Coachella City Council
January 28, 2026

Item 33.

Proposed Planned Unit Development Overlay Exhibit
Calhoun Street Subdivision 2
111
10 Monroe S t
Avenue 52
Avenue 50 Avenue 50 Avenue 50
US Highway 111
US Highway 111
US Highway 111
Indio Blvd
The Madison
Club
ain View
ry Club
The Hideaway
Golf Club
Indio
Whitewater River
111
10 Cesar Chavez S t
State
Highway 86
S tate Highway
86 Grapefruit Blvd
Grapefruit Blvd
Dillon Rd
Dillon Rd
Twenty-Nine
Palms
Reservation
Eagle Falls Golf
Course
Coachella
County of Riverside, California State Parks, Esri, TomTom, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NPS, USDA, USFWS, Maxar 0 2 mi
Legend
Project Site

Item 33.

Preliminary Site Plan
Calhoun Street Subdivision
Exhibit
3 Not to Scale

Item 33.

Surrounding Land Use Exhibit
Calhoun Street Subdivision 4
Camino Bahia
Avenue 49
Calh
oun St
Avenue 49
Pluma Azul Ct
Lapis Dr
Puerto Escondido San Mateo Ave
Esri Community Maps Contributors, County of Riverside, California State Parks, © OpenStreetMap, Microsoft, Esri, TomTom, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NPS, US Census Bureau, USDA, USFWS, Maxar 0 0.05 mi
Single Family Homes
Single Family Homes Single Family Homes
Single Family Homes
Future Single Family Homes Vacant Lot
Legend
City of Coachella Boundary
Project Site
City of Indio Jurisdiction
APN: 612-260-010

Item 33.

Existing General Plan Land Use and Zoning Exhibit
Calhoun Street Subdivision 5
Camino Bahia
Avenue 49
Calh
oun St
Avenue 49
Pluma Azul Ct
Lapis Dr
Puerto Escondido San Mateo Ave
Esri Community Maps Contributors, County of Riverside, California State Parks, © OpenStreetMap, Microsoft, Esri, TomTom, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NPS, US Census Bureau, USDA, USFWS, Maxar 0 0.05 mi
Legend
City of Coachella Boundary
Project Site
Open Space (O-S)
General Neighborhood (G-N)
Suburban Neighborhood (S-N)
APN: 612-260-010

Item 33.

Conceptual Landscape Plan
Calhoun Street Subdivision
Exhibit
6 Not to Scale

Item 33.

Conceptual Plant List and Community Element
Calhoun Street Subdivision
Exhibit
7 Not to Scale

Item 33.

Conceptual Wall Plan
Calhoun Street Subdivision
Exhibit
8 Not to Scale

Item 33.

Conceptual Park Plan
Calhoun Street Subdivision
Exhibit
9 Not to Scale

Item 33.

Street Sections
Calhoun Street Subdivision
Exhibit
10 Not to Scale

Item 33.

Resolution No. 2026-03

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-03

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

COACHELLA CONDITIONALLY APPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT NO. 25-02 ASSESSMENT NO. 25-02 FOR THE

ADOPTION OF AN INITIAL STUDY WITH MITIGATED NEGATIVE
DECLARATION, FOR THE PROPOSED 257-LOT SINGLE FAMILY
RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION PROJECT LOCATED ON THE 39.98

ACRES SITE AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF CALHOUN STREET
AND AVENUE 49, APN 612-260-010; AND DETERMINING THAT THE PROJECT IS COMPLIANT WITH SECTION 15063 OF THE

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
GUIDELINES. APPLICANT: PACIFIC MODERN BUILDERS LLC
WHEREAS, on April 15, 2025, the applicant, Rod Vandenburg on behalf of Pacific Modern Builders, LLC., submitted a Tentative Tract Map application, Conditional Use Permit application, and associated environmental documentation for the subdivision of 39.98 acres of land for the development of a 257 single family home planned unit development and associated improvements on the southwest corner of Calhoun Street and Avenue 49 (“the Project”); and,
WHEREAS, the Site is located within the City of Coachella off of Calhoun Street and Avenue 49 within Riverside County, California (Assessor Parcel Numbers 612-260- 010) (“Property”); and,
WHEREAS, the site has a zoning designation of General Neighborhood and a General Plan 2035 land use designation of General Neighborhood; and, WHEREAS, the Project is consistent with and intended to implement the vision of the Coachella Municipal Code and the General Plan 2035 pertaining to land use patterns, building and site design, and public right-of-way improvements; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., and CEQA Guidelines Section § 15070 (Decision to Prepare a Negative or Mitigated Negative Declaration), a public agency shall prepare or have prepared a proposed negative declaration or a mitigated negative declaration for a project subject to CEQA when the initial study identifies potentially significant impacts but revisions in the project plan or proposals made by or agreed to by the applicant would avoid the effects or mitigate the effects to a point where clearly no significant effects would occur; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section § 15070 (Decision to Prepare a Negative or Mitigated Negative Declaration), an initial study with mitigated negative declaration was prepared for the Proposed Project (“Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration), and mitigation measures have been incorporated into the Mitigated Negative Declaration and will be imposed on the Proposed Project through the City’s adoption of a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (“MMRP”) in compliance

Item 33.

Resolution No. 2026-03

with CEQA Guidelines Section 15070(d); and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section § 15073 (Public Review of a Proposed Negative Declaration or Mitigated Negative Declaration), comments were received pertaining to the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and added to the administrative record; and,
WHEREAS, a notice of a public hearing to consider Tentative Tract Map No. 39051, Conditional Use Permit No. 390, and Environmental Assessment 2025-02 was issued in accordance with Coachella Municipal Code Section 17.74.010G, inclusive of the publication on December 7, 2025, of a legal public hearing notice which was published in the Desert Sun, the City’s newspaper of record and mailing of a public hearing notice to a certified list of property owners within 300 feet of the subject properties on December 2, 2025; and,
WHEREAS, on December 17, 2025, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the application for the Project during which evidence, both written and oral, including the staff report and supporting documents, was presented at said hearing; and,
WHEREAS, at the conclusion of the public hearing and following discussion, the Planning Commission approved Resolution No. PC2025-24 recommending the City Council conditionally approve the Calhoun Subdivision Project as conditioned with the motion vote outcome specified in the meeting minutes for the December 17, 2025, Planning Commission meeting.

WHEREAS, a notice of a public hearing to consider Tentative Tract Map No. 39051, Conditional Use Permit No. 390, and Environmental Assessment 2025-02 was issued in accordance with Coachella Municipal Code Section 17.74.010G, inclusive of the publication on January 18, 2026, of a legal public hearing notice which was published in the Desert Sun, the City’s newspaper of record and mailing of a public hearing notice to a certified list of property owners within 300 feet of the subject properties on January 6, 2026; and,
WHEREAS, on January 28, 2026, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the application for the Project during which evidence, both written and oral, including the staff report and supporting documents, was presented at said hearing; and,
WHEREAS, at the conclusion of the public hearing and following discussion, the City Council approved this Resolution for the conditional approval of the Calhoun Subdivision Project as conditioned with the motion vote outcome specified in the meeting minutes for the January 28, 2026, City Council meeting.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY

OF COACHELLA, CALIFORNIA DOES HEREBY FIND DETERMINE AND

Item 33.

Resolution No. 2026-03

RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The City Council hereby specifically finds that all of the facts set forth in the recitals of this Resolution are true and correct and are incorporated into this Resolution by reference and constitute a material part of this Resolution.

SECTION 2. Environmental Findings. The City Council has independently reviewed the Initial Study with Mitigated Negative Declaration and the administrative record for the proposed project, including all oral and written comments received during the document circulation period, public hearing, the staff report, and all attachments thereto, which are all incorporated herein by reference and are on file with the Community Development Department for the City of Coachella, and the City Council finds that:

A. The Initial Study with Mitigated Negative Declaration (EA 2025-02) has been completed in compliance with CEQA and reflects the agency's independent judgment and analysis.

B. All environmental impacts of the Proposed Project are either insignificant or can be mitigated to a level of insignificance pursuant to the mitigation measures outlined in the Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program.

C. There is no substantial evidence in the administrative record supporting a fair argument that the Proposed Project, as revised, may result in significant environmental impacts.

D. The City Council hereby approves and adopts the Initial Study with Mitigated Negative Declaration (EA 2025-02) pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080(c)(2).

E. Pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21081.6, the City Council approves and adopts the MMRP prepared for the Project, which shall be fully complied with as specified in this Resolution and the Conditions of Approval set forth herein.

SECTION 3. Location and Custodian of Records. The documents and materials that constitute the record of proceedings on which these findings are based are located at Coachella Civic Center. The Development Services Director is the custodian of the record of proceedings.

SECTION 4. Execution of Resolution. The Chairman shall sign this Resolution and the City Clerk shall attest and certify to the passage and adoption thereof.

SECTION 5. City Council Approval Based on the foregoing recitals and findings above, and the written and oral comments, facts and evidence presented, the City of Coachella City Council hereby conditionally approves Environmental Assessment No. 25-

Item 33.

Resolution No. 2026-03

02 for the adoption of an Initial Study with Mitigated Negative Declaration, for the proposed 257-lot single family residential subdivision project located on the 39.98 acres site at the southwest corner of Calhoun Street and Avenue 49, APN 612-260-010; And determining that the project is compliant with Section 15063 Of The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. The applicant shall demonstrate compliance with ALL Conditions of Approval, as set forth in Exhibit “A”, and Planned Unit Development in “Exhibit B” of this Resolution. Failure to demonstrate compliance with these conditions of approval may result in the delay of the Proposed Use or the rescinding of the City of Coachella’s conditional use permit approval. Where the term “Applicant” is used in any condition of approval, this term shall also apply to the Property Owner, any developer, or any successor in the interest of the Applicant. It is the Applicant’s or Applicant’s successor in interest responsibility to fully comply with the conditions of approval unless subsequently modified in accordance with the City’s required processes and procedures.

PASSED APPROVED and ADOPTED this 28th day of January 2026.

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:
__________________________________
Steven Hernandez, Mayor
City of Coachella
ATTEST:
___________________________________
Angela M. Zepeda, City Clerk
City of Coachella
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
___________________________________
Best Best & Krieger
City Attorney

Item 33.

Resolution No. 2026-03 EXHIBIT A
Exhibit A – Resolution No. 2026-03
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL FOR ENVIRONMNETAL ASSESSMENT NO. 25-02 General Conditions

1. Environmental Assessment No. 25-02 is for the adoption of an Initial Study with Mitigated Negative Declaration EA 25-02, for the proposed 257-lot single family residential subdivision project located on the 39.98-acres site at the southwest corner of Calhoun Street and Avenue 49, APN 612-260-010, and the determination that the proposed project is compliant with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15073 - Public Review of a Proposed Negative Declaration or Mitigated Negative Declaration.

2. The applicant shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City of Coachella, its officials, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claim, action, or proceeding against the City, its officials, officers, employees or agents to attack, set aside, void or annul any project approval or condition of approval of the city concerning this project, including but not limited to any approval or condition of approval or mitigation measure imposed by the City Council or Planning Commission. The City shall promptly notify the applicant of any claim, action, or proceeding concerning the project and the City shall cooperate fully in the defense of the matter.

The City reserves the right, at its own option, to choose its own attorney to represent the City, its officials, officers, employees and agents in the defense of the City Attorney, within five days of the effective date of this approval.

3. The applicant shall comply with all requirements and conditions of approval as included in Tentative Tract Map No. 39051, Conditional Use Permit No. 390, Environmental Assessment No. 25-02, and any modifications or extensions thereof, as listed in those Notice of Actions or Resolutions for each respective approval, and Resolution No. 2026-01, Resolution No. 2026-02, and Resolution No. 2026-03 unless otherwise modified per the requirements and conditions of approval per this resolution.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 1 INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION
Project Title: Calhoun Street Housing Development
Case No.

Environmental Assessment EA 25-02
Tentative Tract Map TTM 39051
Conditional Use Permit 390
Planned Unit Development
Assessor’s Parcel No. 612-260-010
Lead Agency Name and
Address:

City of Coachella – Planning Division
53990 Enterprise Way
Coachella, CA 92236
Project Location: Southwest corner of Calhoun Street and Avenue 49 Project Sponsor’s Name
and Address:

Rod Vandenburg
Pacific Modern Builders LLC
P.O. Box 3075
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
General Plan
Designation(s): General Neighborhood
Zoning: General Neighborhood (G-N)
Contact Person:

Adrian Moreno, Associate Planner
City of Coachella
53990 Enterprise Way
Coachella, CA 92236
Phone Number: (760) 398-3502 EXT. 118
Date Prepared November 2025

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 2 Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2: ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND DETERMINATION...........................................17 I. AESTHETICS................................................................................................................... 20 II. AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY RESOURCES......................................................... 23 III. AIR QUALITY................................................................................................................... 26 IV. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES............................................................................................ 35 V. CULTURAL RESOURCES............................................................................................... 42 VI. ENERGY .......................................................................................................................... 47 VII. GEOLOGY AND SOILS ................................................................................................... 55 VIII. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS .................................................................................. 63 IX. HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS................................................................... 68 X. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY ........................................................................... 73 XI. LAND USE AND PLANNING ........................................................................................... 80 XII. MINERAL RESOURCES.................................................................................................. 82 XIII. NOISE .............................................................................................................................. 83 XIV. POPULATION AND HOUSING........................................................................................ 89 XV. PUBLIC SERVICES ......................................................................................................... 91 XVI. RECREATION.................................................................................................................. 95 XVII. TRANSPORTATION ........................................................................................................ 97 XVIII. TRIBAL CULTURAL RESOURCES............................................................................ 107 XIX. UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS........................................................................... 110 XX. WILDFIRE ...................................................................................................................... 118 XXI. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE.............................................................. 120 CHAPTER 3: MITIGATION MONITORING & REPORTING PROGRAM.......................................123

LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1 Regional Location Map ..................................................................................................... 7 Exhibit 2 Project Vicinity Map........................................................................................................... 8 Exhibit 3 Project Location Map ........................................................................................................ 9 Exhibit 4a Tentative Tract Map No. 39051 – North Section............................................................. 10 Exhibit 4b Tentative Tract Map No. 39051 – South Section ............................................................ 11 Exhibit 5a Conceptual Landscape Plan – North Section ................................................................. 12 Exhibit 5b Conceptual Landscape Plan – South Section................................................................. 13 Exhibit 5c Conceptual Landscape Plan – Park................................................................................ 14 Exhibit 5d Conceptual Landscape Plan – Plants & Community Elements....................................... 15 Exhibit 6 Liquefaction Susceptibility............................................................................................... 58

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure II-1 California Important Farmland Finder, California Department of Conservation, accessed July 2024. ...................................................................................................24 Figure XIII-1 General Plan CNEL Levels ......................................................................................... 84

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 3 LIST OF TABLES
Table 1-1 Project Information ...................................................................................................... 5 Table III-1 Ambient Air Quality Criteria Pollutants and Health Impacts ...................................... 27 Table III-2 South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds.......................................... 28 Table III-3 Project Land Use Assumptions for CalEEMod.......................................................... 29 Table III-4 Maximum Daily Construction-Related Emissions (pounds per day) ......................... 30 Table III-5 Maximum Daily Operational-Related Emissions (pounds per day)........................... 31 Table III-6 Localized Significance Thresholds Emissions (pounds per day) .............................. 33 Table IV-1 Special Status Species Potentially Occurring on the Project Site............................. 37 Table VI-1 Imperial Irrigation District Generation Resource Portfolio ......................................... 47 Table VI-2 Project Construction Equipment Fuel Consumption Estimates................................. 49 Table VI-3 Construction Worker Fuel Consumption Estimates .................................................. 50 Table VI-4 Project Operational Annual Electricity Consumption................................................. 51 Table VI-5 Project Operational Annual Natural Gas Consumption............................................. 51 Table VI-6 Project Operational Annual Transportation Gasoline Consumption.......................... 52 Table VIII-1 Description of Major Greenhouse Gases .................................................................. 63 Table VIII-2 Projected GHG Emission Summary.......................................................................... 66 Table X-1 Project Water Demand.............................................................................................. 77 Table X-2 Project Wastewater Generation ................................................................................ 77 Table XIII-1 Noise Levels from Construction Equipment and Phases .......................................... 86 Table XIII-2 Hours for Construction Activities ............................................................................... 87 Table XIII-3 Hours for Property Maintenance Activities ................................................................ 87 Table XIII-4 Permitted Sound Levels for Fixed Noise Sources..................................................... 87 Table XV-1 Project Student Generation....................................................................................... 93 Table XVII-1 Intersection Analysis Locations................................................................................. 99 Table XVII-2 Intersection Analysis for Existing (2024), EAP (2026), EAPC (2026) Conditions ..... 99 Table XVII-3 Intersection Analysis for Existing (2024) Conditions ............................................... 100 Table XVII-4 Project Daily Trip Generation .................................................................................. 101 Table XVII-5 Intersection Analysis for EAP (2026) Conditions .................................................... 102 Table XVII-6 Intersection Analysis for EAPC (2026) Conditions.................................................. 102 Table XVII-7 Project Fair Share Contributions to Impacted Intersections.................................... 105 Table XIX-1 Project Water Demand............................................................................................ 114 Table XIX-2 Project Wastewater Generation .............................................................................. 115 Table XIX-3 Project Estimated Solid Waste Generation ............................................................. 116

APPENDICES
Appendix A Calhoun Street Housing Development CalEEMod Report.......................................... A Appendix B Calhoun Street Housing Development Biological Resources Report ......................... B Appendix C Calhoun Street Housing Development Cultural Resources Report ........................... C Appendix D Calhoun Street Housing Development Preliminary Hydrology Report....................... D Appendix E Calhoun Street Housing Development Preliminary Water Quality Management Plan E Appendix F Calhoun Street Housing Development Traffic Impact Analysis................................... F Appendix G Calhoun Street Housing Development Vehicle Miles Traveled Screening Assessment................................................................................................................ G

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 4 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Project Location
The proposed Calhoun Street Housing Development is a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a single-family residential project (referred to hereafter as Project and/or proposed Project). The Project is located on the southwest corner of Calhoun Street and Avenue 49 in the City of Coachella, Riverside County, California (Exhibits 1- 3), and is bounded along the west perimeter by lands within the City of Indio. The site encompasses 39.98 acres and is identified as Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 612-260-010. Single-family residential land uses occur to the north, south and west of the Project site. Across Calhoun Street on the east side, there is vacant lot of a similar size to the proposed Project. The new residential neighborhood to the west occurs in the City of Indio.

Throughout much of the 20th century, the Project site and surrounding lands were under agricultural use, with the Project site serving as a date grove. As the population has grown along with the need to diversify the economy, the City has transitioned certain agricultural areas to other uses and has established 17 Subareas to guide future planning. The Project site is located in the City’s Subarea 1, West Coachella Neighborhoods, where the current land use designations include General Neighborhood and Suburban Neighborhood.1 The site has been partially cleared, although many date palms remain scattered throughout 75% of the parcel while the northeast corner of the parcel is graded and barren.

Project Description
The Project site currently has a land use and zoning designation of “General Neighborhood” in the City’s General Plan 2035 Update (General Plan) which allows for single- and multi-family residences.

Multi-family residences are to be constructed in a “house-form” such as duplexes, rowhouses, and garden apartments. Residential neighborhoods encourage small blocks, parks and green spaces, and walkability or short drives to services such as schools and shopping. Between 7 and 25 dwelling units per acre are permitted in General Neighborhood areas.2 The applicant proposes a PUD that would permit flexible standards for smaller lot sizes and a higher density for a private gated community. The PUD requires the completion of a conditional use permit (CUP), which will establish the land use regulations and minimum development standards for the development, to be approved by the City’s Planning Commission.

The gross acreage for the Project parcel is 39.98 acres. With 1.21 acres of right of way dedications, the net parcel area is 38.77 acres. The applicant proposes to subdivide the Project site for a future build out of a private, gated residential community containing 257 single-family homes and a public park with a total area of 3.53 acres – 3.13 acres for recreational open space and a 0.40-acre landscaped retention basin.

The residential use consists of 144 lots each encompassing a minimum of 3,400 sf, and 113 lots each encompassing a minimum of 4,050 sf. The lots will be eligible for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) and Junior Dwelling Units (JADU).
1 City of Coachella General Plan Update 2035, Land use and Community Character, updated April 2015. 2 City of Coachella General Plan Update 2035, Land Use, Compatible Uses and Designations, Table 4-1, General Plan Designations Summary, updated April 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 5 The Architectural style of the homes will be determined through an architectural review application at a later date. This Initial Study assumes that the houses proposed will conform to the minimum standards established in the Project PUD.

The 3.13-acre recreational area of the park includes a tot lot, basketball court, ramadas with picnic tables, a turf grass area, and a small parking lot. Connected to the south side of the park is a 0.40- acre retention basin that is partially landscaped with turf grass for recreational use and encircled by a decomposed granite trail. The public can access the park from Calhoun Street by either entering the parking lot at the north end or the trail at the south end. A security fence surrounding the park will prevent public access to the residential section of the Project.

Two vehicular access points include one located on the north side from Avenue 49 and one on the east side from Calhoun Street. The proposed Project would include right-of-way allowances for future road improvements. Currently, Avenue 49 east of Calhoun is designated as a Primary Arterial, but west of Calhoun to Jackson Street Avenue 49 is an unimproved path. For 1,300 linear feet from Calhoun Street to the Project’s northwest corner, the applicant proposes 84-foot-wide full-street improvements including curbs, gutters, and sidewalks on both sides. At buildout, Avenue 49 street improvements would include 46 feet of travel lanes with curbs and gutters, six-foot sidewalks on both sides, and a 26-foot-wide landscaped area along the Project site Avenue 49 frontage.

Along 1,300 linear feet of Calhoun Street from the intersection of Avenue 49 to the southeast corner of the Project, the applicant proposes half-width improvements consisting of new pavement, curb, gutter, undergrounding of existing overhead utilities, new streetlights, a six-foot-wide sidewalk, and a 26-foot-wide landscape setback along the Project site frontage. Exhibits 4a and 4b show the Tentative Tract Map No. 39051 and Exhibits 5a – 5d provide the Conceptual Landscape Plan for the development. Full details of the street improvements are discussed in the Section XVII Transportation.

Four retention basins will accept all on-site flows from a 100-year storm event. A fifth basin located at the northwest corner of the Project would accept off-site flows from Avenue 49. The basins will be landscaped to maintain openness and reduce visual massing of the development.

Table 1-1
Project Information
Total Project Area 39.98 ac (gross)

38.77 (net), 1,688,821 sf
Residential Lots 257 lots
144 lots 40 ft wide (3,600 sf)
113 lots 45 ft wide (4,050 sf)
Landscaped Common Areas
Public Park 3.13 ac (136,343 sf includes parking lot)
Five Retention Basins 2.82 ac (122,839 sf)

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 6 Utilities and Service Providers
The following agencies and companies will provide service to the project site:

1. Sanitary Sewer: Coachella Water Authority and Sanitary District

2. Water: Coachella Water Authority and Sanitary District

3. Electricity: Imperial Irrigation District (IID)

4. Gas: Southern California Gas Company

5. Telephone: AT&T, MCI, SBC, Frontier, Sprint

6. Trash Disposal: Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services Existing facilities for these utilities occur adjacent to the Project site as there are developed neighborhoods north and south of the parcel. Extensions from the Project site to these facilities would be constructed in existing, disturbed rights-of-way and therefore would not impact the native environment.

Surrounding Land Uses:

North: Avenue 49 (unimproved), Suburban Neighborhood – single-family residences South: Suburban Neighborhood – single-family residences East: Suburban Neighborhood – vacant lot
West: City of Indio, Suburban Neighborhood – single-family residences Other public agencies whose approval is required.

None.

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Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 16 Environmental Factors Potentially Affected:

The environmental factors checked below would be potentially affected by this project, involving at least one impact that is a “Potentially Significant Impact” as indicated by the checklist on the following pages.

Aesthetics Agricultural and Forestry
Resources Air Quality
Biological Resources Cultural Resources Energy
Geology/ Soils Greenhouse Gas
Emissions
Hazards and
Hazardous
Materials
Hydrology/ Water Quality Land Use/ Planning Mineral Resources Noise Population/ Housing Public Services
Recreation Transportation Tribal Cultural
Resources
Utilities/ Service Systems Wildfire Mandatory
Findings of
Significance

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 17 CHAPTER 2: ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND DETERMINATION
DETERMINATION: The City of Coachella Planning Department finds On the basis of this initial evaluation: Adjust check box as appropriate I find that the proposed project COULD NOT have a significant effect on the environment, and a NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared.

I find that although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environment there will not be a significant effect in this case because revisions in the project have been made by or agreed to by the project proponent. A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared.

I find that the proposed project MAY have a significant effect on the environment, and an ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT is required.

I find that the proposed project MAY have a “potentially significant impact” or “potentially significant unless mitigated” impact on the environment, but at least one effect 1) has been adequately analyzed in an earlier document pursuant to applicable legal standards, and 2) has been addressed by mitigation measures based on the earlier analysis as described on attached sheets. An ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT is required, but it must analyze only the effects that remain to be addressed.

I find that although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environment, because all potentially significant effects (a) have been analyzed adequately in an earlier EIR or NEGATIVE DECLARATION pursuant to applicable standards, and (b) have been avoided or mitigated pursuant to that earlier EIR or NEGATIVE DECLARATION, including revisions or mitigation measures that are imposed upon the proposed project, nothing further is required.

Adrian Moreno
Associate Planner
City of Coachella Date
11/12/25

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 18 PURPOSE OF THIS INITIAL STUDY
This Initial Study has been prepared consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15063, to determine if the project, as proposed, may have a significant effect upon the environment. Based upon the findings contained within this report, the Initial Study will be used in support of the preparation of a Mitigated Negative Declaration.

EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
1) A brief explanation is required for all answers except “No Impact” answers that are adequately supported by the information sources a lead agency cites in the parentheses following each question. A “No Impact” answer is adequately supported if the referenced information sources show that the impact simply does not apply to projects like the one involved (e.g., the project falls outside a fault rupture zone). A “No Impact” answer should be explained where it is based on project-specific factors as well as general standards (e.g., the project will not expose sensitive receptors to pollutants, based on a project-specific screening analysis). 2) All answers must take account of the whole action involved, including off-site as well as on-site, cumulative as well as project-level, indirect as well as direct, and construction as well as operational impacts.
3) Once the lead agency has determined that a particular physical impact may occur, then the checklist answers must indicate whether the impact is potentially significant, less than significant with mitigation, or less than significant. “Potentially Significant Impact” is appropriate if there is substantial evidence that an effect may be significant. If there are one or more “Potentially Significant Impact” entries when the determination is made, an EIR is required. 4) “Negative Declaration: Less Than Significant With Mitigation Incorporated” applies where the incorporation of mitigation measures has reduced an effect from “Potentially Significant Impact” to a “Less Than Significant Impact.” The lead agency must describe the mitigation measures, and briefly explain how they reduce the effect to a less than significant level (mitigation measures from “Earlier Analyses,” as described in (5) below, may be cross referenced). 5) Earlier analyses may be used where, pursuant to the tiering, program EIR, or other CEQA process, an effect has been adequately analyzed in an earlier EIR or negative declaration. Section 15063(c)(3)(D). In this case, a brief discussion should identify the following:
a) Earlier Analysis Used. Identify and state where they are available for review. b) Impacts Adequately Addressed. Identify which effects from the above checklist were within the scope of and adequately analyzed in an earlier document pursuant to applicable legal standards, and state whether such effects were addressed by mitigation measures based on the earlier analysis.
c) Mitigation Measures. For effects that are "Less than Significant with Mitigation Measures Incorporated," describe the mitigation measures, which were incorporated or refined from the earlier document and the extent to which they address site-specific conditions for the project.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 19 6) Lead agencies are encouraged to incorporate into the checklist references to information sources for potential impacts (e.g., general plans, zoning ordinances). Reference to a previously prepared or outside document should, where appropriate, include a reference to the page or pages where the statement is substantiated.
7) Supporting Information Sources: A source list should be attached, and other sources used or individuals contacted should be cited in the discussion. 8) This is only a suggested form, and lead agencies are free to use different formats; however, lead agencies should normally address the questions from this checklist that are relevant to a project’s environmental effects in whatever format is selected.
9) The explanation of each issue should identify:
a) The significance criteria or threshold, if any, used to evaluate each question; and b) The mitigation measure identified, if any, to reduce the impacts to less than significance.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 20 I. AESTHETICS
Except as provided in Public Resources
Code Section 21099, would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Have a substantial adverse effect on a
scenic vista? ✓
b) Substantially damage scenic
resources, including, but not limited to,
trees, rock outcroppings, and historic
buildings within a state scenic
highway?
✓
c) In non-urbanized areas, substantially
degrade the existing visual character
or quality of public views of the site and
its surroundings? (Public views are
those that are experienced from
publicly accessible vantage point). If
the project is in an urbanized area,
would the project conflict with
applicable zoning and other
regulations governing scenic quality?
✓
d) Create a new source of substantial
light or glare which would adversely
affect day or nighttime views in the
area?
✓
Environmental Setting
The City of Coachella lies in the low desert region of central Riverside County at the eastern end of the Coachella Valley. The City sits sixty-eight feet below sea level in a geographic feature known as the Salton Basin. Mountain ranges surrounding the Coachella Valley include the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains to the west and southwest with the highest peaks from 8,000 feet to over 10,800 feet; and the Little San Bernardino Mountains, including Joshua Tree National Park, along the northeast boundary with peaks ranging from 5,000 feet to over 11,000 feet. The Salton Sea, California’s largest inland body of water, lies in the Salton Basin just south of the City. Major transportation corridors such as the I-10 freeway, State Highway 86S and Highway 111 connect the City of Coachella to nearby cities and communities. The City is undergoing a transition from a primarily agricultural-based economy to a medium-sized city that hosts an array of commercial and retail services, industrial activity, and residential neighborhoods all surrounded by productive agricultural lands.

The Project site is located in the City’s General Plan Subarea 1, West Coachella Neighborhoods, which is a region of the City that has been transitioning from agricultural use to residential use.

Residential subdivisions and vacant lots are interspersed with active agricultural parcels, as is the case immediately surrounding the Project site. To the north, west and south of the Project site are single-family neighborhoods. The new Dolfina residential project abutting the west side is located in the City of Indio, and is nearing the end of construction. Finally, on the east side of Calhoun Street

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 21 there is a vacant lot of a similar size to the Project site, which is also surrounded by single-family residential uses and a date palm grove.

The Project site had previously been the site of a date palm grove as evidenced by the remnant date palms remaining on the property along with scattered ruderal vegetation. The northeast corner has been and graded and cleared of all vegetation. Ultimately, build out of the project site will result in a single-family residential development consisting of 257 homes, common landscaped areas, and a

3.13-acre park. The Aesthetic impacts of the project are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact. From the Project site, the lower foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains to the southwest are approximately 5.5 miles away, and the lower foothills of the Little San Bernardino Mountains are about 9 miles to the northeast. Views of these mountain vistas are currently partially obstructed by existing development. From a distance, viewers on the site can see the middle and upper slopes of both ranges over the rooftops of the surrounding homes and nearby date palm groves, however, at close range, the homes and sound walls block these scenic vistas.

The General Neighborhood land use designation for the Project site allows for single- and two-story homes with heights not to exceed 17 and 35 feet respectively, as does the Suburban Neighborhood land use encircling the Project site. Three-story residential structures are permitted in Neighborhood Center land uses and cannot exceed 45 feet.3 At buildout, the Project’s footprint would align with neighboring residential standards in height, structure, and design. As described above, from a distance, the southwestward facing views of the Santa Rosa Mountains from north and east of the subject property would be partially impeded where viewers would retain sight of the middle to upper slopes, but the lower foothills would be obstructed. Similarly, northeast views of the lower foothills of the Little San Bernardino Mountains from south and west of the subject property would be obstructed, but viewers south of the Project site would still be able to see the upper slopes. Views directly to the south and to the east would not be affected, since the Project would be behind these viewsheds. The City’s height restrictions for single-family homes would restrict the impacts to scenic vistas so that scenic vistas would not be completely blocked by viewers from a distance.

The Project’s potential impacts to scenic vistas are in line with viewshed impediments from existing neighboring development. Scenic vistas of the Santa Rosa Mountains to the southwest and of the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the northeast would be partially obstructed by the Project, but not completely removed, therefore the impacts to scenic vistas would be less than significant. b) No Impact. The proposed site is not located along a state scenic highway and does not contain any scenic resources, including trees, rock outcroppings or historic buildings. No impact to these resources will occur.
c) Less Than Significant Impact. The Project is planned within an area of the City that has been undergoing a transition from agricultural use to residential use, and the current Zoning designation for the Project parcel is General Neighborhood, while surrounding properties are designated as Suburban Neighborhood zoning. The future buildout, including 257 single-family 3 Property and Development Standards, Coachella Municipal Code §17.13.030 and 17.14.030, June 26, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 22 residences with landscaped drainage areas, and a 3.13-acre park are consistent with the City’s zoning designations for this parcel and the surrounding parcels. Buildings, landscaping, pathways, streets, and sounding walls will align with City development standards, as modified by the PUD, that include appropriate setbacks, drought-tolerant landscaping, and elevated design elements which will assimilate with existing residential development.

Proposed street improvements for the quarter-mile extents along Calhoun Street and Avenue 49 will improve existing conditions, and add parkway landscaping to the viewshed The Project would comply with the City’s residential development standards and would not conflict with the scenic quality of nearby residential neighborhoods. Impacts to the visual character of the surrounding environment would be less than significant. d) Less than Significant Impact. The gradual transition from agricultural use to residential use in this Subarea of the City has resulted in an overall increase in nighttime light from sources such as interior home lighting emitting from windows, exterior home security lighting, landscape lighting, automobile headlights, and street lighting.

Construction-Related Impacts
Construction activities would occur during the day and there would be no need to apply nighttime security lighting on the Project site. Construction activities would not introduce new sources of light or glare.

Operational-Related Impacts
While the subject property currently contains no light sources, the Project buildout would introduce additional sources of nighttime light from security lighting, landscape and pathway lighting, street lighting, and interior home lighting seen from windows. Daytime glare may also be expected from windows. However, the Project’s sources of lighting and glare would be consistent with and not exceed light and glare emissions from existing nearby development. The Project would adhere to the City’s lighting requirements and would not produce light and glare upward into the sky. Project impacts from additional sources of light and glare would be less than significant.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources: City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update; Coachella Municipal Code, June 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 23 II. AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY

RESOURCES
In determining whether impacts to agricultural
resources are significant environmental effects,
lead agencies may refer to the California
Agricultural Land Evaluation and Site
Assessment Model (1997) prepared by the
California Dept. of Conservation as an optional
model to use in assessing impacts on agriculture
and farmland. In determining whether impacts to
forest resources, including timberland, are
significant environmental effects, lead agencies
may refer to information compiled by the
California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection regarding the state’s inventory of
forest land, including the Forest and Range
Assessment Project and the Forest Legacy
Assessment Project; and forest carbon
measurement methodology provided in Forest
Protocols adopted by the California Air
Resources Board.

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Convert Prime Farmland, Unique
Farmland, or Farmland of Statewide
Importance (Farmland), as shown on the
maps prepared pursuant to the Farmland
Mapping and Monitoring Program of the
California Resources Agency, to nonagricultural use?
✓
b) Conflict with existing zoning for agricultural
use, or a Williamson Act contract? ✓
c) Conflict with existing zoning for, or cause
rezoning of, forest land (as defined in
Public Resources Code section 12220(g)),
timberland (as defined by Public
Resources Code section 4526), or
timberland zoned Timberland Production
(as defined by Government Code section
51104(g))?
✓
d) Result in the loss of forest land or
conversion of forest land to non-forest
use?
✓
e) Involve other changes in the existing
environment which, due to their location or
nature, could result in conversion of
Farmland, to non-agricultural use or
conversion of forest land to non-forest
use?
✓

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 24 Environmental Setting
Agriculture lies at the heart of Coachella’s historic identity and will continue to be a contributor to the local economy far into the future. As the City grows, certain agricultural areas have been protected from future development while other areas have been converted to residential, commercial and industrial uses. Today, the protected agricultural designations, Agricultural Rancho and Rural Rancho, are found outside the City limits in the City’s eastern sphere of influence. The Project site has been designated as a General Neighborhood land use and zone, and sits within the City’s Subarea 1, West Coachella Neighborhoods, an area on the west side that has gradually been converted from agricultural use to residential use. Impacts to agricultural resources are discussed here.

Discussion of Impacts
a-e) No Impact.

Conversion of Farmland:

According to Google Earth
Imagery, the subject property had
been graded and unused between
1985 and 2002. By 2002, rows of
date palms had been planted on
75% of the site, with the northeast
corner remaining barren. By 2019,
irrigation and cultivation of the
palms appear to have ceased,
leaving leftover palms dispersed
across the parcel. This change of
land use on the Project site is
consistent with the City’s
economic expansion and the
transition of certain agricultural
lands to residential, commercial
and industrial uses.

The California Important Farmland
Finder identifies the Project site as
Farmland of Local Importance,
which the County of Riverside
classifies as an area that would be
Prime or Statewide Important Farmland, but lacks irrigation water, and also as an area that produces major crops, but not Unique crops. The vacant lots to west and east of the Project site are also classified as Farmland of Local Importance, and lands north and south of the subject site are classified as Urban and Built-Up Land. Figure II-1 shows the Project site on the California Important Farmland Finder in relation to adjacent properties. The Project would not impact the ability to cultivate crops on neighboring parcels, nor would the Project convert any Prime, Unique or Statewide Important farmland to non-agricultural use.

Figure II-1 California Important Farmland Finder, California Department of Conservation, accessed July 2024.

Project
Site

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 25 Williamson Act: As previously stated, the Project site is zoned for single-family residential development under the General Neighborhood zoning designation and is not under a Williamson Act contract. Therefore, the proposed development would not conflict with any agricultural designation.

No impact is anticipated.

Timberland Production:

Neither the General Plan nor the Zoning map for the City of Coachella includes any Forestry or Forest Production designations. The City is located 68 feet below sea level in an arid desert region that does not support the growth of forests, and as such, there would be no conversion of timberland zones.

Loss of Forest:

Again, the City has no Forestry or Forest Production designations or areas. Therefore, the Project would not impact or cause the loss of any forest lands.

Other Changes in the Existing Environment:

Buildout of the Project includes 257 homes and street improvements to Avenue 49 on the north and Calhoun Street on the east which would not impact neighboring uses or cause any conversion of agricultural activity in the vicinity. No additional impacts to the existing environment would result to nearby agricultural uses.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update
City of Coachella Zoning Map
California Department of Conservation Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 26 III. AIR QUALITY
Where available, the significance criteria
established by the applicable air quality
management district or air pollution control
district may be relied upon to make the
following determinations. Would the
Project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Conflict with or obstruct
implementation of the applicable air
quality plan?
✓
b) Result in a cumulatively considerable
net increase of any criteria pollutant
for which the project region is nonattainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality
standard?
✓
c) Expose sensitive receptors to
substantial pollutant concentrations? ✓
d) Result in other emissions (such as
those leading to odors) adversely
affecting a substantial number of
people?
✓
Environmental Setting
The state of California is divided
into fifteen air basins, each defined
by local topography, climate, and
regional air quality issues. The City
of Coachella lies within the
Coachella Valley Planning Area,
which is an air quality management
district (AQMD) subregion within
the topographic boundary of the
Salton Sea Air Basin (SSAB). The
SSAB encompasses all Imperial
County and the central portion of
Riverside County, where the
Coachella Valley and the City lie.

In the State of California, there are 35 air quality regulatory agencies that establish emission thresholds and monitor air quality the air basins. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is the regulatory agency that controls and monitors emissions from stationary sources within most of Riverside County, portions of San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County, and all of Orange County. The SCAQMD monitors emissions via 37 permanent monitoring stations, conducts inspections, and drafts air quality management plans to guide governments and businesses in reducing emissions. The Coachella Valley Planning Area is subject to the 2022 SCAQMD Air Quality Source: South Coast Air Quality Management District, Draft Final 2022

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 27 Management Plan. Three local monitoring stations in Palm Springs, Indio, and Mecca provide daily and annual emissions data throughout the Coachella Valley.

Ambient air quality standards (AAQS) are a set of emissions thresholds that are designed to protect human health and environmental factors. An ambient air quality standard specifies the maximum amount of a pollutant that can be present in the air during a specific period of time and not cause harmful effects on the most sensitive members of the community and natural resources. If that pollutant’s concentration in the air is at or below the threshold, then the area is said to be in attainment, while non-attainment areas experience pollution levels above the AAQS thresholds.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Coachella Valley Planning Area is classified as a nonattainment zone for ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10). Ozone pollution in the Coachella Valley Planning Area can be traced primarily to the flow of photochemical smog contaminants from the South Coast Air Basin to the west. High levels of PM10 pollution result from the arid environment, the ubiquitous presence of sand and dust combined with agricultural activity which is concentrated in the southeastern end of the Coachella Valley where the City of Coachella resides. Due to the nonattainment status, the Coachella Valley Planning Area is subject to the 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (CV PM10 SIP), in order to bring the Planning Area into compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) PM10 threshold.

Ambient air quality standards for the SCAQMD are subject to federal guidelines known as National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), as well as state guidelines referred to as California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS). Each set of AAQS focuses on certain criteria pollutants which together include the following list of pollutants. Table III-1 explains properties of each criteria pollutant.

Table III-1
Ambient Air Quality Criteria Pollutants and Health Impacts Criteria Pollutant Emissions Sources Health Effects
Oxides of Nitrogen
(NOx)
A yellow-brown colored gas that forms
when nitric oxide, emitted primarily from
burning of petroleum gas, combines
with atmospheric oxygen.
- Lung damage
- Breathing difficulties
Reactive/Volatile
Organic Compounds
(ROG/VOC)
Primary pollutants that form secondary
pollutants such as Ozone, or
photochemical smog, when they react
with ultraviolet sunlight in the
atmosphere.
- Eye, nose and throat irritation
- Headaches
- Dizziness, fatigue
- Allergic skin reaction
Ozone (O3)
A secondary pollutant resulting from
hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen,
emitted by cars, solvents, factories and
pesticides, reacting in the presence of
sunlight.
- Difficulty breathing, chest pains,
aggravate lung diseases such as
asthma, emphysema, and chronic
bronchitis.
- Shortness of breath, coughing, and
lung damage with prolonged and
chronic exposure.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 28 Table III-1
Ambient Air Quality Criteria Pollutants and Health Impacts Criteria Pollutant Emissions Sources Health Effects
Particulate Matter (PM10)
and
Fine Particulate Matter
(PM2.5)
Fugitive dust particles with a width of 10
microns down to 2.5 microns. Emitted
from construction activity, vehicles
driving on unpaved roads, industrial
smokestacks, wildfires. Particles may
occur as liquids or solids.
- Cause damage to the respiratory
system.
- Aggravate respiratory illnesses.
- Symptoms: Coughing, asthma,
heart attacks, premature death.

Oxides of Sulfur (SOx)
Colorless and pungent gas emitted from
coal and oil power plants, refineries,
and diesel engines.
- Irritates eyes, nose, and airways.
- Causes shortness of breath,
tightness of chest.
- Asthma patients are at high risk of
developing more severe issues.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Colorless and odorless gas emitted
from the incomplete combustion of all
fossil fuels including oil, coal, and
natural gas.
- Interrupts the delivery of oxygen to
the brain.
- Causes dizziness, headaches, and
nausea.

Lead (Pb)
Emitted from metals processing
facilities, combustion of leaded fuel,
manufacturing of lead-acid batteries.
- Damages the nervous system, and
kidneys.
- Interferes with developmental and
reproductive systems.

Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
A rotten egg-smelling gas emitted from
geothermal power plants, petroleum
production, and sewage treatment
plants.
- Causes headaches and skin
irritation.
- Damages the respiratory system.

Sources: South Coast AQMD CEQA Handbook (1993), updated March 2023; SCAQMD Final 2022 Air Quality Management Plan, Appendix 1: Health Effects (2022)
Table III-2 below provides the maximum daily emissions thresholds for a project’s construction and operation per the SCAQMD CEQA Handbook.

Table III-2
South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds
Criteria Pollutant Construction Operation
Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) 100 lbs/day 55 lbs/day
Reactive/Volatile Organic
Compounds (ROG/VOC) 75 lbs/day 55 lbs/day
Particulate Matter (PM10) 150 lbs/day 150 lbs/day
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) 55 lbs/day 55 lbs/day
Oxides of Sulfur (SOx) 150 lbs/day 150 lbs/day
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 550 lbs/day 550 lbs/day
Lead (Pb) 3 lbs/day 3 lbs/day
Source: South Coast AQMD CEQA Handbook (1993), updated March 2023

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 29 Forecast modeling of construction and operational emissions for the Project was calculated using the California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod) Version 2022.1, a modeling software application used in quantifying emissions associated with land development projects in California. The model calculates criteria pollutant emissions, including CO, PM10, PM2.5 and the ozone precursors ROG and NOx, in addition to greenhouse gas equivalent emissions.

A CalEEMod analysis was conducted in November 2025 and was based on the most recent Project site plan which included 257 units on a net area of 37.28 acres, a 3.53-acre park with retention basin, common landscaped areas, four additional landscaped retention basins, asphalt streets, and 2,517 daily trips. CalEEMod accounts for landscaping and driveway hardscape for residences. Table III-3 provides a summary of the Project’s land use data that was applied to the model. The detailed CalEEMod report for the Project is available in Appendix A.

Table III-3
Project Land Use Assumptions for CalEEMod
Project Land Use Area Data
Total Project Area 39.98 ac (gross)

37.28 ac (net), 1,623,916.8 sf
Residential Lots 257 lots, 976,050 sf
Landscaped Areas
(Park + Retention Basins) 5.95 acres 259,182 sf
Hardscape (Streets + Parking Lot) 397,247 sf (390,048 sf + 7200 sf) Daily Trips1 2,517

1. Daily Residential Trips are based on the ITE Land Use Code 223. See Calhoun Street Traffic Analysis prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024.

Discussion of Impacts
a) No Impact. A project’s impacts on air quality would be significant if the project does not conform to, or if it obstructs, an applicable Air Quality Management Plan. Within the Coachella Valley Planning Area, projects are subject to the 2022 SCAQMD Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP).

SCAQMD works closely with local governments and actively cooperates with federal and state agencies to establish pollution emissions thresholds and guidelines for controlling emissions. The 2022 SCAQMD AQMP defines strategies to control and reduce air pollution emissions from stationary and mobile sources. The 2022 AQMD was prepared with cooperation between SCAQMD, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and is based in part on regional land use planning, population growth forecasting, and transportation modeling. In conformance with SB 375, SCAG prepares a Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy every four years to analyze regional development patterns and integrate policies and programs to reduce emissions. The most current report, Connect SoCal 2024, includes the most recent regional land use planning and forecast analyses, and projects that are consistent with these analyses are also consistent with the AQMP.

The City’s land use and zoning designation for the Project site is “General Neighborhood,” which permits single- and multi-family residential projects with densities between 7 and 25 units per acre.

Residential neighborhoods encourage small blocks, parks and green spaces, and walkability or short drives to area services such as schools and shopping. The proposed subdivision conforms to these

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 30 land use requirements and is consistent with the City’s General Plan. Furthermore, the proposed uses have been factored into SCAG’s Connect SoCal 2024 report and the 2022 AQMP.

In conclusion, although the Proposed Project would result in air emissions, as discussed below, it would not conflict with or obstruct the implementation of an applicable air quality plan because its residential characteristics were included in the development of regional plans. No conflicts with or obstructions to the implementation of the applicable air quality plan are expected. b) Less Than Significant Impact. The Project will have a significant impact if it causes a considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant for which the Coachella Valley Planning Area is in nonattainment per federal or state ambient air quality standards.

Currently, the Coachella Valley is designated as extreme nonattainment for the 2008 and 8-hour ozone standard, severe for the 2015 8-hour ozone standard, and serious for the 1987 PM10 standard.4 In response to these designations the SCAQMD adopted a series of attainment plans beginning in 1987. The most current attainment plans are:
• Coachella Valley Attainment Plan for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard, October 2024 • 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan
Construction Emissions:

For purposes of analysis, it is assumed that construction will occur over a three-year period with completion in early 2029. The construction period includes all aspects of project development, including site preparation, grading, building construction, paving, and application of architectural coatings. Applicable standard requirements and best management practices include, but are not limited to, the implementation of a dust control and management plan in conformance with SCQAMD Rule 403.1, proper maintenance and limited idling of heavy equipment, phased application of architectural coatings and the use of low-polluting architectural paint and coatings per SCAQMD Rule 1113.

As shown in Table III-4, given that criteria pollutant thresholds will not be exceeded, and standard best management practices will be applied during construction, impacts associated with air emissions during construction will be less than significant.

Table III-4
Maximum Daily Construction-Related Emissions (pounds per day) Construction
Emissions ROG NOx CO SO2 PM10 PM2.5
Daily Maximum1 71.4 29.3 29.7 0.07 9.15 5.14
SCAQMD Thresholds 75 100 550 150 150 55
Exceeds? No No No No No No

1. Standard dust control measures have been applied to the PM emissions.

2. All other emissions are maximum daily unmitigated estimates.

Source: South Coast AQMD CEQA Handbook (1993), updated March 2023. 4 EPA Greenbook, California Nonattainment/Maintenance Status for Each County by Year, April 2025.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 31 Operational Emissions:

Operational emissions are ongoing emissions that will occur over the life of the project. They include area source emissions, emissions from energy demand (electricity), and mobile source (vehicle) emissions. According to the September 2024 Traffic Analysis prepared for the Project (Appendix F), typical single-family detached units generate an average of 9.43 trips per day. The Traffic Analysis analyzed the potential for 259 units, marginally higher than the currently proposed Project, and determined that they would generate 2,442 daily trips. The public park could potentially generate up to 75 trips per day. Total daily trips would be 2,517. Table III-5 provides a summary of forecasted emissions during the operation of the Calhoun Street Housing Development. As shown below, operational emissions will not exceed daily SCAQMD thresholds of significance for any criteria pollutants for operations. Impacts related to operational emissions are expected to be less than significant.

Table III-5
Maximum Daily Operational-Related Emissions (pounds per day) Operational Emissions ROG NOx CO SO2 PM10 PM2.5
Daily Maximum1 32.4 4.7 67.0 0.1 10.1 2.7
SCAQMD Thresholds 75 100 550 150 150 55
Exceeds? No No No No No No

1. Standard dust control measures have been applied to the PM emissions.

2. All other emissions are maximum daily unmitigated estimates.

Source: South Coast AQMD CEQA Handbook (1993), updated March 2023.

Cumulative Contribution: Non-Attainment Criteria Pollutants If a project indirectly ushers in additional criteria pollution emissions by encouraging an increase in the number of vehicles traveling along a new roadway, for example, and thus causes a cumulative net increase in emissions, then the project may cause a significant cumulative impact. Given the dispersing nature of pollutant emissions and aggregate impacts from nearby jurisdictions, cumulative air quality is evaluated on a regional scale. As previously mentioned, the Coachella Valley Planning Area is a nonattainment zone for PM10 and ozone. Any development resulting in emissions of PM10, ozone, or ozone precursors will, to some extent, contribute to the existing regional non-attainment.

