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Cover Letter
COVER LETTER
December 17, 2024
Carlos I. Serna, MPP , Associate Planner
City of Lake Elsinore
130 S Main Street
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Subject: Scope of Work for Environmental Impact Report for the Lake Elsinore Heights Project, City of Lake Elsinore, California
Dear Carlos:
The City of Lake Elsinore is seeking assistance to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and peer review of applicant-provided technical studies for the proposed Lake Elsinore Heights Project (proposed project) in the City of Lake Elsinore, California.
FCS International, Inc., doing business as FirstCarbon Solutions (FCS), has more than 42 years of experience in preparing a full range of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review documents, including EIRs, to support various development projects throughout southern California, and various jurisdictions in Riverside County.
FCS prides itself not only on the quality of our technical work, but also on our highly responsive and proactive problem-solving approach. To that end, we will ensure a defensible and legally adequate environmental document for this project. In addition to our in-house legal counsel, and technical experts, we have also identified a highly seasoned project management team for this effort.
We are committed to maintaining close coordination throughout the environmental process and responding to your project needs in a timely and cost-effective manner. On that note, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or to discuss this request in more detail. I can be reached at 925.200.1656 or by email at [email protected].
As always, we are grateful to partner with the City, and look forward to assisting you with your ongoing environmental needs.
Sincerely,
Jason Brandman, Senior Vice President/Director Angela Wolfe, Senior Project Manager FirstCarbon Solutions FirstCarbon Solutions
967 Kendall Drive, #A-537 967 Kendall Drive, #A-537
San Bernardino, CA 92407 San Bernardino, CA 92407
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PROPOSED SCOPE OF SERVICES
Project Understanding
FCS understands that the applicant proposes to develop an approximately 61.02-acre site with four industrial buildings totaling 555,060 square feet of speculative warehouse space, open space, and land reserved for the potential development of up to 61 attached dwelling units in the City of Lake Elsinore.
The project site is located south of Wasson Canyon Road, north of Camino Del Norte, and east of 2nd Street. The project site is located on five parcels, associated with Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) 347- 250-010, 347-250- 011, 377-110-045, 377-110-057, and 377-110-058. The eastern 32.01 acres of the site (APN 347-250-011) are designated Hillside Residential (HR) and zoned Rural Mountainous Residential (RMR). The western 29.01 acres of the site (APNs 347-250-010, 377-110-045, -057, and -058) are designated Business Professional (BP) and zoned Commercial Office (C-O). The eastern portion of the site is located within the Lake Elsinore Hills Planning District, and the western portion of the site is located within the Business Planning District.
The project site is primarily undeveloped, with the exception of an existing residential structure on APN 377- 110-058, which will be demolished prior to grading. Wasson flood channel is located towards the northern portion of the site.
The project would require a General Plan Amendment (GPA) to change the existing General Plan land use designations of Business Professional and Hillside Residential to 47.68 acres of Business Park (BP), 4.95 acres of Floodway (F), 5.12 acres of Medium Density Residential (MDR), and 0.16 acres of Open Space (OS). The proposed project would also include a Zone Change (CZ) to modify the zoning designation to Limited Manufacturing (M-1) on 47.68 acres, 5.12 acres of Medium Density Residential (R-2), and 5.11 acres of Open Space.
The proposed project would be divided into eight Planning Areas:
• Planning Area 1 would be developed with 247,980 square feet of building space, consisting of a building footprint of 235,480 square feet and 12,500 square feet of mezzanine space. Building 1 would provide 46 loading docks, 72 trailer parking stalls, and 357 standard vehicle parking stalls. • Planning Area 2 would be developed with 239,700 square feet of building space, consisting of a building footprint of 227,200 square feet and 12,500 square feet of mezzanine space. Building 2 would provide 35 loading docks, 87 trailer parking stalls, and 325 standard vehicle parking stalls. A minimum 150-foot-wide visual and noise buffer would be provided along the eastern and southern edges of Planning Area 1 and eastern edge of Planning Area 2. • Planning Area 3 would be developed with 27,600 square feet of building space, consisting of a building footprint of 26,100 square feet and 1,500 square feet of mezzanine space. Building 3 would provide three loading docks and 37 standard vehicle parking stalls.
