Scotts Valley City Council
November 29, 2023

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Air Quality
The project site is located within the North Central Coast Air Basin (NCCAB), which includes Monterey County, San Benito County, and Santa Cruz County, comprising an area of approximately 5,159 square miles along the central California coast. The Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) is responsible for local control and monitoring of criteria air pollutants throughout the NCCAB.

Air in Scotts Valley is typically maritime in origin, as it moves over the land from the Pacific Ocean. Summers are warm and dry, while winters are mild and experience periods of rains. The northwesterly winds vary during the day, increasing throughout the hours of daylight.

Subsidence inversions, which occurs during the summer and autumn under the influence of the North Pacific summertime high pressure area, can cause air pollutants to become trapped due to decreased vertical movement and poor ventilation. Wintertime inversions, which are shallower and occur with nighttime cooling, may also tend to trap some pollutants, as well as create dense surface fog. However, midday heating usually initiates vertical air currents and improves air quality. In addition, steady winds throughout the year provide generally good horizontal ventilation.

The Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) has the primary responsibility for ensuring that all state and federal ambient air quality standards are achieved and maintained within the basin. The MBARD responsibility with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for ensuring that State and national ambient air quality standards are met within Santa Cruz County and the NCCAB. State law assigns local air districts the primary responsibility for controlling air pollution from stationary sources (i.e., non-moving, fixed-site sources, such as industrial facilities), while the CARB controls mobile sources (e.g., cars and construction equipment). The MBARD is responsible for regulating air pollution, permitting and inspecting stationary sources, monitoring air quality, and air quality planning activities.

The NCCAB is considered in attainment for most air pollutants, which means that the basin meets most state and national standards. However, the NCCAB is in non-attainment for ozone (O₃) and course particulate matter (PM₁₀). Vehicles are a significant source of these pollutants, both directly by combustion and indirectly by the interaction of combustion byproducts with one another with ultraviolet (UV) light.

Sensitive receptors include those segments of the population that are most susceptible to poor air quality, such as children, seniors, athletes and people with cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as sensitive land uses, such as schools, parks, and residential communities. Air quality problems intensify when sources of air pollutants and sensitive receptors are located near one another. Since schools, parks, and residential areas are located throughout the City, the consideration of sensitive receptors is an important aspect of the General Plan.

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Additional information can be found at: www.mbard.org.

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Climate change affects all communities in California, particularly regarding water supply, flooding, air pollution, heat waves, and sea level rise. Unless adequately anticipated and mitigated, the effects of climate change would impact Scotts Valley’s economy, public safety, and overall quality of life.

Climate change is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans along with other substantial changes in climate (such as wind patterns, precipitation, and storms) over an extended period. Gases that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation in the atmosphere are called GHGs. GHGs are present in the atmosphere naturally, released by natural sources, or formed from secondary reactions taking place in the atmosphere. The gases that are widely seen as the principal contributors to human-induced climate change include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxides (N2O), fluorinated gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) (CEQA Guidelines § 15364.5). Water vapor is excluded from the list of GHGs because it is short-lived in the atmosphere and its atmospheric concentrations are largely determined by natural processes, such as oceanic evaporation.

GHGs are emitted by both natural processes and human activities. Of these gases, CO2 and CH4 are emitted in the greatest quantities from human activities. Emissions of CO2 are largely byproducts of fossil fuel combustion, whereas CH4 results from off-gassing associated with agricultural practices and landfills. GHGs have the potential to adversely affect the environment because such emissions contribute, on a cumulative basis, to climate change. Climate change is by definition a cumulative impact because it occurs worldwide. Although emissions of one single project do not cause climate change, GHG emissions from multiple projects (past, present and future) throughout the world could result in a cumulative impact with respect to climate change.

The accumulation of GHGs in the atmosphere regulates the earth’s temperature. Without the natural heat trapping effect of GHGs, Earth’s surface would be about 34° C cooler (CalEPA, 2006). However, it is believed that emissions from human activities, particularly the consumption of fossil fuels for electricity production and transportation, have elevated the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere beyond the level of naturally occurring concentrations.

Additional information can be found at: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/.

California’s Climate Change Policy and Local Communities The effects of climate change and pollution pose great risks for Californians, including more frequent and more intense forest fires, more air pollution, deadly heat waves, a significant

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reduction in snowpack and state water supplies, sea level rise and erosion along California’s long coastline, and billions of dollars in damage to our agricultural, tourism, recreation, and other industries. These impacts have the potential to be hugely disruptive to how local governments operate.

Executive Order S-03-05 established greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets for the state. Subsequently, AB 32 (2006) established a comprehensive program to achieve quantifiable, cost–effective reductions of greenhouse gases on a scheduled basis. Additional legislation supported AB 32, including SB 375 (2008), which aligned land use and transportation with environmental goals locally through Sustainable Community Strategies (SCS), and Executive Order B-30-15, which establishes 40 % below 1990 levels by 2030 as an intermediate target towards the 2050 goals. The 2014 revised AB 32 scoping plan highlights the importance of local government in reducing emissions to achieve long–term statewide goals. To achieve California’s 2050 emissions goal of 80% below 1990 levels, emissions must decline several times faster than the rate needed to reach the 2020 emissions limit. The scoping plan, per SB 32 and SB 197, was revised again and adopted in December 2017.

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Goals, Policies & Actions
To protect and conserve Scotts Valley’s natural resources.

Policies
Region
Policy OSC-1.1 Regional Collaboration – Biological Resources Continue to participate in regional, state, and federal programs that protect biological resources in Scotts Valley and the region.

Policy OSC-1.2 Regional Collaboration – Stormwater
Continue to partner with and support federal, state, and local agencies in regional planning and management initiatives to promote and enhance water quality in Scotts Valley and the region. Participate in efforts to reduce stormwater and urban runoff impacts to water quality, restoration efforts, and regional mitigation, monitoring, and public education programs.

Policy OSC-1.3 Regional Sandhills Habitat Conservation Plan Continue to collaborate with the County of Santa Cruz and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to maintain the habitat conservation plan (HCP) for the Sandhills Habitat area.

Policy OSC-1.4 Hanson Quarry Restoration
Work in coordination with Santa Cruz County, Scotts Valley Water District, and other relevant agencies to plan and implement any future remediation and/or reuse options for the Hanson Quarry.

City
Policy OSC-1.5 Glenwood Open Space Preserve
Continue to collaborate with the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County to maintain the management plan for the Glenwood Open Space Preserve.

Policy OSC-1.6 Natural Diversity
Promote the protection and preservation of native species, habitat, and vegetation types and overall natural diversity in Scotts Valley.

Policy OSC-1.7 Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Preserve and protect environmentally sensitive areas in Scotts Valley.

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Policy OSC-1.8 Riparian Corridors
Riparian corridors shall be maintained and protected consistent with federal, State and local regulations. Degraded corridors shall be restored or improved in association with development of frontage properties. Require landscaping for new developments along creeks or in wetlands to be native riparian plant species.

Policy OSC-1.9 Creek Protection
Maintain creek beds, riparian corridors, water courses, and associate vegetation in their natural state to assist in groundwater percolation and prevent erosion and downstream sedimentation.

Policy OSC-1.10 Creek and Wetland Setbacks
Require setbacks and implementation of standards and guidelines for development and improvements within the City and adjacent to creeks and wetlands as set forth in the City’s Stormwater Management Program.

Policy OSC-1.11 Creek Restoration
Where opportunities exist and are feasible associated with new Public Works Department or private development, restore culverted or buried channels to their natural state.

Policy OSC-1.12 Wetland Protection
Protect and restore the biological productivity and quality of wetlands, where feasible.

Project
Policy OSC-1.13 Slope Exceeding 25%
A building permit for new construction shall be issued for building envelopes whose average slope, as defined by the slope formula in the City’s Municipal Code, exceeds 25%, only with an engineering geology study that finds no danger to life or property exists in development.

Policy OSC-1.14 Native Plant Communities
New development proposed in, or adjacent to, areas containing native plant communities shall be carefully planned and provide for their conservation and maintenance.

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Policy OSC-1.15 Project Biological Resources Impacts
The City’s environmental review process shall be used to determine potential impacts to biological resources of project proposals. Ensure that new development avoids, minimizes, and/or mitigates impacts to biological resources and sensitive habitat.

Policy OSC-1.16 Biological Survey
As a part of the environmental review process, require new development proposed within areas of native plants or rare or endangered wildlife habitat to prepare a site-specific survey which identifies the location and type of species present. The development shall be required to mitigate any potential impacts to such species. Where appropriate, designate those areas as open space.

Policy OSC-1.17 Wetland Habitat
Require new development to protect and preserve wetland habitats that meet any of the following conditions: 1) Wetlands that contribute to the habitat quality and value of undeveloped lands established or expected to be established in perpetuity for conservation purposes; 2) Wetlands contiguous to riparian or stream corridors or other permanently protect lands; 3) Wetlands located within or contiguous to other high value natural areas.

Policy OSC-1.18 Wetland Study
Require the submittal of a detailed biological study for new development where an initial site inventory indicates the presence or potential for wetland species or indicators. The study shall contain a delineation of all wetland areas on the project site based on the definitions contained in Section 13577(b) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

Actions
Invasive Species
Manage or eliminate invasive species from City-owned property and open space on a regular basis, as deemed necessary to maintain the viability of native plant species.

Santa Cruz Sandhills HCP
Work with relevant agencies to finalize and implement an HCP for the Sandhills area habitat in the Planning Area. In the interim, continue to support use of the Interim Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan (IPHCP)

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as mitigation for loss of sandhills habitat in conjunction with new development.

Glenwood Open Space Preserve Access
Seek opportunities (e.g., grants) to expand the amount of publicly accessible trails within the Glenwood Open Space Preserve and properly manage and mitigate neighborhood impacts at trail access points, where possible.

To preserve and protect existing viewsheds and scenic open spaces and corridors.

Policies
City
Policy OSC-2.1 Ridgeline Protection
Predominant ridgelines shall be protected to allow clear view from streets and roads. Scenic easements associated with new development shall be established to protect the ridgelines.

