Sacramento City Council
February 27, 2024

American Subbasin. Of these wells, 26 are currently active while the remained are inactive because they have reached the end of their useful life, or because the water they produce no longer meets applicable water quality standards with treatment currently provided. The Sacramento and American rivers are vulnerable to contaminants from recreational activities, and the Sacramento River is also susceptible to agricultural contaminants (City of Sacramento 2015).

The City completed a Groundwater Master Plan in December 2017, which outlines the City’s strategy to meet the groundwater portion of the City’s urban water demand through 2035 (City of Sacramento 2017). The assessment concluded that an ongoing well rehabilitation and/or replacement program will be required if the City wants to maintain its good access to groundwater resources, and that to maintain a reliable capacity (of 17,900 AFY and 20,000 AFY), the City will need to replace many of the existing wells that may become inoperable, to the tune of one to two wells per year through 2035 (City of Sacramento 2017).

The City’s 2019 Consumer Confidence Report includes a comparison of the detected chemicals in the City’s drinking water supplies to the standards set by the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Drinking water may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants, the presence of which do not necessarily mean that water poses a health risk. According to the 2019 Consumer Confidence Report, the City’s water meets or exceeds all Federal and State drinking water standards (City of Sacramento 2020).

REGULATORY CONTEXT
Federal
Safe Drinking Water Act
The Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended in 1996, sets national water quality policy by establishing allowable quantities of potentially harmful constituents. The Act authorizes the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants. The U.S. EPA oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers that implement the standards.

Clean Water Act
Water quality objectives for all Waters of the United States (including the Sacramento River) are established under applicable provisions of Section 303 of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA). Section 307 of the CWA describes the factors that U.S. EPA must consider in setting effluent limits for priority pollutants. The CWA prohibits the discharge of pollutants to navigable waters from a point source unless authorized by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits (NPDES) The NPDES permit system was established to regulate municipal and industrial discharges to surface waters. Each NPDES permit contains limits on allowable concentrations and mass emissions of pollutants contained in discharges. Sections 401 and 402 of the CWA contain general requirements regarding NPDES permits. The goal of NPDES stormwater regulations is to improve the quality of stormwater discharged to receiving waters to the “maximum extent practicable” through the use of structural and non-structural Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs can include the development and implementation of various practices including educational measures (workshops informing public of what impacts results when household chemicals are dumped into storm drains), regulatory measures (local authority of drainage facility design), public policy measures (label storm drain inlets as to impacts of dumping on receiving waters), and structural measures (filter strips, grass swales and detention ponds).

State
California Water Code
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and CVRWQCB have established water quality standards, as required by Section 303 of the CWA and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act states that basin plans consist of beneficial uses, water quality objectives, and a program of implementation for achieving water quality objectives. The Water Quality Control Plan, or Basin Plan, prepared by the CVRWQCB, has established water quality numerical and narrative standards and objectives for rivers and their tributaries within its jurisdiction. In cases where the Basin Plan does not contain a standard for a particular pollutant, other criteria, such as US EPA water quality criteria developed under section 304(a) of the CWA apply.

Water quality objectives for the Sacramento River are specified in the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento River Basin and San Joaquin River Basin (Basin Plan) prepared by the CVRWQCB in compliance with the Federal CWA and the California Water Code (section 13240).

The Basin Plan establishes water quality objectives, and implementation programs to meet stated objectives and to protect the beneficial uses of water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin. Because the city of Sacramento and the Policy Area are located within the CVRWQCB’s jurisdiction, all discharges to surface water or groundwater are subject to the Basin Plan requirements.

Central Valley Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) NPDES Permits The CVRWQCB has adopted a general NPDES permit for short-term discharges of small volumes of wastewater from certain construction-related activities. Permit conditions for the discharge of these types of wastewaters to surface water are specified in “General Order for Dewatering and Other Low-Threat Discharges to Surface Waters” (Order No. 5-00-175, NPDES No. CAG995001). Discharges may be covered by the permit provided they are (1) either four months or less in duration, or (2) the average dry weather discharge does not exceed 0.25 mgd.

Construction dewatering, well development water, pump/well testing, and miscellaneous dewatering/low-threat discharges are among the types of discharges that may be covered by

the permit. The general permit also specifies standards for testing, monitoring, and reporting, receiving water limitations, and discharge prohibitions.

In accordance with NPDES regulations, to minimize the potential effects of construction runoff on receiving water quality, the State requires that any construction activity affecting 1 acre or more must obtain a General Construction Activity Stormwater Permit (General Permit).

Performance standards for obtaining and complying with the General Permit are described in NPDES General Permit No. CAS000002, Waste Discharge Requirements, Order No. 99-08-DWQ.

The General Permit was modified in April 2001 (SWRCB Resolution No. 2001-046) to require permittees to implement specific sampling and analytical procedures to determine whether the BMPs used at permitted construction sites are effective.

General Permit applicants are required to prepare and implement a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), which includes implementing BMPs to reduce construction effects on receiving water quality by implementing erosion control measures and reducing or eliminating non-stormwater discharges.

California Sustainable Groundwater Act
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (Act)is a package of three bills (AB 1739, SB 1168, and SB 1319) that provides local agencies with a framework for managing groundwater basins in a sustainable manner. The Act establishes minimum standards for sustainable groundwater management, roles and responsibilities for local agencies that manage groundwater resources, as well as priorities and timelines to achieve sustainable groundwater management within 20 years of adoption of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Central to the Act is the identification of critically over-drafted basins and the prioritization of groundwater basins, the establishment of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies , and the preparation and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans . Groundwater Sustainability Agencies must be formed by June 30, 2017, and Groundwater Sustainability Plans must consider all beneficial uses and users of groundwater in the basin, as well as include measurable objectives and interim milestones that ensure basin sustainability. A basin may be managed by a single Groundwater Sustainability Plans or multiple coordinated plans.

The City overlies two groundwater sub basins: the North American Subbasin, located north of the American River, and the South American Subbasin, located South of the American Subbasin.

Management and use differs between the North and South American Subbasins. The North American Subbasin consists mainly of cities, water districts and water agencies, whereas the South American Subbasin users consists of about 6,000 private groundwater users in addition to cities, water districts and water agencies. The stark differences in uses and stakeholders is why two separate Groundwater Sustainability Agencies were formed. The Sacramento Groundwater Authority was formed to manage the North American Subbasin and the Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority was formed to manage the South American Subbasin. Both the North and South American basins were designated as high priority basins, but neither has been designated as a critically over drafted basin. In December of 2014, the Sacramento Groundwater Authority adopted the Groundwater Management Plan to establish a framework for maintaining a sustainable groundwater resource. The Sacramento Groundwater Authority will prepare a Groundwater Sustainability Plan, to be submitted by 2022, using the 2014 Sacramento Groundwater Authority Groundwater Management Plan as

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

a basis. The Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority completed a Groundwater Management Plan for the South American Subbasin in 2006. Currently, the Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority has filed an alternative to a Groundwater Sustainability Plan , which was not approved by DWR. Accordingly, the Sacramento Central Groundwater Authority must also complete a corresponding Groundwater Sustainability Plan and submit it to the DWR by January 31, 2022. Until Act-compliant documents are submitted to and approved by DWR, the existing groundwater management plans and practices remain in place.

California Code of Regulations
Public water system operators are required to regularly monitor their drinking water sources for microbiological, chemical and radiological contaminants to show that drinking water supplies meet the regulatory requirements listed in Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations as primary maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). Primary standards are developed to protect public health and are legally enforceable. Among these contaminants are approximately 80 specific inorganic and organic contaminants and six radiological contaminants.

Public water system operators are also required to monitor for a number of other contaminants and characteristics that deal with the aesthetic properties of drinking water.

These are known as secondary MCLs. Secondary standards are generally associated with qualities such as taste, odor, and appearance. In California, secondary standards are legally enforceable for all new drinking water systems and new sources developed by existing public water suppliers (DWR 2003). This information has not changed since the TBR was last updated. The public water system operators are also required to analyze samples for unregulated contaminants, and to report other contaminants that may be detected during sampling.

Local
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit The County of Sacramento and the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, and Galt have a joint NPDES permit (No. CAS082597). The intent of the permit is to develop, achieve, and implement a timely, comprehensive, cost effective storm water pollution control program to reduce the discharge of pollutants in stormwater runoff to the greatest extent practicable.

Stormwater Quality Design Manual for Sacramento and South Placer Regions The County of Sacramento and the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Galt, and Roseville have collaborated and published the Stormwater Quality Design Manual for Sacramento and South Placer Regions (2018) to meet the regulatory requirements of their respective municipal stormwater NPDES permits. The Manual provides locally-adapted information for design and selection of three categories of stormwater quality control measures: source control, runoff reduction, and treatment control.

City of Sacramento Stormwater Quality Improvement Plan
The City of Sacramento prepared the 2007 Stormwater Quality Improvement Plan (SQIP) to reduce the pollution carried by stormwater into local creeks and rivers to the maximum extent practicable . The comprehensive plan includes pollution reduction activities for construction sites, industrial sites, illegal discharges and illicit connections, new development, and municipal operations. The program also includes an extensive public education effort, target pollutant reduction strategy and monitoring program. The SQIP includes a wide range of BMPs, control measures, and performance standards to be implemented during the permit period (currently 2006-2019) (City of Sacramento 2016-2017).

City of Sacramento City Code
The City's Land Grading and Erosion Control Ordinance requires project applicants to prepare erosion, sediment and pollution control plans for both during and after construction of a project, as well as preliminary and final grading plans. The ordinance applies to projects where 350 cubic yards or more of soil is excavated and/or disposed and requires BMPs that must be approved of by the City's Department of Utilities. In addition, the City’s Stormwater Management and Discharge Control Ordinance minimizes or eliminates sediment and pollutants in construction site stormwater discharges.

The City Code, Chapter 13.16 Stormwater Management and Discharge Control, mandate development projects to incorporate source point and/or treatment controls to minimize longterm, post-construction discharge of stormwater pollutants from new development or modifications to existing development. Specific control measures must be developed to reduce the risk of non-stormwater discharge and/or pollutant discharge into the City’s drainage system or other receiving waters from business-related activities.

Section 13.080.030 of the Sacramento City Code prohibits the discharge of any substances, materials, waters, or waste if the discharge would violate any sewer use ordinance enacted by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD). Section 13.08.040 of the Sacramento City Code identifies specific waters, wastes, and substances that may not be discharged to the sewer.

City of Sacramento Department of Utilities Engineering Services Policy No. 0001 All new groundwater discharges to the CSS or separated sewer system are regulated and monitored by the City's Department of Utilities pursuant to Department of Utilities Engineering Services Policy No. 0001, adopted as Resolution No. 92-439 by the Sacramento City Council.

Groundwater discharges to the City's sewer system are defined as construction dewatering discharges, foundation or basement dewatering discharges, treated or untreated contaminated groundwater cleanup, discharges, and uncontaminated groundwater discharges.

The City requires that any short-term discharge be permitted, or an approved Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for long-term discharges be established, between the discharger and the City. Short-term limited discharges of seven days duration or less must be approved through the City’s Department of Utilities by acceptance letter. Long-term discharges of greater

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

duration than seven days must be approved through the City’s Department of Utilities and the Director of the Department of Utilities through a MOU process. The MOU must specify the type of groundwater discharge, flow rates, discharge system design, a City-approved contaminant assessment of the proposed groundwater discharge indicating tested levels of constituents, and a City-approved effluent monitoring plan to ensure contaminant levels remain in compliance with State standards or Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District’s and CVRWQCB-approved levels. All groundwater discharges to the sewer must be granted a discharge permit from the Sanitation District. If the discharge is part of a groundwater cleanup or contains excessive contaminants, CVRWQCB or Sacramento County approval is also required.

Discharges in the CSD-1 service area do not require a MOU with the City. Permission to discharge must be obtained from CSD-1.

6.4 Cultural Resources

INTRODUCTION
This TBR describes the historic and cultural resources present or potentially present in the City of Sacramento Policy Area. Terminology applied throughout has been used with the intent of ensuring intuitive consistency with standard CEQA definitions, City preferences, and terminology applied in the General Plan.1
Significant resources in the area include structures that may be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), and the City of Sacramento’s Sacramento Register of Historical and Cultural Resources (Sacramento Register). Information for this section is based on research performed by Peak & Associates (2005), Dudek, and Page & Turnbull.

Appendix B includes four themed context statements and a table that identifies historic resources currently listed on the Sacramento Register. The context statements address the following themes: agriculture, State government, railroads, and World War II, transportation, and redevelopment. The historic context statements are not intended to be a comprehensive community history or chronology, but rather identify significant themes, patterns, trends, and property types in the city. The context statements provide a framework for the identification, evaluation, and treatment of historic resources. Although there are additional contextual 1 The term “cultural resource” should be understood to generally reference archaeological resources, although the term is also inclusive of cultural landscapes, traditional uses and broader heritage value systems that may also overlap elements of “tribal cultural resources”. The term “historic” is used to specifically reference historic era features, buildings, districts, and other elements of the historic built environment, which are distinct from archaeological resources and tribal cultural resources. These definitions are used independently from the term “historical resource”, which are intended to identify the significance of a resource (historic built environment or archaeological) under CEQA; this term is defined in PRC Section 21084.1 as a resource that is listed in, or determined eligible for listing in, the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR),

themes that explain the history and development of Sacramento, these were not researched as part of this TBR. An additional Mid-Century Modern context statement was completed in 2017.

Methodology
Precontact and Historic Era Archaeological Resources
Peak & Associates staff originally conducted archaeological research at the North Central Information Center (NCIC) of the California Historical Resources Information System to collect information on locations of recorded indigenous2 sites in the Policy Area as part of the 2030 General Plan and was determined to not require updating as part of the 2035 General Plan Update. Staff also consulted a set of base maps copied in the mid-1970s from original maps held by the early archeologists from UC Berkeley who worked to locate sites in the Sacramento area in the 1930s. The precontact background information is still relevant to the 2040 General Plan Update.

Sites recorded in the region include village sites, smaller occupation or special use sites, and lithic scatters. Native American use of the project area focused higher spots along the rivers, creeks and sloughs that provided water and sources of food. Recent findings in the City, such as at the City Hall site and elsewhere have helped further our understanding of the settlement pattern for the earliest inhabitants of the area, as well as detail regarding the dates of occupancy and use and additional understanding of the indigenous period lifeways.

Built Environment Context Statements
Research in support of the four (4) themed historic contexts is included as Appendix B of this TBR. It was compiled from the following repositories: the Sacramento Room at the Sacramento Public Library; the Center for Sacramento History; the California State Library; the Online Archive of California; and the City of Sacramento’s Planning Department. The works cited in the context statements are listed in the Appendix following the context statements.

Research for the regulatory background section of this report is based on data obtained from:
the NCIC (records requested January 2019); the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP); City of Sacramento’s Register of Historic & Cultural Resources (2015); Central City Specific Plan (2018); the City of Sacramento Preservation Element; the City of Sacramento Historic Preservation Director; and previous environmental documentation prepared for the City.
2 Please note, that the term “precontact” or “indigenous” should be understood to the same as “prehistoric”, as commonly applied in archaeological literature and regulations. These terms have been utilized throughout the present section at the request of consulting tribes. The use of prehistoric has been retained only where directly referenced by the discussed regulations or policies.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

EXISTING CONDITIONS
The Policy Area is located on the western edge of the Sacramento Valley and north of the geographic center of the State of California. The Sacramento Valley comprises roughly the northern third of the major north-northwest oriented synclinorium called either Valle Grande (Clark, 1929), Great Valley (Fenneman, 1931; Hackel, 1966), Central Valley (Jahns, 1954), Great Central Valley (Piper et al., 1939; Davis et al., 1957), or California Trough (Piper et al., 1939).

The Central Valley Physiographic Province is located between the Sierra Nevada Physiographic Province on the east and the Coast Ranges Physiographic Province on the west.

Precontact and Historic Era Archeological Background
Indigenous occupation of the Central Valley can be broadly broken into three phases: the Paleoindian Period, the Archaic Period, and the Emergent Period. These divisions are largely based on changing patterns in the material record and apparent shifts in subsistencesettlement patterns evident in the archaeological record of the region.

Paleoindian Period (11,550–8550 cal BC)
Occupation of the Central Valley and Sierra Foothills is likely to have occurred at least 9,000 years ago, but only a handful of Paleoindian Period lithic bifacial points have been recorded and the primary examples of the Paleoindian pattern, to which such fluted and stemmed points are generally assigned, have been recorded east of the Sierra Nevada. The typical assemblage includes large stemmed projectile points, high proportions of formal lithic tools, bifacial lithic reduction strategies, and relatively small proportions of groundstone tools. Fluted points and other Paleoindian Period sites are particularly rare in the Central Valley due to the dearth of Late Holocene–age deposits in the region because of periodic episodes of erosion and deposition during the Holocene that have removed or deeply buried large segments of the Late Pleistocene landscape that would contain Paleoindian sites, although fluted points have been found in isolated contexts in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. It is likely that Paleoindian Period occupation of the Central Valley would have been focused near highly productive watercourses, as Paleoindian sites are often found at the margins of lakebeds or other aquatic resources.

Archaic Period (8550 cal BC–cal AD 1100)
The Archaic Period in the Central Valley can be subdivided into three phases: the Lower Archaic (8550–5550 cal BC), the Middle Archaic (5550–550 cal BC), and the Upper Archaic (550 cal BC–cal AD 1100). As with the Paleoindian Period, Lower Archaic deposits in the Central Valley tend to be isolated finds lacking stratigraphic context. Stemmed projectile points, flaked stone crescents, and other distinctive flaked stone artifact types are associated with this period, several of which have been found in the vicinity of Tulare Lake (Fenenga 1992).

The onset of the Middle Archaic in Central California marked a substantial change in the climate, with warmer, dryer conditions resulting in the shrinking and eventual drying out of Tulare Lake, a phenomenon common among other Pleistocene Lakes throughout the Western United States during this time. This also coincided with the formation of new wetland habitats as rising sea levels pushed inland, forming the Sacramento and San Joaquin Deltas. These

climatic processes resulted in substantially more stable landforms as fans and floodplains stabilized within the delta, making buried Middle Archaic deposits much more common than those from the Early Archaic. Middle Archaic sites are typified by the distinct adaptive pattern of logistically organized subsistence practices and residential stability along river corridors (Rosenthal et al. 2007). The prevalence of groundstone tools, including early examples of mortars and pestles, suggests an increased reliance on vegetal resources, likely the result of greater residential stability driving resource intensification (e.g., Basgall 1987). Fishing was also an important component of subsistence, as new fishing technologies (including gorge hooks, composite bone hooks, and spears) along with abundant ichthyofaunal remains have been identified at Middle Archaic sites in Contra Costa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Counties (Heizer 1949; Rosenthal et al. 2007; Schulz 1981). Regional variations of the Middle Archaic pattern include the Windmiller Pattern, first identified on old levee ridges at the confluence of the Mokelumne and Cosumnes Rivers.

The transition to the Upper Archaic Period coincides with the onset of late Holocene environmental conditions, during which time the climate was markedly cooler, wetter, and more stable. The archaeological record from the Upper Archaic is better understood and represented, and is marked by an increase in cultural diversity, with numerous regional distinctions in burial posture, artifact styles, and other elements of material culture (Bennyhoff and Fredrickson 1994; Rosenthal et al. 2007). The Upper Archaic record is marked by the development and proliferation of numerous bone tools and implements, as well as widespread production and trade of manufactured goods, including Olivella shell beads, Haliotis ornaments, and obsidian bifacial roughouts and ceremonial blades (Bennyhoff and Fredrickson 1994; Moratto 1984). Subsistence economies during the Upper Archaic focused on seasonally structured resources that could be harvested and processed in bulk, including acorns, salmon, shellfish, deer, and rabbits. The proliferation of mortars and pestles and archaeobotanical remains indicate that the first widespread reliance on acorns occurred during this period (Wohlgemuth 1996, 2004). Large mounded village sites also first occurred in the delta region during this period (Bennyhoff and Fredrickson 1994; Boey 1995; Rosenthal et al. 2007).

On the whole, the Archaic Period in the Central Valley is characterized by increasing residential stability, cultural diversity, and subsistence intensification though time.

Emergent Period (cal AD 1100–Historic Contact)
The archaeological record for the Emergent Period is the most substantial and welldocumented of any period in the Central Valley, and the assemblages and adaptations represented therein are the most diverse. The Emergent Period also marks the onset of cultural traditions consistent with those documented at European contact and the disappearance of several previous archaeological traditions. Large villages developed in areas of the Sacramento Valley, and the number of mound villages and smaller hamlets increased across the region.

Subsistence economies during the Emergent Period were increasingly reliant on fishing and plant gathering, with increased subsistence intensification evident in the increased reliance on small seeds and a more diverse assortment of mammals and birds (Broughton 1994; Rosenthal et al. 2007; Wohlgemuth 2004). Perhaps the most notable technological change during the Emergent Period is the introduction of the bow and arrow, which replaced atlatl technology as the favored hunting implement sometime between AD 1100 and AD 1300 (Bennyhoff and Fredrickson 1994). The material record during the Emergent Period is also marked by the

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

introduction of new Olivella bead and Haliotis ornament types, and eventually the introduction of Clamshell Disk beads (Groza 2002; Moratto 1984; Rosenthal et al. 2007). The Emergent Period in general is marked by an increase in population size and the number of residential sites and villages throughout the region, with increasing regional variability and resource intensification.

Ethnohistoric Background
The following section has been drawn from archival, ethnographic, and archaeological literature. It represents a baseline summary drawn from common sources. Further, regional Native American tribes are living descendants of these indigenous communities.

Representatives of these tribes may provide additional information pertaining to contemporary, precontact and ethnohistoric practices, histories, cultural values, and/or indigenous lifeways.

At the time of European contact, Central California indigenous populations derived their linguistic roots from a common Penution stock. The degree of internal variation among Penutian’s three decedent language groups (Yokutian, Maiduan, and Wintuan) is similar to Indo-European, suggesting a time depth of approximately 6,500 years (Golla 2007), attesting to the long-term occupation of the region by people speaking languages that are variants of Penutian stock. The Policy Area specifically encompasses the boundary of the tribal territories of groups speaking two of these languages: Nisenan and Plains Miwok (Barrett 1908; Barrett and Gifford 1933; Bennyhoff 1977; Kroeber 1925, Wilson and Towne 1978, Golla 2007).

Additionally, the area immediately west of the Policy Area, across the Yolo Bypass was the tribal territory of Patwin speaking groups. The geographic distribution tribal territories and population density of the region suggests that the Policy Area would have been an important area for interaction and exchange between the different tribal groups in the region. Specific details about the groups occupying the Policy Area are discussed in detail below.

Nisenan. The major portion of the Policy Area lies in the tribal territory attributed to the Nisenan, an area that encompasses the drainages of the Yuba, Bear, and American Rivers, along with the lower portion of the Feather River. Nisenan is one of four closely related Maiduan languages, along with Konkow, Chico Maidu, and Mountain Maidu. Distinct dialects of Nisenan include Valley, Northern Hill, Central Hill, and Southern Hill Nisenan. Groups within Nisenan tribal territory referred to themselves as Nisenan, meaning "people," in contrast to the surrounding tribes, in spite of close linguistic and cultural similarities. For this reason, they are usually named by this term rather than the more technical "Southern Maidu." The Maiduan language structure suggests that all four Maiduan languages were descended from the same proto-Maiduan speaking population to the north which subsequently branched into distinct languages and dialects as populations spread southward, with the Nisenan encroaching into area previously occupied by Miwok tribal groups sometime in the past few centuries (Golla 2007). This later population movement is further substantiated by the high frequency of Miwok loan words found within Nisenan vocabulary, a trait that is not shared with the other three Maiduan languages. The frequency of loan words is indicative not only of the timing of the arrival of the Nisenan language to the area, but also of frequent interaction between Nisenan and Miwok speaking groups.

The Valley Nisenan subsistence-settlement pattern was oriented to major river drainages, with ancillary villages located on tributary streams and sloughs. Valley plains and flat grasslands between watercourses were used for collecting vegetable foods and hunting and generally lacked substantial settlements. Villages varied from as few as three houses to as many as 40 or 50, with major villages often supporting a population exceeding five hundred people (Wilson and Towne 1978:389). Traditional village features included bedrock milling stations, acorn granaries, conical house structures, and sweat and ceremonial houses. The indigenous subsistence strategy was centered on fishing, hunting, and collecting vegetative resources.

Groups were logistically mobile, with larger central habitation areas surrounded by satellite sites used during hunting excursions and for pre-processing of collected plant resources, such as acorns. Common food items included acorns, small seeds, pine nuts, fish, deer, rabbits, birds, bear, rodents, other mammals of small and moderate size, and various insects. Common tools included the bow and arrow, traps, harpoons, hooks, nets, portable and stationary grinding implements, and pestles and handstones.

Despite commonality in language and customs among Nisenan groups, the local main village was of more importance to the people than the tribal designation, and groups identified themselves by the name of the central village. Each village had a headman or captain that served as an advisor to the village, however the headman had little direct authority and each family or household had a leader who assisted the headman (Wilson and Towne 1978).

Chieftanship and political power, were traced patrilineally, with positions often passed down hereditarily, although headmen were occasionally chosen by the village (Wilson and Towne 1978). Villages, and often households, often acted autonomously regardless of affiliation with neighboring groups.

The Nisenan practiced "Kuksu Cult" religion, a widespread pattern among California indigenous tribes. Ceremonies congregated in the semi-subterranean dance house located at the central village and "cry sites" where the annual mourning ceremony for the dead took place.

Later, the religious revival of the ghost dance also affected this area.

In 1833, a great epidemic swept through the Sacramento Valley. This epidemic has been attributed to malaria (Cook 1955:308), and is estimated to have killed seventy-five percent of the native population. The stark population decline and subsequent intrusion of EuroAmerican miners and settlers caused a major disruption to native lifeways.

Plains Miwok. The southern portion of the Policy Area is within the tribal territory of the Plains Miwok, an area that encompasses the lower reaches of the Mokelumne, Cosumnes, and Sacramento Rivers, including the area of south Sacramento County surrounding the Policy Area.

The language spoken by the Plains Miwok is one of the five classified languages of the Miwok family, a branch of the Yokutian stock, with several distinct regional dialects. The language falls into two distinct branches: Western Miwok, which is subdivided into Coast and Lake Miwok, and Eastern Miwok, which includes Bay, Plains, and Sierra Miwok. Lexostatistical calculations suggest that the two branches of the Miwok language began to diverge at approximately 500 BC (Golla 2011). Furthermore, the distinctions between Plains Miwok and the adjoining Sierra Miwok vocabulary suggest that the Plains Miwok was a distinct linguistic entity for the last 2,000 years (Levy 1970). This result led researchers such as Richard Levy (1978:398) to

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

conclude that Plains Miwok speaking groups inhabited the Sacramento Delta for a considerable period of time.

