City of Sacramento
City Council - 2PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2025-00902 4/29/2025 Item 14.
UC Davis California Hospital Tower Heliport (M25-007)
File ID: 2025-00902
Location: District 5
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution to consider the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the UC Davis Tower Project, adopt findings of fact and a statement of overriding considerations, and approve the Plan for Construction of Two New Rooftop Helipads at the UC Davis Medical Center, California Hospital Tower.
Contact: Greg Sandlund, Planning Director, (916) 808-8931, [email protected], Community Development Department; Matt Dulcich, AICP, Director of Facilities Planning, (530)304- 3898, [email protected], UC Davis Health.
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Background
3-Resolution Considering the EIR, Adopting the Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and Approving the Plan for Construction 4-Exhibit A- CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Plan for Construction of the California Hospital Tower Project Heliport 5-Exhibit B- Heliport Plan (Final Site Plan)
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail:
In May 2024, UC Davis Health began construction of the California Hospital Tower, a new 14-story, 900,000 square foot hospital tower on the Stockton Boulevard medical campus. The project goals include achieving seismic safety compliance, expanded service capacity for patients, and improved operations as the only Level 1 trauma center in the region. The project was approved by the University of California Board of Regents on November 3, 2021, and is not subject to City permit review. The tower construction is estimated to be completed in 2030.
File ID: 2025-00902 4/29/2025 Item 14.
However, the project includes two new rooftop helipads for air ambulances. California Public Utilities Code section 21661.5 requires City Council approval of the plan for construction of the heliport before the California Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division, will consider approval of a permit for the heliport.
Policy Considerations: The 2040 General Plan recognizes hospitals as critical facilities that serve or house people in the event of an earthquake or flood. Moreover, as an anchor institution, the UC Davis Medical Center affords the opportunity to increase economic opportunity, neighborhood vitality, and improve the quality of life for Sacramento residents.
Approval of the new heliports for the California Tower is consistent with the following 2040 General Plan policies:
PFS-1.11 Critical Facilities. The City shall locate new critical municipal facilities, such as fire stations, police stations, emergency operations centers, emergency shelters, communications networks, and other emergency service facilities and utilities so as to minimize exposure to flooding, seismic, geologic, wildfire, and other hazards. Critical community facilities, such as hospitals and health care facilities, should also be similarly located.
PFS-2.2 Critical Infrastructure. The City shall protect and maintain critical infrastructure such as emergency shelters, fire stations, police stations, emergency operations centers, communications networks, and other emergency service facilities and utilities to ensure continuity of essential operations, including, but not limited to, uninterrupted public safety services during flooding, seismic, geologic, wildfire, and other hazards.
Economic Impacts: The new California Tower is a $3.7 billion construction project that will provide expanded healthcare services for the City and surrounding Region. The California Tower provides acuity-adaptable patient rooms to mitigate and support future regional pandemic response.
Environmental Considerations: As Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), University of California Board of Regents certified the California Hospital Tower Environmental Impact Report <https://environmentalplanning.ucdavis.edu/california-tower-project- final-eir> in November 2021, adopting CEQA Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations.
As a responsible agency, the City of Sacramento will consider the EIR and make findings as required by CEQA prior to making any decisions on the project.
The EIR analyzed 16 impact categories, including Noise, GHG, Air Quality & Aesthetics. The only S ignificant and Unavoidable Impact from the new heliport operations was related to noise.
The UC Regents adopted the following Mitigation Measures to address helicopter noise:
• NOI-4a: Helicopter operations plan to reduce sleep disturbance
File ID: 2025-00902 4/29/2025 Item 14.
• NOI-4b: Residential sound reduction program to reduce noise The California Tower project has been approved and is under construction and scheduled to open in 2030.
Sustainability: Development of the new California Tower is in an area of the City that is connected to existing multimodal infrastructure, including a high frequency bus route (Route 051- Stockton/Broadway).
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: The proposed heliport is a critical component of the only Level 1 trauma center in the region.
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
Background: The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) currently operates a heliport with two helipads atop the Davis Tower at the UC Davis Medical Center campus on Stockton Boulevard. The new California Hospital Tower will have two new rooftop helipads for air ambulances. One of the helipads will be larger to allow for infrequent landing of Sikorsky Firehawk helicopters. Both existing helipads on the Davis Tower would remain, one for active operations and one for backup use in case of maintenance so that there will be three operating helipads available at all times. The UC Davis Medical Center is an accredited Level-1 trauma center and the only Level-1 adult and pediatric trauma center in the region.