The SCAQMD does not currently provide thresholds of significance for the cumulative emissions of multiple projects. A project’s potential cumulative contributions can instead be analyzed using the criteria for project-specific impacts. Assuming an individual development generates less than significant construction and operational emissions, then the project would not generate a cumulatively considerable increase in non-attainment criteria pollutants and its impacts would be considered to be less than significant. As shown in Tables III-4 and III-5, emissions resulting from the proposed Project’s construction and operational phases are expected to be below the thresholds of what SCAQMD considers to be cumulatively considerable.

Mandatory standard best practices will be applied during construction, including dust control measures in accordance with SCAQMD Rule 403, as well as the use of low VOC content in architectural coatings per SCAQMD Rule 1113. California Building Code requirements for energy efficiency, and improving technology for automobiles will also reduce air emissions in the future.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 32 Therefore, while the Project will contribute to incremental increases in emissions, the impacts on regional PM10 and ozone levels are not anticipated to be cumulatively considerable.

Summary:

As shown above, both construction and operation of the proposed Project will result in criteria emissions that are below the SCAQMD significance thresholds, and neither would violate any air quality standard or contribute substantially to an existing or projected air quality violation. Overall, impacts related to construction and operation will be less than significant and are not cumulatively considerable from a non- attainment standpoint.
c) Less Than Significant Impact. A Project will have a significant impact if it exposes sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations. Sensitive receptors are defined as members of the population who are potentially more sensitive to air pollutants due to age and health condition.

Sensitive receptors include schools, playgrounds, childcare centers, retirement homes, hospitals and residences. SCAQMD provides a Localized Significance Thresholds (LST) analysis to determine whether a project will pose significant air quality impacts on nearby sensitive receptors. LST thresholds are provided for distances of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 meters between a project site and a sensitive receptor. Per the SCAQMD, LST analysis is designed for projects up to five acres in size or projects that involve up to five acres of daily disturbance during construction. While the proposed the Project contains 39.98 acres, fewer than five acres would be disturbed on any given day during construction.5
The nearest receptors include two adjacent residential neighborhoods; one occurs on the east side of the Project site, and the other slightly closer receptor, is approximately 12 meters from the south perimeter. Based on the Project’s size and proximity to the nearest sensitive receptor, the 5-acre site tables at a 25-meter distance (nearest measurement option in LST table) were used for air quality analysis. Table III-6 shows on-site emission concentrations for Project construction will not exceed LST thresholds for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Overall, the impacts will be less than significant.
5 South Coast AQMD, “Fact Sheet for Applying the CalEEMod to Localized Significance Thresholds,” https://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/ceqa/handbook/localized-significance-thresholds/caleemodguidance.pdf, accessed April 4, 2025.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 33 Table III-6
Localized Significance Thresholds Emissions (pounds per day) Pollutant CO NOx PM10 PM2.5
Construction
Maximum Emissions 29.7 29.3 9.15 5.14
SCAQMD LST Threshold 2,292.00 304.00 14.00 8.00
Exceed? No No No No
Operation1
Maximum Emissions 14.5 0.136 0.0067 0.0051
SCAQMD LST Threshold 2,292.00 304.00 4.00 2.00
Exceed? No No No No
Source: CalEEMod model, version 2022.1
LST Threshold Source: LST Mass Rate Look-up Table, SCAQMD.

1. Operational emissions that affect sensitive receptors are limited to on-site area emissions. Energy and mobile emissions occur off-site and are excluded from the total.

Health Impacts
The SCAQMD is the local implementing and enforcing agency for the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act of 1987 (commonly known as AB 2588), which established a statewide program for the inventory of air toxic emissions from specifically identified individual facilities as well as requirements for risk assessment and public notification of potential health risks.

The SCAQMD requires the preparation of an operational HRA for “facilities” associated with high levels of toxic air contaminants. The eight categories of identified sources of TACs include high-traffic freeways and roads, distribution centers, rail yards, ports, refineries, chrome plating facilities, perchloroethylene dry cleaners, and large gas stations. The Project neither proposes the development of any such facilities, nor is it situated in proximity to any such facility.

As shown in Tables III-4 and III-5, construction and operation of the Proposed Project will result in criteria emissions that are below the SCAQMD significance thresholds, and would neither violate any air quality standard nor contribute substantially to an existing or projected air quality violation. In addition, localized emissions will be less than significant.

With today’s technology, it is not scientifically possible to calculate the degree to which exposure to various levels of criteria pollutant emissions will impact an individual’s health. There are several factors that make predicting a Project-specific numerical impact difficult:
• Not all individuals will be affected equally due to medical history. Some may have medical predispositions and diet and exercise levels tend to vary across a population. • Due to the dispersing nature of pollutants, it is difficult to locate and identify which group of individuals will be impacted, either directly or indirectly. • There are currently no approved methodologies or studies to base assumptions on, such as baseline health levels or emission level-to-health risk ratios.

Due to the limitations described above, the extent to which the Project poses a health risk is uncertain but unavoidable. It is anticipated that impacts associated with carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter will be less than significant overall, and that health effects will also be less than significant.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 34 d) Less Than Significant Impact. If the Project results in the emissions of objectionable odors that adversely affect a substantial number of people, then the Project would have a significant impact. Land uses which are likely to generate odors, other than agricultural operations, which are exempted, include chemical plants, composting operations, dairies, fiberglass molding, landfills, refineries, rail yards, and wastewater treatment plants.6 Short term odors associated with paving and construction activities could be generated by the Project’s construction; however, any such odors would be quickly dispersed below detectable levels as distance from the construction site increases, and would occur for short time periods during the construction phase only.

At buildout, the residential units and park will generate typical odors, including cooking odors, but will not generate objectionable odors. Therefore, impacts from objectionable odors are expected to be less than significant.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

CalEEMod Version 2022.1
City of Coachella General Plan Update 2035, April 2015
Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024 EPA Greenbook
South Coast AQMD, “Fact Sheet for Applying the CalEEMod to Localized Significance Thresholds” South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds, revised March 2023 6 SCAQMD Guidance Document, Chapter 2: Air Quality Issues Regarding Land Use.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 35 IV. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less
Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Have a substantial adverse effect, either
directly or through habitat modifications,
on any species identified as a candidate,
sensitive, or special status species in local
or regional plans, policies, or regulations,
or by the California Department of Fish and
Game or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?
✓
b) Have a substantial adverse effect on any
riparian habitat or other sensitive natural
community identified in local or regional
plans, policies, regulations or by the
California Department of Fish and Game
or US Fish and Wildlife Service?
✓
c) Have a substantial adverse effect on State
or federally protected wetlands (including,
but not limited to, marsh, vernal pool,
coastal, etc.) through direct removal, filling,
hydrological interruption, or other means?
✓
d) Interfere substantially with the movement
of any native resident or migratory fish or
wildlife species or with established native
resident or migratory wildlife corridors, or
impede the use of native wildlife nursery
sites?
✓
e) Conflict with any local policies or
ordinances protecting biological
resources, such as a tree preservation
policy or ordinance?
✓
f) Conflict with the provisions of an adopted
Habitat Conservation Plan, Natural
Community Conservation Plan, or other
approved local, regional, or state habitat
conservation plan?
✓
Environmental Setting
The Coachella Valley occurs within the Colorado Desert, a warmer and drier ecological subregion of the larger Sonoran Desert ecoregion. The Colorado Desert subregion is bounded by the Colorado River to the east, the Mojave Desert ecoregion to the north, and the Little San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and Santa Rosa Mountain ranges to the west. The majority of the Colorado Desert sits between -275 feet and 3,000 feet in elevation, while the highest elevations are found at the top of Mt.

San Jacinto (10,835 feet) and Mt. San Gorgonio (11,499 feet). The City of Coachella is situated in the lower elevation range of the Valley at approximately -68 feet. Average daytime temperatures in

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 36 the Project area range from 107 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer down to 71 degrees in January and average annual rainfall is two inches. The environmental extremes have led to the evolution of highly specialized desert species, some of which are endemic to the region. Development throughout the Coachella Valley is guided by regulations meant to protect remaining habitats for diminishing and endangered biological resources.

Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan The City of Coachella and the Project site are located within the boundaries of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP), a regional plan that allows for economic development in a manner that also preserves twenty-seven different natural communities and protects twenty-seven endangered native species across 1.2 million acres of Riverside County. The CVMSHCP establishes specific conservation areas where habitat, ecological processes, and/or wildlife corridors are protected from development activity. The Project site is 3.5 miles from the East Indio Hills Conservation Area, and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains Conservation Area is

4.6 miles southwest.

The following discussion of impacts is based on the March 2024 Biological Resources Assessment and Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan Consistency Analysis Report by WSP USA Environment and Infrastructure, Inc. (referred to as “Report”) for the Project site.7 Biologists conducted an exhaustive literature review to ascertain special status species that are known to occur within a five-mile radius of the Project site. A field assessment of the Project site and the Project vicinity, a 500-foot radius around the site, was conducted on foot on February 29, 2024. All site conditions including weather, topography and soil, signs of animal activity, and resident plant species were recorded. A full copy of the Report is available in Appendix B.

Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact With Mitigation Incorporated. Beginning approximately in 1932, the Project site hosted a date palm grove, which was replaced by different row crops in the early 1950s. Subsequently, date palms were again planted on the site by 1959 and again removed between 1984 and 1996. The site remained fallow until just prior to 2002 when date palms were replanted, but the northeast corner remained fallow. A small irrigation reservoir was installed at the northwest corner. The General Plan land use had changed to General Neighborhood and the date palm garden was once again abandoned by 2019.

Rows of leftover untended palms remain on the south and western portion of the site along with underground piping, and the northeast corner, which was never planted, remains graded, scraped and completely barren. Sparse perennial vegetation has colonized intermittently throughout 75% of the parcel, particularly under the remnant palms and in the northwest corner where the irrigation pond was located. Trash from minor dumping and off-road vehicle tracks are visible. Residential neighborhoods north and south of the Project site are separated by walls. West of the site is a vacant lot that may soon be developed as a residential area, and east, across Calhoun Street, there is a vacant lot with one single-family residence.
7 “Biological Resources Assessment and Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan Consistency Analysis Report for Calhoun Street and Avenue 49 Residential Development Project,” WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure, Inc., March 19, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 37 Plants Observed
The subject site was inspected for plant communities and species. Native perennial vegetation observed on the site includes quailbush (Atriplex lentiformis), arrow-weed (Pluchea sericea), common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida). Non-native and invasive species mixed in with the native vegetation that were noted include puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris), amaranth (Amaranthus sp.), cheeseweed (Malva parviflora), Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii), Mexican palo verde (Parkinsonia aculeata), saltcedar (Tamarisk ramosissima), and Bermuda gras (Cynodon dactylon). The presence of the above listed species does not represent a special-status vegetation community. Moreover, the Project site contains no natural wetlands, or riparian vegetation communities.

Vertebrates Observed
Wildlife and signs of wildlife (such as tracks, scats, feathers, burrows, owl pellets) observed on the Project site during the site survey included 14 birds, two mammals, and one reptile. None of species observed are considered to be special status species and all commonly occur in the region as either residents or migrants. Several of the representative bird species observed were mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), Eurasian collard dove (Streptopelia decaocto), red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), American kestrel (Falco sparverius), common raven (Corvus corax), verdin (Auriparus flaviceps), northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), and white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leuscophrys).

Mammal species noted were Botta’s pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) and California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi). The one reptile species recorded was the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana).

Special Status Species
The literature review of the Project vicinity, which includes the Project site and a five-mile radius, generated a list of 68 special status species that have the potential to occur in the vicinity. Twenty of these 68 special status species have the potential to occur on the Project site, many of which would occur during foraging and therefore would not be directly impacted by the Project. See Table IV-1 for summaries of these 20 species, and see the Report in Appendix B for the full list.

Table IV-1
Special Status Species Potentially Occurring on the Project Site Special Status Species Probability to Occur on the Project Site • Abrams’ Spurge (Euphorbia abramsiana)
• Very Low: Remnant marginally suitable habitat is
very limited, disturbed and largely stabilized. Only
small, insignificant pockets of sandy soils present.

Site just below/at edge of elevational range of
species.
• Not covered by MSHCP.
• Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Occurs and was observed.
• Not covered by MSHCP.
• Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Low. Marginally suitable habitat present.
• Not covered by MSHCP.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 38 Table IV-1
Special Status Species Potentially Occurring on the Project Site Special Status Species Probability to Occur on the Project Site • Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
• Nesting: Low. Marginally suitable habitat
intermittently present. Suitable California Ground
Squirrel burrow detected.
• Foraging: Low. If present onsite or on other
suitable lands to the east of the subject site.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP
• Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Low. During winter migration only.
• Not covered by MSHCP.
• Costa’s Hummingbird (Calypte costae)
• Nesting: Moderate. Suitable nesting habitat
present (palo verde).
• Foraging: Occurs. Observed.
• Not covered by MSHCP.
• Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
(Empidonax traillii extimus)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Very low. Occurs in many habitats
during migration.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP, but the subject site is
not within designated critical habitat for this species. • Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) • Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking. • Foraging: Moderate. May nest or winter nearby
and forage over site.
• Loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
• Nesting: Very Low. Suitable nesting habitat very
limited.
• Foraging: Moderate. May nest or winter nearby
and forage onsite.
• Not covered by CVMSHCP
• Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila
melanura)
• Nesting: Moderate. Suitable nesting habitat
present (palo verde).
• Foraging: Low. May forage or move through site
from nearby areas.
• Not covered by CVMSHCP
• Vermilion Flycather (Pyrocepalus
rubinus)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Low. If nesting nearby.
• Not covered by CVMSHCP
• Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Very Low. If nesting nearby.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP, but the subject site is
not within designated critical habitat for this species. • Le Conte’s Thrasher (Toxostoma
lecontei)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Very Low. If nesting nearby, but suitable
habitat not observed on adjacent lands.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP, but the subject site is
not within designated critical habitat for this species. • Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus)
• Nesting: Absent. Suitable nesting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Low. Migration only.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP, but the subject site is
not within designated critical habitat for this species.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 39 Table IV-1
Special Status Species Potentially Occurring on the Project Site Special Status Species Probability to Occur on the Project Site • Western Mastiff Bat (Eumops perotis
californicus)
• Nesting: Absent. Roosting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Low. May forage over site if roosting
nearby.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP.
• Western Yellow Bat (Lasiurus xanthinus)
• Nesting: Absent. Roosting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Low. May forage over site if roosting
nearby.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP.
• Pocketed Free-tailed Bat (Nyctinomops
femorosaccus)
• Nesting: Absent. Roosting habitat lacking.
• Foraging: Low. May forage over site if roosting
nearby.
• Not covered by CVMSHCP.
• Palm Springs pocket mouse
(Perognathus longimembris bangsii)
• Very low: Only small, remnant patches of marginal
potentially suitable habitat present. Site disturbance
and past agricultural practices further reduce the
likelihood of occurrence.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP, but the subject site is
not within designated critical habitat for this species. • Coachella Valley round-tailed ground
squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus
chlorus)
• Very low: Preferred habitat lacking. Species has
beenknown to occur in disturbed and converted
habitats.
• Fully covered by CVMSHCP
• American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
• Very Low: Although disturbed, site potentially
suitable. No burrows or signs observed.
• Not covered by CVMSHCP, but the subject site is
not within designated critical habitat for this species.

The Report determined that due to the grading and cultivation of date palms in the past, and the more recent off-road vehicular activity and dumping of trash, the Project site has been greatly altered from its natural state, and thus the probability for special status species to occur on the site is significantly reduced. Further reducing the likelihood that special status species may reside there are the neighboring residential developments to the north and south, and the grading of the vacant lots to the east and west.

Existing vegetative scrub and date palms found on the Project site could potentially be used by both resident and migratory nesting birds, many of which are not special status species, but all are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and the California Fish and Game Code (FGC).

The MBTA prohibits the taking of migratory birds which includes killing, capturing, selling, trading, and transport. “Under the MBTA, it is illegal to destroy a nest that has eggs or chicks in it, or if there are young birds still dependent on the nest for survival.8 Similarly, California Fish and Game Code section 3503 stipulates that, “It is unlawful to take, possess, or needlessly destroy the nest or eggs of any bird, except as otherwise provided by this code or any regulation made pursuant thereto.” Section 3503.5 states, “It is unlawful to take, possess, or destroy any birds in the orders Falconiformes 8 Bird Nests, US Fish and Wildlife Service, accessed July 2024, https://www.fws.gov/story/birdnests#:~:text=This%20law%20says%3A%20“No%20person,has%20eggs%20or%20chicks%20in.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 40 or Strigiformes (birds of prey) or to take, possess, or destroy the nest or eggs of any such bird except as otherwise provided by this code or any regulation adopted pursuant thereto.”9 Since nesting habitat occurs on the Project site, impacts to nesting birds would be significant. To avoid potentially significant impacts to nesting birds, a nesting bird survey is required, and explained below in BIO-1.

Western burrowing owls are protected under the MBTA and by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a Bird of Conservation Concern (BCC). Additionally, as of October 10, 2024, the California Fish and Game Commission designated the western burrowing owl as a candidate species for listing. While the candidacy is under review by the CDFW, the species receives full California Endangered Species Act (CESA) protections which prohibit the “taking” of individuals. Although the species is covered by the CVMSHCP, taking of this species is not permitted. No burrowing owls, or signs of burrowing owls were observed during the site survey, however, suitable habitat and burrows suitable for burrowing owls were observed on the Project site. Burrowing owls could potentially relocate to the Project site between the time of the site survey and the start of construction due to their attraction to open dry areas and agricultural sites. As the species roosts and nests underground, burrowing owls are particularly sensitive to ground disturbance, therefore the Project presents a potentially significant impact to the species, which would require mitigation as described below in BIO-2.

With implementation of mitigation measures BIO-1 and BIO-2 to protect potentially occurring nesting birds and burrowing owls, impacts to potentially occurring candidate, sensitive, or special status species would be reduced to less than significant levels. b, c) No Impact. The Project site has been graded and cultivated with date palms for 20+ year followed by approximately five years of fallowing. There are no riparian habitats, wetlands, marshes, vernal pools, or other sensitive communities that are protected by US Fish and Wildlife Service or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife occurring on the Project site. There would be no impacts to any such natural community by this Project.
d) Less Than Significant Impact With Mitigation Incorporated. The Project site is in a residential suburban area isolated from other undeveloped natural areas by residential development to the north and south, the graded, vacant lots to the east and west, and Calhoun Street forming the east boundary. The leftover date palms and intermittent ruderal vegetation may provide nesting habitat for birds moving through the area. Take avoidance surveys, explained below as BIO-1 and BIO-2, would be required to reduce potential impacts to nesting birds and burrowing owls to less than significant levels.
e, f) Less Than Significant Impact. The Project would not conflict with any with any local policies or ordinances protecting biological resources, such as a tree preservation policy or ordinance.

Likewise, the Project would not conflict with an adopted habitat conservation plan, natural community conservation plan, or any other approved local, regional, or state habitat conservation plan.

The City of Coachella is a signatory to the CVMSHCP and therefore the Project is required to pay a Development Mitigation Fee, which would reduce potential Project impacts to CVMSHCP-covered species. Neither CVMSHCP modeled habitats for covered species, nor designated wildlife corridors or biological linkages occur on the Project site. Two CVMSHCP Conservation Areas occur near the City, but not adjacent to the Project site. The East Indio Hills Conservation Area is approximately 3.5 9 California Code, Fish and Game Code 3503 and 3503.5, last updated January 1, 2023.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 41 miles east of the site, and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains Conservation Area is 4.6 miles southwest. Aside from the Development Mitigation Fee, no additional mitigation measures are required to comply with the CVMSHCP. With the implementation of the City’s fee payment requirement, potential impacts would be less than significant.

Mitigation Measures:

BIO-1 Bird nesting season for resident birds in Southern California occurs between February 1 and August 31. To avoid impacts to nesting birds, all vegetation clearing, ground disturbance, and construction activity should be scheduled between September 1 and January 31 if possible.

If construction occurs during the nesting season, a certified avian biologist must conduct a pre-construction nesting bird survey (NBS) immediately prior to scheduled construction activity. If active nests are identified, the biologist will demarcate a no-work buffer zone(s) around the active nest(s) and check the nest site(s) weekly until the young birds fledge and the nest(s) become inactive. The buffer zone size would be based on the nesting species, its sensitivity to disturbance, nesting stage and the expected intensity and duration of disturbance. No ground or vegetation disturbance shall occur within the nest site buffer zone(s) until the qualified biologist determines that the young have successfully fledged, and the nest is inactive. Per CDFW recommendations, a buffer of 500 feet shall be set for listed species and birds of prey, and a buffer of 100 to 300 feet shall be set for unlisted songbirds.

BIO-2 To ensure that no burrowing owls have moved to the Project site since the biological site survey was conducted, avoidance surveys of the Project site must be conducted immediately preceding development, in compliance with the CDFW Staff Report for Burrowing Owl (2012) protocols. The first survey should occur 14-30 days prior to initiating ground disturbance activities, and the second survey should take place withing 24 hours of ground disturbance.

Should burrowing owls be detected, CDFW shall be contacted as soon as possible to determine the next course of action. CDFW must grant permission to relocate burrowing owls.

Mitigation Monitoring:

BIO-A The Project applicant shall complete preconstruction surveys and provide them to the City prior to issuance of any permit allowing ground disturbance on the Project site. Results of the preconstruction surveys are to be kept on file at City Hall.

Responsible Parties: Project applicant, Project biologist, Planning Department, City Engineer
Sources:
“Biological Resources Assessment and Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan Consistency Analysis Report for Calhoun Street and Avenue 49 Residential Development Project,” WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure, Inc., March 19, 2024 Bird Nests, US Fish and Wildlife Service, accessed July 2024 California Code, Fish and Game Code 3503 and 3503.5, last updated January 1, 2023

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 42 V. CULTURAL RESOURCES
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Cause a substantial adverse change in
the significance of a historical resource
pursuant to § 15064.5?
✓
b) Cause a substantial adverse change in
the significance of an archaeological
resource pursuant to § 15064.5?
✓
c) Disturb any human remains, including
those interred outside of formal
cemeteries?
✓
Environmental Setting
Under CEQA, the term, “cultural resources,” encompasses a broad range of artifacts spanning prehistoric and historic eras that are comprised of traces or remains of humans and human cultures who lived in California. Sites may contain archaeological artifacts, belonging to indigenous and nonindigenous cultures. Archaeological resources may include items such as tools, carvings, structures, and sites, that are associated with a scientifically recognized important prehistoric or historic event or culture and that contain important scientific research value. Cultural resources also include “historic” resources, which are associated with the more recent built environment such as old houses, structures, roads, walls, etc. In addition, cultural resources include traditional cultural places, objects, records and manuscripts. “Tribal resources” refer to a specific class of cultural resources that are significant to California Native American Tribes. These resources are discussed further in Section XVIII, Tribal Cultural Resources.10
Per CEQA, cultural resources that are significant are then labeled as “historical” resources and warrant a certain level of protection from a project’s impacts. An historical resource may be prehistoric or historic in age and may be archaeological and/or significant to a California Native American Tribe.

The lead agency may consider resources to be historically significant if they meet criteria for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources, which contains all resources listed in the National Register of Historic Resources. Section 15064.5 of the CEQA Guidelines defines a historical resource as the following11:
1) A resource that is listed in or determined to be eligible by the State Historical Resources Commission for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources is historically significant.
2) A resource is considered to be historically significant if is included in a local register of historical resources, as defined in section 5020.1(k) of the Public Resources Code or identified as significant in an historical resource survey meeting the requirements of section 5024.1(g) of the Public Resources Code.
10 “Guidelines for Determining the Significance of and Impact to Cultural Resources: Archaeological, Historic, and Tribal Cultural Resources,” Society for California Archaeology, April 2020. 11 “Determining the Significance of Impacts to Archaeological and Historical Resources,” California Code of Regulations, Title 14 §15064.5

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 43 3) Any object, building, structure, site, place, record, or manuscript which a lead agency determines to be historically significant in the architectural engineering, scientific, economic, agricultural, educational, social, political, military, or cultural annals of California may be a significant historical resource, provided the lead agency’s determination is supported by substantial evidence in light of the whole record. 4) Finally, a lead agency may determine that a resource is historically significant even if it has not been previously listed in or determined to eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources and is not already included in a local register of historical resources, or previously identified in a historical resources survey.

The following discussion of Project area and impacts is based on the “Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report for Assessor’s Parcel No. 612-260-010,” prepared in May 2024 by CRM TECH (referred to as “Report”). Appendix C contains a complete copy of the Report. Researchers conducted an historical and archaeological records search, historical background research, an intensive site survey, and contacted local Native American representatives.

Records Search
A records search at the Eastern Information Center (EIC) at the University of California, Riverside for previously documented resources was conducted on February 26, 2024 by a CRM TECH archaeologist. The records search found that that no cultural resources had been discovered or recorded on and adjacent to Project site. However, within a one-mile radius of the Project site, 59 previous studies on tracts of lands were completed between 1980 and 2020. These studies noted 42 historical/archaeological resources, 21 of which were prehistoric and of Native American origin. None of these previously recorded resources were found on or adjacent to the Project site and therefore are not pertinent to this discussion.

Native American Consultation
The Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) stated on March 11, 2024 that the results of the Sacred Lands File search found no Native American resources at the Project site, but noted that the absence of data does not preclude the presence of artifacts on the site that have yet to be discovered.

Project archaeologists contacted representatives of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. The Cabazon Band has not responded to the consultation request. Gary Wayne Resvaloso, Jr. of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians requested additional archaeological field work on the Project site with Torres Martinez participation due to the possibility that buried cultural remains may occur beneath the surface of the Project site. A copy of the letter is provided in Appendix 2 of the Report.

Field Survey
Project archaeologists in tandem with a Native American monitor from the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian tribe conducted an intensive-level field survey of the Project site. The team walked parallel northeast-southwest transects spaced 50 feet apart to complete a visual inspection of the Project site surface. No historical resources of prehistoric or historic eras were identified during the site survey. Past repeated excavation of the soil and cultivation of date palms and other row crops indicated that the Project site has been extensively disturbed.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 44 Prehistoric Setting
The City and the surrounding Coachella Valley are the central home of the Desert Cahuilla People.

