Joint Occupancy Project - Home INstead INnovation Academy and vintage Hills Elementary School
Summary
SCH Number
2022110357
Public Agency
Temecula Valley Unified School District
Document Title
Joint Occupancy Project - Home INstead INnovation Academy and vintage Hills Elementary School
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/16/2022
Document Description
Temecula Valley Unified School District (District) proposes to close Home INstead Innovation Academy (HIIA) at 35780 Abelia Street in Winchester and transfer students to the Vintage Hills campus at 42240 Camino Romo in Temecula to co-locate two school programs. The shared campus would be accommodated without any additional buildings to house the HIIA program. The Vintage Hills campus previously housed up to 1,105 students in 2002 but is experiencing declining enrollment, with a current enrollment of 518 students (2021-2022 school year). Therefore, the Vintage Hills campus has the capacity to accommodate the HIIA program with limited modifications. Physical changes involved with this transfer of students would include interior alterations to the existing 12-classroom building, paving approximately 5,000 square feet under the existing solar canopy for an outdoor learning program, and striping and painting existing paved area for approximately 30 parking spaces.
The current enrollment for the HIIA is 300 students, and the program at Vintage Hills campus would accommodate up to 600 TK through 8th grade students and 30 to 35 staff members. Because HIIA is an alternative school program where most learning is done remotely, not all 600 students would regularly attend the school. Instead, approximately 150 students may participate in on-campus voluntary supplemental instruction for one to two hours in the afternoon, Monday through Thursday. Therefore, the proposed transfer of students would not affect the existing elementary school's drop-off/pick-up operations. The Vintage Hills campus would hold approximately four evening events during the school year for the HIIA program, but the events would not coincide with the elementary school events.
Contact Information
Name
Janet Dixon
Agency Name
Temecula Valley Unified School District
Job Title
Director Facilities Development Dept.
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Temecula
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Citywide, Countywide, Southern California
Cross Streets
Camino Romo and Rancho Vista Road
Zip
92592
Total Acres
10.9
Jobs
1
Parcel #
955060001
State Highways
15, 79
Railways
0
Airports
0
Schools
Temecula Valley HS, Vail ES
Waterways
0
Township
T8SR
Range
2W
Section
4
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
14 CCR §15301 Class 1; §15303 Class 3; §15304 Class 4; §15314 Class 14
Reasons for Exemption
PRC § 21080.18 (CEQA Guidelines § 15282(i)) – The closing of any public school or the transfer of students from that public school to another school in which kindergarten or any grades 1 through 12 is maintained if the only physical changes involved are categorically exempt under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 15000) of Division 6 of Title 14 of the California Administrative Code.
HIIA at 35780 Abelia Street in Winchester is a public school serving TK-8 grades, where most learning is done remotely. Closing of this school and transfer of students to Vintage Hills Elementary School at 42240 Camino Romo in Temecula, another public school serving TK-5 grades is statutorily exempt and the physical changes involved with the proposed project are categorically exempt under Class 1, Class 3, Class 4, and Class 14 as described below.
Class 1, Existing Facilities (CEQA Guidelines § 15301): The proposed project includes interior alterations to the existing 12-classroom building to accommodate the HIIA program. There would be no expansion of building space and the building would remain as a classroom building, which meets the criteria for an exemption under CEQA Guidelines § 15301.
Class 3, New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures (CEQA Guidelines § 15303): The proposed project would convert approximately 5,000 square feet of grass area under the solar canopy to a paved outdoor learning program space and stripe already paved hardcourt area to provide 30 parking spaces. These changes would convert one use of the existing outdoor facility to another, which meets the criteria for an exemption under CEQA Guidelines § 15303.
Class 4, Minor Alterations to Land (CEQA Guidelines § 15304): The proposed project would convert approximately 5,000 square feet of grass area under the solar canopy to a paved outdoor learning program space and stripe already paved hardcourt area to provide 30 parking spaces. These improvements would be minor alterations to the existing grass and hardcourt areas and would not involve the removal of healthy, mature, and/or scenic trees. Therefore, the proposed minor alterations to the conditions of the existing campus meets the criteria for an exemption under CEQA Guidelines § 15304.
Class 14, Minor Additions to School (CEQA Guidelines § 15314): The proposed project would involve interior alterations to an existing classroom building, converting approximately 5,000 square feet of grass area under the solar canopy to a paved outdoor learning program space, and striping the existing hardcourt area to accommodate 30 parking spaces. These improvements will allow sharing of the existing Vintage Hills campus with the HIIA program staff and students without expanding the existing school’s capacity or increasing the number of classrooms. The proposed project would not increase original student capacity by more than 25 percent or ten classrooms, whichever is less, meeting the criteria for an exemption under CEQA Guidelines § 15314.
A review of the possible exceptions to the exemption, as outlined under CEQA Guidelines § 15300.2, determined that no characteristics or circumstances would invalidate findings that the project is exempt from CEQA (see “Supplement to Notice of Exemption”, available at the District office, address provided above).
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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