Under future conditions, it is anticipated that approximately 15 percent of helicopters will land at the existing Davis Tower and 85 percent are expected to land at the California Hospital Tower. The location of all four helipads is depicted in Figure 1 below and the two new helipad locations are setback further from V Street residences than the existing helipad locations.
Figure 1: Helipad Locations showing the two new helipads on the right side
File ID: 2025-00902 4/29/2025 Item 14.
Helicopter operations take place with pilot discretion regarding the actual flight direction and altitude with pilots making these decisions based on flight safety and patient criticality. The helipad approvals from Caltrans will include the preferred flight path design for pilots to use under standard conditions.
As indicated in Figure 2 below, helicopters using the preferred flight paths will land and depart the California Tower from the East and South/South West. The elevator penthouse for the California Tower prevents a direct northern flight path. Landings on, and departures from, the Davis Tower will come from the west, southwest and north. The California Tower blocks flights to the east.
Figure 2: Proposed Flight Paths
File ID: 2025-00902 4/29/2025 Item 14.
California Hospital Tower - Noise Mitigation
The California Hospital Tower Environmental Impact Report evaluated noise impacts and potential feasible mitigation measures relating to noise from helicopters. The following mitigation measures apply to noise from helicopters:
NOI-4a: Helicopter operations plan to reduce sleep disturbance • Promote daytime flights, when safe and feasible
• Collaborate with helicopter operators on potential noise reduction strategies • Promote departure paths least disruptive to nearby residences NOI-4b: Residential sound reduction program to reduce noise
File ID: 2025-00902 4/29/2025 Item 14.
Provide noise reduction modifications to homes within noise contour Qualifications:
• Be within the SEL 95dBA noise contour
• SEL 80 dBA inside home in sleeping areas with windows closed Home modifications:
• Acoustical windows, doors, skylights, improved ventilation • Reduce to below SEL 80 dBA or by at least 5 dBA in sleeping areas • Not to exceed $35,000 per house (in 2021 present value) Below is the Modeled SEL 95 noise contour for the eastern approach flightpath to the new California Tower heliport. All proposed flightpaths include a modeled SEL 95 noise contour, which will be part of the residential sound reduction program.
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-____
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
April 29, 2025
A Resolution (1) Certifying that the City of Sacramento has Considered the Environmental Impact Report Prepared for the California Hospital Tower Project Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH No. 2021020515) and Addendum; (2) Determining that the Heliport has No Feasible Alternatives or Mitigation Measures within the City’s Jurisdiction that Would Substantially Lessen or Avoid Any of the Significant Effects Identified in the FEIR; (3) Adopting a Statement of Overriding Considerations; (4) Approving the Plan for Construction of the California Hospital Tower Project Heliport for the Purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5
BACKGROUND
A. On November 18, 2021, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Resources Code, § 21000, et seq.,“CEQA”) the Board of Regents of the University of California (the “UC Regents”), on behalf of its Davis campus, certified a Final Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”), adopted Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and approved the UC Davis Sacramento Campus Hospital Tower Project. The components of the Hospital Tower Project as studied in the EIR are the 1.) California Tower, including the heliport; 2.) surgery and emergency service pavilion interior renovation; 3.) parking structure construction; 4.) central utility plant upgrades; 5.) east main hospital wing demolition; 6.) and make-ready projects. (See EIR, vol. 1 p. 2-5 through 2-7.)
B. The City of Sacramento is taking actions relative to only the heliport portion of the California Tower component of the UC Davis Sacramento Campus Hospital Tower Project. Except in limited circumstances, Public Utilities Code section 21661.5 prohibits anyone from submitting an “application for the construction of a new airport to any local, regional, state, or federal agency unless the plan for construction is first approved by the … the city council of the city, in which the airport is to be located.” As such, the City Council must approve the plan for construction of the heliport.
C. The operation of the heliport will result in potentially significant noise and air quality impacts as described in sections 3.2 and 3.11 of EIR. Mitigation for these impacts is within the jurisdiction of the UC Regents, not the City of Sacramento.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
The statements in the Background are correct.
SECTION 2.
Public Utilities Code section 21661.5 requires the City of Sacramento’s approval of the plan for construction of the heliport prior to UC Davis’s application to Caltrans, but does not provide the City with discretion to modify the heliport or the overall UC Davis Sacramento Campus Hospital Tower Project. Nonetheless, the City Council is making the responsible agency findings including certifying that it has considered the environmental effects of the heliport as well as the alternatives and mitigation measures as described in the Environmental Impact Report for the California Hospital Tower Project (SCH No. 2021020515) prior to approving the plan for construction of the heliport.