The Cahuilla People have inhabited the Coachella Valley and surrounding mountains for thousands of years. Earliest evidence of prehistoric human activities dates from the Paleoindian Era (10,000 to 8,000 years ago) and consists of “very simple stone tools, ‘cleared circles, rock rings, [and] some geoglyph types.’” The Early Archaic Period (8,000 to 4,000 years ago), and Late Archaic Period (4,000 to 1.500 years ago) are identified by “groundstone artifacts.” The Late Prehistoric Era (1,500 to 250 years ago) provides the most materials from early human civilization. Ceramics are frequently recorded from this era.

Cahuilla life in the Coachella Valley during the Holocene Epoch, a geologic timeframe beginning at the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago, was influenced by the intermittent presence of Ancient Lake Cahuilla, followed by its desiccation and absence. The lake filled in the Salton Basin, the southeast end of the Coachella Valley and the Imperial Valley, when the Colorado River would temporarily turn from its usual course to the Gulf of California north toward the Salton Basin.

Lakeshore mineral deposits along the lower Santa Rosa foothills up to 42 feet above sea level suggest that the Project site would have been underwater during these periodic Colorado River inundations, but may also have aligned with the receding shoreline. Artifacts from Cahuilla presence around the ancient lakeshore include “brown and buff ware ceramics, groundstone and projectile point types, ornaments, and cremation remains.”12
Ethnohistoric Setting
Traditional Cahuilla territory shares a border with that of the Serrano in present-day Joshua Tree National Park to the north, stretches from the Colorado River to the east over to the San Jacinto Mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass to the west and includes the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south. Three distinct areas – the low desert of the Coachella Valley, the higher desert of the San Gorgonio Pass area, and the higher elevation mountains – separated the Cahuilla nation into three geographically distinct groups: Desert Cahuilla, Western (or, Pass), and Mountain Cahuilla. While actual population data is difficult to establish, the Cahuilla may have numbered between 3,600 to 10,000 living in many villages throughout the Coachella Valley, Pass area, and the mountain ranges.

Today, nine bands of Cahuilla are officially recognized across these three groups.

Cahuilla family groups associated with one of two moieties, the Tuktum (Wildcat) or the Istam (Coyote), and were organized along patrilineal lines. Cahuilla are a Takic-speaking people who traditionally relied on hunting and gathering. Local wildlife and plants provided food, medicine, and materials needed for clothing, cooking, shelter, and hunting. Acorns, mesquite beans, cacti, pinyon nuts, yucca, agave, and fan palms were commonly used.

The Spanish Mission System began in California in 1776, however, due to the remoteness of their territories in the mountains and deserts, many of the Cahuilla remained out of reach of the Mission System until 1819 when an outpost, or Asistencia, of the San Gabriel Mission was built in the Redlands area. Thus began the forced transition of many Cahuilla from their traditional homelands and lifestyles to Spanish Mission lifestyle and labor. The late 1800s saw the arrival of the railroad and non-Native agriculturalists who were given traditional Cahuilla lands by the federal government to convert into farmland.
12 “Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report for Assessor’s Parcel No. 612-260-010,” CRM TECH, May 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 45 Historic Setting
The earliest European explorers arrived to the Coachella Valley in 1823 seeking a route to Yuma, Arizona. The hot and arid desert climate precluded most non-Native people from exploring the low desert until more established trails, and eventually the Southern Pacific Railroad (1876), were established. During the 1870s, the railroads brought farmers and other land prospectors to the West to claim land under the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Desert Land Act of 1877. The availability of land and the presence of plentiful groundwater launched agriculture as the dominant economic engine of eastern Riverside County and Imperial County.

Discussion of Impacts
a, b) Less Than Significant Impact with Mitigation Incorporated. During the most recent inundation of Ancient Lake Cahuilla in the 1730s, when the high stand of the shoreline is documented as being 42 feet above sea level, the Project site would have been under water for a time, but eventually would have been exposed and become part of the shoreline as the lake dried. In this region, many recorded Native American resources are associated with the receding Ancient Lake Cahuilla lakeshore.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a north-south road connecting Indio to the village of Toro, currently part of the Torres Martinez Reservation, ran through the middle of the Project site. By 1932, the road disappeared, and a date palm garden covered the Project site, and by the 1950s, the date palms had been replaced by other row crops. Between 1953 and 1959, date palms were again planted on the site only to be again removed between 1984 and 1996. The site remained fallow until before 2002, when date palms were replanted, but the northeast corner remained fallow. A small irrigation reservoir was installed at the northwest corner. The date palm garden was once again abandoned by 2019.

The above-described results of the Historical/Archaeological Resources Report state the records search, the historical background research and the field survey found that neither historical nor archaeological resources of any type were previously recorded or recently identified on the Project site. The surface of the site has been extensively graded and cultivated since the 1930s which indicates that there is a low probability of discovering cultural resources on the surface. However, the subsurface has not been researched for historical and archaeological cultural resources. CRM Tech recommended that an archaeologist monitor grading and excavation activities to assure that subsurface resources would not be impacted. In addition, as described in Section XVIII, the Torres Martinez requested the presence of a Tribal monitor. As a result, CUL-1 Mitigation Measure as described below will be implemented.

The implementation of this mitigation measure would ensure that potentially significant impacts to buried historical and archaeological resources would be reduced to less than significant levels. Please also see Section XVIII, Tribal Cultural Resources for further discussion of Tribal concerns. c) No Impact. No human remains or cemeteries were identified as occurring on the Project site.

The grading and agricultural activities since the 1930s reduce the likelihood of discovering human remains at this location. Should any human remains be found during the construction phase, California Health and Safety Code § 7050.5 requires that all excavation activity must stop, and the County Coroner must inspect the site. If the remains are identified as those of a Native American individual by the Coroner, the NAHC is informed and required to contact the Most Likely Descendant.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 46 The descendant will recommend the appropriate next step. This state law requirement would ensure that the Project would not impact any human remains.

Mitigation Measures:

CUL-1 Tribal Resource Discovery and Documentation
A Cultural Resources Monitoring and Discovery Plan (Plan) will be prepared by the Project archaeologist in collaboration with ACBCI and provided to the City and ACBCI prior to the issuance of grading permits for the property.

The Plan will require that a qualified archaeological and Tribal monitor from ACBCI be present during all ground-disturbing activities within the Project site. Monitoring requirements and locations should be defined along with resource discovery protocols and guidance for reducing or terminating site monitoring in the case that no artifacts are identified, or that documentation finds that ground disturbance will occur in soils with more potential for discovering artifacts. Should an artifact be discovered, all construction activity within 100 feet of the discovery shall stop until the qualified archaeologist can evaluate the significance of the artifact and make a determination whether further study is necessary.

Should the artifact be found to be significant under CEQA, an archaeological treatment plan and further data recovery may be required.

If the qualified archaeologist and ACBCI monitor determine that on-site reburial is the appropriate measure to be taken for the artifact(s) discovered on the Project site, they will recommend a location to the City and project proponent. That location will be described and recorded as an easement in favor of ACBCI on the property in perpetuity prior to the completion of the first house on the property. This is confidential information, and the exact nature of this area will not be called out on the grading plans.

Monitoring:

CUL-A The Project archaeologist shall provide the City with a copy of the Cultural Resources Monitoring and Discovery Plan prior to the issuance of any ground disturbing permit on the site. The Plan will be prepared in collaboration with ACBCI. Within 30 days following the completion of monitoring activities, the Project archaeologist shall provide the City with a report of monitoring activities.

Responsible Parties: Project Archaeologist, City Planning Department, City Engineer.

Sources:
“Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report for Assessor’s Parcel No. 612-260-010,” prepared by CRM TECH, May 21, 2024.
“Guidelines for Determining the Significance of and Impact to Cultural Resources: Archaeological, Historic, and Tribal Cultural Resources,” Society for California Archaeology, April 2020. “Determining the Significance of Impacts to Archaeological and Historical Resources,” California Code of Regulations, Title 14 §15064.5.
“The Cahuilla People,” Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, 2018, accessed March 28, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 47 VI. ENERGY
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Result in potentially significant
environmental impact due to wasteful,
inefficient, or unnecessary consumption
of energy resources, during project
construction or operation?
✓
b) Conflict with or obstruct a state or local
plan for renewable energy or energy
efficiency?
✓
Environmental Setting
Imperial Irrigation District: Electricity is supplied to the eastern portion of the Coachella Valley, including the City of Coachella, by the Imperial Irrigation District (IID). IID is the sixth largest electric utility in California, as measured by peak load of 1,152 megawatts in 2023, and provides power to over 163,000 customers in Imperial County and portions of Riverside and San Diego counties.13 Electricity is purchased from various power generators and distributed along IID’s transmission corridors to customers. As of 2018 IID has phased out coal from its energy portfolio, has increased its reliance on renewable energy and is planning for greater storage capacity. Table VI-1 shows the most current energy source portfolio for IID.

Table VI-1
Imperial Irrigation District Generation Resource Portfolio Energy Source Power Plant Type
Number of
Generation
Facilities
Mega Watts
(MW)
Natural Gas & Diesel gas turbine and steam turbine 16 655.3 Solar photovoltaic farms 15 188
Geothermal steam turbine 4 117
Hydroelectric hydropower turbine 11 106
Biomass steam turbine 1 45
Nuclear steam turbine 1 14
Battery Storage from hydroelectric power 2 60
Total 1,185.3
Source: 2024 Integrated Resource Plan, Imperial Irrigation District, April 2024 Southern California Gas: Natural gas is provided to the City by Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and is used for home heating, water heating, laundry dryers and gas stoves. More than 90% of the natural gas consumed in California is sourced from Texas and New Mexico, and the SoCalGas transmission network consists of storage facilities and pipelines. Southern California Gas is 13 Imperial Irrigation District, 2024 Integrated Resource Plan, April 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 48 committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by supporting the development of renewable natural gas (RNG) resources. Unused methane that is released from landfills, composted food waste, dairies, and wastewater treatment plants can be captured and transported along existing SoCalGas gas pipelines. SoCalGas offers assistance to individual consumers, such as a wastewater treatment plant, to convert its by-products into methane for use at its own site.

California State Standards: To reduce energy consumption and pollution emissions, the State of California has enacted several laws and building codes to guide the construction and operations of commercial and residential development. The California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 24, Part 6, “California’s Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings,” (Energy Code, or Title 24) was established in 1978 and is updated regularly. In 2007, Title 24, Part 11, also known as the Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) was added to the CCR. Together the Energy Code and CALGreen address all stages of building construction from the planning process to the end use, and set standards for reducing energy and water use, for materials recovery and conservation, and reducing construction and operational impacts on the local environment.

The Renewable Portfolio Standard required electricity providers to derive 33% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Senate Bill 100 furthered this target by requiring 60% of electricity to be derived from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% by 2045.

Senate Bill 375 established new planning processes to facilitate coordination between land use planning, regional transportation plans and funding priorities with the goal of reducing regional vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and thus reducing transportation energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

City of Coachella Climate Action Plan
In April 2015 the City adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to help implement General Plan policies and programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions via the reduction of energy consumption, vehicle miles traveled, resource consumption and the generation of waste. In order to meet the State AB 32 GHG reduction target in effect at that time, the CAP estimated that the City would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per person, or a total of 786,993 MTCO2e citywide.14 Emissions reductions would stem from sectors including, but not limited to greater energy efficiency achievements, reduction of solid waste, installation of renewable energy systems, increases in the amount of open space and shade vegetation, and the growth of alternative transportation systems. The City’s CAP has not been updated since its initial adoption.

The analysis of energy consumption impacts is based on the CalEEMod detailed report generated in November 2025 (see Appendix A). Details of the Project parameters are provided in Table III-3 of the Air Quality Section. The Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis dated September 2024 (see Appendix F) was also used to estimate impacts from energy consumption during the operational phase. The Traffic Analysis accounted for daily trips from 259 homes, which provides a more conservative estimate than the daily trips resulting from the current 257 homes. 14 Coachella Climate Action Plan, Table 7, Greenhouse Gas Reductions and Proposed Targets (2020 and 2035), April 22, 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 49 Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact. Energy would be used during the approximately three-year construction phase and the long-term operational phase.

Construction Phase
During construction, the Project would use energy during site preparation, grading, building construction, paving, and architectural coating. Electricity would be used to operate a temporary construction office which would require lighting, climate control, and electricity to power office equipment. To operate construction equipment and worker transportation, the primary sources of energy would consist of petroleum fuels including gasoline and diesel fuels. Table VI-2 provides fuel consumption estimates for the construction phasing timeline of the Project. Construction equipment schedules, equipment power ratings, and load factors were programmed into CalEEMod. The aggregate fuel consumption rate for all equipment is estimated at 18.5 horsepower hour per gallon (hp-hr-gal.), per the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB’s) Carl Moyer Program Guidelines (2017).15 CalEEMod assumes all construction equipment is diesel powered. Total fuel consumption for construction activities is estimated to be 81,147 gallons of diesel fuel.

Table VI-2
Project Construction Equipment Fuel Consumption Estimates Phase Duration
(Days) Equipment HP Rating Qty Usage Hours
Load
Factor
HPhrs/dayFuel
Consumption
Site Preparation 35 Rubber Tired Dozers 367 3 8 0.4 3,523 6,666 Tractors/Loaders/Backhoes 84 4 8 0.37 995 1,882
Grading 100
Graders 148 1 8 0.41 485 2,624
Excavators 36 2 8 0.38 219 1,183
Tractors/Loaders/Backhoes 84 2 8 0.37 497 2,688
Rubber Tired Dozers 367 1 8 0.4 1,174 6,348
Building Construction 500
Forklifts 82 3 8 0.2 394 10,638
Generator Sets 14 1 8 0.74 83 2,240
Cranes 367 1 7 0.29 745 20,135
Welders 46 1 8 0.45 166 4,476
Tractors/Loaders/Backhoes 84 3 7 0.37 653 17,640

Paving

60 Pavers 81 2 8 0.42 544 1,764
Paving Equipment 89 2 8 0.36 513 1,664
Rollers 36 2 8 0.38 219 710
Architectural Coating 85 Air Compressors 37 1 6 0.48 107 490 TOTAL Construction Equipment Fuel Demand (Gallons Diesel Fuel) 81,147 •The aggregate fuel consumption rate for all equipment is estimated at 18.5 horsepower hour per gallon (hp-hr-gal.), per the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB’s) Carl Moyer Program Guidelines (2017), Table D-21 Fuel Consumption Rate Factors. (The Carl Moyer Program Guidelines Volume I: Program Overview, Program Administration and Project Criteria, approved by the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resource Board on April 27, 2017. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/2017_cmpgl.pdf) •CalEEMod outputs provide Phase, Duration, Equipment, HP Rating, Quantity (number of equipment), Usage Hours, and Load Factor.
•Fuel consumption = [(Usage Hours x Qty.) x Load Factor] x HP Rating/18.5 x Number of Days 15 “Fuel Consumption Rate Factors, Table D-21,” Carl Moyer Program Guidelines, Volume I: Program Overview, California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board, June 20, 2017, https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/classic/msprog/moyer/guidelines/2017/2017_cmpgl.pdf.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 50 The estimated amount of fuel consumed by construction worker trips is provided below in Table VI3. Construction phase duration, trip type, number of worker trips per day and average trip lengths are provided by the CalEEMod model. The U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center provides the average vehicle fuel economy estimates.16 For this analysis, it is assumed that the majority of worker trips would be by car (24.4 mpg), hauling trips would be by Class 8 trucks (6.45 mpg, diesel), and vendor trips would be by delivery trucks (7.7 mpg, diesel). The total amount of fuel that will potentially be consumed by construction workers, vendors, and haulers traveling to the Project site during construction is 57,012 gallons.

Table VI-3
Construction Worker Fuel Consumption Estimates
Phase Duration
(Days) Trip Type
Worker
Trips/
Day
Trip
Length
(Miles)
VMT
Avg. Fuel
Economy
(mpg)
Fuel
Consumption
(gallons)
Site Preparation 35 Worker 18 18.5 11,655 24.4 478
Vendor 1 10.2 357 7.7 46
Grading 100 Worker 20 18.5 37,000 24.4 1,516
Vendor 1 10.2 1,020 7.7 132
Building Construction 500 Worker 92 18.5 851,000 24.4 34,877 Vendor 27 10.2 137,700 7.7 17,883
Paving 60 Worker 15 18.5 16,650 24.4 682
Vendor 3 10.2 1,836 7.7 238
Architectural Coating 85 Worker 25 18.5 28,305 24.4 1,160 TOTAL Construction Worker Vehicle Fuel Demand (Gallons of Gasoline) 38,713 TOTAL Construction Vendor Vehicle Fuel Demand (Gallons of Diesel) 18,299 Total 57,012
•The average vehicle fuel economy estimates were derived from the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center. For purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that the majority of worker trips are by cars (24.4 miles per gallon (mpg), gasoline), hauling trips are by Class 8 trucks (6.4 mpg, diesel), and vendor trips are by delivery trucks (7.7 mpg, diesel). (Average Fuel Economy by Major Vehicle Category, last updated January 2024. U.S. Department of Energy. https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10310)
•CalEEMod outputs provide Phase, Duration, Trip Type, Worker trips/day, Trip Length.

In total, the Project is estimated to use 138,159 gallons of fuel during the construction phase. The construction phase is temporary, the fuel demand represents a “single-event” and does not pose an on-going demand. Compliance with CARB’s In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation will help to reduce impacts on energy consumption by the Project’s construction activities.17 The Regulation aims to reduce idling, retire older less fuel-efficient equipment, encourage greater use of renewable diesel, and standardize additional fuel reduction tactics. The temporary duration of the construction phase and mandatory compliance with California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) OffRoad Regulation of diesel-fueled equipment ensures that the Project will have a less than significant impact on energy consumption relating to the wasteful use of resources. 16 U.S. Department of Energy, “Average Fuel Economy by Major Vehicle Category,” Alternative Fuels Data Center, updated January 2024, https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10310?page=2. 17 California Air Resources Board, In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 51 Operational Phase
Energy consumption during the operational phase would stem from the use of appliances, electronics, lighting, HVAC systems, and exterior systems such as and irrigation and outdoor lighting. The homes would be constructed in compliance with the 2022 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (or the Building Code in effect at the time that building permits are issued) which include mandatory guidelines per the California Energy Code, Title 24, Part 6. The California Green Building Code, Title 24, Part 11, defines voluntary energy efficiency standards. Requirements include the installation of rooftop solar for all new single-family homes, double-paned windows, light-colored building materials, and the use of the most effective wall and ceiling insulation, and the highest-rated air conditioning systems, and many other standards. The State’s Energy Code also includes water efficiency standards. Title 20 of the California Energy Code, Appliance Efficiency Regulations, defines minimum efficiency levels for household appliance, electronics, and plumbing equipment. The Project would be subject to these regulations.

The population of the City of Coachella is approximately 43,173,18 and by the year 2045, the population could potentially expand to 129,300. 19 This growth will increase the demand for electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuels. According to the City’s 2035 General Plan Update EIR, on an annual basis, the Project could potentially account for 0.68% of the City’s electricity demand for residential/commercial/industrial uses, and 1.67% of the City’s single-family residential demand for natural gas. Tables VI-4 and VI-5, compare the proposed Project’s estimated annual electricity and natural gas demand to the City’s forecasted 2035 energy demand as detailed in the City’s 2035 General Plan Update EIR.

Table VI-4
Project Operational Annual Electricity Consumption
Land Use Electricity Use (kWh/yr)
Single Family Housing – Project Annual Demand 2,381,507 City’s 2035 Demand for
Residential/Commercial/Industrial Uses 348,918,091
Project’s % of City’s 2035 Demand 0.68%
Sources:

1. CalEEMod 2022.1 (Full report is available in Appendix A).

2. City of Coachella General Plan Update EIR, Table 4.14-3, Electricity and Natural Gas Use Projections.

Table VI-5
Project Operational Annual Natural Gas Consumption
Land Use Natural Gas (Therms/yr)
Single Family Housing – Project Annual Demand 90,689
City’s 2035 Demand for Residential Single Family Use 5,444,162 Project’s % of City’s 2035 Demand 1.67%
Sources:

1. CalEEMod 2022.1 (Full report is available in Appendix A).

2. City of Coachella General Plan Update EIR, Table 4.14-3, Electricity and Natural Gas Use Projections. 18 California Department of Finance Table E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2020-2024 with 2020 Census Benchmark, May 2024. 19 Southern California Association of Governments, “Demographics and Growth Forecast Technical Report,” 2020-2045 RTPSCS.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 52 Transportation Energy Demand
To model the number of daily trips generated by the Project and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) estimation was applied. Per ITE, the residential land use (210) is expected to generate 9.43 trips per residence per day, and the park would generate approximately 75 trips per day. 20 The Project could generate a total of 2,499 trips per day. Based on the number of residences, the ITE land use code, and the daily park trips, the CalEEMod analysis estimates that 911,957 total annual trips could result in 5,188,049 VMT annually.

For purposes of analysis, the 24.4 mpg figure is applied to the Project’s annual VMT, which calculates to a total of 126,588,396 gallons of fuel that could be consumed annually by Project residents and park users.

The Project’s forecasted VMT and fuel demand are compared to the total 2024 VMT generated within the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Salton Sea Air Basin as provided by California Air Resources Board Emission Factor (EMFAC). The Project’s operational annual gasoline demand would equate to 0.143% of the Air Basin’s most current annual gasoline consumption. Table VI-6 provides a comparison of the Project’s estimated annual gasoline consumption and the Salton Sea Air Basin 2024 annual consumption.

Table VI-6
Project Operational Annual Transportation Gasoline Consumption Land Use Annual VMT Gasoline (gallons/yr)
ITE Residential Land Use (210) – 257 units + Park 5,073,042 123,782,225 Park 115,007 2,806,171
Project Total Annual Demand 5,188,049 126,588,396
SCAQMD Salton Sea Air Basin Demand 3,628,036,125 88,524,081,450 Project’s % of Air Basin Annual Demand 0.14% 0.143%
Sources:

1. CalEEMod 2022.1 (Full report is available in Appendix A).

2. CARB EMFAC, Scenario Analysis, 2025 Total Daily VMT for SCAQMD Salton Sea Air Basin – 9,939,825 VMT The operational phase would result in increased vehicle trips by residents and park users, but the increase compared to the surrounding region is incremental. The Project is within two miles of the City’s downtown area where shopping and many other services are located. The City’s commitment to providing more alternative, non-motorized transportation routes, as outlined in the Mobility Element of the General Plan, would help ensure that the Project’s increase in transportation would reduce potential impacts to energy use.21
Energy efficiency standards have demonstrated a net savings of billions of dollars, and millions of metric tons of carbon emissions.22 The above-described State building and appliance efficiency standards along with the City’s alternative transportation policies ensure that the Project would not 20 Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024. 21 City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, Mobility Element, April 22, 2015. 22 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, “Why Building Energy Codes?”, Building Energy Codes Program, accessed June 12, 2024, https://www.energycodes.gov/why-building-energycodes#:~:text=Building%20energy%20codes%20represent%20a,of%20avoided%20CO2%20emissions .

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 53 result in wasteful, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy resources, during project construction or operation.
b) Less Than Significant Impact. In addition to the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, and the City’s Mobility goals and policies, the City’s General Plan includes a Sustainability and Natural Environment element which prescribes goals and policies for new and existing development to ensure that as the City grows, the energy and water use do not exceed available resources.23
Goal 2 discusses policies for harnessing more renewable energy, efficient building orientation to reduce western sun exposure, and Title 24 construction standards.

Goal 3 addresses the need to conserve water resources through drought tolerant landscaping, technologies, the use of recycled water, retention basins, and more to benefit both the community and the environmental.

Goal 4 specifically addresses need for energy efficiency through green building design for existing and new buildings.

In 2015, the City of Coachella adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to ensure that its General Plan and future growth would comply with state and regional GHG reduction targets. The CAP designated greenhouse gas emissions targets of 49% below 2010 emissions by 2035. Achieving this goal would require continual increases in energy efficiency for all buildings and lighting, increasing renewable energy use, adding more shade and shade trees, and upgrading transportation corridors to provide non-motorized vehicle routes. The Project will be reviewed to assure compliance with CAP measures for residential development, and will be required to comply with the Building Code, including energy efficiency standards, to assure compliance with energy reduction strategies. These requirements will assure that the Project’s energy impacts remain less than significant.

The City of Coachella in partnership with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) developed the “Eastern Coachella Valley’s Action Plan for Climate Resilience” (Action Plan) in 2019.

The Action Plan identifies strategies where Eastern Coachella Valley communities can seek funding to pay for climate resilience projects. Many of these projects would lead to a reduction of energy use by increasing energy efficiency of buildings, providing additional shade, boosting area active transportation plans, offering home weatherization programs for low-income communities, installing water efficient appliances, and more.24
The Project would comply with local, regional, and state renewable energy and energy efficiency plans The City’s General Plan and Climate Action Plan, the Eastern Coachella Valley’s Action Plan for Climate Resilience, and the commitments by SoCalGas and Imperial Irrigation District to bolster sources of renewable energy, would all restrict the potential impacts on energy use by the Project.