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• Planning Area 4 would be developed with 39,780 square feet of building space, consisting of a building footprint of 36,780 square feet and 1,500 square feet of mezzanine space. Building 4 would provide three loading docks and 70 standard vehicle parking stalls. • Planning Area 5 would consist of 5.12 acres of Medium Density Residential and would yield a maximum of 61 DUs at a density of 12 du/net acres.
• Planning Area 6 would provide for a 4.96-acre drainage channel for planned Line L-14 of the Lake Zone Master Drainage Plan.
• Planning Area 7 would provide 0.16 acres of open space, which may be dedicated to the City of Lake Elsinore for public use.
• Planning Areas 8A and 8B would consist of a combined 0.14 acres of open space area for private maintenance.
Access to the project site would be provided by Ohana Circle and Wasson Canyon Road. An emergency vehicle access road would be provided at the western edge of the site at Dexter Avenue. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the site is located in Zone X, an area of minimal flood hazard. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the site is not located in a State Responsibility Area or Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
It is assumed that prior to the preparation of the Administrative Draft EIR, the City and/or applicant team will provide the following additional technical studies:
• Biological Resources Assessment;
• Cultural Resources Assessment;
• Preliminary Geotechnical Investigation;
• Preliminary Hydrological Study/Hydrology Supporting Information (including stormwater); and Traffic Study (Vehicle Miles Traveled and Level of Service).This proposal contains a Scope of Work and fees for preparing an EIR and associated peer review of technical studies listed below in Task 3. The following tasks are proposed to complete the identified Scope of Work.
Scope of Work
Task 1: Project Initiation and Kick-off Meeting
FCS will review relevant background material, develop an initial data needs list, and coordinate with the City and the applicant team to schedule a kick-off meeting (it is anticipated that the kick-off meeting will be completed via teleconference). The intent of the kick-off meeting is to clarify and confirm the details of the Scope of Work and schedule, obtain copies of the project plans and other relevant information, and identify key points of contact. FCS will review relevant background documents to ensure project understanding. It is typically helpful to have all relevant team members attend this call (i.e., applicant,
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civil engineering design team, and general contractor, if applicable). A site visit will be conducted as part of the project initiation process to document existing conditions.
Task 2: Preparation of CEQA-compliant Project Description Using the information obtained during project initiation, FCS will prepare a comprehensive Project Description per CEQA requirements for the City and applicant’s review and approval. The Project Description will identify the project location, describe the project characteristics, identify necessary approvals, and list other agencies that may use the document for environmental review. The Project Description will use graphics and tables to clearly convey relevant information to the reviewer and will include all of the information required to define the proposed project for the purposes of CEQA, including a clear explanation of the development components of the proposed project, a description of the construction and operational activities associated with the proposed project, and clearly illustrated project components displayed in exhibits based on Geographic Information System (GIS) data.
The approved Project Description will form the basis for evaluating the proposed project in the EIR. The draft Project Description will be submitted to the City for review and approval prior to the development of the Administrative Draft EIR. It is assumed that the City will provide one set of consolidated, vetted comments (with tracked changes in the Word document) on the draft Project Description to FCS within 2 weeks of submittal. FCS will revise the Project Description and provide it to the City within 1 week for final approval. Changes to the Project Description made after the City has issued their approval may require a Change Order and extend the project schedule.
Deliverable
• Electronic version (via email in Microsoft Word and PDF) of the Administrative Draft Project Description to the City.
• Electronic version (via email in PDF) of the Final Project Description to the City.
Task 3: Peer Review of Applicant-provided Technical Studies FCS will peer review the technical studies provided by the City and/or applicant team to verify their completeness accuracy for purposes of CEQA; ensure consistency with the City of Lake Elsinore’s General Plan and Development Code; ensure compliance with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, rules, and requirements; and ensure legal defensibility and accuracy in the representation of project- related information.
FCS’s team of in-house experts includes a Senior Environmental Services Director, CEQA Project Managers, Senior Air Quality Scientist, Principal Biologist, Senior Archaeologist, Senior Noise Scientist, expert in-house legal counsel, publications specialists, and other relevant technical staff.