SECTION 3.
In accordance with Public Resources Code section 21081 and CEQA Guidelines sections 15091 and 15093, and in support of its approval of the plan for construction of the heliport for the purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5, the City Council hereby adopts the attached Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Policy Considerations as set forth in the attached Attachment A to this resolution.
SECTION 4.
The City Council directs that, upon adoption of approval of the plan for construction for the heliport project, the City Manager shall file a notice of determination with the County Clerk of Sacramento County and with the State Office of Planning and Research.
SECTION 5
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15091(e), the documents and other materials that constitute the record of proceedings upon which the City Council has based its decision are located in and may be obtained from UC Davis Office of Campus Planning and Environmental Stewardship, 436 Mark Hall, University of California, Davis, CA. 95616. The custodian for these documents is the UC Davis Office of Campus Planning and Environmental Stewardship, 436 Mark Hall, University of California, Davis, CA. 95616. The Final EIR for the UC Davis Sacramento Campus Hospital Tower Project is located at
https://environmentalplanning.ucdavis.edu/california-tower-project-final-eir.
SECTION 6.
The Plan for Construction of the Helipad for the Purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5, attached hereto as Exhibit B is approved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Exhibit A – CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Plan for Construction of the California Hospital Tower Project Heliport Exhibit B – Plan for Construction of the California Hospital Tower Project Heliport
CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Plan for Construction of the
California Hospital Tower Project Heliport
Introduction
UC Davis proposed to construct the UC Davis Sacramento Campus Hospital Tower Project in the City of Sacramento. The UC Davis Sacramento Campus Hospital Tower Project consists of: 1.) California Tower, including helipads; 2.) surgery and emergency service pavilion interior renovation; 3.) parking structure construction;
3.) central utility plant upgrades; 4.) east main hospital wing demolition; 5.) and make-ready projects. (See UC Davis Sacramento Campus California Hospital Tower Final EIR (“EIR”), Project Description,
https://environmentalplanning.ucdavis.edu/california-tower-project-final-eir.) UC Davis has commenced construction of the California Tower, and seeks a heliport permit for the helipads planned for the California Tower. Pursuant to Public Utilities Code section 21661.5, UC Davis must obtain the City’s approval of the plans for construction for the heliport. Because of the unique nature of Section 21661.5, the City’s action to approve the plan for construction may not constitute a discretionary action resulting in the City acting as a responsible agency.
Nonetheless, the City makes the findings required of a responsible agency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21081 and CEQA Guidelines section 15091 with respect to the impacts identified in the EIR related to the heliport.
Description of the Project
Project Location
The California Hospital Tower Project is located within the 146 -acre UC Davis Sacramento Campus, approximately 2.5 miles southeast of downtown Sacramento, and 17 miles east of the UC Davis main campus in Davis. Land uses surrounding the campus include offices, public institutions, urban corridor, low-density suburban neighborhoods, and a high-density traditional neighborhood.
The heliport will be located on the California Tower component of the project, located west of 45th Street and north of X Street, at the east end of the existing UC Davis Medical Center, adjacent to the Surgery and Emergency Services Pavilion.
Project Objectives
UC Davis identified the following objective for the heliport operations as part of the California Hospital Tower Project.
Provide adequate healthcare helicopter landing areas and reduce helicopter idling time by providing increased helipad capacity.
The following objectives were identified for the California Hospital Tower project as a whole.
Provide a patient-centered hospital of the future to keep pace with community healthcare needs and to support UC Davis Health’s teaching, research, and community engagement missions in the most efficient manner, with the least amount of disruption to clinical care operations.
Construct the new California Tower with maximum operational efficiency to optimize healthcare outcomes and create a space for increased p atient and staff satisfaction.
Provide single-occupancy patient rooms with acuity-adaptable beds.
Address seismic and other code -related deficiencies in aging buildings and replace the hospital’s East Wing with a new, state -of-the-art, seismically compliant facility that meets current codes and sustainability standards.
Demolish outdated spaces to achieve seismic safety and to remove buildings that cannot be operated efficiently or renovated.
Ensure the California Tower stands the test of time by providing adaptability and flexibility within building systems.
Implement sustainable site design and building design practices to support ongoing implementation of UC’s Sustainable Practices Policy.
Ensure appropriate facility adjacencies, provide conve nient access, and improve pedestrian connections.
Increase parking capacity near the hospital to meet future parking demand, thereby better serving patients, and to provide construction worker parking during Project construction.