The Project’s impacts would be less than significant.
23 Sustainability and Natural Environment Element, General Plan Update, City of Coachella, April 22, 2015.
24 “Eastern Coachella Valley Action Plan for Climate Resilience,” prepared by Dudek, June 2019.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 54 Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

CalEEMod 2022.1
Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024 California Air Resources Board, In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation, 2024 California Department of Finance, Table E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State, 2020-2024 with 2020 Census Benchmark, May 2024 California Energy Commission, Title 20 and Title 24
City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update
City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update EIR
Coachella Climate Action Plan, Table 7, Greenhouse Gas Reductions and Proposed Targets (2020 and 2035), April 22, 2015.
“Demographics and Growth Forecast Technical Report,” 2020-2045 RTPSCS, Southern California Association of Governments
Imperial Irrigation District, 2024 Integrated Resource Plan, April 2024 Southern California Gas
U.S. Department of Energy, “Average Fuel Economy by Major Vehicle Category,” Alternative Fuels Data Center, updated January 2024

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 55 VII. GEOLOGY AND SOILS
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Directly or indirectly cause potential
substantial adverse effects, including
the risk of loss, injury, or death
involving:
i) Rupture of a known earthquake
fault, as delineated on the most
recent Alquist-Priolo Earthquake
Fault Zoning Map issued by the
State Geologist for the area or
based on other substantial
evidence of a known fault? Refer to
Division of Mines and Geology
Special Publication 42.
✓
ii) Strong seismic ground shaking? ✓
iii) Seismic related ground failure,
including liquefaction? ✓
iv) Landslides? ✓
b) Result in substantial soil erosion or the
loss of topsoil? ✓
c) Be located on a geologic unit or soil that
is unstable, or that would become
unstable as a result of the Project, and
potentially result in on-or off-site
landslide, lateral spreading,
subsidence, liquefaction or collapse?
✓
d) Be located on expansive soil, as
defined in Table 18-1-B of the Uniform
Building Code (1994), creating
substantial direct or indirect risks to life
or property?
✓
e) Have soils incapable of adequately
supporting the use of septic tanks or
alternative waste water disposal
systems where sewers are not
available for the disposal of waste
water?
✓
f) Directly or indirectly destroy a unique
paleontological resource or site or
unique geologic feature?
✓

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 56 Environmental Setting
Seismicity and Faulting
The Coachella Valley lies within the northwestern portion of a larger topographic feature known as the Salton Trough (also referred to as the Salton Sink, and the Salton Basin), which is a northwestsoutheast trending structural depression extending from the Banning Pass to the Gulf of California.

The Salton Trough is approximately 130 miles long by 70 miles wide and is dominated by the underlying Southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF) system running along the eastern/northeastern edge of the Coachella Valley and through the east edge of the City of Coachella. For several million years, the Salton Trough has been subsiding while sediment eroding from the adjacent mountain ranges which form the northeast and the southwest Valley boundaries fills in the Coachella Valley floor. From the west toward the east, the San Bernardino Mountains, Little San Bernardino Mountains and the Indio Hills form the north/northeast boundary of the Coachella Valley. The San Jacinto Mountains and the Santa Rosa Mountains extend along the south/southwest side of the Valley.

Most earthquakes that occur in southern California result from the strike-slip motion between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. At a rate of about two inches per year, the North American plate is sliding southwest while the Pacific plate is sliding northwest. The San Andreas Fault, an 800- mile fault extending from Bombay Beach on the east shore of the Salton Sea to Cape Mendocino on the northern California coast, facilitates about 70% of this tectonic movement. The San Andreas Fault zone is made up of multiple fault strands splintering off the main tectonic fault, and in the Coachella Valley, the SSAF zone splits into strands known as the Banning Fault, the Mission Creek Fault, and the San Jacinto Fault Zones. According to a 2023 paper by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the SSAF experienced a major earthquake approximately every 180 years over the last 1,000 years.

However, the last major earthquake in the Coachella Valley region of the SSAF was 300 years ago, leading analysts to assume that accumulated stress between the plates could result in a magnitude

7.8 earthquake.25
Soils
Soils in the City of Coachella are comprised of a mix of eroded sediments from the surrounding mountain ranges that have filled in the Valley floor over several million years. Presently, sediments deposited by water drainage (alluvial), or carried by wind (aeolian) are made up of fine silts, clay, gravel, and sand. Toward the southeast end of the Coachella Valley, soils contain higher amounts of very fine-grained lake (lacustrine) deposits and salts from repeated cycles of Colorado River inundation forming Ancient Lake Cahuilla.26
Liquefaction
Liquefaction occurs when seismic ground shaking causes groundwater pressure to increase and fully saturate the the upper layers of soil causing the soil to become a fluid-like mass and lose stability or bearing strength. This occurs within the upper 50 feet of the ground surface in loose fine-grained to medium-grained sandy/silty soils. Ramifications can include damage to buildings and structures and subsurface infrastructure. Liquefaction leads to other ground failure conditions such as lateral spreading, flow failure, ground oscillation, and ground lurching. 25 “California’s Salton Sea May Be Staving off Earthquakes As It Disappears,” Scripps Institutions of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, June 7, 2023. 26 Existing Conditions, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 57 Three geologic conditions need to be met for liquefaction to occur: long duration of ground shaking; the presence of young, loose, unconsolidated sediments; and the presence of groundwater within 50 feet of the surface. All three conditions may potenitally be met in the City of Coachella. Nearby active faults such as the Southern San Andreas or San Jacinto may experience earthquake events. Soils in the City west of the Whitewater River/Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel are made up of young unconsolidated sand, silt with clay and gravel. Although the water table fluctuates depending on the rate of extraction versus the rate of recharge, it is within 50 feet of the surface in portions of the City.

Also, perched water, which is non-potable groundwater that occurs between the surface and an impermeable layer of clay that sits above the deeper aquifer can contribute to liquefaction. The east end of the Coachella Valley contains the clay layer and perched water. Exhibit 6 of this report shows Plate 1-3 from the Background Technical Report for the General Plan Safety Element, which describes the portion of the City that is highly susceptible to liquefaction.27 The Project site is located within this area.
27 Technical Background Report to the Safety Element of the General Plan for the City of Coachella, Plate 1-3 Seismic Hazard Zones (p. 1-41), Earth Consultants International, 2014.

Item 33.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 59 Ground Subsidence
The gradual settling or sinking of the ground surface can occur as smaller local collapses or broader regional lowering of the ground occurs. A diverse range of causes commonly stem from both natural phenomenon such as earthquakes, and human activities such as construction, water and mineral extraction, as is common in southern California. Ground subsidence in the Coachella Valley has been associated with excessive groundwater pumping and the greatest extent has occurred in the central portions of the valley between Indian Wells and the Lake Cahuilla reservoir. The Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert Water Agency are primarily responsible for addressing the overpumping and overdraft condition that has caused ground subsidence. A program of groundwater recharge has been underway for several decades and has slowed or overdraft and has slowed or stopped subsidence in most areas where it had occurred. The replenishment sites have seen an increase groundwater in storage.

Paleontological Resources
Paleontological resources are the fossilized remains of prehistoric plant and animal life dating more than 10,000 years ago, near the end of the last Pleistocene glaciation period and the beginning of the Holocene epoch. Fossil remains including bones, teeth, shells, and plant leaves are typically discovered in the geologic deposits where they were buried, although erosion can expose fossils to the surface.

The City’s Planning Area contains four different rock types with varying levels of paleontological sensitivity: Ocotillo Conglomerate (low sensitivity), Palm Springs Formation (high sensitivity), Lake Cahuilla Sediments (high and undetermined sensitivity), Holocene Alluvium (low sensitivity).

Discussion of Impacts
a, i) No Impact. A fault rupture occurs when movement on a fault breaks through the surface of the Earth. Fault ruptures can range from one inch to fifty miles or more. While the City Planning Area is near the SSAF, which could potentially generate a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, there are no active faults on or near the Project site. According to the California Department of Conservation’s Earthquake Hazards Zone Application (EQ Zapp), the Project site is located 3.18 miles southwest of the SSAF. Since there are no active faults on the Project site or in the near vicinity, no impacts from fault ruptures are expected.
a, ii) Less Than Significant Impact. The City’s General Plan estimates that the City could be severely impacted if a major earthquake event occurred along the section of the SSAF that extends through the City’s eastern planning area. The Project site is located 3.18 miles southwest of the fault zone and would be susceptible to considerable ground shaking should a major earthquake occur.

The San Jacinto Fault Zone, approximately 17.6 miles southwest, is considered to be more active and could produce a magnitude 6.6 earthquake along certain segments, which could cause ground shaking in the City.

Buildings can be engineered to withstand a certain intensity of ground shaking. The Project is subject to the City’s Municipal Code §15.66 Seismic Hazard Mitigation.28 The General Plan also requires all new structures to designed with the most current California Building Code including provisions for 28 Coachella, California Code of Ordinances §15.66, “Seismic Hazard Mitigation.”

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 60 seismic loads, lateral forces and grading.29 These standard requirements are designed to reduce the impacts of ground shaking to structures and people. Compliance with the most current state and local design standards would ensure that the impacts associated with ground shaking would be less than significant.
a, iii) Less Than Significant Impact. Liquefaction of soil may occur when a site contains soils that are particularly susceptible to liquefaction such as unconsolidated sandy and silty soil. Liquefaction also requires strong seismic shaking and the presence of groundwater within 50 feet of the surface.

The California Department of Water Resources monitors groundwater wells in the Coachella Valley and provides data via a Current Groundwater Levels interactive map application. On March 7, 2024 the groundwater depth was recorded as 78.80 feet at a well located approximately 1.5 miles southwestof the Project site near the corner of Monroe Street and Avenue 50. On March 12, 2024 groundwater depth of 31.00 feet was recorded at a well located approximately 2.5 miles northeast of the Project site at Tyler Street and Avenue 48.30 As discussed above, the region of the City of Coachella west of the Whitewater River/Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel is susceptible to liquefaction. The 2014 Technical Background Report to the Safety Element provides exhaustive research detailing the soil, groundwater and seismic conditions that lead to potential liquefaction in the City and provides an official Seismic Hazards Map that may be applied to projects in the City (see Exhibit 6).31
The General Plan Safety Policy 1.6 requires a liquefaction assessment study for any project located within the defined liquefaction susceptibility area “to be conducted in accordance with the provisions in the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act and the most recent version of the California Geological Survey’s Special Publication 117: Guidelines for Evaluating and Mitigating Seismic Hazards in California.” Furthermore, Policy 1.7 requires the implementation of mitigation measures to “all habitable structures, bridges, roadways, major utility lines and park improvements as a condition of approval” in areas where the geotechnical studies determine that the soil is susceptible to liquefaction.32 The City will require the submittal of a geotechnical analysis concurrent with building plans, to address site- and project-specific conditions. This analysis will include recommendations, including overexcavation and soil compaction, foundation design and structure, to assure that liquefaction, if it occurs, is mitigated.

As the geotechnical assessment, soil mitigation and Project design requirements are met, the potential impacts resulting from seismic activity which result in liquefaction or associated ground failure will be less than significant.
a, iv) No Impact. The Project site is located on a relatively flat, low-lying central region of the Salton Trough where the soil consists of fine sand, silt and clay. The nearest hillside is the Santa Rosa Mountains foothills, 4.5 miles to the southeast. The Project site is not susceptible to landslides and no impacts from landslide events are anticipated.
29 Safety Element, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 22, 2015. 30 California’s Groundwater Live: Current Groundwater Levels, California Department of Water Resources, accessed July 2024.
31 “Plate 1-3 Seismic Hazard Zones,” Technical Background Report to the Safety Element, City of Coachella, Earth Consultants International, 2014.
32 Safety Element, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 22, 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 61 b) Less Than Significant Impact. Development of residential neighborhoods including site preparation, grading, construction of building structures can cause soil erosion via wind and water.

To control fugitive dust emitted from the Project site, the applicant must prepare a fugitive dust control plan to be approved by the City prior to obtaining grading and construction permits.33 The fugitive dust control plan will implement one or more best available control measures as defined by the Coachella Valley Fugitive Dust Control Handbook.34 To control erosion resulting from stormwater, the applicant must provide proof that the Project complies with State permitting for stormwater discharges from construction activities prior to obtaining the grading or construction permits from the City.35 To implement this requirement, the City will require the preparation and implementation of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) concurrent with submittal of grading and improvement plans.

Post construction, the Project site will be stabilized by landscaping, roadways, and structures which will control dust and soil erosion from storm events. Stormwater flows will be controlled by the Project design which will have incorporated Best Management Practices as defined by the Project WQMP (Appendix E) to prevent soil erosion during storms.

With implementation of the fugitive dust control measures and stormwater best management practices, impacts from soil erosion during construction and operational phases will be reduced to less than significant levels.
c) Less than Significant Impact. The surface soil of the Project site is composed mainly of finegrained sand, silt and clay that resulted from lacustrine deposits of Ancient Lake Cahuilla and distal fan deposits carried by streams bringing eroded material from upper elevations. The soil type is not prone to lateral spreading or collapse, nor is this soil type susceptible to on- or off-site landslide events.

However, as discussed above in impacts section (a.iii), the Project site occurs in an area that is susceptible to liquefaction due to the proximity to an earthquake fault zone, the soil type, and potentially also due to the perched groundwater level should it rise to at least 50 feet below the surface. Plate 1-3 of the Background Technical Report for the Safety Element should be regarded as the official liquefaction susceptibility map. Pursuant to the State’s Seismic Hazards Mapping Act, projects occurring withing a State-delineated Seismic Hazard Zone for liquefaction must be evaluated by a Certified Engineering Geologist and/or a Registered Geotechnical Engineer. Furthermore, the project review conducted by the City must be performed by geologists and engineers with the same credentials and experience.

As described above, the City will review the geotechnical analysis and the required remediation prior to issuing construction permits. The engineering analysis and subsequent steps to prevent liquefaction would ensure that impacts resulting from potentially unstable soils would be less than significant.
33 Coachella, California Code of Ordinances, §13.16.340, “Stormwater Quality Management Plan and BMPs.”
34 “Rule 403.1 Supplement Fugitive Dust Control Requirement for Coachella Valley Sources,” South Coast Air Quality Management District, April 2004.
35 Coachella, California Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8.20, “Fugitive Dust Control.”

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 62 d) No Impact. Clay minerals can expand in size as the amount of moisture increases in the soil.

Expansion can cause the ground to swell which can result in damage to buildings, structures, roadways, and other surface features. The soil found on the Project site contains a mix of fine- to medium-grained sand, silt and clays that have been deposited by wind and by periodic river flooding as well as remnant lakebed sediment. The soil composition of the Project site is not prone to expansion and, therefore, associated impacts are not expected to occur. e) No Impact. The Project site will be served by the City of Coachella Sanitation Division, and as such, there are no plans to install septic systems. The area is currently served by 8-inch and 12- inch wastewater effluent lines on Calhoun Street. The infrastructure will be extended to serve the proposed residential community. Therefore, there will be no Project impacts from the use of septic tanks or alternative wastewater systems.
f) No Impact. The potential for discovery of paleontological resources on the Project site is low as there are no records of any such discoveries in the nearby vicinity of the City’s Planning Area. The Project occurs within an area of the City designated as an area of undetermined sensitivity. The Project is not expected to directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature. There would no impacts.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015
City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, Technical Background Report to the Safety Element “Plate 1-3 Seismic Hazard Zones,” Earth Consultants International, 2014 City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update EIR, June 2014 Coachella, California Code of Ordinances §15.66, “Seismic Hazard Mitigation” Safety Element, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 22, 2015 California Geological Survey
“California’s Salton Sea May Be Staving off Earthquakes As It Disappears,” Scripps Institutions of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, June 7, 2023.

California’s Groundwater Live: Current Groundwater Levels, California Department of Water Resources.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 63 VIII. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Generate greenhouse gas emissions,
either directly or indirectly, that may
have a significant impact on the
environment?
✓
b) Conflict with an applicable plan, policy or
regulation adopted for the purpose of
reducing the emissions of greenhouse
gases?
✓
Environmental Setting
The lower troposphere of the Earth’s atmosphere contains a mix of gases that sustain life.

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) comprise a small percentage, 0.04%, of these tropospheric gases and trap just enough heat to maintain a relatively constant and livable air temperature. Even small alterations in this composition are well documented via proxy and direct climate measurements.

Human activities including the burning of fossil fuels, clearing native vegetation, altering landscapes to accommodate hardscapes and built environments all emit additional GHGs and reduce the Earth’s ability to cycle and sequester carbon resulting in exponential net increase in atmospheric GHG levels.

While no one development project can have a globally significant impact on greenhouse gas increases, the cumulative impacts of regional development can result in locally significant environmental changes, which in turn contribute to wider climatic changes. Hence, the state and local jurisdictions have adopted policies and thresholds that cap GHG emissions and mandate mitigations when needed to ensure new land uses minimize their impacts.

The major greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere and increased by human activities are described in Table VIII-1.

Table VIII-1
Description of Major Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Sources
Global
Warming
Potential
Atmospheric
Lifetime
Carbon Dioxide
(CO2)
Next to water vapor, carbon dioxide is the most abundant GHG. Human activities emit CO2 when burning fossil
fuels and burning and removing forests and other
vegetation. Looking back 800,000 years prior to the
Industrial Revolution, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere never climbed above 300 parts per million. Today we
measure CO2 at 419.81 parts per million.
1 1,000s of
years

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 64 Table VIII-1
Description of Major Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Sources
Global
Warming
Potential
Atmospheric
Lifetime
Methane (CH4)
Methane is the third most abundant GHG in the
atmosphere. It is released during the extraction, refining, and burning of fossil fuels, and the burning and clearing of native vegetation. Raising of livestock, decay of
organic waste, and landfills also emit methane.
25 About 10 years
Nitrous Oxide
(N20)
Like carbon dioxide and methane, nitrous oxide naturally occurs in the atmosphere. It is also released by
agricultural activities and agricultural chemicals, fossil fuel combustion, wastewater treatment and industrial
processes.
298 More than 100
years
Fluorinated
Greenhouse
Gases
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulfur Hexafluoride
(SF6) Together these 30 different gases are referred to as fluorinated GHGs. F-GHGs are solely emitted as byproducts of industrial processes such as aluminum and semi-conductor manufacturing and used as refrigerants
and aerosol propellants.

Between 12
and 22,800
Tens to
thousands of
years
Sources: Overview of Greenhouse Gases, Environmental Protection Agency, accessed March 2025, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases; Global Warming Potentials, IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, 2007.

The 2016 Senate Bill 32 (SB 32) requires California to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by the year 2030. This bill furthers the mandates of the prior 2006 Assembly Bill 32 which required the state the reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Going beyond SB 32 is the 2022 Scoping Plan proposed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which sets forth a plan to achieve statewide 100% carbon neutrality by 2045.

The City of Coachella is under the jurisdiction of the SCAQMD, the local agency that determines pollution emissions standards from stationary sources. The CARB determines emissions standards for mobile sources for the entire state. In 2015 the City of Coachella adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to ensure that its General Plan and future development would comply with the original 2006 AB 32 goals, CARB’s 2022 Scoping Plan, and SCAQMD’s GHG emissions thresholds.

City of Coachella Climate Action Plan
In April 2015 the City adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to help implement General Plan policies and programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions via the reduction of energy consumption, vehicle miles traveled, resource consumption and the generation of waste. In order to meet the State AB 32 GHG reduction target in place at the time, the CAP estimated that to achieve a target of 49% below 2010 by 2035, the City would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per person, resulting in a per person emission rate of 4.2 MTCO2e, or a total of 786,993 MTCO2e citywide.36 Emissions reductions would stem from sectors including, but not limited to greater energy efficiency achievements, reduction of solid waste, 36 Coachella Climate Action Plan, Table 7, Greenhouse Gas Reductions and Proposed Targets (2020 and 2035), April 22, 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 65 installation of renewable energy systems, increase the amount of open space and shade vegetation, and the growth of alternative transportation systems. The City’s CAP has not been updated since its initial adoption.

Greenhouse Gas Thresholds
Since each GHG affects the atmosphere differently, for purposes of project analysis, GHG emissions are converted to carbon dioxide equivalencies and measured in metric tons (MTCO2e). When evaluating potential GHG emissions from proposed non-industrial projects, SCAQMD applies a tiered approach. If a project does not conform to at least one of the tiers described below, the project’s impacts would be considered significant.

Tier 1: Consider whether the project qualifies for any applicable exemption under CEQA. If the project qualifies for an exemption, then the project is not significant and no other action is required.

Tier 2: Consider whether the project complies with a local greenhouse gas reduction plan that is at minimum consistent with AB 32.

Tier 3: Consider whether the project is below an absolute threshold of either 10,000 MTCO2e/year for industrial projects or 3,000 MTCO2e/year for residential projects.

Tier 4: Consider whether the project is below a set performance threshold. This threshold is yet to be set and is not recommended for analysis at this time.

Tier 5: Consider whether off-site mitigation would reduce the project’s GHG emission impacts to less than the proposed screening level.

Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact. If the Project generates greenhouse gas emissions in excess of the established thresholds, either directly or indirectly, then the Project’s impact would be significant. As stated above, project-based impacts are compared against the SCAQMD tiered greenhouse gas emissions thresholds. Emissions generated by the proposed Project are measured against Tier 3, 3,000 MTCO2e/year for residential and commercial projects.

A CalEEMod analysis was conducted in November 2025 and was based on the most recent Project site plan which included 257 units on a net area of 37.28 acres, a 3.53-acre park with retention basin, common landscaped areas, four additional landscaped retention basins, asphalt streets, and 2,517 daily trips. CalEEMod accounts for landscaping and driveway hardscape for residences. Table III-3 provides a summary of the Project’s land use data that was applied to the model. The detailed CalEEMod report for the Project is available in Appendix A.

The CalEEMod analysis that forms the basis for this discussion was generated in November 2025 For analysis purposes, a three-year build out timeframe was assumed for the construction of 257 homes, the 3.13-acre park, streets, retention basins, and common area landscaping. CalEEMod accounts for landscaping and driveway hardscape for single family residences. Table III-3 in the Air Quality section provides details of the CalEEMod inputs, and a full copy of the report is provided in Appendix A.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 66 Construction and Operation
Since SCAQMD does not provide GHG construction thresholds for projects, the total amount of CO2e emissions from the construction phase of the Project is amortized over 30 years to estimate the CO2e emissions over a one-year operational cycle. Upon buildout, six emissions source categories would contribute either directly or indirectly to operational greenhouse gas emissions including area emissions (pavement and architectural coating off-gassing) building energy usage, mobile energy usage, solid waste disposal, water usage, and refrigeration. Table VIII-2 summarizes annual construction and operational greenhouse gas emissions and then compares the Project’s total annual emissions, 2,683 MTCO2e, to the SCAQMD Tier 3 threshold. The Project would not exceed the 3,000 MT/YR CO2e standard for residential and commercial projects. Therefore, Project construction and operation activities would have a less than significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Table VIII-2
Projected GHG Emission Summary
(Metric Tons per Year)
Construction CO2e (MT/YR rounded)
3 Years 1,548
30-Year Amortized* 52
Operation CO2e (MT/YR rounded)
Area 3.2
Energy 986
Mobile 1,291
Waste 344
Water 34
Refrigeration 1.2
Total Operational 2,659
Total Annual Operational
(30-Year amortized +
Operational) 2,711
SCAQMD Annual Threshold 3,000
Exceeds? No
*Buildout construction emissions were amortized over 30 years then added to buildout operational GHG emissions.

Source: CalEEMod 2022.1
b) Less than Significant Impact. A project is considered to have a significant impact if it conflicts with an applicable plan, policy or regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. As described above, the City of Coachella adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2015 to ensure that its General Plan and future growth would comply with state and regional GHG reduction targets. According to the City’s 2015 CAP, the total direct and indirect 2010 GHG emissions emitted by the City was 382,787 MTCO2e. Of the seven community sectors evaluated

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 67 for this figure, the Transportation sector, which included gas and diesel fueled vehicles, accounted for 54% of the City’s total emissions, or 206,909 MTCO2e. If the City continues with business as usual (BAU), and implements no GHG reduction strategies, by 2035 the total Coachella emissions would reach 1,543,672 MTCO2e. The 2015 CAP proposes emissions reductions of 49% below 2010 emissions, which would reduce annual emissions to 756,679 MTCO2e by 2035. The City’s greatest reduction potential relies on various strategies to reduce Land Use and Transportation emissions.

Per the most current Project site plan, the development could potentially add 1,077 residents to the City based on an estimated average household size of 4.19.37 This would result in a Project-per capita GHG emission rate of 2.49 MTCO2e. Again, as described above, the CAP found that in order to achieve the GHG reduction target of 49% below 2010 by 2035, City residents would need to emit no more than 4.2 MTCO2e by 2035. The per capita GHG emissions impacts resulting from the build out of the Project comply with this goal and are therefore consistent with the emissions reduction targets established by the CARB 2022 Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality and SCAG’s 2024 RTP/SCS, which are all consistent with California’s AB 32 and SB 32. Based on this analysis, the proposed Project subdivision and future build out will not conflict with and would not significantly impact an applicable plan, policy or regulation with the purpose of reducing GHG emissions.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015
Coachella Climate Action Plan, April 2015
California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod) Version 2022.1 South Coast Air Quality Management District, Interim CEQA GHG Significance Threshold for Stationary Sources, Rules and Plans, December 2008.
37 E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2020-2024, California Department of Finance, released May 1, 2025.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 68 IX. HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS

MATERIALS
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Create a significant hazard to the public
or the environment through the routine
transport, use, or disposal of hazardous
materials?
✓
b) Create a significant hazard to the public
or the environment through reasonably
foreseeable upset and accident
conditions involving the release of
hazardous materials into the
environment?
✓
c) Emit hazardous emissions or handle
hazardous or acutely hazardous
materials, substances, or waste within
one-quarter mile of an existing or
proposed school?
✓
d) Be located on a site which is included on
a list of hazardous materials sites
compiled pursuant to Government Code
Section 65962.5 and, as a result, would
it create a significant hazard to the public
or the environment?
✓
e) For a project located within an airport
land use plan or, where such a plan has
not been adopted, within two miles of a
public airport or public use airport, would
the project result in a safety hazard or
excessive noise for people residing or
working in the project area?
✓
f) Impair implementation of or physically
interfere with an adopted emergency
response plan or emergency evacuation
plan?
✓
g) Expose people or structures, either
directly or indirectly, to a significant risk
of loss, injury or death involving wildland
fires?
✓
Environmental Setting
As the human population grows, so grows our use of hazardous substances for industrial, agricultural, and domestic activities. Likewise, our exposure to myriad forms of hazards increases. Prior to the 1970s, federal and state laws governing the transportation, application and disposal of toxic and hazardous substances were either lax, insufficient, or non-existent. Past and current landmark

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 69 investigations have led to numerous legislative actions to control and properly manage hazardous materials. Today, development is subject to requirements ranging from local ordinances to federal laws.