The team will perform a thorough review of study methodology, modeling, calculations, findings, and results to identify inaccuracies, inconsistencies, or incompleteness, with a focus on ensuring the studies
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are legally defensible and adequate for purposes of CEQA. In the event that any inadequacies or inconsistencies are found in any of the technical studies, FCS will prepare a brief peer review memorandum that outlines these inaccuracies. Any additional analysis (including site visit) would be addressed in a separate scope and fee. The following technical studies to be provided by the applicant will be peer reviewed:
• Air Quality Impact Analysis prepared by Urban Crossroads dated September 9, 2024 • Energy Analysis prepared by Urban Crossroads dated September 9, 2024 • Greenhouse Gas Emissions prepared by Urban Crossroads dated September 9, 2024 • Construction and Operational Health prepared by Urban Crossroads dated September 9, 20204 • Noise and Vibration Analysis prepared by Urban Crossroads dated August 29, 2024 • Phase I Environmental Site Assessment prepared by Hazard Management Consulting dated December 14, 2023
• Biological Resources Assessment (pending receipt); and • Cultural Resources and Paleontological Assessment (pending receipt) FCS will deliver a peer review memorandum for each report to the City. This scope assumes the City and/or applicant will provide revised studies, which FCS will peer review for a second time to ensure revisions from the peer review memoranda were incorporated. Any additional peer review would be covered under a separate scope and fee. Once the studies are deemed complete by the City, FCS will incorporate the results of the studies, including findings and recommendations, into the Administrative Draft EIR. The studies will be included as an appendix to the Draft EIR.
Task 4: Notice of Preparation and Scoping Meeting
FCS will prepare a Draft Notice of Preparation (NOP) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15082.
The NOP will identify the project location, provide a summary of the project characteristics, and list probable environmental effects, supported by tables and color graphics. FCS will submit the Draft NOP to the City. It is assumed that the City will provide one set of consolidated, vetted comments (with tracked changes in the Word document) on the Draft NOP to FCS within 2 weeks of submittal. Once FCS receives these comments, FCS will complete revisions and prepare a NOP for public review. FCS will submit the NOP and accompanying Notice of Completion (NOC) to the State Clearinghouse (SCH) electronically. The City will be responsible for distributing the NOP to public agencies and private parties. This Scope of Work assumes that an Initial Study will not be prepared.
Deliverables
• Electronic copy (via Dropbox in Microsoft Word and PDF) of the Draft NOP to the City. • Electronic copy (via Dropbox in PDF) of the NOP to the City. • Electronic copy (via CEQAnet) of the NOP and NOC to the SCH.
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Public Scoping Meeting
Following release of the NOP , the City will hold a public scoping meeting, which FCS representatives will attend. The public scoping meeting will be conducted at a regularly scheduled Planning Commission hearing; it is assumed that the public scoping meeting will be conducted virtually. During the meeting, FCS will monitor comments received, answer questions as directed by staff, and, following the meeting, provide a summary of public comments regarding any environmental concerns raised. Input will be used to focus the issues to be addressed in the Draft EIR. The summary of verbal comments and the written comments letters will be appended to the Draft EIR. A summary of the verbal and written comments will be included in the Introduction section of the Draft EIR.
Task 5: Administrative Draft EIR
FCS will prepare the Administrative Draft EIR in accordance with the applicable requirements contained in CEQA Guidelines Sections 15120 through 15132. The document will identify potentially significant impacts, feasible mitigation measures, and the residual significance after mitigation has been implemented. The Administrative Draft EIR will include narrative text, tables, exhibits, and technical appendices. The contents of the Administrative Draft EIR are listed as follows:
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Project Description
• Environmental Impact Analysis
• Aesthetics
• Agriculture and Forestry Resources
• Air Quality
• Biological Resources
• Cultural and Tribal Cultural Resources
• Energy
• Geology and Soils
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Land Use and Planning
• Mineral Resources
• Noise
• Population and Housing
• Public Services
• Transportation
• Utilities and Service Systems
• Wildfire
• Alternatives
• Other CEQA Considerations
• Effects Found Not To Be Significant
• List of Preparers and Contributors
• Technical Appendices
Executive Summary
In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15123, the Executive Summary will summarize the project, list the environmental topics that are comprehensively addressed in the Draft EIR, list the project alternatives, identify potential areas of controversy, and provide a matrix listing environmental impacts, mitigation measures, and the residual significance of all impacts.
