Biological Resources Report for the Bella Terrazza Project, El Cajon, California Prepared for Prepared by Priest Development Corporation RECON Environmental, Inc. 124 West Main Street, Suite 240 1927 Fifth Avenue El Cajon, CA 92020 San Diego, CA 92101-2358 Contact: Asher Burke P 619.308.9333 F 619.308.9334 RECON Number 7774 March 26, 2015 Kevin Israel, Biologist THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK. Biological Resources Report for the Bella Terrazza Project TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Summary 1 2.0 Introduction 1 3.0 Survey Methods 5 4.0 Existing Conditions 5 4.1 Botanical Resources 5 4.2 Zoological Resources 10 4.3 Sensitive Biological Resources 10 5.0 Project Impacts 12 5.1 Sensitive Plants 12 5.2 Sensitive Wildlife 12 6.0 Mitigation 14 7.0 References Cited 14 FIGURES 1: Regional Location 2 2: Project Location on USGS Map 3 3: Project Location on Aerial Photograph 4 4: Existing Land Cover Types 6 5: Impacts to Biological Resources 13 TABLES 1: Existing Land Cover Types within the Survey Area 10 2: Impacts to Land Cover Types 12 PHOTOGRAPHS 1: View of Urban/Developed Land and Disturbed Land Looking Northeast from East Main Street 7 2: View of Disturbed Land Looking East from East Main Street 7 3: View of Ditch Looking North along East Main Street 8 4: View of Disturbed Land Looking East along the Northern Boundary 8 5: View of Disturbed Land Looking South along the Eastern Boundary 9 ATTACHMENTS 1: Plant Species Observed Within the Bella Terrazza Project Site 2: Wildlife Species Observed/Detected Within the Bella Terrazza Project Site 3: Sensitive Plant Species Observed or with the Potential to Occur on the Bella Terrazza Project Site 4: Sensitive Wildlife Species Observed or with the Potential to Occur on the Bella Terrazza Project Site Biological Resources Report for the Bella Terrazza Project THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK. ii Biological Resources Report for the Bella Terrazza Project 1.0 Summary The Bella Terrazza Project (project site) is located on 15.12 acres, east of the intersection of East Main Street and Sydney Terrace in the City of El Cajon, California (Figures 1 through 3). The project proposes 139 single-family lots, driveways, landscape areas, residential streets, a park, and storm water management facilities throughout the site. The entire project site was evaluated to determine the biological resources present. No sensitive vegetation communities, plants, or wildlife species were identified within the project site. However, there is potential for nesting and migratory birds, including raptors, to occur within the project site. The project would result in impacts to 15.12 acres of urban/developed land and disturbed land. Impacts to these land cover types would not require mitigation, as they are not considered sensitive. To avoid direct and indirect impacts to nesting and migratory birds, including raptors, the project shall conform with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Code 3503. Pre-construction surveys would be conducted to determine the presence or absence of breeding birds and ensure no impacts occur to any nesting birds or their eggs, chicks, or nests during the typical bird breeding season (i.e., January 1 – September 15). 2.0 Introduction This report describes the results of the biological resource survey conducted within the project. The purpose of this report is to provide information on the existing biological resources within the project site and evaluate impacts to these resources from the proposed project. The proposed project would construct a residential development of 139 single-family lots, driveways, landscape areas, residential streets, a park, and storm water management facilities in the City of El Cajon, California. The site encompasses 15.12 acres in assessor’s parcel numbers 400-250-0700, -0800, -0900, and -2800 and is located within an un- sectioned portion of Township 15 South, Range 1 East, of the El Cajon quadrangle, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map (see Figure 2; USGS 1996). The project is bounded by residential development to the north, south, and west (beyond East Main Street), and Interstate 8 (I-8) to the east (see Figure 3). A draft Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) subarea plan for the City of El Cajon is currently in