Utility Easement for Albany Village Student Housing along Monroe Street
Summary
SCH Number
2023020014
Public Agency
University of California, Berkeley
Document Title
Utility Easement for Albany Village Student Housing along Monroe Street
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/1/2023
Document Description
UC Berkeley proposes to grant a utility distribution easement and agreement to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and their contractors for the extension and installation of an underground electrical utility line to serve the Albany Village Student Housing project in the University Village Albany. The easement is located at the eastern portion of the University Village Albany along Monroe Street, and the housing project site at 1051 Monroe Street. The easement area of an approximate 9,500 sf will allow PG&E to access, install the underground utilities and continue to maintain the constructed utilities in the easement area. The utility line is underground at Monroe Street, which is an already disturbed roadway, and at the housing project site and will be constructed within the easement area. The project includes trenching, and installation of underground conduit within the utility easement area.
Contact Information
Name
Shraddha Navalli Patil
Agency Name
UC Berkeley
Job Title
Senior Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Albany
Counties
Alameda
Regions
Citywide, San Francisco Bay Area
Parcel #
66-2692-8
Other Location Info
Monroe Street, and at 1051 Monroe Street Albany, CA
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1 (15301): Existing Facilities, Class 4 (15304) Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
The Project would involve construction and installation of an underground utility line within the proposed easement area in an existing roadway and previously disturbed site of the housing project. The Project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301: Class 1 Existing Facilities. This exemption applies to the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alterations or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities or mechanical equipment, involving negligible or no expansion of an existing use. The easement includes trenching and undergrounding of the utility facilities, which falls under minor alterations of an already disturbed roadway and site. No environmentally sensitive habitat exists within the easement.
The project is also categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15304: Class 4 Minor Alterations to land. The project is exempt because it includes minor trenching and backfilling for access and installation of the utility lines.
CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 includes a number of exceptions to categorical exemptions, which include the following: location; cumulative impact; significant effect; scenic highways; hazardous waste sites; and historical resources. These exceptions have been determined not to apply to the Project.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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