Statutory Exemptions. State code number:
_______________________________________________
Print Form
Notice of Exemption Appendix E
From: (Public Agency): ____________________________To: Office of Planning and Research P.O. Box 3044, Room 113 _______________________________________________Sacramento, CA 95812-3044 County Clerk
(Address)
___________________________
___________________________
County of: __________________
Project Title: ____________________________________________________________________________ Project Applicant: ________________________________________________________________________ Project Location - Specific:
Project Location - City: ______________________ Project Location - County:
Description of Nature, Purpose and Beneficiaries of Project:
_____________________
Name of Public Agency Approving Project: _____________________________________________________ Name of Person or Agency Carrying Out Project: ________________________________________________ Exempt Status: (check one):
Ministerial (Sec. 21080(b)(1); 15268);
Declared Emergency (Sec. 21080(b)(3); 15269(a));
Emergency Project (Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c));
Reasons why project is exempt:
Lead Agency
Contact Person: ____________________________ Area Code/Telephone/Extension: _______________ If filed by applicant:
Attach certified document of exemption finding.
Has a Notice of Exemption been filed by the public agency approving the project? Yes No Signature: ____________________________ Date:
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Authority cited: Sections 21083 and 21110, Public Resources Code. Date Received for filing at OPR:
Reference: Sections 21108, 21152, and 21152.1, Public Resources Code. _______________
Categorical Exemption. State type and section number: ____________________________________ ______________________________________________
______________ Title: _______________________
Revised 2011
City of Fresno, Public Works Department
2600 Fresno Street, Room 4016
Fresno, California, 93721
Fresno
2220 Tulare Street
Fresno, California, 93721
Traffic Signal Installation at Church Avenue and Walnut Avenue City of Fresno, Public Works Department
Intersection of Church Avenue and Walnut Avenue, Fresno, CA Fresno Fresno
The Project will install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Walnut Avenue and Church Avenue; construct curb ramps along the northwest and northeast corners of Walnut and Church; and install curb and gutter, sidewalk, signage, striping, new asphalt paving and street lighting. Property acquisition is required to accommodate the intersection widening for the traffic signal installation. Property acquisitions include ±295 square feet from APN 477-182-20 and ±790 square feet at APN477-030-27. Implementation of the project will not result in the reduction or expansion of the existing number of travel lanes or increase capacity of the existing roadway system; but will add safety features for motorists and pedestrians.
City of Fresno
City of Fresno Public Works Department
X 15301(c) Class 1, Existing Facilities
X 15282(j), Other Statutory Exemptions, Restriping of streets/highways The use of the roadway (number of vehicles daily) would not increase with implementation of the signal installation, but that traffic flow will be managed better resulting in safer travel scenarios. Project involves the re-striping of an existing street and implementation of new curb and gutter and associated sidewalk areas.
Isaac Campos (559) 621-8657
Isaac Campos 01/30/2024 Engineer II
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CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 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: Capital Projects Department
City of Fresno
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
PROJECT LOCATION: The Intersection of Church Avenue and Walnut Avenue in the City of Fresno, Fresno County, California.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The project will install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Church Avenue and Walnut Avenue; construct curb ramps along the northwest and northeast corners of Church and Walnut; and install curb and gutter, sidewalk, signage, striping, new asphalt paving, and street lighting. Property acquisition is required to accommodate the intersection widening for the traffic signal installation. Property acquisitions include ±225 square feet at Assessor’s Parcel Number 477 -182-20 and ± 1,249 square feet at Assessor’s Parcel Number 477 -030-27.
Implementation of the project will not result in the reduction or expansion of the existing number of travel lanes or increase capacity of the existing roadway system but will add safety features for motorists and pedestrians.
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 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 or former use.” The type of “existing structures and facilities” exemplified below is the key consideration that applies to:
(c) Existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities (this includes road grading for the purpose of public safety), and other alterations such transit improvements and other similar alterations that do not create additional automobile lanes.
The above exemption is related to capacity and the existing use of the roadway. It is anticipated that the use of the roadway (number of vehicles daily) would not increase with implementation of the traffic signal. Additionally, the installation of curb and gutter, sidewalk, signage, striping, paving, and/or lighting will not increase the capacity or use of the existing roadway.
