Environmental Impact Report
E.1 Prepare Administrative Draft EIR Go Back
Impact Sciences will prepare an Administrative Draft of the EIR for review by the City of Coachella. This Scope of Work provides for preparation of a full scope EIR. Impact Sciences will incorporate information from the Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions report prepared for the General Plan Update in 2009 along with any updated information provided by the City of Coachella. This SOW also assumes that the Water Supply Assessment will be provided to Impact Sciences by the City.
The environmental topics to be addressed in the EIR and the methodologies to be employed in the analysis are described below.
Executive Summary
The Summary will include text providing a summary description of the project, the background of the project, discussion of any known areas of controversy, and a description of the EIR alternatives. We propose to prepare a text summary, supplemented by graphics, focusing on the main areas of interest while providing less technical detail concerning standard mitigation measures and other technical information.
Introduction
The Introduction will describe the purpose of the EIR and its role in the planning process for the reader. The Introduction will provide information on the project background and summarize the overall requirements for environmental review under CEQA, the scoping process conducted by the City, the scope of topics addressed in the EIR, and the format and organization of the document.
A proper description of the project background will be particularly important. The background section will include a discussion of the lengthy collaborative process to be undertaken by the City and R+A Team to define the goals and objectives for the project and select the preferred plan. This background section will also briefly discuss how the project supports goals contained in local and regional land use plans.
Project Description
Consistent with the requirements of the CEQA Guidelines, the Project Description section will address all topics required in Section 15124 of the CEQA Guidelines. These requirements include a description of the project location; project objectives; and the technical, economic, and environmental characteristics of the project. In addition, the intended uses of the EIR will be described, including a list of discretionary actions requiring approval to implement the project; a list of agencies expected to use the EIR in their decision-making process; and a list of environmental consultation requirements to be met through the EIR.
Environmental Impact Analysis
Each topical section will follow a master format designed to demonstrate CEQA compliance and increase the ability of the public to understand the information in the EIR. Each section will be organized as follows:
• Existing conditions will be discussed for each topic. Relevant regulations and policies will be identified and discussed.
• Thresholds of significance will be described to allow the reader to understand the significance of each identified impact.
• Project impacts will be identified and discussed by type of impact, based on factual evidence.
• Cumulative impacts will be identified and discussed.
• Mitigation measures for each impact will be identified.
• Conclusions regarding the significance of each impact after mitigation will be presented. The conclusions will be presented in a form that can be easily incorporated into the required CEQA Findings of Fact for each significant impact.
The specific topics to be addressed and the methodology to be used for assessing each topic are described below. Our assumptions regarding information to be provided by other members of the team are also identified.
Land Use and Planning
Land use patterns influence the character and function of a community, and therefore, land use planning is a fundamental component of a City’s General Plan. Land use is the element of the General Plan that is most closely linked to physical development and growth. The General Plan Land Use Element sets forth policies for the permitted types, intensities, and locations of uses in the City. This section will describe the amount and type of growth permitted by the Land Use Element of the adopted General Plan. The analysis will update the land use exhibits (including constraints), and update the land use impact matrix showing land use distribution data for the developed and undeveloped portions of the Planning Area.
The impact analysis will examine the impact of future development patterns in light of current and planned public service and utility infrastructure capacity (schools, water, sewer, etc.), as well as the level of supporting commercial retail establishments, recreational facilities, and jobs. It will also evaluate the extent to which implementation of the General Plan would convert the City’s Planning Area from a rural to urban condition through extension of infrastructure to presently undeveloped lands. This section will also evaluate the land use compatibility of future land uses with existing land uses. Where necessary, mitigation in the form of General Plan goals, objectives, and policies will be identified.
The physical and functional compatibility of uses permitted by the current Land Use Element with surrounding land uses will be characterized. The discussion of physical compatibility will address how the permitted height, bulk, density, and scale of existing and future uses relate to the surroundings. Analysis of functional compatibility will address how adjacent land uses could generate noise, air emissions, or traffic that affects the surroundings.
