San Mateo Union High School District Offices Generator Project
Summary
SCH Number
2024120177
Public Agency
San Mateo Union School District
Document Title
San Mateo Union High School District Offices Generator Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/5/2024
Document Description
Add an emergency generator (enclosed in a sound enclosure, with a 440-gallon diesel tank, and on an approximately 16x16-foot concrete pad) and associated electrical infrastructure to serve the existing District Offices building. The purpose of the project is to provide back-up power to the District Offices and internet servers in the event that PG&E power is not available.
Existing Facilities:
The San Mateo Union High School District's Offices Building is located at 650 North
Delaware Street in San Mateo. The District Offices are adjacent to the San Mateo High School Campus, which is in a mixed multiple- and single-family residential neighborhood. The proposed project would be located behind the existing District Offices (DO) building, adjacent to an existing utility building between the DO building and the San Mateo High School football field complex.
Proposed Project:
The District proposes to construct a 175 kilowatt (Kw) standby diesel generator behind the District Office building, between that building and the San Mateo High School stadium. The generator would be enclosed and include a 440-gallon diesel fuel tank (per planset) located beneath the generator. The generator /tank module would be 12 feet fong by 4.5 feet wide by 10.75 feet tall. It would be placed on an irregularly shaped approximately 16-foot by 16-foot concrete pad, surrounded by a 6-foot high chain link fence. Work includes minor excavation and grading, placement of a concrete housekeeping pad and security fence and installation of the generator and two automatic transfer switches. Minor landscape removal would occur, including removal of one ornamental tree. Noise and dust generation should be minimal and, because the work would be located behind the District Office, it would be shielded visually and in terms of noise from the neighboring properties. The generator would produce noise levels of 73 dB(A)@ 7 meters and a maximum of 103 dB(A) @ 1 meter. At these levels, noise from its use would not be intrusive at nearby residential properties.
The generator would power both the District Office and the Network Operations Center that houses the District's servers (to keep the internet up and running) in the event of an unplanned outage or a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). The generator would start automatically upon interruption of PG&E power. It will also be tested monthly for an hour to keep the engine lubricated and ensure proper operation.
Construction is proposed to start in May and end in early August 2025.
This project does not include any modifications to the DO building, building access,
building envelope, or spaces within the building.
Contact Information
Name
Yancy Hawkins
Agency Name
San Mateo Union High School District
Job Title
Associate Superintendent, CBO
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
San Mateo
Counties
San Mateo
Regions
Citywide
Cross Streets
N Delaware St and E Poplar Ave
Zip
94401
State Highways
CA 101
Railways
n/a
Airports
San Francisco international
Schools
San Mateo High School
Waterways
San Francisco Bay
Other Location Info
650 N Delaware Street, San Mateo CA 94401
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1 -Exisiting Facilities 15301
Reasons for Exemption
Project would be a minor alteration of the existing District Office Building site, consistent with Class 1Exemption. Any potential health risk from generator emissions would be minimized as part of required BMQMD permitting for construction and operation.
The project would be subject to the Class 1 exemption, as discussed below.
Class 1 Exemption The CEQA Class 1 Exemption (Class 1-Existing Facilities [CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301]) Applies, in part, to minor alterations to existing facilities. These include addition of health and safety related equipment, which would include emergency generators. The proposed project would consist of minor alterations to the existing District Office building facilities.
Therefore, this exemption would apply.
Analysis of Possible Exceptions to Class 1 Exemption
The exemption is subject to the following exceptions:
• Cumulative Impact This exception would apply if the project were to contribute to
significant impacts to a resource in combination with other proposed new
development nearby. No other substantive projects with overlapping construction
are proposed for the District Offices. Several projects are proposed for the adjacent
San Mateo High School Campus that may have construction that overlaps
construction of the generator project These include projects to install solar panel
canopies and electric vehicle charging stations in the District Office parking lot.
Because, proposed project construction activities would be limited to a small area
and a 3-4 month period, it would not contribute considerably to any cumulative
impacts of these other projects. In addition, the other projects also would involve
only minor construction. The project area is a fully-developed neighborhood of
residences, school facilities, and commercial uses, and no substantial offsite
cumulative development is likely to occur. Therefore, no potentially significant
cumulative impacts wouJd occur.
• Scenic Highways. This exception would apply if the project were to result in
damage to scenic resources within a State-designated Scenic Highway corridor. The
project would be located inside an existing structure and therefore would not be
visible or alter any views from any on- or off-campus areas. In addition, there are no
State Scenic Highways in the project area. The project site is not visible from a
designated scenic highway, and is not visible from any roadway, therefore this
exception would not apply.
• Hazardous Waste Sites. There are no listed hazardous materials/hazardous waste
sites listed on or in the vicinity of the project site
(https://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/map/?global id-41490049, accessed
October 31, 2024).
• Historical Resources. This exception would apply if the project were to potentially
significantly adversely affect an historical resource. The proposed project includes
no exterior changes to any of the existing school buildings. The generator would be
behind the modern District Office Building and therefore would not have the
potential to adversely affect any historical resources.
• Significant Effect. The exception would apply if the project would have the
potential for a significant effect to the environment due to unusual circumstances.
Unusual circumstances may include historic structures, hazardous materials
contamination, protected species or habitats, and other similar conditions. In order
to operate, the generator would require "Authority to Construct" and "Permit to
Operate" approvals from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. As part of
those permits, the District would be required to conduct a Health Risk Assessment
for generator emissions, which would assure that the project's air pollutant
emissions would not adversely affect occupants of the office building or students at
the adjacent high school facilities. This would eliminate the potential of a significant
effect from project emissions. In addition, there are no unusual circumstances on
the project site, therefore this exception would not apply.
County Clerk
San Mateo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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