DRAFT INITIAL STUDY (ER 2017-00002)/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Third Street Storm Drain Project LEAD AGENCY: City of Lake Elsinore 130 South Main Street Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 Contact: Brad Fagrell City Engineer (951) 673-3124 ext. 212 PREPARED BY: Michael Baker International 40810 County Center Drive, Suite 200 Temecula, California 92591 Contact: Mr. Darren Edgington, CEP-IT, LEED AP (951) 506-2083 April 2017 PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK City of Lake Elsinore Third Street Storm Drain TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................1 1.1 STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................ 1 1.2 PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 CONSULTATION ............................................................................................................................ 2 1.4 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE .................................................................................................. 2 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................3 2.1 PROJECT LOCATION AND SETTING ............................................................................................... 3 2.2 PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Discretionary APPROVALS ............................................................................................................ 4 2.4 INITIAL STUDY CHECKLIST ............................................................................................................. 5 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS .............................................................................................. 20 3.1 AESTHETICS ................................................................................................................................. 20 3.2 AGRICULTURE RESOURCES ......................................................................................................... 23 3.3 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................ 25 3.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................ 33 3.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................... 38 3.6 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .................................................................................................................. 42 3.7 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ................................................................................................... 47 3.8 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.................................................................................... 52 3.9 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ............................................................................................ 56 3.10 LAND USE AND PLANNING ......................................................................................................... 61 3.11 MINERAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................. 62 3.12 NOISE .......................................................................................................................................... 64 3.13 POPULATION AND HOUSING ...................................................................................................... 73 3.14 PUBLIC SERVICES......................................................................................................................... 75 3.15 RECREATION ............................................................................................................................... 77 3.16 TRANSPORTATION/TRAFFIC ....................................................................................................... 78 3.17 UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS ............................................................................................... 82 3.18 MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................................. 86 4.0 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 87 4.1 REPORT PREPARATION PERSONNEL ........................................................................................... 87 4.2 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS ........................................................................................................... 88 5.0 CONSULTANT RECOMMENDATION .................................................................................... 94 6.0 LEAD AGENCY DETERMINATION ........................................................................................ 95 April 2017 i Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration City of Lake Elsinore Third Street Storm Drain LIST OF TABLES Table 2.3-1: Required Permit Approvals ....................................................................................................... 4 Table 3.3-1: Construction Related Emissions ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.3-2: Long-Term Operational Air Emissions ........................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.3-3: Localized Significance of Construction Emissions ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.3-4: Localized Significance of Operational Emissions ....................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.4-1, Jurisdictional Waters and Wetlands .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.7-1: Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.12-1: Maximum Noise Levels Generated by Construction Equipment ............ Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.12-2: Existing With Project Traffic Noise Levels ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.12-3: Future Traffic Noise Levels ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.12-4: Cumulative Noise Scenario ...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.12-5: Traffic Noise Levels for a Secondary Arterial Roadway Operating at LOS C . Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.12-6: Typical Noise Levels Generated by Parking Lots ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.12-7: Typical Vibration Levels for Construction Equipment ............. Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.16-1: Existing with Project Conditions (Year 2016) Intersection Peak-Hour Levels of Service Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.16-2: Opening Year with Project Conditions (Year 2019) Intersection Peak-Hour Levels of Service ....................................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.16-3: Cumulative with Project Conditions (Year 2019) Intersection Peak-Hour Levels of Service ....................................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. LIST OF EXHIBITS Exhibit 1: Regional Vicinity Map ................................................................................................................... 9 Exhibit 2: Local Vicinity Map ...................................................................................................................... 11 Exhibit 3: Project Site Map .......................................................................................................................... 13 Exhibit 4: Site Photos .................................................................................................................................. 16 APPENDICES Appendix A: Air Quality/Greenhouse Gas Data Appendix B: Biological Studies Appendix C: Cultural Resources Assessment April 2017 ii Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration City of Lake Elsinore Third Street Storm Drain 1.0 INTRODUCTION The City of Lake Elsinore is planning the installation of an underground reinforced concrete pipe storm drain, a reinforced concrete box structure, and related facilities, known as the Third Street Storm Drain Project (Project). The City of Lake Elsinore (City) has determined that the Project is subject to the guidelines and regulations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This Initial Study has been prepared to address potential impacts associated with the Project, as described below. This Initial Study addresses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects associated with implementation of the proposed Project. 1.1 STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND REQUIREMENTS In accordance with CEQA (Public Resources Code Section 21000 - 21177) and pursuant to Section 15063 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) and the City’s Local CEQA Guidelines, the City, acting in the capacity of Lead Agency, is required to undertake the preparation of an Initial Study to determine if the proposed Project would have a significant environmental impact. If the Lead Agency finds that there is no evidence that the Project, either as proposed or as modified to include the