Policy OSC-2.2 Ridgeline Trail System
Support efforts to create a ridgeline trail system, as described in the Scotts Valley Parks Master Plan.

Project
Policy OSC-2.3 Dedication of Open Space and Conservation Easements Encourage the dedication of property as open space and/or conservation easements to provide increased public access to scenic corridors and open spaces. Encourage that as part of new development, areas over 40% slope as defined by the City’s Municipal Code are dedicated as open space scenic easements. The open space designation shall be recorded in the Office of the County Recorder.

Policy OSC-2.4 Natural Setting Integration
Protect the visual resources of Scotts Valley by requiring that new development avoid impacts to prominent ridges and scenic corridors as shown in Figure OSC-5: Viewsheds and Scenic Corridors. Where appropriate, designate those areas as open space.

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Policy OSC-2.5 Natural Setting Integration
Protect visual resources by requiring that new development be integrated into the natural setting.

Policy OSC-2.6 Landscape Screening
Landscaping, using drought-tolerant and native plants, should be used as part of new development to integrate the man-made environment into the natural backdrop and to screen or soften the visual impact.

Policy OSC-2.7 Infill Development
Encourage infill development on vacant land within existing developed areas.

Where infill is not feasible, new development should occur adjacent to existing urban areas where services are available or can be easily extended.

Policy OSC-2.8 Clustering Development
Where appropriate, encourage clustering of new development through the use of Planned Development (PD) zoning, where applicable, to minimize disturbance of natural features and resources and maximize preservation of open space.

Policy OSC-2.9 Site Planning
Give attention to compatibility of site planning and design with the overall scenic quality of Scotts Valley, especially through siting of development and street improvements, and landscaping and sign control restrictions.

Policy OSC-2.10 Quality Design
Encourage high-quality site design, landscaping, architecture, and sign design that complements the City’s small-town character and valley setting.

Policy OSC-2.11 Street and Open Space Planning
Where feasible, projects shall locate streets and open space, and not private yards, along waterways, ridges, or scenic vistas.

Policy OSC-2.12 Protect and Enhance Natural Environment Site planning for new development in the City should be designed to protect and enhance the natural environment.

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To preserve surface and ground water supplies, reduce
stormwater runoff, and improve and water quality in the Planning Area.

Policies
Region
Policy OSC-3.1 Regional Collaboration – Stormwater
Continue to partner with and support federal, state, and local agencies in regional planning and management initiatives to promote and enhance water quality in Scotts Valley and the region. Participate in efforts to reduce stormwater and urban runoff impacts to water quality, restoration efforts, and regional mitigation, monitoring, and public education programs.

Policy OSC-3.2 Water Use Efficiency
Continue to partner with and support water districts in the Planning Area to develop and implement water use efficiency programs.

Policy OSC-3.3 Public Outreach on Water Resources
Continue to partner with water districts in the Planning Area, local nonprofits, and other environmental organizations to educate the public about water resources, planning and management topics.

City
Policy OSC-3.4 Storm Drainage System
Seek to maintain a storm drainage system which provides optimal flood protection and maximum groundwater recharge.

Policy OSC-3.5 Drainage Channels
As part of the permit process, require the dedication of easements for natural drainage channels, where appropriate.

Policy OSC-3.6 Project Surface and Groundwater Supplies Maintain regulatory measures to protect streams, creeks, ponds, and aquifers from pollution due to toxic substances, and erosive forces.

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Policy OSC-3.7 Development Impact to Groundwater Resources As part of the environmental review process, and in cooperation with the applicable water districts, require new development to evaluate the impact to local water resources. Where deemed appropriate, mitigation may include construction of recharge improvements.

Policy OSC-3.8 Non-Point Source Pollution
Minimize, avoid, or eliminate non-point source pollution by controlling stormwater runoff, polluted dry weather runoff, and other pollution, in compliance with Scotts Valley’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit and Stormwater Management Plan.

Policy OSC-3.9 Best Management Practices – Stormwater
Require new development, public and private, to meet or exceed state stormwater requirements and incorporate best management practices to treat, infiltrate, or filter stormwater runoff and reduce pollutants discharged into the storm drain system during construction and post-construction, to the maximum extent practicable.

Policy OSC-3.10 Landscaping and Re-Vegetation
Require landscaping and re-vegetation of graded or disturbed areas for new development.

Policy OSC-3.11 Drought Tolerant and Native Plants – Landscaping Encourage the use of drought-tolerant and native plants in landscaping to minimize the need for fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, and excessive irrigation; and conform with Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans.

Policy OSC-3.12 City Property Water Quality Maintenance Design, construct, and maintain City properties in a manner that maximizes water quality protection through: 1) Designing new and renovated landscaped and paved areas that suit site conditions, protect water quality, and support sustainable maintenance; 2) Using drought-tolerant native and non-invasive plant species; 3) Incorporating Low Impact Development design techniques; 4) Practicing the principles of integrated pest management; and, 5) Selecting and using fertilizers that minimize negative impacts on soil organisms and aquatic environments.

Policy OSC-3.13 Water Use
Encourage efficient water use methods such as the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures and water-wise landscaping in new and existing residences and businesses.

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Project
Policy OSC-3.14 Drainage Plans
Require new development to protect water infiltration, purification, and retentive functions of natural systems. Drainage plans shall be designed to complement and utilize existing drainage patterns and systems, providing drainage for the developed area while minimizing the potential for erosion.

Policy OSC-3.15 Impervious Surfaces
New development shall minimize the amount of impervious surfaces and shall be prohibited from having post-project peak stormwater runoff discharge rates exceeding the estimated pre-project rate.

Policy OSC-3.16 Prevent Contaminant Settling
Utilize natural features supplemented by engineering designs to prevent contaminants from settling over recharge areas while allowing percolation of non-contaminated water into the aquifer.

Policy OSC-3.17 Project Groundwater and Water Quality Impacts Use the environmental review process to determine potential groundwater and water quality impacts of new development.

Policy OSC-3.18 Water Quality Best Management Practices Require new development to implement best management practices that reduce stormwater runoff and water quality impacts associated with the construction and operation of the project.

Actions
Drought Tolerant and Native Plant List
Compile a list of resources regarding drought-tolerant and native plants for landscaping in Scotts Valley.

Stormwater Infrastructure
Maintain a priority list and timeline for public stormwater drainage infrastructure improvements in Scotts Valley.

Funding for Stormwater Management
Identify funding sources to upgrade inadequate stormwater facilities in the City.

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Stormwater Management Program
Update the City’s Stormwater Management Program as necessary to be consistent with State requirements.

Water Conservation Ordinance
Amend the City’s Municipal Code to adopt a Water Use Efficiency Ordinance.

To protect and conserve the Planning Area’s significant historical and archaeological resources.

Policies
City
Policy OSC-4.1 Maintain Historical and Archaeological Resource Inventory Continue to cooperate with appropriate organizations and professionals to maintain information on the location and significance of historical and archaeological resources.

Policy OSC-4.2 Restore Historic Structures
Encourage public and private efforts to restore designated historic structures and to continue their use as an integral part of the community, where appropriate.

Policy OSC-4.3 Protect and Enhance Historic Structures
Protect and enhance designated historic structures through the environmental, permit, and design review processes, where appropriate.

Policy OSC-4.4 Historic Preservation Grants
Apply and/or encourage private parties to apply for historic preservation and restoration grants for historically designed structures.

Project
Policy OSC-4.5 Protect Archaeological Resources
Use the City’s environmental review process to determine potential impacts to archaeological resources of project proposals. The City’s archaeological sensitivity zone map shall be used, along with other appropriate data, to evaluate whether archaeological resources are threatened by new development.

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Policy OSC-4.6 Development on Known Archeological Resources All new development located on a parcel(s) containing an existing or former historic structure shall require an archaeological field reconnaissance report prior to project consideration by the decision-making body.

Policy OSC-4.7 Historic Structure Destruction
Prohibit the destruction of designated historical resources without a prior public hearing and consideration given to preservation alternatives.

Actions
Update Historic Structures Survey
Commission an update to the Evaluation of Potential Historic Structures in the City of Scotts Valley (Laffey, 1990). The updated survey should re-assess previously identified historic structures and identify any additional structures which may be considered historic since the 1990 survey.

Financial Assistance and Incentives
Participate in financial assistance programs, such as low-interest loans and property tax reduction programs that encourage maintenance and restoration of historic properties.

Archaeological Resource Preservation Standards
Maintain standards concerning when and how to conduct archaeological surveys and the preferred method of preserving artifacts.

Educational Programs
Foster public awareness and appreciation of cultural resources by sponsoring educational programs, helping to display artifacts that illuminate past cultures, and encouraging private development to include historical and archaeological displays where feasible and appropriate.

Partnering for Preservation
Partner with agencies, non-profit organizations, and citizens groups to help identify, preserve, rehabilitate and maintain cultural resources.

City-Owned Historic Structures
Preserve and, as resources permit, rehabilitate City-owned historic structures by seeking grants, donations, private-sector participation or other techniques that help fund rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.

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To integrate air quality, land use and transportation planning and promote the increased use of renewable energy sources to reduce the emission of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases from mobile sources; and to promote building techniques that increase energy efficiency.

Policies
Region
Policy OSC-5.1 Maintain and Improve Air Quality
Cooperate with regional agencies – including the Monterey Bay Air Resources Board (MBARD), the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC), and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) in developing and implementing air quality management plans.

Policy OSC-5.2 State and Regional Collaboration
Participate in regional, state, and federal efforts addressing renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced consumption of natural resources.

Policy OSC-5.3 Renewable Energy Research and Education
Support State and federal legislation promoting research and education on renewable energy and other technologies.

City
Policy OSC-5.4 Renewable Energy Strategies
Encourage the implementation of energy strategies to increase the local use and production of renewable energy.

Policy OSC-5.5 On-Site Energy Generation
Encourage on-site energy generation under appropriate regulatory oversight.

