CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NO. PW01045
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETERMINED TO BE CATEGORICALLY
EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 19 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
APPLICANT:
PROJECT LOCATION:
City of Fresno Capital Projects Department
747 R Street, 2nd Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
Attn: Isaac Campos
A 0.25-mile segment of Knight Avenue between Grove
Avenue and Jensen Avenue in the
City of Fresno, Fresno County, California
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The proposed Knight Avenue Widening between Grove Avenue and Jensen Avenue Project (Project) includes the widening of a 0.25-mile segment of Knight Avenue between Grove Avenue and Jensen Avenue in the southwestern portion of the City of Fresno. The Project would widen Knight Avenue by reconstructing the eastern portion of the roadway to create a complete two-lane street. In addition, the Project includes the construction of roadway improvements, including construction of a new pavement section, adjustment of utilities to finished grade, and installation of curb and gutter, sidewalk, curb ramps, signage, striping, and streetlighting. The Project would not create any new travel lanes along Knight Avenue or require any right-of-way (ROW) acquisitions.
This project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this Project and determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301/Class 1, which exempts existing facilities under certain conditions. Staff found that the conditions are met:
Section 15301/Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing use. Examples include existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities (this includes road grading for the purpose of public safety), as well as other alterations such as the addition of bicycle facilities, including, but not limited to, bicycle parking, share facilities, and lanes and transit improvements such as bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, street trees, and other similar alterations that do not create additional automobile lanes. The proposed Project would be consistent with the provisions of a Class 1 Categorical Exemption because it would be limited to the widening of a 0.25-mile segment of an existing roadway and the construction of associated roadway improvements and would not increase the number of vehicle travel lanes or the capacity of the roadway.
State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 identifies exceptions that would disqualify a project from being exempt under the State CEQA Guidelines. According to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2, a project that would be located within an environmentally sensitive area, result in significant cumulative impacts, result in a significant effect on the environment, damage scenic resources within the viewshed of a state scenic highway, be located on a hazardous waste site compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5, or cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource would not qualify for an exemption under State CEQA Guidelines.
The proposed Project extends along Knight Avenue, between Grove Avenue and Jensen Avenue, which currently consists entirely of a developed two-lane roadway and is surrounded by single-family residences to the west, single-family residences and agricultural land to the south, and previously disturbed undeveloped land to the north and east. The Project would be limited to work within the existing roadway and other previously disturbed areas. The Project would not require any ROW acquisitions and would not have the potential to impact historical buildings or structures if present on surrounding properties. The Project would be limited to small changes to an existing roadway and surrounding streetscape and would not result in potentially significant environmental impacts associated with its location, cumulative impacts, scenic resources, hazardous waste sites, historical resources, energy demand, or otherwise have the potential to result in a significant effect that could constitute an exception to a Categorical Exemption pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2.
Date: September 10, 2024
Prepared by:
Jacqueli
ne Markley, AICP
Senior Environmental Planner
SWCA Environmental Consultants
(916) 234-5522
Submitted by:
Isaac Campos, Project Manager
City of Fresno
Capital Projects Department
(559) 621-8657
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
FOR THE
KNIGHT AVENUE WIDENING BETWEEN
GROVE AVENUE AND JENSEN AVENUE PROJECT,
FRESNO, FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
P
repared for
City of Fresno Public Works Department
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Attn: Isaac Campos, Engineer II
P
repared by
SWCA Environmental Consultants
3426 Empresa Drive, Suite 100
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 543
-7095
www.swca.com
SW
CA Project No. 73586-008
D
ecember 2023
Knight Avenue Widening between Grove Avenue and Jensen Avenue Project Description
1 PROJECT LOCATION
The Knight Avenue Widening between Grove Avenue and Jensen Avenue Project (project) site consists of a 0.25-mile segment of Knight Avenue between Grove Avenue and Jensen Avenue in the city of Fresno, Fresno County, California (Figure 1).
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
The project site is located in a moderately urbanized area in the southwestern portion of the city and is surrounded by single-family residences to the west, single-family residences and cropland to the south, and undeveloped land to the north and east. The project site consists entirely of a previously developed two-lane roadway and is surrounded by previously disturbed land. There are no existing trees or shrubs located within the project site.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The proposed project includes the widening of a 0.25-mile segment of Knight Avenue between Jensen Avenue and Grove Avenue in the southwestern portion of the city of Fresno. The project would widen Knight Avenue by reconstructing the eastern portion of the roadway to create a complete two-lane street.
In addition, the project includes the construction of roadway improvements, including construction of a new pavement section, adjustment of utilities to finished grade, and installation of curb and gutter, sidewalk, curb ramps, signage, striping, and streetlighting. The project would not create any new travel lanes along Knight Avenue and would not require any right-of-way (ROW) acquisitions.
Construction activities are anticipated to result in approximately 0.77 acre of ground disturbance, including 620 cubic yards of cut and 190 cubic yards of fill. Construction of the proposed project is expected to begin in October 2024 and end in February 2025. It is anticipated that the project would require the installation of temporary pedestrian detours; however, proposed construction activities would occur in segments to avoid full roadway closures.
Knight Avenue Widening between Grove Avenue and Jensen Avenue Project Description
2 F
igure 1. Project Location Map