The basic social unit of the Plains Miwok was the patrilineal extended family with preferred patrilocal residence (Bennyhoff 1977). These units were grouped into larger moieties (Bennyhoff 1977; Levy 1978). The largest political unit was the tribelet, which could be comprised of as many as 300-500 individuals. Tribelets, as defined by Kroeber (1925), were characterized by a sense of cohesion, local autonomy, and use and ownership of a certain territory. Plains Miwok tribelet areas could be represented by a single village or a primary village with up to six smaller and subsidiary settlements. Each settlement generally comprised approximately 21 individuals according to data collected by Gifford (Cook 1955:35). The tribelet took its name from the tribelet center, which represented the natal village of the hereditary headman or “chief” of the unit, and which was the site of the principal assembly house used for ceremonial dances (Bennyhoff 1977). Ethnographic and mission records have identified 28 independent Plains Miwok tribelets, eight of which occupied territories along the Cosumnes River (Bennyhoff 1977; Levy 1978). Although tribelets were autonomous, they would join together to occasionally form larger cooperative groups.

Four main types of structures were known among the Eastern Miwok, depending on the environmental setting. In the mountains, the primary structure was a conical structure of bark slabs. At lower elevations, the structures were thatched, semi-subterranean earth-covered dwellings and two types of assembly houses used for ceremonial purposes (Levy 1978:408- 409).

The diet of the Plains Miwok emphasized the collection of floral resources such as acorns, buckeye, pine nuts, seeds from the native grasses and various fresh greens. Faunal resources such as tule elk, pronghorn antelope, deer, jackrabbits, cottontails, beaver, gray squirrels, woodrats, quail and waterfowl were hunted. Fishing, particularly salmon and sturgeon, contributed significantly to the Plains Miwok diet (Levy 1978:402-403). The primary method of collecting fish was by nets, but the use of bone hooks, harpoons and obsidian-tipped spears is also known ethnographically (Levy 1978:404). The study of piscine (fish) remains from both CA-SAC-65 (Schulz, Abels and Ritter 1979) and CA-SAC-145 (Schulz nd; Schulz and Simons 1973) indicates that small villages away from the major rivers appear to concentrate on the collection of fish species (particularly the Sacramento perch) that inhabited slow-moving waters. The Eastern Miwok manufactured both twined and coiled baskets. The baskets were used for the collection and storage of seeds, basketry cradles and gaming (Levy 1978:406).

Tule mats were primarily used by the Plains Miwok as a floor covering. Other uses of tule included the manufacture of the tule balsa, a watercraft in which native people navigated and exploited adjacent delta and major river systems.

Bennyhoff (1977:11) characterized the Plains Miwok as intensive hunter-gatherers, with an emphasis upon gathering. The seasonal availability of floral resources defined the limits of the group's economic pursuits. Hunting and fishing subsistence pursuits apparently accommodated the given distribution of resources. The Plains Miwok territory covered six seasonally productive biotic communities and as such native people could apparently afford to pick and choose the resources they ranked highest from each of these zones. The subsequent storage of floral resources (such as acorns in granaries) allowed for a more stable use of the resource base (Bennyhoff 1977:10). The acorn was apparently the subsistence base needed to

provide an unusually productive environment as earlier non-acorn using peoples who resided in the same geographic setting apparently suffered some seasonal deprivation (Schulz 1981).

Such an emphasis upon the gathering of acorns is consistent with the resource intensification and population increase evident during the Emergent Period in California.

Precontact and Historic Era Archaeology Sensitivity Areas Previous surveys since 1930 have recorded approximately 80 archaeological sites within the Policy Area. The types of archaeological resources discovered include village sites, smaller occupation or special use sites, and lithic scatters. Native American use of the Policy Area focused on higher spots along the rivers, creeks and sloughs that provided water and sources of food. For the purposes of this study, the Policy Area was classified as one of three categories for analysis based on existing research: areas of high sensitivity for archaeological resources; areas of moderate sensitivity; and areas of low sensitivity. These areas are shown on Figure 6-

9. It is important to further note that, while areas may be substantially disturbed, thereby effecting the archaeological data potential of a resource as understood under regulations, these places may be viewed differently by living Native American tribes. Such areas may retain and continue to convey deep tribal cultural significance and importance to tribal communities.

Although they may overlap with cultural resources, tribal cultural resources are understood to be, and accordingly treated as, an independent resource category under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City will continue to maintain active relationships with traditionally culturally affiliated tribal partners and build upon their shared record of both indigenous cultural resources and tribal cultural resources.

High Sensitivity. High sensitivity areas are those known to have recorded precontact period archeological resources present. To protect the precise locations of known resources, these zones have been generalized. The types of precontact sites recorded in the Policy Area include large village mounds, small villages, and campsites. The sites contain midden (cultural deposit), Native American inhumations, artifacts [chipped stone (projectile points, scrapers) ground stone (bowl mortars, pestles, metates, manos, charmstones, beads, pipes), bone artifacts (awls, ornaments, needles, hairpins, whistles, pendants), antler artifacts (flakers), baked clay, and shell artifacts (ornaments and beads)], and other materials from occupation including shell, animal bone, and charcoal.Some of the sites were occupied very late in time, with the name of the village documented by Euro-Americans and relationships with the indigenous inhabitants discussed in Sutter's diaries in the 1840s. Some of these sites were recorded as early as the 1930s, and the locations remain on the base maps of archeological sites. Other sites were recorded in the 1950s and 1960s by archaeologists working on research projects. With the advent of the CEQA in the early 1970s, additional sites were identified during project specific surveys. Recent archaeological digs, such as at the City Hall site and the Federal Courthouse and elsewhere have helped further our understanding of the settlement pattern for the earliest inhabitants of the area. In addition, our understanding of the precontact period lifeways, and detail regarding the dates of occupancy and use has also gotten better. Many of the sites had been impacted even prior to their recordation by development, farming and historic period impacts. Since their identification, some of the sites have been completely destroyed or substantially affected by land-leveling, development, and other urban activities.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Moderate Sensitivity. Creeks and other watercourses, and early high spots near waterways that seem likely to have been used for indigenous occupation are areas of moderate sensitivity.

Even sites where waterways may have existed in the past, but have now been paved over could be considered an archaeological resource due to the presence of “significant historic activities”.

However, the chance of discovering artifacts on such sites is substantially lower. Many years ago, some of these waterways may have been surveyed for cultural resources, with negative results. Sites could still exist along these waterways, but may be obscured by siltation or later historic activities. While it is highly unlikely that a village would be found in a moderate sensitivity area small villages, campsites, or special use sites, occupied seasonally for the exploitation of certain food resources, are more likely to be found along the waterways.

Figure 6-9
Archeaological Sensitivity
Watt/I-80
Watt/I-80 West
Roseville Road
Marconi/Arcade
Royal
Oaks
Arden/Del Paso
Globe Avenue
16th Street
23rd
Street 29th
Street
39th
Street
48th
Street 59th
Street
University/
65th Street
Power Inn
College
Greens
Watt/Manlove
Starfire
Tiber
Butterfield
Broadway (& 19th)
4th Ave./
Wayne Hultgren
City College
Fruitridge
47th Avenue
Florin
Meadowview
Swanston
Airport
Station
Club Center Dr/
N. Village Center
North Natomas
Town Center
East Town Center
Arco Arena
Arena
Blvd.

Gateway Park/
Market Place
San Juan Rd.

Pebblestone Way
W. El Camino Ave.

Richards
Blvd.

Franklin
Blvd.

Cosumnes River
Center Parkway
Morrison Creek
Railyards
Twin
Rivers
N 16Th St
K St
39Th St
12Th St Arden G arden
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land Park Dr
Grand Ave
Nor ht borough D r
J St
Sheldon Rd
Northgate Blvd
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd
Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Win dbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha ve n side Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission A v e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
S Watt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perk ni s Rd
American River
E CommerceWay
Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power Line Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Figure 2-1
Planning Boundaries
/0¦2
!"c$ I½
Ad
A½
!"^$
!"c$
AÎ
A½
0 ½ 1 2 Mile
I½
/0¦2
!"^$
!"c$
Alkali Flat/
La Valentina
12th & I
Cathedral
Square
St. Rose of
Lima Park
- 9th & K St. Rose of Lima Park
- 7th & K
7th & Capitol
8th & Capitol
Archives Plaza
(Eastbound)
Archives Plaza
(Northbound) 8th & O
(Eastbound)
8th & O
(Northbound)
13th Street
16th Street
Sacramento
Valley
7th & I St/
County Center
8th & K St
Cathedral
Square
8th & H St/
County Center
N ST
J ST
3RD ST
10TH ST
9TH ST
5TH ST
L ST

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Low Sensitivity. The remainder of the Policy Area may be considered of low sensitivity. It should be emphasized that low sensitivity indicates that it is unlikely that sites occur in these areas, but it does not rule out the possibility that a site could exist and be obscured through historic use and development or through natural processes, such as siltation. Again, it is unlikely that a village would be found, but it is more likely a small resource such as a campsite or special use site could exist.

A problem inherent with the development of a sensitivity map is that the North Central Information Center (NCIC) maps do not necessarily reflect what has happened to a site. Sites may be entirely destroyed or the subject of data recovery, but their location remains on the maps at the NCIC. These zones are shown as high sensitivity areas rather than researching the current condition of each site. Archeological surveys would still be required for all areas, except where major development has already occurred, and there are no visible original ground surfaces.

Historic Period Archeological Sites. There remains the issue of historic period archeological sites. The urbanized portions of the Policy Area are highly sensitive, and any new construction needs to consider the possibility for the presence of subsurface materials. Several recent projects in Sacramento have been the subject of extensive excavations of historic period sites, including the Embassy Suites project, the Federal Courthouse project, and the Plaza Lofts (Philadelphia House) project. These sites have provided additional insight on the history of the development of the city, providing detail on the early residents and their lifeways. Each site excavated provides information on the occupants of the specific site, and the history of the use and occupation of that lot or city block. One example of an excavated block is the Federal Courthouse site, with excavations conducted in 1994. This block was the last surviving portion of Sacramento’s mid-nineteenth century Chinese district. The excavations yielded caches of domestic and commercial refuse associated with Chinese District Association boardinghouses that housed Chinese workers in the mid-1850s. The resulting analyses of the artifacts and historical research associated with the study provided information on the everyday lives of working-class Chinese pioneers.

On any project within the urban city, archival research must be undertaken to determine the use of the site through time, and test excavations or construction monitoring should occur.

Outside of the urbanized areas, historic archeological materials may be present at any location formerly used or occupied over the past 150 years since the founding of the city. These areas may or may not coincide with locations of indigenous sites. Historic maps are the key to discovering potential locations, while research and field surveys should be required for any soil disturbing activities, as appropriate.

Brief Overview of Sacramento’s Built Environment
The history of Sacramento has been shaped by its location near two rivers. The rivers provided transportation, irrigation, and food supply for early settlers. Periodic flooding helped shape the development of Sacramento to this day by providing plant and animal habitats and helped to identify boundaries for the region. The creeks in the late 1800s were filled or diverted in the late nineteenth century. Historically, during Sutter’s Era, however, Burn’s Slough passed Sutter Fort (located in the Central City) on the north side, flowing southwest. Another small creek or

slough may have passed on the south side of the fort, according to Sutter Fort’s historian and archivist, Stephen Beck, which would have crossed the Policy Area. Recent excavations undertaken in Sacramento provide credible evidence that the Sacramento area was occupied at a very early time. Several villages have been identified near the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers.

Exploration into the Sacramento Valley began in the early 1800s via colonization and the establishment of missionaries. One of these explorers, a Spaniard name Gabriel Moraga is responsible for naming the valley region “Sacramento,” which means “the Holy Sacrament”.

Latin influence in the region continued in the early 1800s, as Mexico gained independence from Spain and began sending explorers to Sacramento in 1822. While the area was technically under Mexican rule by 1824, the area was still inhabited by numerous Native American citizens.

While the Mexican Government occupied the region in the 1820s, the formal founder of the City of Sacramento is John Sutter. John Sutter arrived at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in 1839, settling in what was at the time Nisenan territory. The knoll on which Sutter placed his fort was documented to be an indigenous habitation mound site. Beginning in 1824, under Mexican rule, land in California was divided into large parcels or Mexican land grants, referred to as ranchos. By 1846, eight land grants were claimed in Sacramento County, including New Helvetia, the first settlement in the Sacramento area, which was granted to John Sutter in 1839.

In 1848, Sutter hired William Warner to conduct a survey, which imposed a grid pattern on the land east of the embarcadero with east-west streets designated by numbers and north-south streets by letters of the alphabet. This original grid, which survives today, extended east from the Sacramento River (Front Street) to just beyond the Fort and south from Sutter’s Slough (at approximately 6th and I streets) to where Broadway is today. As the “gateway” to the gold fields, mining and the business of supplying miners served as a basis for the city’s early economy. By 1849, approximately 42,000 gold seekers reached California in search of gold helping Sacramento reach a population of approximately 12,000. At that time, the center commerce was at the port along the American River. However, the areas of importance gradually moved inland towards gold country. The city’s location along the river ports and later the railroad played a prominent role in making Sacramento the principal mining, commercial, agricultural processing, and transportation center for the Central Valley and drew people to the area.

Despite numerous floods and a major fire in 1852 that eliminated 90 percent of the city, Sacramento always recovered and rebuilt itself better than before. In 1854, Sacramento became the state capital. The Capitol building remained at a temporary location until 1874.

During the mid-1800s, the city faced severe flooding issues, with the majority of flooding coming from the American River. During heavy rains, the portion of the American River north of I Street would flood. To solve this problem, the City dug a new mouth for the American River and elevated city streets approximately four to fifteen feet between I Street and L Street, from Front Street to 12th Street. This vast undertaking was completed in 1873 and has shaped the current downtown grid.

The city is also known as the birthplace of the California railroad system. The State’s first railroad, Theodore Judah’s Sacramento Valley Railroad, served as a link between Folsom gold

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

fields and the city. With the Sacramento Valley Railroad serving as a springboard, Judah convinced the city’s four major merchants to back an effort to establish a rail line linking California with the rest of the nation. These four merchants Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker, who came to be known as the Big Four, established the Central Pacific Railroad in 1861. Construction of the rail line began in 1862 and was ultimately completed in 1869. The transcontinental line helped establish Sacramento and the state as a primary distributor of agricultural goods to the rest of the country. Sacramento also became known as the largest railroad manufacturer and repair center west of the Mississippi.

Construction of the transcontinental railroad ultimately increased the local population and the diversity of the region with new residents from the East Coast, as well as Chinese immigrants who worked on the railroads.

However, in 1895, Sacramento still remained sparsely populated with the area dominated by agricultural uses. Battery operated streetcars were introduced in 1891, which helped with short range transportation. In an era before the automobile, development often followed streetcar lines. With the extension of the streetcar line, the neighborhood became quite fashionable, and a number of palatial houses were located along Capitol Avenue by 1915. Many of these are now within the boundaries of the city’s Capitol Mansions Historic District. As the character of the neighborhood had shifted to urban, the city began to see its first suburbs. The city’s first recognized suburb, Oak Park, was originally a farm that was sold in 1885 and subdivided in 1887. Establishment of a streetcar line connecting the community to the city center helped establish the suburban growth trend of the 1900s. By 1911, the City annexed present day East Sacramento, Oak Park, Curtis Park, and Land Park, which tripled the city’s size and added 15,000 people to its population. In 1924 North Sacramento, formerly known as Rancho Del Paso, was incorporated as a city.

A number of associational and religious buildings were constructed between 1900 and 1930 including Sacramento City College (1916), City Hall (1911), the City Library (1918), the Masonic Temple (1920), the Public Market (1923), the Elks Club building (1926), and Memorial Auditorium (1927). During the same period, the City established many parks, hospitals, and commercial industries. The 1930s and 1940s saw the development of the Tower Bridge (1935) and the establishment of a strong military presence in the region. Mather Air Force Base (1918) and the Sacramento Air Depot (1935, renamed McClellan in 1939) provided a huge job base during the war, which triggered growth throughout the region. This rapid growth created a housing crisis which resulted in increased development and suburban settlement from the 1940s through the 1970s. Sacramento expanded at an unprecedented rate as newly developed areas to the north and south were annexed into the city.

Increased suburban settlement was made easier due to the establishment of the automobile as the primary form of transportation. Use of automobiles drastically impacted the development of the City of Sacramento via the establishment of a network of freeways and reduced the importance of the transcontinental railroad. Establishment of the Sacramento Redevelopment Agency in the 1950s and its attempts at urban renewal projects such as the K Street mall also resulted in the destruction of many historic structures, including almost all of Sacramento’s West End neighborhood, and a precipitous decrease in the residential population of downtown Sacramento.

The designs of many of the postwar residential neighborhoods, downtown developments, and commercial buildings that emerged from this period was influenced by Mid-Century Modernism, the prominent design aesthetic of the time. The style was marked by its use of experimental forms and innovative materials, and it reshaped the cityscape of Sacramento.

Themed Historic Context Statements
Appendix B includes four historic context statements that address the following historic and developmental themes in Sacramento:
• Agriculture
• State Government
• Railroads
• World War II, Transportation, and Redevelopment
City of Sacramento: Designated Historic Resources
The City of Sacramento has identified over 800 individually landmarked historic and cultural resources, which are documented in the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (Sacramento Register). In addition, the 2018 surveys conducted as part of the Historic District Plans project propose to classify more than 2,000 properties as contributing resources to City-designated historic districts. The status of those properties will be added as an update to the Sacramento Register after the project is completed in late 2019.

As of January 2019, approximately 70 objects, structure, buildings, and sites in the city of Sacramento have been listed in the National Register; 96 have been listed on the California Register; 44 have been listed as California Landmarks; and six have been listed as California Points of Historical Interest. For descriptions of these registers and designations, refer to the Regulatory Framework section that follows.

National Register of Historic Properties
The city contains eleven historic districts which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Of those National Register districts, eight are also Sacramento historic districts. Those districts that are listed on both the National Register and Sacramento Register appear in underlined text below.

National Register Historic Districts
Alkali Flat Central. The Alkali Flat Central Historic District is concentrated on F, 10th, and 11th streets Reflecting the neighborhood’s initial development as an enclave for many of Sacramento’s most prominent residents in the mid-nineteenth century, the district contains a number of houses that were built for notable individuals, including governors, business owners, wealthy merchants, and other members of the local elite. The largest component of the

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Alkali Flat Central Historic District consists of nineteenth-century Queen Anne and Stick/Eastlake houses, but the district also contains houses built in popular styles from the early twentieth century, including the Colonial Revival and Craftsman styles.

Alkali Flat North. The Alkali Flat North Historic District contains a small concentration of houses, centered on D Street between 11th and 12th streets, which are unified aesthetically by their physical development as working-class cottages during the city’s building boom after the fires and floods of the 1850s and 1860s. The most prominent historic building in the district is the two-story brick Maria Hastings house, a rare example of a once-common building type in Sacramento.

Alkali Flat West. This small district focuses on residential buildings along the westernmost portion of the Alkali neighborhood, centered on G Street, extending north to D Street between 7th Street and 9th Street. The district contains a range of buildings types and styles that are representative of the phases of residential development that characterized the Alkali Flat neighborhood from the mid-eighteenth to early twentieth century, including rows of Queen Anne/Eastlake cottages and several larger turn-of-the-twentieth-century apartment buildings.

Boulevard Park. This National Register-listed district follows the boundaries of a residential subdivision, laid out by real estate firm Wright and Kimbrough, that extended from the B Street levee to the north, H Street to the south, 20th Street to the east, midway between 22nd and 23rd streets to the west. The district is typified by Classic Box houses and smaller Craftsman and Colonial Revival bungalows built during the subdivision’s peak period of development between 1905 and 1915. With its wide, landscaped boulevards, tree-lined streets, and inclusion of “alley parks,” the district is a significant example of early twentieth-century suburban neighborhood design influenced by the “City Beautiful” movement.

Capitol Extension District. This district includes the Library and Courts Building, Office Building No. I (the Jesse Unruh Building), and the fountain plaza located directly west of the Capitol Building. The district creates a symmetrical monumental group that harmoniously fits into the original scheme of Capitol Park. The buildings were completed in 1928. It is part of the locally-listed Capitol Historic District.

McKinley Park. This National Register-listed district consists of the 33-acre McKinley Park in East Sacramento. Originally created in 1872 as East Park, it was intended as a destination park by the Sacramento Street Railway Company. The park exhibited the naturalistic design that was typical of urban parks in the second half of the nineteenth century, with a landscape consisting of mature tree masses, open meadow areas, and a lake. The park also includes a rose garden; community center with an auditorium, branch of the Sacramento Public library, meeting rooms, pool, and pool house; children’s playground; tennis courts; baseball diamond; and a garden and art center.

New Helvetia. This district is located within the Alder Grove housing complex between Broadway, Muir Way, Kit Carson Street, and Kemble Street. The district’s 62 buildings were designed by a coalition of prominent Sacramento architects and show the influence of Georgian and Tudor revival design, as well as the Modern Movement. In addition to the district’s architectural importance, the district is significant as a representation of an important local attempt to improve the housing conditions of African Americans and for its association with the

career of Nathaniel Colley, the first African American attorney in Sacramento, who had a significant role in the effort to implement fair housing practices.

Old Sacramento National Historic Landmark District. This district, which is roughly bounded by the Sacramento River, I Street, Interstate 5, and the Capitol Mall, is significant for its association with California’s early gold rush days, the first intercontinental railroad, and the Pony Express. Sacramento was founded on the Embarcadero, Front Street in the district, and developed from there into the State Capital. This area contains some of Sacramento’s earliest buildings, structures and sites.

Sacramento City Cemetery. This district contains the oldest surviving cemetery in Sacramento, located south of Broadway between Riverside Boulevard, Muir Way, and a number of burial plots that form the cemetery’s historic southern boundary. The cemetery contains the gravesites of many important Sacramentans for whom no other property survives from their productive lives and is representative of the rapid settlement of Sacramento after the onset of the Gold Rush. It is also significant as an example of Victorian era “rational” cemetery planning and includes an important collection of funerary architecture, statuary, and landscape design from the period.

Sacramento Junior College Annex and Extensions. The district consists of six PWA buildings on an 11-acre section of the Sacramento City College campus that were designed by Sacramento architect Harry J. Devine, Sr. under Public Works Administration grants. The buildings form a cohesive group that share similar materials, design elements, and a stylistic mixture of the PWA Moderne style and other revival architectural styles.

Southside Park. This National Register-listed district consists of the 15-acre Southside Park, located on six city blocks bounded by T, W, 6th, and 8th streets. It is also part of the larger locally-listed South Side Historic District. Southside Park was originally constructed in 1907 on the site of a former slough and is an example of Progressive Era urban planning. In the second half of the twentieth century, it became a central gathering place for Sacramento’s Latino community, gaining additional significance as the end point for the United Farm Workers’ march in 1966 and for its incorporation of artwork by the Royal Chicano Air Force.

California State Landmarks
The city also contains California Landmarks, California Points of Historical Interest, and resources which are listed on the California Register of Historical Resources. The city currently contains 44 California State Landmarks. These landmarks are listed in Table 6-5.

Table 6-5: California State Landmarks
No. Resource Address
1 No. 356 Pioneer Telegraph Station 1015-2nd St, Old Sacramento, Sacramento 2 No. 525 Sutter’s Fort Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, 27th & L streets 3 No. 526 California’s First Passenger Railroad SW corner of Broadway & 10th streets 4 No. 566 Sacramento City Cemetery SW corner of Broadway and 10th streets, Sacramento

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Table 6-5: California State Landmarks
No. Resource Address
5 No. 591 Sutter’s Landing NE corner of 28th & C Streets, Stanford Park 6 No. 592 New Helvetia Cemetery NE corner of Alhambra Blvd & J Street 7 No. 593 Sutterville Sutterville Rd, vicinity of Land Park Drive 8 No. 594 Site of China Slough Southern Pacific Depot, NE corner of 4th & I Streets
9 No. 595 Eagle Theater Old Sacramento State Historic Park, 925 Front Street
10 No. 596 Site of Home of Newton Booth 1015-17 Front Street 11 No. 597 What Cheer House SE corner of Front & K streets 12 No. 598 Site of State and Railroad (First) Old Sacramento State Historic Park, NW corner of Front & K streets
13 No. 599 E.B. Crocker Art Gallery 216 O Street
14 No. 601 Western Hotel Parking lot, 200 feet NE of intersection of 2nd & K streets
15 No. 602 Ebner’s Hotel 116 1/2 K Street, Old Sacramento 16 No. 603 Lady Adams Building 117-19 K Street, Old Sacramento 17 No. 604 Vernon Brennan House 112 J Street, Old Sacramento 18 No. 605 Site of Sacramento Union 121 J Street, Old Sacramento 19 No. 606 B.F. Hastings Building 1000 2nd Street, plaque located on wall at 2nd St, between J & I Streets, Old Sacramento
20 No. 607 Adams and Company Building 1014 2nd Street, Old Sacramento 21 No. 608 Site of Orleans Hotel 1018 2nd Street, Old Sacramento 22 No. 609 D.O. Mills Bank Building 100 feet from SE corner of intersection of 2nd & J streets, Old Sacramento
23 No. 610 Overton Building Parking lot, 300 feet NE of intersection of 2nd & J streets, Old Sacramento
24 No. 611 Original Sacramento Bee Building Under N-bound off ramp of I-5, W side of 3rd Street between J & K streets
25 No. 612 Site of Pioneer Mutual Volunteer
Firehouse
200 feet NE of intersection of 3rd & J streets
26 No. 613 Site of Congregational Church 915-6th Street 27 No. 614 Stanford-Lathrop House Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, 800 N Street
28 No. 633-2 Old Folsom Powerhouse –
Sacramento Station ‘A’
NE corner of 6th & H streets
29 No. 654 Site of the first Jewish Synagogue
owned by a Congregation on the Pacific Coast
In sidewalk, 7th St between Capitol Avenue & L
Street
30 No. 654-1 Chevra Kaddisha (Home of Peace
Cemetery)
3230 J Street
31 No. 666 Camp Union, Sutterville No. 666 Camp Union, Sutterville 32 No. 697 Five Mile House – Overland Pony
Express Route in California
On campus of California State University, 6000 J
Street., left on State University Drive East to Guy

Table 6-5: California State Landmarks
No. Resource Address
West Bridge over-crossing & plaza. Plaque
located in plaza.
33 No. 745 The Coloma Road – Sutter’s Fort NE corner of 28th & L Streets 34 No. 780 First Transcontinental Railroad Old Sacramento State Historic Park, Sacramento, California State Railroad Museum, rear lounge
area
35 No. 780-8 First Transcontinental Railroad –
Western Base of the Sierra Nevada
Haggin Oaks Municipal Golf Course, north side
of clubhouse, 3645 Fulton Ave
36 No. 812 Old Sacramento Old Sacramento State Historic Park, plaque located on wall at 2nd St between J & I streets
37 No. 823 Governor’s Mansion SW corner of 16th & H streets 38 No. 869 Site of First & Second State Capitols
at Sacramento
NW corner of 7th & I streets
39 No. 872 California’s Capitol Complex East of intersection of 10th Street and Capitol Mall
40 No. 900 Nisipowinan Village Site Address restricted per Section 6254.10 of the California State Government Code
41 No. 934 Temporary Detention Camps for
Japanese Americans – Sacramento Assembly
Center
Walerga Park, NW corner of Palm Ave & College
Oak Drive
42 No. 967 California Almond Growers Exchange
Processing Facility
1809 C Street
43 No. 991 State Indian Museum 2618 K Street
44 No. 1013 Site of the First African American
Episcopal Church Established on the Pacific
Coast
715 Seventh Street
Source: Office of Historic Preservation, 2019.