Policy OSC-5.6 Reduce Automobile Pollution
Promote the implementation of circulation system improvements that can reduce local consumption of fossil fuels.

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Policy OSC-5.7 Concentration of Higher-Density Land Uses To help reduce air quality emissions, concentrate commercial, mixed-use, and high-density residential development along transit corridors, at major intersections, and near activity centers that can be served efficiently by public transit and alternative transportation modes.

Policy OSC-5.8 Exposure to Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions Minimize exposure of the public to hazardous air pollutant emissions, particulates and noxious odors from highways, major arterial roadways, industrial, manufacturing, and processing facilities.

Policy OSC-5.9 Reduction in GHG Emissions
Encourage reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, including alternatives to use of gas-powered vehicles. Such alternatives include public transit, alternatively fueled vehicles, bicycle and pedestrian routes, and bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly development design.

Policy OSC-5.10 Reduced Vehicle Miles Traveled
Encourage development of transit-oriented and infill development and encourage a mix of uses that foster walking and alternative transportation; and thereby reduce vehicle miles traveled.

Policy OSC-5.11 Low-emissions City Vehicles
As appropriate, purchase City vehicles with electric, fuel efficient, or alternative fuel systems including hybrid, compressed natural gas (CNG), and biodiesel.

Policy OSC-5.12 Cost-Benefit Considerations
Ensure that greenhouse gas reduction strategies optimize benefits relative to costs. Prior to adopting any greenhouse gas reduction strategy, consider the cost of implementation to the City and the private sector.

Policy OSC-5.13 Reusable Goods
Encourage the use of reusable, returnable, recyclable, and repairable goods through incentives, educational displays and activities, and City purchasing policies and practices.

Policy OSC-5.14 Support for Energy Efficiency
Continue to support organizations that promote energy efficiency and offer assistance to residents and businesses that wish to increase their energy efficiency.

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Project
Policy OSC-5.15 Maintain Air Quality Standards
Implement conditions on new industrial and commercial development appropriate to maintain federal and state ambient air quality standards.

Policy OSC-5.16 Sensitive Uses Adjacent Toxic Air Contaminants Ensure that new development with sensitive uses located adjacent to toxic air contaminant (TAC) sources minimize potential health risks by incorporating design features with consideration of site and building orientation, location of trees, and incorporation of ventilation and filtration to lessen any potential health risks. If deemed necessary, the City shall require the preparation of a health risk assessment.

Policy OSC-5.17 Air Quality Design Considerations
Encourage new development that protect and improve air quality and minimize direct and indirect air pollutant emissions by reducing vehicle trips (e.g., projects with access to transit and projects that provide walking and bicycling amenities).

Policy OSC-5.18 Photovoltaic Panels
Encourage the installation of photovoltaic panels on new homes and businesses.

Policy OSC-5.19 Solar Heaters
Encourage the use of solar water and pool heaters.

Policy OSC-5.20 Passive Solar Design
Encourage passive solar design in new development, in which window placement and building materials help to collect and maintain solar heat in the winter and reflect solar heat in the summer.

Policy OSC-5.21 Energy-Efficient Design Features
Encourage new development to incorporate energy-efficient design features for HVAC, lighting systems, and insulation that exceed Title 24 standards.

Policy OSC-5.22 High-efficiency Residential Appliances
Require that new construction and major remodeling residential projects use high-efficiency or zero-waste fixtures.

Policy OSC-5.23 Demolition Material Recycling
Require recycling of building demolition materials, where practical.

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Policy OSC-5.24 VMT Reduction
Provide bikeways, pedestrian paths, and transit turnouts/stops as requirements of new development applications, as applicable.

Policy OSC-5.25 Transit Facilities
Where appropriate, encourage the construction of transit facilities as part of new development.

Policy OSC-5.26 Minimize Construction Pollution
Require builders to use appropriate techniques to minimize pollution from construction activities.

Policy OSC-5.27 Wood-Burning Fireplace Alternatives
Consistent with the Monterey Bay Air Resources Board, prohibit woodburning fireplaces in new and significantly renovated residential projects.

Policy OSC-5.28 Grey water Collection
Support grey water collection and reuse within residential and business closed water systems (toilets) and support further study of appropriate use of grey water within landscaped areas.

Policy OSC-5.29 City Project Design
Ensure that all City-sponsored new development serves as models of energy efficient building design.

Actions
Consistency with Other Directives
Monitor federal, state, and regional policies and directives relating to climate change, and adjust City policies and programs as appropriate to maintain consistency.

Green Building Regulations
Update the City’s green-building regulations as necessary to be consistent with state regulations.

Consumption/Waste Reduction
Encourage the reduction of waste and consumption from household and business activities in Scotts Valley through public outreach and education activities.

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Public Outreach – Energy Efficiency
Participate in the efforts of other regional, state, and federal agencies to provide outreach to residents, businesses, and property owners on programs, incentives, and regulations to increase energy efficiency.

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure OSC-1: Slopes ±

N A T U R A L E N V I R O N M E N T

L E G E N D
Slopes
15 - 30%
30 - 50%
50+%
0 - 15%
Planning Area City Limit

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure OSC-2: Watersheds ±

N A T U R A L E N V I R O N M E N T

L E G E N D
Santa Cruz Mid County
Groundwater Basin
West Santa Cruz Terrace
Groundwater Basin
Santa Margarita
Groundwater Basin
Sub Watersheds
Bean Creek
Branciforte
Carbonera
Lower San
Lorenzo
Upper Zayante
Streams Groundwater
Basins
Mid Zayante
Planning Area City Limit

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure OSC-3: Riparian Woodlands ±

N A T U R A L E N V I R O N M E N T

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit
Riparian Woodlands Streams

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure OSC-4: Sandhill Habitat ±

N A T U R A L E N V I R O N M E N T
Sandhill Habitat

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit

_
_
_
_
_
_ _
_
_
_
_
_
Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure OSC-5: Viewsheds and Scenic Corridors ±

N A T U R A L E N V I R O N M E N T

L E G E N D
_ Important Vistas
Scenic Road
Corridors
Prominent
Ridges
Planning Area City Limit

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure OSC-6: Cultural Resource Areas ±

N A T U R A L E N V I R O N M E N T

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit
City_Parcels
MaskPlanningArea
Low Archaeological Sensitivity
Moderate to High Archaeological Sensitivity

SAFETY & NOISE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 1
The Scotts Valley Safety & Noise Element addresses
risks in Scotts Valley to the community’s health and
safety, identifying potential hazards and providing
policies to protect against and mitigate those
hazards.

SAFETY & NOISE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 3

S AFTEY & NOISE ELE MENT
Introduction
California State law requires that a General Plan include both a Safety and a Noise Element. This General Plan combines these two elements into a single Safety and Noise Element that addresses the concerns and satisfies the legal requirements for both.

The purpose of the Safety Element of the General Plan is to reduce death, injuries, property damage, and the economic and social dislocation resulting from natural hazards. These hazards include fire, flooding, geologic & seismic, and hazardous materials spills. The element also discussion the City’s emergency preparedness plan to provide for the safety of the community in the event of one of these emergencies.

The Noise element of the General Plan complies with California Government Code Section 5302 (f) to control and abate environmental noise and to protect citizens from excessive noise exposure.

Current Status
Recommended by Planning Commission to City Council – DATE Accepted by City Council at Public Hearing – DATE

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Safety Element Background and Context
Existing Conditions
The Safety & Noise Element is tied to the Land Use, Community Services and Facilities, and Mobility Elements of the General Plan. Land use policies, standards, and designations must be critically reviewed and when necessary, land use restricted based on potential safety hazards.

The Community Services and Facilities Element focuses on maintaining a high level of fire, police, and other public services to protect the physical environment, as well as residents, against the natural and human-generated hazards of the Planning Area. The Mobility Element must incorporate evacuation routes and street standards that permit the residents, as well as emergency vehicles, to continue to move throughout the area in times of crisis or natural disasters.

Wildfire Hazards
Any fire, regardless of size or location, poses a threat to life and property until it is contained or controlled. It must be recognized that all fires are hazardous and fire prevention and safety measures must be incorporated into all land use planning decisions.

Fire hazards are generally categorized into two main types: 1) Wildland Fires. A fire in an area of combustible vegetation that generally occurs in the countryside, rural area, or an undeveloped portion of a parcel. 2) Structure Fires. Fires which involve specific sites and structures including residential, commercial, utility, and industrial type occupancies. Figure SN1: Fire Hazard Areas, identifies major fire protection areas within the Scotts Valley Planning Area.

The State of California experiences large wildland fires almost every year. The factors contributing to fires – highly flammable brush, rugged terrain, long arid summers, dry northeast winds, periods of drought, and an expanding population – are all typical characteristics of Scotts Valley. Effective fire suppression over the past 100 years has led to uncharacteristically high fuel loads. When ignitions occur during unfavorable weather, in areas with poor access, fires can rapidly increase to an unmanageable size prior to fire crews’ arrival.

Santa Cruz County has a history of wildland fires, particularly in the more mountainous regions of the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 2008 Santa Cruz County experienced three large wildfires resulting in approximately 5,400 acres burned and numerous homes destroyed. Again, in 2009, Santa Cruz County experienced two large wildfires resulting in approximately 8,500 acres damaging and destroying numerous homes and structures. In the Fall of 2020, the CZU Lighting complex fire burned more than 86,000 acres and more than 1,480 buildings; including 140 residential and commercial structures, and one fatality (CalFire, 2020). While the City of Scotts

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Valley was not directly affected by this fire, precautionary evacuations were required due to the imminent threat of fire, adequate emergency access, and smoke resulting in dangerous air quality conditions.

Primary responsibility for preventing and suppressing wildland fires in the County is divided between local firefighting agencies and the State. Local firefighting agencies have the primary responsibility in areas designated within a “Local Responsibility Area” (LRA). The Scotts Valley Fire District is the primary firefighting agency in the Scotts Valley Planning Area (see Figure CFS2: Fire Districts). The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) has the primary responsibility in those areas designated as a State Responsibility Area (SRA). Santa Cruz County is in the Santa Cruz – San Mateo SRA, and fire management efforts are guided by the Santa Cruz County – San Mateo County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference.

CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zones
CalFire uses Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) to classify the anticipated fire-related hazard for state responsibility areas (SRAs). A FHSZ is a mapped area that designates zones (based on factors such as fuel, slope, and fire weather) with varying degrees of fire hazard (i.e., moderate, high, and very high). FHSZ maps evaluate wildfire hazards, which are physical conditions that create a likelihood that an area will burn over a 30- to 50-year period. They do not take into account modifications such as fuel reduction efforts.

While FHSZs do not predict when or where a wildfire will occur, they do identify areas where wildfire hazards could be more severe and therefore are of greater concern. FHSZs are meant to help limit wildfire damage to structures through planning, prevention, and mitigation activities/requirements that reduce risk. The FHSZs serve several purposes: they are used to designate areas where California’s wildland urban interface building codes apply to new buildings; they can be a factor in real estate disclosure; and local governments consider fire hazard severity in the safety elements of general plans.

CalFire identifies FHSA for State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands and separate draft Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones for Local Responsibility Area lands. Moderate, high, and very high FHSZs are found in areas where the State has financial responsibility for fire protection and prevention. Only very high FHSZs are found in Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs). The City of Scotts Valley is located within the Local Responsibility Area, where local governments have financial responsibility for wildland fire protection. However, as shown in the CalFire Webapplication generated image below, the areas surrounding the City limits are located in a SRAs with a Moderate and High FHSZ designation.

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Fire Hazard Development Regulations
Fire hazard regulations are intended to minimize on-site property damage and personal injury, avoid damage to adjacent properties, and reduce the cost of fire suppression services.

Increasing "built-in" fire protection in those areas where new construction is allowed is the most cost-effective way to achieve these objectives. All development must have adequate water available for fire suppression, whether from a hydrant and community system or from an on-site storage tank.

Where development is permitted near wildlands and natural vegetation, the fire hazard must be further mitigated by other measures. The locations of subdivision lots and building

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envelopes can maximize access by emergency vehicles and minimize construction in steep or wooded areas. Fire retardant roof materials are now required in high fire hazard areas.

Preventing the spread of wildland fires to and from structures also requires establishing defensible space around each structure through management of surrounding vegetation and clearing of fuel breaks.

Fire Protection Issues
Various land uses require minimum water flows for adequate fire project (see Appendix BB of the California Fire Code, Table BB105.1: Minimum Required Fire-Flow and Flow Duration for Buildings). Fire hydrant capacities within the Scotts Valley Planning Area present some fire protection challenges for the Fire District in meeting these flows. Hydrant capacities range from 1,000 gpm (in 60% of the District), 500-1,000 gpm (30%) to 0-500 gpm (10%). Service is especially limited in the higher elevations. Most of the valley floor, however, has flows in excess of 2,000 gpm with storage of 2.8 million gallons. Thus, all the commercial and industrial areas of Scotts Valley are adequately protected; however, specific areas experience water supply and pressure problems. The Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO®) evaluates fire departments in the United States. Based on this evaluation, they assign a rating between 1 and 10 for each department – 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. This rating reflects the overall effectiveness of the department and helps determine the fire insurance premiums for property owners in that department's jurisdiction. Based on the above hydrant capacities, the insurance rating for parcels within 5 miles of a Scotts Valley Fire District station is 2. Parcels greater than five miles from the nearest Scotts Valley Fire District station have an insurance rating of 10.

Other issues regarding provision of fire service involve restrictions due to road widths and structural obstructions. Problem areas are located around the Granite Creek-Southwood Drive “Ridge,” Cadillac Drive, Bean Creek Road, and Lockhard Gulch-Nelson Road. The Scotts Valley Fire District has a minimum road width requirement of 24-foot streets with no parking on either side, 28 feet with parking on one side, and 36 feet with parking on both sides. Approved turnarounds must comply with Santa Cruz Fire Prevention Officer Standard FPO-015 as adopted by the Scotts Valley Fire District. The standard sets minimum width and radius for cul-de-sac, Hammer-T, and lateral slip type of turnarounds.

Another critical roadway problem is rural mountainous roads, single-point exit, and long deadend streets with no emergency outlets. Examples include but are not limited to Bean Creek Road, Bethany Drive, Tabor Drive, Lockhart Gulch, and Sawyer Court. The Scotts Valley Fire District requires that any dead-end roadway greater than 150’ have an approved turnaround in accordance with Santa Cruz Fire Prevention Officer standard FPO-015. This physical restriction presents a safety hazard.

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Flood Hazards
FEMA defines flooding to be a general or temporary condition of partial or completely inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land or of two or more properties.

The Scotts Valley Planning Area is subject to flood hazards resulting from heavy rainfall, causing the overflow of stream courses. Scotts Valley is principally drained by Carbonera Creek, which begins 1.3 miles north of the City limits. The creek runs through the City parallel to Highway 17, and eventually joins Branciforte Creek. The creek has two main tributaries in Scotts Valley:

Camp Evers Creek runs south of Mt. Hermon; West Branch Creek runs east of Glenwood Drive.

These creeks have been altered by road development, bridges, and culverts.

Insufficient channel capacity to handle peak flood flows, obstructions (such as vegetation or structures) in the stream channel, and poor land use practices can increase flood potential.

Runoff occurs when storms of high intensity and/or long duration exceed the soil’s ability to absorb water. Runoff rate and volume is also influenced by slope and vegetative cover. The greater the slope, the less chance rainfall has to infiltrate into the soil. Infiltration potential is enhanced by vegetation which serves to reduce the velocity of raindrops striking soil surfaces.

In undeveloped areas where there are fewer streets and structures, absorption levels can be excellent. In intensely developed area where streets, parking lots, and structures cover much of the ground surface, absorption is extremely low because these materials are often impermeable.

Urban development conditions contribute to erratic runoff rates and flooding in areas where there is an inadequate storm drainage system. When the capacity of storm drains is exceeded, flooding occurs. Development in these flood-prone areas increases hazards to life and property.

The City of Scotts Valley revised its Storm Water Quality Plan in 2009. The plan recognized an increased need for adequately sized drainage facilities. Both in-stream and off-stream drainage facilities were identified, provided a cost estimate, and prioritized for both private and public properties (SWMP, 2009).

In addition to flood control improvements, the Federal Flood Insurance Program makes flood insurance available to residents and businesses in flood hazard areas after the hazards of flooding are estimated. Insurance rates vary according to the expected severity of the hazard.

To participate in the program, however, a community must regulate development in the hazard area to not increase any hazards.

As shown in Figure SN-2: Flood Hazards, flood prone areas along Carbonera Creek have been identified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The primary areas are Zone A, where floods are predicted to occur once every

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100 years, and Zone B, where floods are predicted to occur every 100 to 500 years.

Development in Zone A must be constructed outside or above the 100-year flood zone.

Although the flood area is not designated open space on the City’s Land Use Map, the area remains open space for drainage and riparian corridor protection.

The State Department of Water Resources also developed Levee Flood Protection Zone (LFPZ) maps to increase awareness of flood risks associated with State-Federal levees. Using best available data from sources such as FEMA floodplain maps and local project-levee studies, the maps identify the areas where flood levels would be more than three feet deep if a project levee were to fail. The City of Scotts Valley and the County of Santa Cruz are not listed in the Levee Flood Protection Zone.

The Division of Safety of Dams provides data on jurisdictional dam failure. The closest dam is Loch Lomond Dam located north of Ben Lomond. A breach of this dam would inundate Newell Creek which flows into the San Lorenzo River and through San Lorenzo Valley before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The City of Scotts Valley is located more than a mile from the closest potential area of inundation and separated by significant topography and thus would not be affected.

The City regulates flood hazards by requiring the floor elevation of new development to be at least one foot above the 100-year flood height and preventing development which may cause floodwaters to flow at hazardous velocities. The 100-year flood hazard area was mapped by FEMA on Flood Insurance Rate Maps in 2012. These maps are available in the City’s Public Works and Planning Departments and are used to indicate the necessity for special review prior to project approval.

Geologic Hazards
Geologic Setting
As shown in Figure SN-3: Fault Zones, the Scotts Valley Planning Area is relatively close to four major fault zones. These fault zones are the San Andreas Fault Zone, located approximately five miles to the northeast of the Planning Area; the Zayante Fault Zone, located to the north within

1.5 miles of the Planning Area; the Butano Fault Zone, located approximately four miles to the north; and, the Ben Lomond Fault Zone, located approximately one mile to the southeast of the Planning Area. Based on the major historic earthquakes which have occurred along these faults, each is considered to be active or potentially active, except for the Ben Lomond Fault for which insufficient data exists to determine its activity. A relatively short fault (1.5 miles), the Bean Creek Fault, is located along the lower portion of Bean Creek just outside of the Planning Area to the west, although there is insufficient data to classify this fault zone as well.

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Both the Zayante Fault and the Butano Fault are considered potentially active and capable for producing major earthquakes of magnitude 7.4 and 6.4 on the Richter Scale, respectively. Both faults exhibit evidence of activity and are tied into the San Andreas Fault system. The Ben Lomond Fault is also considered a potentially active fault.

Seismic Hazards
The following includes descriptions of potential seismic hazards which may be experienced in the Scotts Valley Planning Area. Seismic hazards can be divided into five basic categories:
faulting or ground rupture, ground shaking, liquefaction, seismic slope failure, and seismically induced water waves. Seismically induced water waves would not directly affect Scotts Valley based on the Planning Area’s location in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Seismic slope failure includes discussion of landslides and erosion.

Faulting and Ground Rupture
Faulting and ground rupture occur when one side of a fault moves during an earthquake horizontally or vertically in relation to the earth on the other side. The earth’s surface may also rupture, but this does not occur every time a fault moves. Structures placed over a fault stand a high possibility of failure should faulting and ground rupture occur. There is no indication that surface rupture is a hazard in the Planning Area as no known faults traverse it.