Transportation and Circulation
This section of the EIR will summarize the traffic study to be prepared in support of the Coachella General Plan by Fehr & Peers (Task E.2). This section will describe the existing operating condition of roadway segments and intersections within the City’s Planning Area, the impacts of development of the land uses that would be allowed by the General Plan, planned improvements to ensure an acceptable level of service on streets and highways in the Planning Area, and the implementation program.
Air Quality
The air quality section of the EIR will summarize the information from the Air Quality Technical Report described below in Task E.3.
Noise
The noise section of the EIR will present the information from the updated Noise Element and include the following:
• A measurement of major sources of noise, including, but not limited to, highways and freeways, arterial and major streets, railroads, railroad yards, ground rapid transit, airports and aviation-related sources, industrial plants, and other stationary ground sources based on noise modeling for transportation facilities prepared by Impact Sciences and available published information for all other major noise sources.
• A map noise-level contours, expressed in CNEL or Ldn, for the area surrounding each of the identified noise sources;
• A projection of future noise sources, noise levels, and anticipated impacts upon existing and proposed land uses;
• An analysis of the current and future impacts on community residents of noise emanating from the identified sources; and
• An analysis of current and predicted levels of transportation noise consistent with the requirements of the Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act.
Issues to be addressed by the noise element and the EIR section include the following:
• Major noise sources, both mobile and stationary
• Existing and projected levels of noise and noise contours for major noise sources
• Existing and projected land uses and locational relationship to existing and projected noise sources
• Existing and proposed sensitive receptors, including
• Hospitals
• Convalescent homes
• Schools
• Churches
• Sensitive wildlife habitat, including the habitat of Rare, Threatened, or Endangered species.
The extent of “noise problems in the community” will be identified based on the updated information described above. The noise environment of the study area will be presented in terms of noise contours for all of the major noise sources in the community. The traffic noise levels will be developed with the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Traffic Noise Model. Airport noise contours will be developed using the existing set of contours with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Integrated Noise Model. The noise contours will be projected in the CNEL noise scale.
Biological Resources
The section will discuss the; the vegetation communities and associated plant and wildlife species in the City’s Planning Area; the individual special-status plant and wildlife species occurring or having potential to occur on or near the City’s Planning Area; opportunities for wildlife movement to surrounding undeveloped lands; and sensitive and/or jurisdictional habitats. The policies from the Conservation Element that will mitigate potential impacts will be presented.
Cultural Resources
This section will summarize the presence or absence, distribution, condition and potential significance of cultural resources within the General Plan area based on the Existing Conditions Report and any updated information provided by the City. Preliminary determinations of the significance of known sites of will be made against applicable criteria. Analysis and interpretation will focus on the nature and type of cultural resources present within the City’s Planning Area and the policies in the General Plan that will mitigate potential impacts to these resources.
Public Services and Utilities
Land use policy has a direct impact on public services and infrastructure. Policies and implementation programs related to the provision of public services and utilities will be identified in relation to the General Plan. To develop current information concerning existing and planned services, and to identify the concerns of each affected agency and department, Impact Sciences will contact a representative of each of these groups. These services will include fire, police, schools, water, wastewater, and solid waste services. Consideration will be given to facility needs, response times, service levels, and equipment. The availability and capacity of the existing and planned facilities will be documented and mandatory impact fees or any other standard conditions imposed on new development will be identified. This section will be prepared based on the information in the 2009 Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions Report and updated information provided by the City. This section will also summarize the findings of the Water Supply Assessment to be provided by the City of Coachella based on the update of the Coachella Urban Water Management Plan the City is preparing to meet the June 30 completion date set by the State.
Visual Resources
This section will evaluate potential impacts on the aesthetic character of the City’s Planning Area, the obstruction of scenic views, effects on ambient nighttime light levels and the creation of new sources of daytime or nighttime glare, and the potential for generating shadows that shade sensitive uses.