California Points of Historical Interest
The City of Sacramento currently contains six California Points of Historical Interest. These properties are listed in Table 6-6.

Table 6-6: California Points of Historical Interest
No. Resource Date Listed
1 Curran Farmhouse 12/17/1985
2 Eastern Star 08/08/1991
3 George Hack House 08/05/1994
4 River Mansion 11/03/1969
5 St. Elizabeth’s Church 03/02/1983
6 Whitter Ranch (Originally Saylor Ranch) 05/08/1991

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Source: Office of Historic Preservation, 2013.

California Register of Historical Resources
The City currently contains 111 properties that are listed on the California Register of Historical Resources. Of those, 59 are also listed on the National Register as contributors to National Register historic districts. These properties are listed in Table 6-7.

Table 6-7 California Register of Historical Resources
No. Resource Address National
Register
1 Calpak Plant No. 11/Del Monte Plant No. 11 1721 C Street X 2 Anton Wagner Duplex 701 E Street X
3 Hubbard-Upson House 1010 F Street X
4 J. Neely Johnson House 1029 F Street X
5 Van Voorhies House 925 G Street X
6 Cranston-Geary Residence and Garage 2101 G Street X
7 Julius Wetzlar House/Latriada Apartments 1021 H Street X 8 Charles Lair House 1301 H Street X
9 Gallatin Mansion/California Governor’s Mansion 1503 H Street X 10 Winters House 2324 & 2326 H Street X
11 John T. Greene House 3200 H Street X
12 Southern Pacific Railroad Company’s Sacramento
Depot and American Railway Express
Building/Railway Express Agency Building
401 & 431 I Street X
13 U.S. Post Office/Courthouse and Federal Building 801 I Street X 14 Sacramento City Library 828 I Street X
15 Travelers’ Hotel 428 J Street X
16 National Gold Bank of D.O. Mills &
Company/Security Pacific
631 J Street
17 Capitol National Bank/Crocker National Bank 700 J Street 18 Coolot Company Building/Comstock Building 812 J Street X 19 Ruhstaller Building 900 J Street X
20 Sacramento Masonic Temple 1131 J Street X
21 Public Market/Sheraton Grand Hotel 1230 J Street
22 Sacramento Memorial Auditorium 1515 J Street X
23 Ochsner Building/Sun Building 717 K Street
24 S.H. Kress & Company/Dress Building 818 K Street
25 Hale Brothers & Company/River City Bank 825 & 831 K Street X

Table 6-7 California Register of Historical Resources
No. Resource Address National
Register
26 Montgomery Ward Company/Department of
Rehabilitation
830 K Street
27 Mohr & Yoerk Building/Ransohoff’s 1031 K Street X
28 Eastern Star Hall 2719 K Street X
29 Hotel Senator 1121 L Street X
30 Sutter’s Fort 2701 L Street X
31 Capital Park L Street to N Street,
between 10th & 15th
X
32 Stanford-Lathrop House/Stanford Mansion 800 N Street X 33 Business & Professional Building/Consumer Affairs
Building
1020 N Street
34 Public Works Office Building 1120 N Street
35 Motor Vehicle Building/Department of Food and
Agriculture
1220 N Street
36 Westminster Presbyterian Church 1300 N Street X
37 E.B.Crocker Art Gallery 216 O Street X
38 August A. Heilbron House 704 O Street X
39 No Name 1720 Q Street
40 W.P. Fuller Building 1015 R Street
41 United States Rubber & Tire Company 1026 R Street
42 Sacramento Warehouse Company/State
Warehouse
1026 R Street
43 Piggly-Wiggly Company/High-line Electric Company 1119 R Street 44 No Name 1213 R Street
45 SMUD Headquarters Building 6301 S Street X
46 Mary Haley Galarneaux House 922-24 T Street X
47 Goethe House/Julia Morgan House 3731 T Street X
48 No Name 3460 2nd Avenue
49 Lewis Building/Woodruff Building 3440-3050 3rd Avenue 50 Thompson-Diggs Company 1800 3rd Street
51 Fire Station No. 6/Oak Park Fire Station 3414 4th Avenue X 52 Dunlap’s Dining Room 4322 4th Avenue X
53 Sacramento Hall of Justice/Sacramento City Police
Department
813 6th Street X
54 Pioneer Hall 1009 7th Street
55 Merchants National Bank of Sacramento 1015 7th Street X

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Table 6-7 California Register of Historical Resources
No. Resource Address National
Register
56 Mesick House 517 8th Street X
57 Kuchler Row/Wheeler Houses 608-614 10th Street X
58 California State Capitol 10th Street, between L
and N Streets
X
59 California’s Capitol Complex East of intersection of 10th Street & Capitol
Mall
X
60 Blue Anchor Building 1400 10th Street X
61 Pumping Station #2 915 11th Avenue
62 Sacramento BPOE Temple No. 26/Sacramento Elks
Lodge
921 11th Street X
63 Hotel Regis 1106 11th Street X
64 Rochdale Building 1801 11th Street
65 Fred Mason-Shirt Store & Factory/Farley’s Grocery 528/530 12th Street 66 Firestone Tire Warehouse 1811 12th Street
67 Firehouse No. 3/Engine Company No. 3 Firehouse 1215 19th Street X 68 No Name 1809 19th Street
69 Edward P. Howe, Jr. House 2215 21st Street X
70 Sacramento City College Municipal Water Tower 3581 23rd Street 71 Sacramento Bank Building/Citizen’s Bank/
Christian Fellowship
3418 Broadway X
72 Diepenbrock House 2315 Capitol Avenue
73 Old Tavern/Sacramento Brewery/ Sutter Hospital
Personnel
2801 Capitol Avenue X
74 California State Library/ Library and Courts Building 914 Capitol Mall 75 Office Building One 915 Capitol Mall
76 Perkins Ranch/Perkins Residence 8280 Folsom Blvd
77 C.K. McClatchy Senior High School 3066 Freeport Blvd X 78 Sacramento Junior College Annex and Extensions/
Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Blvd X
79 Delta King River Boat 1000 Front Street
80 Sacramento River Dox Complex 1601 Garden Highway
81 Arthur Sweet House 2215 Grove Avenue
82 PG&E Station “B”/ Riverfront Station 451 Jibboom Street X 83 Theodore Judah School 3919 McKinley Blvd X

Table 6-7 California Register of Historical Resources
No. Resource Address National
Register
84 J.C. Carly House/ Delinch Residence 2761 Montgomery
Way
X
85 Brighton Substation 2901 Power Inn Road
86 Hudson-Cipa-Wolf Ranch Sorento Road
87 Libby McNeil/ Libby Fruit & Vegetable Company 1724 Stockton Blvd X 88 Colonial Theatre 3522 Stockton Blvd
89 A.W. Clifton House/ Compton Mansion 4400 Stockton Blvd 90 I Street Bridge Sacramento River & I
Street
X
91 J Street Wreck Foot of J Street in the
Sacramento River
X
92 Joe Mound Restricted X
93 Jibboom Street Bridge Jibboom Street
94 R Street Railroad Track SW Corner of 3rd & R
Streets
95 Nisipowian Village Site Restricted: River
District Area
X
96 Tower Bridge Sacramento River &
Capitol Avenue
X
97 Lawrence/CADA Warehouse 1108 R Street X
98 15th Street Maydestone Apartments 1001 15th Street X 99 California Reclamation District 1000 1633 Garden Highway 100 Capitol Towers 1500 7th Street
101 Mid-century Modern Landmark 4301 Freeport
Boulevard
102 Mid-century Modern Landmark 720 9th Street
103 Mid-century Modern Landmark 3330 McKinley
Boulevard
104 Mid-century Modern Landmark 2801 Franklin
Boulevard
105 Fallon-Kimberlin House 2640 Montgomery
Way
106 Barr-Wixson House 2672 Montgomery
Way
107 No Name 730 I Street
108 No Name 1081 38th Street
109 No Name 1109 38th Street
110 No Name 1308 38th Street

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Table 6-7 California Register of Historical Resources
No. Resource Address National
Register
111 No Name 1315 38th Street
Source: Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources, 2019 Sacramento Register
The City has designated 31 Local Historic Districts (see Figure 6-10) within the Policy Area.

Below is a list and brief description of each of the designated districts. Those districts that are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places are italicized.

Sacramento Register Historic Districts
1200-1300 Q Street. This district is a distinctive grouping of modest, high-basement houses that were constructed along Q Street between 12th and 14th streets in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The majority of the houses in the district were built in the Queen Anne style and exhibit a similar scale, use of materials, texture, height, and setback, which is are complemented by mature trees lining the streets.
12th Street Commercial. The 12th Street Commercial Historic District is a two-and-a-half block area along 12th Street that extends roughly from E to G streets. The district contains a few surviving commercial buildings and one single-family house that recall 12th Street’s role as an important transportation route and commercial corridor within the larger residential neighborhood of Alkali Flat from the nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. A large number of the district’s historic resources have been demolished since its designation, thus limiting its viability as a district. The 12th Street Commercial Historic District has, therefore, been recommended for de-listing from the Sacramento Register in the preliminary findings of the Historic District Plans project.
20th and N Street. The 20th and N Streets Historic District consists of modest-scale Victorianera buildings situated around the intersection of 20th and N streets. The buildings in the district were predominately built in the Queen Anne or Classic Box styles and share a similar massing, setback, Delta-style high basements, and gabled or hipped roofs. The Classic Box house was a particularly common building type that was constructed along streetcar lines at the turn of the century, reflecting the relationship between the area’s development and the expansion of streetcar routes in Sacramento.
16Th St
15Th St
Elder Creek Rd
Raley Blvd
Land Park Dr
College Town Dr
Garden Hwy
Broadway
Del Paso Blvd
N 16Th St
39Th St
43Rd Ave
Stockton Blvd
Howe Ave
J St
San Juan Rd
Ethan Way
Pocket Rd
Franklin Blvd
Greenhaven Dr
N 12Th St
Rio Linda Blvd
59Th St
Havenside Dr
Fruitridge Rd
El Camino Ave
Roseville Rd
X St
Mckinley Blvd
Marysville Blvd
24Th St
Gloria Dr
Norwood Ave
Folsom Blvd
I Street Brg
Elvas Ave
Richards Blvd
3Rd St
19Th St
9Th St
Alhambra Blvd
10Th St
30Th St
29Th St
12Th St
Florin Rd
Truxel Rd
Natom as Central Dr
21St St
W El Camino Ave
Marconi Ave
Freeport Blvd
13Th St
Sutterville Rd
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Harvard St
Grand Ave
Riverside Blvd
H St
Auburn Blvd
Arden Way
Northgate Blvd
5Th St
Edison Ave
Q St
P St
N St
L St
I St
W St
Arena Blvd
Azevedo Dr
Silver Eagle Rd
C St
El Centro Rd
14Th St
46Th St
Fair Oaks Blvd
65Th St
65Th Street Expy
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
Exposition Blvd
E CommerceWay
Historic Districts
Landmark Parcels
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Source: City of Sacramento, 2019; Dyett and Bhatia, 2019 Z:\Projects\j1149901\MAPDOC\EIR\Section 6 Env Resources\Figure6-10_HistoricDistricts_LandmarkParcels.mxd Figure 6-10
Historic Districts and Landmark Parcels
00 0.25 .5 1 Mile

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Alkali Flat Central. The Alkali Flat Central Historic District is concentrated on F, 10th, and 11th Streets and contains a number of houses that were built for notable individuals, including governors, business owners, wealthy merchants, and other members of the local elite. The largest component of the Alkali Flat Central Historic District consists of nineteenth-century Queen Anne and Stick/Eastlake houses, but the district also contains houses built in popular styles from the early twentieth century, including the Colonial Revival and Craftsman styles.

Alkali Flat North. The Alkali Flat North Historic District contains a small concentration of houses, centered on D Street between 11th and 12th streets, which are unified aesthetically by their physical development as working-class cottages during the city’s building boom after the fires and floods of the 1850s and 1860s. The most prominent historic building in the district is the two-story brick Maria Hastings house, a rare example of a once-common building type in Sacramento.

Alkali Flat West. This small district focuses on residential buildings along the westernmost portion of the Alkali neighborhood, centered on G Street, extending north to D Street between 7th Street and 9th Street. The district contains a range of building types and styles that are representative of the phases of residential development that characterized the Alkali Flat neighborhood from the mid-eighteenth to early twentieth century, including rows of Queen Anne/Eastlake cottages and several larger turn-of-the-twentieth-century apartment buildings.

Alkali Flat South. The Alkali Flat South Historic District consists of a row of small Italianate and Queen Anne houses that were built in a similar size, scale, and overall form. The buildings also share an aesthetic consistency in their display of visual features, such as fenestration and smaller design details, which together helps to create a visually cohesive whole. Two later Craftsman style, Classic Box houses continue the row to the east, reflecting the evolution of styles in the neighborhood.

Boulevard Park. This district extends north to south from the levee to I Street, with 20th Street serving as the western boundary and the eastern boundary extending from 23rd Street to 25th Street. The district is typified by Classic Box houses and Craftsman and Colonial Revival bungalows built between 1905 and 1915, as part of a new residential neighborhood subdivided by the real estate firm Wright and Kimbrough. With its wide, landscaped boulevards, tree-lined streets, and inclusion of “alley parks,” the district is a significant example of early twentiethcentury suburban neighborhood design influenced by the “City Beautiful” movement. The district also includes a concentration of Victorian-era houses along H Street that developed along an early streetcar line.

Bungalow Row. Bungalow Row consists of approximately one block of modestly-sized Craftsman bungalows roughly bounded by Q Street, 25th Street, Powerhouse Alley, and 26th Street. The buildings were primarily built between 1900 and 1915 and were built with a similar scale, height, size, design, and materials.

C Street Commercial. This district is comprised of a collection of early to mid-twentiethcentury commercial buildings that are situated along C Street between 12th and 13th streets.

Collectively, the buildings are representative of C Street’s development as a transportationoriented commercial and light industrial corridor from the early to mid-twentieth century.

C Street Industrial. This district consists of a collection of industrial buildings that were constructed for the California Almond Growers Exchange (now Blue Diamond Growers) and California Packing Company along C Street and the railroad tracks on the B Street levee from the early to mid-twentieth century. The buildings are primarily Vernacular or Streamline Modern in style with some classical ornamentation.

Capitol Avenue. This district extends roughly from L Street to Q Street between 17th and 19th streets and contains a well-preserved collection of houses that were constructed in a wide variety of architectural styles in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, interspersed with apartment buildings from the same period. A concentration of small commercial buildings clustered along Capitol Avenue at the north end of the district provide additional variety to the district.

Capitol. This district is anchored by the California State Capitol Building, which was constructed between 1860 and 1874 in the Classical Revival style. The district also contains Capitol Park, and a significant collection of buildings that are representative of state government-related development in Sacramento from the nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. Included in this collection is the National Register-listed Capitol Extension District, which includes the Neoclassical style Library and Courts Building and State Office Building No.

I (the Jesse Unruh Building), as well as the fountain plaza located directly west of the Capitol Building.

Capitol Mansions. The Capitol Mansions Historic District is characterized primarily by large, stately houses that were built as part of a prestigious neighborhood for Sacramento’s wealthy residents at the turn of the century. The majority of the houses were built between 1895 and 1910 as single-family residences in the multi-gabled Queen Anne, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival styles; many have since been converted into multi-family residences, offices, or businesses The district also contains two landmarked churches.

Cathedral Square. This district comprises a portion the Sacramento’s historic central business district situated around the intersection of K and 11th streets. The district is anchored by the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, which was completed in 1889. The surrounding properties are characterized by late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century commercial and civic buildings that reflect the area’s identity as a fashionable shopping and entertainment center from the nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries.

Central Shops. The Central Shops historic district, located north of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks at 401 I Street, served as the principal shops of the Pacific Lines of the Southern Pacific system between 1868 and 1990. These shops oversaw subsidiary shops from Portland, Oregon; Ogden, Utah; San Francisco, California; and Los Angeles, California. The shop buildings include representative examples of mid-19th to late Victorian industrial architecture.

Cesar Chavez Memorial Plaza Park/CBD. This district contains the core of Sacramento’s historical downtown civic and commercial center. It features one the city’s original one-block public squares, hollow sidewalks that resulted from the street raising efforts of the nineteenth century, and many prominent commercial and civic buildings that date from the late nineteenth- to mid-twentieth-century. These include City Hall, the Sacramento City Library,

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Federal Courthouse and Post Office, and several large department stores built by major national brands.

Fremont Park. This district is comprised of a concentrated group of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century houses that are arranged on the half block south of Q Street, directly across from Fremont Park, one of Sacramento’s original one-block public plazas. The buildings display a range of architectural styles, including the Queen Anne, Italianate, and Craftsman styles and share similar massing, raised entrances, prominent front-facing gabled roofs, and setbacks with grassy front lawns.

Marshall Park. The Marshall Park Historic District preserves a cohesive grouping of houses that were constructed around Marshall Park as part of the development of the Marshall School neighborhood as a streetcar suburb. The buildings exhibit a similar age, scale, and use of materials and display the range of architectural styles characteristic of the neighborhood’s peak period of development from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century.

Memorial Auditorium. This district is anchored by Memorial Auditorium (15th Street and J Street) and extends down J Street to 17th Street. The surrounding buildings are mixed use commercial and residential that have been restored or rehabilitated. The surrounding buildings complement the scale and building material of the auditorium. The district has been broken up by parking lots and non-contributing buildings since its original designation, thus limiting its viability as a district. The Memorial Auditorium Historic District has, therefore, been recommended for de-listing from the Sacramento Register in the preliminary findings of the Historic District Plans project.

Merchant Street. This district contains a portion of Sacramento’s downtown core, much of which served as an early twentieth-century banking center, and consists primarily of late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century commercial buildings, situated along 7th Street between J and K streets and St. Rose of Lima Plaza. It also contains remnants of hollow sidewalks that date to the street raising efforts of the nineteenth century and Pioneer Hall, the oldest continuously owned building in Sacramento.

Newton Booth. The Newton Booth Historic District is roughly bounded by 23rd Street to the west, S Street to the north, 28th Street to the east, and W Street and U.S. Route 50 to the south.

The district consists of a predominately residential neighborhood with houses in a range of architectural styles, dating from the late nineteenth century to the period just after World War II. The former Newton Booth Assembly School is a key focal point of the neighborhood.

North 16th Street. This district contains a concentration of industrial and commercial warehouses located on North 16th Street between the railroad right of way to the south and Sproule Avenue to the north. Constructed along railroad spurs and major vehicular transportation routes, the typically brick buildings include decorative features such as cornices, parapets and blind arches.

Oak Park. The Oak Park Historic District is situated on the blocks immediately surrounding Broadway between 23rd and 36th streets. The district represents the historic commercial core of Oak Park, Sacramento’s first streetcar suburb, which was subdivided in 1887 and developed into a uniquely self-sustaining community outside the city’s original street grid. The district

also contains a few historic houses along its perimeter. The majority of the district’s buildings were constructed after the neighborhood was annexed into the city in 1911 and are representative of the neighborhood’s most important businesses and institutions.

Poverty Ridge. The Poverty Ridge District extends from S Street on the north to W Street on the south, bounded on the west 20th Street and 21st Street, and by 23rd Street on the east. The district contains a collection of houses in a variety of architectural styles that were part of one of Sacramento’s wealthiest and most prestigious neighborhoods in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The district’s largest and most elaborate houses were built on a slight rise in the city’s topography along 21st and 22nd streets between 1870 and 1915, while smaller houses and multi-family apartments were later constructed along the district’s southern and eastern borders in the 1920s and 1930s.

R Street. The R Street Historic District features a collection of warehousing, distribution, and light industrial buildings that are associated with R Street’s development as a busy industrial, shipping, and transportation corridor from the nineteenth to twentieth century. Buildings were constructed along two parallel railroad lines and are representative of the railroad’s role in spurring growth and development in Sacramento. The district also reflects the evolution of traditional distribution and shipping centers to truck-based shipping after World War II.

Sacramento City College. This district consists of five buildings on the College Campus that were designed by famed Sacramento architect Harry J. Devine in the 1920s. Devine designed Library and Classrooms building, the Gymnasium, the Fine Arts Building, the Engineering Technology Building, and the Aeronautical Addition. The buildings were constructed with PWA Moderne style components and share building material, size, scale, and design elements with each other. Later alterations to the campus have changed the district’s setting, but have had a minimal effect on the historic integrity of the site.

South Side. The South Side Historic District is the largest historic district in the Policy Area, extending from 3rd Street to 16th Street, bounded by S Street and W Street to the north and south, respectively. The district preserves a vibrant, multi-cultural and mixed-use neighborhood that is anchored by South Side Park. West of the park are simple high basement cottages, many of which were constructed between 1895 and 1905, with Queen Anne structures being the most dominant. East of the park, the district maintains a similar character, but also contains larger Queen Anne and Revival style houses that gradually transition to small, bungalow style houses further to the east. Small commercial buildings are interspersed throughout the district, often at street corners.

Washington. This district preserves a portion of the Washington neighborhood, one of Sacramento’s oldest residential neighborhoods that developed along the city’s first streetcar lines between the 1870s to the 1930s. The district contains a variety of architectural styles, including Italianate, Eastlake, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Prairie, and vernacular styles. The area, like Alkali Flat to the west, has been impacted by increased commercial development, which borders the district along 12th, 16th, and G streets. Industrial development on C Street borders the district to the north.

Washington School. This district preserves a portion of the Washington neighborhood, one of Sacramento’s oldest residential neighborhoods that developed along the city’s first streetcar

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

lines between the 1870s to the 1930s. Buildings in the district were built in a variety of architectural styles, ranging from Victorian-era Italianate and Queen Anne style houses to 1930s Minimal Traditional cottages. Washington School at E and 18th streets is a focal point of the district; although its original, historic building has been replaced by a more recent building.

The railroad tracks between 19th and 20th streets, which were constructed in 1907, form a physical barrier that continues to define the neighborhood’s eastern boundary.

Winn Park. The Winn Park District is located just south of the Capitol Mansions Historic District, extending from south of Capitol Avenue to south of Q Street. The district is bounded by 21st and 22nd Streets to the west and 25th, 28th and 29th Streets to the east. The district consists of a public park and a primarily residential neighborhood, largely composed of treelined streets filled with single-family houses and apartment buildings that display a wide variety of architectural styles consistent with their construction from the late nineteenth century to 1940s.

Sacramento Register Properties
The Sacramento Register was last updated in August 2015. It will be updated again to include hundreds of contributing resources to the Sacramento Historic Districts when the Historic Districts Plan project is finalized in 2019. Properties listed on the register are organized by address in the following categories: “Numbered” streets; “Lettered” streets; “Name” streets; and Bridges, Memorials, Statues, Monuments, Parks and Sites.

The majority of Sacramento’s Landmarks are located within the Central City. The map in Figure 6-10 highlights the location of these landmarks in the Central City.

Recent and Upcoming Historic Preservation Program Efforts Mid-Century Modern Historic Resources Survey and Historic Context Statement Project The Mid-Century Modern Historic Resources Survey and Historic Context Statement Project was completed in September 2017. The project resulted in the identification and documentation of approximately 1,800 Mid-Century Modern properties in the City of Sacramento. It also produced a new historic context statement that describes the broad history and key characteristics of Mid-Century Modern design in Sacramento and highlights the work of architects and builders who left important bodies of Mid-Century Modern design work. The project will serve as a tool for educating the public about these unique resources and will support Community Development Department efforts to determine potential historic/cultural resources.

As a result of the project, Gunther’s Ice Cream, the Iva Gard Shepard Garden and Art Building, Sacramento County Courthouse, and Senator Savings and Loan building, all of which were intensively evaluated as part of the historic resources survey, were listed in the Sacramento Register as individual landmarks in 2018.

The project also described significant areas where Mid-Century Modern design resources in Sacramento are concentrated, thereby providing a starting point for identifying areas of the

City that may merit further survey and evaluation for both potential new City-designated individual landmarks and historic districts. These areas include major Mid-Century Modern developments in downtown Sacramento—such as the Capitol Mall/Downtown Redevelopment area, Capitol Towers, and Chinatown Mall—as well as the Mid-Century Modern residential neighborhoods of Campus Commons, Gardenland, Golf Course Terrace, Glen Elder, Greenhaven, Hollywood Park, Richardson Village, River Park, South Land Park, Swanston Estates, and Tallac Village.

Historic District Plans Project
In June 2018, the City commenced the Historic District Plans project, which will provide the City with Historic District Plans, as required under City Code 17.604.300, and address the need for an update to the Sacramento Register. The document will contain a brief historic context, description of period of significance, list of character-defining features, and design standards for 29 of the City’s existing historic districts. The resulting document will provide a tool to guide the design of alterations and future development within historic districts and, thereby, bring greater clarity about the kind of development that is compatible with each historic district.

Field surveys conducted for the project in the summer of 2018 resulted in the identification of more than 2,000 contributing resources to the City’s historic districts. The Sacramento Register will be updated to identify the contributing status of those properties, along with any proposed revisions to district boundaries after the project’s completion in late 2019.

Surveys and research for the project also informed recommendations for future survey efforts to identify potential, new historic properties in previously overlooked areas of the Central City.

Historic Places Grant Program
This City program provides money to property owners on a match basis to restore, rehabilitate and maintain their historic properties. A one-time budget reallocation of $200,000 funded a grant making cycle during the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Grants have been awarded for 12 properties during the current fiscal year.

Mills Act
In 2018, the City of Sacramento amended the Mills Act Section of the City Code to clarify and streamline the process for applying for and obtaining a Mills Act Contract. The program is intended to further the City’s goals for historic preservation by offering property owners a property tax reduction in exchange for agreeing to preserve and maintain their historic building.

Certified Local Government Program
The City of Sacramento is a Certified Local Government (CLG), a partnership program between the State Office of Historic Preservation, National Park Service, and local governments. The CLG program was established in 1980 with the dual goals of encouraging the direct participation of

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

local governments in the activities of identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving historic properties within their jurisdiction, as well as promoting the integration of preservation interests into local planning and decision-making processes. Its CLG status enables to City of Sacramento to compete for matching grant monies to support implementation of the City’s preservation programs (e.g., historic resources surveys).

REGULATORY BACKGROUND
Federal
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
The NHPA of 1966, 80 Stat. 915, 16 U.S.C. 470 et seq., as amended, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to expand and maintain a National Register of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture.

The National Register is an authoritative guide to be used by Federal, State, and local governments, private groups and citizens to identify the Nation’s cultural resources and to indicate what properties should be considered for protection from destruction or impairment.

