HomeMy WebLinkAboutDEIR Ch 02
2. Introduction
2.1 PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
The California Environmental Quality Act requires that all state and local governmental agencies consider
the environmental consequences of projects over which they have discretionary authority prior to taking
action on those projects. This Draft EI R has been prepared to satisfy CEQA, as set forth in the Public
Resources Code Section 21000, et seq., and the State CEQA Guidelines, 14 California Code of Regula-
tions, Section 15000, et seq. The EIR is the public document designed to provide decision makers and
the public with an analysis of the environmental effects of the proposed project, to indicate possible
ways to reduce or avoid environmental damage and to identify alternatives to the project. The EIR must
also disclose significant environmental impacts that cannot be avoided; growth inducing impacts; effects
not found to be significant; and significant cumulative impacts of all past, present and reasonably
foreseeable future projects.
Pursuant to CEQA Section 21067, the Lead Agency means "the public agency which has the principal
responsibility for carrying out or approving a project which may have a significant effect upon the
environment." The City of San Bernardino has the principal responsibility for approval of the General
Plan Update and Associated Specific Plans project. For this reason, the City of San Bernardino is the
CEQA Lead Agency for this project.
The intent of the EIR is to provide sufficient information on the potential environmental impacts of the
proposed General Plan Update and Associated Specific Plans to allow the City to make an informed
decision regarding approval of the project. Specific discretionary actions to be reviewed by the City are
described later in Section 3.4, Intended Uses of the EIR.
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This EIR has been prepared in accordance with requirements of the:
. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as amended (Public Resources Code
Section 21000 etseq.)
. State Guidelines for the Implementation of the CEQA of 1970 (herein referenced as CEQA
Guidelines), as amended (California Code of Regulations Sections 15000 et seq.)
The overall purpose of this EIR is to inform the lead agency, responsible agencies, decision makers and
the general public of the environmental effects of the development and operation of the proposed San
Bernardino General Plan Update and Associated Specific Plans. This EI R addresses the potential
environmental effects of the project, including effects that may be significant and adverse, evaluates a
number of alternatives to the project and identifies mitigation measures to reduce or avoid adverse
effects.
2.2 NOTICE OF PREPARATION AND INITIAL STUDY
The City of San Bernardino determined that an EI R would be required for this project and issued a Notice
of Preparation (NOP) and Initial Study on November 29,2004 (See Appendix A, Volume II). Comments
received during the public review period, which extended from November 29, 2004, to December 28,
2004, are contained in Appendix B, Volume II.
The NOP process is used to help determine the scope of the environmental issues to be addressed in
the EIR. Based on this process and the Initial Study for the project, certain environmental categories
were identified as having the potential to result in significant impacts. Issues considered potentially
significant are addressed in this EIR. Issues identified as less than significant or having no impact are not
addressed beyond the discussion contained in the Initial Study. Refer to the Initial Study in Volume II,
Appendix A, Volume II for discussion of how these initial determinations have been made.
General Plan Update and Associated Specific Plans EIR
City of San Bernardino - Page 2-1
2. Introduction
2.3 SCOPE OF THIS EIR
Based upon the Initial Study and the Environmental Checklist Form, the City of San Bernardino staff
determined that an EIR should be prepared for the proposed project. The scope of the DEIR was
determined based upon the Initial Study and comments received in response to the NOP/lnitial Study.
As required by CEQA Statutes Section 21083.9, a scoping meeting was held on December 14, 2004.
Pursuant to Sections 15126.2 and 15126.4 of the State CEQA Guidelines, the EIR should identify any
potentially significant adverse impacts and recommend mitigation that would reduce or eliminate these
impacts to less than significant levels.
The information contained in the Project Description establishes the basis for analyzing future project-
related environmental impacts. However, further environmental review by the City may be required as
more detailed information and plans are submitted on a project-by-project basis.
This DEIR has been prepared to evaluate potentially significant impacts associated with implementation
of the proposed General Plan Update including Specific Plans for Arrowhead Springs and the University
District. General Plan Goals, Policies and Programs, Existing Regulations and Standard Conditions and
Mitigation Measures have been identified to either reduce or eliminate potentially significant impacts. The
DEIR distinguishes the impacts of the Arrowhead Springs Specific Plan separately and provides
information pertaining to the Arrowhead Springs Specific Plan in all sections where appropriate. For
purposes of environmental analysis in this DEIR, the focus of the environmental impact analysis is on
those areas in which physical changes to the existing environment are proposed that may result in
environmental impacts (Le. areas where land use changes are proposed), and to ensure that
development and improvement activities are consistent with the General Plan Update. In addition, the
DEIR describes a range of reasonable alternatives to the project which could feasibly attain the basic
objectives of the project, while substantially avoiding or lessening any of the significant impacts of the
proposed project, and evaluates the comparative merits of the alternatives and the proposed project.