Criteria for determining impact significance include evaluating the density, height, and bulk of permitted uses; the effects on aesthetic character of the removal of valued landscape features or the introduction of new features; and consistency with applicable design guidelines and policies. Changes in the visual character of the City’s Planning Area will be evaluated primarily on the basis of the information in the General Plan.
Hydrology and Water Quality
Implementation of the General Plan area would convert open land to urban development resulting in a change to the hydrology of the area and water quality of storm runoff. This section of the EIR will describe and illustrate current conditions in the General Plan area by depicting the watershed through graphics, generally describing the condition and capacity of the existing collection and conveyance system, and identifying all planned and programmed capital improvements.
The impact analysis will assess the ability of the storm water network to accommodate increased runoff volume and velocity caused by the increase in impervious surface. Potential water quality impacts will be assessed based on the requirements of the current general NPDES permits for construction and operation.
Geology and Soils
General descriptions will be provided of each geologic structure and soil type along with a map of their location based on the information in the Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions Report and additional information provided by the City and the project team. Seismic conditions in the Planning Area will be described and regionally significant faults mapped based on data provided by California Division of Mines and Geology and site-specific technical reports.
Implementation of the General Plan will be examined in light of the geotechnical information identified above in order to determine whether development would occur on areas considered suitable for such uses. Common types of hazards associated with seismic movement will be described and the policies in the General Plan that will mitigate these impacts will be discussed.
Agriculture
This section will address all items and issues in accordance with the analysis guidelines developed by the State Department of Conservation. This report will describe and map classified farmlands based on the Department of Conservation Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program based on the information in the Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions Report. Included within the analysis will be a discussion of agricultural productivity as identified by number of acres in active production, types, and yields of crops grown, and the economic value of these crops.
The analysis will also consider the cumulative loss associated with conversion of agricultural lands to urban use. To address this issue, we propose to examine agricultural land conversion trends in the County, existing plans and policies for protection of these resources, and identify the primary environmental and economic factors that are behind these trends. Varieties of factors are considered when making a determination on whether to put in or take land out of agricultural production. In addition to soils, factors influencing such decisions include commodity prices, water supply and cost, taxes, and the availability and cost for labor.
Hazards and Hazardous Materials
This report will examine the threats to public health and safety posed by natural and man-made conditions present within the Planning Area. Such hazards would include earthquake faults, flood plains, or steep slopes. Man-made hazards stem from human activity and may create the potential for fire, aircraft accidents, hazardous materials contamination, and crime. Existing and future development within the City will be examined in light of these threats and the existing regulations in place to address such issues. Policies included in the General Plan to mitigate potential impacts will be discussed.
Mineral Resources
This section will address the potential for the General Plan to result in the loss of availability of a known mineral resource that would be of value to the region and the residents of the state or is designated as a locally important resource. The analysis will rely upon communication with the Department of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) as well as review of the General Plan and General Plan EIR.
Growth-Inducing Impacts
This section of the EIR will analyze ways in which the General Plan could foster economic or population growth, or construction of additional projects that could result in additional environmental effects. Impediments to growth that would be removed as a result of the proposed project will also be discussed.
Alternatives
CEQA requires that an EIR evaluate the comparative merits of a range of reasonable alternatives to a project that could feasibly attain the basic objectives of the project. Evaluation of the “no project” alternative is also required, typically defined as that which could be developed under current land-use plans on the site. The discussion of alternatives will focus on those alternatives that could avoid or lessen any significant impacts associated with the proposed project. The environmentally superior alternative must also be identified as part of this analysis.
Alternatives to be considered will be based upon the results of the planning efforts conducted by the City over the past five years as part of the General Plan update. This SOW, and the associated staff level of effort, assumes comparative qualitative analysis of the “no project” alternative and three additional land-use or design alternatives. Given that the basic objective of the Coachella General Plan Project is the update of land use policies and regulations within the Coachella Planning Area, this section will focus on evaluating alternative land use patterns in order to meet the requirements of CEQA concerning alternatives.
