NOTICE OF DETERMINATION
(Consistency Determination Pursuant to CEQA Section 15162) TO: Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation FROM: City of Murrieta P.O. Box 3044, Room 113 Planning Division
Sacramento, CA 95812-3044 1 Town Square
Murrieta, CA 92562
County Clerk and Recorder's Office
County of Riverside
2724 Gateway Drive
Riverside, CA 92507
State Clearinghouse Number: 2010111084
Project Title: Hillside Ordinance Updates (DCA-2021-2396) Project Applicant: City of Murrieta
Description of Project: The “Project” is an ordinance amendment to revise Chapters 8.20 and 15.52 of the Municipal Code, and amend the City’s Development Code for the purpose of revising and updating Chapters 16.08, 16.14, 16.18, 16.22, 16.24, 16.28, and to add a new Sections 16.24.080, entitled “Exceptions”, 16.24.090, entitled “Reserved”, and 16.24.100, entitled “Hillside Overlay Map”. The main objective for bringing forward these updates is that when the hillside development standards were originally adopted in conjunction with the Comprehensive Development Code in 1997, these standards may have been over time misapplied and misinterpreted by project proponents and City staff as it relates to project review. The proposed updates will clarify and assist project proponents and City staff in the implementation of existing hillside criteria within an objective framework. This would be consistent with recent State housing legislation. Also, it should be noted that individual projects will still be subject to subsequent environmental review and site-specific analysis. Additionally, the updates being considered under Chapters 8.20 “Nuisances Generally” and 15.52, “Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control”, are proposed to be modified for consistency and referencing with the proposed modifications under Title 16.
The proposed action was reviewed for consistency with the adopted Negative Declaration for implementation of the Comprehensive Development Code on October 28, 1997, and the more recently benchmarked against the certified Murrieta General Plan Final FEIR in 2011 and Subsequent SEIR in 2021. These updates have been evaluated for consistency for the current “Project” proposal utilizing this Negative Declaration and the Murrieta General Plan Final FEIR and Subsequent SEIR in 2021 (SCH No. 2010111084), by the City of Murrieta.
Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21166 and CEQA guidelines 15162, the City has determined that: (1) there is substantial evidence that none of the conditions requiring preparation of a subsequent Negative Declaration exist, and (2) the City will rely on the previous environmental document, which adequately addresses this Project.
The proposed project _ would, or X would not introduce additional impacts or increase the severity of impacts beyond those already analyzed in the 1997 Comprehensive Development Code Negative Declaration.
Project Site Size: Citywide
Project Location: Citywide
Public Agency Approval: On XXXXXX XX, 2026, the City of Murrieta City Council made the determination that the project qualified for 15162 Consistency Determination pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21166 and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines Section 15162, Subsequent EIRs and Negative Declarations.
Statement of Reasons Supporting the Finding for an Addendum:
No substantial changes were proposed to the Project that would require major revisions of the previous ND and certification of the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; No substantial changes would occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertaken, which will require major revisions to the previous ND and EIR due to the involvement of any new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; and,
3. No new information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the ND was adopted and certification of the EIR occurred, shows any of the following:
(A) The project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previous ND and EIR; (B) Significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the previous ND and EIR; (C) Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the project, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measures or alternative; or (D) Mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in the previous ND and EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative.
Contact Person: Chris Tracy, AICP Senior Planner Phone Number: (951) 461-6414 Signature: Date:
Received for Filing: (To be completed by the County)
DATE SIGNATURE/TITLE
Signed by Lead Agency Signed by Applicant
Authority cited: Sections 21083 and 21110, Public Resources Code.
Date Received for filing at LUCI: __________________
Reference: Sections 21108, 21152, and 21152.1, Public Resources Code.