Exceptions to Using a Categorical Exemption
CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2, Exceptions, identifies the following exceptions to using a categorical exemption. Based on an examination of the project and supporting information, the project would not result in any impacts to the environment that would cause an exception to applying the Class 1, Existing Facilities, Categorical Exemption, to t he project, as described below.
(a) Location. Classes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located – a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may in a particularly sensitive environment be significant.
Exception (a) does not apply because the project falls within the Class 1, Existing Facilities, exemption.
(b) Cumulative Impact. All exemptions for these classes are inapplicable when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time is significant.
Exception (b) does not apply. The City has no plans to reconstruct the street or travel lanes or construct other projects or introduce other land uses at this site in the future. Therefore, the project would not make a cumulatively considerable contributio n to a significant cumulative impact.
(c) Significance Effects. A categorical exemption shall not be used for any activity where there is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances.
Exception (c) does not apply. There is not a reasonable possibility that the project would have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. Project impacts would be typical construction -related effects (e.g., dust, traffic, noise) and would be temporary in nature. As described above, the project would include implementation of BMPs to avoid and minimize environmental impacts throughout construction activities.
These include measures related to fugitive dust control, noise and traff ic control, reducing erosion and sedimentation, and protecting water quality. Once constructed, the project would not result in significant impacts from operation. (d) Scenic Highways. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway.
Exception (d) does not apply. The project site is not located within, along, or near any Officially Designated State Scenic Highway or local roadway of importance (Caltrans 2023).
The nearest Officially Designated State Scenic Highway, State Route 180, is located more than 20 miles east of the project site. Therefore, implementation of the project would not affect any scenic highways or damage any scenic resources. (e) Hazardous Waste Sites. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project located on a site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code.
Exception (e) does not apply. The GeoTracker and EnviroStor databases were checked on December 12, 2023, and there are no hazardous waste sites located within 1,000 feet of the project site. In addition, the project site is not on any list compiled pursuan t to Government Code Section 65962.5 (SWRCB 2023; DTSC 2023). Refer to Attachment 1, GeoTracker Database Search, and Attachment 2, EnviroStor Database Search. (f) Historical Resources. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
Exception (f) does not apply. The project site does not include any historic resources (Historic Fresno 2023). Further, project implementation would be entirely within the existing road right-of-way and would not affect any structures or other areas. The p roject does not involve any disturbing of soil(s) and therefore there is a de minimis chance of adverse changes to potential cultural resources. Therefore, the project would not cause substantial adverse changes in the significance of a historical resource.
The project constitutes a single and complete project. For the reasons stated previously, the project is categorically exempt from CEQA by Class 1, Existing Facilities.
This project is exempt under Section 15282(j) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
The following statutory exemption may also apply to the project: Other Statutory Exemptions (CEQA Guidelines 15282[j]). Section 15282(j) applies to “a project for restriping streets or highways to relieve traffic congestion.” The project does involve the r estriping of an existing roadway, after traffic signal installation, in an effort to improve vehicular traffic, which could result in a smoother flow of traffic and improved congestion on the associated roadway section(s).
Date: December 20, 2023
Prepared By: David J. R. Mack, AICP
Senior Project Manager
Harris & Associates
Submitted by:
Isaac Campos
Engineer II
City of Fresno
Capital Projects Department
(559)
621-8657
References
Caltrans (California Department of Transportation). 2023. California State Scenic Highway System Map. Accessed December 2023. https://caltrans.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=465dfd3d807c4 6cc8e8057116f1aacaa.
City of Fresno. 2014. Fresno General Plan, Historic and Cultural Resources Element. Accessed December 2023. https://www.fresno.gov/darm/general-plan-development-code/.
DTSC (Department of Toxic Substance Control). 2023. EnviroStor Database Search, Walnut Avenue and Church Avenue, Fresno, California. Accessed December 2023. https://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/map/.
Historic Fresno. 2023. Local Register or Historic Resources. Accessed December 2023. http://historicfresno.org/lrhr/index.htm.
Peters Engineering Group. 2023. Project Plans – Exhibit 1. September 20.
SWRCB (State Water Resources Control Board). 2023. GeoTracker Database Search. Accessed December 2023. https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/.
Attachment 1. GeoTracker Database Search
Attachment 2. EnviroStor Database Search