the process of being prepared. Therefore, this report was written to be consistent with the Final MSCP prepared by the County of San Diego (County of San Diego 1998). Page 1 San o Escondido Sutherland Batiquitos d i a n t a l S Y s a b e Lake Marcos d C Lagoon k r n i t o e k e g u e o e Carlsbad c e i Mesa Grande s r C D E Reservation Lake n r UV78 a e Hodges S v i Encinitas R Ramona Rancho Santa Fe o g e r San Diego i e Country D Solana Fairbanks v i Ranch Poway Estates n Beach R ¨¦§15 a S Del Mar UV56 Barona Los Penasquitos Reservation Canyon Presv San Vicente Capitan Reservoir Grande USMC AIR Reservation STATION S A N D I E G O MIRAMAR COUNTY El Capitan San Reservoir Diego USMC AIR Viejas ¨¦§5 STATION Mission Trails Santee UV67 Regional Park Reservation UV52 MIRAMAR Lakeside ¨¦§8 Winter Gardens o Alpine g e Harbison e r i Bostonia a t D r t w n e kj Canyon e a i v e r S R El Cajon e Granite Hills Crest w v S i R Sycuan Loveland 163 Reservoir VU VU125 Reservation Casa Rancho Cleveland NF La Mesa de Oro-Mount San Diego Helix r a t e t w e e r Lemon e v i w Grove R S Jamul 94 UV 805 La Presa Jamul ¦§¨ Indian 75 Coronado UV Sweetwater Village Reservoir National 54 D u l z UV r u City C e e r k a Bonita SAN BERNARDINO Chula Lower Otay Reservoir Vista d ORANGE RIVERSIDE O o t o a w y R i v n k e r o e t e t r o Imperial C C VU905 SAN DIEGO Beach O MEXIC MEXICO 0Miles 5 [ kj Project Location FIGURE 1 Regional Location M:\JOBS4\7774\common_gis\fig1.mxd 3/20/2015 sab Map Source: USGS 7.5 minute topographic map series, EL CAJON quadrangle, EL CAJON Landgrant 0Feet 2,000 [ Project Site FIGURE 2 Project Location on USGS Map M:\JOBS4\7774\common_gis\fig2.mxd 3/24/2015 sab R R [ T T T A A T T I I C C A S A A 5 M M O O L L D R D 2 E Feet FIGURE 3 M U L AME F 0 200 UNN B B W W N N L L A A 8 8 -- I I UD UD B 8 -I E 8 B 8 -I E RM RM §¨¦ BE BE R T L A Project Location on Aerial Photograph G U O D C M LN N L L N N O O S S N N A A H H Project Site T C C O R N E R S T O N E Image Source: SanGIS (flown May 2012) TR N E Y T T S S M:\JOBS4\7774\common_gis\fig3.mxd 3/24/2015 sab T T S S E E N N N N I I SYD I I M M S S A A A A M M J J E E Biological Resources Report for the Bella Terrazza Project 3.0 Survey Methods RECON biologists Cailin O’Meara and Kevin Israel conducted a biological survey on March 2, 2015, to determine the biological resources present within the 15.12-acre project site. General plant and wildlife species were documented to identify any potential sensitive species or vegetation communities within the project site. All plant and wildlife species apparent at the time of the survey were recorded. Plant species that could not be readily identified in the field were collected and identified using a taxonomic key. Determination of the potential occurrence for listed, sensitive, or noteworthy species is based upon known ranges and habitat preferences for the species (Jennings and Hayes 1994; Unitt 2004; California Native Plant Society [CNPS] 2015; Reiser 2001), and species occurrence records from the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB; State of California 2015a) and other sites in the vicinity of the project site. 4.0 Existing Conditions The project site consists of 15.12 acres of disturbed and urban/developed land. The western portion of the project site has a 4,300-square-foot building and 36,000 square feet of paving around the building and along Flume Drive. There is also fencing, concrete pads, and a billboard within the southeastern portion of the project site. The project is bounded by residential developments to the north and south, East Main Street and residential development to the west, and I-8 to the east. Undeveloped land occurs approximately 200 feet east of the project site, beyond I-8.The project site is located outside of the Biological Resource Core Areas identified by the Final MSCP (County of San Diego 1998), and does not function as a regionally significant wildlife corridor as it is bounded on all sides by roads and/or development. Soil types include Placentia sandy loam (2 to 9 percent slopes), Vista course sandy loam (15 to 30 percent slopes), eroded Vista course sandy loam (9 to 15 percent slopes), and Visalia sandy loam (5 to 9 percent slopes; U.S. Department of Agriculture 1973). Elevations within the project boundary range from 650 to 740 feet above mean sea level.