TEPA/NEPA Environmental Assessment for the Proposed VUE Palm Springs Tentative Tract Map 38004 Palm Springs, CA February 2021 Prepared for: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Bureau of Indian Affairs 5401 Dinah Shore Drive 2800 Cottage Way Palm Springs, CA 92264 Sacramento, CA 95825 Prepared By: Terra Nova Planning & Research, Inc.® 42635 Melanie Place, Suite 101 Palm Desert, California 92211 VUE Palm Springs Environmental Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED ........................................................................................................ 4 2.0 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES AND COMPARISON .................................................... 23 2.1 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................. 23 2.2 Allowed by Zone Alternative ...................................................................................... 23 2.3 Preferred Alternative ................................................................................................... 25 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...................................................................................... 27 3.1 Land Resources ........................................................................................................... 27 A. Topography ............................................................................................................ 27 B. Soils ....................................................................................................................... 27 C. Geologic Hazards .................................................................................................. 27 3.2 Water Resources .......................................................................................................... 31 3.3 Air Quality ................................................................................................................... 35 3.4 Living Resources ......................................................................................................... 40 A. Wildlife .................................................................................................................. 41 B. Vegetation .............................................................................................................. 42 C. Ecosystems ............................................................................................................ 42 D. Agriculture ............................................................................................................. 43 3.5 Cultural Resources ....................................................................................................... 43 3.6 Socioeconomic Conditions .......................................................................................... 46 A. Employment and Income ....................................................................................... 46 B. Demographic Trends ............................................................................................. 46 C. Lifestyle and Cultural Values ................................................................................ 46 D. Community Infrastructure ..................................................................................... 47 E. Environmental Justice ........................................................................................... 49 3.7 Resource Use Pattern ................................................................................................... 50 A. Hunting, Fishing, Gathering .................................................................................. 50 B. Timber Harvesting ................................................................................................. 50 C. Agriculture ............................................................................................................. 50 D. Minerals ................................................................................................................. 50 E. Recreation .............................................................................................................. 50 F. Transportation ........................................................................................................ 51 G. Land Use Plan ........................................................................................................ 54 3.8 Other Values ................................................................................................................ 55 A. Wilderness ............................................................................................................. 55 B. Noise ...................................................................................................................... 55 C. Visual and Light .................................................................................................... 58 D. Public Health and Safety ....................................................................................... 58 E. Climate Change (Greenhouse Gasses) .................................................................. 59 F. Indian Trust Assets ................................................................................................ 61 G. Hazardous Materials .............................................................................................. 62 2 VUE Palm Springs Environmental Assessment 4.0 MITIGATION .................................................................................................................... 63 4.1 Land Resources Mitigation .......................................................................................... 63 4.2 Air Quality Mitigation ................................................................................................. 63 4.3 Living Resources Mitigation ....................................................................................... 64 4.4 Cultural Resources Mitigation ..................................................................................... 64 4.5 Resource Use Mitigation ............................................................................................. 65 4.6 Other Values Mitigation .............................................................................................. 65 5.0 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ............................................................................................. 66 6.0 CONSULTATION .............................................................................................................. 66 7.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... 66 APPENDICES Appendix A Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emission Outputs for VUE Palm Springs ............ A Appendix B US Fish and Wildlife Service Species List for VUE Palm Springs .......................... B Appendix C Casey’s June Beetle Survey Area for VUE Palm Springs ........................................ C EXHIBITS Exhibit 1 Regional Location Map .............................................................................................. 6 Exhibit 2 Vicinity Map ............................................................................................................... 7 Exhibit 3 Project Location Map ................................................................................................ 8 Exhibit 4 Project Site Plan ......................................................................................................... 9 Exhibit 5 Conceptual Landscape Plan ...................................................................................... 10 Exhibit 6A Floor Plan 1 .............................................................................................................. 11 Exhibit 6B Floor Plan 2 .............................................................................................................. 12 Exhibit 6C Floor Plan 2x ............................................................................................................ 13 Exhibit 6D Floor Plan 3 .............................................................................................................. 14 Exhibit 7A Plan 1 Facades .......................................................................................................... 15 Exhibit 7B Plan 1 Typical Elevations ......................................................................................... 16 Exhibit 7C Plan 2 Facades .......................................................................................................... 17 Exhibit 7D Plan 2 Typical Elevations ......................................................................................... 18 Exhibit 7E Plan 2X Facades ....................................................................................................... 19 Exhibit 7F Plan 2X Typical Elevations ...................................................................................... 20 Exhibit 7G Plan 3 Facades .......................................................................................................... 21 Exhibit 7H Plan 3 Typical Elevations ......................................................................................... 22 Exhibit 8 USGS Geological Map ............................................................................................. 30 Exhibit 9 FEMA Flood Hazard Maps ...................................................................................... 34 TABLES Table 1 Proposed