Ground Shaking
Ground shaking is vibration of the ground caused by earthquakes and often results in damage to structures. The extent of damage depends on characteristics of underlying soils and rocks, design and configuration of the structure, quality of materials and workmanship used in construction, location of epicenter and magnitude of the earthquake, and duration and character of the ground motion. Damage to structures due to ground shaking may occur if tall, multi- story buildings are located on deep saturated soils and if the periods of vibration of the structures and the ground are similar. Potential for damage to buildings is generally minimized for well-constructed, single-story wood-frame buildings. Of all the hazards associated with major earthquakes, ground shaking will have the most pervasive impact in the Planning Area.

Alluvium is highly responsive to ground shaking. Much of the present development along Scotts Valley Drive and Mt. Hermon Road is located on alluvium and therefore will be subject to strong shaking during a major earthquake. Shaking often will trigger landslides, particularly on slopes of 15% or greater.

Liquefaction
The City of Scotts Valley is located in the south-central Santa Cruz Mountains, in the heart of the Central Coast ranges of California. This is a seismically active region that is influenced by numerous named and unnamed faults in the area. The City is underlain by bedrock of the

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Purisima Formation, which is comprised of sandstone, diatomaceous siltstone, and shale. As shown in Figure SN-4: Liquefaction Potential, portions of Scotts Valley have been mapped with a “moderate” and “high” liquefaction potential rating. Landslide hazards in the City are concentrated in the hillside areas in the nearby western and eastern boundaries of the City and include active (movement within the past 50 years), dormant (little movement within the past 50 years), and old (little movement within the past 100 years) landslides.

Ground shaking may cause liquefaction of recent alluvial and terrace deposits. Liquefaction occurs when non-cohesive surface or sub-surface materials are saturated and become liquidlike under the influence of ground shaking. This may result in ground failure. The longer the shaking, the greater the potential for ground failure.

Seismic Slope Failure
Seismic slope failures include earthquake caused slope failure, landslides, and liquefaction. The severity of this hazard depends on the duration and intensity of shaking, location and magnitude of the quake, and the characteristics and condition of the ground at the time. The longer the shaking, the greater the potential for ground failure. Lurch cracking and lateral spreading are other types of slope failure. Lateral spreading occurs along creek banks or the open side of fill embankments.

Landslides
Landslides due to earthquakes involve the movement of rock, soil, mud, and debris. The range from minor slides to major landslides involving millions of cubic yards. Steep slopes found in the Planning Area could offer such mass movements. Landslides may occur as an effect of nearby moderate to major earthquakes. Figure SN-5: Landslide Deposits, displays areas of known or suspected landslides as mapped by the United State Geological Survey. As existing landslide data has been recognized to be lacking in detail for the Planning Area, previously prepared planning documents have stressed the preparation of site-specific studies to identify landslide hazards that may exist at any one location.

Down slope movement may be rapid or so slow that a change of position can be noted only over a period of weeks or years. A landslide can range from several square feet to several square miles in area. Damage to structures can range from slight to total destruction.

Conditions that contribute to landslide occurrence in the Planning Area include loose and weakly consolidated soils or rock; steep slopes; amount, intensity, and volume of rainfall; poor drainage and erosion. Human activity often contributes to slope instability by inappropriate or poorly engineered grading, removal of vegetation, and alteration of surface and subsurface water conditions. In some situations, septic tanks and landscape watering can increase the landslide potential by saturating slopes.

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Erosion
Erosion is a natural process caused by wind, water, and gravitational forces. However, hazards due to erosion are difficult to separate from flooding and land sliding hazards. In some cases, erosion is a result of flood and landslide conditions. In others, prolonged erosion can cause rapid water runoff and land sliding.

The removal of soil from site and its subsequent deposit can create two erosion-related problems. Deposits of eroded material can affect flood plains, cause sedimentation of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and may clog drainage structures. Activities which expose soils to the erosive action of water and wind may accelerate erosion.

Reducing erosion hazards in urban areas is the responsibility of persons who modify the land surface and the city or county which reviews and controls development. Property owners assume the continuing responsibility of erosion control through the maintenance of landscaping and drainage systems.

Geologic Hazard Reduction
The most effective way to reduce threats to public health and safety from geologic hazards is to continue to effectively regulate new development. The thrust of a risk reduction program should be toward conscientious land use decision-making which considers geologic hazards.

Geologic hazard maps should be updated as new information becomes available. Property owners and developers will be given the opportunity to demonstrate, through on-site investigations, whether or not the hazard potential areas on existing maps should be revised to reflect data derived from more detailed and current studies.

Reducing Landslide Potential
A large portion of the Planning Area consists of sloping land with moderate to high landslide potential. The probability of landslide occurrence increases as slope increases. Most developments in areas with steep slopes require large amounts of earth movement and a high degree of cut and fill activity. This increases the potential for landslide problems. Detailed engineering and geologic studies should accompany any proposal for development within these areas. Studies should demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City that the proposed projects minimize environmental impacts and risks to human life.

Special planning and safety considerations shall be made for moderate and steep slopes in the Planning Area. More gentle slopes allow a greater degree of development flexibility.

Engineering and geologic studies should be required for development within moderate and steep slope areas to evaluate the stability of site landforms and the site’s suitability for the proposed use. The existing character of the hills of the Planning Area should be maintained by retaining, to the greatest extent possible, the natural contour of ridges, natural drainage

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courses, and natural rock outcroppings. Grading should respect the natural topography, and high cut and fill slopes should be avoided. Roads and driveways should attempt to follow the natural contours of a site. Provisions also should be made for siltation and erosion control and re-vegetation of all graded areas. Increases in water runoff quantities and velocities over natural terrain should not be permitted.

Landslide damage potential can be reduced by such alternatives as restricting development on or near landslide deposits, or permanently stabilizing slides masses. Landslide damage can be avoided by simply leaving hazardous areas undeveloped. Small landslide potential areas may be totally removed. The soil removed can be used elsewhere as compacted fill. In all cases, a first and critical step is to recognize the existence of an old slide and the potential for future slope stability problems. Potential slope stability problems can often be anticipated in areas where other land sliding activity has previously occurred.

Hazardous Materials
Overview
Hazardous materials include certain products which are corrosive, ignitable, toxic, radioactive, flammable, or explosive and reactive. In their natural state, these materials may be solid, liquid, or gas. Actual materials regulated are defined by Health and Safety Code section 25501, as amended. State law mandates that each city and/or county identify and register hazardous materials that are being used. The City of Scotts Valley has adopted an ordinance (Ord. No. 107) which regulates the safe storage and handling of all hazardous materials. The Santa Cruz County Department of Environmental Health Services is responsible for enforcing State hazardous materials and waste regulations in Scotts Valley (SCCDHS, 2015).

The Santa Cruz County Hazardous Materials Team (SCCHMT) responds to hazardous material response emergencies in the Planning Area. The SCCHMT is a collaboration between the County of Santa Cruz, the cities of Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville, CA State Parks, and the University of California, Santa Cruz (SVFD, 2015).

The major safety issues involving hazardous materials can be classified into two categories: (1) fire; and (2) public exposure to toxic substances as a result of a release. A major problem with chemical fires is their secondary effects. Burning chemicals can generate toxic vapors, thereby greatly increasing the potential for adverse health effects from both the original material and its combustion product. Releases may occur in areas where hazardous materials are being stored, handled, transported, or disposed. Hazardous material releases may cause substantial environmental degradation and irreparable damage to natural resources.

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Use and Storage of Hazardous Materials
Use and storage of hazardous materials is of particular concern to adjacent land uses. Hazards are created by leaks or releases which contaminate air, soil, or water, cause explosions, and/or cause fires.

Hazardous materials may be used at any given time by a number of industries within the City.

Motor fuels, waste oils, propane, and other petroleum products are frequently overlooked as constituting the largest quantity of stored hazardous materials. However, other chemicals are used by a wide variety of businesses including electronic companies, cleaning establishments, and various medical and veterinary businesses. Hazardous materials in the form of household products are also used by the average consumer.

Household hazardous waste is collected by the Santa Cruz County Hazardous Waste Program.

The closest hazardous waste collection facility to Scotts Valley is the Buena Vista Landfill, which is located 20 miles southeast of Scotts Valley. Some limited household chemicals are also accepted at the Ben Lomond transfer station.

Scotts Valley Hazardous Materials Plan
The purpose of the City’s Hazardous Materials Storage Plan is to protect health, life, resources, and property through prevention and control of unauthorized discharges of hazardous materials. The ordinance is implemented through a permitting process. All businesses or persons that store hazardous materials must have a permit issued by the Santa Cruz County Department of Environmental Health Services.

The issuance of a permit is based on type or quantity of material, proper storage, emergency response plans, sampling, monitoring inspections, and testing programs. The ordinance provides for full cost recovery through a schedule of fees which is based on type and quantity of materials stored. A variety of commercial/industrial users of hazardous materials within the City. These materials may include bulk storage of fuels, solvents, resins, and a wide variety of other solids, liquids, and gases.

Emergency Preparedness
The City has an Emergency Operations Plan (last updated in 2015). The plan provides for the safety of the community in the event of a major emergency such as earthquake, flooding, wildland fires, and hazardous materials releases. The plan provides the base for direction and control of emergency operations and continuity of government, saving life and property, repairing and restoring essential systems and services, managing resources, and coordinating operations with other jurisdictions. The Chief of Police serves as the Operations Chief and the City Manager is the Director of Emergency Services. The City’s Emergency Operations Center

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(EOC), which functions as a communications and coordination center in the event of a disaster or large-scale emergency, is located in City Hall.

An annex to the Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) contains suggested evacuation routes for the City. Evacuation routes are determined on a case-by-case basis by EOC personnel. These proposed routes are broken down into three categories: freeways, arterials, and major collectors. Figure SN-6: Evacuation Routes, displays these evacuation routes. These routes were identified due to their ability to accommodate significant numbers of people, their relative location to freeways and arterials, and their geographic location. The direction of movement is denoted by arrows to promote safe and efficient evacuation of residents.