Other Required Sections
The EIR will include all other sections required, including a list of organizations and persons contacted references and Effects Found Not to be Significant.
E.2 Traffic Study
Fehr & Peers will summarize the previously developed Existing Conditions analysis and any updated future conditions analysis in a technical Traffic Study for use by the General Plan EIR consultant. This Traffic Study will include:
• Existing roadway and intersection traffic volumes
• Existing roadway and intersection traffic operations
• Future roadway and intersection traffic volumes
• Future roadway and intersection traffic operations
• Non-automotive impact analysis
E.3 Air Quality Modeling and EIR Air Quality Technical Report
Impact Sciences will coordinate with Raimi + Associates on the General Plan approach on land use and mobility to determine the approach to assessing air quality impacts in the EIR. As part of the process, Impact Sciences will identify potential internal consistency issues and conflicts. The review will also provide for the opportunity to develop a strategy for preparing an Air Quality Element and/or Climate Action Plan by the City at a later date as one of the implementation actions for the General Plan.
The Air Quality technical report will address policies and programs that would protect residents from the impacts of harmful air contaminants, encourage cooperation between jurisdictions involved in air quality improvements, assist in attaining the goal of meeting federal and state air quality standards, and ensure that the impacts of future projects are subject to adequate air quality and/or climate change analysis, and subsequent impacts are mitigated appropriately.
The Air Quality report will include a resource inventory will focus on the following sectors aimed at reducing harmful air contaminants:
• Air Quality Issues Regarding Land Use
- Local Government Siting Criteria for Sensitive Receptors
- Job Housing Balance
• Transportation
- Categories of Mobile Source Emissions
-Transportation and Indirect Source Control Programs
- Congestion and Transportation System Management
• Stationary Sources of Air Pollution
- Categories of Stationary Emission Sources
• Energy
- Energy Conservation
- Site Plan and Building Design Considerations
- Public Facilities and Fleets
- National and California Building Standards
The existing conditions will collect information pertaining to existing land uses and mobility in the City of Coachella. To assess development that could occur under the revisions to the land use map, the level of air emissions associated with existing conditions, current trends, and the implementation of the General Plan; the level of air emissions resulting from the current level of development will also be estimated through modeling. The mobile source emissions associated with the current level of development and the level under the proposed General Plan updates will be estimated by multiplying the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) associated with the land uses and development densities under the General Plan by appropriate motor vehicle emission factors. Area source emissions associated with residential, commercial, and institutional development will be estimated using the emission calculation approach in the latest version of the URBEMIS (URBan EMISsions) computer program. Area source emissions associated with other land uses will be estimated using the appropriate CARB area source methodologies used to prepare regional emission inventories. Industrial stationary source emissions will be estimated using available data \ and standard emission estimation methods for such sources (e.g., the U.S. EPA’s Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors).
An inventory of sensitive receptors (both specific locations and neighborhood areas) will be compiled by collecting, inventorying, and estimating emissions data from air monitoring stations in the Coachella area.
Impact Sciences will review relevant existing studies, reports, and literature on climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and prepare a quantified estimate of GHGs and the policies in the General Plan that will minimize GHG emissions in accordance with applicable state and regional requirements.
E.4 Prepare Public Draft General Plan Update EIR
This task provides for revisions to the Administrative EIR in response to comments and input from the Coachella General Plan Project team. Electronic copies of the EIR will be made available to the team to allow for edits, revisions, and comments to be made directly into the text to produce the Draft EIR in a time and cost efficient manner. After approval of the revised Draft EIR by City staff, Impact Sciences will prepare a master copy of the Public Draft EIR for reproduction and provide this copy to the City for reproduction and distribution.
