Notice of Preparation (NOP) To: Responsible Agencies, Trustee Agencies, and Interested Parties From: City of Clearlake, 14050 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, CA 96422 Subject: Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report Project Title: General Plan 2040 Update for the City of Clearlake Lead Agency: City of Clearlake, CA Project Location: City of Clearlake, CA Introduction The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a statute that requires state and local agencies to identify the potential environmental impacts of a project, and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible. A public agency must comply with CEQA when it undertakes an activity defined by CEQA as a "project," such as a General Plan Update. The City of Clearlake will be the lead agency and will prepare an environmental impact report for the Clearlake General Plan. Pursuant to CEQA, the Clearlake General Plan 2040 Update’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will identify potential environmental impacts and feasible measures to mitigate those impacts. The preparation of an EIR includes specific time periods for public notice and comment. We are requesting the assistance of your agency in defining the scope and content of the environmental information which is relevant to your agency’s statutory responsibilities, in connection with the proposed project. The project description, location and potential environmental effects are listed below. Due to the time limits mandated by State law, your response must be sent as early as possible, but no later than 30 days after receipt of this notice. Please send your response to: Clearlake City Manager, Joan Phillipe, at 14050 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, CA 96422. Or by email to: [email protected] A copy of the Draft General Plan 2040 can be found at www.clearlake.ca.us or http://planclearlake.weebly.com/general-plan-draft.html 1 Environmental Setting Project Location The City of Clearlake is located in Northern California, approximately 80 miles north of San Francisco. It is situated in rural Lake County, bordered by Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, Yolo, Colusa and Glenn Counties. The City is 10.8 square miles and sits on the southern shore of Clear Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake entirely within the State. Clearlake is bisected by State Route 53, a major connector between State Routes 20 and 29, as shown in Figure 1. Tectonic activity in the form of the collision of the Pacific and North American plates over one million years ago formed Mount Konocti, a dormant volcano rising 4,300 feet above sea level. Clearlake is located at the base of Mount Konocti, within the Clear Lake watershed. At the center of the watershed lies Clear Lake, measuring 63 square miles in area. Clear Lake is estimated to have formed approximately 2.5 million years ago. Lake County has a Mediterranean climate typical of coastal California regions. Mediterranean climates are characterized by warm and dry summers along with moist winters. Winters are the rainy months with average temperatures between 30 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer highs can exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but summer temperatures can drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit by nightfall. Located adjacent to Clear Lake, the City temperature rarely falls below freezing. Year round winds blow generally from west and northwest. Precipitation varies annually, with average rainfall of 25 to 30 inches per year for areas along the lake, with higher rates of precipitation and minor amounts of snowfall for higher elevations. 2 Figure 1: Regional Setting 3 Project Boundaries A general plan must cover the territory within the boundaries of the adopting city as well as any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning (; OPR, 2003, §65300). The Clearlake General Plan 2040 is the governing document for all planning and development related decisions within in the City’s limit, as well as for the planning area and sphere of influence as defined by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). Therefore, the Proposed Project boundary is defined by the City planning area and sphere of influence, which extends beyond the City limits. The following information on the City of Clearlake’s boundary and sphere of influence is provided from the City of Clearlake General Plan Background Report, 2012. A city’s limit encompasses incorporated territory where land use is controlled by the city (OPR, 2003). Clearlake’s city limit encompasses an area of about 6,910 acres. Land use within Clearlake’s city limit includes urban land use patterns of residential, commercial, agricultural, and vacant land. Sphere of Influence A city’s Sphere of Influence (SOI) is adopted by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and encompasses the incorporated and unincorporated territory that is to be the city’s ultimate service area (OPR, 2003). In 1987, Lake LAFCO adopted an SOI for Clearlake to include approximately 7,310 acres of unincorporated land (Lake LAFCO, 1987). In 1989, this area was amended to include properties owned by the Clearlake Hotel and Resort Co. located within the Clearlake Oaks Fire Protection District. Clearlake’s SOI follows logical divisions between communities and centers of growth extending eastward (Lake LAFCO, 1987). Land uses within the unincorporated area of the SOI are predominately undeveloped, vacant and open space lands (Lake LAFCO, 1987). Public facilities including police, fire, street, water, sewer, and administrative services are required to accommodate the area within the City of Clearlake’s Sphere of Influence. Planning Area City’s planning area boundary encompasses incorporated and unincorporated territory bearing a relation to the City’s planning and may extend beyond the Sphere of Influence (OPR, 2003). In Clearlake’s case, the Lake plays a significant role in planning for the City and is included in the planning area. Figure 2 shows the City’s planning area. 4 Figure 2: Planning Area 5 Project Description The proposed project is the preparation of a comprehensive update of the City’s 1980 General Plan. California law requires cities and counties to adopt a General Plan to guide future development. The General Plan is the foundation upon which all land use decisions are to be based. The Draft Clearlake General Plan accommodates new housing and jobs in anticipation of population growth in the County and the region through the year 2040. The General Plan includes the following elements: Land Use Circulation Housing Conservation Open Space Noise Safety Economic Development Public Facilities Community Design Health The EIR to be prepared for the proposed General Plan Update is a “Program EIR.” According to the CEQA Handbook Article 11 Section 15168: A program EIR is an EIR which may be prepared on a series of actions that can be characterized as one large project and are related either: (1) Geographically, (2) As logical parts in the chain of contemplated actions, (3) In connection with issuance of rules, regulations, plans, or other general criteria to govern the conduct of a continuing program, or (4) As individual activities carried out under the same authorizing statutory or regulatory authority and having generally similar environmental effects which can be mitigated in similar ways. Thus, a program level EIR evaluates the implications of environmental effects resulting from the adoption of a planning document, such as a general plan, which provides direction for long-term visioning and broad community goals. A program level EIR does not examine the specific impacts resulting from individual projects which may be proposed as a result of adopting the General Plan 2040. Additional environmental review pursuant to CEQA guidelines may be required for site-specific projects, such as those requiring discretionary approval. Such environmental review may be in the form of initial studies, negative declarations, mitigated negative declarations, or the preparation of a project-level EIR. Project Objectives The Clearlake General Plan 2040 is intended to represent the general expectations and wishes of its residents and decision-makers concerning future land use patterns and resource management. Longstanding community values reflected in the plan include resource conservation and maintenance of the City’s small town character. These values are perpetuated by the General Plan. The Plan continues to provide that new housing and commercial enterprises are generally directed to areas that are suitable for development, or are already developed. The General Plan 2040 ensures that important land use decisions are scrutinized for their potential to affect the quality of life and the environment. Implementation of the General Plan requires a balance between potentially competing interests. It is expected that future decision-makers will need to wrestle with potential trade-offs and compromises such as maintaining a balance of housing choices, stimulating a growing economy, and protecting the natural environment. The General Plan provides the policy guidance needed to assist future decision-makers in evaluating these tradeoffs and striking a desirable balance. The purpose of and community goals represented in the Draft General Plan can be summarized with the following key objectives: 6 Provide a legal and comprehensive General Plan that reflects an updated vision for the City’s future and acts a “constitution” for future development and land use decisions Protect the City’s rural character and maintain the small town