SP19-0001 Attachment D MND-Appendix E-CAP Checklist — San Marcos City Council, January 24, 2023

Climate Action Plan Consistency Review Checklist
Project #________

Development Services | 1 Civic Center Drive | San Marcos, CA 92069 | (760) 744-1050 | www.san-marcos.net

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN CONSISTENCY REVIEW CHECKLIST

INTRODUCTION
The City of San Marcos (City) adopted an updated Climate Action Plan (CAP) in December, 2020. The CAP outlines strategies and measures that the City will undertake to achieve its proportional share of State greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. The purpose of the CAP Consistency Checklist (Checklist), in conjunction with the CAP, is to provide a streamlined review process for all proposed development projects that are subject to discretionary review and/or trigger environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Analysis of GHG emissions and potential climate change impacts from new development is required under CEQA. The City’s CAP is a qualified greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction plan in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15064(h)(3), 15130(d), and 15183(b), a project’s incremental contribution to a cumulative GHG emissions effect may be determined not to be cumulatively considerable if it complies with the requirements of a CAP.

The purpose of this Checklist is to implement GHG reduction measures from the CAP that apply to new discretionary development projects. New development would demonstrate consistency with relevant CAP strategies and would not conflict with the City’s ability to achieve the identified GHG reduction targets through implementation of applicable measures. Projects that are consistent with the CAP, as determined through the use of this Checklist, may rely on the CAP for the cumulative impact analysis of GHG emissions.

Projects that are not consistent with the CAP must prepare a comprehensive project-specific analysis of GHG emissions, including quantification of existing and projected GHG emissions and incorporation of the measures in this Checklist to the extent feasible. Cumulative GHG impacts would be significant for any project that is not consistent with the CAP.

This Checklist may be updated periodically to incorporate new GHG reduction techniques or to comply with later amendments to the CAP or local, State, or federal law. Comprehensive updates to this Checklist will be coordinated with each CAP update. Administrative updates to the Checklist may occur regularly, as necessary for the purpose of keeping the Checklist up-to-date and implementable. Updates to the CAP Checklist associated with an update to the City’s CAP would also require City Council approval and shall comply with CEQA.

Development Services | 1 Civic Center Drive | San Marcos, CA 92069 | (760) 744-1050 | www.san-marcos.net

APPLICABILITY AND PROCEDURES
This Checklist is required only for discretionary projects1 that are subject to and not exempt from CEQA.

Projects that are exempt from CEQA are deemed to be consistent with the City’s CAP, and no further review is necessary, with the exception of a Class 32 “In-Fill Development Projects” categorical exemption (State CEQA Guidelines Section 15332), for which projects are required to demonstrate consistency with the CAP through this Checklist.

General procedures for Checklist compliance and review are described below. Specific guidance is also provided under each of the questions under Steps 1 and 2 of the Checklist.  The City’s Development Services - Planning Division reviews d evelopment applications and makes determinations regarding environmental review requirements under CEQA.  The specific applicable requirements outlined in the Checklist shall be required as condition s of project approval.
 The project must provide written do cumentation and supporting evidence that demonstrate how the proposed project would implement each applicable Checklist requirement described herein to the satisfaction of the Planning Division.  If a question in the Checklist is deemed not applicable (N/A) to a project, written documentation and evidence supporting that conclusion shall be provided to the satisfaction of the Planning Division. Each Checklist question provides the scenario(s) where checking N/A may be acceptable. If a measure is deemed not a pplicable for reasons other than those outlined in each question, supporting evidence will need to be provided and would be subject to Planning Division approval. A project may be determined to be inconsistent with the CAP if the N/A response is deemed to be not supported by credible evidence.  Development projects requiring discretionary review that cannot demonstrate consistency with the CAP using this Checklist shall prepare a separate, project -level GHG analysis as part of the CEQA document prepared for the project.

1 In this context, a project is any action that meets the definition of a “Project” in Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelin es.

Development Services | 1 Civic Center Drive | San Marcos, CA 92069 | (760) 744-1050 | www.san-marcos.net Application Information
Contact Information
Project No. and Name:

Property Address and APN:

Applicant Name and Co.:

Contact Phone: Contact Email:

Was a consultant retained to complete this checklist? ☐ Yes ☐ No If Yes, complete the following:

Consultant Name: Contact Phone:

Company Name: Contact Email:

Project Information

1. What is the size of the project site (acres)?

2. Identify all applicable proposed land uses:
☐ Residential (indicate # of single-family dwelling units):
☐ Residential (indicate # of multi-family dwelling units):
☐ Commercial (indicate total square footage):
☐ Industrial (indicate total square footage):
☐ Other (describe):

3. Provide a description of the project proposed. This description should match the basic project description used for the CEQA document. The description may be attached to the Checklist if there are space constraints.

