Turn Out-Lane for 4x4 Staging Area

Summary

SCH Number
2004048496
Public Agency
California Department of Parks and Recreation
Document Title
Turn Out-Lane for 4x4 Staging Area
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/28/2004
Document Description
The existing Cienega Road is a rural two lane country road with two, twelve foot lanes and two foot shoulders. The existing right of way is 60 feet wide, centered on the road and was deeded to the County in the 1880s. The purpose of this project is to provide the public entering Hollister Hills SVRA with a safe means of decelerating before turning extended vehicles, such as long-bed trucks, trailers, and RVs, into the entrance of the Park. The project will add a three hundred and fifty foot long by twelve foot wide deceleration lane, thus improving the entrance for the East Ranch (Hudner) 4x4 Area at the Bird Creek entrance of the park. The total roadway width will be 42 feet with all of the widening occurring on the east side of the road. The existing cut slopes will be pushed back to provide the additional room necessary to complete the widening, and the drainage will be modified to accomodate the widening. No major modifications to the existing drainage patterns will be necessary to complete this project. The existing twelve inch culvert will be extended by approximately twenty feet. The existing cut slopes along the road will be widened a varying width from zero to forty feet and excavated a maximum depth of two feet over a three-hundred and fifty feet long section. One existing utility pole with surrounding vegetation (joint telephone and power) on the east side of the road within the County right of way will be relocated further away from the centerline. Eight small oaks next to the utility pole will be removed. Six of them are valley oaks; one with a 3 inch DBH of less than one inch. The remaining two are live oak seedlings of less than one inch DBH. A poison oak bush will also be removed. Two non-native trees will be removed. One is a eucalyptus tree, the other is a walnut. Oak trees of the same type wil be planted as replacements for the oaks. The majority of the work will occur in the County Right of Way, with a small area within the boundary of the park. The scope of work also includes the transfer of necessary property rights for this area within the park boundaries to the County to allow for County operation and maintenance of the turn-lane as part of County Right of Way. No work will occur from November 1 through May 31 to avoid impacts to California red-legged frog (RLF). In addition to a spill prevention and response plan, the Hollister Hills SVRA SWPPP (January 2004) will be implemented, providing accepted BMPs for control of soil erosion and turf. A DPR-qualified resource ecologist will conduct a pre-construction survey and monitor all ground-disturbing activites related to the lane-widening. If a California red-legged frog is found within the work area, work will be temporarily halted or diverted while a USFWS approved biologist relocated the frog to a suitable habitat outside the project area. A DPR-qualified resource ecologist will also instruct construction personnel in ways to recognize and protect California red-legged frogs or other sensitive natural resources prior to authorizing them to work in the proposed project area.

Contact Information

Name
Dan Dungy
Agency Name
Department of Parks and Recreation
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency

Location

Cities
Hollister
Counties
San Benito

Notice of Exemption

Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
sec 15304, 15311
Reasons for Exemption
Proposed project will not have detrimental effect on the environment, archaeological site, or wildlife species. The project is necessary for safety issues on Cienega Road.

Disclaimer: The document was originally posted before CEQAnet had the capability to host attachments for the public. To obtain the original attachments for this document, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. You may also contact the OPR via email at state.clearinghouse@opr.ca.gov or via phone at (916) 445-0613.

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