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Noise
This Noise portion of the Safety & Noise Element has been prepared in compliance with California Government Code Section 5302(f) to control and abate environmental noise and to protect citizens from excessive and bothersome noise exposure.

Scotts Valley’s most significant noise concerns stem from roadway noise, particularly along well-traveled corridors such as Highway 17 and local arterials. Noise is generally defined as unwanted sound and may produce physiological or psychological damage and/or interfere with communication, work, rest, recreation, or sleep. Noise is especially a concern near noise sensitive uses, which are generally defined as locations where people reside or where the presence of unwanted sound could adversely affect the use of land, such as residences, schools, and hospitals.

Definitions
Decibel, dB: A unit of measurement describing the amplitude of sound, equal to 20 times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the pressure of the sound measured to the reference pressure, which is 20 micropascals (20 micronewtons per square meter).

A-Weighted Level: The sound level in decibels as measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighting filter network. The A-weighting filter de-emphasizes the very low and very high frequency components of the sound in a manner similar to the response of the human ear and gives good correlation with subjective reactions to noise.

L10: The A-weighted sound level that is exceeded ten percent of the sample time. Similarly, L50, L90, etc.

Leq: Equivalent energy level. The sound level corresponding to a steady-state sound level containing the same total energy as a time-varying signal over a given sample period. Leq is typically computed over 1-, 8-, and 24- hour sample periods.

CNEL: Community Noise Equivalent Level. The average equivalent A-weighted sound level during a 24-hour day, obtained after addition of five decibels to sound levels in the evening from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and after addition of 10 decibels to sound levels in the night from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Ldn: Day-Night Average Level. The average equivalent A-weighted sound level during a 24-hour day, obtained after the addition of 10 decibels to sound levels in the night after 10 p.m. and before 7 a.m. (Note: CNEL and Ldn represent daily levels of noise exposure averaged on an annual or daily basis, while Leq represents the equivalent energy noise exposure for a shorter time period, typically one hour.) Noise Contours: Lines drawn about a noise source indicating equal levels of noise exposure. CNEL and Ldn are the metrics utilized herein to describe annoyance due to noise and to establish land use planning criteria for noise.

Ambient Noise: The composite of noise from all sources near and far. In this context, the ambient noise level constitutes the normal or existing level of environmental noise at a given location.

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Definitions
Intrusive Noise: That noise which intrudes over and above the existing ambient noise at a given location. The relative intrusiveness of a sound depends upon its amplitude, duration, frequency, and time of occurrence, and tonal or informational content as well as the prevailing noise level.

Noisiness Zones: Defined areas within a community wherein the ambient noise levels are generally similar (within a range of 5 dB, for example). Typically, all other things being equal, sites within any given noise zone will be of comparable proximity to major noise sources. Noise contours define different noisiness zones.

Noise Measurements
Noise intensity is measured on a decibel (dB) scale. On this scale, noise at zero decibels is not audible, while noise at 120 to 140 decibels is painful and can cause ear damage. There are several different ways to measure noise. Community noise is typically measured in decibels with A-weighting (dBA). The dBA scale provides compensation for human sensitivity by discriminating against frequencies to approximate the sensitivity of the human ear. For evaluating noise over extended periods, the “Day-Night Noise Level” scale (Ldn) and the “Community Noise Equivalent Level” (CNEL) are measures of the average equivalent sound level (Leq) during a 24-hour period. These measurements of noise account for greater sensitivity of noise receptors at night by adding 5 decibels (for evening hours between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm) and 10 decibels (for evening hours between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am) to nighttime noise levels and averaging the noise over a full day.

These measures do not readily account for sporadic and short term but potentially loud and disturbing noises that can be generated by industrial uses. The potential adverse impacts of such noises on sensitive receptors are better addressed by qualitative and subjective means.

Existing Noise Sources
The primary noise source in Scotts Valley is largely from automobile traffic (cars and trucks) traveling on roadways. As a general rule, peak pass-by noise levels for passenger vehicles on local streets are 60 to 70 dBA at 25 feet. Buses, trucks, motorcycles, and poorly muffled cars produce pass-by noise level 5 to 15 dBA higher. The sound level of noise from traffic in decibels is related to the amount of traffic. Noise intensity increases as the proximity of the noise source physically approaches the listener to a greater degree. A doubling or halving of traffic volume typically results in a 3-dB increase or decrease, respectively, in the traffic sound level. A change of 3 dB is generally considered to be the threshold for a perceptive change in sound. In general, a 10-dB increase in noise level is perceived as a doubling in loudness.

Primary roadways that generate noise in Scotts Valley are State Highway 17, Scotts Valley Drive, and Mount Hermon Road. Aircraft flying overhead is occasionally audible in Scotts Valley but is not a significant noise source relative to traffic noise. Other noise sources typical in this

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residential location include dogs barking, leaf blowers, and children playing. These sources are not significant compared to the noise produced by the dominant transportation sources.

Sensitive Receptors
Noise sensitive land uses are typically given special attention to achieve protection from excessive noise. Noise sensitive land uses include residential areas, hospitals, libraries, schools, parks, and retirement homes. Highways and major arterials, such as Highway 17, Scotts Valley Drive, and Mount Hermon Road would have an effect on sensitive land uses.

Existing and Future Noise Conditions
Figure SN-7: Noise Contours displays the general level of future (2040) noise conditions resulting from traffic traveling on roadways in Scotts Valley, rated on a scale from 50 dBA to 80+ dBA, which represent areas bordering roadways experiencing Moderate to High to Very High traffic noise levels. As would be expected, the highest noise levels are generated immediately adjacent to the three major roadways in Scotts Valley where traffic volumes are greatest: Highway 17, Scotts Valley Drive, and Mount Hermon Road.

Noise and Land Use Compatibility Guidelines
The objective of the noise and land use compatibility guidelines is to provide the community with a means of judging the noise environment that it deems to be generally acceptable and to minimize noise-related complaints from residents. The compatibility guidelines shown in Table SN-1: CA State Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for Community Noise Environments should be used in conjunction with the future noise intensity levels in Figure SN-7: Noise Contours to identify locations that may require special treatment to minimize noise exposure.

If ambient noise levels in the area of a proposed project would exceed “normally acceptable” thresholds for the proposed land use category as shown in Table SN-2: Noise Increase Standards, the City will require a detailed analysis of feasible noise reduction requirements. As needed, noise insulation features must be included in the design of such projects to reduce exterior noise levels to meet the acceptable thresholds, or, for uses with no active outdoor use areas, to ensure maintenance of acceptable interior noise levels for the proposed land use.

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Table SN-1: CA State Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for Community Noise Environments Land Use Category
Community Noise Exposure
(Ldn or CNEL, dBA)
55 60 65 70 75 80
Residential Low Density Single-Family,
Duplex, Mobile Homes
Residential – Multi-Family
Transient Lodging – Motels, Hotels
Schools, Libraries, Churches, Hospitals,
Nursing Homes
Playgrounds, Neighborhood Parks
Golf Courses, Riding Stables, Water
Recreation, Cemeteries
Office Buildings, Business Commercial,
and Professional
Industrial, Manufacturing, Utilities,
Agricultural
Normally Acceptable
Specified land use is satisfactory, based on the assumption that any buildings involved are of normal conventional construction, without any special noise insulation requirements.

Conditionally Acceptable
New construction or development should be discouraged. If new construction does proceed, a detailed analysis of the noise reduction requirements must be made and needed noise insulation features included in the design.

Normally Unacceptable
New construction or development should be undertaken only after a detailed analysis of the noise reduction requirements is made and needed noise insulation features included in the design.

Clearly Unacceptable
New construction or development clearly should not be undertaken.

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Table SN-2: Noise Increase Standards
Proposed Land Use
Maximum Noise Increase in dBA adjacent to Existing:

Sensitive Residential Commercial Industrial
Sensitive
At Property Line 3 5 5 5
50 ft. from PL 3 3 -- --
Residential
At Property Line 3 5 5 5
50 ft. from PL 3 3 -- --
Commercial
At Property Line 3 5 5 5
50 ft. from PL 3 3 -- --
Industrial
At Property Line 3 5 5 7
50 ft. from PL 3 3 -- --

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 21
Goals, Policies & Actions
To protect human life and prosperity and to minimize injury, economic damage, and social dislocation resulting from disasters related to fire.

Policies
Region
Policy SN-1.1 Fire Protection Cooperative Agreement
Maintain cooperative fire protection and fire prevention agreements with the Scotts Valley Fire District.

Policy SN-1.2 Public Education on Fire Awareness
Continue to support the Scotts Valley Fire District fire safety and fire prevention public education programs.

Policy SN-1.3 Invasive Species
Cooperate with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to reduce any identified significant fire threat resulting from invasive species which are not a constituent of protected habitat areas.

Policy SN-1.4 Emergency Access
Coordinate with public safety providers to implement feasible improvements and/or access plans for roadways with identified fire and emergency access deficiencies.

City
Policy SN-1.5 City-Owned Space
Maintain City-owned open space in a matter that minimizes fire hazards.

Policy SN-1.6 Fire Protection Problem Areas
In fire protection problem areas, development shall be permitted only after mitigation measures satisfactory to the Scotts Valley Fire District are developed to prevent or control spread of fire and provide life safety to occupants as recommended by the fire district.

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Policy SN-1.7 Fire Protection Management
Encourage continued operation of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) programs for fuel breaks, brush management, controlled burning, re-vegetation, and fire roads.

Policy SN-1.8 Private Roadway Standards
The City shall adopt standards for private roadways, establishing requirements for width and structural sections which meets the requirements of the Scotts Valley Fire Protection District.

Policy SN-1.9 Roadway Standards –Clearance
Roadway standards shall require that roads have an overhead vertical clearance of 15 feet. Horizontally, roadways are to maintain an unobstructed width for the entire length, including turnouts, turnarounds, and driveways, per requirements of the Scotts Valley Fire Protection District.

Policy SN-1.10 Roadway Standards – Access Roads
Roadway standards shall require that an access road not end father than 150 feet from any portion of a building. A turnaround which meets the requirements of the fire district shall be provided at the end of the road where the road exceeds 150 feet and dead ends.