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Introduction
The Introduction section will summarize the purpose and background of the project, identify the lead agency, and describe the scope of the Draft EIR and the document’s organization. The Introduction will also identify the environmental topics that were evaluated at a sufficient level of detail in the NOP and Effects Found Not to be Significant section, described below, and, thus, are not being re-evaluated in the Draft EIR.
Project Description
One of the first key actions will be to formulate a working description of the project. FCS will utilize the project description that was created under Task 2 which will articulate the project’s overall objectives.
FCS will prepare the Project Description section of the Draft EIR based upon information provided during project initiation and comments received on the NOP .
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15124, the project description will identify the project location, describe the project characteristics, list the project objectives, identify necessary approvals, and list other agencies that may use the document. The project description will also describe the relationship of the project to the City’s General Plan. The project description will use color graphics and tables to clearly convey relevant information to the reviewer.
Establishment of Thresholds of Significance
FCS will work with the City to establish thresholds of significance for each environmental issue to be addressed in the Draft EIR. The thresholds will be stated in each topical section of the Draft EIR to clearly illustrate the analytical process used to identify potential project effects.
Effects Identified as Potentially Significant
FCS will conduct an environmental analysis of the proposed project to include documenting baseline conditions, conducting project and cumulative impact evaluations, and formulating mitigation measures for each environmental issue that result in a potentially significant impact. As outlined above, a series of technical reports and analyses will be the basis for preparation of the Draft EIR. FCS will summarize and incorporate the findings and recommendations of these technical reports into the document as appropriate based on their level of significance.
Cumulative Effects
FCS will describe the reasonably foreseeable projects within a City-approved defined study area that may result in cumulative impacts associated with the proposed project. This Scope of Work assumes that the City will provide FCS with a list of cumulative projects to be included in the analysis.
Cumulative projects may be defined within a specified area around the project site as (1) projects constructed, but not occupied; (2) projects approved, but not constructed; (3) pending projects for which pre-filing or filing of an application with its respective lead agency has occurred; and (4)
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anticipated or announced projects for which no application has yet been filed with the lead agency.
However, note that the geographical extent of the evaluation area for cumulative impacts varies, depending upon the technical issue to be addressed. For instance, the evaluation area for air quality encompasses the local air basin, while the evaluation area for traffic encompasses the local roadway network. Findings of recent court cases will be used to address all pertinent issues. Cumulative projects will be discussed for each technical issue. Growth-inducing impacts will be evaluated separately in the Draft EIR in the Other CEQA Considerations section.
Alternatives
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.6, the EIR will evaluate a range of feasible alternatives to the proposed project. One of the alternatives will be the CEQA-mandated “No Project Alternative,” which is the circumstance under which the project does not proceed. FCS will evaluate up to two additional alternatives. In addition, the Alternatives section will address the feasibility of any alternatives that were initially considered but rejected from further consideration. Each alternative will be described in sufficient detail and evaluated on a topical section basis against the proposed project to determine if it will have fewer, equivalent, or greater impacts. A matrix will be provided comparing each alternative’s impacts on the various topical areas. The environmentally superior alternative will be identified.
Effects Found not to be Significant
CEQA Guidelines Section 15143 establishes that EIRs will focus on significant impacts on the environment and need not discuss in detail effects that are clearly insignificant or unlikely to occur. FCS will prepare the NOP , identifying any resource categories or topical areas that can be “scoped out” pursuant to Section 15143 given the location and context of the project site. Provisionally, we assume that impacts to agricultural and forestry and mineral resources will be less than significant and will not need to be analyzed in detail in the Draft EIR. A section titled Effects Found not to be Significant will be included in the Draft EIR to document the justification for resource categories excluded from detailed analysis in the Draft EIR.
Other CEQA-mandated Sections
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15126(g), FCS will discuss any potential growth-inducing impacts of the proposed project. Potential sources of growth inducement and their corresponding impacts, such as removal of obstacles to growth (i.e., extension of infrastructure), new employment generation, or major economic influences will be qualitatively analyzed, to the extent that they are applicable. Significant irreversible environmental changes will also be qualitatively evaluated pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.2(c).
Deliverable
• Electronic copy (via Dropbox in Microsoft Word and PDF) of the Administrative Draft EIR (with technical studies) appended to the Administrative Draft EIR to the City.
