MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FILE: P19-0007 PROJECT NAME Devlin Tentative Parcel Map NAME OF APPLICANT: Michael and Shasta Devlin ASSESSOR’S PARCEL NO.: 219-190-036 SECTION: 28 T: 10N R: 10E LOCATION: The project is located on the west side of Farish Road, approximately 0.5 mile east of the intersection with Greenstone Road, in the El Dorado area. GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT: FROM: TO: REZONING: FROM: TO: TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP To create three parcels ranging from 7.3 to 22.2 acres each from a 39.5 acres parent parcel SUBDIVISION: SUBDIVISION (NAME): SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW: OTHER: REASONS THE PROJECT WILL NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: NO SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WERE IDENTIFIED DURING THE REVISED INITIAL STUDY. MITIGATION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WHICH WOULD REDUCE POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS. OTHER: In accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), State Guidelines, and El Dorado County Guidelines for the Implementation of CEQA, the County Environmental Agent analyzed the project and determined that the project will not have a significant impact on the environment. Based on this finding, the Planning Department hereby prepares this MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION. A period of thirty (30) days from the date of filing this mitigated negative declaration will be provided to enable public review of the project specifications and this document prior to action on the project by COUNTY OF EL DORADO. A copy of the project specifications is on file at the County of El Dorado Planning Services, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667. This Mitigated Negative Declaration was adopted by the ______________________ on ______________________. Executive Secretary P19-0007 Exhibit G: Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration and Initial Study COUNTY OF EL DORADO PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT INITIAL STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST Project Title: P19-0007/Devlin Tentative Parcel Map Lead Agency Name and Address: El Dorado County, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667 Contact Person: Matthew Aselage, Assistant Planner Phone Number: (530) 621-5977 Owner’s Name and Address: Michael and Shasta Devlin, 4200 Irish Port Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 Applicant’s Name and Address: Michael and Shasta Devlin, 4200 Irish Port Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 Project Engineer’s Name and Address: Site Consulting, Inc./James Wilson, 3460 Angel Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 Project Location: The project is located on the west side of Farish Road, 0.5 miles east of the intersection with Greenstone Road in the Placerville area. Assessor’s Parcel Number: 319-190-036-000 Acres: 39.50 acres Sections: S:28 T: 10N R: 10E General Plan Designation: Low Density Residential (LDR)- Important Biological Corridor (-IBC) Zoning: Residential Estate Five-Acre (RE-5) Description of Project: A request for a Tentative Parcel Map to subdivide a 39.50 acre parcel into three parcels of 7.30 acres (Parcel A), 10.00 acres (Parcel B), and 22.20 acres (Parcel C) (Attachment A). The property is developed with one existing single-family dwelling as well as various accessory structures. Access to the existing residence on Parcel C is from a private driveway from Davidson Road, a county maintained road, via Irish Port Road, a private maintained roadway. Access to Parcels A and B is currently provided from a dirt ranch road which connects to Greenstone Road, a county maintained roadway, via Farish Road, a private maintained roadway. Proposed off-site road improvements include six turnouts along Farish Road between the intersection with Greenstone Road and the northwestern boundary line of the subject property. New on-site improvements include the construction of a turnaround at the end of Farish Road and at the entrance of Parcel C. No new residential improvements are proposed at this time; however, any future development would be reviewed at time of building permit issuance. Environmental Setting: The project site is a 39.50 acre partially developed parcel located in the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of approximately 1,480 feet to 1,650 feet above mean sea level. A knoll along the northern boundary of Parcel C separates the parent parcel into two distinctly different topographies: south of the knoll, the slope gradient averages five percent; north of the knoll, 28.6 percent. The vegetation community on the project site is broadly classified as Blue Oak Woodland, but blue oak is not the dominant oak species on the project site. The dominant oak species on site is interior live oak. The specific vegetation community on Parcel C is blue oak- interior live oak-grass. The specific vegetation community on Parcels A and B is interior live oak woodland. Wetlands surrounding the approximately 9,680 square foot pond on Parcel C support wet meadow vegetation community. An Oak Resources Technical Report was prepared for the project alongside a