A “historic property” is any prehistoric (a.k.a., indigenous) or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places maintained by the Secretary of the Interior. Historic properties include artifacts, records, and remains that are related to and located within such properties. The term includes properties of traditional religious and cultural importance to an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization and that meet the National Register criteria (36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 800 Protection of Historic Properties, Section 800.16 Definitions l 1).

Overseen by the National Park Service, under the Department of the Interior, the National Register was authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act as amended. Its listings encompass all National Historic Landmarks as well as historic areas administered by NPS.

National Register guidelines for evaluation of significance were developed to be flexible and to recognize accomplishments of all who have made significant contributions to the nation’s history and heritage. Its criteria were designed to guide State and local governments, Federal agencies, and others in evaluating potential entries in the National Register. For a property to be listed or determined eligible for listing, it must be demonstrated as possessing integrity and meeting at least one of the following criteria. It must be demonstrated that:
• “The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:
• Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
• Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or

• Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
• Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history." Integrity is defined in National Register guidance, How to Apply the National Register Criteria, as “the ability of a property to convey its significance. To be listed in the National Register…a property must not only be shown to be significant under the National Register criteria, but it also must have integrity” (NPS 1990). The seven aspects of integrity are location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

The National Register guidance asserts that properties be at least 50 years old to be considered for eligibility. Properties completed less than 50 years before evaluation must be “exceptionally important” (Criteria Consideration G) to be considered eligible for listing.

Section 106 of the NHPA. Section 106 of the NHPA of 1966, as amended, states that:

The head of any Federal agency having direct or indirect jurisdiction over a proposed Federal or Federally assisted undertaking in any State and the head of any Federal department or independent agency having authority to license any undertaking shall, prior to the approval of the expenditure of any Federal funds on the undertaking or prior to the issuance of any license, as the case may be, take into account the effect of the undertaking on any district, site, building, structure, or object that is included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register.

The statute also states that the head of the responsible Federal agency shall provide the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) the opportunity to comment on those undertakings. Regulations issued by the ACHP, the Code of Federal Regulations at 36 CFR Part 800, “Protecting Historic Properties,” guide the Section 106 process.

Under Section 106, Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 800 defines adverse effects on historic properties as follows:

Criteria of adverse effect: An adverse effect is found when an undertaking may alter, directly or indirectly, any of the characteristics of a historic property that qualify the property for inclusion in the National Register in a manner that would diminish the integrity of the property’s location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association. Consideration shall be given to all qualifying characteristics of a historic property, including those that may have been identified subsequent to the original evaluation of the property’s eligibility for the National Register. Adverse effects may include reasonably foreseeable effects caused by the undertaking that may occur later in time, be farther removed in distance or be cumulative.

According to 36 CFR Section 800.5(a) (2), examples of adverse effects on historic properties include, but are not limited to:

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

• Physical destruction of or damage to all or part of the property; • Alteration of a property, including restoration, rehabilitation, repair, maintenance, stabilization, hazardous material remediation and provision of handicapped access, that is not consistent with the Secretary’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (36 CFR part 68) and applicable guidelines;
• Removal of the property from its historic location;
• Change of the character of the property’s use or of physical features within the property's setting that contribute to its historic significance; • Introduction of visual, atmospheric or audible elements that diminish the integrity of the property's significant historic features;
• Neglect of a property which causes its deterioration, except where such neglect and deterioration are recognized qualities of a property of religious and cultural significance to an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization; and • Transfer, lease, or sale of property out of Federal ownership or control without adequate and legally enforceable restrictions or conditions to ensure long-term preservation of the property's historic significance (36 CFR Part 800.5 (a) (2)).

Department of Transportation Section 4(f)
Section 4(f) is national policy established as a part of the U.S Department of Transportation Act of 1966 that stipulates that the Federal Highway Administration will not approve any program or project that requires the “use” of any publicly owned public park, recreation area, wildlife refuge or historic sites unless;
• There is “no feasible and prudent alternative to the project,” • The project includes “all possible planning to minimize harm to the project. • Section 4(f) applies to all transportation agencies within the U.S Department of Transportation, which include;
• Federal Highway Administration – Funds Highway and bridge projects • Federal Transit Administration
• Coast Guard – Owns and protects many historic lighthouses and has regulatory authority affecting bridges.

Section 4(f) does not apply to private institutions and individuals, even if the said areas are open to the public. However, if a governmental body has a proprietary interest in the land for instance fee ownership, drainage easements or wetland easement, it can be considered “publicly owned” and thus Section 4 (f) applies.

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standard for the Treatment of Historic Properties The (U.S.) Secretary of the Interior has established standards for the treatment of historic properties. The 1995 Secretary of the Interior’s Standard for the Treatment of Historic Properties document outlines specific standards and guidelines for the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction of historic properties. Preservation standards provide guidelines by which to sustain the integrity of a historic resource. Rehabilitation standards guide the compatible reuse of a historic resource and retain its character-defining features. Restoration standards guide the process of restoration of a historic resource to a particular period of time. Reconstruction standards and guidelines apply to new developments that replicate a non-surviving site, landscape, building, structure or object in its historic location.

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (the Standards) are the benchmark by which Federal agencies and many local government bodies evaluate rehabilitative work on historic properties. The Standards are a useful analytic tool for understanding and describing the potential impacts of substantial changes to historic resources. Compliance with the Standards does not determine whether a project would cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an historic resource. Rather, projects that comply with the Standards benefit from a regulatory presumption that they would have a less-than-significant adverse impact on an historic resource. Projects that do not comply with the Standards may or may not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an historic resource.

The Standards acknowledge that some changes are typically necessary to ensure the continued use of a historic property. Regarding alterations and additions for the new use of a historic property, the guidelines for Rehabilitation state:

Some exterior and interior alterations to a historic building are generally needed to assure its continued use, but it is most important that such alterations do not radically change, obscure, or destroy character-defining spaces, materials, features, or finishes.

Alterations may include providing additional parking space on an existing historic building site; cutting new entrances or windows on secondary elevations; inserting an additional floor; installing an entirely new mechanical system; or creating an atrium or light well. Alteration may also include the selective removal of buildings or other features of the environment or building site that are intrusive and therefore detract from the overall historic character. The construction of an exterior addition to a historic building may seem to be essential for the new use, but it is emphasized in the Rehabilitation guidelines that such new additions should be avoided, if possible, and considered only after it is determined that those needs cannot be met by altering secondary, i.e., noncharacter-defining interior spaces. If, after a thorough evaluation of interior solutions, an exterior addition is still judged to be the only viable alternative, it should be designed and constructed to be clearly differentiated from the historic building and so that the character-defining features are not radically changed, obscured, damaged, or destroyed.

The 10 Rehabilitation Standards are listed below:

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use.

Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program
The National Park Service and the Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with the State Office of Historic Preservation, operates the Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program. The 20 percent income tax credit is available for the “rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings that are determined by the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park

Service, to be “certified historic structures.“ A 10 percent tax credit is available for “the rehabilitation of buildings placed in service before 1936.” Rehabilitation must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

State
California Register of Historical Resources
The California Register of Historical Resources (California Register) is an inventory of significant architectural, archaeological, and historical resources in the State of California.

Resources can be listed in the California Register through a number of methods. State Historical Landmarks and National Register-listed properties are automatically listed in the California Register. Properties can also be nominated to the California Register by local governments, private organizations, or citizens. The evaluative criteria used by the California Register for determining eligibility are closely based on those developed by the National Park Service for the National Register of Historic Places.

In order for a property to be eligible for listing in the California Register, it must be found significant under one or more of the following criteria. • Criterion 1 (Events): Resources that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional history, or the cultural heritage of California or the United States.
• Criterion 2 (Persons): Resources that are associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history.
• Criterion 3 (Architecture): Resources that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represent the work of a master, or possess high artistic values.
• Criterion 4 (Information Potential): Resources or sites that have yielded or have the potential to yield information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation.

Resources eligible for the National Register are automatically listed in the California Register of Historical Resources (OHP, 2001).

California State Landmarks
Designated California Historical Landmarks are numbered sequentially as they are listed by the State Historical Resources Commission. California Historical Landmarks numbered 770 and above are automatically listed in the California Register. According to PRC Section 5031(a), to be eligible for California Historical Landmark designation, a property must be of statewide historical importance and must demonstrate its statewide significance by meeting one of the following three requirements:

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

1. The property is the first, last, only, or most significant historical property of its type in the region. The regions are Southern California, Central California, and Northern California. If a property has lost its historic appearance (integrity), it may still be listed as a site.

2. The property is associated with an individual or group having a profound influence on the history of California. The primary emphasis should be the place or places of achievement of an individual. Birthplace, death place, or place of interment shall not be a consideration unless something of historical importance is connected with the person’s birth or death. If a property has lost its historic appearance (integrity), it may still be listed as a site.

3. The property is a prototype of, or an outstanding example of, a period, style, architectural movement, or construction, or…it is one of the more notable works, or the best surviving work in a region of a pioneer architect, designer, or master builder.

4. An architectural landmark must have excellent physical integrity, including integrity of location. An architectural landmark generally will be considered on its original site, particularly if its significance is basically derived from its design relationship to its site.

Note: Only preeminent examples will be listed for architectural importance. Good representative examples of a style, period, or method of construction are more appropriately nominated to other registration programs.

California Points of Historical Interest
California Points of Historical Interest include “sites, buildings, features, or events that are of local (city or county) significance and have anthropological, cultural, military, political, architectural, economic, scientific or technical, religious, experimental, or other value” (Office of Historic Preservation 2008). Points of Historical Interest designated after December 1997 and recommended by the State Historical Resources Commission are also listed in the California Register. To be designated, a property must be demonstrated to meet at least one of the following criteria: the first, last, only, or most significant of its type within the local geographic region (city or county).

1. Associated with an individual or group having a profound influence on the history of the local area.

2. A prototype of, or an outstanding example of, a period, style, architectural movement or construction or is one of the more notable works or the best-surviving work in the local region of a pioneer architect, designer, or master builder.

California Historical Building Code
The purpose of the California Historical Building Code (CHBC) is to provide alternative regulations for the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, relocation or reconstruction of

buildings or structures designated as qualified historical buildings or properties by a local, State or Federal jurisdiction (as defined in Section 8-218 of Division 13, Part 2.7 of Health and Safety Code). The CHBC defines a “qualified historic structure” as:

Any building, site, structure, object, district or collection of structures, and their associated sites, deemed of importance to the history, architecture or culture of an area by an appropriate local, State or Federal governmental jurisdiction. This includes designated buildings or properties on, or determined eligible for, official national, State or local historical registers or official inventories, such as the National Register of Historic Places, California Register of Historical Resources, State Historical Landmarks, State Points of Historical Interest, and officially adopted city or county registers, inventories, or surveys of historical or architecturally significant sites, places or landmarks.

The CHBC’s standards and regulations are intended to:

Facilitate the rehabilitation or change of occupancy so as to preserve their original or restored elements and features, to encourage energy conservation and a cost effective approach to preservation, and to provide for reasonable safety from fire, seismic forces or other hazards for occupants and users of such buildings, structures and properties and to provide reasonable availability and usability by the physically disabled.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
CEQA is State legislation (PRC Section 21000 et seq.), which provides for the development and maintenance of a high quality environment for the present-day and future through the identification of significant environmental effects. CEQA applies to “projects” proposed to be undertaken or requiring approval from State or local government agencies. “Projects” are defined as “…activities which have the potential to have a physical impact on the environment and may include the enactment of zoning ordinances, the issuance of conditional use permits and the approval of tentative subdivision maps.” Historic and cultural resources are considered to be part of the environment. CEQA equates a “substantial adverse change” in the significance of a historical resource with a significant effect on the environment (PRC Section 21084.1).

Historical resources are defined in PRC Section 21084.1 as:
“a resource listed in, or determined eligible for listing in, the California Register of Historical Resources. Historical resources included in a local register of historical resources..., or deemed significant pursuant to criteria set forth in subdivision (g) of Section 5024.1, [is] … presumed to be historically or culturally significant for purposes of this section, unless the preponderance of the evidence demonstrates that the resource is not historically or culturally significant.”
Substantial Adverse Change. Thresholds of substantial adverse change are defined in PRC Section 5020.1 as demolition, destruction, relocation, or “alteration activities that would impair the significance of the historic resource.” Material impairment occurs when a project results in demolition, or materially alters in an adverse manner, the physical characteristics

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

that convey a property’s historic significance, or is the reason for that property’s inclusion in an official register of historic resources (CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b)(2.)).

The CEQA Guidelines define a significant impact as one that would cause “a substantial adverse change” defined as “physical demolition, destruction, relocation, or alteration of the resource or its immediate surroundings such that the significance of an historical resource would be materially impaired” (emphasis added CEQA Guidelines Section15064.5(4)(b)(1)).

The significance of an historical resource is materially impaired when a project:
• Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristics of an historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify its inclusion in, or eligibility for, inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources; or • Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristics that account for its inclusion in a local register of historical resources pursuant to Section 5020.1(k) of the Public Resources Code or its identification in an historical resources survey meeting the requirements of Section 5024.1(g) of the Public Resources Code, unless the public agency reviewing the effects of the project establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the resource is not historically or culturally significant; or
• Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristics of an historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify its eligibility for inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources as determined by a lead agency for purposes of CEQA (CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5).

The concept of substantial adverse change includes both direct effects (or impacts) to historical resources and indirect effects to the immediate surroundings of the resource. Examples of direct impacts include:
• physical destruction of, or damage to, all or part of an historical resource • demolition of a building that contributes to the significance of an historic district, damaging the cohesiveness and overall character of the district alteration of historical resources, including restoration, rehabilitation, repair, maintenance, stabilization, hazardous material remediation, and provision of accessibility features that are not consistent with concepts in the Standards for Rehabilitation, applicable related guidelines or technical advisories.

Examples of indirect impacts to the immediate surroundings of a historical resource include:
• alteration of the character of physical features within the setting of the historical resource that contribute to its historic significance
• introduction of visual, atmospheric or audible elements that diminish the integrity of the character defining features if the historical resource

Alteration of an historical resource that is not found in compliance with The Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation may also be considered an impact under CEQA.

CEQA and the California Public Records Act restrict the amount of information regarding cultural resources that can be disclosed in an EIR in order to avoid the possibility that such resources could be subject to vandalism or other damage (Clover Valley Foundation v. City of Rocklin (2011) 197 Cal.App.4th 200, 219). The CEQA Guidelines prohibit an EIR from including “information about the location of archaeological sites and sacred lands, or any other information that is subject to the disclosure restrictions of Section 6254 of the Government Code [(part of the California Public Records Act)].” (State CEQA Guidelines, Section15120, subd. (d)). In turn, California Government Code Section 2654 of the California Public Records Act lists as exempt from public disclosure any records “of Native American graves, cemeteries, and sacred places and records of Native American places, features, and objects described in Sections 5097.9 and 5097.933 of the [California] Public Resources Code maintained by, or in the possession of, the Native American Heritage Commission, another state agency, or a local agency.” (Cal. Gov. Code, Section 6254, subd. (r)).

Public Resources Code Sections 5097.9 and 5097.993 list the Native American places, features, and objects, the records of which are not to be publicly disclosed under the California Public Records Act: “any Native American sanctified cemetery, places of worship, religious or ceremonial site, or sacred shrine located on public property (Section 5097.9) and any “Native American historic, cultural, or sacred site, that is listed or may be eligible for listing in the California Register of Historic Resources…, including any historic or prehistoric ruins, any burial ground, any archaeological or historic site, any inscriptions made by Native Americans at such a site, any archaeological or historic Native American rock art, or any archaeological or historic feature of a Native American historic, cultural, or sacred site …” (Section5097.993, subd. (a)(1)).

The Public Resources Act also generally prohibits disclosure of archaeological records.

Government Code Section 6254.10 provides: “Nothing in [the California Public Records Act] requires disclosure of records that relate to archaeological site information and reports maintained by, or in the possession of … a local agency, including the records that the agency obtains through a consultation process between a California Native American tribe and a state or local agency.”
CEQA Guidelines, Section 15064.5(e), require that excavation activities be stopped whenever human remains are uncovered and that the county coroner be called in to assess the remains.

If the county coroner determines that the remains are those of Native Americans, the Native American Heritage Commission must be contacted within 24 hours. At that time, the lead agency must consult with the appropriate Native Americans, if any, as identified in a timely manner by the Native American Heritage Commission. Section 15064.5 of the CEQA Guidelines directs the lead agency (or applicant), under certain circumstances, to develop an agreement with the Native Americans for the treatment and disposition of the remains.

Senate Bill 297
SB 297 addresses the disposition of Native American burials in archaeological sites and protects such remains from disturbance, vandalism, or inadvertent destruction; establishes

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

procedures to be implemented if Native American skeletal remains are discovered during construction; and establishes the Native American Heritage Commission to resolve disputes regarding the disposition of such remains (SB 297). It has been incorporated into Section 15064.5(e) of the CEQA Guidelines.

Senate Bill 451
SB 451 created a historic rehabilitation tax credit to incentivize historic preservation and reuse of historic buildings. This incentive could be combined with federal rehabilitation tax credits to encourage the retention, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic properties.

Assembly Bill 52
AB 52 requires notification of and consultation, if requested, with Native American tribes traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area in which a project requiring CEQA review is proposed if those tribes have requested to be informed of such proposed projects. The intention of such consultation is to avoid adverse impacts to tribal cultural resources. This law is in addition to existing legislature protecting archaeological resources associated with California Native American tribes. AB 52 applies to all projects initiating environmental review on or after July 1, 2015.

California Health and Safety Code
Section 7050.5(b) of the California Health and Safety Code specifies protocols to address any human remains that may be discovered. The code states:

In the event of discovery or recognition of any human remains in any location other than a dedicated cemetery, there shall be no further excavation or disturbance of the site or any nearby area reasonably suspected to overlie adjacent remains until the coroner of the county in which the human remains are discovered has determined, in accordance with Chapter 10 (commencing with section 27460) of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code, that the remains are not subject to the provisions of section 27492 of the Government Code or any other related provisions of law concerning investigation of the circumstances, manner and cause of death, and the recommendations concerning treatment and disposition of the human remains have been made to the person responsible for the excavation, or to his or her authorized representative, in the manner provided in section 5097.98 of the Public Resources Code.

Public Resources Code Section 5097.5
Section 5097.5 of the California Public Code Section protects historic or prehistoric ruins, burial grounds, archaeological or vertebrate paleontological sites, or any other archaeological, paleontological, or historical feature that is situated on land owned by, or in the jurisdiction of, the State of California, or any city, county, district, authority, or public corporation, or any agency thereof.

The City is a Certified Local Government (CLG). The CLG program was established in 1980 with the dual goals of encouraging the direct participation of local governments in the activities of identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving historic properties within their jurisdiction, as well as promoting the integration of preservation interests into local planning and decisionmaking processes. The CLG is a partnership among local governments, the California Office of Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service, which is responsible for administering the National Historic Preservation Program. As a CLG, the City maintains an active program to designate historic resources and enables the city to compete for matching grant monies to support implementation of the city’s activities to identify, preserve, evaluate and register historic properties
Sacramento City Code
The Sacramento City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2006-063 to add a historic preservation chapter to the Sacramento City Code on October 24, 2006. The chapter was amended and updated during 2013 (Ordinance No. 2013-0007). Those changes are now codified as part of Chapter 17.604. The stated historic preservation purposes of the City Code Chapter 17.604 are:

1. To establish a City preservation program, commission and staff, to implement the Preservation Element of the City’s General Plan;

2. To provide mechanisms, through surveys, nominations and other available means, to identify significant historic, prehistoric and cultural resources, structures, districts, sites, landscapes and properties within the city;

3. To provide mechanisms and procedures to protect and encourage the preservation of the city’s historic and cultural resources; and

4. To provide standards, criteria and processes, consistent with State and Federal preservation standards and criteria, for the identification, protection and assistance in the preservation, maintenance and use of historic and cultural resources.

Sacramento Register. The local Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (Sacramento Register) was established through the Historic Preservation Chapter of the City Code. The Sacramento Register records:
• Adopted landmarks
• Adopted historic districts
• Special planning districts, survey areas, and individual resources • Pending Sacramento Register nominations
To be eligible for the Sacramento Register, a resource must meet one or more of the following criteria:

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the city, the region, the state or the nation;

2. It is associated with the lives of persons significant in the city’s past;

3. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction.

4. It represents the work of an important creative individual or master.

5. It possesses high artistic values; or.

6. It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in the prehistory or history of the city, the region, the state or the nation.

Additionally, resources must retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association. The integrity of a resource shall be judged with reference to the particular criterion or criteria specified above.

The Sacramento Register includes special considerations for resources that may otherwise be determined ineligible for the Register. These factors include:
• A structure removed from its original location is eligible if it is significant primarily for its architectural value or it is the most important surviving structure associated with a historic person or event.
• A birthplace or grave is eligible if it is that of a historical figure of outstanding importance and there is no other appropriate site or structure directly associated with his or her productive life.
• A reconstructed building is eligible if the reconstruction is historically accurate, if the structure is presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan; and if no other, original structure survives that has the same association. • Properties that are primarily commemorative in intent are eligible if design, age, tradition or symbolic value invest such properties with their own historical significance.
• Properties achieving significance within the past fifty (50) years are eligible if such properties are of exceptional importance.

The Historic Preservation Chapter also identifies requirements that shall be met to list a historic district on the Sacramento Register. The City Council must hold hearing(s) to ensure that these requirements are satisfied. The requirements are as follows:
• The area is a geographically definable area;
• The area possesses either:
a) A significant concentration or continuity of buildings unified by:
i. past events; or

ii. aesthetically by plan or physical development;
b) The area is associated with an event, person, or period significant or important to city history;
The designation of the geographic area as a historic district is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to protect, promote and further the goals and purposes of this chapter and is not inconsistent with other goals and policies of the City.

Additionally, these factors shall be considered:
• A historic district should have integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship and association,
• The collective historic value of the buildings and structures in a historic district taken together may be greater than the historic value of each individual building or structure.

6.5 Mineral Resources

INTRODUCTION
This section describes the existing conditions of the mineral resources within and adjacent to the Policy Area. Information is based upon data provided by the City, data maintained by Sacramento County, and publications by the Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey (CGS, formerly Division of Mines and Geology) and Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR).

EXISTING CONDITIONS
Existing mineral extraction activities in and around Sacramento include fine (sand) and coarse (gravel) construction aggregates, as well as clay. Other mineral resources include gold.

Construction aggregates come from two different sources: hardbed rock sources and river channel (alluvial) sources. Generally, sand, gravel, and clay are used as fill and for construction of highways and roads, streets, urban and suburban developments, canals, aqueducts, and pond linings.

The city of Sacramento had one permitted mining operation in the southeastern portion of the Policy Area; however, active mining has ceased at this location, which was owned and operated by Granite Land Company. The site has been redeveloped with an office/business park and a City park with recreation amenities. There are 327 million tons of permitted aggregate resources in Sacramento County, with a 50-year demand of 724 million tons (California Geological Survey 2018).

One abandoned gas field is located within the boundaries of the Policy Area. A portion of the Florin Gas Field is within the city limits, but there is no active drilling, and all of the wells have been plugged and abandoned. There are no oil production areas within the Policy Area.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Mineral Resources
Historic mineral production in the region has included construction aggregate, kaolin clay, common clay, pumice, and gold. Construction aggregate consists of sand, gravel, and crushed stone. The placer gold deposits that occur in alluvial gravels in Sacramento County originated from hydrothermally emplaced gold-bearing lode quartz veins that formed during the Jurassic era in various Paleozoic and Mesozoic metamorphic and granitic rock types within the Sierran Foothills Belt (Curtis et al, 1958). Over the 150 million years since the gold was formed, the rising Sierra Nevada in combination with weathering processes eroded these lode gold-bearing rocks, and streams transported the placer gold downstream to where it was redeposited within alluvial gravels. These gold-bearing alluvial sediments gradually accumulated in the valley (Department of Conservation 1999). Mineral resources currently extracted in Sacramento County consist of primarily construction sand and gravel, as well as synthetic graphite (USGS 2017).

According to CGS and Sacramento County records, the Sacramento Flood Control Agency has a borrow pit (fill material) in the northern part of the Policy Area, and Teichert Aggregates has sand and gravel sites within the Policy Area.

According to the USGS online Mineral Resources Database, the following site ID’s and names are located within the Policy Area: 10077173 (Sacramento City Gravel Pit); 10286086 (Sacramento City Gravel Pit); 10077166 (Sacramento City Sand Pit); 10236887 (Sacramento City Sand Pit); 10077174 (Teichert Aggregates); and 10285591 (Teichert Aggregates) (USGS 2018).

Mineral Resource Zones
The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) directs the State Geologist to classify (identify and map) the non-fuel mineral resources of the State to show where economically significant mineral deposits occur and where they are likely to occur based upon the best available scientific data. Areas known as Mineral Resource Zones (MRZs) are classified on the basis of geologic factors, without regard to existing land use and land ownership. The areas are categorized into four general classifications (MRZ-1 through MRZ-4). Of the four, the MRZ-2 classification is recognized in land use planning because the likelihood for occurrence of significant mineral deposits is high, and the classification may be a factor in the discovery and development of mineral deposits that would tend to be economically beneficial to society.

Areas where mineral resources have been exhausted are classified and MRZ-5.

Details of the MRZ designations are as follows:
• MRZ-1: Areas where available geologic information indicates there is little or no likelihood for presence of significant mineral resources. • MRZ-2a: Areas underlain by mineral deposits where geologic data indicate that significant measured or indicated resources are present. Areas classified MRZ-2a contain discovered mineral deposits as determined by such evidence as drilling records, sample analysis, surface exposure, and mine information. Land included in the

MRZ-2a category is of prime importance because it contains known economic mineral deposits.
• MRZ-2b: Areas underlain by mineral deposits where geologic information indicates that significant inferred resources are present. Areas classified MRZ-2b contain discovered mineral deposits that are either inferred reserves as determined by limited sample analysis, exposure, and past mining history, or are deposits that presently are sub-economic. Further exploration and/or changes in technology or economics could result in upgrading areas classified MRZ-2b to MRZ-2a.
• MRZ-3a: Areas containing known mineral occurrences of undetermined mineral resource significance. Further exploration within these areas could result in the reclassification of specific localities as MRZ-2a or MRZ 2b. • MRZ-3b: Areas containing inferred mineral occurrences of undetermined mineral resource significance. Land classified MRZ-3b represents areas in geologic settings that appear to be favorable environments for the occurrence of specific mineral deposits.

Further exploration could result in the reclassification of all or part of these areas as MRZ-3a or specific localities as MRZ-2a or MRZ-2b.
• MRZ-4: Areas of no known mineral occurrences where geologic information does not rule out the presence or absence of significant mineral resources. • MRZ-5: Areas mined out of Portland cement concrete-grade aggregate material.

Areas classified MRZ-2 have been mapped by the CGS in the area between SR 99 and SR 16, in the southeastern portion of the Policy Area. The MRZ-2 area begins just east of Sacramento Executive Airport as a relatively narrow band extending northwest toward the American River.