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Task 6: Screencheck Draft EIR
It is assumed that the City will provide one set of consolidated, vetted comments (with tracked changes in the Word document) on the Administrative Draft EIR. Once FCS receives these comments, FCS will complete revisions and prepare a Screencheck Draft EIR for review. Note that this Scope of Work assumes only one round of City comments and revisions to the Administrative Draft EIR. Should the estimated hours needed to complete this task exceed the cost identified herein, FCS will coordinate with the City regarding the need for additional funds to ensure incorporation of all comments and edits.
Deliverable
• Electronic copy (via Dropbox in Microsoft Word) of the track changes version of the Screencheck Draft EIR to the City.
Task 7: Public Draft EIR
We assume that the City will provide one set of consolidated, vetted comments (with tracked changes in the Word document) on the Screencheck Draft EIR. Upon receipt of final City comments on the Screencheck Draft EIR, FCS will proceed with finalizing and producing the Draft EIR for public review. This task assumes technical staff time to complete revisions to the Draft EIR, plus editing and administrative staff time to prepare the document for publication. If additional hours are required, FCS will prepare a budget augment to cover the additional level of effort.
FCS assumes that the City will notice and distribute copies of the Draft EIR to responsible agencies and the public for a 45-day public review period. FCS will provide the SCH with an electronic copy of the document (and appendices) and required notices and forms, including the Notice of Completion (NOC), Notice of Availability (NOA), and Summary Form via CEQAnet to begin the public review period. FCS will be responsible for drafting the NOC and Summary Form, and the City will be responsible for drafting the NOA. FCS assumes that no hard copies are needed, and that the City will be responsible for local distribution, noticing, and posting. Finally, this Scope of Work assumes that City staff will prepare and mail all notices associated with the Draft EIR to local agencies and interested parties.
Deliverables
• Electronic copy of the Draft EIR and appendices (via Dropbox in PDF) to the City. • Electronic copy (via CEQAnet) of the Draft EIR and appendices, NOC, NOA, and OPR’s Summary Form to the SCH.
Task 8: Administrative Final EIR
FCS will prepare an Administrative Final EIR in accordance with the applicable requirements contained in CEQA Guidelines Sections 15088 and 15089. The Administrative Final EIR will list all agencies, organizations, and individuals who submitted written comments on the Draft EIR during the public review period and provide written responses to those comments. To enhance readability and avoid redundancy, FCS will use Master Responses to address frequent and reoccurring comments on the Draft
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EIR’s analysis. Additionally, the Administrative Final EIR will contain an Errata, which will document minor changes to the Draft EIR text in strikeout-underline format.
Based on FCS’s experience responding to comments on recent projects, we have budgeted 100 hours of hours of FCS staff time (including technical, editing, and administrative personnel) for this task. Together with the City, FCS will evaluate the volume and complexity of comments received on the Draft EIR. If additional time is required beyond what is budgeted, FCS will prepare a budget augment to cover the actual level of effort.
Deliverable
• Electronic copy of the Administrative Final EIR (via Dropbox in Microsoft Word and PDF) to the City.
Task 9: Screencheck Final EIR
FCS will respond to City comments on the Administrative Final EIR. It is assumed that the City will provide one set of consolidated, vetted comments (with tracked changes in the Word document) on the Administrative Final EIR. Upon receipt of the consolidated set of comments, FCS will prepare the Screencheck Final EIR.
The intent of the Screencheck Final EIR is to allow City staff to review final changes to the Final EIR prior to publication. It is anticipated that any comments on the Screencheck Final EIR would concern minor points and not require major revisions.
Deliverable
• Electronic copy of the Screencheck Final EIR (via Dropbox in Microsoft Word and PDF) of the track changes version to the City.
Task 10: Final EIR
It is assumed that the City will provide one set of consolidated, vetted comments (with tracked changes in the Word document) on the Screencheck Final EIR. Once City staff provides final comments on the Screencheck Final EIR, FCS will proceed with finalizing and producing the Final EIR. This task assumes technical staff time will be required to complete revisions to the Final EIR, plus editing and administrative staff time to prepare the document for publication. If additional hours are required, we will prepare a budget augment to cover the actual level of effort.