Consolidate surface parking into structured parking near the Hospital and Ambulatory Care districts to ensure easy access by patients, visitors, staff, residents, and partners, while minimizing potential conflicts among pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.
CEQA Findings
The City Council of the City of Sacramento finds that the Board of Regents reviewed and certified the UC Davis Sacramento Campus California Hospital Tower Project Final EIR (“EIR”) on November 18, 2021, and filed a Notice of Determinatio n on November 18, 2021. The City Council has reviewed and considered the information in the EIR before approving the plan for construction of the California Hospital Tower Project Heliport for the purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5.
CEQA requires that, for each significant environmental effect identified in an EIR, the responsible agency must consider the direct and indirect environmental effects identified in the EIR for the activities it is required to approve or carry out, in this
case, approving the plan for construction of the California Hospital Tower Project heliport for the purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5. (Pub. Resources Code, § 21002.1(d); CEQA Guidelines, §§15041(b), 15096(g)(1).) A responsible agency is also re quired to make findings and adopt overriding considerations for environmental impacts that will result from the part or parts of the project that it approves. ( Pub. Resources Code, § 21081 and CEQA Guidelines, §15091) and must adopt a statement of overriding considerations as required by CEQA Guidelines section 15093. The environmental impacts from the heliport portion of the Hospital Tower component of the UC Davis Sacr amento Campus California Hospital Tower project are air quality and noise discussed in Section 3.2 and 3.11 of the EIR. To the extent the City of Sacramento is considered a responsible agency for the purposes of the heliport approval, the City Council make s the following findings with respect to impacts from the proposed heliport.
Potentially Significant Impacts Mitigated to a Less Than Significant Level by Mitigation Measures Within the Jurisdiction of UC Davis
The following potentially significant environmental impact of the heliport construction and operation are being mitigated to a less-than-significant level as are set out below. The mitigation measure is within the jurisdiction of UC Davis, not the City of Sacramento. Therefore, based on the evidence in the record before it, the City Council finds that changes or alterations incorporated into the project by means of conditions or otherwise, mitigate, avoid, or substantially lessen to a level of insignificance, and pursuant to Section 21081(a)(2) of CEQA and Section 15091(a)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines, those mitigation measures are within the responsibility of UC Davis and have been adopted by that agency.
Air Quality
Impact AQ -2: The construction and operation of the heliport could result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant for which the region is a nonattainment area for an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard during construction and operations. (See Final EIR Section 3.2.2)
Finding: The City finds pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21081 (a)(1) that changes or alterations have been incorporated into the California Hospital Tower Project which mitigate significant effects on the environment from Impact AQ-2 due to NOx emissions during construction activities and NOx emissions resulting from operation of the Project. Specifically, UC Davis found Mitigation Measures LRDP - AQ-2a, LRDP -AQ-2b, LRDP -AQ-2c, LRDP -AQ-3a, AQ -2a, and AQ -2b were feasible and were adopted to mitigate significant effects from Impact AQ-2 to a less than significant level for construction activities and operational activities (Final EIR pages 3.2-31 through 3.2-36). The City further finds pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21081 (a)(2), Mitigation Measure s LRDP -AQ-2a, LRDP -AQ-2b, LRDP-AQ-2c, LRDP-AQ-3a, AQ-2a, and AQ -2b are within the responsibility and jurisdiction of another public agency, UC Davis, and have been adopted by that agency.
Mitigation Measures: The following mitigation measures, adopted by UC Davis, will reduce the impact to less than significant.
Mitigation Measure LRDP -AQ-2a: Reduce construction -generated fugitive dust
Mitigation Measure LRDP -AQ-2b: Reduce construction -generated emissions from equipment and vehicle exhaust
Mitigation M easure LRDP -AQ-2c: Reduce evaporative emissions during architectural coatings
Mitigation Measure LRDP-AQ-3a: Reduce receptor exposure to construction generated diesel particulate matter (DPM)
Mitigation Measure AQ-2a: Electrify cranes used during construction Mitigation Measure AQ-2b: Offset construction-generated NOX emissions in excess of SMAQMD’s threshold of significance
Rationale for Finding : Implementation of Mitigation Measures LRDP -AQ-2a includes measures to reduce construction -generated fugitive d ust. Mitigation Measure LRDP -AQ-2b would reduce construction -generated emissions from equipment and vehicle exhaust. Mitigation Measure LRDP -AQ-2c would reduce evaporative emissions during architectural coatings. Mitigation Measure LRDP-AQ- 3a would reduce receptor exposure to DPM. These measures would reduce construction related impacts below SMAQMD’s thresholds. Mitigation Measure AQ- 2a would electrify cranes during construction, reducing construction -generated emissions from equipment and vehicle exhaust. Mitigation Measure AQ -2b would reduce operational impacts below SMAQMD’s thresholds. All these mitigation measures are within the jurisdiction of UC Davis.
