El Dorado County Pollock Pines Community Park Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared for: EL DORADO COUNTY Department of General Services – Division of Airports, Parks and Grounds 3000 Fairlane Court, Ste. 1 Placerville, CA 95667 Prepared by: PACIFIC MUNICIPAL CONSULTANTS 10461 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110 Sacramento, CA 95827 MARCH 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction and Regulatory Guidance ....................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Lead Agency...................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Purpose and Document Organization .......................................................................... 1-1 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 Project Location ................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Project Purpose and Objectives ..................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Project Characteristics...................................................................................................... 2-1 3.0 INITIAL STUDY CHECKLIST 3.1 Aesthetics ............................................................................................................................ 3-2 3.2 Agriculture Resources ..................................................................................................... 3-13 3.3 Air Quality .......................................................................................................................... 3-15 3.4 Biological Resources........................................................................................................ 3-27 3.5 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................... 3-43 3.6 Geology and Soils ............................................................................................................ 3-46 3.7 Hazards and Hazardous Materials................................................................................ 3-52 3.8 Hydrology and Water Quality........................................................................................ 3-56 3.8 Land Use and Planning................................................................................................... 3-62 3.10 Mineral Resources............................................................................................................ 3-64 3.11 Noise ................................................................................................................................... 3-65 3.12 Population and Housing ................................................................................................. 3-81 3.13 Public Services .................................................................................................................. 3-82 3.14 Recreation......................................................................................................................... 3-84 3.15 Transportation/Traffic ...................................................................................................... 3-85 3.16 Utilities and Service Systems........................................................................................... 3-89 3.17 Mandatory Findings of Significance............................................................................. 3-92 4.0 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ............................................................................................ 4-1 5.0 DETERMINATION ................................................................................................... 5-1 6.0 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................... 6-1 7.0 MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM .............................................. 7-1 El Dorado County Pollock Pines Community Park March 2007 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration i 1.0 Introduction LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1 Summary of Park Facilities ................................................................................................ 2-9 Table 3.3-1 Ambient Air Quality Standards...................................................................................... 3-17 Table 3.3-2 Attainment Status Designations Mountain Counties Air Basin CEl Dorado County Portion ................................................................................................................................ 3-20 Table 3.3-3 Operational (Vehicle) Emissions Estimates.................................................................. 3-24 Table 3.11-1 Maximum Allowable Noise Exposure for Transportation Noise Sources (El Dorado County General Plan Table 6-1).................................................................................... 3-70 Table 3.11-2 Noise Level Performance Protection Standards for Noise Sensitive Land Uses Affected by Non-Transportation* Sources (El Dorado County General Plan Table 6-2) ...................................................................................................................................... 3-71 Table 3.11-3 Maximum Allowable Noise Exposure For Nontransportation Noise Sources In Rural Areas–Construction Noise (El Dorado County General Plan Tables 6-3, 6-4 And 6-5 [Consolidated]) ................................................................................................................ 3-71 Table 3.11-4 Predicted Operational Noise Levels (dBA) at Nearby residences Without Mitigation........................................................................................................................... 3-73 Table 3.11-5 Representative Vibration Source Levels for Construction Equipment................... 3-78 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1 Project Location Map ....................................................................................................... 2-3 Figure 2-2 Project Vicinity Map .......................................................................................................... 2-5 Figure 2-3 Park Site Map...................................................................................................................... 2-7 Figure 3.1-1 Proposed Location of Light Fixtures................................................................................ 3-5 Figure 3.1-2 Rendering of 7-light pole.................................................................................................. 3-7 Figure 3.1-3 Soccer Field Constant Horizontal Illumination.............................................................. 3-9 Figure 3.1-4 Soccer Field Light Spillage.............................................................................................. 3-11 Figure 3.4-1 Oak Tree Locations.......................................................................................................... 3-41 Figure 3.11-1 Existing Noise Environment ............................................................................................. 3-67 Pollock Pines Community Park El Dorado County Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration March 2007 ii 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND REGULATORY GUIDANCE This document is an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the proposed Pollock Pines Community Park (“Project” or “project”). An initial study is conducted by a lead agency to determine if a project may have a significant effect on the environment. In accordance with the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15064, an environmental impact report (EIR) must be prepared if the initial study indicates that the proposed project under review may have a potentially significant impact on the environment. A negative declaration may be prepared instead, if the lead agency prepares a written statement describing the reasons why a proposed project would not have a significant effect on the environment, and, therefore, why it does not require the preparation of an EIR (CEQA Guidelines Section 15371). According to CEQA Guidelines Section 15070, a negative declaration shall be prepared for a project subject to CEQA when either: a) The initial study shows there is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the agency, that the proposed project may have a significant effect on the environment, or b) The initial study identified potentially significant effects, but: (1) Revisions in the project plans or proposals made by or agreed to by the applicant before the proposed negative declaration is released for public review would avoid the effects or mitigate the effects to a point where clearly no significant effects would occur, and (2) There is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the agency, that the proposed project as revised may have a significant effect on the environment. If revisions are adopted into the proposed project in accordance with the CEQA Guidelines Section 15070(b), a mitigated negative declaration is prepared. 1.2 LEAD AGENCY The lead agency is the public agency with primary responsibility over a proposed project. Where two or more public agencies will be involved with a project, CEQA Guidelines Section 15051 provides criteria for identifying the lead agency. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15051(b)(1), “the lead agency will normally be the agency with general governmental powers, such as a city or county, rather