FCS will provide copies of the Final EIR to the City, who will be responsible for local distribution, noticing, and posting. FCS will also prepare the Notice of Determination (NOD) for the project, which the City will file, within 5 business days of EIR certification. This Scope of Work assumes that City staff will prepare and mail all notices associated with the Final EIR to local agencies and interested parties.
Deliverables
• Electronic copy (via Dropbox in PDF) of the Final EIR to the City.
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• An electronic copy of the NOD to the City.
Task 11: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
FCS will prepare a comprehensive Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15097. The MMRP will contain all mitigation measures identified in the EIR.
This comprehensive MMRP will provide City staff with a single source of reference to the full range of mitigation measures to be implemented. For each measure or group of similar measures, the agency responsible for ensuring proper implementation will be identified, along with the timing and method of verification. The MMRP will be included in the Final EIR submittal.
Once FCS receives consolidated, vetted comments (with tracked changes in the Word document) on the MMRP , FCS will complete revisions and provide the City with a final MMRP .
Deliverables
• Electronic copy (via email in Microsoft Word) of the Draft MMRP to the City. • Electronic copy (via email in PDF) of the Final MMRP to the City.
Task 12: Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15091 and 15093, FCS will prepare Draft Findings of Fact for each potentially significant effect identified in the EIR and a Statement of Overriding Considerations for any unavoidable significant impacts associated with the proposed project. As required by the CEQA Guidelines, one of three findings must be made for each significant effect and must be supported by substantial evidence in the record. The Statement of Overriding Considerations will rely on input from the project team regarding the benefits of the project. FCS’s Project Manager will consult with the City to review draft findings and to finalize the findings.
Deliverables
• Electronic copy (via Dropbox in Microsoft Word) of the Draft Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations to the City.
• Electronic copy (via Dropbox in PDF) of the Final Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations to the City.
Task 13: Meetings and Public Hearings
This Scope of Work assumes that FCS’s Project Director and Project Manager will attend the following meetings:
Coordination Meetings:
• Twelve 1/2-hour meetings with City staff conducted during the preparation of the EIR. It is assumed these meetings can be completed virtually.
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Final EIR and Project Entitlements:
• Planning Commission—one, 6-hour meeting (this includes drive-time). • City Council-one, 6-hour meeting (this includes drive-time).
The cost for the Public Scoping Meeting is included in Task 5. As noted, the meetings would consist of a combination of coordination meetings with staff and public hearings. A not-to-exceed budget has been established to cover attendance at the meetings. If the applicant or City requests additional meeting attendance by FCS staff, including attendance of any technical staff, or if the amount of time involved in these meetings exceeds the initial budget allocation, FCS will notify the applicant of the additional costs and obtain authorization for the extra meeting time.
Task 14: Project Management
In addition to the research, analysis, communications, and report writing tasks described above, FCS will perform a variety of project management duties to ensure that the EIR meets the City’s standards of quality, and that it is delivered on time and within budget. These duties will include team supervision and coordination, oral and written communications with City staff, the applicant team, project accounting, and quality assurance review by FCS’s Project Director and Technical Editor of all deliverable products. These services will also include ongoing support to City staff, such as providing input to staff reports, regular schedule updates, and discussions of technical issues. This task assumes 80 hours of staff time.
Tasks Outside the Scope of Work
The following are tasks FCS has identified as falling outside its Scope of Work for the proposed project.
Newspaper Noticing/Local Noticing
FCS assumes that City staff will be responsible for any public noticing related to the certification of the EIR.
Notice of Determination Filing/Payment of Fees
FCS assumes that the applicant or City staff will be responsible for filing the NOD with the Riverside County Clerk’s Office within 5 business days of certification of the EIR. Please be advised that as of January 1, 2025, the filing fees for an EIR are $4,123.50 (California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW] fee) plus a $50 County handling fee, for a grand total of $4,173.50. The applicant will be responsible for paying the associated filing fees.
SCHEDULE
FCS has prepared the following schedule outlining the anticipated timing of each task.
