Plot Plan No. 210246

2024060527

Riverside County

NOE - Notice of Exemption

6/12/2024

6/12/2024

Kathleen Mitchel

Riverside County

Project Planner

Lead/Public Agency

4080 Lemon Street, 12th floor
riverside, CA 92502

(951) 955-6836

kmitchell@rivco.org

Located within the Elsinore Area Plan, north-west of highway 74 and south of Nichols Rd.

Categorical Exemption

Categorical Exemption (Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land))

This proposed Project is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Article 5 - Preliminary Review of Projects and Conduct of Initial Study, Section 15061, which states: Once a lead agency has determined that an activity is a project subject to CEQA, a lead agency shall determine whether the project is exempt from CEQA. The Project is a proposed industrial business that will be occupying a lot for the operation of a contractor’s storage yard. The Project is categorically exempt pursuant to Article 19, Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land), which states: Class 4 consists of minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purposes. The proposed Project is for the operation of a contractor’s storage yard for the storage of non-hazardous materials and the pickup trucks that move these materials on and off site. It does not propose the construction of any new structures, only grading on land with a slope of less than 10 percent. The grading proposed is minimal and does not involve the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees, nor grading within a waterway, wetland, official designated scenic area, or severe geologic hazard area. The grading is to create the path of travel for the trucks on and off-site, with no permanent concrete poured for this drive aisle; it will only be improved with a Class II base. As such, the Project falls within the standards for Class 4, therefore it is in compliance with the guidelines of Article 19, Section 15304, Minor Alterations to Land. In addition, the Project will not result in any specific or general exceptions to the use of the categorical exemptions as detailed under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2. The Project would not lead to cumulative impacts that overtime would be significant since the contractor’s storage yard would operate on a lot anticipated for industrial/manufacturing purposes. There is no new construction proposed, a minimal number of truck trips will be made to and from the site, and there will be no crushing or processing of materials on-site. The subject site is also bordered by properties that are being utilized for purposes that are compatible with the proposed Project. Thus, the Project would not foreseeably result in any new significant impacts to the adjacent properties, and it would be compatible with the present and future development of the surrounding area. All future projects that are similar to or are located within the same area will similarly be evaluated pursuant to CEQA. The Project’s proposed use does not qualify as an unusual circumstance since the land uses and zoning classifications allow the use with proper entitlements, pursuant to the applicable sections of the General Plan and Ordinance No. 348 for these designations. As such, the Project has been conditioned to comply with all applicable General Plan policies, County Ordinances, and State law for the proposed use. In addition, the Project is required to follow any applicable conditions/standards from the Riverside County Departments and the State throughout the duration of its operations. The property borders Highway 74, which is classified as a State Scenic Highway. However, measures have been proposed to ensure that there is no impact to scenic resources, including the installation of a 6-foot-tall combination brick and metal slat fence along with landscaping at the property frontage to screen the operations. The subject site is not located on a site deemed as a hazardous waste site, and it is not located near significant historical resources. Therefore, no foreseeable specific or general exceptions to the use of the categorical exemptions would result with approval of this Project. To ensure no significant effect would occur to biological resources, a Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) Biological Resources Compliance Analysis was prepared by Cadre Environmental in September 2021 (updated March 24, 2022). No sensitive plant communities were documented on-site, and the Project does not occur within a predetermined Survey Area for MSCHP criteria area or narrow endemic plant species. There is also no evidence of vernal pools, seasonal depressions, seasonally inundated road ruts or other wetland features on the Project site. The 0.12-acre portion of the property that is an ephemeral wash and the 0.03-acre of individual arroyo willow trees would be fully avoid via a deed restriction. Furthermore, the County has conditioned the Project to conduct a standard 30-day preconstruction burrowing owl survey and migratory bird survey pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protocols prior to any ground disturbance (060-Biology. 1 – 4). The ephemeral wash area in the northwestern portion of the site will be avoided throughout the duration of the grading process, and temporary fencing will be installed around the ephemeral wash area to ensure no impacts occur within the drainage area during those grading activities. Based on these findings, the Project, as proposed, complies with the guidelines of the California Environmental Quality Act Article 19, Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land). Therefore, the Project is exempt.