The City of Coachella has historically been a major agricultural hub for the Coachella Valley and despite recent land use conversions to urban and industrial uses, 33% of the City’s land, in the south and east regions of the City’s Planning Area, remains under agricultural use, and nearly 30% of the jobs are still in the agricultural sector.38 Fertilizer and pesticide applications can pose public health risks via air transport and infiltration into surface and groundwater sources.

There are hazardous materials producers, waste generators, disposal sites, and clean-up sites in the City of Coachella. The majority, not all, of these business and sites are located along Grapefruit Boulevard and Harrison Street and in the Downtown area. Small waste generators may be smaller businesses such as dry cleaners, auto repair shops, stores, hospitals, or metal plating shops that generate between 100 and 1,000 kilograms of waste per month. Large generators produce more than 1,000 kilograms per month and can include chemical manufacturers, gas stations, military installations and munitions manufacturing plants. The three large waste generators, Armtec Defense Products, Inc. on Avenue 53 and Tyler Street, Peter Rabbit Farms on Grapefruit Boulevard and the Chevron Station on Dillon Road, are located between two and three miles from the Project site.

The discussion of impacts from hazards and hazardous materials is based on the 2014 Technical Background Report for the Safety Element, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the State Water Resource Control Board GeoTracker, and the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health.

According to these sources, there are no large hazardous materials generators or clean-up sites within two miles of the Project site.

Discussion of Impacts
a, b) Less Than Significant Impact. The Project proposes to construct 257 single-family residences, a community pool, a community park, and landscaped open spaces on a currently vacant parcel.

Construction Phase: Construction would necessitate the transporting of potentially hazardous materials such as paints, solvents, concrete and asphalt. The use of heavy equipment that would consume limited quantities of diesel fuel and oil would be required. During construction, a staging area would be identified where equipment and construction supplies would be stored, pursuant to City and Cal OSHA standards. Should any spillage or leakage of hazardous substances occur, it would occur in this staging area where it could be contained and cleaned. The construction phase is temporary, and the use of hazardous materials would not be in quantities that would pose risks to public health or environmental health. Impacts from the transport, handling and disposal of hazardous materials related to construction are expected to be less than significant. The containment of construction-related hazardous materials to a staging area where an accidental release of a hazardous substance to the environment would be quickly remediated reduces potential impacts to less than significant levels.
38 City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 70 Operational Phase: As a residential community, a certain limited amount of toxic or hazardous chemicals may be used to maintain the community pool, landscaping, or to clean public areas. The amount of chemicals stored on site by the community facilities operators would be in small quantities and would not pose a public or an environmental health risk. For purposes of proper disposal, businesses must comply with federal and state laws by classifying their waste products and follow guidelines for the appropriately sized very small or small quantity generator.

Residential units are anticipated to use and dispose of toxic and hazardous materials such as cleaners, landscaping chemicals, paints, oil, batteries, lightbulbs and electronic waste, collectively known as household hazardous waste (HHW). Residents may store small quantities of potentially hazardous materials at their homes, and the disposal of HHW would be subject to State and County guidelines and carried out by Burrtec, Inc., the waste management company contracted by the City.

Burrtec, Inc. provides educational materials online regarding residential hazardous waste disposal and offers curbside pick-up of certain materials. Residents may also drop-off anti-freeze, batteries, oil and paint (ABOP) at the Burrtec Coachella Valley Transfer Station on Landfill Road in Coachella.

State and County regulatory oversight regarding the transport, handling, and disposal of hazardous materials ensure that the construction and operational phases of the Project would generate less than significant impacts. The use of hazardous materials in small quantities during construction and operational phases and the use of a construction staging area would contain potential accidental releases to the environment and reduce their impacts to less than significant levels. c) No Impact. The Project development will result in 257 single-family homes, retention basins and a park. This type of development is not expected to generate or emit hazardous materials or acutely hazardous substances or produce waste that would jeopardize a school.

The two schools closest to the Project site are the Imagine Dual Language Charter School, 0.71 miles south on Calhoun Street, and Cesar Chavez Elementary School, located 1.75 miles east on Avenida De Oro. Since neither school is within a quarter mile of the Project and the Project will not emit or release hazardous materials and waste that would pose a health risk to a school, there will be no impacts from the Project.

d) No Impact. Government Code Section 65962.5 is also known as the Hazardous Waste and Substances Sites, or Cortese List. The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) annually compiles this list of hazardous materials release sites based on data from the DTSC, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), and the State Water Resources Control Board (WRCB). In the City of Coachella, there is one state response site, Foster-Gardener, Inc., located 1.75 miles east of the Project site. Foster-Gardener produces pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers for agricultural application. The site has been remediated, the groundwater has been tested with acceptable levels of contaminants being present, and residential use of the site has been prohibited.

One other Cortese Listed site in the City is US Auto Salvage, a scrap metal recycling facility located

1.14 miles northeast of the Project site. The soil surface was determined to contain unhealthy levels of contaminants including lead, copper, zinc, and PCB. The site is under review.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 71 There are no hazardous materials or waste sites on or near the proposed Project site. The Project site is not included in the Cortese List. Thus, the Project site would not pose any impacts associated with hazardous materials sites.
e) No Impact. The Project site is located 3.66 miles northwest of the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, and 1.9 miles northwest of the Airport Influence Area boundary. Due to this distance, the Project area is not in an airport safety hazard zone and no excessive noise for people living or working at the Project site would occur. There would be no impacts associated with the nearby airport. f) No Impact. The Project site is located at the southwest corner of Avenue 49 and Calhoun Street. One driveway access point will occur on the north side of the Project at Avenue 49, and another driveway access point will be located on the east side at Calhoun Street. Calhoun Street is a north-south Collector route which connects Avenue 49 and Avenue 50. Avenue 49 is designated as a Primary Arterial, and Avenue 50, which is 0.4 miles south of the proposed east driveway, is a Major Arterial.39 Presently, Avenue 49 west of Calhoun to Jackson Street is an unimproved path. The Project proposes improvements to the 0.25-mile section of Avenue 49 between Calhoun and the Project site’s west boundary in order to convert this section of the street to a Primary Arterial. Project access points on Avenue 49 and Calhoun Street will not alter the City’s current circulation pattern or interfere with the City’s emergency response and evacuation plans, since both are planned City roadways, and their improvement will expand the City’s roadway system.

Project review by the Police and Fire Departments will be necessary to assure that the Project’s driveways and streets would accommodate emergency vehicles. Traffic management during the Project’s construction will be implemented so that the Project will not interfere with the City’s emergency response plan or emergency evacuation plan. The Project is not expected to impact the implementation of or physically interfere with the City’s emergency response plan or emergency evacuation plan.
g) No Impact. The City of Coachella is not at risk of experiencing wildland fires and does not contain any fire hazard severity zones.40 Likewise, the proposed Project, being in an urban residential area of the City, is not susceptible to wildfires. No impacts from exposing people or structures to wildfires in the Project area are expected. Wildland fire is discussed more thoroughly below in Section XX, Wildfire.

Mitigation Measure: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015
Technical Background Report to the Safety Element, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, Earth Consultants International, 2014.
39 City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, Mobility Element, April 2015. 40 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Viewer, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, updated April 1, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 72 California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Envirostor, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) State Water Resource Control Board GeoTracker
Riverside County Department of Environmental Health
CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map Viewer

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 73 X. HYDROLOGY AND WATER

QUALITY
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Violate any water quality standards or
waste discharge requirements or
otherwise substantially degrade surface
or ground water quality?
✓
b) Substantially decrease groundwater
supplies or interfere substantially with
groundwater recharge such that the
project may impede sustainable
groundwater management of the basin?
✓
c) Substantially alter the existing drainage
pattern of the site or area, including
through the alteration of the course of a
stream or river or through the addition of
impervious surfaces, in a manner which
would:
✓
i) result in substantial erosion or siltation
on- or off-site; ✓
ii) substantially increase the rate or amount
of surface runoff in a manner which
would result in flooding on- or off-site;
✓
iii) create or contribute runoff water which
would exceed the capacity of existing or
planned stormwater drainage systems
or provide substantial additional sources
of polluted runoff; or
✓
iv) impede or redirect flood flows? ✓
d) In flood hazard, tsunami, or seiche
zones, risk release of pollutants due to
project inundation?
✓
e) Conflict with or obstruct implementation
of a water quality control plan or
sustainable groundwater management
plan?
✓
Environmental Setting
Domestic Water
The Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin is the main source of municipal, or domestic, water for the entire Coachella Valley and is managed by six different water agencies: Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), Coachella Water Authority (CWA), Desert Water Agency (DWA), Indio Water Authority (IWA), Mission Springs Water District (MSWD), and the Myoma Dunes Mutual Water Company (MDMWC). Local rainwater and snowmelt have filled the basin with water over a period of several million years, but human activities continue to pump more water than can be naturally

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 74 recharged. CVWD and DWA have supplemented recharge efforts by importing and percolating Colorado River water into the basin. Both agencies also supplement irrigation water with recycled wastewater.

The Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin is comprised of several subbasins which are divided by faults. Fresh water for the City’s residential, commercial and industrial uses is sourced from the East Indio Subbasin, which is part of the larger Indio Subbasin. CVWD, IWA and CWA collectively manage the East Indio Subbasin.

Currently, the CWA serves the area west of Grapefruit Boulevard and smaller industrial/commercial corridor north of Avenue 48, while the largely agricultural use to the east is served by the Coachella Canal and privately owned wells. CWA delivers municipal freshwater, collects wastewater, and manages local drainage. Six wells with a total pumping capacity of 11,400 gpm, or 16.5 MGD are owned and operated by the City. Three storage reservoirs provide a total storage capacity of 10.5 MG (million gallons). The distribution network includes 120 miles of pipeline with pipe diameters of 4 inches to 36 inches.

Water Quality
As water naturally flows over the land in rivers, streams, springs, and lakes, and collects in groundwater basins, both naturally occurring contaminants and those emitted from human activity can end up in water supply systems. Thus, water districts and regulatory agencies regularly test water for contaminant levels and mitigate as needed. Contaminants include microorganisms, inorganics (salts, metals), pesticides and herbicides, organic chemicals, and radioactive particles.

The CWA publishes water quality test results in an annual Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). As of 2023, the City’s water supply has had no contamination violations and levels of contaminants are well below the allowable limits as set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board.41
Wastewater Treatment
The City of Coachella Sanitation Division (CSD)treats wastewater at its 4.5 MGD (million gallons per day) wastewater reclamation plant (WRP) located at the east end of Avenue 54. Wastewater is treated to a secondary level and discharged into the adjacent Whitewater River/Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel. During the 2023-2024 Water Year, the CSD WRP treated 3,082 af of wastewater.42
The CSD collects and treats water from residential, commercial and industrial areas. The collection system consists of 90 miles of pipeline ranging in diameter of 4 inches to 54 inches, 1,580 manholes and two pump stations. The Project would be able to connect to the existing pipeline on Calhoun Street that extends north of Avenue 50.43
41 2023 Water Quality Consumer Confident Report, Coachella Water Authority and Sanitary District, issued July 2024.
42 Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2023-2024, Table 5-10 WY 2023-2024 Wastewater Treatment, Reuse, and Disposal in the Indio Subbasin, March 2025. 43 City of Coachella 2015 Sewer System Master Plan, prepared by CDM Smith, June 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 75 Floodplain Management
The Coachella Valley lies within the Whitewater River Watershed, the regional drainage feature that extends from the slopes of Mount San Gorgonio to the Salton Sea. The Whitewater River is the main drainage feature and is fed by mountain streams along its course. In the higher elevation of the Whitewater River, water runs generally year-round, but is ephemeral in the low desert, and has been channelized at the eastern end of the Valley to control stormwater. The CVWD maintains major tributary facilities that guide floodwater into the Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel, but drainage throughout the Coachella Valley generally falls under the supervision of the local cities or the county where it occurs.

Historically the City of Coachella has not constructed extensive infrastructure to control stormwater flows. The 2021 City of Coachella Stormwater Master Plan lays out plans to identify and construct stormwater drainage infrastructure in partnership with the CVWD. Self-contained residential neighborhoods, such as the proposed Project, are required to contain their own drainage basins which manage stormwater flows within their properties, and prevent off-site flooding.

Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact. The Calhoun Street Housing Development is located in the Whitewater River watershed which drains into the Salton Sea and is part of the larger Colorado River Watershed. Development such as the proposed Project is required to comply with the Clean Water Act, Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, Regional Water Quality Control. Plans, Safe Drinking Water Act, and recycled water regulations. The proposed Project impacts would be significant if the Project were to violate any water quality standards or waste discharge requirements or otherwise substantially degrade surface or ground water quality. In compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations to minimize the pollutant load associated with urban and development activities, a Project-Specific Preliminary Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) dated January 17, 2025 was prepared for the Project by The Altum Group (see the full WQMP in Appenidx E).44
Pollutants potentially discharged from the Project site may include bacteria/viruses, heavy metals, nutrients, toxic organic compounds, sediment, trash and debris, oil and grease. Per local requirements, the Project will implement permanent Site Design Best Management Practices (BMPs), Source Control, LID Site Design (Low Impact Development), and Treatment Control BMPs where necessary. On-site retention and filtration facilities such as landscape swales and strips, biofiltration capability, an extended retention basin, a sand filter basin, an infiltratration basin, permeable pavement, and a bioretention basin will be implemented to address the pollutants of concern. The Infiltration Basin system is designed to capture 100% of a 100-year storm event and meets the City’s standards.

For construction drainage, the Project would be required to implement a SWPPP to ensure that construction activities do not contaminate surface or ground water quality. The SWPPP would affirm the potential for pollutant discharge, as well as practical monitoring and reporting processes and other strategies to ensure pollutant discharge does not adversely impact water quality. 44 Project-Specific Preliminary Water Quality Management Plan, Calhoun Street Subdivision, prepared by The Altum Group, January 17, 2025.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 76 Adherence to these water quality requirements ensures that the Project will not violate any water quality standards or waste discharge requirements, or otherwise substantially degrade surface or ground water quality. Any potential impacts will remain at less than a significant levels. b) Less Than Significant Impact. In compliance with the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and to forecast the water demand on the Indio Subbasin, CWA along with three other local water agencies prepared a water management framework known as the Indio Subbasin Water Management Plan (CVWMP). The most recent 2022 update (Alternative Plan Update) includes forecasted water demand calculations for current and potential future customers within the Indio Subbasin Plan Area, which includes the East Indio Subbasin. The 2022 Alternative Plan Update relies on population growth forecasts supplied by the 2020 SCAG Regional Growth Forecast, SCAG Land Use Inventories, housing and employment analyses. Additionally, the water agencies have prepared a series of Indio Subbasin Annual Reports, the most recent of which explains that the actual total water use for the 2023-2024 Water Year was lower than the forecasted water use described in the 2022 Alternative Plan Update.

To estimate the Project’s annual water demand for indoor use, a calculation was made based on an average household size of 4.19 people in the City of Coachella.45 Using the California State standard for indoor residential water use of 47 gallons per capita daily (gpcd), the Project’s 257 housing units would consume approximately 56.71 acre-feet per year (afy).46 Total Project outdoor water use for household and common area landscaping, based on CVWD outdoor irrigation factors, would be 23.83 afy.47 The total daily water demand for all 257 homes and common area landscaping would be 80.54 af/y. Table X-1 below provides details regarding estimated indoor and outdoor water demand upon build out of the Project.

According to the Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2023-2024, the total amount of groundwater extractions amounted to 267,495 af. Of this total amount, the urban water use sector accounted for 224,479 af.48 The urban water use sector includes municipal, residential, commercial, golf courses and other uses. The impacts of increased urban water use on the Indio Subbasin were accounted for in the 2022 Alternative Plan Update. The Project’s water demand for both indoor and outdoor uses would account for 0.036% of the urban groundwater extraction from the Indio Subbasin.

To comply with the regional Sustainable Groundwater Management Plan, the Project would remain consistent with the City’s water resource conservation policies outlined the General Plan and install drought tolerant landscaping and low water-use appliances. 49 Water demand by the Project would be less than significant. Table X-1 summarizes the Project’s estimated domestic demand compared to the most recent groundwater extraction data for the Indio Subbasin. 45 E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2020-2024, California Department of Finance, released May 1, 2025.
46 Standards for Indoor Residential Water Use, California Water Code §10609.4(a). 47 Calculations based on Chapter 3.15 Landscape and Irrigation System Design Criteria, CVWD Ordinance Code, updated 2024.
48 Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2023-2024, Table 4-1 WY 2023-2024 Groundwater Extractions by Water Use Sector in the Indio Subbasin, March 2025. 49 City of Coachella General Plan Update 2023, Sustainability and Natural Environment Element, Goal 3, Water Resources, April 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 77 Table X-1
Project Water Demand
Land Use:

Single-Family
Residential
No. of
Dwelling
Units (DU)
Estimated
Occupants
per Home
Gallons
per Day
(gpd) per
Occupant2
gpd/DU
Project
Daily Water
Demand
(gpd)
Project
Annual Water
Demand
acre-feet/year
(af/y)
HH Indoor
Water Use 257 4.191 472 197 50,629 56.71 af/y
HH Outdoor
Water Use3 257 14.52 3,732.48 4.18 af/y
Landscaping
(Common
Areas acreage)
303,533 sf 17,540.65 19.65 af/y
TOTAL 80.54 af/y
2023-2024 Indio Subbasin Urban Water Use 224,479 af
Project’s Percentage of 2023-2024 Indio Subbasin Water Use 0.036%

1. California Department of Finance, Table E-5, City/County Population and Housing Estimates, 1/1/2025.

2. CA Indoor Residential Water Use Standards, 2025-2030.

3. 250 sf per DU, City of Coachella Code of Ordinances §17.14.030.

4. Common open space includes: the park (minus parking lot), retention basins, decorative landscaped areas.

5. Outdoor water demand calculations based on CVWD Evapotranspiration (ETo), Evapotranspiration Adjustment Factor (ETAF), and Conversion Factor (CVWD Landscape Ordinance §3.15, Appendices C and D). Each residence has 250 sf of open space = 64,250 sf. Common open space = 303,533 sf.

6. DU = Dwelling Unit, HH = Household
The Project’s wastewater demand was also calculated, based on an assumption that approximately 90% of domestic water use would enter the wastewater treatment system. As described above, the 2023-2024 Annual Report provides wastewater treatment data for water agencies that manage the Indio Subbasin. During 2023-2024, the City of Coachella Wastewater Reclamation Plant (WRP) treated 3,082 af of wastewater. Based on the 2023-2024 data, the Project would comprise 1.65% of the CWA total wastewater treatment. Table X-2 provides a summary of the Project’s estimated wastewater demand compared to the most recent treatment data for the CSD WRP.

Table X-2
Project Wastewater Generation
Land Use:

Single-Family
Residential
No. of
Dwelling
Units (DU)
Estimated
Occupants
per Home1
Gallons
per Day
(gpd) per
Occupant1
gpd/DU
Project Daily
Wastewater
Flow (gpd)
Project
Annual
Wastewater
acre-feet/year
(af/y)
Wastewater
Flow 257 4.19 42.3 177.2 45,540 51
Total 2023-2024 Acre-Feet Treated at CSD WRP 3,082 af
Project’s Percentage of 2023-2024 CSD WRP 1.65%

1. Between 60% and 90% of potable water may be sent to wastewater treatment. This estimate is based on 90%.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 78 ci-civ) Less Than Significant Impact. The Project site is undeveloped, relatively flat, and contains no rivers or streams. The parcel slopes slightly from north to south as the elevation is -27 feet at the northeast corner and -33 feet at the southeast corner. Construction of the 39.98-acre parcel will entail the removal of mature palms, clearing, grubbing, rough and precise grading, roadway construction, the construction of 257 homes with landscaping for each lot and within common areas, and the addition of a recreational 3.13-acre park on the east side along Calhoun Street.

Proposed Drainage System
A Preliminary Hydrology Report was prepared by The Altum Group (Appendix D) which describes the Project’s drainage system as it complies with the design criteria required by the City and the Riverside County Flood Control District.50 The impermeable surfaces of the Project will increase on-site storm flows. However, the Project will direct storm runoff to flow across the surface via streets toward five different on-site retention basins. The basins will be designed to collectively retain 100% of flows from a 100-year storm event. Flows that exceed this capacity will be directed to exit the Project site and flow north on Calhoun Street to Avenue 48. Then storm water would flow eastward to the MS4 storm drain inlet facility on Van Buren Street where it would flow underground for one mile and empty into the Coachella Valley Storm Channel. On-site retention of 100-year storm flows would contain the increased runoff and prevent the Project from contributing runoff that exceeds the capacity of existing City storm drainage systems.

Compliance with Required Erosion and Pollution Mitigation The proposed Project will be required to comply with the City’s Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13.16, Water Quality Control. Included in the requirements are the approvals of a SWPPP, a project-specific final hydrology study, and a final WQMP prior to the issuance of building permits. In compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) the Project will mitigate silt runoff from Project-induced erosion through the implementation of BMPs prescribed in the WQMP (Appendix E).

Implementation of required BMPs will also reduce pollutants of concern that may enter nearby receiving waters and help reduce short and long-term water quality impacts caused by the construction and operation of the proposed Project. Approval of the WQMP, SWPPP, and the required BMPs will reduce impacts to surface waters by reducing erosion, siltation, and eliminating pollutants in storm flows. With the implementation of these standard requirements, the impacts to downstream water bodies associated with surface water pollution will be less than significant. d) No Impact. According to the FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer, the Project site occurs in a flood zone X, an area of minimal flood hazard and low flood risk. The Whitewater River/Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel flows through the City 1.7 miles northeast/east of the Project site. The Stormwater Channel is the backbone of the Coachella Valley stormwater flood control system and is constructed to control as much as 80,000 cubic feet of water per second, which is greater than a 100-year storm event. Given the Project’s distance from the Stormwater Channel and the flood zone X designation, impacts from flood hazards and seiches are not expected to occur.

The City of Coachella is also not located near the coast and there will be no impacts from tsunami hazards.
50 SW Corner – Calhoun Street at 49th Avenue Subdivision, Coachella, CA, Preliminary Hydrology Report, prepared for Pacific Coast Properties, prepared by The Altum Group, January 17, 2025.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 79 e) No Impact. The Project will comply with all applicable water quality standards and will implement a SWPPP and a WQMP approved by the City of Coachella and the Regional Water Quality Control Board for both construction activities and the long-term operation of the site.

The Project will implement the City’s drought-tolerant landscaping requirements and adhere to water conservation strategies established in the General Plan. Estimated operational annual water demand will be 0.036% of the total urban use groundwater extraction from the Indio Subbasin, which will be an incremental portion of the local water supply. Also, the water demand by the Project was included in the 2022 Alternative Plan Update forecasted water demand calculations for the years 2020-2045, since the Project is consistent with the land use designation for the site. As documented by the 2023- 2024 Annual Water Report for the Indio Subbasin, the actual water demand on the Indio Subbasin between 2020 and 2024 was lower than the forecasted demand by 50,000 af. Water demand for the region has not expanded as quickly as previously forecasted, meaning the Project’s water use impacts on the groundwater source will be less significant given the groundwater savings that have occurred over the past five years.

In summary, the Project would not obstruct the implementation of the City’s water quality control plan or the region’s sustainable groundwater management plan. There would be no impacts.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:
2020 Coachella Valley Regional Urban Water Management Plan, June 30, 2021 2023 Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report, Coachella Water Authority and Sanitary District, issued July 2024
City of Coachella 2015 Sewer System Master Plan, prepared by CDM Smith, June 2015.

City of Coachella General Plan Update 2023, Sustainability and Natural Environment Element, Goal 3, Water Resources, April 2015.

SW Corner – Calhoun Street at 49th Avenue Subdivision, Coachella, CA, Preliminary Hydrology Report, prepared for Pacific Coast Properties, prepared by The Altum Group, January 17, 2025.

Indio Subbasin Annual Report for Water Year 2023-2024, Tables 4-1, 5-10 WY 2023-2024, March 2025.

Project-Specific Preliminary Water Quality Management Plan, Calhoun Street Subdivision, prepared by The Altum Group, January 17, 2025.

E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2020-2024, California Department of Finance, released May 1, 2024.

Standards for Indoor Residential Water Use, California Water Code §10609.4(a).

Fuel Consumption Rate Factors, Table D-21,” Carl Moyer Program Guidelines, Volume I: Program Overview, California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board, June 20, 2017

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 80 XI. LAND USE AND PLANNING
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Physically divide an established
community? ✓
b) Cause a significant environmental
impact due to a conflict with any land use
plan, policy, or regulation adopted for
the purpose of avoiding or mitigating an
environmental effect?
✓
Environmental Setting
The City’s General Plan 2035 Update governs the development of this Project site. The City established Subareas to guide land uses and zoning as the City continues to grow. The Project is in the West Coachella Neighborhoods Subarea 1; the land use and zoning designations for the subject parcel are both “General Neighborhood,” and the surrounded land use and zoning designations are “Suburban Neighborhood.”51
The City participates in the regional Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP), and the subject parcel is within a fee area and is subject to development impact fees associated with the CVMSHCP.