E.1 Prepare Administrative Draft EIR Go Back
Impact Sciences will prepare an Administrative Draft of the EIR for review by the City of Coachella. This Scope of Work provides for preparation of a full scope EIR. Impact Sciences will incorporate information from the Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions report prepared for the General Plan Update in 2009 along with any updated information provided by the City of Coachella. This SOW also assumes that the Water Supply Assessment will be provided to Impact Sciences by the City.
The environmental topics to be addressed in the EIR and the methodologies to be employed in the analysis are described below.
Executive Summary
The Summary will include text providing a summary description of the project, the background of the project, discussion of any known areas of controversy, and a description of the EIR alternatives. We propose to prepare a text summary, supplemented by graphics, focusing on the main areas of interest while providing less technical detail concerning standard mitigation measures and other technical information.
Introduction
The Introduction will describe the purpose of the EIR and its role in the planning process for the reader. The Introduction will provide information on the project background and summarize the overall requirements for environmental review under CEQA, the scoping process conducted by the City, the scope of topics addressed in the EIR, and the format and organization of the document.
A proper description of the project background will be particularly important. The background section will include a discussion of the lengthy collaborative process to be undertaken by the City and R+A Team to define the goals and objectives for the project and select the preferred plan. This background section will also briefly discuss how the project supports goals contained in local and regional land use plans.
Project Description
Consistent with the requirements of the CEQA Guidelines, the Project Description section will address all topics required in Section 15124 of the CEQA Guidelines. These requirements include a description of the project location; project objectives; and the technical, economic, and environmental characteristics of the project. In addition, the intended uses of the EIR will be described, including a list of discretionary actions requiring approval to implement the project; a list of agencies expected to use the EIR in their decision-making process; and a list of environmental consultation requirements to be met through the EIR.
Environmental Impact Analysis
Each topical section will follow a master format designed to demonstrate CEQA compliance and increase the ability of the public to understand the information in the EIR. Each section will be organized as follows:
• Existing conditions will be discussed for each topic. Relevant regulations and policies will be identified and discussed.
• Thresholds of significance will be described to allow the reader to understand the significance of each identified impact.
• Project impacts will be identified and discussed by type of impact, based on factual evidence.
• Cumulative impacts will be identified and discussed.
• Mitigation measures for each impact will be identified.
• Conclusions regarding the significance of each impact after mitigation will be presented. The conclusions will be presented in a form that can be easily incorporated into the required CEQA Findings of Fact for each significant impact.
The specific topics to be addressed and the methodology to be used for assessing each topic are described below. Our assumptions regarding information to be provided by other members of the team are also identified.
Land Use and Planning
Land use patterns influence the character and function of a community, and therefore, land use planning is a fundamental component of a City’s General Plan. Land use is the element of the General Plan that is most closely linked to physical development and growth. The General Plan Land Use Element sets forth policies for the permitted types, intensities, and locations of uses in the City. This section will describe the amount and type of growth permitted by the Land Use Element of the adopted General Plan. The analysis will update the land use exhibits (including constraints), and update the land use impact matrix showing land use distribution data for the developed and undeveloped portions of the Planning Area.
The impact analysis will examine the impact of future development patterns in light of current and planned public service and utility infrastructure capacity (schools, water, sewer, etc.), as well as the level of supporting commercial retail establishments, recreational facilities, and jobs. It will also evaluate the extent to which implementation of the General Plan would convert the City’s Planning Area from a rural to urban condition through extension of infrastructure to presently undeveloped lands. This section will also evaluate the land use compatibility of future land uses with existing land uses. Where necessary, mitigation in the form of General Plan goals, objectives, and policies will be identified.
The physical and functional compatibility of uses permitted by the current Land Use Element with surrounding land uses will be characterized. The discussion of physical compatibility will address how the permitted height, bulk, density, and scale of existing and future uses relate to the surroundings. Analysis of functional compatibility will address how adjacent land uses could generate noise, air emissions, or traffic that affects the surroundings.
