Red Mountain Communication Site License Agreement with State of California, Department of Agriculture (Forest Service)
Summary
SCH Number
2025050350
Public Agency
Riverside County
Document Title
Red Mountain Communication Site License Agreement with State of California, Department of Agriculture (Forest Service)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/8/2025
Document Description
The County of Riverside (County), for the benefit of its Public Safety Enterprise
Communications (PSEC), operates the Red Mountain Communication Site, identified by Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 569-050-010, 569-050-013 (Property) West under the Communications Use Lease Agreement (Lease Agreement) dated June 14th, 2010 (from the United States of America, through the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture (Forest Service). The Forest Service has requested this five-year license agreement with three five year automatic renewal options (License Agreement) for their communication needs and will utilize the County’s tower space without interfering with other tenants, including PSEC. The License Agreement with the Forest Service is defined as the proposed project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The project is the letting of property involving existing facilities; no substantial expansion of the existing facility will occur. The operation of the facility will continue to provide communication services. No additional direct or indirect physical environmental impacts are anticipated.
Contact Information
Name
Mike Sullivan
Agency Name
County of Riverside Facilities Management
Job Title
Facilities Operations Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
unincorporated area of Riverside County
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Southern California
Parcel #
Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 569-050-010, 569-050-013 (Property)
Other Location Info
Southern end of Red Mountain Road, approximately 5 miles east of Sage Road and 7.5 miles south of State Highway 74, Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 569-050-010 and 569-050-013
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15301
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA
specifically by the State CEQA Guidelines as identified below. The project will not result in any specific or general exceptions to the use of the categorical exemption as detailed under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2. The project will not cause an impact to an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern nor would the project involve unusual circumstances that could potentially have a significant effect on the environment. The project would not result in impacts to scenic highways, hazardous waste sites, historic resources, or other sensitive natural environments, or have a cumulative effect to the environment. No significant environmental impacts are anticipated to occur with the License Agreement. This categorical exemption includes the operation, repair, maintenance, leasing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures or facilities, provided the exemption only involves negligible or no expansion of the previous site’s use. The project, as proposed, is limited to the
continued use of an existing communication site with the same tenant. The project will not substantially increase or expand the use of the site and is limited to the continued use of the site in a similar capacity; therefore, the project is exempt as the project meets the scope and intent of the Class 1 Exemption identified in Section 15301, Article 19, Categorical Exemptions of the CEQA Guidelines. Therefore, the County of Riverside Facilities Management hereby concludes that no physical environmental impacts are anticipated to occur and the project as proposed is exempt under CEQA. No further environmental analysis is warranted.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA
specifically by the State CEQA Guidelines as identified below. The project will not result in any specific or general exceptions to the use of the categorical exemption as detailed under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2. The project will not cause an impact to an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern nor would the project involve unusual circumstances that could potentially have a significant effect on the environment. The project would not result in impacts to scenic highways, hazardous waste sites, historic resources, or other sensitive natural environments, or have a cumulative effect to the environment. No significant environmental impacts are anticipated to occur with the License Agreement. In accordance with CEQA, the use of the Common Sense Exemption is based on the “general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.” State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b) (3). The use of this exemption is appropriate if “it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” Ibid. This determination is an issue of fact and if sufficient evidence exists in the record that the activity cannot have a significant effect on the environment, then the exemption applies and no further evaluation under CEQA is required. See No Oil, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles (1974) 13 Cal. 3d 68. The ruling in this case stated that if a project falls within a category exempt by administrative regulation or 'it can be seen with certainty that the activity in question will not have a significant effect on the environment', no further agency evaluation is required. With certainty, there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment. The proposed License Agreement will not result in any direct or indirect physical environmental impacts. The use and operation of the facility will be substantially similar to the existing use and will not create any new environmental impacts to the surrounding area. No impacts beyond the ongoing, existing use of the site would occur. Therefore, in no way, would the project as proposed have the potential to cause a significant environmental impact and the project is exempt from further CEQA analysis. Therefore, the County of Riverside Facilities Management hereby concludes that no physical environmental impacts are anticipated to occur and the project as proposed is exempt under CEQA. No further environmental analysis is warranted.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.