The planning and construction of the proposed Calhoun Street Housing Development is guided by a Planned Unit Development (PUD) document which establishes specific land uses, intensity of use, and development standards for the Project while remaining consistent with the City’s General Plan and Zoning regulations.
a) No Impact. The adjacent residential neighborhoods to the north and south are independently operated communities and will not be divided by the proposed Project. The 38-acre parcel to the east on the other side of Calhoun Street contains one single-family residence. The neighboring 35-acre parcel to the west is in the City of Indio and is currently being developed as a single-family residential use. Development on these parcels will be unaffected by development on the Project site, since each parcel will be, or has been developed as an independent community. The Project will not divide an established community. No impact will occur.
b) No Impact. The General Neighborhood land use and zoning designations for the Project site as established by the City’s General Plan 2035 Update permit the development of both single- and multi-family housing units with a density of 7 to 25 dwelling units per acre. The proposed Project is consistent with these stipulations and supports the City’s General Plan. The location of the Project site is not in a designated conservation area per the CVMSHCP and will not impact this environmental plan. There are no environmental conflicts with respect to the land use policy or adopted environmental mitigation policy. No Project impacts are expected. 51 General Land Use Designations, City of Coachella General Plan Update 2035, updated April 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 81 Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella General Plan Update 2035, updated April 2015 City Land Use Map, City Zoning Map

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 82 XII. MINERAL RESOURCES
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Result in the loss of availability of a
known mineral resource that would be
of value to the region and the residents
of the state?
✓
b) Result in the loss of availability of a
locally important mineral resource
recovery site delineated on a local
general plan, specific plan or other land
use plan?
✓
Environmental Setting
Mineral resources in City’s Planning Area include gravel, clay, oil, gas and geothermal commodities.

Subarea 17, known as Eastern Coachella, contains two mineral resource zones designated as MRZ 2a, where mineral resources are significant. Two permitted mining operations occur in these zones.

Discussion of Impacts
a, b) No Impact. According to Figure 4.5-9 of the General Plan Update 2035 Environmental Impact Report, much of the City west of the Whitewater River/Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel is designated as an MRZ 1, an area where there the presence of significant mineral resources is unlikely due to the geologic formation. Since there are no mineral resources of value to the state, region or the local area in the MRZ 1, and the Project is located in this zone, the Project will not result in any loss of availability of valuable mineral resources. There will be no impacts.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella General Plan Update Final EIR, October 2014

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 83 XIII. NOISE
Would the project result in:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Generation of a substantial temporary
or permanent increase in ambient noise
levels in the vicinity of the project in
excess of standards established in the
local general plan or noise ordinance,
or applicable standards of other
agencies?
✓
b) Generation of excessive groundborne
vibration or groundborne noise levels? ✓
c) For a project located within the vicinity
of a private airstrip or an airport land
use plan or, where such a plan has not
been adopted, within two miles of a
public airport or public use airport,
would the project expose people
residing or working in the project area
to excessive noise levels?
✓
Environmental Setting
Ambient noise are background sounds emitted
from a variety of sources and can either be
unintrusive sounds from wind, wildlife, and
neighborhood activity, or intrusive sounds from
construction equipment, traffic, landscaping
equipment, mechanical equipment such as
HVAC systems, barking dogs, radios and stereo
systems, and so forth. Noise levels are
expressed as decibels (dB). The A-weighted
decibel scale (dBA) filters out very high and very
low frequencies such that the scale correlates to
the sound a human ear would detect. 25 dBA is a
very quiet sound such as a rural nighttime
environment, 50 dBA would be the noise level of
a refrigerator running, 80 dBA is the noise level of
a tractor idling, and 105 dBA would be a louder
sound such as a jet flying overhead. Exposure to
70 dBA noise level and higher over certain
periods of time can damage a person’s hearing.

Source: Standard Environmental Reference, CalTrans,
February 2018.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 84 To measure noise for city planning purposes, the Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) scale is applied as it measures the average intensity of a sound over a 24-hour period. CNEL scale measures sound levels by assigning heavier dBA weights, or adding decibel “penalties,” to existing sound dBA levels if those sounds occur in either certain sensitive zones or during unpermitted times.

Figure XIII-1 provides the City’s acceptable CNEL for residential land uses.

Figure XIII-1
General Plan CNEL Levels

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 85 Groundborne vibrations can be characterized as rumbling sounds which travel through the ground.

Typically groundborne vibrations from human activity such as construction activity, heavy traffic, or jet planes flying overhead are felt indoors and are rarely a problem outdoors. Construction equipment may be categorized as either continuous vibration (excavation and grading equipment), low-rate repeated impact vibration (blasting, drop balls, impact pile drivers), or high-rate repeated impact vibration (jackhammers, hoe rams). The duration and amplitude of groundborne vibration from construction equipment varies. A blast would emit a high amplitude over a short duration, but grading equipment would emit a low amplitude over a longer duration.52 Groundborne vibration as it relates to disturbance to people is measured in vibration decibels (VdB). Vibration veloctiy level of 65 VdB is considered to be barely perceptible by humans and a lower vibration velocity would be undetectable. “Sensitive receptors” is a CEQA label granted to land uses where there are people in the community who may be particularly sensitive to noise such as residential areas, schools, libraries, churches, nursing homes, health care facilities. Four sensitive receptors are in proximity to the Project site. Two residential neighborhoods occur on adjacent properties; one single-family neighborhood is immediately south and the other single-family neighborhood is to the west in the City of Indio. Both are separated from the Project site by 6-foot block walls. A third single-family community occurs to the north across Avenue 49, and is also is bounded by a six-foot concrete block wall. Finally, the fourth sensitive receptor is a single residence to the east on the opposite side of Calhoun Street approximately 68 feet from the Project boundary.

The City’s Noise Element of the General Plan provides goals and policies for ensuring that noises are maintained at appropriate levels for the various land uses. Within single- and multi-family residential land uses, 55-70 CNEL dBA are compatible exterior noise levels for the land use, but noise levels above 70 CNEL dBA are incompatible noise levels. The City Noise Ordinance provides guidance for controlling incidents of incompatible noise levels. Construction activities are exempted from the Noise Ordinance with the condition that they occur within acceptable hours of the day.53 Discussion of Impacts
a, b) Less Than Significant Impact. The addition of 257 new homes will increase ambient noise levels for the surrounding neighborhoods during the construction period and during the on-going operational phase. As described above, two residential communities immediately border the Project site and are separated by a six-foot block wall. The third community is further from the Project site on the north side of Avenue 49, and the single residence on the east side of Calhoun is the furthest from the Project site.

Construction Phase Impacts:

The construction equipment may generate intermittent noise as well as mild groundborne vibration.

At a distance of 25 feet, a large bulldozer may produce 87 VdB, and a loaded truck could generate 86 VdB.54 However, construction equipment moves across a site during grading, and the construction phase is temporary and all impacts related to vibration will stop when construction is complete. Table XIII-1 provides typical Equivalent Energy Levels (Leq) for construction equipment and construction 52 Transportation and Construction Vibration Guidance Manual, California Department of Transportation, April 2020.
53 City of Coachella Code of Ordinances, Title 7.04 Noise Control. 54 “Transit Noise and Vibration Impact,” Federal Transit Administration, May 2006.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 86 phases from a 50-foot distance away from the piece of equipment or the loudest piece of equipment during a phase. Leq is understood as the average sound pressure level over a period of time, usually one hour. If the sound level varies, the Leq is a calculation of the average sound level over one hour.

Table XIII-1
Noise Levels from Construction Equipment and Phases
Construction Equipment Noise Level (dBA, Leq at
50 feet)
Generator 76
Portable air compressor 81
Concrete mixer 85
Backhoe 85
Dozer 87
Dump truck 88
Scraper 88
Jackhammer 88
Paver 89
Rock drilling 98
Construction Phase Noise Level (dBA, Leq at
50 feet)
Foundations 78
Ground clearing 84
Erection 85
Excavation 89
Finishing 89
Rock blasting 115
Source: “Noise from Construction Equipment and Operations, Building Equipment and Home Appliances,” US Environmental Protection Agency, December 1971.

A noise level decreases by 6 dBA as the distance from the sound source doubles. If a noise from a generator produces 76 dBA at a distance of 50 feet, then the sound level would decrease to 70 dBA at 100 feet away, and 64 dBA at a distance of 200 feet. During construction, the noise would not emanate from one fixed location, but rather, as the equipment moves, nearby receptors would not be exposed to construction noise from a fixed location during the entire construction period. The homes located to the south of the Project site could experience unmitigated noise levels of 78-89 dBA during construction, as equipment moves across the site. The existing perimeter wall, which is made of solid masonry construction, would reduce the noise levels by at least 6 dBA, which would further attenuate construction noise on adjacent lots. As the construction completes, the noise would no longer occur.

As stated above, construction activities are exempt from the Noise Ordinance with the condition that they occur within acceptable hours of the day.55 The City’s Municipal Code §7.04.070 specifies days and hours when construction activity is permitted. These hours are confined to less sensitive daytime hours, which reduces impacts from noise. Table XIII-2 provides the permitted days and times for construction activities.
55 City of Coachella Code of Ordinances, Title 7.04 Noise Control.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 87 Table XIII-2
Hours for Construction Activities
Construction Activities October 1 – April 30 May 1 – September 30 Monday - Friday 6:00am – 5:30pm 5:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday 8:00am – 5:00pm 8:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday 8:00am – 5:00pm 8:00am – 5:00pm
Holidays 8:00am – 5:00pm 8:00am – 5:00pm
The temporary nature of construction, the existence of the perimeter wall for the subdivision to the south, and the City’s time restrictions on when construction may occur would confine the increases in ambient noise levels and groundborne vibration from construction activity to less than significant impacts.

Operational Phase Impacts:

Noise produced by residents would be consistent with noise produced from neighboring residential communities and would be subject to the City’s Noise Control Ordinance §7.04.

The Project is subject to the City’s Municipal Code §7.04.075 which defines permitted times for ongoing property maintenance activities, including landscaping, as shown in Table X-III3. Tables XIII- 4 below provides the permitted hours for fixed noise sources which include stationary pieces of equipment such as air conditioners, pumps, fans, and refrigerators.

Table XIII-3
Hours for Property Maintenance Activities
Property Maintenance Activities October 1 – April 30 May 1 – September 30 Monday - Sunday 9:00am – 5:30pm 8:00am – 5:30pm
Holidays Not permitted Not permitted
Table XIII-4
Permitted Sound Levels for Fixed Noise Sources
Zone Time Applicable 10-Minute Avg
CNEL dBA (Exterior)
All Residential Zones 6:00am – 10:00pm 55
All Residential Zones 10:00pm – 6:00am 45
All Commercial Zones 6:00am – 10:00pm 65
All Commercial Zones 10:00pm – 6:00am 55
The City’s General Plan Update EIR reports the CNEL dBA for existing roadway noise. The Project is located at the intersection of Avenue 49 and Calhoun Street. Calhoun Street north of Avenue 48 where it extends between two single-family residential neighborhoods, is rated as a 65 dBA CNEL at a distance of 50 feet from centerline. At the Project build out, a similar condition may be expected for Calhoun Street south of Avenue 49 to Avenue 50. Since the City’s standard for residential units is 65 dBA CNEL, the Project’s residents will not experience noise levels in excess of the City’s standard, and impacts from roadway traffic will be less than significant.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 88 The location of the Project in the West Coachella Neighborhoods Subarea aligns with the City’s General Plan and would not introduce noise that is unexpected or inappropriate for the land use.

During the operational phase, residential land use would not generate groundborne vibration. The City’s Noise Control Ordinance also ensures that all receptors are protected from inappropriate or excessive noise. The operational phase would result in less than significant impacts. c) No impact. The Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport is located 3.66 miles southeast of the Project, and the Airport Influence Area boundary is 1.9 miles southeast. Due to this distance, people residing and working in the Project area would not be exposed to excessive noise from the airport.

No impact is expected to occur from airport noise.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella Code of Ordinances, Title 7.04 Noise Control “Noise from Construction Equipment and Operations, Building Equipment and Home Appliances,” US Environmental Protection Agency, December 1971.

Standard Environmental Reference, CalTrans, February 2018.

Transportation and Construction Vibration Guidance Manual, California Department of Transportation, April 2020
“Transit Noise and Vibration Impact,” Federal Transit Administration, May 2006

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 89 XIV. POPULATION AND HOUSING
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Induce substantial unplanned
population growth in an area, either
directly (for example, by proposing new
homes and businesses) or indirectly (for
example, through extension of roads or
other infrastructure)?
✓
b) Displace substantial numbers of existing
people or housing, necessitating the
construction of replacement housing
elsewhere?
✓
Environmental Setting
The population of the City of Coachella is approximately 44,384,56 and by the 2045, the population could potentially expand to 129,300. 57 The number of households are also expected to increase from 9,600 households in 2019 to an estimated 35,600 households by 2050. Furthermore, the number of jobs in Coachella is expected to expand from 8,900 in 2019 to 17,200 in 2035 and up to 23,200 by 2050.58 To accommodate this growth, the City requires an increase in housing opportunities. By 2035, the City plans to provide approximately 45% of its housing with single-family units and 55% with multi-family units.59
Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact. The City uses a system of Subareas to guide growth and development to minimize environmental impacts by concentrating residential growth in areas closer to the downtown area rather than expanding outward into remote Subareas. This strategy increases access to alternative transportation corridors and reduces commute time to City employment areas.

The Project would be located in Subarea 1, West Coachella Neighborhoods, an area specifically positioned to accommodate more housing.

According to the 2025 Population and Housing Estimates from the California Department of Finance, the average persons per household in Coachella is 4.19. The Project proposes to build 257 homes, which would result in an additional 1,077 people. If the City’s population increases by 129,300 people by 2045 as described above, then the Project would contribute 0.83% of that growth. Also, using the household estimates provided above, the City could see a growth of 36,500 households by 2050, and 56 Table E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2020-2024 with 2020 Census Benchmark, Department of Finance, May 2025.
57 “Demographics and Growth Forecast Technical Report,” 2020-2045 RTPSCS, Southern California Association of Governments.
58 “Demographics and Growth Forecast Technical Report,” 2024-2050 RTPSCS, Southern California Association of Governments.
59 Final EIR for the City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 90 the Project’s 257 units could represent 0.7% of that growth. The City has projected the population to grow and has planned to accommodate this growth by setting aside specific areas where residential growth could reasonably occur. The City’s population growth has been accounted for and planned, the Project complies with those plans, and Project impacts to population growth would be less than significant.

The Project proposes to improve Avenue 49 to allow residents to access one of the driveways on the north side. This would reduce potential congestion on Calhoun Street where the second driveway access would be placed. Improving Avenue 49 would also provide additional east-west road access to Jackson Street, which would improve circulation in this section of the City.

The Project’s new homes would be located in an area where existing utility infrastructure has already been installed for residential neighborhoods immediately north and south of the Project site. The Project would not necessitate the expansion of new infrastructure. Impacts to City infrastructure would be less than significant.
b) No Impact. The Project site is currently vacant. The proposed homes would not displace existing residents or require the construction of replacement housing in another location. The Project would result in no impacts.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella General Plan Update 2035 Environmental Impact Report, 2014.

Table E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2020-2024 with 2020 Census Benchmark, Department of Finance, May 2024
“Demographics and Growth Forecast Technical Report,” from 2020-2045 & 2024-2050 RTPSCS, Southern California Association of Governments.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 91 XV. PUBLIC SERVICES
Would the project result in:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
Would the Project result in substantial
adverse physical impacts associated with
the provision of new or physically altered
governmental facilities, need for new or
physically altered governmental facilities,
the construction of which could cause
significant environmental impacts, in order
to maintain acceptable service ratios,
response times or other performance
objectives for any of the public services:
a) Fire protection? ✓
b) Police protection? ✓
c) Schools? ✓
d) Parks? ✓
e) Other public facilities? ✓
Environmental Setting
The 257 new residences proposed by the Project could potentially add 1,077 people to the City, which would pose a minor increase in the demand for public services. The City imposes a development impact fee of $267 per dwelling unit for new residential developments to support the additional costs associated with increased demand for fire, police, street facilities, parks, and library services and general government facilities.60
Fire Protection
The City of Coachella contracts with the Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD) to receive fire protection services including fire suppression, fire prevention, and hazardous materials response.

The RCFD also provides emergency medical services including paramedic services and urban search and rescue. RCFD Station 79 is currently the only station in the City. Located at 1377 6th Street, the station is 2.53 miles southeast of the Project site. The station is staffed by 18 full-time personnel including six firefighters on duty, ten volunteer firefighters, and 10 explorer cadets. The national standard for fire service is one firefighter staff per 1,000 residents, and the City has 0.4 staff per 1,000 residents according to the 2014 General Plan EIR. Recommendations have been made to add another station and increase the number of personnel.61 Police Protection
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is contracted by the City to provide police services. The police station is located at 86625 Airport Boulevard, in the community of Thermal, 6.6 miles southeast from the Project site. As of the 2014 General Plan EIR, there are 26 sworn positions and five nonsworn support staff serving the City, which at the time, equated to a ratio of 0.64 sworn officers per 60 City of Coachella Code of Ordinances, §4.45.130, updated June 26, 2024. 61 City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update EIR, June 2014.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 92 1,000 residents. The ratio recommended by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is 1.3 staff per 1,000 residents.

In addition to patrol and enforcement activities, police protection services provided by contract to the City include: SWAT, Hostage Negotiations Team, Forensic Services Team, Traffic Reconstructions, Canine Units, Hazardous Device Team, Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force, Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force, Central Homicide Unit-East, Aviation Unit, Dive Team, Desert Search and Rescue, Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, and Explorer Post #503.

Schools
Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) serves the City with K-12 educational services. As of 2022, the school district’s student capacity was 21,004 students, and the 2022-23 enrollment was 16,497. The school district operates 14 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, four high schools, and one adult school. College of the Desert is the local community college serving all Coachella Valley cities.

Parks
The City of Coachella has a total of nine parks comprising 60.2 acres. The park facilities include community parks with a full range of recreational amenities, mini parks and tot lots. From the Project site, Rancho Las Flores is the nearest public park at 1.22 miles away.

The Proposed Project will have limited impact on Public Services, as discussed below.

Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact. In cooperation with the RCFD, the City proposes to increase the ratio of firefighters to residents to 2.0 personnel per 1,000 residents and construct more fire stations such that fire protection would be within a 1.5-mile radius and the response times would be no more than five minutes.62
The Fire Planning Division with in the RCFD reviews all proposed developments to guarantee compliance with standards, codes and regulations. Response times, fire station locations and equipment availability, and the increase of calls are assessed. In addition, access to, from and throughout the Project development would be reviewed by the fire department.

The City has planned to accommodate the increased need for fire protection services, and the Project would be required to comply with the City and RCFD safety standards and pay the development impact fee to mitigate costs associated with providing fire protection. Due to these requirements and on-going planning for growth, the Project would result in a less than significant impact on the City’s fire protection services.
b) Less Than Significant Impact. The Project would potentially increase the number of calls for police service, but the increase would be minor. To maintain adequate protection for a growing population, the City proposes to raise the ratio of police officers per 1,000 people to 1.3. 63 Emergency 62 Infrastructure and Public Services Element, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015. 63 Infrastructure and Public Services Element, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 93 police access to the Project could be facilitated by Avenue 49 and Calhoun Street locally, both of which connect to larger streets, Jackson Street and Avenue 50.

The Project would comply with all Riverside County Sheriff’s Department procedures, regulations and policies. The development impact fee required for each dwelling unit would mitigate the associated costs of providing police protection services. Impacts to police protection services would be less than significant.
b) Less Than Significant Impact. As new dwelling units are built and the population increases, the school district plans future expansion needs by applying a student generation rate calculation to estimate the number of new students added to the district. The Project proposes to construct 257 new single-family homes. Using the CVUSD’s most recent student generation rates, the Project could potentially add 143 students to the school district. This would not be a significant impact considering the school district enrollment is lower than its capacity at this time.

To meet the costs of accommodating additional students, the Project would be subject to CVUSD developer fees, which are calculated on a square foot basis. As of January 16, 2023, new residential construction is required to pay $4.79 per square foot. The school developer fee would mitigate any impacts associated with the Project’s student generation. The estimated total square feet for the Project’s 257 homes would be approximately 460,913 x 4.79 = $2,207,773. With the implementation of the fee, the Project would offset the costs of the additional enrollments and impacts to educational services would be less than significant.

Table XV-1
Project Student Generation
School Level Student Generation Rate Students Generated by Project (rate x 257 rounded)
Elementary School (TK-6) 0.2942 76
Middle School (7-8) 0.0849 22
High School (9-12) 0.1742 45
Total 143
Source: Coachella Valley Unified School District Fee Justification Study for New Residential and Commercial/Industrial Development, November 2, 2022.
d, e) Less Than Significant Impact. The applicant proposes to construct a 3.13-acre public park as part of the Project. The park would include a walking trail, playground equipment, basketball court, and a small parking lot which will be available to the public. While the public can access the park via the parking lot, pedestrian gates would allow residents to access the park from the Project. More information regarding the City’s park facilities is provided in Section XVI Recreational Resources. The Project would not result in substantial adverse physical impacts or create the need for new park facilities.

Mitigation Measures: None required.

Monitoring: None required.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 94 Sources:

City of Coachella Code of Ordinances, §4.45.130, updated June 26, 2024 City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update EIR, June 2014.

Coachella Valley Unified School District Fee Justification Study for New Residential and Commercial/Industrial Development, November 2, 2022
Infrastructure and Public Services Element, City of Coachella General Plan 2035 Update, April 2015

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 95 XVI. RECREATION
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Would the Project increase the use of
existing neighborhood and regional
parks or other recreational facilities
such that substantial physical
deterioration of the facility would occur
or be accelerated?
✓
b) Does the Project include recreational
facilities or require the construction or
expansion of recreational facilities
which might have an adverse physical
effect on the environment?
✓
Environmental Setting
The City of Coachella maintains nine parks comprising a total of 60.2 acres. The park facilities include a range of amenities from Bagdouma Park, which encompasses 46 acres and provides a full suite of amenities such as a swimming pool, tennis courts, sports fields, and a playground to Dateland Park which provides skateboarding features, and mini parks and tot lots. The newest city park, Rancho Las Flores, is the nearest public park to the Project at 1.22 miles away.

The City is also located within the Desert Recreation District (DRD) boundary, the largest park and recreation district in California. The DRD offers services, programs and classes across 1,800 square miles of the Coachella Valley extending from Cathedral City to the communities of Mecca and Oasis.

In the City of Coachella, the DRD operates programs at Bagdouma and Rancho Las Flores parks.

Discussion of Impacts
a, b) Less Than Significant Impact. The Project would not significantly increase the use of existing neighborhood park facilities, nor would it result in the expansion of public recreational facilities. At buildout, the Project would include approximately 257 single family residences, which could potentially house 1,077 people.64 As described in the Section XV, Public Services, the Project proposes to construct a 3.13-acre public park. Included in the park design is a walking trail, playground equipment, basketball court, ramadas with picnic tables, and a small parking lot which would be available to the public.

All new development is required to pay the City’s development impact fee, a percentage of which is dedicated to maintaining the City’s public parks. The required development impact fee and the Project’s proposed park facility would mitigate potential impacts of additional park goers affecting City recreation facilities and reduce impacts to less than significant levels.

Mitigation Measures: None required.
64 California Department of Finance, Table E-5, City/County Population and Housing Estimates, 1/1/2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 96 Monitoring: None required.

Sources:

City of Coachella Parks and Recreation
Desert Recreation District
California Department of Finance, Table E-5, City/County Population and Housing Estimates, 1/1/2024

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 97 XVII. TRANSPORTATION
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Conflict with a program, plan,
ordinance or policy addressing the
Conflict with a program, plan,
ordinance or policy addressing the
circulation system, including transit,
roadway, bicycle and pedestrian
facilities?
✓
b) Conflict or be inconsistent with CEQA
Guidelines section 15064.3,
subdivision (b)?
✓
c) Substantially increase hazards due to
a geometric design feature (e.g., sharp
curves or dangerous intersections) or
incompatible uses (e.g., farm
equipment)?
✓
d) Result in inadequate emergency
access? ✓
Environmental Setting
The transportation system throughout the City of Coachella is comprised of roadways from two-lane country roads to six-lane major arterials with bicycle facilities. Higher capacity corridors such as Hwy 111, State Highway 86 and Interstate 10 provide regional access to and from the City. Multiple jurisdictions including the federal government, California Department of Transportation, Riverside County Transportation Department, and the City manage different components of the transportation system. The City’s Mobility Element of the General Plan Update emphasizes goals of developing more alternative transportation routes to increase accessibility throughout the City including bicycle routes, pedestrian trails and low-speed electric vehicles.

The City applies a Level of Service (LOS) metric when assessing the performance of the transportation network and intersection delays. LOS provides a ranked measurement of roadway operating conditions, that ranges from “A” (free flow, best conditions) to “F” (worst conditions, serious delays, and system failure). The General Plan establishes LOS D as the minimum acceptable level of service for Coachella.

Senate Bill 743 (2013) updates the methodology for analyzing transportation impacts by projects to more accurately measure transportation-related air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, and to more effectively reduce emissions via the development of multimodal transportation networks and diversification of land uses. CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3 describes the use of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the metric by which to measure project transportation impacts. However, certain projects are exempt from preparing a VMT analysis.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 98 Urban Crossroads prepared a Traffic Analysis for the Project in September 2024 based on a total of 259 dwelling units. A copy of the Traffic Analysis is provided in Appendix F.65 Since then, the number of dwelling units has been reduced to 257, which means the Traffic Analysis data represents a marginally more conservative analysis of Project conditions. The opening year for the Proposed Project is assumed to be 2026. The Traffic Analysis evaluates potential deficiencies in the City’s circulation system that may result from the Project and recommends improvements to the Project and the City’s circulation system to achieve the acceptable LOS. A VMT letter was also prepared, and is included in Appendix G.