Biological Resources Report in July 2019 by Ruth A Wilson of Site Consulting, Inc. Biological Services (Attachment B). The pond on Parcel C is fed by three ephemeral drainages, two originating on the south slope of the on-site knoll and the other originating on an off-site knoll east of the project site. A wetland surrounds the pond, and a series of disjunct wetlands are within drainage swales above the pond. The total wetland area associated with the pond is 61,608 square feet. An additional large wetland is found below a dam, west of the existing residence on Parcel C. This wetland area is 51,065 square feet. An ephemeral drainage swale from the east has been bisected by an old roadbed, forming a dam that impounds a temporary pond with an associated wetland east of the road. No residential development is proposed for Parcels A and B at this time. The parcel is located in the Important Biological Corridor; however there were no recorded occurrences of special-status plants or wildlife species within the project area. The project site has three soil types which are Auburn silt loam, 2-30% slopes (AwD), Auburn very rocky silt loam, 30-50% slopes (AxE), and Auburn cobbly clay loam, heavy subsoil variant (AzE). The adjacent-neighboring parcels are single-family residential lots varying in size from five to 26.54 acres. Results of the biological field surveys and recommended mitigation measures are contained within this Initial Study. P19-0007/Devlin Parcel Map Initial Study/Environmental Checklist Form Page 2 Other public agencies whose approval is required (e.g., permits, financing approval, or participation agreement): 1. El Dorado County Surveyor 2. El Dorado County Building Services 3. El Dorado County Environmental Management Department 4. El Dorado County Department of Transportation 5. The Diamond Springs - El Dorado Fire District Have California Native American tribes traditionally and culturally affiliated with the project area requested consultation pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.3.1? If so, has consultation begun? At the time of the application request, seven Tribes: Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe, El Dorado County Wopumnes Nisenan-Mewuk Nation, Ione Band of Miwok Indians, Nashville-El Dorado Miwok, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria, Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada, and the Wilton Rancheria, had requested to be notified of proposed projects for consultation in the project area. Pursuant to the records search conducted at the North Central Information Center on April 2, 2018, the proposed project area contains no prehistoric-period resources and no historic-period cultural resources. Additionally, no cultural resources study reports are on file. Outside of the project area, but within the ¼ mile radius of the geographic area, a broader search area contains no prehistoric-period resources and four historic-period cultural resources. There is moderate potential for locating prehistoric-period cultural resources in the immediate vicinity and high potential for locating historic-period cultural resources in the immediate vicinity. A Cultural Resources Study prepared in December of 2018 found that the project site is not known to contain Tribal Cultural Resources (TCRs). Surviving historic-period resources from the former Vierra Ranch were recorded, but do not appear to be significant resources. The likelihood of finding subsurface archaeological features or artifacts is very likely. P 19-0007/Devlin Parcel Map Initial Study/Environmental Checklist Form Page 3 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED The environmental factors checked below would be potentially affected by this project, involving at least one impact that is a "Potentially Significant Impact" as indicated by the checklist on the following pages. Aesthetics Agriculture and Forestry Resources Air Quality x Biological Resources Cultural Resources Geology I Soils Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hazards & Hazardous Materials Hydrology I Water Quality Land Use I Planning Mineral Resources Noise Population I Housing Public Services Recreation Transportation/Traffic Tribal Cultural Resources Utilities I Service Systems DETERMINATION On the basis of this initial evaluation: D I find that the proposed project COULD NOT have a significant effect on the environment, and a NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared. !Bl I find that although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environment, there will not be a significant effect in this case because revisions in the project have been made by or agreed to by the project proponent. A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared. D I find that the proposed project MAY have a significant effect on the environment, and an ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT is required. D I find that the proposed project MAY have a "potentially significant impact" or "potentially significant unless mitigated" impact on the environment, but at least one effect: 1) has been adequately analyzed in an earlier document pursuant to applicable legal standards; and 2) has been addressed by Mitigation Measures based on the earlier analysis as described in attached sheets.