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Task Week
Task 1: Project Initiation and Kick-off Meeting 1
Task 2: Preparation of CEQA-compliant Project Description 1–3 – Submit Draft Project Description 4
– Receive Comments on Draft Project Description 6
– Submit Final Project Description 7
Task 3: Peer Review of Applicant-provided Technical Studies 1-8 Task 4: Notice of Preparation and Scoping Meeting
– Submit Administrative Notice of Preparation 4
– Receive Comments on Notice of Preparation 6
– Start of Public Scoping Period (Begin 30-day Public Review) 7 – Public Scoping Meeting TBD (to occur during
public scoping period)
– 30-day Public Review Period Ends 11
Task 5: Administrative Draft EIR
– Submit Administrative Draft EIR 14
– Receive Comments on Administrative Draft EIR 18
Task 6: Screencheck Draft EIR
– Submit Screencheck Draft EIR 21
– Receive Comments on Screencheck Draft EIR 24
Task 7: Public Draft EIR
– Begin 45 Day Public Review Period 26
– 45-day Public Comment Period Ends 33
Task 8: Administrative Final EIR
– Meet with City to review comments received 34
– Submit Administrative Final EIR2 37
– Receive Comments on Administrative Final EIR 40
Task 9: Screencheck Final EIR
– Submit Screencheck Final EIR 42
– Receive Comments on Screencheck Final EIR 44
Task 10: Final EIR 46
Task 11: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
– Submit Draft Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program 42
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Task Week
– Receive Comments on Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program 44 – Submit Final Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program 46 Task 12: Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations – Submit Draft Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations 42 – Receive Comments on Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations
44 – Submit Final Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations 46 Task 13: Meetings and Public Hearings To Be Determined
Task 14: Project Management Ongoing
File NOD with Riverside County Clerk Within 5 business days of EIR Certification
Note:
1Assumes all requested data essential to complete the studies, including the final site plan and project description shall be provided the first week of project initiation. Additionally, assumes Lead Agency approval of the transportation study scoping agreement within approximately ten working days.
2Dependent on volume and complexity of comments.
PROPOSED BUDGET
FCS has prepared the following budget identifying the costs of each task.
Task Fees
Task 1: Project Initiation and Kick-off Meeting $2,800
Task 2: Preparation of CEQA-compliant Project Description $3,900 Task 3: Peer Review of Applicant-provided Technical Studies $10,700 Task 4: Notice of Preparation and Scoping Meeting $7,600 Task 5: Administrative Draft EIR $55,400
Task 6: Screencheck Draft EIR $22,200
Task 7: Public Draft EIR $8,900
Task 8: Administrative Final EIR $19,700
Task 9: Screencheck Final EIR $8,600
Task 10: Final EIR $3,900
Task 11: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program $2,400 Task 12: Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations $7,800
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Task Fees
Task 13: Meetings and Public Hearings $6,900
Task 14: Project Management $10,800
Total FCS Professional Labor $171,600
Total Direct Costs
Information Center, Reprographics, Mileage, Deliveries, etc. $1,500 Total FCS Professional Fee $173,100
Assumptions
The assumptions used in calculating the above fees are:
• Reimbursable expenses have been included in the table above. These direct costs, including, but not limited to those items presented below, will be reimbursable upon provision of proper documentation:
- Purchases of project materials
- Reproduction, reprographics, document production, printing and photographic - Postage, messenger, delivery, and overnight mailing
- Mileage, noticing, and record searches
- Other miscellaneous costs directly related to the project • There will be no significant revisions to the submitted development application, site plan, or project description. If there is a change to any of these by the applicant, a budget adjustment will be required to account for the project revisions.
• This price is based on completion of the work within the proposed schedule. If delays occur, an amendment of the price would be warranted to accommodate additional project management and other costs and to reflect adjustments for updated billing rates. • The fee is valid for up to 30 days from the date of this scope, after which it may be subject to revision.
• Costs have been allocated to tasks based upon FCS’s proposed approach. During the work, FCS may, on its sole authority, re-allocate costs among tasks and/or direct costs, as circumstances warrant, so long as the adjustments maintain the total price within its authorized amount. • The FCS Director and Project Manager will be the primary representatives at the project meetings and public hearing.
• This Scope of Work assumes no hard copies of deliverables will be provided. If hard copies are requested, a change order may be required to cover costs of producing the copies. Printing costs are based on the method of printing and binding proposed, numbers of copies proposed as work products, and estimated page lengths. Document printing costs are estimated and will be finalized
16 Proposal
at the time of printing. On further clarification of the documents and City’s (paper and/or digital CD/or flash drive) that City staff will need during the preparation effort, FCS will specifically identify a detailed reproduction work plan with more specific costs.