Karo Project

Karo Project

This Initial Study has been prepared to construct approximately 40,000 sf of Commercial cannabis cultivation in accordance with adopted City Ordinances pertaining to the location and regulation of cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility. The City of California City zones the subject property as Light Industrial (M-1), which will authorize the Project, pursuant to the codified California City Municipal Code as Title 9, Chapter 2, Articles 21 and 29, and Title 5, Chapter 6, of the same. The Project is subject to a Site Plan Review (SPR) process and building and grading permits, as applicable; however, the Project requires the preparation of an Initial Study to review, analyze and evaluate the possible effects resulting upon the surrounding environment. The types of uses, authorized in the M-1 zone include commercial cannabis cultivation as well as ancillary uses associated with the cultivation process, including but not limited to the harvesting, watering, and packaging of raw materials for manufacturing and distribution by others. The M-1 zone includes uses such as cannabis cultivation, distribution, manufacturing, testing, and ancillary uses necessary thereto. These facilities are subject to all State Law and regulations including the California Code of Regulations, Title 21, Division 42, Bureau of Cannabis Control. All cannabis related activities are only permitted in the interior of enclosed structures, facilities, and buildings. The Project proposes development of commercial cannabis facilities on two parcels (APNs: 225-221- 02 and 225-221-03), which are generally located adjacent and southerly of California City Blvd, westerly of Grant Road (Rd.) and easterly of the Union Pacific Railroad line at its intersection with California City Blvd. In total, the Project area encompasses approximately 4.65-acres (2.33 and 2.32 acres, respectively) and proposes to site, construct, and operate a maximum of four (4), 10,000 square-foot (sf) commercial cannabis cultivation facilities for a total cultivation capacity of 40,000 sf. The Project area is located on vacant parcels that have previously been subdivided in an area of California City classified by the Light Manufacturing (M-1). The Project intends to develop approximately ninety-five (95) feet (ft.) south of the California City Blvd. centerline. In addition, the Project intends to construct a proposed thirty-foot (30-ft.) roadway, adjacent to the easterly property line of APN: 225-221-03. Surrounding the Project is primarily vacant land in all directions (north, south, east, west). The Project is currently zoned M-1; however, the Controlled Development Zoning District (O/RA), exists to the south, east, west, and northwest of the Project site; whereas Light Manufacturing (M-1) is located directly to the north of the Project. The Project is not located within 200-feet of any residentially zoned property or vacant residentially zoned parcels. This setback is a necessary measure because Section (Sec.) 9-2.2903(b)(1) of the California City Municipal Code (CCMC) requires, that a cannabis business shall be no closer than two hundred (200) feet of any residentially zoned parcel in the City, including any legal non-conforming residential uses as of the date the cannabis business permit is issued, excepting therefrom residential uses in the O/RA zone. Furthermore, the Project is located approximately in excess of 1,000-ft. from any existing commercial, industrial, or manufacturing residential structure. Again, this setback is critical as a cannabis business shall be no closer than one thousand (1,000) feet from any parcel containing any of the following: school, college or university (whether public, private, or charter, including pre-school, transitional kindergarten, and K—12) A church or other house of worship. A daycare facility serving nine or more children and is licensed by the county. A drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility providing on-site medical treatment. The proposed cultivation facility will utilize Onsite Treatment Wastewater Systems (OTWS) and temporary generators to provide the operation with waste disposal and electricity until a time that municipal sewer and electric utility services reach the project site. In contrast, southern California Gas Company currently owns and operates a high pressure gas distribution line, within the right-of-way (R/W) for California City Blvd., that the Project will apply for interconnection with to serve the Project with natural gas utility service. The Project anticipates the use of on-site well water to provided potable water service to the Project site. All land uses and future buildings and structures will be consistent with both state and local regulations, including compliance with the 2019 California Building Code (CBC). The Project site plan also incorporates one linear retention basin that encompass approximately 5,000 sf (approximately 2.5%) of the Project site. The Project will be developed in a maximum of two phases; however, major infrastructure improvements related to site access, ingress, egress, and emergency vehicles will be required and developed within the first phase. This first phase will include the frontage improvements and the construction of an industrial collector frontage road, parallel to California City Blvd. and a 30-ft. access road along the easterly property line, which will create a new intersection with California City Blvd. The Project proponent shall also provide all-weather site access for emergency/fire/police access within an internal driveway that provides circulation around the entire site plan. The Project also incorporates 50 parking spaces (including those available for persons with disabilities), storage facilities, and associated ancillary cannabis manufacturing facilities. B. Total Project Area: 4.65 acres (202,554 sf) Residential Acres: 0 Lots: 0 Units: 0 Projected No. of Residents: 0 Commercial Acres: 0 Lots: 0 Sq. Ft. of Bldg. Area: 0 Est. No. of Employees: 0 Industrial Acres: 4.65 Lots: Sq. Ft. of Bldg. Area: 40,000 sf Est. No. of Employees (Reg): 20 Est. No. of Employees (Harvest): 35 Other: N/A C. Assessor’s Parcel No(s): 225-221-02 & -03 D. Street References: The proposed project is located southerly of California Blvd. and easterly of the Union Pacific Railroad (RR) where it intersects with California City Blvd., APN: 225-221- 02 & -03, located within California City. Brief description of the existing environmental setting of the Project site and its surroundings: The Project is approximately 4.65 gross acres and is located within a planned industrial and manufacturing area of the City. The physical development of the project site, and the adjacent public Rights-of-Ways (R/W), will be improved in an effort to eliminate geometric, sharp or dangerous turning movement and roadway safety issues of concern; which include, but are not limited to unsafe or dangerous road conditions, sub-standard circulation patterns and traffic geometrics, frequent dust pollution; and other similar considerations through the implementation standard development-related Conditions of Approval (COAs) and compliance with the California City Municipal Code (CCMC). The following reports and/or studies are applicable to development of the project site and hereby incorporated by reference: ? City of California City Final General Plan 2009-2028, City of California