Development Services | 1 Civic Center Drive | San Marcos, CA 92069 | (760) 744-1050 | www.san-marcos.net STEP 1: LAND USE CONSISTENCY
The first step in this section evaluates a project’s GHG emissions consistent with the City’s Guidance to Demonstrating Consistency with the City of San Marcos Climate Action Plan: For Discretionary Projects Subject to CEQA (Guidance Document). New discretionary development projects subject to CEQA review that emit fewer than 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) annually would not contribute considerably to cumulative climate change impacts as stated in the City’s Guidance Document, and therefore, would be considered consistent with the CAP and associated emissions projections.

For projects that are subject to CAP consistency review, the next step in determining consistency is to assess the project’s consistency with the growth projections used in the development of the CAP. This section allows the city to determine a project’s consistency with the land use assumptions used in the CAP.

Development Services | 1 Civic Center Drive | San Marcos, CA 92069 | (760) 744-1050 | www.san-marcos.net Step 1: Land Use Consistency
Checklist Item
(Check the appropriate box and provide an explanation and supporting documentation for your answer) Yes No

1. The size and type of projects listed below would emit fewer than 500 MTCO2e per year.

Based on this threshold, does the proposed project exceed these characteristics?  Single Family Housing: 36 dwelling units
 Multi-Family Housing: 55 dwelling units
 Office: 43,000 square feet
 Commercial Space: 20,000 square feet
 Regional Shopping Center: 18,000 square feet
 Hotel: 37 rooms
 Restaurant (Sit-Down): 6,500 square feet
 Restaurant (Drive-Thru, High Turnover): 2,400 square feet  General Light Industrial: 58,000 square feet
 University: 263 students
 Mixed-Use: See Guidance to Demonstrating Consistency memorandum for methods to estimate mixed-use development thresholds
 Other: For project types not listed in this section the need for GHG analysis and mitigation will be made on a project-specific basis, considering the 500 MTCO2e per year screening threshold.

If “Yes”, proceed to Question 2 of Step 1.

If “No”, in accordance with the City’s CAP screening criteria, the project’s GHG impact is less than significant and is not subject to the measures of the CAP. ☐ ☐

2. Is the proposed project consistent with the City’s existing General Plan land use designation?

If “Yes”, proceed to Step 2.

If “No”, proceed to Question 3 of Step 1
☐ ☐

3. For projects not consistent with the existing General Plan land use designation, does the project include a General Plan Amendment that would generate GHG emissions equal to or less than estimated emissions generated under the existing designation?

If “Yes”, proceed to Step 2 and provide estimated project emissions under both existing and proposed designation(s) for comparison.

If “No”, the project’s GHG impact is potentially significant, and a GHG analysis must be prepared in accordance with the City’s Guidance Document and applicable CEQA guidelines. The project must incorporate each of the measures identified in Step 2 to mitigate cumulative GHG emissions impacts, along with other mitigation measures as necessary based on a project specific GHG analysis.. Proceed and complete a project specific GHG analysis, and Step 2 of the Checklist.
☐ ☐

Development Services | 1 Civic Center Drive | San Marcos, CA 92069 | (760) 744-1050 | www.san-marcos.net STEP 2: CAP MEASURES CONSISTENCY
The second step of CAP consistency review is to evaluate a project’s consistency with the applicable strategies and measures of the CAP. Each Checklist item is associated with a specific GHG reduction measure in the City’s CAP. “N/A” should only be checked based on the direction provided in each Checklist Item question. All projects for which the measure is applicable must demonstrate that they would implement measures consistent with the Checklist Item, or fully substantiate how the item would be infeasible for project implementation. “N/A” responses are subject to Planning Division review and approval. If “No” is provided as a response to a question, the project would be determined to be inconsistent with the CAP and result in a significant GHG impact.

Development Services | 1 Civic Center Drive | San Marcos, CA 92069 | (760) 744-1050 | www.san-marcos.net Step 2: CAP Measures Consistency
Checklist Item
(Check the appropriate box and provide an explanation for your answer. Please use additional sheets if necessary)
Yes No N/A
Project Design

1. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (Measure T-2)

Multi-Family Residential and Non-Residential: Will the project install electric vehicle charging stations (Level 2 or better) in at least five percent of the total parking spaces provided on-site?