In the vicinity of Power Inn Road, the MRZ-2 area broadens substantially towards Bradshaw Road and beyond. In general, the area classified as MRZ-2 west of the Union Pacific Railroad is urbanized, so access to any deposits would be limited. Portions of the MRZ-2 area east of the railroad are less urbanized, and most of the former and current mining operations are located in that area. The majority of the central and southeastern portions of the Policy Area are MRZ3. The western and northern portions of the Policy Area are primarily MRZ-1. MRZ-5 is located in the MRZ-2 area south of SR 16, where there have been historical mining operations. There is no MRZ-4 in the Policy Area.

Oil and Gas Resources
Florin Gas Field
Florin Gas Field is located within the city of Sacramento and unincorporated Sacramento County, centered at approximately the corner of Power Inn Road and 53rd Avenue. Natural gas was extracted from the Florin Gas Field by Proctor and Gamble, Vendada National, TXO Production Corporation, and Union Oil Company. Production stopped in 1987 when the reserve was exhausted, however the site was proposed in April 2007 for a storage location. It was proposed to use the site by injecting natural gas into the Florin Gas Field, approximately

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

3,800 feet below ground surface, then, through the installation of withdrawal wells, would be withdrawn as needed. (CPUC 2019). Several land uses are located above the field, including residential, industrial, and commercial (including the former Army Depot), and parks (Danny Nunn Park) (CPUC 2009).

Sacramento Airport Gas Field
The Sacramento Airport Gas field covers an area of about 11 square miles centered under the Sacramento International Airport northwest of the Policy Area. Well data maintained by the California DOGGR indicate that while there are several wells in the Sacramento Airport Gas field, which generally extends from just north of Interstate 5 to the Sutter/Placer county line on north and east of the airport to the Sacramento River on the west, these wells are plugged and abandoned or are used for gas storage.

REGULATORY CONTEXT
Federal
There are no Federal regulations applicable to mineral resources. Activities related to mining and mine reclamation are regulated by the State, as discussed below.

State
Surface Mining and Reclamation Act
As previously discussed, mining activities are regulated by SMARA (Public Resources Code Section 2710 et seq.). The purpose of this act is to create and maintain an effective and comprehensive surface mining and reclamation policy with regulation of surface mining operations so as to assure that: (1) adverse environmental effects are prevented or minimized and that mined lands are reclaimed to a usable condition that is readily adaptable for alternative land uses; (2) the production and conservation of minerals are encouraged, while giving consideration to values relating to recreation, wildlife, range and forage, and aesthetic enjoyment; and (3) residual hazards to the public health and safety are eliminated. These goals are achieved through land use planning by allowing a jurisdiction to balance the economic benefits of resource reclamation with the need to provide other land uses.

Section 2761 (a) and (b) and 2790 of the SMARA provides for a mineral lands inventory process termed classification-designation. The CGS and the State Mining and Geology Board (SMGB) are the State agencies responsible for administering this process. The primary objective of the process is to provide local agencies with information on the location, need, and importance of minerals within their respective jurisdictions. It is also the intent of this process, through the adoption of general plan mineral resource management policies, that this information be considered in future local land-use planning decisions (Public Resources Code Section 2762).

Public Resources Code Section 2762 directs that if a use is proposed that might threaten the potential recovery of minerals from an area that has been classified MRZ-2, the County (or City)

must specify its reasons for permitting use, provide public notice of those reasons, and forward a copy of its statement of reasons to the State Geologist and SMGB.

California Code of Regulations
Mining operations and mine reclamation activities must be performed in accordance with laws and regulations adopted by the SMGB, which are contained in Section 3500 et seq. of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. The Office of Mine Reclamation in the State Department of Conservation oversees reclamation requirements.

Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources
The California State Department of Conservation includes the DOGGR. The DOGGR is responsible for monitoring the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil, gas, and geothermal wells with the intention of environmental protection, public health and safety, and general environmental conservation methods. The DOGGR is also responsible for collecting groundwater, oil, gas, and geothermal resource data for maintaining a record of all drilled and abandoned well locations.

Local
Sacramento City Code
Chapter 17.194 (Surface Mining and Reclamation). This chapter provides effective and comprehensive surface mining and reclamation policies and regulations to properly carry out the requirements of SMARA, and other applicable regulations to ensure that: adverse environmental and other effects of surface mining operations will be prevented or minimized and that the reclamation of mined lands will provide for the beneficial, sustainable, long-term productive use of the mined and reclaimed lands; and the production and conservation of minerals will be encouraged, while eliminating hazards to public health and safety and avoiding or minimizing adverse effects on the environment.

6.6 Air Quality

INTRODUCTION
This section describes the existing air quality conditions within the Policy Area, the regulatory agencies responsible for managing and improving air quality, and the laws and plans that have been adopted to improve air quality. Information for this section is based on data from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (Sac Metro Air District) and the California Air Resources Board (ARB).

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

EXISTING CONDITIONS
Regional and Local Climate
The Policy Area is located within the Sacramento Valley Air Basin (SVAB), which is a valley bounded by the North Coast Mountain Ranges to the west and the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. The terrain in the valley is flat and approximately 25 feet above sea level.

Hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters characterize the Mediterranean climate of the Sacramento Valley. Throughout the year, daily temperatures may range by 30 degrees Fahrenheit with summer highs often exceeding 100 degrees and winter lows occasionally below freezing. Average annual rainfall is about 20 inches and snowfall is very rare.

Summertime temperatures are normally moderated by the presence of the “Delta breeze” that arrives through the Carquinez Strait in the evening hours.

The mountains surrounding the SVAB create a barrier to airflow, which can trap air pollutants in the valley. The highest frequency of air stagnation occurs in the autumn and early winter when large high-pressure cells lie over the valley. The lack of surface wind during these periods and the reduced vertical flow caused by less surface heating reduces the influx of outside air and allows air pollutants to become concentrated in a stable volume of air. The surface concentrations of pollutants are highest when these conditions are combined with temperature inversions that trap cooler air and pollutants near the ground.

The warmer months in the SVAB (May through October) are characterized by stagnant morning air or light winds, and the Delta breeze that arrives in the evening out of the southwest. Usually, the evening breeze transports a portion of airborne pollutants to the north and out of the Sacramento Valley. During about half of the day from July to September, however, interaction between airflow from the Delta and nighttime downslope airflow from the mountains creates an eddy. This phenomenon called the “Schultz Eddy” causes the wind pattern to circle back south, exacerbating the pollution levels in the area and increasing the likelihood of violating Federal or State standards.

Sources of Air Pollution
Air pollution within the SVAB are generated by stationary, area, and mobile sources. Stationary sources occur at specific identified locations, are usually associated with manufacturing and industry, and are usually subject to a permit to operate from the local air district. Examples of major stationary sources include electrical generation facilities, chemical manufacturing plants, gasoline bulk terminal plants, and can coating operations. Minor stationary sources include smaller-scale equipment such as diesel fueled-emergency back-up generators and natural gas boilers.

Area sources are emissions-generating activities that are distributed over an area and do not require permits from an air agency to operate. Examples of area sources include natural gas combustion for residential or commercial space and water heating, landscaping equipment such as lawn mowers, and consumer products such as barbeque lighter fluid and hairspray.

Mobile sources refer to the tailpipe and evaporative emissions from motor vehicles, both onroad and off-road, and particles from brake and tire wear. On-road mobile sources are those that are legally operated on roadways and highways, such as cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Offroad sources include construction vehicles and equipment, off-highway recreational vehicles, trains, boats, and aircraft. Mobile sources account for the majority of the air pollutant emissions within the SVAB.

Ambient Air Quality Standards
Both the Federal and State governments have established ambient air quality standards for outdoor ambient concentrations of various pollutants in order to protect public health and welfare with a margin of safety. Applicable ambient air quality standards are identified in Table 6-8.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Table 6-8: Summary of Ambient Air Quality Standards
Pollutant Averaging
Time
California
Standards
Attainment
Status
National
Standards
Attainment
Status
Ozone 1-hour 0.09 ppm
(180 μg/m3)
Nonattainment – –
8-hour 0.070 ppm
(137 μg/m3)
Nonattainment 0.070 ppm
(137 μg/m3)
Nonattainment
(Extreme)
Respirable
Particulate
Matter
(PM10)
Annual Arithmetic
Mean
20 μg/m3 Nonattainment – –
24-hour 50 μg/m3 Nonattainment 150 μg/m3 Attainment
Fine
Particulate
Matter
(PM2.5)
Annual Arithmetic
Mean
12 μg/m3 Attainment 12 μg/m3 Attainment
24-hour – – 35 μg/m3 Nonattainment
(Moderate)
Carbon
Monoxide
(CO)
1-hour 20 ppm
(23 mg/m3)
Attainment 35 ppm
(40 mg/m3)
Attainment
8-hour 9 ppm
(10 mg/m3)
Attainment 9 ppm
(10 mg/m3)
Attainment
Nitrogen
Dioxide
(NO2)
Annual Arithmetic
Mean

0.030 ppm
(57 μg/m3)
Attainment 0.053 ppm
(100 μg/m3)
Unclassifiable/At
tainment
1-hour 0.18 ppm
(339 μg/m3)
Attainment 100 ppb
(188 μg/m3)
Unclassifiable/At
tainment
Sulfur
Dioxide
(SO2)
Annual Arithmetic
Mean
– – 0.030 ppm
(for certain
areas)
–
24-hour 0.04 ppm
(105 μg/m3)
Attainment 0.14 ppm
(for certain
areas)
–
3-hour – – 0.5 ppm
(1300 μg/m3)1
–
1-hour 0.25 ppm
(655 μg/m3)
Attainment 75 ppb
(196 μg/m3)
Unclassifiable/
Attainment
Lead (Pb) 30-day Average 1.5 μg/m3 Attainment – –
Calendar Quarter – – 1.5 μg/m3 (for
certain areas)
–
Rolling 3-Month
Avg
– – 0.15 μg/m3 Attainment
Sulfates 24-hour 25 μg/m3 Attainment No
National
Standards
–
Hydrogen
Sulfide
1-hour 0.03 ppm
(42 μg/m3)
Unclassifiable –

Table 6-8: Summary of Ambient Air Quality Standards
Pollutant Averaging
Time
California
Standards
Attainment
Status
National
Standards
Attainment
Status
Vinyl
Chloride
24-hour 0.01 ppm
(26 μg/m3)
Unclassifiable –
VisibilityReducing
Particle
Matter
8-hour Extinction
coefficient of

0.23 per
kilometer —
visibility of 10
mi or more
Unclassifiable –
Notes: μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter; ppb = parts per billion; ppm = parts per million 1 Secondary Standard
Source: ARB 2016a, Sac Metro Air District 2017.

The air pollutants for which both Federal and State standards exist include ozone, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter with particles of 10 microns (respirable particulate matter or PM10) and 2.5 microns (fine particulate matter or PM2.5) or smaller in diameter, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and lead (Pb). Each of these pollutants is briefly described below.
• Ozone is a colorless and highly irritating gas that is formed when reactive organic gases (ROG) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), both by-products of internal combustion engine exhaust and other processes, undergo photochemical reactions in the presence of sunlight. Ozone concentrations are generally highest during the summer months when direct sunlight, light wind, and warm temperature conditions are favorable to the formation of this pollutant. Breathing ozone inflames and damages the airways and can cause pain when taking deep breaths. Ozone makes the lungs more susceptible to infection, aggravates lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, and can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ozone can also damage deep portions of the lungs, even after symptoms such as coughing or a sore throat disappear.
• NO2 is a brownish, highly reactive gas that is present in all urban environments. The major human-made sources of NO2 are combustion devices, such as those in motor vehicles. Other sources include boilers, gas turbines, and internal combustion engines.

Breathing air with a high concentration of NO2 can irritate airways and lead to coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing, development or aggravation of asthma and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.
• CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels.

CO concentrations tend to be the highest during the winter morning, with little to no wind, when surface-based inversions trap the pollutant at ground levels. The highest ambient CO concentrations are generally found near congested transportation corridors and intersections, but the SVAB has not experienced a violation of ambient

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

air quality standards for CO for more than 20 years (ARB 2013a). Breathing carbon monoxide can cause weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision, and loss of consciousness.
• Respirable Particulate Matter (PM10) and Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) consist of extremely small, suspended particles 10 microns and 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter. Some sources of suspended particulate matter such as pollen and windblown dust occur naturally. However, in populated areas, most fine suspended particulate matter is caused by road dust, diesel soot, residential wood combustion, abrasion of tires and brakes, and construction activities. The size of particles is directly linked to potential for causing health problems. Particles less than 10 microns pose the greatest problems, because they can get deep into the lungs, and even into the bloodstream, affecting both the lungs and heart. Particle pollution exposure is linked to irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, nonfatal heart attacks, and premature death.
• SO2 is a colorless, extremely irritating gas or liquid. It enters the atmosphere as a pollutant mainly as a result of the burning of high sulfur-content fuel oils and coal, and from chemical processes occurring at chemical plants and refineries. SO2 irritates the nose, throat, and airways to cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or a tight feeling around the chest.
• Lead in the atmosphere was primarily associated with combustion of leaded gasoline, which is no longer permitted for on-road motor vehicles. Lead is no longer a pollutant of concern in the SVAB.

Regional Air Quality
Regional air quality is assessed by comparing the air quality data that is collected by air monitoring stations to the Federal and State health-based air quality standards. Areas in the SVAB that have air pollution concentrations above the standards are designated as nonattainment areas. For the Federal standards, some areas in the SVAB, including Sacramento County, are designated as nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone and 24-hour PM2.5 standards.

Regarding State standards, some areas in the SVAB are in nonattainment for ozone, PM10 and/or PM2.5 standards. All areas in the SVAB are in attainment for all other pollutants with air quality standards.

The SVAB is still not in attainment for certain standards, but regional air quality has improved over time. Despite substantial region-wide population growth, pollutant levels have decreased dramatically since the 1980s. The current emissions inventory for Sacramento County is summarized below in Figure 6-11. Mobile sources contribute the majority of ozone precursor emissions in Sacramento County, while area sources, such as residential wood burning, compose the majority of PM emissions. Furthermore, wildfires can occur in undeveloped areas and spread to urban areas where the landscape and structures are not designed and maintained to be ignition resistant. Large wildfires, resulting from high temperatures accompanied by dry conditions, would further worsen air quality. However, if higher temperatures are accompanied by wetter, rather than drier conditions, the rains would tend

to temporarily clear the air of particulate pollution and reduce the incidence of large wildfires, thus ameliorating the pollution associated with wildfires.

With climate change and increasing temperatures over the next few decades, air quality will be challenged. Extreme heat in the Sacramento region is projected to worsen in the next few decades. By midcentury, Sacramento County is predicted to face more than 30 days over 100°F and 13 days over 105°F each summer, compared to a historical baseline of just six days over 100°F and one day over 105°F (Union of Concerned Scientists 2019). This will drive and accelerate ozone formation.

Figure 6-11: Sacramento County 2016 Emissions Inventory Source: ARB 2016b.

Local Air Quality
The ARB and local air districts collect ambient air quality data through a network of air monitoring stations throughout the state. There are eight monitoring stations in the County of Sacramento, but not all of the stations monitor for all pollutants with health standards. Table 6-9 identifies the national and State ambient air quality standards for air pollutants for which Sacramento County is in nonattainment and lists the highest ambient pollutant concentrations that have been measured within the city through the period of 2016 to 2018. As shown, the Sacramento area has a recent history of Federal and State exceedances for the ozone and particulate matter standards. No other ambient air quality standards have been exceeded in Sacramento during the last three years.
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
140
160
180
200
ROG NOX PM10 PM2.5
Tons per day
Other Mobile Source
On-Road Mobile Sources
Areawide Sources
Stationary Sources

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Table 6-9: Summary of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Data in Policy Area Pollutant
Air Quality
Standards
Year
2016 2017 2018
Ozone
Maximum 1-hour
concentration (State)

0.09 ppm 0.108 0.107 0.097
# of days exceeding State 1-
hour standard.
n/a 5 1 3
Maximum 8-hour
concentration. (State /
national)

0.070 ppm 0.083 0.078 0.085
# of days exceeding State 8-
hour standard.
n/a 11 5 7
# of days exceeding national
8-hour standard.
n/a 8 3 1
Respirable Particulate Matter (PM10)
Maximum 24-hour
concentration (State /
national)
50 / 150
µg/m3

51.4 150.3 309.5
# of days exceeding State
standard
n/a 1 21 22
# of days exceeding national
standard
n/a 0 0 6
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
Maximum 24-hour
concentration measured
(State)
35 µg/m3 39.8 46.0 263.3
# of days exceeding national
standard
n/a 0 2 3
Notes: µg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter of air; ppm = parts by volume per million of air.

Source: ARB, https://www.arb.ca.gov/adam/select8/sc8start.php as of 08/29/2019.

Measurements are from monitors within the boundary of the City of Sacramento. These monitors include Sacramento T Street, Bercut Drive, Goldenland Court, and Sacramento Health Department. Goldenland Court was shut down in June 2017 and Health Department was shut down in 2016.

The equipment used for particulate matter measurement is different between federal and state standards. As a result, the maximum concentrations are not the same.

Note: In 2018, many wildfires impacted the air quality data in the Sacramento region. As such, the region recorded unusually high readings that exceeded the standards.

Toxic Air Contaminant Emissions
Toxic air contaminants (TACs) are airborne substances that, even in small quantities, are capable of causing chronic (i.e., of long duration) and acute (i.e., severe, but of short duration) adverse effects on human health. They include both organic and inorganic chemical substances that may be emitted from a variety of common sources including gasoline stations, motor vehicles, dry cleaners, industrial operations, painting operations, and research and teaching facilities. TACs are different than the criteria air pollutants discussed previously in that ambient air quality standards have not been established for them. TACs are usually present in minute quantities in the ambient air; however, their high toxicity or health risk may pose a threat to public health even at low concentrations.

According to the California Almanac of Emissions and Air Quality (ARB 2009), the majority of the estimated health risks from TACs can be attributed to relatively few compounds, the most important being diesel PM. Diesel PM differs from other TACs in that it is not a single substance, but rather a complex mixture of hundreds of substances. Although diesel PM is emitted by diesel-fueled internal combustion engines, the composition of the emissions varies depending on engine type, operating conditions, fuel composition, lubricating oil, and whether an emissions control system is being used. Based on receptor modeling techniques, ARB estimated diesel PM health risk to be 360 excess cancer cases per million people in the SVAB in the year 2000. Since 1990, the health risk associated with diesel PM has been reduced by 52%. Overall, levels of most TACs, except para-dichlorobenzene and formaldehyde, have decreased since 1990 (ARB 2009).

Sensitive Receptors
As discussed previously, the Federal and State ambient air quality standards have been set at levels to protect the most sensitive persons from illness or discomfort with a margin of safety.

Air pollution regulatory agencies typically define “sensitive receptors” as places where these sensitive persons may be located: residences, schools, playgrounds, child care centers, athletic facilities, hospitals, long-term health care facilities, rehabilitation centers, convalescent centers, and retirement homes. Each of these types of facilities, and the land uses that support them, is present in the Policy Area.

Land Use Planning and Air Quality
Land use patterns and density of development affect the amount of air pollutants that are generated by communities. Segregated land uses and lower-density development dispersed throughout a community increase the number and length of motor vehicle trips and associated air pollutant emissions, because it is more difficult to use less-polluting modes such as walking, bicycling, and public transit between homes, jobs, and shopping. Higher density communities that mix residential uses with commercial, business, and employment uses can shift motor vehicle travel to active transportation modes (walking, bicycling, and transit) and also reduce the distances of any necessary vehicle trips. These higher density, mixed-use types of development also typically utilize less energy, heating, cooling, landscaping, and other functions that generate pollution.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

However, increasing density can also result in the siting of residents closer to urban sources of air pollutant emissions, such as high-volume roadways and rail lines. Evidence exists associating short-term and long-term health effects with locating “sensitive receptors” (residences and places where children, the elderly and others who are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution may be) near major roadways or rail lines. The health effects of exposure to roadway and railway pollution include an increased exposure to carcinogens such as diesel particulate matter, organic gases, and fine particulate matter. In addition to carcinogens, roadway pollution may include fine particulates with metallic constituents, which are strongly associated with acute respiratory diseases and cardiovascular disease.

ARB’s Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective (ARB 2005) provides guidance concerning land use compatibility with TAC emission sources. While not a law or adopted policy, the handbook offers advisory recommendations for the siting of sensitive receptors near uses associated with TACs, such as freeways and high-traffic roads, commercial distribution centers, rail yards, ports, refineries, dry cleaners, gasoline stations, and industrial facilities, to help keep children and other sensitive populations at a distance from pollution sources. However, while the Handbook recommends a minimum distance of 500 feet between high-volume roadways and sensitive receptors, in reality, many California communities exist near high-volume roadways, and the benefits of infill development on health, climate, equity, and the economy are widely recognized. In 2017 ARB released a technical advisory, Strategies to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure Near High-Volume Roadways, that offers scientifically based strategies to reduce exposure to traffic emissions in nearroadway development.

More specific guidance on assessing and disclosing potential health risk and PM2.5 concentrations from major roadways and railways can be found in the Sac Metro Air District’s Mobile Sources Air Toxics Protocol (MSAT Protocol). The MSAT Protocol includes a tool for quantifying and mapping health risk in locations within Sacramento County and guidance on exposure reduction measures.

Another important consideration in land use for air quality is the green environment, including trees. Increased tree canopy in the region can improve air quality and reduce exposure to pollutants. Urban trees can absorb gaseous pollutants such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide, intercept particulate matter, increase oxygen levels through photosynthesis, and provide shade, resulting in lower local air temperatures and reducing ozone formation. Especially as climate change intensifies heat waves, the greater the population density, the greater the benefit of tree canopy per square mile. Sacramento’s tree canopy coverage in 2018 was 19.1 percent. City efforts in planting and maintaining street trees and parking lot shade trees, especially in under-canopied areas of the city, have great potential to improve air quality and population health.

Odors
Odors are generally regarded as an annoyance rather than a health hazard. However, manifestations of a person’s reaction to foul odors can range from psychological (e.g., irritation, anger, or anxiety) to physiological (e.g., circulatory and respiratory effects, nausea, vomiting, and headache). Quality and intensity are two properties present in any odor. The quality of an

odor indicates the nature of the smell experience. Intensity refers to the strength of the odor, which is a function of concentration.

The ability to detect odors varies considerably among the population and overall is quite subjective. Some individuals have the ability to smell very minute quantities of specific substances; others may not have the same sensitivity but may have sensitivities to odors of other substances. In addition, people may have different reactions to the same odor; an odor that is offensive to one person may be perfectly acceptable to another (e.g., fast food restaurant). An unfamiliar odor is more easily detected and is more likely to cause complaints than a familiar one. This is because of the phenomenon known as odor fatigue, in which a person can become desensitized to almost any odor and recognition only occurs with an alteration in the intensity. Wildfire smoke would further worsen air quality resulting in an increase in harmful air pollutants in addition to producing a persistent odor. Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of gases, such as CO, carbon dioxide (CO2), NOx, and other organic chemicals.

Smoke also consists of particulate matter. Particulate matter is the principle pollutant of concern in wildfire smoke because of the short-term exposures usually experienced by the public. A warming climate, longer fire seasons, and increases in drought conditions all increase the potential for wildfire risk (ARB and CDPH 2019).

REGULATORY CONTEXT
Air quality within the Policy Area is regulated through the efforts of various Federal, State, regional, and local government agencies. These agencies work jointly, as well as individually, to improve air quality through legislation, planning, policy-making, education, and a variety of other efforts. The agencies responsible for improving the air quality within the SVAB are discussed below.

Federal
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is the Federal agency responsible for setting and enforcing the Federal ambient air quality standards for atmospheric pollutants. The U.S. EPA regulates emission sources that are under the exclusive authority of the Federal government, such as aircraft, ships, and certain locomotives.

As part of its enforcement responsibilities, U.S. EPA requires each state with areas that do not meet Federal ambient air quality standards to prepare and submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that describes a strategy for the means to attain these standards. The SIP must identify how these areas will attain a standard by a specific date referred to as the attainment date and include specific control measures to reduce air pollution, using a combination of performance standards and market-based programs.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

State
California Air Resources Board (ARB)
The ARB, a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, is responsible for the coordination and administration of both Federal and State air pollution control programs within California. In this capacity, the ARB conducts research, sets State ambient air quality standards, compiles emission inventories, develops suggested control measures, and provides oversight of local programs. The ARB establishes emissions standards for motor vehicles sold in California, consumer products (such as hairspray, aerosol paints, and barbecue lighter fluid), and various types of off-road mobile equipment. It also sets fuel specifications to further reduce vehicular emissions. The ARB also has primary responsibility for the development of California’s SIP, for which it works closely with the Federal government and the local air districts.

Regional
Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)
SACOG is an association of local governments in the six-county Sacramento region. Its members in addition to the City and County of Sacramento include the counties of El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba, and 22 cities within these counties.

SACOG provides transportation planning and funding for the region, and serves as a forum for the study and resolution of regional issues. In addition to preparing the region’s long-range transportation plan, SACOG develops a Regional Housing Needs Allocation and Regional Housing Needs Plan which are used to determine the total number of housing units that each city and county must plan for within SACOG’s six-county region. SACOG also assists in planning for transit, bicycle networks, clean air and airport land uses.

SACOG must also ensure that its transportation plans do not conflict with any federal air quality plans. This is known as making a “finding of conformity”. SACOG’s long-range transportation plans must ensure that transportation activities do not impede the ability of an area to attain air quality standards. Transportation emissions from projects in SACOG’s Metropolitan Transportation Plans cannot exceed the motor vehicle emission budget (MVEB) set in its most recent air quality plan for a specific pollutant. The MVEB represents the on-road highway emissions portion of the total emissions contained in Sac Metro Air District’s SIP. If SACOG’s plan does not meet the conformity criteria, a “conformity lapse” could occur during which Federal funding for transportation projects is restricted.

SACOG Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy In February 2016, SACOG, the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Sacramento region, adopted the 2016 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (2016 MTP/SCS)(SACOG 2016). The 2016 MTP/SCS guides land use and transportation decisions within the region over the next 20 years. SACOG is currently working on the 2020 MTP/SCS, which will be adopted by February 2020. This effort recognizes the

linkage between growth and air quality, and also addresses greenhouse gas emissions, discussed further in Section 6.7 Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change.

Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District The Sac Metro Air Districtis the primary agency responsible for monitoring the local air quality and developing and implementing the air quality plans to meet Federal and State ambient air quality standards in Sacramento County. The Sac Metro Air District enforces air quality regulations, educates the public about air quality, and implements programs to influence land use development in Sacramento County and to provide incentives to use clean mobility technologies. To assist local jurisdictions, the Sac Metro Air District has developed a set of guidelines (most recently revised in 2018) for use by lead agencies when preparing environmental documents. The guidelines contain thresholds of significance for criteria pollutants and TACs and make recommendations for conducting air quality analyses. Once the Sac Metro Air District guidelines have been consulted and the air quality impacts of a project have been assessed,the lead agency’s analysis undergoes a review by the Sac Metro Air District.

