic/visual, and tribal/cultural resources. 63 CEQA Public Review Process: On September 22, 2017, CLWA circulated a Notice of Intent (NOI), provided notice in the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, and released the draft IS/MND in compliance with CEQA requirements for a 30-day review and comment period by the public and reviewing agencies. The review period ended on October 23, 2017. One comment was received from the public or reviewing agencies during the comment review period. CLWA received a letter from the California State Clearinghouse Office of Planning and Research, dated October 24, 2017 stating that the State Water Resources Control Board submitted comments by the closing date and acknowledged that CLWA has complied with the State Clearinghouse review requirements for draft environmental documents, pursuant to CEQA. Final CEQA Documents for CLWA Board Approval: The State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations (“CCR”) Section 15074, Public Resources Code Section 21092) require public agencies to review and consider the MND, the IS, and comments received during the public review period prior to the adoption of the MND. Adoption of the MND is dependent on the finding by the Board that, based on the whole record before it, there is no substantial evidence, with the mitigation measures required by the MND, that the proposed project will have a significant impact on the environment, and that the MND reflects the Lead Agency’s independent judgment and analysis. Exhibit A, an attachment to the resolution, contains the IS/MND and the letter received from the California State Clearinghouse Office of Planning and Research, dated October 24, 2017 after the close of the public review period. Additionally, the State CEQA guidelines (CCR, sec 15097) require public agencies adopting an IS/MND to adopt a program for monitoring or reporting to ensure that mitigation measures in the IS/MND are implemented to mitigate or avoid potentially significant environmental impacts. The Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) is incorporated into the Final IS/MND in Exhibit A. All of the above documentation, including other materials that constitute the record of proceedings upon which the Lead Agency decision is based, has been and will be on file at the Castaic Lake Water Agency, 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350. Final Design is the next step after completing CEQA in order to provide a near “shovel ready” project for pursuit of any available grant funding opportunities. CLWA, SCWD and VWC have agreed to share the final design costs. On December 5, 2017, the Planning and Engineering Committee considered staff’s recommendation to approve a Resolution adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program under the California Environmental Quality Act for the Central Park Recycled Water Main Extension (Phase 2A) Project. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS None. RECOMMENDATION The Planning and Engineering Committee recommends that the Board of Directors approve the attached resolution adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Recycled Water Central Park (Phase 2A) Project SB Attachments 64 RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CASTAIC LAKE WATER AGENCY ADOPTING THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT FOR THE CENTRAL PARK RECYCLED WATER MAIN EXTENSION (PHASE 2A) PROJECT WHEREAS, the Castaic Lake Water Agency (Agency) determined that recycled water is an important component of future water supplies; and WHEREAS, the proposed Central Park Recycled Water Main Extension (Phase 2A) Project is a component of the Draft 2016 Recycled Water Master Plan; and WHEREAS, the proposed Central Park Recycled Water Main Extension (Phase 2A) Project is a collaborative project between the Agency, Valencia Water Company (VWC) and the Santa Clarita Water Division (SCWD); and WHEREAS, the Agency, acting as lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) circulated for public comment a proposed Initial Study and draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (collectively, the “Draft MND”) for the Central Park Recycled Water Main Extension Project (Phase 2A) (“Project”); and WHEREAS, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15072(b), on September 22, 2017 Agency mailed a Notice of Intent to Adopt the Draft MND to all responsible and reviewing agencies, the Office of Planning and Research, and members of the public that have requested notice; the Agency also published the Notice of Intent to Adopt the Draft MND in the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, a newspaper of general circulation; and WHEREAS, as required by State CEQA Guidelines section 15072(d), the Notice of Intent to Adopt the Draft MND was concurrently posted by the Clerk of the Board for the County of Los Angeles; and WHEREAS, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines section 15073, the Draft MND was circulated for at least 30 days, from September 22, 2017 through October 23, 2017; and WHEREAS, the Agency received one written public comments during the comment period; and one letter from the State of California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, State Clearinghouse after the close of the comment period indicating that only one state agency submitted comments by the closing date and that the Agency has complied with the State Clearinghouse review requirements for draft environmental documents pursuant to CEQA; and WHEREAS, the Draft MND, the comments thereto and the Agency’s responses to comments were incorporated into and together constitute the Final MND (hereinafter, the “MND”), and are attached as Exhibit A; and 65 WHEREAS, a notice of public meeting relating to the MND was duly given and posted in the manner and for the time frame prescribed by law, and the Planning and Engineering Committee held a public meeting on the Project at the Castaic Lake Water Agency located at 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350, in the Training Room on December 5, 2017, at 5:30 P.M., as part of its decision process concerning the Project, at which time no public comments were received; and WHEREAS, the Planning and Engineering Committee recommended that the Agency’s Board of Directors (“Board”) approve