Check “N/A” if the project is a single-family residential project or would not provide any parking.
☐ ☐ ☐
Please substantiate how the project satisfies question 1:
_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

2. Bicycle Infrastructure (Measure T-8)

Residential and Non-Residential Projects: If the following conditions are met, would the project pay its fair-share contribution to bicycle infrastructure improvements?
☐ Intersection or roadway segment improvements are
proposed as part of the project and,
☐ The City’s General Plan Mobility Element identifies
bicycle infrastructure improvements at any
intersection(s) or roadway segment(s) that would be
improved as part of the project.

Check “N/A” if the conditions above would not be met.
☐ ☐ ☐
Please substantiate how the project satisfies question 2:
_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

3. Transportation Demand Management (Measure T-9)

Multi-Family Residential and Non-Residential: Will the project develop and implement a TDM plan that includes, at a minimum, all of the TDM strategies listed below?
☐ Provide discounted monthly transit pass or provide at least 25 percent transit fare subsidy to
residents/employees.
☐ Provide designated car-share, carpool, vanpool, and/or park-and-ride parking spaces.2
☐ Provide pedestrian connections between all internal
uses and to all existing or planned external streets
around the project site(s).
☐ Provide secure bicycle parking spaces or bicycle racks, showers, and clothes lockers.
☐ Encourage telecommuting for employees (allow one
telecommute day per week or compressed work weeks)
or provide a telecommute work center with common
office space and equipment available to residents.
-or-
Would the project implement and monitor for four (4) years a TDM program that demonstrates an alternative transportation (i.e. carpool, public transit, bicycle, walk, telecommute) mode share of at least 29 percent 3 for all residents?

Check “N/A” if the project is a single-family residential project or is not subject to the City’s TDM Ordinance.
☐ ☐ ☐
Please state which measure option the project for which the project would comply and substantiate how the project satisfies question 3:
_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

2 The designated number of car-share, carpool, vanpool, and/or park -and-ride parking spaces provided at a rate equal to or greater than CALGreen minimum requirements.
3 Measure T -10 requires projects to increase alternative mode share by seven percent. The baseline mode share for a lternative transportation (i.e. carpool, public transit, bicycle, walk, and telecommute) is 22 percent based on 2010 Census Data.

4. Reduce Parking Near Transit (Measure T-12)

Multi-Family Residential: If located within a half-mile of a major transit stop4, would the project provide at least 27 percent fewer parking spaces than required for the same use based on the City’s municipal code parking requirements?

Check “N/A” if the project is a single-family residential or non-residential project.
☐ ☐ ☐
Please substantiate how the project satisfies question 4:
_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

5. Water Heaters (Measure E-1)

Residential: Will the project install one of, or a combination of, the following water heater types in place of natural gas water heaters?
☐ Electric heat pump water heater
☐ Instantaneous electric water heater
☐ Electric tank
☐ Solar water heater with heat pump water heater backup ☐ Solar water heater with electric tank backup

Check “N/A” if the project is a non-residential project. ☐ ☐ ☐
Please substantiate how the project satisfies question 5:
_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

4 Major transit stop is defined as a bus or light -rail station with fixed service and 10 -minute minimum headways during peak hours.

Project applicants should confirm with City staff if the project site would fall within this proximity tot a major transit stop.

6. Photovoltaic Installation (Measure E-2)

Non-Residential: Will the project install photovoltaic systems with a minimum capacity of two watts per square foot of gross floor area?

Check “N/A” if the project is a residential project or if installation of on- site photovoltaic would be infeasible.
☐ ☐ ☐
Please substantiate how the project satisfies question 6:
_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

7. Landscaping Water Use (Measure W-1)

Residential and Non-Residential: Will the project comply with the City’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance?5

Check “N/A” if the project is not proposing any landscaping or is not subject to the City’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. ☐ ☐ ☐
Please substantiate how the project satisfies question 7:
_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

5 City of San Marcos Landscape Manual: https://www.san -marcos.net/home/showdocument?id=13984

8. Urban Tree Canopy (Measure C-2)

Single-Family Residential: Will the project plant a minimum of one tree per single-family residential unit?
-or-
Multi-Family Residential and Non-Residential: If the project is providing more than 10 parking spaces, will the project plant at least one tree per five parking spaces provided?

Check “N/A” if planting the required number of trees on-site would be infeasible.
☐ ☐ ☐
Please substantiate how the project satisfies question 8:
___________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

San Marcos City CouncilJanuary 24, 2023

San Marcos City Council
January 24, 2023