The Sac Metro Air District submits comments and suggestions to the lead agency for incorporation into the environmental document.

Ozone
The Sacramento Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area includes all of Sacramento and Yolo counties, and portions of Placer, El Dorado, Solano and Sutter counties. To meet the federal ozone standard, the Sac Metro Air District works with adjacent local air districts in the Sacramento region to develop regional plans to attain and maintain the federal 8-hour ozone standard. These regional plans, or attainment plans, demonstrate how the region will meet applicable Federal Clean Air Act requirements and attain the Federal ozone standard. • The most recent ozone plan approved by the EPA is the Sacramento Regional 8-Hour Ozone Attainment and Reasonable Further Progress Plan (2013 SIP Revisions), which demonstrated how the region would attain the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. For the 1997 8-hour ozone standard, the Sacramento region was classified as a “Severe-15” nonattainment area with an attainment deadline of June 15, 2019. The region anticipates meeting the 1997 8-hour ozone standard.
• For the 2008 8-hour ozone standard, the Sacramento region was classified as a “Severe15” nonattainment area with an attainment deadline of July 20, 2025. To demonstrate how the region will attain the 2008 8-hour ozone standard, in 2017 the Sac Metro Air District in collaboration with adjacent air districts developed the Sacramento Regional 2008 NAAQS 8-hour Ozone Attainment and Reasonable Further Progress Plan. This plan was submitted but has not yet been approved by the U.S. EPA.

For the state standard, the Sac Metro Air District developed the 2015 Triennial Progress Report, which assessed the county’s progress towards attaining the state air quality standards.

One component of this report is an updated emission inventory and projected future inventories of ROG and NOX emissions in Sacramento (Sac Metro Air District, 2015).

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Particulate Matter
The PM2.5 planning region includes all of Sacramento County, the eastern portion of Yolo County, the western portions of El Dorado and Placer counties, and the northeast portion of Solano County. EPA has found that the Sacramento region attained the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by the attainment date of December 31, 2015 (82 FR 21711). This finding was based on complete, quality-assured and certified PM2.5 monitoring data for 2013 – 2015. The Sac Metro Air District will need to complete a PM2.5 Maintenance Plan and Re-designation Request based on the clean data finding made by the EPA.

Toxic Air Contaminants
As stated above, ARB’s 2005 Land Use Handbook (ARB 2005) recommends that sensitive land uses be set back from major roadways in order to minimize their exposure to diesel PM. The ARB’s 2017 Technical Advisory offers strategies for exposure reduction when siting sensitive uses near high-volume roadways, given the multiple benefits of infill development and the fact that much land available for new housing is located near freeways. To provide more detailed assistance when siting land uses near major roadways and railways, the Sac Metro Air District developed its Mobile Sources Air Toxics Protocol (MSAT Protocol) for Sacramento County in 2018. The MSAT Protocol provides guidance to local land use jurisdictions in assessing the potential increased cancer risk of siting projects with sensitive receptors near high-volume roadways and railways and determining whether exposure reduction measures should be incorporated into projects.

Odors
Although offensive odors rarely cause any physical harm, they can be very unpleasant, leading to considerable stress among the public and often generating citizen complaints to local governments and Sac Metro Air District. Sac Metro Air District’s Rule 402 (Nuisance) regulates odorous emissions.

Local
City of Sacramento
City of Sacramento Climate Action Plan. The City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) was adopted in February 2012 pursuant to General Plan Policy ER 6.1.7. The City’s CAP, discussed further in Section 6.7 Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change, presents a set of strategies that will achieve community-wide GHG emission reduction targets and adapt to climate change. Many of these strategies will have environmental co-benefits including improving air quality. As part of the 2040 General Plan Update and Climate Action Plan a standalone community-wide CAP will be prepared that meets the CEQA requirements for a qualified CAP.

6.7 Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change

INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides a summary of applicable regulations; a discussion of existing climate conditions, climate change science, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions sources in California and in the city; and a description of potential effects of climate change on the city; and the potential for the city to adapt to climate change effects. GHG emissions have the potential to adversely affect the environment because they contribute to global climate change. In turn, global climate change has the potential to result in rising sea levels, which can inundate lowlying areas; to affect rain and snow fall, leading to changes in water supply and increase frequency and severity of flood events; increase the frequency and severity of extreme heat events, threatening air quality and public health; and to affect habitat, leading to adverse effects on biological and other resources. The 2040 General Plan will address plans for climate adaptation within both the General Plan and within a special section in the Climate Action Plan (CAP).

EXISTING CONDITIONS
Climate is the accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a long period of time, whereas weather is defined as the condition of the atmosphere at any particular time and place.

The climate of the Policy Area is characterized as Mediterranean, which is strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean and characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.

Throughout the year, daily temperatures may range 20 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) with summer highs often exceeding 100°F and winter lows near freezing. Average annual rainfall is about 20 inches and snowfall is very rare.

Certain gases in the earth’s atmosphere, classified as GHGs, play a critical role in determining the earth’s surface temperature. Solar radiation enters the earth’s atmosphere from space. A portion of the radiation is absorbed by the earth’s surface, and a smaller portion of this radiation is reflected back toward space. This absorbed radiation is then emitted from the earth as low-frequency infrared radiation. Most solar radiation passes through GHGs; however, infrared radiation is absorbed by these gases. As a result, radiation that otherwise would have escaped back into space is instead “trapped,” resulting in a warming of the atmosphere. This phenomenon, known as the greenhouse effect, is responsible for maintaining a habitable climate on Earth. Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not be able to support life as we know it.

Prominent GHGs contributing to the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), among others. Human-caused emissions of these GHGs in excess of natural ambient concentrations are responsible for intensifying the greenhouse effect and have led to a trend of increased warming of the earth’s climate, known as global climate change or global warming. The scientific record of the Earth’s climate shows that the climate system varies naturally over a wide range of time scales and that in general, climate changes prior to the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s can be explained by natural causes, such as changes in solar energy, volcanic eruptions, and natural changes in GHG concentrations. Recent climate changes, in particular the warming observed over the past century, however, cannot

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

be explained by natural causes alone. Rather, it is extremely likely that human activities have been the dominant cause of that warming since the mid-20th century and is the most significant driver of observed climate change (International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013). Human influence on the climate system is evident from the increasing GHG concentrations in the atmosphere, positive radiative forcing, observed warming, and improved understanding of the climate system (IPCC 2013). The atmospheric concentrations of GHGs have increased to levels unprecedented in the last 800,000 years, primarily from fossil fuel emissions and secondarily from emissions associated with land use changes (IPCC 2013).

Continued emissions of GHGs will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system
Climate change is a global problem. GHGs are global pollutants, unlike criteria air pollutants and toxic air contaminants, which are pollutants of regional and local concern. Whereas pollutants with localized air quality effects have relatively short atmospheric lifetimes (about 1 day), GHGs have long atmospheric lifetimes (1 year to several thousand years). GHGs persist in the atmosphere for long enough time periods to be dispersed around the globe. Although the exact lifetime of any particular GHG molecule is dependent on multiple variables and cannot be pinpointed, it is understood that more CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere than is sequestered by ocean uptake, vegetation, and other forms of sequestration. Of the total annual human-caused CO2 emissions, approximately 54 percent is sequestered through ocean uptake, uptake by northern hemisphere forest regrowth, and other terrestrial sinks within a year, whereas the remaining 46 percent of human-caused CO2 emissions remains stored in the atmosphere (Seinfeld and Pandis 1998).

State
Increased emissions of GHGs that contribute to global climate change are attributable in large part to human activities over the last 150 years associated with the transportation, industrial/manufacturing, utility, residential, commercial and agricultural sectors (ARB 2018).

In California, the transportation sector is the largest emitter of GHGs, followed by industrial uses (ARB 2018). California produced 429 million gross metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2016 (ARB 2018).

In California, combustion of fossil fuel in the transportation sector was the single largest source of GHG emissions in 2017, accounting for 40 percent of total GHG emissions followed by the industrial sector (21 percent) and the electric power sector (including both in-state and outof-state sources) (15 percent) (ARB 2019). California GHG emissions inventories and projections are summarized in Table 6-10.

Table 6-10: California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections Emissions Sector
MMT CO2e/yr
1990 2000 2005 2008 2017 2020
Electrical
Generation1 110.6 104.8 107.9 120.1 62.4 103.8

Table 6-10: California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections Emissions Sector
MMT CO2e/yr
1990 2000 2005 2008 2017 2020
Residential/Com
mercial 44.1 43.2 42.3 43.5 41.1 49.5
Transportation 150.7 181.0 188.7 177.6 169.9 185.3
Industrial 103.0 97.4 95.9 90.5 89.4 93.7
High GWP -
2 6.3 9.3 11.7 20.0 31.5
Agriculture 23.4 31.6 34.3 35.8 32.4 36.2
Waste
Management -
2 7.4 7.8 8.1 8.9 9.4
Gross Total
Emissions3 433 471.7 486.1 487.3 424.1 509.4
Notes: GWP = global warming potential; MMT CO2e/yr = million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent per year. 1 Includes in-state-generated and imported electricity production. 2 Contained within Industrial Sector emissions.
3 Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
4 2020 Business-as-Usual GHG emissions are projected using the average statewide GHG emissions for 2009-2011 as the base year.

Source: ARB 2007:6, 2014a, 2019..

Regional and Local
Sacramento County
The County of Sacramento most recently completed a regional GHG emissions inventory in 2016 for sectors within the unincorporated county. In 2011, the County adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) Strategy and Framework Document (Phase 1 CAP), and in 2012 the County adopted a County Government Operations CAP document (Phase 2A CAP). As part of the current effort to update the CAP (Phase 2B), GHG reductions for both community sources in the unincorporated area and the County’s internal operations were quantified and the GHG inventory 2005 inventory was updated for baseline year 2015. The results of the regional inventory are summarized below in Table 6-11.

Table 6-11: Unincorporated Sacramento County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Emissions Sector 2005 (MT CO2e/yr) 2015 (MT CO2e/yr) Percent Change from 2005
Residential Energy 1,033,142 1,193,311 +16%

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Table 6-11: Unincorporated Sacramento County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Emissions Sector 2005 (MT CO2e/yr) 2015 (MT CO2e/yr) Percent Change from 2005
Commercial and
Industrial Energy 772,129 890,603 +15%
On-road Vehicles 2,066,970 1,671,596 -19%
Off-road Vehicles 236,466 196,769 -17%
Solid Waste 201,350 352,909 +75%
Wastewater 70,662 27,253 -61%
Water Related 5,885 15,222 +159%
Agriculture 197,132 254,899 +29%
High GWP GHGs 203,528 251,085 +23%
Total
Unincorporated
Sacramento County
Emissions
4,787,264 4,853,647 +1.4%
Notes: GHG = greenhouse gas; GWP = global warming potential; MT CO2e/yr = metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

Source: Sacramento County 2016.

City of Sacramento
The City of Sacramento adopted a community-wide CAP in February 2012 and a municipal CAP for internal operations in 2016. As of late 2019, the City has also started the process of updating the community-wide CAP. As a part of the current update, the City is updating the existing GHG inventory. The results of the GHG emissions inventory and future year projections by emission sector are summarized in Table 6-12. Similar to the State and County emissions profiles, transportation is the largest GHG emissions sector in the city. Transportation comprised 56 percent of the city’s GHG emissions in 2016. The relative contribution of each emissions sector is summarized in Figure 6-12.

Table 6-12: City of Sacramento Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections Emissions Sector (MT CO2e/yr)
2005 2016 2020 2025 2030 2045 2050
Residential Energy 748,792 635,907 620,697 607,435 580,254 461,212 464,840 Commercial and
Industrial Energy1
979,777 645,018 673,695 670,956 627,655 320,860 302,036

Table 6-12: City of Sacramento Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections Emissions Sector (MT CO2e/yr)
2005 2016 2020 2025 2030 2045 2050
Industrial-Specific
Natural Gas1
28,656 18,216 21,031 23,694 26,357 31,144 32,126
On-road
Transportation
2,013,962 1,972,496 1,894,083 1,740,149 1,631,225 1,647,605 1,699,744

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Table 6-12: City of Sacramento Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections Emissions Sector (MT CO2e/yr)
2005 2016 2020 2025 2030 2045 2050
Solid Waste 241,862 242,747 266,315 295,775 325,234 387,651 402,877 Wastewater
Treatment
57,380 19,867 21,796 24,207 26,618 31,726 32,972
Water Supply 12,810 9,586 8,239 7,648 6,407 477 0
Total City of
Sacramento
Emissions
4,083,239 3,543,837
(-13%)
3,505,855
(-14%)
3,369,863
(-17%)
3,223,750
(-21%)
2,880,676
(-29%)
2,934,595
(-28%)
Notes: GHG = greenhouse gas; MT CO2e/yr = metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent per year. 1 Major industrial natural gas energy data has been removed due to California Public Utilities Commission privacy requirements.

Source: Rincon Consultants 2019.

Figure 6-12 City of Sacramento 2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sectors Source: Rincon Consultants 2019.

The projected annual GHG emissions in 2020, 2030 and 2050 are consistent with planned growth in population and employment assumed in the 2030 General Plan. These projections

include legally mandated legislation such as but not limited to Senate Bill (SB) 100, Advanced Clean Cars, and Title 24 updates. The projections do not include any future GHG reduction measures not yet instituted by the City.

The City’s 2016 CAP for Internal Operations provides an update to the 2005 GHG baseline inventory and provides GHG inventory projections for 2020, which includes reductions from City Action Strategies and external forces. In 2005, the City’s GHG emissions totaled 78,584 MT CO2e. As indicated in the 2016 CAP for Internal Operations, the City’s GHG emissions were 59,755 MT CO2e in 2013 and was projected to be 46,733 MT CO2e in 2020. Thus, the City has the potential to realize a 41 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2020, exceeding the 22 percent reduction target.

Climate Change Adaptation
Climate change impacts, both direct and indirect, are expected to occur despite the City’s efforts to mitigate GHG emissions. According to Cal-Adapt, a climate change scenario planning tool developed by California Energy Commission, average temperatures in the Sacramento region are projected to rise between five and nine degrees by 2100, based on low and high emissions scenarios, respectively (Cal-Adapt 2019). Cal-Adapt uses a method to downscale global climate model data to local and regional resolution under two emissions scenarios; the A-2 scenario represents a business-as-usual future emissions scenario, and the B-1 scenario represents a lower GHG emissions future. As discussed in the regulatory section below, SB 379 (October 2015) requires all cities and counties to include climate adaptation and resiliency strategies in the Safety Elements of their General Plans upon the next revision beginning January 1, 2017.

The vulnerability assessment would identify the risks climate change poses to the geographic area and would develop adaptation and resilience goals, policies, and objectives.

The increase in average temperature is expected to have the following primary effects in the Sacramento region:
• Sea level rise. Rising sea levels are expected due to temperature increases that cause ocean water to expand, Arctic and glacial ice to melt, and increased amounts of snowpack runoff to enter the sea. California’s ocean surface temperature patterns have been warmer than normal for the past decade, a condition known as Pacific Decadal Oscillation. California sea level appears to have risen by about seven inches over the 20th century and is predicted to rise up to 114 inches by the end of the 21st century.

Sacramento’s location (70 miles inland coast) limits the most significant effects from sea level rise. However, rising sea levels may lead to levee failures in the Delta causing infrastructure damage, flooding, and saltwater intrusion into groundwater aquifers that may affect Sacramento region groundwater sources. It is also possible that sea level rise could reduce the effectiveness of Delta and nearby Delta levees, or increase flood levels in tidally affected reaches of the Sacramento River, if storm flow and tide conditions coincide. An influx of saltwater would degrade California’s inland estuaries, wetlands, and groundwater aquifers. Saltwater intrusion could threaten the quality and reliability of California’s biggest fresh water supply that is pumped from the southern edge of the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta (City of Sacramento 2012).

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

• Changes to precipitation patterns. California’s climate oscillates between extremely dry and extremely wet periods, driven by the presence or absence of a few large winter storms or atmospheric rivers. In the last decade, Northern California experienced among the worst droughts (2012-2016) in more than 1,000 years followed by the wettest winter on record (2016-2017). Annual rain and snowfall patterns vary widely from year to year, especially in Northern California. Dry years are likely to become even drier, while wet years will become even wetter in the next several decades. Future wet seasons will have more precipitation as rain than snow, primarily due to higher temperatures. This will shift the timing of streamflow into the Sacramento Valley from spring to winter. In particular, higher extreme rainfall will bring more surface runoff and less groundwater recharge and may require surface water reservoirs to operate at a lower capacity to ensure flood mitigation. In the Sacramento Valley, annual precipitation is expected to remain about the same on average, or to increase slightly this century. The Northern Sierras – a primary water source for the Sacramento Valley – are expected to have almost no annual snowpack by the end of this century while the Southern Sierras are expected to have declines of approximately 40% in total snow water by the end of the century. Coincidentally, there will be less snowpack water storage to supply runoff water in the warmer months. New extremes will challenge water storage and flood control systems which were designed for the historical climate patterns.
• Increased frequency of extreme events such as heat waves, drought, and storm events. The Sacramento Valley will likely see average daily maximum temperatures increase by 10 ºF by end-of-century. Midtown Sacramento will likely see the average number of extreme heat days (temperatures more than 103.9 ºF) grow from 4 days per year to up to 40 days per year by end-of-century, along with a significant increase in year-to-year variability. Changes to air and land temperatures will have an impact on the timing, amount, type, and location of precipitation and runoff in the Sacramento and American Rivers watersheds. This will impact the quantity of water supplies, the management of those quantities, the quality of the source water, and the demand for treated drinking water. DWR has identified anticipated changes to the source water conditions in the watershed that will likely impact the quality of the source waters, including more intense storm events, longer drought periods, reduced snowpack at lower elevations, and earlier spring runoff. Global climate change affects precipitation by increasing the atmosphere’s capacity to “hold” water vapor, so winter storms will generally carry more rain and extreme weather is expected to become more common throughout California. More extreme storm events are expected to increase water runoff to streams and rivers during the winter months, heightening flood risks. The increased intensity of extreme storms makes the return of conditions that would trigger an extreme 1862-type “Great Flood” event more likely, even probable in the next 40 years (UC Davis 2018).

These changes to the climate and landscape of California are expected to affect the following resource areas in the Policy Area:

• Reduced water supply and water quality: Modeling for the Central Valley Project indicates that there are likely to be significant shortages of water in drought years in North of the Delta operations (City of Sacramento 2012). • Increased frequency of poor air quality days: Higher temperatures and increased ultraviolet radiation from climate change are expected to facilitate the chemical formation of more secondary air pollutants from ground-level sources. Conversely decreased precipitation is expected to reduce the amount of particulates cleansed from the air. Incidents of wildfires in nearby foothills and mountain regions are expected to increase and further contribute to the air quality problems (City of Sacramento 2012). • Increased energy demand: Increasing average temperatures and more prolonged, intense heat waves are expected to increase demand for energy (i.e., to operate air conditioners). While winter temperatures will be higher on average, the reduced use of energy for heating is not expected to compensate for the increased energy demand for cooling. Overall energy demand could increase 12 percent by 2020 and electricity demand by residential dwellings could increase by up to 26 percent by2050. Supply of electricity may also be affected due to loss of hydroelectric power production from decreased snowpack/earlier snow melt, changes to precipitation patterns, and lower reservoir levels (Rincon 2019).
• Impacts to biological resources: Habitats that currently support local wildlife are expected to change, forcing plants and animals to either adapt to the new environment or move to more hospitable areas. Some species will be able to adapt to changing habitats by shifting their range or altitudes in order to adjust to rising temperatures.

Others, however, might not be able to adapt fast enough to keep pace with the rate of climate change. For some species, climate change may allow them to increase the range of habitat where they can live; however, where plants and animals need to move to survive they may find wildlife corridors blocked or competition from other species (City of Sacramento 2012).
• Increased risk of flood events: Warmer ocean surface temperatures have caused warmer and wetter conditions in the Sierra Nevada, increasing flood risk. When the Sacramento or American Rivers are already at peak capacity, additional flows from changes in precipitation (warmer temperatures result in rain instead of snow) or increased snowpack runoff or storm intensity could cause flooding. During the last 50 years peak flow patterns have increased in the Sacramento River, making floods more likely in the future, especially if there is an increase in intense storms (City of Sacramento 2012).

REGULATORY CONTEXT
This section summarizes the current and relevant Federal, State, and local regulatory programs, plans, and policies that apply to GHG emissions and land use planning.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Federal
Supreme Court Ruling
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is the Federal agency responsible for implementing the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA). The Supreme Court of the United States ruled on April 2, 2007 that CO2 is an air pollutant as defined under the CAA, and that U.S. EPA has the authority to regulate emissions of GHGs.

Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule
On September 22, 2009, U.S. EPA issued a final rule for mandatory reporting of GHGs from large GHG emissions sources in the United States. In general, this national reporting requirement will provide U.S. EPA with accurate and timely GHG emissions data from facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons (MT) or more of CO2 per year. This publicly available data will allow the reporters to track their own emissions, compare them to similar facilities, and aid in identifying cost-effective opportunities to reduce emissions in the future. Reporting is at the facility level, except that certain suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial GHGs along with vehicle and engine manufacturers will report at the corporate level. An estimated 85 percent of the total U.S. GHG emissions, from approximately 10,000 facilities, are subject to this final rule.

Greenhouse Gas Permitting Requirements on Large Industrial Facilities On May 13, 2010, U.S. EPA issued the Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailor Rule (US EPA 2013). This final rule sets thresholds for GHG emissions that define when permits under the New Source Review Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Title V Operating Permit programs are required for new and existing industrial facilities.

Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings
On December 7, 2009, U.S. EPA adopted its Proposed Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under the CAA (Endangerment Finding). The Administrator (of US EPA) found that atmospheric concentrations of GHGs endanger the public health and welfare within the meaning of Section 202(a) of the CAA. The evidence supporting this finding consists of human activity resulting in “high atmospheric levels” of GHG emissions, which are very likely responsible for increases in average temperatures and other climatic changes.

Furthermore, the observed and projected results of climate change (e.g., higher likelihood of heat waves, wild fires, droughts, sea level rise, higher-intensity storms) are a threat to the public health and welfare. Therefore, GHGs were found to endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations. The Administrator also found that GHG emissions from new motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines are contributing to air pollution, which is endangering public health and welfare. US EPA’s final findings respond to the 2007 U.S.

Supreme Court decision that GHGs fit within the CAA definition of air pollutants.

National Program to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improve Fuel Economy for Cars and Trucks
On August 28, 2012, U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued joint Final Rules for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for vehicle model years 2017–2021 (NHTSA 2012). These first-ever national GHG emissions standards will increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025. U.S. EPA approved these standards under the CAA, and NHTSA approved them under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. On January 12, 2017, the U.S. EPA finalized its decision to maintain the current GHG emissions standards for model years 2022–2025 cars and light trucks (US EPA 2017).

In addition to the regulations applicable to cars and light-duty trucks described above, in 2011, the EPA and NHTSA announced fuel economy and GHG standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks for model years 2014–2018. The standards for CO2 emissions and fuel consumption are tailored to three main vehicle categories: combination tractors, heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, and vocational vehicles. According to the EPA, this regulatory program will reduce GHG emissions and fuel consumption for the affected vehicles by 6percent to23percent over the 2010 baselines.

In August 2016, the U.S. EPA and NHTSA announced the adoption of phase two of the program related to the fuel economy and GHG standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The phase two program will apply to vehicles with model years 2018 through 2027 for certain trailers, and model years 2021 through 2027 for semi-trucks, large pickup trucks, vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks. The final standards are expected to lower CO2 emissions by approximately 1.1 billion MT and reduce oil consumption by up to 2 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program (US EPA and NHTSA 2016).

In August 2018, U.S. EPA and NHTSA proposed to amend certain fuel economy and GHG standards for passenger cars and light trucks and establish new standards for model years 2021 through 2026. Compared to maintaining the post-2020 standards now in place, the 2018 proposal would increase U.S. fuel consumption by about half a million barrels per day (2–3 percent of total daily consumption, according to the Energy Information Administration) and would impact the global climate by 3/1000th of one degree Celsius by 2100 (EPA and NHTSA 2018). California and other states have stated their intent to challenge federal actions that would delay or eliminate GHG reduction measures and have committed to cooperating with other countries to implement global climate change initiatives. Thus, the timing and consequences of the 2018 federal proposal are speculative at this time.

State
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is the agency responsible for coordination and oversight of State and local air pollution control programs in California and for implementing the California Clean Air Act (CCAA), which was adopted in 1988. ARB is responsible for developing regulations on how the state would address reduction of GHG in response to climate change concerns. In addition, ARB is responsible for preparing, adopting, and updating California’s greenhouse gas inventory under Assembly Bill (AB) 1803 (2006). The Global

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), also tasks ARB with determining the statewide 1990 GHG emission level and approving a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, equal to the 1990 level, achieved by 2020.

State Climate Change Targets
Executive Order S-3-05
Executive Order (EO) S-3-05, which was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005, proclaims that California is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It declares that increased temperatures could reduce the Sierra Nevada snowpack, further exacerbate California’s air quality problems, and potentially cause a rise in sea level. To combat those concerns, the Executive Order established total GHG emission targets. Specifically, emissions are to be reduced to the 2000 level by 2010, the 1990 level by 2020, and to 80 percent below the 1990 level by 2050. This EO is binding only on State agencies, and has no force of law for local governments; however, the signing of S-3-05 sent a clear signal to the California Legislature about the framework and content for legislation to reduce GHG emissions.

Assembly Bill 32, The California Global Warming Solutions Action of 2006 In September 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. AB 32 establishes regulatory, reporting, and market mechanisms to achieve quantifiable reductions in GHG emissions and a cap on statewide GHG emissions. AB 32 requires that statewide GHG emissions be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020.

This reduction will be accomplished through an enforceable statewide cap on GHG emissions that will be phased in starting in 2012. To effectively implement the cap, AB 32 directs the ARB to develop and implement regulations to reduce statewide GHG emissions from stationary sources.

Assembly Bill 32 Climate Change Scoping Plan
In December 2008, ARB adopted its Climate Change Scoping Plan, which contains the main strategies California will implement to achieve reduction of approximately 118 million metric tons (MMT) CO2e, or approximately 22 percent from the state’s projected 2020 emission level of 545 MMT of CO2e under a business-as-usual scenario (this is a reduction of 47 MMT CO2e, or almost 10 percent, from 2008 emissions). ARB’s original 2020 projection was 596 MMT CO2e, but this revised 2020 projection takes into account the economic downturn that occurred in 2008 (ARB 2011a). The Scoping Plan reapproved by ARB in August 2011 includes the Final Supplement to the Scoping Plan Functional Equivalent Document, which further examined various alternatives to Scoping Plan measures. The Scoping Plan also includes ARBrecommended GHG reductions for each emissions sector of the state’s GHG inventory. ARB estimates the largest reductions in GHG emissions to be achieved by implementing the following measures and standards (ARB 2011a):
• Improved emissions standards for light-duty vehicles (26.1 MMT CO2e), • The Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (15.0 MMT CO2e),

• Energy efficiency measures in buildings and appliances (11.9 MMT CO2e), and • A renewable portfolio and electricity standards for electricity production (23.4 MMT CO2e).