Discussion of Impacts
a) Less Than Significant Impact with Mitigation Incorporated. If a project conflicts with a program, plan, ordinance, or policy addressing the circulation system, including transit, roadway, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities, then its impacts would be significant. The Project’s land uses are consistent with the City’s General Neighborhood land use and zoning for the parcel. The applicant proposes to build a 257-unit single-family residential neighborhood with a 3.13-acre park. Access to the Project will be facilitated by two driveways allowing vehicle entry and exit from Calhoun Street, a Collector Roadway, and Avenue 49, a Primary Arterial Roadway. Pedestrian access will be provided by new sidewalks and 26-foot landscaped setbacks along the north and east Project boundaries.

Proposed Site-Adjacent Street Improvements
The applicant proposes to construct the following improvements to assure compliance with City standards:
• Avenue 49 Improvements:
o For 1,300 linear feet between Calhoun Street and the Project’s northwesterly site boundary, the Project will provide full-width street improvements as a Primary Arterial roadway including curbs, gutters, six-foot sidewalks and landscaping on both sides. Along the Project frontage, a 26-foot landscaped setback will be provided. • Calhoun Street Improvements:
o For 1,300 feet from the Project’s northerly site boundary to the southerly site boundary, the Project will widen Calhoun Street at its ultimate westerly half-section width as a Collector Roadway with a landscaped parkway and a bicycle lane, Also, a six-foot sidewalk and a 26-foot landscaped setback will be included. o At the Calhoun Street / Avenue 49 (#3) intersection, the Project will install a new traffic signal with potential future reimbursement contingent upon cumulative development activity.
o On the Project’s easterly boundary, public pedestrian access to the 3.13-acre public park from Calhoun Street will be provided. In addition, to a small parking lot will be publicly accessible from the Calhoun Street community entrance. subject to park development access and parking plans (to be determined).

These improvements are consistent with the City’s standards, and will assure that adjacent roadways are developed consistent with their General Plan roadway classification. 65 Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 99 The City requires that all intersections achieve at least an LOS D during morning and evening peak hours. The following scenarios were analyzed for the purpose of assessing the impact of the Project on intersection Level of Service (LOS):
• Existing (2024) Conditions
• Existing plus Ambient plus Project (EAP) (2026)
• Existing plus Ambient plus Cumulative (EAPC) (2026)
Table XVII-1 provides a list of intersections that were analyzed in the Traffic Analysis study area.

Table XVII-1
Intersection Analysis Locations
ID Intersection Location
#1 Calhoun St. / Dr. Carreon Blvd.
#2 Calhoun St. / Avenue 48
#3 Calhoun St. / Avenue 49
#4 Calhoun St. / Avenue 50
#5 Jackson St. /Avenue 49-Odlum Dr.
#6 Calhoun St. / Access 1
#7 Access 2 / Avenue 49
The City’s standards provide that a project’s traffic impact is significant if the project degrades intersection level of service to an unacceptable level below LOS D, or if a project causes an intersection already at LOS E to degrade to LOS F. At intersections, an increase in delay of 2 seconds or more at existing LOS E intersections, or 1 second or more at LOS F intersections caused by a project would also be considered a significant impact.

Table XVII-2 provides an overview of intersection LOS during existing (2024), EAP (2026), and EAPC (2026) conditions. Below, these sets of conditions are discussed in more detail.

Table XVII-2
Intersection Analysis for Existing (2024), EAP (2026), EAPC (2026) Conditions Intersection Existing (2024)
AM PM
EAP (2026)
AM PM
EAPC (2026)
AM PM
#1 Calhoun St. / Dr. Carreon Blvd.
• Without improvements
• With improvements N/A N/A
#2 Calhoun St. / Avenue 48
#3 Calhoun St. / Avenue 49
• Without improvements
• With improvements N/A N/A
#4 Calhoun St. / Avenue 50
#5 Jackson St. / Avenue 49-Odlum Dr.
• Without improvements
• With improvements N/A N/A
#6 Calhoun St. / Access 1 N/A N/A

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 100
Table XVII-2
Intersection Analysis for Existing (2024), EAP (2026), EAPC (2026) Conditions Intersection Existing (2024)
AM PM
EAP (2026)
AM PM
EAPC (2026)
AM PM
#7 Avenue 49 / Access 2 N/A N/A
Source: Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024.

Legend: LOS A-D LOS E LOS F
Existing (2024) Traffic Conditions
Existing traffic conditions offer a baseline against which the proposed Project’s impact may be measured. The Project site is currently vacant and generates no traffic. Adjacent roads include Calhoun Street, a north-south Collector with Bicycle Facility and Avenue 49, an east-west unimproved path. Nearby roads include Jackson Street, a north-south Collector, and Avenues 48 and 50, which are east-west roadways classified as Major Arterial with Bicycle Facility. To measure existing (2024) traffic counts, data was collected in January and July 2024 during two peak hour timeframes: 7:00 and 9:00 AM, and 4:00 and 6:00 pm.

For Existing (2024) traffic conditions, three unsignalized study area intersections operate at unacceptable LOS of E or F: Calhoun St. / Dr. Carreon Blvd. (#1); Calhoun St. / Avenue 49 (#3); and Jackson St. / Avenue 49-Odlum Dr. (#5). All three intersections currently meet the traffic volume warrants for installation of a traffic signal based on existing traffic counts. Table XVII-3 summarizes existing traffic conditions for each study area intersection.

Table XVII-3
Intersection Analysis for Existing (2024) Conditions
Intersection Traffic
Control1 Delay2 (secs)
AM PM
Level of
Service
AM PM
#1 Calhoun St. / Dr. Carreon Blvd. AWS >80 28.7 F D
#2 Calhoun St. / Avenue 48 TS 32.2 28.6 C C
#3 Calhoun St. / Avenue 49 AWS 51.2 20.3 F C
#4 Calhoun St. / Avenue 50 TS 33.1 28.5 C C
#5 Jackson St. / Avenue 49-Odlum Dr. AWS 51.9 23.0 F C
#6 Calhoun St. / Access 1 Future Intersection
#7 Avenue 49 / Access 2 Future Intersection
Source: Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024.
1 TS = Traffic Signal; AWS = All Way Stop
2 Per the Highway Capacity Manual (7th Edition), overall average intersection delay and level of service are shown for intersections with a traffic signal, or all way stop control.

Project Trip Generation
The Traffic Analysis applied two land use codes to calculate the potential number of trips generated by the Project. The first code was derived from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Land Use Code for Single Family Detached housing, and the second was supplied by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) for City Park. At the time that the Traffic Analysis was prepared, the Project included a 1.5-acre park with a dog run, which would have generated more trips

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 101
than a park without dog run. SANDAG provided a more appropriate land use code to account for the higher number of park trips. Additionally, as explained above, the number of dwelling units was changed from 259 to 257 after the Traffic Analysis was prepared. Hence, the Traffic Analysis provides a more conservative trip generation calculation. On a daily basis, the residential units and the park are anticipated to generate 2.517 trips. Table XVII-4 shows the total daily trips and the total AM and PM peak hour trips that the Project may generate as estimated by ITE and SANDAG.

Table XVII-4
Project Daily Trip Generation
Land Use Land Use
Code Quantity Total Daily Trips
AM Peak
Hour Trips
PM Peak
Hour Trips
Single Family
Detached 2101 259 units2 2,442 182 244
Park
(with Dog Run) --- 1.5 acres3 75 10 6
Project Total 2,517 192 250
Source: Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024

1. Trip Generation Source: Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Trip Generation Manual, 11th Edition (2021).

2. In September 2024, the Traffic Analysis assumed 259 dwelling units. The Project currently includes 257 units.

3. In September 2024, the Traffic Analysis assumed a 1.5-acre park with a dog run, which would’ve generated more trips than a park without a dog run. SANDAG provided the trip generation estimate for a city park with a higher volume of trips to account for the dog run.

Existing Plus Ambient Plus Project (EAP) (2026) Conditions EAP (2026) includes Existing (2024) volumes, ambient growth traffic calculated at an increase of

4.04% over two years, and the Project traffic. Per the Traffic Analysis, no additional intersections are expected to operate at unacceptable LOS during peak hours beyond the above-described three intersections which currently operate with deficiencies without the Project. Traffic signal installation at each of the three intersections would sufficiently address the deficiencies, and result in acceptable operations, as shown in Table XVII-2, above.

Intersection #6 Calhoun Street / Access 1 currently operates at an acceptable LOS for EAP conditions, however, it meets the volume warrants for installation of a traffic signal. At this time, the installation of a traffic signal at intersection #6 is not recommended because the intersection is expected to operate at an acceptable LOS for EAP (2026) and EAPC (2026) conditions with crossstreet stop control. Also, access to the Project is provided at the Access 2 / Avenue 49 (#7) intersection, which is anticipated to operate at LOS “A” during peak hours for both EAP (2026) and EAPC (2026) conditions. See Table XVII-5 for a summary of the EAP (2026) conditions.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 102
Table XVII-5
Intersection Analysis for EAP (2026) Conditions
Intersection Traffic
Control1
Delay2 (secs)
AM PM
Level of
Service
AM PM
#1 Calhoun St. / Dr. Carreon Blvd.
• With existing All Way Stop AWS >80 41.7 F E
• With traffic signal improvement TS 39.0 31.9 D C
#2 Calhoun St. / Avenue 48 TS 33.7 30.3 C C
#3 Calhoun St. / Avenue 49
• With existing All Way Stop AWS >80 46.2 F E
• With traffic signal improvement TS 10.4 7.9 B A
#4 Calhoun St. / Avenue 50 TS 34.3 29.3 C C
#5 Jackson St. / Avenue 49-Odlum Dr.
• With existing All Way Stop AWS 74.2 35.0 F D
• With traffic signal improvement TS 12.4 9.2 B A
#6 Calhoun St. / Access 1 CSS 27.3 25.1 D D
#7 Avenue 49 / Access 2 CSS 8.7 8.8 A A
Source: Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024.
1 TS = Traffic Signal; AWS = All Way Stop; CSS = Cross-Street Stop 2 Per the Highway Capacity Manual (7th Edition), overall average intersection delay and level of service are shown for intersections with a traffic signal, or all way stop control. For intersections with cross street stop control, the delay and LOS for the worst individual movement (or movement sharing a single lane) are shown.

Existing Plus Ambient Plus Project Plus Cumulative (EAPC) (2026) Conditions EAPC (2026) includes existing (2024) volumes, ambient growth traffic calculated at an increase of

4.04% over two years, the Project traffic, and traffic from cumulative development proposed in the area. No additional intersections are expected to operate at unacceptable LOS levels during peak hours for the EAPC 2026 traffic conditions. As described in the previous paragraphs, installation of traffic signals at the currently deficient intersections would address the deficiencies and improve the LOS for the three intersections. The installation of a traffic signal at intersection #6 Calhoun Street / Access 1 is not recommended as the intersection is expected to operate an acceptable LOS with a cross-street stop control under EAPC (2026) conditions.

Table XVII-6 summarizes future EAPC (2026) traffic conditions for each study area intersection.

Table XVII-6
Intersection Analysis for EAPC (2026) Conditions
Intersection Traffic
Control1
Delay2 (secs)
AM PM
Level of
Service
AM PM
#1 Calhoun St. / Dr. Carreon Blvd.
• With existing All Way Stop AWS >80 >80 F F
• With traffic signal improvement TS 43.6 32.6 D C
#2 Calhoun St. / Avenue 48 TS 34.7 31.0 C C

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 103
Table XVII-6
Intersection Analysis for EAPC (2026) Conditions
Intersection Traffic
Control1
Delay2 (secs)
AM PM
Level of
Service
AM PM
#3 Calhoun St. / Avenue 49
• With existing All Way Stop AWS >80 75.4 F F
• With traffic signal improvement TS 10.9 7.8 B A
#4 Calhoun St. / Avenue 50 TS 37.8 30.5 D C
#5 Jackson St. / Avenue 49-Odlum Dr.
• With existing All Way Stop AWS >80 47.9 F E
• With traffic signal improvement TS 15.7 11.9 B B
#6 Calhoun St. / Access 1 CSS 32.2 30.6 D D
#7 Avenue 49 / Access 2 CSS 8.7 8.8 A A
Source: Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024.
1 TS = Traffic Signal; AWS = All Way Stop; CSS = Cross-Street Stop 2 Per the Highway Capacity Manual (7th Edition), overall average intersection delay and level of service are shown for intersections with a traffic signal, or all way stop control. For intersections with cross street stop control, the delay and LOS for the worst individual movement (or movement sharing a single lane) are shown.

Traffic signals are recommended to improve the level of service at study area intersections #1, #3, and #5, where the LOS is currently deficient and will continue to decline after the Project is constructed and with the cumulative development conditions. Although the Project has not contributed to the current unacceptable LOS for these three intersections, it will add to the deficiencies unless the traffic signals are installed. In order to assure that the Project’s impact on these intersections is reduced to acceptable levels, Project “fair share” contribution was calculated and is included in Mitigation Measure TRA-1.

Build out of the 257 residential units and the public park will contribute additional traffic to adjacent streets. To reduce the impacts of this traffic increase, the Project will be responsible for installing onsite and site-adjacent improvements. Mitigation Measure TRA-2 provides a list of the necessary onsite and site-adjacent street improvements which will ensure that Project traffic impacts are less than significant.

Public Transit
SunLine Transit Agency provides bus routes throughout the Coachella Valley extending from Desert Hot Springs at the far west end to the North Shore Community near the Salton Sea. Route 8 is operated through the City of Coachella along Dr. Carreon Blvd, Van Buren Street, and passes the Project site along Calhoun Street between Avenue 48 and Avenue 50. The nearest bus stop to the Project is located 2.4 miles southeast at the intersection of Cesar Chavez and 4th Street. SunLine Transit service is periodically updated to keep pace with the growing demand for service throughout the region. The Project will not have direct access to bus service, but will not interfere with SunLine’s ability to provide service.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 104
Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
Bike lanes are available along Calhoun Street, Avenue 48 and Avenue 50. Sidewalks occur on Avenue 48 and Avenue 50, and portions of sidewalks occur on Calhoun Street, Jackson Street, Dr.

Carreon Boulevard, and Odlum Drive and Avenue 49. The Project will build out adjacent street halfwidths to General Plan standards, including sidewalks and parkways. The proposed Project will not conflict with adopted policies, plans, or programs regarding public transit, bicycle, or pedestrian facilities, or otherwise decrease the performance or safety of such facilities. No project related impacts to alternative transportation are anticipated.

Summary
Based on the Traffic Analysis, the project site may generate up to 2,517 daily vehicle trips. To reduce the impacts of additional traffic in the study area, the Project will contribute to traffic signal installation at three intersections and will be responsible for implementing on-site and site-adjacent street improvements. All improvements, detailed in the Mitigation Measures section, will keep the study area intersections operating at acceptable levels of service. With implementation of Mitigation Measures TRA-1 and TRA-2, impacts associated with traffic will be reduced to less than significant levels. b) Less Than Significant Impact.

Exemptions from VMT Analysis
The City uses the County of Riverside’s Transportation Analysis Guidelines to analyze VMT. As provided in the Guidelines, projects meeting certain criteria are exempt from preparing VMT analyses, thus, detailed CEQA assessments are not required for land uses associated with exempt project types.66 Exempting certain projects avoids unnecessary analyses as these projects are deemed to have less than significant impacts due to project size, proximity to high quality transit, whether local services are provided, and whether affordable housing is provided. To determine if a project is exempt, the County’s Guidelines provide a set of Screening Criteria for Development Projects.

As described in the VMT letter prepared by Urban Crossroads in September 2024 (Appendix G), the proposed Project meets two of the County’s Screening Criteria:
• Map-Based Low VMT Screening
• Local Essential Service Screening
The map-based screening criteria uses the sub-regional Riverside Transportation Analysis Model (RIVTAM) to gauge the amount of personal motorized trips within particular regions against the average number of personalized trips for the Countywide population. The Project site occurs within RIVTAM Zone “TAZ 4787” where residents make fewer trips and generate VMTs below the County’s established significance threshold.

The local essential service screening criteria considers the Project’s public park to be a net benefit because it is sited such that Project residents and nearby City residents will not need to travel far to access the park and thus reduce overall VMTs spent on non-discretionary trips to the park.

Given that the Project meets these two Screening Criteria, the Project is consistent with CEQA Guideline section 15064.3 (b) and impacts with regard to VMTs would be less than significant. 66 Figure 3 “Screening Criteria for Development Projects,” Transportation Analysis Guidelines for Level of Service, Vehicle Miles Traveled, County of Riverside, December 2020.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 105
c, d) No Impact. As described above, access to the Proposed Project will be provided through Calhoun Street and Avenue 49. The Project does not propose to alter the City’s roadway system or change traffic patterns. Regional access to the site will be provided via I-10 freeway, Major Arterials, Collectors, and a variety of local roads. Prior to construction, both the Fire Department and Police Department will review the site plan to ensure safety measures are addressed, including emergency access and geometric design. Therefore, the Proposed Project will not result in inadequate emergency access or increase hazards due to a geometric design feature.

Mitigation Measures:

TRA-1 Traffic Signal Installation
Traffic signal control will address the operational deficiencies at three intersections that presently experience unacceptable levels of service. Although the Project is not currently contributing to the deficiencies, traffic conditions upon build out will impact these intersections and further degrade the level of service at each intersection. The Project Fair Share Contributions listed in Table XVII-7 show the Project’s percentage of the total traffic volume and deficiency. To reduce the Project’s expected impacts to less than significant levels, the Project will be responsible for paying its share as shown in the table.

Table XVII-7
Project Fair Share Contributions to Impacted Intersections Intersection
Existing
(2024)
Traffic
EAPC
(2026)
Traffic1
ProjectOnly
Traffic
Total New
Traffic2
Project
Fair Share
(%)3
#1 Calhoun St. / Dr. Carreon Bl.
• AM Peak Hour
• PM Peak Hour
2,002 2,357 58 355 16.3%
1,585 1,962 75 377 19.9%
#3 Calhoun St. / Avenue 49
• AM Peak Hour
• PM Peak Hour
1,159 1,403 96 244 39.3%
1,050 1,350 125 300 41.7%
# 5 Jackson St. / Avenue 49 – Odlum Dr.
• AM Peak Hour
• PM Peak Hour
1,209 1,413 38 204 18.6%
1,253 1,505 50 252 19.8%

1. Existing Plus Ambient Plus Project Plus Cumulative (2026) Conditions

2. Total New Traffic = (EAPC 2026 - Existing Traffic)

3. Project Fair Share % = (Project Only Traffic / Total New Traffic)

TRA-2 On-Site and Site-Adjacent Improvements
The recommendations listed here are the minimum improvements required to accommodate site access and maintain acceptable peak hour operation for the Project.

Installation of these improvements will ensure that impacts related to traffic entering and exiting the Project will be reduced to less than significant levels.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 106
#3 – Calhoun Street / Avenue 49
• Provide a separate northbound left turn lane.
• Modify southbound approach striping to provide a separate southbound right turn lane.
• Provide a shared eastbound left/thru/right lane.
#6 – Calhoun Street / Access 1
• Provide a separate northbound left turn lane.
• Provide a shared eastbound left/thru/right turn lane. #7 – Avenue 49 / Access 2
• Provide a shared northbound left/right turn lane.
• Provide a shared eastbound thru/right turn lane.
• Provide a shared westbound left/thru lane.

Monitoring:

TRA.A The City Engineer shall approve project improvement plans prior to the issuance of grading permits. Project improvements and fair share contributions shall be completed prior to the occupancy of any portion of the Project.

Responsible Parties: Project applicant, project engineer, City Engineer.

Sources:

Calhoun Street Subdivision Traffic Analysis, prepared by Urban Crossroads, September 6, 2024.

Figure 3 “Screening Criteria for Development Projects,” Transportation Analysis Guidelines for Level of Service, Vehicle Miles Traveled, County of Riverside, December 2020.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 107
XVIII. TRIBAL CULTURAL

RESOURCES
a) Would the Project cause a substantial
adverse change in the significance of a
tribal cultural resource, defined in Public
Resources Code section 21074 as either a
site, feature, place, cultural landscape that
is geographically defined in terms of the
size and scope of the landscape, sacred
place, or object with cultural value to a
California Native American tribe, and that is:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
i) Listed or eligible for listing in the
California Register of Historical
Resources, or in a local register of
historical resources as defined in Public
Resources Code section 5020.1(k), or
✓
ii) A resource determined by the lead
agency, in its discretion and supported
by substantial evidence, to be significant
pursuant to criteria set forth in
subdivision (c) of Public Resources
Code Section 5024.1. In applying the
criteria set forth in subdivision (c) of
Public Resources Code Section 5024.1,
the lead agency shall consider the
significance of the resource to a
California Native American tribe.
✓
Environmental Setting
California state law requires a government-to-government consultation process between project lead agencies and California Native American tribes who have an interest in protecting cultural resources in a project area. The consultation process must begin prior to the release of an environmental impact report, mitigated negative declaration, or negative declaration. Native American tribes participating in the consultation process are those who have requested notice of all proposed projects within the jurisdiction of the lead agency.

Assembly Bill 52
Public Resources Code (PRC) 21074(a) states that if a project has the potential to cause a substantial adverse change or impairment to a tribal cultural resource (TCR), then the project may cause an adverse effect on the environment. The passage of Assembly Bill 52 in 2014 created a new CEQA category of resources called, Tribal Cultural Resources, whereby a formal consultation process was established between lead agencies and impacted California Native American tribes to address concerns regarding a project’s potential impacts to tribal cultural resources. Tribal Cultural Resources include California Native American archaeological sites, cultural landscapes and sacred places.67 67 Guidelines for Determining the Significance of and Impact to Cultural Resources: Archaeological, Historic, and Tribal Cultural Resources, Society for California Archaeology, April 2020.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 108
CRM TECH prepared an “Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report for Assessor’s Parcel Number 612-260-010,” (Report) which included a consultation with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian tribe and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians to obtain their input and recommendations regarding the Project site. Due to previously recorded historical resources in the Coachella area and the history of Cahuilla activity around the lakeshore of Ancient Lake Cahuilla, the Torres Martinez recommend that a tribal archaeological monitor be present during construction related ground disturbance. The details of the Report and consultation are detailed in above in Section V, Cultural Resources. The complete Report is attached as Appendix C. The consultation response letter from the Torres Martinez tribe is provided in Appendix 2 of the Report. A complete description of Tribal lifeways is provided in the Report and summarized in Section V.

In addition, the City conducted Tribal consultation consistent with AB 52. The City’s letters to consulting tribes were sent in June of 2025. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians requested consultation, and worked with City staff to develop modifications to the mitigation measures contained in Section V. With inclusion of these mitigation measures, the Tribe concluded consultation.

Discussion of Impacts
a, i) Less Than Significant Impact. The Historical/Archaeological Resources Report for the Project site describes the results of records search at the Eastern Information Center (EIC) at the University of California, Riverside, an historical background research, and a field survey of the subject site. Per the Report, the Project site contains no historical nor archaeological resources that are listed or eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources, or in a local register of historical resources identified on the Project site, thus there would be no impacts to any such resources. a, ii) Less Than Significant Impact with Mitigation Incorporated. While the surface of the subject site has been extensively graded and cultivated since the 1930s, the subsurface has not been researched for historical and archaeological cultural resources, hence, the presence of such artifacts under the surface cannot be precluded. During the most recent inundation of Ancient Lake Cahuilla in the 1730s, when the high stand of the shoreline is documented as being 42 feet above sea level, the Project site would have been under water for a time, but eventually would have been exposed and become part of the shoreline as the lake dried. In this region of the Salton Basin, many recorded Native American resources are associated with the receding Ancient Lake Cahuilla shoreline.

Based on the recommendation of the Report, and the City’s consultation with…, Mitigation Measure CUL-1 will assure that impacts to Tribal Cultural Resources will be reduced. The implementation of this mitigation measure would ensure that newly identified and potentially significant historical/archaeological artifacts would be protected, and impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels.

Mitigation Measures: See CUL-1, Section V.

Monitoring: See CUL-A, Section V.

Sources:
“Historical/Archaeological Resources Survey Report for Assessor’s Parcel No. 612-260-010,” prepared by CRM TECH, May 21, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 109
“Guidelines for Determining the Significance of and Impact to Cultural Resources: Archaeological, Historic, and Tribal Cultural Resources,” Society for California Archaeology, April 2020. “Determining the Significance of Impacts to Archaeological and Historical Resources,” California Code of Regulations, Title 14 §15064.5.
“The Cahuilla People,” Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, 2018, accessed March 28, 2024.

Item 33.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
City of Coachella Calhoun Street Housing Development/TTM 39051 November 2025 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 110
XIX. UTILITIES AND SERVICE

SYSTEMS
Would the project:

Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporated
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Require or result in the relocation or
construction of new or expanded water,
wastewater treatment or storm water
drainage, electric power, natural gas, or
telecommunications facilities, the
construction or relocation of which
could cause significant environmental
effects?
✓
b) Have sufficient water supplies available
to serve the project and reasonably
foreseeable future development during
normal, dry and multiple dry years?
✓
c) Result in a determination by the
wastewater treatment provider which
serves or may serve the project that it
has adequate capacity to serve the
project’s projected demand in addition
to the provider’s existing
commitments?
✓
d) Generate solid waste in excess of State
or local standards, or in excess of the
capacity of local infrastructure, or
otherwise impair the attainment of solid
waste reduction goals?
✓
e) Comply with federal, state, and local
management and reduction statutes
and regulations related to solid waste?
✓
Environmental Setting
Domestic Water
As described above in Section X, Hydrology, the primary source of domestic water for the City is the Indio Subbasin, which is one of four subbasins within the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin. The Coachella Water Authority (CWA) along with the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), Desert Water Agency (DWA), and the Indio Water Authority (IWA) manage the Indio Subbasin. CVWD and DWA have supplemented recharge efforts by importing and percolating Colorado River water into the basin. These two agencies also supplement irrigation water with recycled wastewater.

The Coachella Water Authority (CWA) delivers potable, municipal domestic water, collects wastewater, and manages local drainage control. Six wells with a total pumping capacity of 11,400 gpm, or 16.5 MGD are owned and operated by the City. Three storage reservoirs provide a total