2.3.1
Impacts Considered Less Than Significant
One environmental impact category is identified here as not being significantly affected by, or affecting
the proposed project and as such is not discussed in detail in this DEIR. This determination was made
by the City of San Bernardino in its preparation of the Initial Study. The following topical issue is not
addressed in the DEI R:
. Agricultural Resources
2.3.2 Potentially Significant Adverse Impacts
Based on the results of the Initial Study and consideration of the comments received during the scoping
process, a number of environmental issues were identified as requiring more detailed review in this EIR.
The following is a list of these broad categories.
. Aesthetics
. Air Quality
. Biological Resources
. Cultural Resources
. Geology/Soils
. Hazards and Hazardous Materials
. Hydrology/Water Quality
. Land Use and Planning
. Mineral Resources
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2. Introduction
. Noise
. Population and Housing
. Public Services
. Recreation
. Transportation/Circulation
. Utilities
Refer to the Initial Study in Volume II, Appendix A for the specific issues within each of these categories
that were determined to require further review. Other specific issues within these categories were
dismissed in the Initial Study and have not been reviewed in this EIR.
2.3.3 Unavoidable Significant Adverse Impacts
This DEIR identifies 3 unavoidable adverse impacts for the General Plan update and 3 unavoidable
adverse impacts for the Arrowhead Springs Specific Plan, as defined by CEQA that would result from
implementation of the proposed project. Unavoidable adverse impacts may be considered significant on
a project-specific basis, cumulatively significant, and/or potentially significant. Potentially significant
impacts are those that fall within the responsibility of another agency and implementation of the
mitigation measures cannot feasibly be assured by the City. If the City, as the Lead Agency, determines
that unavoidable significant adverse impacts will result from the project, the City must prepare a
"Statement of Overriding Considerations" before it can approve the project. A Statement of Overriding
Considerations states that the decision-making body has balanced the benefits of the proposed project
against its unavoidable significant environmental effects and has determined that the benefits of the
project outweigh the adverse effects and, therefore, the adverse effects are considered to be acceptable.
The impacts that were found in the DEIR to be significant and unavoidable area:
San Bernardino General Plan
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. Air Quality
. Noise
. Traffic
Arrowhead Springs Specific Plan
. Air Quality
. Cultural Resources
. Noise
2.4 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The following documents are incorporated by reference in this EIR, consistent with Section 15150 of the
State CEQA Guidelines, and are available for review at the City of San Bernardino.
City of San Bernardino, Draft Environmental Impact Report for City of San Bernardino General Plan-SCH#
89021308, prepared by Envicom Corporation, et aI., March 24,1989.
City of San Bernardino, Technical Background Report for City of San Bernardino General Plan Update,
prepared by Envicom Corporation, et. aI., February 1988.
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Inland Feeder Project environmental Impact Report
and Environmental Assessment, Addendum No.4 for Minor Project Modifications, May 1996.
General Plan Update and Associated Specific Plans EIR
City of San Bernardino - Page 2-3
2. Introduction
2.5 FINAL EIR CERTIFICATION
This Draft EIR is being circulated for public review for a period of 45 days. Interested agencies and
members of the public are invited to provide written comments on the Draft EIR to the City address
shown on the title page of this document, or bye-mail to generalplan@sbcity.org.
The DEIR is available to the general public for review at the following locations:
. City of San Bernardino Development Services Department
. City of San Bernardino Public Library, Main Branch, located at 555 W. 6th Street, San Bernardino,
CA 92401
. Web page, www.sbcity.org
Upon completion of the 45-day review period, the City of San Bernardino will review all written comments
received and prepare written responses for each comment. A final EIR will then be prepared incor-
porating all of the comments received, responses to the comments and any changes to the Draft EIR
that result from the comments received. This Final EI R will then be presented to the City Council of San
Bernardino for potential certification as the environmental document for the project. All persons who
commented on the Draft EIR will be notified of the availability of the Final EIR and the date of the public
hearing before the Mayor and Common Council.
2.6 MITIGATION MONITORING
Public Resources Code Section 21081.6 requires that agencies adopt a monitoring or reporting program
for any project for which it has made findings pursuant to Public Resources Code 21081 or adopted a
Negative Declaration pursuant to 21080(c). Such a program is intended to ensure the implementation of
all mitigation measures adopted through the preparation of an EIR or Negative Declaration.
Two independent Mitigation Monitoring Programs, one for the General Plan Update and one for the
Arrowhead Springs Specific Plan will be prepared as part of the Final EI R and will be completed prior to
consideration of the project by the City Council.
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