In 2011, ARB adopted the cap-and-trade regulation. The cap-and-trade program covers major sources of GHG emissions in the state such as refineries, power plants, industrial facilities, and transportation fuels. The cap-and-trade program includes an enforceable emissions cap that will decline over time. The State distributes allowances, which are tradable permits, equal to the emissions allowed under the cap. Sources under the cap are required to surrender allowances and offsets equal to their emissions at the end of each compliance period. With regard to land use planning, the Scoping Plan expects that reductions of approximately 3.0 MMT CO2e will be achieved through implementation of SB 375, which is discussed further below (ARB 2011).

In 2014, ARB adopted the First Update to the Climate Change Scoping Plan: Building on the Framework (First Update). The stated purpose of the First Update is to “highlight California’s success to date in reducing its GHG emissions and lay the foundation for establishing a broad framework for continued emission reductions beyond 2020, on the path to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050” (ARB 2014b). The First Update found that California is on track to meet the 2020 emissions reduction mandate established by AB 32, and noted that California could reduce emissions further by 2030 to levels squarely in line with those needed to stay on track to reduce emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 if the state realizes the expected benefits of existing policy goals.

In conjunction with the First Update, ARB identified “six key focus areas comprising major components of the state’s economy to evaluate and describe the larger transformative actions that will be needed to meet the state’s more expansive emission reduction needs by 2050” (ARB 2014b). Those six areas are energy, transportation (vehicles/equipment, sustainable communities, housing, fuels, and infrastructure), agriculture, water, waste management, natural and working lands. The First Update identifies key recommended actions for each sector that will facilitate achievement of EO S-3-05’s 2050 reduction goal.

ARB’s research efforts presented in the First Update indicate that it has a “strong sense of the mix of technologies needed to reduce emissions through 2050” (ARB 2014b). Those technologies include energy demand reduction through efficiency and activity changes; largescale electrification of on-road vehicles, buildings, and industrial machinery; decarbonizing electricity and fuel supplies; and the rapid market penetration of efficient and clean energy technologies.

As part of the First Update, ARB recalculated the state’s 1990 emissions level using more recent GWPs identified by the IPCC. Using the recalculated 1990 emissions level (431 MMT CO2e) and the revised 2020 emissions level projection identified in the 2011 Final Supplement (ARB 2011a), ARB determined that achieving the 1990 emissions level by 2020 would require a reduction in GHG emissions of approximately 15 percent (instead of 28.5 percent or 16 percent) from the business-as-usual conditions (ARB 2014b).

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

On January 20, 2017, ARB released its 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan Update (Second Update) for public review and comment (ARB 2017). This update presents ARB’s strategy for achieving the state’s 2030 GHG target as established in SB 32, including continuing the capand-trade Program through 2030, and includes a new approach to reduce GHGs from refineries by 20 percent. The Second Update incorporates approaches to cutting short-lived climate pollutants under the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy (a planning document that was adopted by ARB in March 2017), acknowledges the need for reducing emissions in agriculture, and highlights the work underway to ensure that California’s natural and working lands increasingly sequester carbon. During development of the Second Update, ARB held a number of public workshops in the natural and working lands, agriculture, energy, and transportation sectors to inform development of the 2030 Scoping Plan Update (ARB 2016).

When discussing project-level GHG emissions reduction actions and thresholds, the Second Update states, “achieving no net increase in GHG emissions is the correct overall objective, but it may not be appropriate or feasible for every development project. An inability to mitigate a project’s GHG emissions to zero does not necessarily imply a substantial contribution to the cumulatively significant environmental impact of climate change under CEQA” (ARB 2017).

The 2030 Scoping Plan builds identifies new, technologically feasible, and cost-effective strategies that will serve as the framework to achieve the 2030 GHG target and define the state’s climate change priorities to 2030 and beyond. The strategies’ “known commitments” include implementing renewable energy and energy efficiency (including the mandates of SB 350), increased stringency of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, measures identified in the Mobile Source and Freight Strategies, measures identified in the proposed Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, and increased stringency of SB 375 targets.

For local governments, the 2030 Scoping Plan replaced the initial Scoping Plan’s 15% reduction goal with a recommendation to aim for a community-wide goal of no more than 6 MT CO2e per capita by 2030 and no more than 2 MT CO2e per capita by 2050, which are consistent with the state’s long-term goals. The Second Update was approved by ARB’s Governing Board on December 14, 2017.

Executive Order B-30-15
In April 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed Executive Order (EO) B-30-15, which identified an interim GHG reduction target in support of targets previously identified under S-3-05 and AB

32. EO B-30-15 set an interim target goal of reducing statewide GHG emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 to keep California on its trajectory toward meeting or exceeding the long-term goal of reducing statewide GHG emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 as set forth in S-3-05. To facilitate achievement of this goal, EO B-30-15 calls for an update to CARB’s Scoping Plan to express the 2030 target in terms of MMT CO2e. The EO also calls for state agencies to continue to develop and implement GHG emission reduction programs in support of the reduction targets. Sector-specific agencies in transportation, energy, water, and forestry were required to prepare GHG reduction plans by September 2015, followed by a report on action taken in relation to these plans in June 2016. EO B-30-15 does not require local agencies to take any action to meet the new interim GHG reduction target.

Senate Bill 32 and Assembly Bill 197
SB 32 and AB 197 (enacted in 2016) are companion bills that set a new statewide GHG reduction targets, increased legislative oversight of ARB’s climate change-based activities, and expand dissemination of GHG and other air quality-related emissions data to enhance transparency and accountability. More specifically, SB 32 codified the 2030 emissions reduction goal of EO B-30-15 by requiring ARB to ensure that statewide GHG emissions are reduced to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. AB 197 established the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies, consisting of at least three members of the Senate and three members of the Assembly, in order to provide ongoing oversight over implementation of the state’s climate policies. AB 197 also added two members of the Legislature to ARB as nonvoting members; requires CARB to make available and update (at least annually via its website) emissions data for GHGs, criteria air pollutants, and TACs from reporting facilities; and, requires ARB to identify specific information for GHG emissions reduction measures when updating the scoping plan.

Executive Order B-55-18
In September 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed EO B-55-18, which establishes a statewide policy for the state to achieve carbon neutrality no later than 2045 and achieve and maintain net negative emissions thereafter. The goal is an addition to the existing statewide targets of reducing the state’s GHG emissions. CARB will work with relevant state agencies to ensure that future Scoping Plans identify and recommend measures to achieve the carbon neutrality goal.

Building Energy
California Building Codes, Title 24
Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations regulates how each new home and business is built or altered in California. It includes requirements for the structural, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems of buildings, and for fire and life safety, energy conservation, green design, and accessibility in and about buildings. Title 24 includes statewide codes and standards that must be enforced by local agencies through the construction application process.

The California Green Building Standards Code, or CALGreen, became a mandatory code beginning January 1, 2011. The code takes a holistic approach to green building by including minimum requirements in the areas of planning and design, energy efficiency, water efficiency and conservation, material conservation and resource efficiency, and environmental quality.

The CALGreen code has minimum mandatory standards and two additional tiers of voluntary measures intended to achieve greater levels of efficiency that result in lower levels of GHG emissions. Local governments must enforce the minimum standards and can choose to adopt either Tier 1 or Tier 2 standards to achieve greater positive environmental impacts. The California Building Standards Commission approved amendments to the voluntary measures of the CALGreen standards in December 2018. The 2019 CALGreen standards will become effective January 1, 2020. As with the 2019 Title 24 standards, the 2019 CALGreen standards focus on building energy efficiency.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

The 2019 Title 24 standards were approved and adopted by the California Building Standards Commission in December 2018. The 2019 standards will become effective January 1, 2020. The standards would require that all low-rise residential buildings shall have a photovoltaic system meeting the minimum qualification requirements such that annual electrical output equal to or greater than the dwelling’s annual electrical usage. Notably, net energy metering rules limit residential rooftop solar generation to produce no more electricity than the home is expected to consume on an annual basis. Single-family homes built with the 2019 standards will use about 7% less energy due to energy efficiency measures versus those built under the 2016 standards, while new nonresidential buildings will use about 30% less energy.

The CPUC, CEC, and ARB previously established a goal of achieving zero net energy (ZNE) for new construction in California. The key policy timelines include (1) all new residential construction in California will be ZNE by 2020, and (2) all new commercial construction in California will be ZNE by 2030 (CPUC 2013). As most recently defined by the CEC in its 2015 Integrated Energy Policy Report, a ZNE code building is “one where the value of the energy produced by on-site renewable energy resources is equal to the value of the energy consumed annually by the building” using the CEC’s Time Dependent Valuation metric (CEC 2015).

The 2019 Title 24 standards take a significant step towards the state’s ZNE goal. However, as explained by the CEC, California’s energy landscape has changed since the ZNE target was set.

Electricity produced for the grid now comes substantially from renewables, and 60% renewable electricity generation is required by 2030. Further, new net energy metering rules also limit the amount of residential rooftop solar generation to no more electricity production than the home is annually expected to consume.

The 2019 Title 24 standards therefore focus on building energy efficiency and ensuring solar electricity generated on site is used on site. The 2019 standards require that new homes include solar photovoltaic to meet the home's expected annual electric needs, and also encourage demand responsive technologies including battery storage, heat pump water heaters, and improving the building’s thermal envelope through high performance attics, walls and windows. These smarter homes perform better and affect the grid less, which reduces the building's GHG emissions (CEC 2018).

Renewable Energy and Energy Procurement
SB 1078 Renewable Electricity Standard
SB 1078 (Chapter 516, Statutes of 2002) requires retail sellers of electricity, including investorowned utilities and community choice aggregators, to provide at least 20 percent of their supply from renewable sources by 2017. SB 107 (Chapter 464, Statutes of 2006) changed the target date to 2010. In November 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger signed EO S-14-08, which expands the State's Renewable Electricity Standard to 33 percent renewable power by 2020.

Senate Bill X1 2
SB X1 2 (2011) expanded the RPS by establishing that 20 percent of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2013, and 33 percent by December 31,

2020, and in subsequent years be secured from qualifying renewable energy sources. Under the bill, a renewable electrical generation facility is one that uses biomass, solar thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, fuel cells using renewable fuels, small hydroelectric generation of 30 megawatts or less, digester gas, municipal solid waste conversion, landfill gas, ocean wave, ocean thermal, or tidal current, and that meets other specified requirements with respect to its location. In addition to the retail sellers previously covered by the RPS, SB X1 2 added local, publicly owned electric utilities to the RPS.

Senate Bill 350
SB 350 (2015) further expanded the RPS by establishing that 50 percent of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2030, be secured from qualifying renewable energy sources. In addition, SB 350 includes the goal to double the energy efficiency savings in electricity and natural gas final end uses (such as heating, cooling, lighting, or class of energy uses on which an energy-efficiency program is focused) of retail customers through energy conservation and efficiency. The bill also requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in consultation with the California Energy Commission (CEC), to establish efficiency targets for electrical and gas corporations consistent with this goal.

Senate Bill 100
SB 100 (2018) increased the standards set forth in SB 350 establishing that 44 percent of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2024, 52 percent by December 31, 2027, and 60 percent by December 31, 2030 be secured from qualifying renewable energy sources. SB 100 states that it is the policy of the State that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 100 percent of the retail sales of electricity to California. This bill requires that the achievement of 100percent zero-carbon electricity resources do not increase the carbon emissions elsewhere in the western grid and that the achievement not be achieved through resource shuffling.

Mobile Sources
Executive Order S-1-07, Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
Executive Order S-1-07, which was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2007, proclaims that the transportation sector is the main source of GHG emissions in California, at over 40 percent of statewide emissions. It establishes a goal that the carbon intensity of transportation fuels sold in California should be reduced by a minimum of 10 percent by 2020. This order also directed ARB to determine if this Low Carbon Fuel Standard could be adopted as a discrete early action measure after meeting the mandates in AB 32. ARB adopted the Low Carbon Fuel Standard on April 23, 2009.

Senate Bill 375
SB 375, signed in September 2008, aligns regional transportation planning efforts, regional GHG emission reduction targets, and land use and housing allocation. SB 375 requires

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Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to adopt a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) or Alternative Planning Strategy (APS), which will prescribe land use allocation in that MPO’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is responsible for developing and SCS that includes the City of Sacramento and the Study Area. ARB, in consultation with MPOs, provided each affected region with reduction targets for GHGs emitted by passenger cars and light trucks in the region for the years 2020 and 2035. SACOG’s GHG reduction targets are 7 percent below 2005 per-capita GHG emissions levels by 2020 and 19 percent by 2035 (ARB 2018). SACOG adopted its most recent RTP/SCS in 2016 and demonstrated that it would meet its SB 375 targets.

Advanced Clean Cars Program
In January 2012, ARB approved a new emissions-control program for model years 2017 through 2025 of passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks that addresses emissions from passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. In addition to establishing more stringent emission standards for both GHGs and criteria air pollutants (and precursors), the program increases requirements of manufacturers to produce more Zero Emission Vehicles, including battery electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The program also includes a Clean Fuels Outlet regulation that helps make sure that fuels such as electricity and hydrogen are available to meet the fueling needs of the new advanced technology vehicles as they come to market. More specifically, it requires major refiners/importers of gasoline to develop hydrogen fueling stations to meet demand for hydrogen fuel (ARB 2011b).

Other State Actions
Senate Bill 97
As directed by SB 97, the California Natural Resources Agency adopted Amendments to the CEQA Guidelines for GHG emissions on December 30, 2009. On February 16, 2010, the Office of Administrative Law approved the Amendments, and filed them with the Secretary of State for inclusion in the California Code of Regulations. The Amendments became effective on March 18, 2010.

CEQA allows lead agencies to analyze and mitigate the significant effects of GHG emissions at a programmatic level, such as in a general plan, or as part of a separate plan to reduce GHG emissions (e.g., a climate action plan) to reduce GHG emissions (CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5).

California Climate Adaptation Strategy
In 2009, California adopted a statewide Climate Adaptation Strategy (CAS) that summarizes climate change impacts and recommends adaptation strategies across seven sectors: public health; biodiversity and habitat; oceans and coastal resources; water; agriculture; forestry; and transportation and energy. The 2009 CAS was the first of its kind in the usage of downscaled climate models to more accurately assess statewide climate impacts as a basis for providing guidance for establishing actions that prepare, prevent, and respond to the effects of climate

change (CNRA 2009). The CNRA, in coordination with the California Emergency Management Agency, prepared the California Adaptation Planning Guide in 2012, which includes planning guidance and support for communities vulnerable to climate change (CNRA 2012). The California Adaptation Planning Guide is currently being updated. In January 2018, the CNRA released the Safeguarding California Plan: 2018 Update, which communicates current and needed actions that state government should take to build climate change resiliency (CNRA 2018).

Senate Bill 379
Adopted on October 8, 2015, SB 379 requires all cities and counties to include climate adaptation and resiliency strategies in the Safety Elements of their General Plans upon the next revision beginning January 1, 2017. The bill requires the climate adaptation update to include a set of goals, policies, and objectives for their communities based on the vulnerability assessment, as well as implementation measures, including the conservation and implementation of natural infrastructure that may be used in adaptation projects. If a city or county has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, then the safety element of the general plan must be updated to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies by January 1, 2022.

Regional
Sacramento Area Council of Governments
As discussed above under SB 375, SACOG will complete an update to the MTP/SCS in November 2020, which will guide land use and transportation decisions over the next 20 years. The SCS demonstrates a plan to achieve ARB-issued mobile-source per-capita GHG reduction targets of 7 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 19 percent by 2035 for automobiles and light-duty trucks (SACOG 2019).

Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (Sac Metro District) The Sac Metro Air District adopted its CEQA Air Quality Handbook in 2009, most recently updated in 2019, that includes guidance for evaluation of GHG emissions attributable to projects. Projects that will be developed in the city pursuant to the General Plan Update may be subject to these guidelines. The Sac Metro Air District encourages local governments to adopt a qualified GHG reduction plan that is consistent with AB 32 goals, such as the City’s CAP.

If a project is consistent with an adopted qualified GHG reduction plan, it can be presumed that the project will not have significant GHG emission impacts. This approach is consistent with the State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15183.5. The Sac Metro Air District is proposing an update to the CEQA GHG thresholds of significance, to assist lead agencies in determining significance for proposed projects through 2030 and beyond. In December 2019, the Sac Metro Air District hosted a workshop to present a new proposal for GHG thresholds.

As described above in the Federal regulatory setting, facilities with the potential to emit GHGs above a certain level would be required to comply with enforceable limits on GHG emissions

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

in order to obtain an applicable Federal Operating Permit and meet New Source Review PSD requirements under the Clean Air Act.

Local
City of Sacramento
In February 2010, the City of Sacramento CAP for Internal Operations (Phase 1) was completed, and in February 2012, the Sacramento Community-wide CAP (Phase 2) was adopted. The City’s Phase 2 addressed GHG reductions from community-wide sources as well as the need for adaptation and community resilience to the effects of climate change. In 2015, the CAP was incorporated into the 2035 General Plan and in 2016, adopted the update to the CAP for Internal Operations.

The community-wide CAP identified strategies to guide the development and implementation of locally-focused GHG reduction measures and quantified the associated emissions reductions. The CAP also identified actions and policies the City has already implemented as part of its existing general plan that result in GHG efficiency or GHG emission reductions. In addition, it included adaptation measures to improve the City’s ability to address the potential impacts that climate change may have on the city and its residents. The CAP identified a GHG reduction target of 15 percent below base year (2005) GHG emissions by year 2020. This target can also be expressed as a 28 percent reduction below projected 2020 “business as usual” GHG emission levels, which takes into account emission reductions in both existing and new development assumed in the. In addition, the CAP establishes 2030 and 2050 goals of 49 percent and 83 percent below 2005 levels, respectively.

The 2016 CAP for Internal Operations which builds off the 2010 CAP for Internal Operations and reviewed the City’s progress toward meeting the 2020 goal of reducing GHG emissions from internal operations by 22 percent below 2005 levels as well as analyzing additional actions necessary to meet the City’s long-term goal of reducing GHG emissions by 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. Notably, due to early progress from 2005 to 2013, the City has already achieved a 22 percent reduction with a potential to realize 41 percent reduction by 2020.

In order to evaluate a proposed project’s consistency with the CAP, the City developed the CAP Consistency Checklist. The purpose of the CAP Consistency Checklist was to provide a streamlined review process for proposed new development projects that are subject to discretionary review and trigger environmental review pursuant to the CEQA. Projects that demonstrate consistency with the CAP and the City’s General Plan are considered less than significant in terms of the contribution of GHG emissions. Projects that do not demonstrate consistency maybe required, at the City’s discretion, to prepare a more comprehensive projectspecific analysis of GHG emissions consistent with CEQA requirements. As part of the 2040 General Plan Update the City is updating the 2012 CAP that will be a standalone communitywide CAP that meets the CEQA requirements for a qualified CAP.

6.8 Scenic Resources

INTRODUCTION
This section describes the existing scenic character of the Policy Area. Scenic resources include a variety of natural and built elements that serve as visual landmarks defining the important scenic qualities of the community. This section is based on field surveys and reviews of the City of Sacramento’s Design Review Guidelines, as well as state and federal scenic resources legislation.

Overview of Scenic Resources
Scenic resources are an important component of the quality of life of any geographic area. As users experience a place, their primary sensory interaction with that place is visual in nature.

A wide variety of shapes, colors, and textures form the important scenic qualities of the city of Sacramento, including structures, roadways and waterways, and vegetation.

Most communities identify scenic resources as an important asset, although what is considered “scenic” may vary according to environmental setting. Scenic resources can include natural open spaces, topographic formations, and landscapes (such as oak woodlands, lakes, rivers, and streams). These are resources that can be maintained and enhanced to promote a positive image over time. Scenic resources can also include urban open spaces and the built environment, including historical areas. “Viewsheds” constitute the range of vision in which scenic resources may be observed. They are defined by physical features that frame the boundaries or context to one or more scenic resources. “Aesthetic value” refers to the perception of the natural beauty of an area, as well as the elements that create or enhance its visual quality. While aesthetic value is subjective, it is typically included as a criterion for evaluating those elements that contribute to the quality that distinguishes an area.

A sensitive receptor is an individual that is especially sensitive to changes in aesthetic qualities (including changes in lighting, shadows, or surrounding visual character). Uses that accommodate sensitive receptors in the Policy Area include residential, recreational, and park uses. In general, users of public areas such as parks and trails are considered sensitive receptors to visual resources. There are over 200 parks, and over 90 miles of walking/jogging trails, and bicycle trails located throughout the Policy Area.

Light and Glare
Light levels are measured in foot candles (1 lumen of light per square foot). Table 6-13 lists typical ambient illumination levels for exterior and interior lighting. Street light can be as much as 80 times as bright as ambient moonlight. Light that falls beyond the intended area is referred to as light trespass. Types of light trespass include spill light and glare. Nighttime lighting is necessary to provide and maintain safe, secure, and attractive environments; however, these lights have the potential to produce spill light and glare, waste energy, and if designed incorrectly, could be considered unattractive. Spill light can adversely affect light sensitive

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

uses, such as residential neighborhoods at nighttime, and dissipates with increased distance from the source.

Table 6-13: Typical Illumination Levels in Foot-Candles Light Source Foot-Candles
Starlight 0.0001
Moonlight (Full Moon) 0.01
Direct Sunlight 10,000
Overcast Daylight 100
Office Lighting 500
Source: City of Sacramento 2015.

Glare results when a light source directly in the field of vision is brighter than the eye can comfortably accept. Squinting or turning away from a light source is an indication of glare. The presence of a bright light in an otherwise dark setting may be distracting or annoying, referred to as discomfort glare, or it may diminish the ability to see other objects in the darkened environment, referred to as disability glare.

The city of Sacramento is primarily built-out, and a significant amount of artificial light and glare from urban uses already exists. The downtown area has a higher concentration of artificial light and reflective surfaces that produce glare than the outlying residential areas.

EXISTING CONDITIONS
The Policy Area is a valley floor characterized by flat terrain in a predominately built-out environment. Long-range views are generally expansive, when not impeded by existing mature trees and buildings. Views onto and across the city to the east include views of the foothills and mountains. The Sierra Nevada mountain range can be seen directly behind the city skyline driving east across the Sacramento-Yolo Causeway on Interstate 80 (I-80) when the sky is clear. The confluence of two major rivers, the Sacramento and American rivers, also contributes strongly to the scenic qualities of the City.

Natural Elements
Known as the City of Trees, Sacramento is distinguished by an abundance of trees in almost every area. From the elevated freeways that bisect the downtown area to vistas from the eastern foothills, long distance views onto the Policy Area are filled with trees and developed areas.

Sacramento is located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers, both of which are some of the primary natural scenic resources of the Policy Area. The Sacramento River is situated in a north/south direction, and serves as the western boundary for much of the city.

The American River flows eastward through the Policy Area and meets the Sacramento River near the city’s western boundary. The American River Parkway, an open space greenbelt, extends 29 miles from the confluence of the Sacramento River to Folsom Dam. The two rivers

provide recreational opportunities, create a permanent physical break in the pattern of urban development, and provide visual contrast to the Policy Area.

The American River is designated as a recreational river under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act from the confluence with the Sacramento River to Nimbus Dam, located just east of the city.

This prohibits Federal construction, assistance, or licensing of water projects “adversely affecting the characteristics qualifying the river for the national system.” This designation recognizes the importance of recreational opportunities and preservation of the river’s natural qualities (City of Sacramento 2015).

Open Space
Open space provides visual relief from urbanized areas, including views for residents, motorists, and pedestrians. Since a majority of the city is currently developed or planned for development, open space within the Policy Area is provided in the form of conserved lands, parks, agricultural land, and vacant lands. See Section 5.3 “Parks and Recreation” for a detailed discussion of parkland and open space located within the city.

Built Elements
Built elements, such as culturally important or historic buildings, may possess important scenic qualities.

Buildings and Structures
The city of Sacramento’s downtown is distinguished by high-rise towers in excess of 40 stories.

The downtown skyline is visible from miles around the city, including from eastbound I-80 on the Sacramento-Yolo Causeway, from westbound I-80 above the city of Roseville, from northbound I-5 between Elk Grove and Sacramento, from westbound Highway 50, and from southbound I-5 and SR 99 north of the downtown area. Distinctive features of the skyline include the Wells Fargo Center, the California Environmental Protection Agency building, the U.S. Federal Courthouse, the recently completed Sawyer Tower building, and, by night, the vertical blue light of the Esquire Plaza building. The towers of a central district provide important scenic cues regarding the quality of the downtown character of the city. Besides the towers, other noteworthy buildings in downtown Sacramento also include the California State Capitol and Sutter’s Fort located in downtown and midtown Sacramento, respectively.

Historic resources make up an important component of the built environment and are located mostly within the Central City. These resources are described in more detail in Section 6.4 Cultural Resources.

State Capitol. The State Capitol is a key scenic landmark within the city, because of its cultural and governmental importance. Construction on the State Capitol began in 1860, just 12 years after the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on a four-square block site that had been occupied by several private homes. Construction was completed in 1874. The first major alteration took place from 1906 through 1908. A fourth floor was added to the building by gutting the

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chambers, taking the roof off the building, installing new steel trusses, and redesigning the senate and assembly chambers. The building remained much that way until the 1930s, when a mezzanine floor was added. The East Wing of the Capitol Building was added around 1952.

Extending west from the Capitol Building is the Capitol Mall, a wide and open boulevard between the Sacramento River and the Capitol. The Capitol Mall offers a unique view of the State Capitol building by providing an uninterrupted view from the Tower Bridge. Capitol Mall is listed as one of the “Protected Views and Vistas” listed in the Sacramento Urban Design Plan.

The view is characterized by the mostly tree-lined roadway, which includes two lanes each of west- and east-bound traffic, divided in the middle with a broad, turf-covered median strip.

Sutter’s Fort. Another well-known scenic landmark and historic resource within Sacramento is the Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, which is bound by K, L, 26th, and 28th streets. Sutter’s Fort, also on the National Historic Register, consists of the original central two-story adobe building, as well as reproductions of the surrounding structures such as stores, a print shop, and a blacksmith shop.

Many other historic resources exist within the city. These resources are described in more detail in Section 6.4 Cultural Resources of this document.

Landmarks
The term landmark here is used to refer to something that is easily recognizable (e.g., monument, building, other structure). Through their scale and/or distinctive design, landmarks become reference points within the city that provide structure and orientation, and contribute to the design character of the surrounding area. Within the Policy Area, such landmarks include the State Capitol and Sutter’s Fort (described above), as well as the Tower Bridge, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, the Elks Building, the Sacramento Valley Station (AMTRAK Depot), Cesar Chavez Plaza Park, Sleep Train Arena, Golden 1 Center, the water tower west of I-5 near the Town of Freeport, Cal-Expo, and the Sacramento Convention Center.