Transportation and Circulation
This section of the EIR will summarize the traffic study to be prepared in support of the Coachella General Plan by Fehr & Peers (Task E.2). This section will describe the existing operating condition of roadway segments and intersections within the City’s Planning Area, the impacts of development of the land uses that would be allowed by the General Plan, planned improvements to ensure an acceptable level of service on streets and highways in the Planning Area, and the implementation program.
Air Quality
The air quality section of the EIR will summarize the information from the Air Quality Technical Report described below in Task E.3.
Noise
The noise section of the EIR will present the information from the updated Noise Element and include the following:
• A measurement of major sources of noise, including, but not limited to, highways and freeways, arterial and major streets, railroads, railroad yards, ground rapid transit, airports and aviation-related sources, industrial plants, and other stationary ground sources based on noise modeling for transportation facilities prepared by Impact Sciences and available published information for all other major noise sources.
• A map noise-level contours, expressed in CNEL or Ldn, for the area surrounding each of the identified noise sources;
• A projection of future noise sources, noise levels, and anticipated impacts upon existing and proposed land uses;
• An analysis of the current and future impacts on community residents of noise emanating from the identified sources; and
• An analysis of current and predicted levels of transportation noise consistent with the requirements of the Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act.
Issues to be addressed by the noise element and the EIR section include the following:
• Major noise sources, both mobile and stationary
• Existing and projected levels of noise and noise contours for major noise sources
• Existing and projected land uses and locational relationship to existing and projected noise sources
• Existing and proposed sensitive receptors, including
• Hospitals
• Convalescent homes
• Schools
• Churches
• Sensitive wildlife habitat, including the habitat of Rare, Threatened, or Endangered species.
The extent of “noise problems in the community” will be identified based on the updated information described above. The noise environment of the study area will be presented in terms of noise contours for all of the major noise sources in the community. The traffic noise levels will be developed with the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Traffic Noise Model. Airport noise contours will be developed using the existing set of contours with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Integrated Noise Model. The noise contours will be projected in the CNEL noise scale.
Biological Resources
The section will discuss the; the vegetation communities and associated plant and wildlife species in the City’s Planning Area; the individual special-status plant and wildlife species occurring or having potential to occur on or near the City’s Planning Area; opportunities for wildlife movement to surrounding undeveloped lands; and sensitive and/or jurisdictional habitats. The policies from the Conservation Element that will mitigate potential impacts will be presented.
Cultural Resources
This section will summarize the presence or absence, distribution, condition and potential significance of cultural resources within the General Plan area based on the Existing Conditions Report and any updated information provided by the City. Preliminary determinations of the significance of known sites of will be made against applicable criteria. Analysis and interpretation will focus on the nature and type of cultural resources present within the City’s Planning Area and the policies in the General Plan that will mitigate potential impacts to these resources.
Public Services and Utilities
Land use policy has a direct impact on public services and infrastructure. Policies and implementation programs related to the provision of public services and utilities will be identified in relation to the General Plan. To develop current information concerning existing and planned services, and to identify the concerns of each affected agency and department, Impact Sciences will contact a representative of each of these groups. These services will include fire, police, schools, water, wastewater, and solid waste services. Consideration will be given to facility needs, response times, service levels, and equipment. The availability and capacity of the existing and planned facilities will be documented and mandatory impact fees or any other standard conditions imposed on new development will be identified. This section will be prepared based on the information in the 2009 Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions Report and updated information provided by the City. This section will also summarize the findings of the Water Supply Assessment to be provided by the City of Coachella based on the update of the Coachella Urban Water Management Plan the City is preparing to meet the June 30 completion date set by the State.
Visual Resources
This section will evaluate potential impacts on the aesthetic character of the City’s Planning Area, the obstruction of scenic views, effects on ambient nighttime light levels and the creation of new sources of daytime or nighttime glare, and the potential for generating shadows that shade sensitive uses.
Criteria for determining impact significance include evaluating the density, height, and bulk of permitted uses; the effects on aesthetic character of the removal of valued landscape features or the introduction of new features; and consistency with applicable design guidelines and policies. Changes in the visual character of the City’s Planning Area will be evaluated primarily on the basis of the information in the General Plan.
Hydrology and Water Quality
Implementation of the General Plan area would convert open land to urban development resulting in a change to the hydrology of the area and water quality of storm runoff. This section of the EIR will describe and illustrate current conditions in the General Plan area by depicting the watershed through graphics, generally describing the condition and capacity of the existing collection and conveyance system, and identifying all planned and programmed capital improvements.
The impact analysis will assess the ability of the storm water network to accommodate increased runoff volume and velocity caused by the increase in impervious surface. Potential water quality impacts will be assessed based on the requirements of the current general NPDES permits for construction and operation.
Geology and Soils
General descriptions will be provided of each geologic structure and soil type along with a map of their location based on the information in the Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions Report and additional information provided by the City and the project team. Seismic conditions in the Planning Area will be described and regionally significant faults mapped based on data provided by California Division of Mines and Geology and site-specific technical reports.
Implementation of the General Plan will be examined in light of the geotechnical information identified above in order to determine whether development would occur on areas considered suitable for such uses. Common types of hazards associated with seismic movement will be described and the policies in the General Plan that will mitigate these impacts will be discussed.
Agriculture
This section will address all items and issues in accordance with the analysis guidelines developed by the State Department of Conservation. This report will describe and map classified farmlands based on the Department of Conservation Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program based on the information in the Existing Environmental and Public Facilities Conditions Report. Included within the analysis will be a discussion of agricultural productivity as identified by number of acres in active production, types, and yields of crops grown, and the economic value of these crops.
The analysis will also consider the cumulative loss associated with conversion of agricultural lands to urban use. To address this issue, we propose to examine agricultural land conversion trends in the County, existing plans and policies for protection of these resources, and identify the primary environmental and economic factors that are behind these trends. Varieties of factors are considered when making a determination on whether to put in or take land out of agricultural production. In addition to soils, factors influencing such decisions include commodity prices, water supply and cost, taxes, and the availability and cost for labor.
Hazards and Hazardous Materials
This report will examine the threats to public health and safety posed by natural and man-made conditions present within the Planning Area. Such hazards would include earthquake faults, flood plains, or steep slopes. Man-made hazards stem from human activity and may create the potential for fire, aircraft accidents, hazardous materials contamination, and crime. Existing and future development within the City will be examined in light of these threats and the existing regulations in place to address such issues. Policies included in the General Plan to mitigate potential impacts will be discussed.
Mineral Resources
This section will address the potential for the General Plan to result in the loss of availability of a known mineral resource that would be of value to the region and the residents of the state or is designated as a locally important resource. The analysis will rely upon communication with the Department of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) as well as review of the General Plan and General Plan EIR.
Growth-Inducing Impacts
This section of the EIR will analyze ways in which the General Plan could foster economic or population growth, or construction of additional projects that could result in additional environmental effects. Impediments to growth that would be removed as a result of the proposed project will also be discussed.
Alternatives
CEQA requires that an EIR evaluate the comparative merits of a range of reasonable alternatives to a project that could feasibly attain the basic objectives of the project. Evaluation of the “no project” alternative is also required, typically defined as that which could be developed under current land-use plans on the site. The discussion of alternatives will focus on those alternatives that could avoid or lessen any significant impacts associated with the proposed project. The environmentally superior alternative must also be identified as part of this analysis.
Alternatives to be considered will be based upon the results of the planning efforts conducted by the City over the past five years as part of the General Plan update. This SOW, and the associated staff level of effort, assumes comparative qualitative analysis of the “no project” alternative and three additional land-use or design alternatives. Given that the basic objective of the Coachella General Plan Project is the update of land use policies and regulations within the Coachella Planning Area, this section will focus on evaluating alternative land use patterns in order to meet the requirements of CEQA concerning alternatives.
