Tahoe Valley Area Plan Initial Study/Initial Environmental Checklist March 16, 2015 INITIAL STUDY/ MITIGATGED NEGATIVE DECLARATION/INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST/FONSE Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................1 1.1 INITIAL STUDY/INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST ......................................... 1 1.2 TIERING PROCESS .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 4 1.3 PROJECT LOCATION, SETTING AND SURROUNDING LAND USES ..................... 5 1.4 PROJECT OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE AND NEED ..................................................... 10 1.5 DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION .................................................................................. 12 1.6 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................ 12 1.7 RELATIONSHIP TO LAND USE PLANS, POLICIES AND REGULATIONS ............. 12 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .......................................................................... 19 2.1 AREA PLAN OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 19 3.0 BASELINE .................................................................................................. 35 4.0 METHODOLOGY AND ASSUMPTIONS .................................................... 37 5.0 COMMODITIES INVENTORY ..................................................................... 39 6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST AND IMPACT ANALYSIS ..................... 41 6.1 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED ..................................... 43 6.2 CEQA ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION .......................................................... 44 6.3 TRPA ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION (TO BE COMPLETED BY TRPA) ..... 45 6.4 EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS...................................................... 46 6.4.1 CEQA................................................................................................................. 46 6.4.2 TRPA ................................................................................................................. 46 6.4.4 Aesthetics (CEQA), Scenic Resources/Community Design and Light and Glare (TRPA) ....................................................................................... 48 6.4.4 Agriculture and Forestry Resources .................................................................. 68 6.4.5 Air Quality .......................................................................................................... 71 6.4.6 Biological Resources (Stream Environment Zones, Wetlands, Wildlife and Vegetation) ................................................................................................................. 90 6.4.7 Cultural Resources (CEQA) and Archaeological/Historical (TRPA) ............... 109 6.4.8 Geology and Soils (CEQA) and Land (TRPA)................................................. 115 6.4.9 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................ 127 6.4.10 Hazards and Hazardous Materials (CEQA) and Risk of Upset and Human Health (TRPA) .......................................................................................................... 132 6.4.11 Hydrology and Water Quality ........................................................................ 145 6.4.12 Land Use and Planning ................................................................................. 164 6.4.13 Mineral Resources (CEQA) and Natural Resources (TRPA) ........................ 172 6.4.14 Noise.............................................................................................................. 174 6.4.15 Population and Housing ................................................................................ 186 6.4.16 Public Services .............................................................................................. 192 6.4.17 Recreation ..................................................................................................... 203 6.4.18 Transportation and Traffic (CEQA) and Traffic and Circulation (TRPA) ....... 208 6.4.19 Utilities and Service Systems (CEQA) and Energy and Utilities (TRPA) ...... 217 6.4.20 Mandatory Findings of Significance .............................................................. 227 MARCH 16, 2013 TAHOE VALLEY AREA PL AN P A G E I INITIAL STUDY/ MITIGATGED NEGATIVE DECLARATION/INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST/FONSE 6.5 CERTIFICATION [TRPA ONLY] ............................................................................... 236 6.6 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 237 MARCH 16, 2013 TAHOE VALLEY AREA PL AN P A G E II INITIAL STUDY/ MITIGATGED NEGATIVE DECLARATION/INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST/FONSE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 INITIAL STUDY/INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST This Initial Study/Initial Environmental Checklist (IS/IEC) has been prepared to address the potential environmental effects of the Tahoe Valley Area Plan in South Lake Tahoe, California. An IS is a preliminary environmental analysis that is used by the lead agency as a basis for determining whether an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), or a Negative Declaration is required for a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines. An IEC is a preliminary environmental analysis that is used for determining whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a Mitigated Finding of No Significant Effect, or a Finding of Significant Effect (FONSE) is required for a project under TRPA guidelines. The IS and the IEC contain a project description, description of environmental setting, identification of environmental effects by checklist or other similar form, explanation of environmental effects, discussion of mitigation for significant environmental effects, evaluation of the project’s consistency with existing, applicable land use controls, and the name of persons who prepared the study. This IS/MND has been prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970, Cal. Pub. Res. Code §21000 et seq. The CEQA lead agency for this project is the City of South Lake Tahoe (City). This document also serves as an IEC/FONSE prepared pursuant to the requirements of Article VI of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Rules of Procedure and Chapter 3 of TRPA’s Code of Ordinances. TRPA serves as lead agency pursuant to its own regulations. The Tahoe Valley Area Plan is being prepared by the City pursuant to Chapter 13 of the TRPA Code of Ordinances, which allows local governments to adopt conforming Area Plans that contain policies and development ordinances that are consistent with and further the goals and policies of the TRPA Regional Plan. Chapter 13 established a conformity process that: . Allows local governments to adopt an Area Plan that supersedes TRPA plans and ordinances if the plan is found to be in conformance with the Regional Plan; . Defines required content in an Area Plan that includes but is not limited to applicable policies, maps, ordinances and development and design standards; and . Defines which development activities will not have a substantial effect on the natural resources in the Region and allows TRPA to transfer limited development permitting authority to local governments. 1.2 TIERING PROCESS CEQA The CEQA concept of "tiering" refers to the evaluation of general environmental matters in a broad program-level EIR, with subsequent focused environmental documents for individual projects that implement the program. This environmental document incorporates by reference the discussions in the 2010 City General Plan EIR (the Program EIR) and concentrates on issues specific to the Tahoe Valley plan area. CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines encourage the use of tiered environmental documents to reduce delays and excessive paperwork in the environmental review process. This is accomplished in MARCH 16, 2015 TAHOE VALLEY AREA PL AN P A G E 1 INITIAL STUDY/ MITIGATGED NEGATIVE DECLARATION/INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST/FONSE tiered documents by eliminating repetitive analyses of issues that were adequately addressed in the Program EIR and by incorporating those analyses by reference. Section 15168(d) of the State CEQA Guidelines provides for simplifying the preparation of environmental documents on individual parts of the program by incorporating by reference analyses and discussions that apply to the program as a whole. Where an EIR has been prepared or certified for a program or plan, the environmental review for a later activity consistent with the program or plan should be limited to effects that were not analyzed as significant in the prior EIR or that are susceptible to substantial reduction or avoidance. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15152(d).) This Initial Study is tiered from the City of South Lake Tahoe 2010 General Plan EIR in accordance with Sections 15152 and 15168 of the CEQA Guidelines and Public Resources Code Section 21094. The 2010 General Plan EIR is a Program EIR that was prepared pursuant to Section 15168 of the CEQA Guidelines. The 2011 General Plan (General Plan) is a comprehensive land use plan that guides physical development within the City of South Lake Tahoe through 2030. The 2010 General Plan EIR analyzes full