Historic Districts
Historic districts include those in the downtown such as the Old Sacramento Historic District and Merchants Row Historic District, and residential historic districts such as the Boulevard Park Historic District and the Industrial R Street Historic District. These elements add texture and character to the Policy Area (City of Sacramento 2018).

Parks
The American River Parkway is a nationally renowned urban river park. Managed by the County of Sacramento, the parkway includes several regional parks and a broad riparian forest and reinforces the scenic quality of the city and its tree-dominant landscape. Parks in or adjacent to the Parkway include Discovery Park, the Woodlake area, Cal Expo area, Paradise Beach, and the Howe Avenue area (City of Sacramento 2015). It provides a protected natural landscape within the heart of the urban community. The parkway also provides important

visual access for city residents who come into the river corridor along its bicycle trails or within its parklands.

In addition to buildings and structures, parks can also serve as landmarks within the city.

Capitol Mall plays a critical role in organizing the entry experience to the downtown and the State Capitol. Similarly, formal parks such as Cesar Chavez Plaza Park, Capitol Park, Land Park, Curtis Park, and McKinley Park are all distinctive landmarks that contribute to the identity and formal structure of the neighborhoods in which they are located.

Views and Vistas
The Policy Area includes large portions of developed areas, ranging from single-family residential homes to high-rise office buildings in the downtown area. The areas where homes dominate the viewshed are generally areas with more green space, less artificial light (and, therefore, darker nighttime views), and less glare due to the limited amount of reflective materials.

Views of Central City
The average elevation in the Central City is approximately 25 feet above sea level. The flatness of the landscape creates a striking visual contrast with the urban silhouette of downtown highrises. This is particularly true of the view of the downtown skyline as one approaches from the west and north (City of Sacramento 2018).

Views of the Central City offer a mix of building types and sizes, interspersed with parks, trees, and municipal uses. Building designs range from historic architecture to modern structures.

The Central City/Midtown area includes distinctive housing styles from several different architectural eras, including the Victorian Delta Style (1880s through 1890s), Queen Anne Style (1880s through 1890s), Craftsman Bungalow Style (1900 through 1920s), and Mediterranean/Spanish Eclectic Style (1920s through 1930s). Views of the Central City include the State Capitol Building, Old Sacramento, Tower Bridge, the Sacramento River, the Downtown Railyards, and I-5. The Central City contains many skyscrapers, the exteriors of which are dominated by glass and can produce glare. The downtown area is also significantly brighter than the outlying residential areas due to the amount of artificial light associated with building, roadways, and parking areas.

Views of South Sacramento
Views of the South Sacramento area are characterized by single-family neighborhoods and low-scale shopping areas. The areas where homes dominate the viewshed are generally areas with more green space, less artificial light, and less glare due to the limited amount of reflective materials. The commercial uses in South Sacramento tend to be concentrated in community shopping centers and along commercial strips such as Florin Road, Franklin Boulevard, Mack Road, Freeport Boulevard, Fruitridge Road, and Stockton Boulevard, including the new Delta Shores commercial center. The few office uses in South Sacramento are located primarily in the vicinity of Florin Road, Power Inn Road, and around the Methodist Hospital and Kaiser

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Permanente Hospital off of SR 99. The commercial uses are primarily located in strip malls, which are primarily single-story structures dominated by signage with surface parking lots adjacent to the front of the buildings.

Executive Airport is visible along Freeport Boulevard. Small planes, metal airplane hangars, and surface parking lots are visible from the roadway. The main entrance is landscaped with trees, planters and low shrubs, beyond which a surface parking lot and the various buildings are visible. The majority of the buildings, including the hangers, are warehouse-like buildings with metal siding. The airstrips are paved and there is artificial lighting throughout the night providing sky glow over the airport. Other key views in the southern Sacramento are of Laguna Creek and the Sacramento Regional Community Service District bufferlands.

Views of North Sacramento
The northern portion of Sacramento includes the Natomas area and North Sacramento. The North Natomas area contains some of the largest portions of undeveloped agricultural land in the area, but has also been developed with residential neighborhoods interspersed with retail centers. Development in the Natomas area has largely occurred in the last 20 years and, as such, is somewhat uniform in character. The residential subdivisions consist primarily of modern one and two-story homes that maximize lot coverage and minimize landscaping. Six to 10-foot high concrete walls or wood fences are visible from the main roadways, and many areas are gated. Within the residential neighborhoods, most main roadways are six to eight lanes wide with street lights.

The retail centers generally consist of large concrete buildings located either adjacent to the street frontage or set back with large, sparsely landscaped surface parking areas. These retail centers also generally have a significant amount of artificial lighting both in the parking lots and on the storefronts and signs. Many of the storefronts consist primarily of glass that can be a source of glare.

Views of East Sacramento
The eastern portion of the Policy Area is characterized by residential and commercial uses.

Many of the neighborhoods in this area were established decades ago and, as such, are dominated by mature trees that provide a wide tree canopy over streets lined with single and two-story homes ranging from small bungalows to more modern structures. Small commercial areas are interspersed primarily along J Street, Folsom Boulevard, and H Street. This area also includes open space, parks, and waterways, including the Cal Expo Parkway.

Scenic Highways
California’s Scenic Highway Program was created in 1963. The scenic highway designation serves to protect and enhance California’s natural scenic beauty and to protect the social and economic values provided by the State’s scenic resources. Adjacent to the Policy Area, State Route (SR) 160 is designated as a Scenic Highway from the Contra Costa County line to the southern city limit of Sacramento, for a length of 35 miles. Formerly known as River Road, the

highway meanders through the historic Delta agricultural area and small towns along the Sacramento River. SR 160 becomes Freeport Boulevard as it enters the city limits.

Gateways to Downtown
Historical gateways into the city of Sacramento have been largely obscured by the vast network of freeways that now dominate the landscape. The most symbolic entry into the city is from the west across the Tower Bridge. From this approach, the formal elegance of the Capitol Mall parkway and the Capitol building are visible. This is in contrast to the more often used, utilitarian off-ramps from I-5 at J Street for downtown, at Q Street for the Capitol, and at Richards Boulevard for the River District, and from the Highway 50 off-ramps at 5th and 16th streets. The sole northern gateway along SR 160/12th Street is more intentional in its layout as an entry than the freeway off-ramps and has the benefit of the American River as a gateway element. The entry experience is compromised, however, by the industrial area and the railroad underpass near the northern boundary of the city.

REGULATORY CONTEXT
Federal
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 USC 1271-1287) established a method for providing Federal protection for certain free-flowing rivers, preserving them and their immediate environments for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Eligible rivers can be designated as Wild River Areas, Scenic River Areas, or Recreational River Areas. As stated above, the American River from the Nimbus Dam to the confluence of the Sacramento River is designated as a Recreational River Area. Recreational River Areas are “[t]hose rivers or sections of rivers that are readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have some development along their shorelines, and that may have undergone some impoundment or diversion in the past.”
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, under Section 10, includes management direction for designated rivers, stating that “…primary emphasis shall be given to protecting its aesthetic, scenic, historic, archaeologic, and scientific features.” State
California Scenic Highway Program
In 1963, the State legislature established the California Scenic Highway Program through Senate Bill 1467. This Senate Bill added Section 260 et seq. to the Streets and Highway Code.

In these statutes, the State proclaims its intent to: “...establish the State’s responsibility for the protection and enhancement of California’s natural scenic beauty” (Caltrans 2008).

A Scenic Corridor is defined as the area of land generally adjacent to, and visible from, the highway. It is usually limited by topography and/or jurisdictional boundaries. Local

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jurisdictions, with support of their citizens, must adopt programs to protect the scenic qualities of qualifying corridors, and zoning and land use along the highway must meet the State’s minimum requirements for scenic highway corridor protection. Actions required by Section 261 of the code include:
• Regulation of land use and density of development,
• Detailed land and site planning,
• Control of outdoor advertising,
• Careful attention to, and control of, earthmoving and landscaping, and • Regulation of the design and appearance of structures and equipment (i.e., placement of utility structures, microwave receptors, etc.).

Capitol View Protection Act: Government Code Section 8162.5 through 8162.9 These Government Code Sections apply to the State Capitol and Capitol Park and are intended to guide future development in a way that would preserve and enhance the visual prominence of the State Capitol and the character and scale of Capitol Park. The Code Sections establish height limits and setback requirements in the blocks surrounding the Capitol and Capitol Park.

Section 17.96.100 of the City of Sacramento Zoning Code (discussed below) reflects the text of the Capitol View Protection Act.

Local
Design Review
The Design Director and design review staff are responsible for reviewing and taking action on design review applications. Per Sacramento City Code Chapter 17.812, development applications are reviewed to ensure that:
• The desirability of adjacent and surrounding properties is enhanced; • The benefits of occupancy of adjacent and surrounding properties are improved; • Appropriate development of adjacent and surrounding properties is encouraged; and • The maintenance and improvement of surrounding properties is encouraged, resulting in the enhancement of the health, safety, aesthetics, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the area and the inhabitants of the city at large.

Site Plan and Design Review is a Planning entitlement required for residential and commercial existing building additions, remodels, and new construction. Small and simple projects with minimal aesthetic impact may be exempt. These include recommendations related to: building height, maintaining gateways, urban forest management, maintaining distinctive neighborhoods and districts, designing a well-defined public realm. Specific Design Review Areas include:

• Central Core
• Railyards
• River District
• Central City Neighborhood (includes Alhambra and R Street Corridors) • Broadway and Stockton Boulevard
• Curtis Park Village
• Del Paso Heights
• Del Paso Nuevo
• Florin Road Corridor
• Marysville
• North Sacramento
• Oak Park
• Swanston (City of Sacramento 2020)
Additionally, there are design standards for historic districts and properties with landmarks. If the work involves the exterior of a building, construction on the site, or involves significant, publicly-accessible interiors such as lobbies or auditoriums, then a Planning Entitlement Application for Preservation Site Plan and Design Review will likely be required from the City Planning Division. There are also City-wide design guidelines for single-unit and duplex dwellings, multi-unit dwellings, commercial properties, and industrial/business park properties (City of Sacramento 2020).

Capitol View Protection Ordinance
Section 17.96.100 of the Sacramento City Code was established in February 1992 to recognize the State Capitol building and the surrounding grounds of Capitol Park as a unique cultural and open space resource. The ordinance establishes building height limits, setback requirements and parking alternatives within a portion of the Central Business District surrounding Capitol Park. These regulations are designed to provide visual protection to and from the Capitol building and Capitol Park.

6.9 Findings

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
• According to the 2016 FMMP maps, there are approximately 4,860 acres of farmland in the Policy Area.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

• Remaining agricultural land is concentrated in the northern and southern reaches of the Policy Area.
• There are twenty parcels under Williamson Act contracts in the Policy Area. Two of these parcels are active, 13 are under cancellation, and five have a non-renewal status.

BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
• Though the majority of the Policy Area is currently in residential, commercial, and other urban development, valuable plant and wildlife habitat still exists. These natural habitats are located primarily in the northern, southern and eastern portions of the Policy Area, and within the city along river and stream corridors and in a number of undeveloped parcels.
• Undeveloped grasslands in the Policy Area have a high probability of supporting vernal pools or other seasonal wetlands and the listed plant and wildlife species associated with them. These grasslands are most common in undeveloped areas that lie largely outside of current urban limits in North Sacramento and Natomas, East Sacramento, and South Sacramento. However, undeveloped lots within otherwise developed areas are capable of supporting these resources as well.
• Approval from the City of Sacramento, pursuant to the City’s Tree Ordinance, must be obtained prior to the removal of any trees, particularly City trees or private protected trees in the Policy Area.
• Wetlands subject to USACE’ jurisdiction within the Policy Area are primarily associated with the Sacramento and American rivers, and their tributaries and/or their floodplains. In addition, vernal pools, seasonal wetlands and isolated ponds are present in undeveloped portions of the Policy Area.
• Development within the boundaries of the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan area must comply with the provisions described in the NBHCP and pay a mitigation fee sufficient to cover the costs of acquiring, restoring and managing one-half acre of habitat for every acre of land developed. For developments 50+ acres in size, there is a reduced NBHCP mitigation fee in conjunction with the requirement that the mitigation ratio be met by dedication requirement. Habitat lands are managed by the Natomas Basin Conservancy.

WATER RESOURCES AND QUALITY
• An increase in the urbanized areas in and adjacent to the Policy Area has increased the potential for pollutant discharges to surface water and groundwater. • The water quality of the Sacramento and American rivers supports beneficial uses; however, their tributaries often have degraded water quality during heavy stormwater runoff events.

• The City of Sacramento has adopted and implemented ordinances, plans, and policies, in compliance with Federal and State law, to address pollutants in urban water runoff into creeks, tributaries, and rivers.
• The increase in population in the Policy Area has increased the amount of water resources used for drinking water, industrial use, and recreation. Increased groundwater use in the northeastern portion of the Policy Area has created a cone of depression, and an overall decrease in groundwater levels in the past 30 years, with recent years seeing recharge and a lessened cone of depression.

CULTURAL RESOURCES
• The majority of the existing historic resources and landmarks in the City of Sacramento are located within the Central City grid; however, it is anticipated that additional resources related to the history of Mid-Century Modern design in Sacramento, many of which are outside the Central City, will be added to local, state, and national registers in the coming years. There are currently 32 designated historic districts in the city and approximately 104 resources listed as California Points of Historical Interest, California Landmarks, and California Register Historical Resources. Fifty-nine individual properties in the city are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. • The City’s current Preservation Element anticipates future historic/cultural resources survey and inventory efforts on a citywide basis in order to update the Sacramento Register and inform future planning and development decisions. In alignment with these goals, a number of survey and inventory efforts have been conducted since the completion of the City’s previous General Plan. A review of recently completed historic preservation efforts for this 2040 General Plan update identified a number of areas, particularly outside the Central City, that are not currently recognized as historic districts but appear eligible for listing or may become so in the next 20 years. These areas include:
• Mid-Century Modern developments and residential neighborhoods described in Sacramento’s Mid-Century Modern context statement (See the earlier “Mid-Century Modern Historic Resources Survey and Historic Context Statement Project” section). • Previously overlooked historic areas of the Central City identified by the Historic District Plans project (See the earlier “Historic District Plans” section). • Areas that were annexed into the City of Sacramento in 1911, the first expansion of the city’s limits since its incorporation in 1850. Neighborhoods that date to this period and appear to contain one or more potential historic districts include Curtis Park, Land Park, East Sacramento, and residential areas of Oak Park. • Historic areas of North Sacramento, some of which are featured in existing design guideline documents. North Sacramento was first subdivided in 1910 and was established as a separate city in 1924, creating a distinct urban and residential development outside of the Central City that was contemporaneous with many of the

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

existing historic districts on the Sacramento Register. Areas of North Sacramento that appear to warrant future study to identify new historic districts for listing on the Sacramento Register include the Del Paso Boulevard Commercial area, as well as the residential neighborhoods of Swanston and Woodlake.
• Areas that have been identified as potential National Register-eligible districts in recent cultural resource reports or studies but have not been formally nominated or evaluated for listing on the National Register, such as the Capitol Mall State Buildings, California State Government Building Complex, R Street Corridor, and Raised Streets and Hollow Sidewalks.
• Review of proposed development projects within or in close proximity of areas designated as highly sensitive or moderately sensitive resources areas would require additional on-site review, testing, and assessment by qualified archaeologists as a part of the environmental review of the proposed project. A large portion of the city has not been surveyed for archaeological resources and was not included in the analysis of potential resources.

MINERAL RESOURCES
• The State Mining and Geology Board has defined an area within Policy Area as MRZ-2, which indicates the likelihood for occurrence of significant mineral deposits is high. In general, the area classified MRZ-2 west of the Union Pacific Railroad is urbanized, so access to any deposits would be limited. Portions of the MRZ-2 area east of the railroad are less urbanized, and most of the former and current mining operations are located in that area.
• Gas fields underlie the Policy Area, but there is no active drilling/production.

AIR QUALITY
• Air quality in the city of Sacramento has steadily improved over the last two decades.

However, the City and County of Sacramento still do not attain certain State and Federal air quality standards. Future population growth will make attaining these standards challenging; climate change, which will increase heat and subsequent ozone formation, will add to this challenge.
• State and regional efforts, as well as policies adopted by the City of Sacramento, can promote land use and transportation patterns that improve air quality, with a goal of creating more compact, mixed-use, and well-connected development that generates fewer vehicle trips.
• Mobile sources comprise the majority of ozone precursors in the Policy Area, while area sources comprise the majority of PM emissions.
• Diesel PM, emitted by diesel engines, is considered by ARB to be the primary TAC of concern in the Policy Area. High-volume roadways are a source of TACs (primarily,

diesel PM) and local jurisdictions should consider exposure reduction measures when siting residences and other sensitive land uses near freeways and rail lines. • Increased tree canopy in the region can improve air quality. In 2018, Sacramento’s tree canopy coverage was 19.1 percent.

GREENHOUSE GAS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
• The major source of GHG emissions in the city is transportation, followed by energy consumption in buildings. These sources constitute the majority of GHG emissions from community-wide activities.
• As shown in Table 6-12, forecasts are made for the milestone years including: 2020, 2030, 2045, and 2050. Community-wide GHG emissions are anticipated to decrease by about 14 percent by 2020, by about 21 percent by 2030, by about 29 percent by 2045, and about 28 percent by 2050 associated with growth anticipated under the 2040 General Plan. Thus, the City is on the path to achieve emission levels consistent with state-aligned targets through 2030. However, additional reduction measures would be required to reduce GHG emissions further and achieve the state-aligned targets beyond 2030.
• State regulations related to Advanced Clean Cars, Renewable Portfolio Standards, California Green Building Code Standards, and the Sustainable Communities Strategy are largely responsible for the expected reduction in GHG emissions; remaining reductions must be met through local and regional GHG reduction measures. • The City’s population, resources, and economy are vulnerable to climate change impacts, particularly flooding, extreme heat, air quality, and water supply. The CAP includes some strategies to address climate change adaptation, but a more comprehensive climate change vulnerability assessment should be conducted and used to inform additional strategies through this update process.

SCENIC RESOURCES
• The Policy Area is characteristic of an urban environment. It contains important scenic quality features, such as the prevalence of trees, the Sacramento and American rivers, American River Parkway, the State Capitol, Capitol Park, and numerous cultural landmark structures.
7 Public Health and Safety
The Public Health and Safety chapter addresses human hazards and safety issues within the Policy Area. This chapter discusses geologic and seismic hazards, flood hazards, fire hazards, noise, hazardous materials, and emergency response programs and capabilities. The overall responsibility for City of Sacramento Public Health and Safety responsibility resides in the City Manager’s Office.

The City Manager serves as the Director of Emergency Services during declared disasters, while state and local operations are led by the Assistant City Manager of Public Safety, who oversees the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department, Police Department, and Homeless Services.

7.1 Geologic and Seismic Hazards

INTRODUCTION
This section describes the existing conditions of the geologic resources, paleontological resources, and seismic hazards within and adjacent to the Policy Area. This section also describes soils within the Policy Area, and potential hazards associated with certain soil characteristics. Information is based upon the City of Sacramento Emergency Operations Plan, information published by the Department of Conservation, California Geology Survey (CGS), and information from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

EXISTING CONDITIONS
Topography and Geology
The Policy Area is located in the Great Valley geomorphic province of California. The Great Valley is a flat, alluvial plain approximately 50 miles wide and 400 miles long in the central portion of California. It is comprised of the Sacramento Valley drained by the Sacramento River in the north and the San Joaquin Valley drained by the San Joaquin River in the south. It is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Tehachapi Mountains to the south, the Coastal Range to the west, and the Cascade Range to the north.

The geology of the Great Valley is typified by thick sequences of alluvial sediments derived primarily from erosion of the Sierra Nevada Range to the east and, to a lesser extent, erosion of the Klamath Mountains and Cascade Range to the north. These sediments were transported downstream and subsequently laid down as a river channel, floodplain deposits, and alluvial fans.

The topography of the Policy Area is relatively flat. There is a gradual slope rising from elevations

as low as sea level in the southwestern portion of the Policy Area up to approximately 75 feet above sea level in the northeastern portion.

Seismic Hazards
Although all of California is typically regarded as seismically active, the Policy Area does not commonly experience strong ground shaking resulting from earthquakes along known or previously unknown active faults. There are, however, isolated areas within the city that have soils and other conditions which could result in structural damage induced by seismic activity. Seismic hazards that may affect portions of the Policy Area during, or in the aftermath of, a major seismic event may include minor ground shaking and liquefaction. Flooding resulting from seismicinduced dam failure may also be a concern in the Policy Area; the risk of dam failure is evaluated in Section 7.2 Flood Hazards.

Faults
Faults are considered active when they have caused soil and strata displacement in the last 11,000 years. Potentially active faults are faults that have experienced movement in the last 11,000 to 750,000 years, and conditionally active faults are faults that have not had any fault activity in over 750,000 years. Ground rupture tends to occur along lines of previous faulting and can be recognized with a detailed investigation.

There are no known faults within the Policy Area or the greater Sacramento region. However, significant earthquakes have occurred on previously undetected faults. Known faults located nearest to the Policy Area are Foothills fault system to the east, the Midland Fault to the west, and the Dunnigan Hills Fault to the northwest.

The Foothills fault system is located on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada Range over 20 miles from the Policy Area and consists of a complex of north-south trending faults. The active Bear Mountain fault zone is at the western edge of the system (California Division of Mines and Geology 1978). The anticipated maximum magnitude of an earthquake originating from this fault zone is

6.5 moment magnitude (Mw). The Sacramento region has experienced ground shaking originating from faults in the Foothills fault system in the past. The Midland fault zone is considered to be a deep pre-Pleistocene subsurface feature extending nearly 50 miles along the west side of the Sacramento Valley, from the Delta to Lake Berryessa. This fault has been only approximately located from natural gas exploration work. Subsurface data indicate that there has been no appreciable movement on the Midland fault in the last 24 to 36 million years, and no evidence of surface expression has yet been found (Harwood and Helley 1987). The Dunnigan Hills Fault is located approximately 20 miles northwest of the City of Sacramento. The active fault is not within an Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone.

Other faults in the region include the Great Valley fault (segments 3 and 4), located over 25 miles from the Policy Area and capable of producing a 6.5 – 6.8 Mw earthquake. The Concord-Green Valley fault and Hunting Creek-Berryessa fault are both located approximately 40 miles from the Policy Area and are capable of producing 6.9 Mw earthquakes. The Greenville fault is located approximately 50 miles from the Policy Area and is capable of producing a 6.8 Mw earthquake. The

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT

West Napa fault is also located approximately 50 miles from the Policy Area and could produce a

6.5 Mw earthquake.

Faults located further than 50 miles from the city that are considered to be “active” as defined by the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act include the San Andreas, Calaveras, Concord, and Hayward faults. All have experienced seismic activity within the last 11,000 years and are considered capable of producing significant earthquake events. The Hayward, San Andreas and Calaveras faults are considered to pose the greatest earthquake threat to the Policy Area.

Ground Shaking
Generally defined, an earthquake is an abrupt release of accumulated energy in the form of seismic waves created when movement occurs along a fault plane. The severity of an earthquake generally is expressed in two ways—magnitude and intensity. Magnitude quantitatively measures the strength of an earthquake and the amount of energy released by it. Magnitude is measured on several different scales. Although the most commonly known scale measures Richter Magnitude, the most commonly used scale measures Moment Magnitude, which is related to the physical size of fault rupture and the movement or displacement across the fault, and as such is more uniform measure of the strength of an earthquake.

Unlike magnitude, intensity qualitatively measures the effects a given earthquake has on people, structures, loose objects, and the ground at a specific location. Earthquake intensity in a given locality is typically measured using the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale with values of this scale ranging from I to XII. Table 7-1 (Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale) identifies the level of intensity according to the MMI scale and describes that intensity with respect to how it would be received or sensed by its receptors. While an earthquake has only one magnitude, it can have many intensity levels, which typically decrease with distance from the epicenter.

The peak horizontal ground acceleration values depicted on the CGS probabilistic seismic hazards assessment map represent estimates of the ground-shaking intensity likely to occur in a given area as a result of earthquake events on nearby faults, and can be used to assess the relative seismic ground-shaking hazard for a given region. According to the map, Sacramento and the surrounding area have an estimated 10 to 20 percent peak ground acceleration (California Department of Conservation and USGS 1996). The probabilistic peak horizontal ground acceleration value, and thus the seismic ground-shaking hazard for the Policy Area, is relatively low, ranking among the lowest in the State.

The maximum earthquake intensity expected from this amount of ground shaking would be between VII and VIII on the MMI. The most susceptible structures to these types of hazards are unreinforced masonry buildings or buildings constructed on unreinforced brick foundations. Due to the low probability of ground shaking affecting the Policy Area, the possibility of seismicinduced ground failure is remote.

Table 7-1: Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
Modified
Mercalli
Intensity Description/ Level of Damage
I Detected by only sensitive instruments, or favorable conditions II Felt by a few people at rest, especially upper floors of buildings III Felt noticeably indoors, but not always recognized as a quake; vibration like a passing truck IV Felt indoors by many and outdoors by few during the day.

V
Felt by most people. Some breakage of windows, dishes, and plaster, unstable objects overturned or moved.

VI Felt by all; falling plaster and chimneys; damage slight VII Damage to buildings varies; depends on quality of construction VIII Walls, monuments, chimneys fall; panel walls thrown out of frames IX Buildings shift off foundations; foundations crack; ground cracks; underground pipes break X Most masonry and frame structures destroyed; ground cracks; landslides XI Ground fissures; pipes break; landslides; rails bent; new structures remain standing XII Damage total; waves seen on ground surface; objects thrown into the air Source: United States Geologic Service, Earthquake Hazards Program: The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, 2019.

Some common seismic hazards such as fault rupture, tsunamis and seiches, and seismic-induced landslides are not considered to be major threats to any areas within the Policy Area due to its location far from known faults and large bodies of water and the region’s flat topography. The Sacramento area is not near any areas of volcanic activity, so there are no mudflow hazards.

Liquefaction. Liquefaction occurs when surface soils, generally alluvial soils, become saturated with water and become mobile during ground shaking caused by a seismic event. When these soils move, the foundations of structures move as well, which can cause structural damage. Liquefaction generally occurs below the water table, but can move upward through soils after it has developed.

Liquefaction susceptibility decreases with the depth of the water table and the age, cementation, and compactness of the sediments. Soils subject to liquefaction are found within the Policy Area, primarily within the Central City, Pocket, and North and South Natomas Community Plan areas.

Geotechnical studies prepared as part of a development project approval process are necessary to identify site-specific conditions.

Landslides. Landslides are often associated with earthquakes, though there are other factors that influence the occurrence of landslides. In addition to an earthquake, heavy rain or the improper grading of a construction site may trigger a landslide. However, the potential for landslides in the City is minor due to the flat topography of the area. Sacramento has a landslide rating of “nil,” which indicates a low amount of landslides in the overall area.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT