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CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NO. PW01011
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: City of Fresno Capital Projects Department
747 R Street, 2nd Floor
Fresno, CA 93721
Attn: Isaac Campos, Project Manager
PROJECT LOCATION: The project site consists of a 0.7-mile segment of Shaw Avenue between Fruit Avenue and 950 feet east of Palm Avenue in the city of Fresno, Fresno County, California
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Shaw Avenue Roadway Improvements from Fruit Avenue to 950 Feet East of Palm Avenue Project (project) includes the rehabilitation of existing pavement and replacement of failing segments of pavement to optimal conditions along Shaw Avenue between Fruit Avenue and 950 feet east of Palm Avenue. Proposed rehabilitation activities would include a grind and overlay; full-depth reconstruction where needed; reconstruction of non -Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps; and installation of cur bs and gutters, median nose adjustments, new signage, and striping.
The project would require partial right -of-way (ROW) acquisition from one parcel listed by Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 417-291-19 (partial).
Construction of the proposed project is expected to occur over a 4-month period beginning in August 2026 and ending in December 2026. It is anticipated that proposed construction activities would require a lane closure in each direction to construct the roadbed and to install striping.
Additionally, sidewalk closures are also anticipated for the construction of the ADA curb ramps, curbs, and gutters. One side of Shaw Avenue will remain open to pedestrian traffic at all times during construction. Construction activities are anticipated to result in approximately 7.83 acres of ground disturbance with a maximum depth of excavation of 1 foot. Construction equipment for proposed construction activities would include cold planers, compactors, rollers, jack hammers, an asphalt paver, a concrete mixer, dump trucks, bull dozers, a curb and gutter machine, and a Bobcat excavator. An exact construction staging location is currently not known but would be located within a previously disturbed and/or developed area. The project does not include the removal of any existing buildings or structures from the parcel proposed for ROW acquisition.
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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 repairs or minor alterations to existing facilities. 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 types of "existing facilities" itemized below are not intended to be all -inclusive of the types of projects which might fall within Class 1. The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use.
Specifically included in this class of exemption are:
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 as the addition of bicycle facilities, including but not limited to bicycle parking, bicycle -share facilities and bicycle lanes, transit improvements such as bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, street trees, and other similar alte rations that do not create additional automobile lanes;; and
d) Restoration or rehabilitation of deteriorated or damaged structures, facilities, or mechanical equipment to meet current standards of public health and safety, unless it is determined that the damage was substantial and resulted from an environmental hazard such as earthquake, landslide, or flood.
The proposed project would be consistent with the provisions of a Class 1 Categorical Exemption because it would be limited to the rehabilitation of existing pavement and replacement of failing segments of pavement to optimal conditions along an existing roadway segment in a developed portion of the city. The project would not increase the number of travel lanes nor increase roadway capacity.
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 Secti on 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 project site extends along Shaw Avenue, between Fruit Avenue and 950 feet east of Palm
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Avenue and consists entirely of previously developed areas containing existing roadways and frontages with some areas of ruderal vegetation and/or scattered landscaped trees. The project site is located in an urbanized area and is surrounded by commercial, office, and single-family residential land uses within both the City and County jurisdiction. The project would be limited to work within the existing roadway prism and would not extend into previously undisturbed areas or native soils. The pro ject would not require any alteration or removal of structures from the parcel proposed for partial ROW acquisition 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, or energy d emand, 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: July 2, 2024
Prepared By:
Annika Kiemm
Assistant Project Environmental
Planner
SWCA Environmental Consultants
(805) 243-9389
Submitted by:
Isaac Campos
Project Manager
City of Fresno
Capital Projects Department
(559) 621-8880