Policy SN-1.11 Roadways Standards – Private Bridges or Crossings Roadway standards shall require that private bridges or crossings which serve as part of an “access road be at least 20 feet wide and shall meet the minimum Caltrans standard weight rating of 40 tons”. Bridges should be certified every five years by a registered engineer.

Policy SN-1.12 Fire Suppression Water Availability
The City shall require that new development have water available in the area pursuant to Appendix BB, Table BB105.1, of the California Fire Code:

Minimum Required Fire-Flow and Flow Duration for Buildings. Water availability shall be provided by the appropriate water purveyor.

Policy SN-1.13 Fire Safety Systems
The City, in cooperation with the fire district, shall require that all buildings constructed include fire safety features, such as automatic fire sprinkler system, class “C” or better roof cover for structures in the non-wildland fire hazard area/Local Responsibility Area (LRA), Class “B” or better roof covering for moderate or high wildland fire hazard area/ State Responsibility Area (SRA), fire detection, and alarm systems.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 23
Policy SN-1.14 Landscape Vegetation – Fire Safety
The City, in cooperation with the fire district, shall discourage the use of landscape vegetation that may contribute to the spread of fire for developments within the urban interface areas.

Policy SN-1.15 Minimize Fire Hazards
Support the Scotts Valley Fire District efforts to minimize fire hazards through the removal of vegetation, hazardous structures, materials, and debris.

Policy SN-1.16 Fire Standards
Continue to adopt revisions to the Uniform Fire and Building Codes and other standards which address fire safety as they are approved by inspection organizations and the State of California. Review, revise, and/or adopt existing or new local codes, ordinances, and Fire Safe Standards to reflect contemporary fire safe practices.

Project
Policy SN-1.17 Fire District Review
Encourage early review of proposed development project plans by the Scotts Valley Fire District.

Policy SN-1.18 Development in Hazardous Fire Areas
All new development and existing structures in hazardous fire areas shall provide adequate clearance of brush and vegetative growth from structures and roadways in accordance with the Uniform Fire Code.

Policy SN-1.19 Adequate Fire Protection
The City shall require new development to provide adequate fire protection improvements consistent with Scotts Valley Fire District requirements.

Policy SN-1.20 New Construction Fire Safety Features
New development shall be approved only if adequate hydrant water supply for minimum flow requirements and duration of flow can be met as directed by the Scotts Valley Fire District.

Policy SN-1.21 Fire Impact or Mitigation Fees
Consider additional impact or mitigation fees, or a benefit assessment, to offset the impact of new development on fire services.

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SN - 24 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Actions
Fire Prevention Public Information
The City, in conjunction with the Scotts Valley Fire District, shall share and disseminate information to educate the public regarding fire prevention as it relates to landscape vegetation.

Fire Prevention Program
The City shall support the Scotts Valley Fire District with their on-going fire prevention program for identified fire hazard zones within the Planning Area.

Design Review Guidelines Amendment
As part of any future update to the Design Review Guidelines, include review of plans regarding the discouragement of use of landscape vegetation that may contribute to the spread of fire for developments within the urban interface areas.

Sign/Address Marking Visibility
Monitor the visibility of road signs and address markings of businesses and residences, and address visibility issues to facilitate fire response effectiveness. Address identification shall be provided in accordance with Section 505 of the California fire Code.

To protect human life and prosperity and to minimize injury, economic damage, and social dislocation resulting from disasters related to flooding.

Policies
Region
Policy SN-2.1 Flooding Hazards Regional Collaboration
Participate in regional, State, and federal efforts to reduce flooding hazards, including efforts to maintain creeks and other waterways and address flood hazards on a watershed level.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 25
City
Policy SN-2.2 Flood Protection Ordinance
Maintain the City’s Flood Protection Ordinance.

Policy SN-2.3 Development in Flood Prone Areas
Proposed development in known flood prone areas shall be approved only if adequate measures are provided to reduce potential flood hazards.

Policy SN-2.4 Flood Control Facilities
Development of new or expansion of existing flood control facilities to protect individual properties shall be permitted only when it can be determined that such measures do not substantially increase the flood or erosion hazards to other properties.

Project
Policy SN-2.5 Hydrological Analysis
The City shall require a hydrological analysis to assess potential impacts of new development on adjacent and downstream properties and on the designated floodplain to determine needed flood control facilities.

Actions
Hazard and Floodplain Information
Continue to work with appropriate local, State, and federal agencies, particularly the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to maintain the most current flood hazard and floodplain information for Scotts Valley.

National Flood Insurance Program
Continue to participate in the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Require all new buildings and structures to be established in a manner consistent with the NFIP floodplain management building requirements.

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SN - 26 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
To protect human life and prosperity and to minimize injury, economic damage, and social dislocation resulting from disasters related to geologic and seismic events.

Policies
Region
Policy SN-3.1 Seismic and Geologic Hazards Maps
The City shall continue to use liquefaction, landslide, and other seismic and geologic hazard maps prepared by the City and County to assess geotechnical hazards within the Planning Area. These maps shall be updated as new and more accurate information becomes available.

City
Policy SN-3.2 Hazard Considerations
Continue to incorporate geotechnical hazard data into future land use decision-making, site design, and construction standards.

Policy SN-3.3 Development Restrictions
Prohibit structural development unless seismic and geological hazards can be mitigated.

Policy SN-3.4 Seismic Analysis
Continue to incorporate seismic risk analysis into the City’s on-going building inspection program.

Policy SN-3.5 Retrofits
Encourage retrofitting of structures to withstand earthquake shaking and landslides consistent with current State Building Codes.

Policy SN-3.6 Public Outreach – Seismic and Geotechnical Hazards Actively promote public education, research, and information dissemination on seismic and geotechnical hazards.

Policy SN-3.7 Critical Facilities and Services
Ensure that seismic hazards are mitigated to the greatest extent possible for critical public facilities, infrastructure, and emergency services.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 27
Policy SN-3.8 State Standards
Continue to enforce all applicable requirements of the most current California Building Code and the California Building Standards to minimize public exposure to seismic and geologic hazards.

Policy SN-3.9 Transportation Infrastructure
Collaborate with Caltrans, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, and other relevant agencies to ensure the seismic safety and structural integrity of all bridges and overpasses in Scotts Valley.

Project
Policy SN-3.10 Geotechnical Evaluations
In a geologic hazard area, development shall be approved only after a geotechnical evaluation is completed by a registered geologist as part of the environmental review process. Where new development proposed for areas of known or suspected geologic hazards, as identified in City or County maps or where other information obtained by the City indicates geologic hazards exist in an area proposed for development, a detailed geotechnical and/or geologic report shall be prepared and submitted to the City as a part of the application or environmental review process.

Actions
Seismic and Geologic Hazards Maps
Update City seismic and geologic hazards maps for the City and Planning Area as new and more accurate information becomes available. Continue to collaborate with the County on updating of seismic and geologic hazards maps for the City and Planning Area. The City shall review and revise existing seismic and geologic hazards maps at a minimum of every two years for adequacy.

Hillside Residential Development
The City shall implement the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance as it may be modified from time to time relating to hillside residential development.

Data Accuracy
The City shall periodically review the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, and Uniform Building Code to ensure that

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SN - 28 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
geotechnical data and information relating to seismic hazards is current and accurate.

To protect human life and prosperity and to minimize injury, economic damage, and social dislocation resulting from disasters related to hazardous materials.

Policies
Region
Policy SN-4.1 County Coordination
Continue to coordinate with the Santa Cruz County Department of Environmental Health Services on enforcement of State and local plans, statutes, and regulations pertaining to hazardous materials and waste storage, use, and disposal.

Policy SN-4.2 Storage and Handling Hazardous Materials
The City, in coordination with the County Department of Environmental Health Services, shall control the use storage and handling of hazardous materials to protect the health and welfare of the life, environment and property within the community of Scotts Valley. Control of hazardous materials waste and disposal of hazardous materials shall be consistent with Santa Cruz County Hazardous Materials Program, and state requirements.

Policy SN-4.3 Management and Inspection
The County shall be the administering authority on behalf of the City in the management and inspection program of all facilities storing and/or using a hazardous material or substance. The County shall be responsible to ensure that all facilities storing and/or using hazardous materials or substance maintain a current permit and approved hazardous materials management plan.

City
Policy SN-4.4 Significant Threat
Development posing a significant unmitigated environmental threat from the use of hazardous materials or chemical shall not be permitted by the City.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 29
Policy SN-4.5 Underground Storage Tanks
Underground storage tanks may be permitted provided the installation conforms with the requirements of Chapter 6.7 of Division 20 of the State Health and Safety Code and all regulations pertaining to underground storage tanks.

Policy SN-4.6 Above Ground Storage Tanks
Above ground storage tanks may be permitted provided the installation conforms with the requirements of Chapter 6.6.7 of Division 20 of the State Health & Safety Code.

Policy SN-4.7 Sensitive Receptors
Prohibit land uses and development that emit obnoxious odors, particulates, excessive light or glare, or other environment contaminant from being located near schools, community centers, senior homes, or other sensitive receptors.

Policy SN-4.8 Green Building
Encourage green building practices that reduce potentially hazardous construction materials.

Policy SN-4.9 Hazardous Material Program
The City shall continue to administer through the County Comprehensive Hazardous Materials Program, pursuant to Chapter 6.95 of the California Health and Safety Code.

Policy SN-4.10 Above-Ground Storage Tank Location
The City shall encourage locating above-ground propane tanks in areas of lower population density and activity.

Project
Policy SN-4.11 Mitigation Processes
Mitigate hazard exposure from new development projects through the environmental review process, design criteria, and standards development.

Policy SN-4.12 Site Assessments
Where necessary and based on the history of land use, require site assessments for hazardous and toxic soil contamination prior to approving development project applications.

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SN - 30 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Policy SN-4.13 Stationary Sources
Require that stationary air pollutant emission sources be located more than 500 feet and/or downwind from residential areas and other sensitive receptors.