Significant and Unavoidable Impacts
The following significant and potentially significant enviro nmental impacts of the heliport, including cumulative impacts, are unavoidable and cannot be mitigated in a manner that would lessen the significant impact to below the level of significance. Notwithstanding disclosure of these impacts, the City Council elects to approve the plan for construction of the California Hospital Tower Project heliport for the purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5 based on the overriding considerations as set forth below in the statement of overriding considerations.
Noise
Impact NOI -4: Placement of Project -related activities in the vicinity of a private airstrip or an airport land use plan or within 2 miles of a public airport or public use airport (or heliport), may result in excessive noise levels to people residing or working in the Project area (Final EIR Volume 1, Section 3.11.2, pages 3.11 -54 through 3.11-59).
Finding: The City finds that changes or alterations have been incorporated into the
Project which mitigate significant effects on the environment from Impact NOI -4, and that those changes are within the jurisdiction of UC Davis, not the City of Sacramento. Specifically, UC Davis found Mitigation Measures NOI -4a, and NOI - 4b, set forth below, to be feasible and adopted them to mitigate significant eff ects from Impact NOI -4. However, even with implementation of these measures, significant unavoidable impacts will occur. Therefore, the City finds that specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations make it infeasible to reduce Impact NOI-4 to a less than significant level.
Mitigation Measure NOI -4a: Helicopter operations plan to reduce sleep disturbance
Mitigation Measure NOI-4b: Residential sound reduction program to reduce noise
Rationale for Finding: Implementation of Mitigation Measures NOI-4a, and NOI-4b, would reduce helicopter noise impacts on most qualifying residential properties.
However, it may not be feasible to reduce SEL noise levels in sleeping areas at every residential unit to below the 80 dBA criterion. Further, the University cannot compel property owners in the vicinity of the helipad to keep windows closed (resulting in louder interior noise levels), or to participate in the Residential Sound Reduction Program. Mitigation Measures NOI -4a and NOI -4b are not wit hin the jurisdiction of the City of Sacramento. Therefore, helicopter noise impacts would be significant and unavoidable.
Statement of Overriding Considerations
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15092, the City Council finds that it has reviewed the information contained in the EIR, and in approving the plan for construction of the California Hospital Tower Project heliport for the purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5 and none of the potentially significant effects of the heliport are within the jurisdiction of the City and therefore to the extent possible the City has eliminated or substantially lessened all significant and potentially significant effects of the heliport within its jurisdiction in compliance with CEQA Guidelines section 15092(b)(2)(A). The City Council further finds that it has balanced the economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the heliport against the remaini ng unavoidable environmental risks in determining whether to approve the heliport and has determined that those benefits outweigh the unavoidable environmental risks and that those risks are acceptable. (CEQA Guidelines, § 15092(b)(2)(B).) The City Council makes this statement of overriding considerations in accordance with sections 15093 and 15096 of the CEQA Guidelines in support of approval of the approval of the plan for construction of the California Hospital Tower Project heliport for the purposes of Public Utilities Code section 21661.5 . Each benefit set forth below constitutes an overriding consideration warranting approval of the heliport independent of the other benefits, despite the unavoidable impact.
The hospital project is an important regional amenity both as a regional medical resource, employment center, and economic driver. The heliport will support broader access to this regional amenity to allow the hospital to
provide critical access to a larger number of patients.
The City seeks to maintain critical infrastructure within the City. The UC Davis Medical Center is an accredited Level-1 trauma center and the only Level-1 adult and pediatric trauma center in the region. The heliport will allow for increased access to the hospital for critical emergency hospital-related flights and to accommodate agencies such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the National Guard, and other firefighting agencies that are changing their helicopter fleets in order to increase emergency response capabilities.
The Project will provide adequate healthcare helicopter landing areas and reduce helicopter idling time by providing increased helipad capacity and a larger helipad to accommodate larger emergency helicopters, which are now being used for patient transport by CalFire, California National Guard, and other Air EMS providers. The larger helipad will also accommodate the Marine 1 aircraft to meet requirements UC Davis Medical Center must meet as a designated hospital for the President of the United States.
Graphics … 00643.19 (7/7/21) AB
Final Site Plan
Source: SmithGroup, 2021.