City, originally approved October 6, 2009 (City of California City 2009) ? City of California City Draft Environmental Impact Report on the Redevelopment Plan for the ? California City Redevelopment Plan (1998) ? City of California City Final General Plan 2009-2028 Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#1992062069) ? City of California City Final Environmental Impact Report on the Redevelopment Plan from the California City Redevelopment Plan (SCH#8715918) ? Kern County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC). This document has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public Resources Code Section 23000 et. seq. The City of California City will serve as the lead agency pursuant to CEQA. II. APPLICABLE GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING REGULATIONS A. General Plan Elements/Policies: 1. Land Use: Within the O/RA and proposing a change to M-1 (Light Industrial Zoning District) 2. Circulation: California City Blvd. will provide the primary point of ingress and egress as the Project site as it is the adjacent roadway, which runs in an east-to-west direction and intersects with Proposed Paved Road, located at the easterly portion of the Project site. In order to facilitate circulation, throughout the project site, and accommodate access, required per the City’s codified fire code, the City will require the dedication and improvement of at least two commercial driveway approaches which will extend from California City Blvd. from the east. This driveway will be at-least 30-foot proposed road that will intersect California City Blvd. at a 90-degree angle. Driveway approaches shall be located no less than 200-feet from each other to ensure proper circulation and traffic flow. 3. Multipurpose Open Space: The Project is located within a land use transitional area, between the urbanizing areas of downtown California City, shown as the “First Community” on Figure 7 of the California City Existing Water Well location map and the “westerly portions of the City, closer to State Highway 14, where the Project is located. The project will not create a need for additional open space and/or active park recreational facilities. Furthermore, the Project does not preclude or remove any active parkland and/or passive open space, trails, bike paths, or other similar facilities. The project is located adjacent to a designated conversation area and will need to address possible interface guidelines set forth by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) and the USFWS. 4. Safety: The Project is not located upon, or within, an area of hazardous materials as detailed within the applicable state and federal resource maps. The Project is not located within the Sphere of Influence (SOI) or Airport Influence Area (AIA) of the California City Municipal Airport Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). According to the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS), the Project is located in excess of 6-miles from the closest portion of the airport runway. As such, the Project will not impact airport operations in any manner. The Project will not create any dangerous or hazardous circulation geometrics which would cause a concern for the motoring public. 5. Noise: The Project is located within a planned industrial area of the City where the majority of ambient noise generation is caused by the Average Daily Trips (ADT) associated with vehicle traffic trips occurring along California City Blvd. The Project may create an increase in the levels of ambient noise given the adjacency to an existing area of land conservation and will need to address possible interface guidelines set forth by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) and the USFWS. 6. Housing: The Project is located on vacant land, within the M-1 (Light Industrial Zoning District) and does not propose to remove or displace any housing, of any type on, or adjacent to the Project boundaries, as no dwelling units exist either on the project site. The Project site is surrounded by vacant land in all directions, with planned industrial areas (M-1 zoning district) located to the north, and O/RA zoning to the south east, and west. The Project is subject to City ordinance which requires all cultivation buildings shall be located at-least 200- feet from this existing residential property; however, no residential zoning currently exists or is anticipated to be changed, with the surrounding land use environment, prior to the Project approval. The nearest residential zoning (O/RA) is located to the south, east, and west of the Project site, all of which are also adjacent to the Project site; however, Zone Change No. 20-05 exempted the O/RA from complying with the 200-foot residential setback. Furthermore, no residential projects exist, or are proposed, at this time that would be located within a 200-ft radius from the Project site. The Project will comply with the City’s distance requirements. 7. Air Quality: The Project will not substantially increase the baseline air quality emissions resulting from either the construction or operations of the cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility. The Project is not anticipated to produce pollutants of concern in excess of SCAQMD thresholds for elements such as NOx; SOx; or O3. The Project will require the use of generators (powered by either gas or diesel fuel) during construction and/or initial operations. Generators shall be certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and obtain a permit from the East Kern Air Pollution Control District (EKAPCD), as applicable. Southern California Edison (SCE) will provide the project site with both temporary and permanent power service. 8. Healthy Communities: The Project does not contribute and will not impede or impact aspects of the City’s Healthy Community strategies. The City’s Health Communities goals include, but are not limited to, decreasing the total Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT); which in turn reduces emissions (having a positive benefit upon public health); increases in transit ridership; and expansion of healthy grocery items, including Certified Farmer’s Markets and other similar opportunities. B. General Plan Area Plan(s): Within M-1 (Light Industrial Zoning District) C. Land Use Designation(s): Light Industrial D. Overlay(s), if any: N/A E. Policy Area(s), if any: N/A F. Adjacent and Surrounding: 1. Land Use Designation(s): Light Industrial 2. Overlay(s), if any: N/A 3. Policy Area(s), if any: N/A G. Adopted Specific Plan Information 1. Name and Number of Specific Plan, if any: N/A 2. Specific Plan Planning Area, and Policies, if any: N/A H. Existing Zoning: M-1 (Light Industrial Zoning District) I. Proposed Zoning, if any: N/A J. Adjacent and Surrounding Zoning: Controlled Development (O/RA) zoning district, which is located to the south, east, and west. Light Industrial (M-1) is located to the north.

California City

Kern

Citywide

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, California Department of Transportation, District 9 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Victorville Region 6 (RWQCB), Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Department of Toxic Substances Control, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance

Industrial (Cannabis Cultivation and Manufacturing)(Sq. Ft. 40000, Acres 4.65, Employees 35)

Site Plan

Biological Resources