Genesis Automobile Dealership

2024030532

City of Newport Beach

NOE - Notice of Exemption

3/15/2024

3/15/2024

Liz Westmoreland

City of Newport Beach

Senior Planner

Lead/Public Agency

100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660

(949) 644-3212

LWestmoreland@newportbeachca.gov

33°36'58.4"N 117°54'32.2"W

W. Coast Highway and Dover Drive

92663

1.79

20

049-280-86

Pacific Coast Highway

NA

NA

Ensign Intermediate School and Newport Harbor High School

Newport Harbor

Categorical Exemption

Class 1, Class 3, and Class 32

Class 1 exempts Class the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The project includes improvements to West Coast Highway to realign the curb line, extend the existing transition area, and allow for the construction of a bike lane. Class 1 (15301(c) specifically exempts work on existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle, and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities. Class 3 exempts construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures. Examples of this exemption includes, but is not limited to, a store, motel, office, restaurant or similar structure not involving the use of significant amounts of hazardous substances that are, in urban areas, generally not exceeding 10,000 square feet in floor area and where public services and facilities are available and the surrounding area is not environmentally sensitive. The project is within an urban, developed area of Newport Beach. The Property is also served by all required public facilities, the area is not environmentally sensitive, and significant amounts of hazardous substances would not be used. The Project's proposed buildings would exceed 10,000 square feet (at 19,044 square feet}. However, the Project includes the demolition and replacement of existing commercial retail and service use buildings totaling approximately 14,500 square feet. Accounting for that demolition of similar uses. The Project increases total square footage by only approximately 4,544 square feet, well within the 10,000 square feet identified by the Class 3 exemption. Class 32 exempts projects characterized as in-fill development meeting the following conditions. (a} The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. The project is consistent with the City's General Plan and Zoning. The General Plan and Zoning designations are General Commercial CG, which allow for Vehicle/Equipment Sales (Limited} is a permitted use with the CG zone. The project does not include maintenance and/or repair requiring pneumatic lifts. The project is consistent with the limited definition of vehicle sales in that the use will be the sale of automobiles, include display, minor maintenance, and incidental rental. The project will not include the sales of construction equipment. motorcycles, recreational vehicles, trucks and similar equipment. which is considered General Vehicle Sales. (b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses. The proposed project is located within the City of Newport Beach City limits on a 1.79-acre property. The proposed development Is located on West Coast Highway in the Mariner's Mile area and is surrounded by urban uses on all sides including a fast-food restaurant, automobile dealerships, and commercial, retail and office. The Bayshores gated-housing community is located across West Coast Highway and separated by a public walkway and privacy wall. The entrance to Bayshores is located approximately 400 feet away at the intersection of Dover and West Coast Highway, across from a commercial shopping center. Residential uses are also located to the north of the property along Kings Road. (c) The project site has no value, as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species. The project site is developed with existing structures and surface parking. The site does not contain trees, vegetation, wetlands/waters/riparian habitat that can support Special Status Species. (d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality or water quality. The project would not result in any significant effects related to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality. The project does not include roadway or transportation system changes beyond site ingress/egress and curb relocation. The net daily trip generation letter has been reviewed by the City’s Traffic Engineer based on the average daily trips of the existing commercial uses on-site and the proposed automobile dealership. The project will generate a net increase of 299 daily trips. Therefore, the project would result in a net increase of fewer than 300 daily trips and no impacts related to VMT are anticipated. The project does not include a new stationary noise source. The automobile dealership specializes in sales and repair of EVs that produce less noise than conventional automobiles. The project has been designed with enclosed parking at the rear of the property adjoining the residential zoning district to reduce operational noise, such as vehicle doors closing. The EV Lab will also be fully enclosed and high noise generating activities such as use of pneumatic lifts is prohibited. The project will be required to comply with the City’s Noise Ordinance. The project does not include a new source of air pollutant emissions. Compared to traditional internal combustion engines, EVs eliminate tailpipe pollution such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) because there is no combustion process. As such, air quality emissions associated with the sale of EVs is considerably less compared to cars with internal combustion engines. The proposed auto dealership is for EV and will be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. The project would not result in changes in site drainage that cannot be addressed through best management practices (BMPs) to prevent erosion and construction pollutants from contacting stormwater. A preliminary Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) has been prepared for the project and identifies new concrete drainage ditches and catchment basins. e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. The project site development with existing uses, and will continue to be adequately served by existing utility systems.