Design Review (DR) 23-004 for a major design change to Building D of the approved 540 mixed-use project located at 540 Old Mammoth Road in the Old Mammoth Road

2024060681

City of Mammoth Lakes

NOE - Notice of Exemption

6/14/2024

6/14/2024

Kim Cooke

Town of Mammoth Lakes Planning Division

Senior Planner

Lead/Public Agency

P.O. Box 1609
Town of Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

(760) 965-3638

kcooke@townofmammothlakes.ca.gov

37°38'19.7"N 118°58'1.8"W

Old Mammoth Road and Oak Tree Way

93546

.04

2

035-281-013-000

SR 203

N/A

N/A

Mammoth High School, Middle School, and Elementary School

Mammoth Creek

Town o

Categorical Exemption

CEQA Guidelines Section 15332, In-Fill Development Projects.

a. The Project is consistent with the General Plan and Zoning Code because the Project complies with the Commercial 2 (C-2) General Plan land use designation and the purpose of the Old Mammoth Road (OMR) zoning district since the Project provides a mixed-use development with residential units located behind a commercial building (Building D) which is located on a Primary Active Frontage along Old Mammoth Road. The revised design of Building D is pedestrian-scaled and is compatible with surrounding commercial structures. A Variance request was previously granted for the 540 project and is included to allow for a deviation to the first-floor clear height requirement along the Old Mammoth Road frontage, as allowed by the Zoning Code. b. The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses. The Project site is within the Town’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB); the site is approximately 0.67 acres; and the site is surrounded by retail, multi-family residential, and other urban uses. c. The Project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species since the site has previously been graded and does not feature any vegetation. The 540 project is nearly complete with the exception of Building D and associated landscape improvements. d. Approval of the Project would not result in any significant effects related to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality since the Project is consistent with the size of development allowed for the site; the Project conforms or is required to conform to the Municipal Code requirements for noise, air quality, and parking; the Project conforms or is required to conform to Public Works standards for site grading, stormwater retention, and drainage; and the Project will be required to obtain all necessary permits for construction. Therefore, no significant effects on traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality will result from the proposed development of the site. e. The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services because all necessary utilities and services are currently provided and can be extended to the site. The Project plans were routed to the Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD) and the Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District (MLFPD), and all comments received have been incorporated into the Project and/or conditions of approval. Additionally, at the time of building permit issuance, development impact fees (DIF) for police, vehicle circulation, storm drainage, and fire will be paid. Additionally, none of the exceptions set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 are present, which would disqualify the project from using a categorical exemption. Therefore, since the project meets all of the criteria to qualify for the In-Fill Development Projects categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332, and none of the exceptions set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 are applicable, no additional environmental review is warranted or necessary and the CEQA exemption is appropriate.