14984-03 VMT
July 20, 2023
Mr. Adam Smith
Sancerra Communities – Whitewood, LLC
240 Newport Center Dr, Suite 200
Newport Beach, CA 92660
WHITEWOOD VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED (VMT) ANALYSIS
Mr. Adam Smith,
Urban Crossroads, Inc. is pleased to provide the following Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Analysis for the Whitewood development ( Project), which is located on the northeast corner of Whitewood Road and Clinton Keith Road in the in the City of Murietta.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Project is proposed to consist of 130 single family attached residential dwelling units and 132 multifamily residential (low-rise) dwelling units for a total of 2 62 units (see Attachment A). The 130 single family attached units are classified as units that share a wall with adjacent units (such as a duplex or townhouse). It should be noted, since the time this VMT analysis has been prepared, the site plan has been updated: the single family attached residential dwelling units has been reduced from 130 dwelling units to 125 dwelling units, for a total of 257 dwelling units.
In an effort to provide flexibility for minor changes to the site plan during final preparation, this VMT analysis evaluates a higher 130 single family attached residential dwelling units for a total of 262 dwelling units in an effort to provide a conservative analysis.
BACKGROUND
Changes to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines were adopted in December 2018, which require all lead agencies to adopt VMT as a replacement for automobile delay-based level of service (LOS) as the new measure for identifying transportation impacts for land use projects. This statewide mandate went into effect July 1, 2020. To aid in this transition, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Res earch (OPR) released a Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA (December 2018) ( Technical Advisory ) (1). Based on OPR’s Technical Advisory, the City of Murrieta adopted their Traffic Impact Analysis Preparation Guidelines (City Guidelines) (2). The adopted City Guidelines have been utilized to prepare this VMT analysis.
VMT SCREENING
The City Guidelines provide details on “Project Type Screening” that can be used to identify when a proposed land use project is anticipated to result in a less than significant impact without conducting a project level assessment. Projects that meet project type screening are as listed:
Mr. Adam Smith
Sancerra Communities – Whitewood, LLC
July 20, 2023
14984-03 VMT
• Local serving retail projects less than 50,000 square feet • Projects generating less than 110 daily vehicle trips regardless of whether consistent with the General Plan or not. This generally corresponds to the following “typical” development potentials:
o A residential parcel map
o 11 single family housing units
o 16 multi-family, condominiums, or townhouse housing units o 10,000 sq. ft. of office
o 15,000 sq. ft. of light industrial
o 63,000 sq. ft. of warehouse
• Local-serving retail that primarily serves the City and/or adjacent cities • Office and other employment -related land uses reducing commutes outside the local area
• Local-serving day care centers, pre-K and K-12 schools • Local parks and civic uses
• Local-serving gas stations, banks and hotels (e.g. non-destination hotels) • Local serving community colleges that are consistent with SCAG RTP/SCS assumptions • Student housing projects
A land use project need only meet one of the above screening criteria to result in a less than significant impact.
PROJECTS GENERATING LESS THAN 110 DAILY VEHICLE TRIPS
City Guidelines indicate that projects generating fewer than 110 daily vehicle trips may be presumed to have a less than significant impact. Trips generated by the Project’s proposed land uses have been estimated based on trip generation rates collected by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, 11th Edition, 2021 (3). As shown on Table 1 the proposed Project is anticipated to generate 1,826 vehicle trip-ends per day, which exceeds the 110 daily vehicle trip threshold.
Mr. Adam Smith
Sancerra Communities – Whitewood, LLC
July 20, 2023
14984-03 VMT
TABLE 1: PROJECT TRIP GENERATION SUMMARY
Projects Generating less Than 110 Daily Vehicle Trips screening criteria is not met.
The Project was not found to meet any of the available screening criteria as identified in the City Guidelines. The Project’s VMT impact will need to be further analyzed.
LIMITED VMT ANALYSIS
As identified in the City Guidelines , “projects not screened out using the process above shall perform a limited analysis of VMT expected to be generated by the project and compare that to the VMT expected to be generated by the land use assumed in the General Plan.” As noted in the City Guidelines, the results of this test will result in one of the following outcomes:
• VMT is less than the land use assumed in the General Plan – Less than Significant VMT impact and no need for further analysis in a TIA for VMT • VMT is more than the land use assu med in the General Plan - Likely Significant VMT impact and need for full analysis in a TIA for VMT
The Project site currently has a General Plan land use designation of Multi-Family Residential (MFR). The Multiple-Family Residential land use density standard is 10.1 to 30 dwelling units per acre, as shown in the City of Murietta’s General Plan Land Use Map (4). As noted previously, the Project consists of 262 dwelling units on approximately 17.26 acres, which equa ls 15.2 dwelling units per acre, below the 30 dwelling units per acre threshold. In addition, the Project site is zoned Multi-Family 2 (MF-2), as identified in the City of Murietta’s General Plan Zoning Map (5). The MF- 2 zone density standard is 15.1 to 18.0 dwelling units per acre . Once more, the Project dwelling units per acre of 15.2 is below the allowable densities in the Zoning Map. The Project’s proposed density is consistent with the land use and zoning assumptions evaluated by the City’s updated ITE LU AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Land Use1 Code Units2 In Out Total In Out Total
Trip Generation Rates:
Single Family Attached 215 DU 0.15 0.33 0.48 0.32 0.25 0.57 7.20 Multifamily Residential (Low-Rise) 220 DU 0.10 0.30 0.40 0.32 0.19 0.51 6.74 1 Trip Generation Source: Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Trip Generation Manual, 11th Edition (2021). 2 DU = Dwelling Units
Land Use Quantity Units1 In Out Total In Out Total
Trip Generation Summary:
Single Family Attached 130 DU 19 43 62 42 32 74 936
Multifamily Residential (Low-Rise) 132 DU 13 40 53 42 25 67 890 Total 32 83 115 84 57 141 1,826
1 DU = Dwelling Units
Daily
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Daily
Mr. Adam Smith
Sancerra Communities – Whitewood, LLC
July 20, 2023
14984-03 VMT
General Plan and Zoning Map and would therefore not generate VMT in excess of the land uses assumed in the General Plan. Based on the City’s Guidelines the Project does not require further VMT analysis.
CONCLUSION
In summary, the Project does not meet any of the available screening criteria, however, the Project’s land use and development intensity is less than or equal to the land use density assumed in the City’s General Plan and Zoning Map. Accordingly, the Project’s VMT impact is less than significant and no additional VMT analysis is required.
If you have any questions, please contact me directly at [email protected].
Respectfully submitted,
URBAN CROSSROADS, INC.
Alexander So
Senior Associate
14984-03 VMT
REFERENCES
1. Office of Planning and Research. Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA. State of California : s.n., December 2018.
2. City of Murrieta Public Works/Engineering and the Development Services Department.
Traffic Impact Analysis Prepartion Guidelines. City of Murrieta : s.n., May 2020.
3. Institute of Transportation Engineers. Trip Generation Manual. 11th Edition. 2021.
4. City of Murrieta. General Plan Land Use Map. City of Murrieta : s.n., Approved July 7, 2020.
5. City of Murrieta. Proposed Zoning Map. City of Murrieta : s.n., Approved July 7, 2020.
14984-03 VMT
ATTACHMENT A
PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN
14984-03 VMT