Other Required Sections
The EIR will include all other sections required, including a list of organizations and persons contacted references and Effects Found Not to be Significant.
E.2 Traffic Study
Fehr & Peers will summarize the previously developed Existing Conditions analysis and any updated future conditions analysis in a technical Traffic Study for use by the General Plan EIR consultant. This Traffic Study will include:
• Existing roadway and intersection traffic volumes
• Existing roadway and intersection traffic operations
• Future roadway and intersection traffic volumes
• Future roadway and intersection traffic operations
• Non-automotive impact analysis
E.3 Air Quality Modeling and EIR Air Quality Technical Report
Impact Sciences will coordinate with Raimi + Associates on the General Plan approach on land use and mobility to determine the approach to assessing air quality impacts in the EIR. As part of the process, Impact Sciences will identify potential internal consistency issues and conflicts. The review will also provide for the opportunity to develop a strategy for preparing an Air Quality Element and/or Climate Action Plan by the City at a later date as one of the implementation actions for the General Plan.
The Air Quality technical report will address policies and programs that would protect residents from the impacts of harmful air contaminants, encourage cooperation between jurisdictions involved in air quality improvements, assist in attaining the goal of meeting federal and state air quality standards, and ensure that the impacts of future projects are subject to adequate air quality and/or climate change analysis, and subsequent impacts are mitigated appropriately.
The Air Quality report will include a resource inventory will focus on the following sectors aimed at reducing harmful air contaminants:
• Air Quality Issues Regarding Land Use
- Local Government Siting Criteria for Sensitive Receptors
- Job Housing Balance
• Transportation
- Categories of Mobile Source Emissions
-Transportation and Indirect Source Control Programs
- Congestion and Transportation System Management
• Stationary Sources of Air Pollution
- Categories of Stationary Emission Sources
• Energy
- Energy Conservation
- Site Plan and Building Design Considerations
- Public Facilities and Fleets
- National and California Building Standards
The existing conditions will collect information pertaining to existing land uses and mobility in the City of Coachella. To assess development that could occur under the revisions to the land use map, the level of air emissions associated with existing conditions, current trends, and the implementation of the General Plan; the level of air emissions resulting from the current level of development will also be estimated through modeling. The mobile source emissions associated with the current level of development and the level under the proposed General Plan updates will be estimated by multiplying the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) associated with the land uses and development densities under the General Plan by appropriate motor vehicle emission factors. Area source emissions associated with residential, commercial, and institutional development will be estimated using the emission calculation approach in the latest version of the URBEMIS (URBan EMISsions) computer program. Area source emissions associated with other land uses will be estimated using the appropriate CARB area source methodologies used to prepare regional emission inventories. Industrial stationary source emissions will be estimated using available data \ and standard emission estimation methods for such sources (e.g., the U.S. EPA’s Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors).
An inventory of sensitive receptors (both specific locations and neighborhood areas) will be compiled by collecting, inventorying, and estimating emissions data from air monitoring stations in the Coachella area.
Impact Sciences will review relevant existing studies, reports, and literature on climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and prepare a quantified estimate of GHGs and the policies in the General Plan that will minimize GHG emissions in accordance with applicable state and regional requirements.
E.4 Prepare Public Draft General Plan Update EIR
This task provides for revisions to the Administrative EIR in response to comments and input from the Coachella General Plan Project team. Electronic copies of the EIR will be made available to the team to allow for edits, revisions, and comments to be made directly into the text to produce the Draft EIR in a time and cost efficient manner. After approval of the revised Draft EIR by City staff, Impact Sciences will prepare a master copy of the Public Draft EIR for reproduction and provide this copy to the City for reproduction and distribution.