CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT APPLICATION NO. PW00929
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 : Gustavo Rangel
Capital Projects Department
City of Fresno
747 R Street, 2nd Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
PROJECT LOCATION: North Blackstone Avenue between West Minarets Avenue and West Nees Avenue as outlined in Exhibit A.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Environmental Assessment Application No. P21-06567 was filed by Brandon Chacon, on behalf of the City of Fresno Public Works Department. The applicant proposes the rehabilitation of existing pavements with a 0.24’ to 0.40’ grind, overlay and fully reconstruct portions of the roadway, reconstruct curb ramps, replace existing asphalt pathways with concrete sidewalk, install Class II bike lanes with striped buffers, and replace traffic signal loops.
This project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1, Section 15303/Class 3, and Section 15304/Class 4 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines as follows:
Under Section 15301/Class 1, the proposed project is exempt from CEQA requirements when the project 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 or former use. The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of use. This includes
alterations such as the addition of bicycle facilities, including but not limited to bicycle lanes and other similar alterations that do not create additional automobile lanes
Under Section 15303/Class 3, the proposed project is exempt from CEQA requirements when the project consists of construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure. This includes street improvements of reasonable length to serve such construction.
Under Section 15304/Class 4, the proposed project is exempt from CEQA requirements when the project consists of minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry or agricultural purposes. This includes the creation of bicycle lanes on existing rights-of-way.
The proposed project is consistent with the Class 1, Class 3, and Class 4 exemptions because the project is requesting to make improvements to existing public facilities to reconstruct pavement, install curb ramps to meet ADA regulations, and add signage and striping to include Class II bike lanes. The proposed street improvements are minor, do not constitute an expansion of use, and will improve the public right -of-way without increasing road capacity . The proposed project involves negligible expansion of the existing use and will have substantially the same purpose.
None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to the project. Furthermore, the proposed project is not expected to have a significant effect on the environment. A categorical exemption, as noted above, has been prepared for the project and the area is not environmentally sensitive.
Date:
August 5, 2024
Prepared By:
Submitted by:
Gustavo Rangel
Engineer II
City of Fresno
(559) 621-8634
Gustavo Rangel, Engineer II
Gustavo Rangel