Policy SN-4.14 Health Rick Assessments
Use the results for the Health Risk Assessments required by California Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Act to establish appropriate land use buffer zones around any new sources of toxic air pollutants that may pose substantial health risks.

Policy SN-4.15 Sensitive Receptors
Ensure that residential development or other projects with sensitive receptors that are proposed within 500 feet of a stationary or mobile air pollutant source do not create any substantial health risk.

Policy SN-4.16 Roadway Materials
Encourage the use of roadway materials that minimize particulate emissions.

Policy SN-4.17 Air Quality Best Management Practices
Encourage development projects to implement best management practices that reduce air pollutant emissions associated with the construction and operation of the project.

Policy SN-4.18 Minimize Direct and Indirect Emissions of Air Contaminants New development shall be located and designed to conserve air quality and minimize direct and indirect emissions of air contaminants, including diesel emissions. This shall be done by the following:

1. Minimize impacts of new development by reviewing development proposals for potential impacts pursuant to CEQA and the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District CEQA Guidelines. Apply land use and transportation planning techniques such as:
 Incorporation of public transit stops;
 Pedestrian and bicycle linkage to commercial centers, employment centers, schools, and parks;
 Preferential parking for carpools and van pools;
 Traffic flow improvements; and
 Employer trip reduction programs.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 31

2. Control dust and particulate matter by implementing the Monterey Bay Air Resources Board fugitive dust control measures. In addition, address construction and operational diesel exhaust impacts in consultation with the Air District, and the need for risk assessments, when conditions warrant.

Policy SN-4.19 Dust Control Monitor
Consistent with Monterey Bay Area Resources Board guidelines, new developments that result any ground disturbance greater than 2.2 acres per day shall require the contractor(s) or builder(s) to designate a person or persons to monitor the fugitive dust emissions and enhance the implementation of the measures as necessary to minimize dust complaints, reduce visible emissions below 20 percent opacity, and to prevent transport of dust off‐site.

Policy SN-4.20 Low VOC Paint
New developments shall require by contract specifications that the interior and exterior architectural coatings (paint and primer including parking lot paint) products have a volatile organic compound (VOC) (i.e., ROG) content of 10 g/L or less. Contract specifications shall be included in the construction documents, which shall be reviewed and approved by the City of Scotts Valley prior to the issuance of building permits.

Policy SN-4.21 Tier 4 Emissions
Prior to issuance of grading permits, new developments shall prepare and submit documentation to the City of Scotts Valley that demonstrates that all off-road diesel-powered equipment meet the California Air Resources Board’s Tier 4 Final off-road emissions standards.

Actions
City Staff Training
Provide training for appropriate City personnel in hazardous material response and handling.

Coordination with the Monterey Bay Air Resources Board
Work with the Monterey Bay Air Resources Board, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) and, to the extent feasible, meet federal and State air quality standards for all pollutants. To ensure that new measures can be practically enforced in the region, participate in

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SN - 32 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
future amendments and updates of the Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) for the Monterey Bay Region.

To maximize post-disaster relief capabilities and recovery operations.

Policies
Region
Policy SN-5.1 Coordination with Other Agencies
Coordinate preparation efforts for natural and human-made disasters with the Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Services, neighboring jurisdictions, and other governmental agencies.

Policy SN-5.2 Community Groups
Support the efforts of neighborhood and civic organizations to prepare for disasters.

Policy SN-5.3 County Emergency Response Plan
Work with the Santa Cruz County Emergency Services Administrator to periodically review the County-wide Emergency Response Plan and revise as needed to ensure adequate disaster preparedness.

Policy SN-5.4 Emergency Notification Plan
Work with local and County emergency services to properly notify the community when an emergency arises. Utilize a variety of emergency notifications and technologies.

City
Policy SN-5.5 Emergency and Evacuation Routes
Maintain a current and complete system of emergency and evacuation routes serving all areas of the City and Planning Area.

Policy SN-5.6 Disaster Preparedness Exercises
The City shall hold disaster preparedness exercises frequently enough to maintain the efficiency of participating mutual aid agencies.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 33
Policy SN-5.7 Emergency Response Deficiencies
The City should provide sufficient funds and/or training to address any emergency response deficiencies that may be within the City’s responsibility.

Policy SN-5.8 Evacuated Area Scene Security
The City should provide sufficient resources as necessary as to protect life and property in disaster areas where mandatory evacuation protocols have been enacted.

Actions
Emergency Preparedness Plan
The City Manager or designated representative shall periodically review and update the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. At a minimum, the City should review and update the Plan every three years. (SP-504, revised; SP505, revised) Disaster Preparedness Meetings
The City shall hold coordination planning meetings with participating mutual aid agencies once every year to review disaster preparedness plans. The City shall participate with the County for such meetings. Periodically provide disaster preparedness information to residents. City staff and City Council shall participate in the California Specialized Training Institute’s (CSTI) training programs when funding is available.

Preparedness Training
Continue to provide basic training for all or appropriate City employees in disaster preparedness, first aid, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Emergency Notification
Work with all relevant agencies to develop a program and procedures for emergency notification.

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SN - 34 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
To minimize impacts associated with vehicle noise.

Policies
Region
Policy SN-6.1 Support State Legislation
Support State legislation for noise abatement design measures in all State highway projects within the Planning Area and support State legislation governing noise emissions from vehicles.

City
Policy SN-6.2 Mitigate Highway Noise
The City should work with the Caltrans to mitigate the effects of existing and future highway noise.

Policy SN-6.3 Reduce Commercial Vehicle Noise
The City shall attempt to reduce the noise levels generated by commercial vehicles along Mt. Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive, including using State and local legislation as necessary.

Policy SN-6.4 Enforce Roadway Speed Limits
The City shall enforce existing speed limits, lowering them to reduce the noise levels where such benefits can be realized and remain consistent with other City goals and policies.

Policy SN-6.5 Enforce State Standards
The City shall continue to enforce noise emission standards imposed by the State of California vehicle code.

Policy SN-6.6 Roadway Improvement Plans
The City Public Works Department shall review all street and roadway improvement plans within the City limits to ensure incorporation of noise abatement measures. New street layout and redesigned street projects should be assessed for noise impacts, especially on neighboring noise sensitive land uses.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 35
Actions
Truck-Trailer Delivery Transport
The City shall develop rules regulating all truck-trailer transport (including diesel) delivery times in all zone districts and to all construction sites during late evening, early morning, and nighttime hours or on Sunday and holidays.

This will include regulating the use of air horns and jake-brakes on trucks within City limits to reduce noise generated by them.

To provide an environment free from annoying and/or harmful noise. (NG-422)
Policies
City
Policy SN-7.1 Commercial and Industrial Noise Standards Commercial and industrial noise level performance standards shall be retained in the zoning ordinance to restrict noise level increase and hours of operation.

Policy SN-7.2 Identify Noise Pollution Sources
The City shall identify and minimize or eliminate existing noise pollution sources.

Policy SN-7.3 Outdoor Recreation Areas
Outdoor recreation areas, especially in residential neighborhoods, should incorporate noise attenuation barriers, such as multiple rows of dense conifers, if the day-night noise levels exceed 60 dBA.

Neighborhood
Policy SN-7.4 Noise Sensitive Land Uses
Seek to avoid placing noise sensitive land uses (e.g., residential, hospitals, assisted living facilities, group homes, schools, day care centers, etc.) within the high noise impact areas (over 65 dB CNEL).

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SN - 36 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Project
Policy SN-7.5 New Development Noise Attenuation
New developments that are conditionally acceptable or increase the daynight noise level by more than the levels shown in Table SN-2: Noise Increase Standards, shall conduct a noise study to determine that the appropriate noise attenuation design measures have been incorporated to the City’s satisfaction.

Policy SN-7.6 Incompatible Noise Levels
New developments that are considered noise sensitive shall not be located in proximity to existing noise generating uses, unless the existing noise level can be made compatible, through mitigations, with the proposed new sensitive use.

Policy SN-7.7 Noise Attenuation Techniques
The City Planning and Building departments shall ensure noise attenuation techniques are constructed in new development projects. The City building inspector will ensure that all design specifications relevant to a project’s acoustical design for noise level reduction are completed as approved prior to final approval of any project.

Policy SN-7.8 Commercial and Industrial Noise Increases The City shall strive to meet the local noise levels by careful permit review for noise increases in the case of new commercial or industrial development.

Policy SN-7.9 Acoustical Engineering Analysis
The City may require an acoustical engineering analysis to show that new commercial or industrial planned use will not increase the local ambient noise levels by more than the values set forth in the noise element of the General Plan.

Policy SN-7.10 Noise Level Exceeding 60 dBA
In areas where the annual day-night noise level exceeds 60 dBA, the City shall require an acoustical engineering study for proposed new construction or renovation of structure(s). Each acoustical analysis should recommend methods to reduce the interior day-night annual average noise levels to below 45 dBA for private dwellings, motels, hotels, office, and noise sensitive uses.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | SN - 37
Policy SN-7.11 Mitigation for Noise Sensitive Land Uses Seek to protect schools, hospitals, libraries, churches, convalescent homes, and other noise sensitive uses from excessive noise levels by incorporating site planning and project design techniques to minimize noise impacts. The use of noise barriers should be considered after all practical design-related noise measures have been integrated into the project. In cases where sound walls are necessary, they should help create an attractive setting with features such as setbacks, changes in alignment, detail and texture, murals, pedestrian access (if appropriate), and landscaping.

Policy SN-7.12 Exterior Noise Measurements
Exterior noise levels measured at the property line of proposed new residential developments shall be limited at or below an average annual daynight level of 60 dBA.

Policy SN-7.13 Noise Levels Exceeding 75 dBA
New residential development should not be allowed in regions where the annual day-night noise levels exceed 75 dBA.

Policy SN-7.14 Hotel, Motel, Office Rooms
Hotel, motel, and professional office construction or renovation plans must include design techniques to ensure that noise is attenuated to 45 decibels or better between adjacent private rooms.

Policy SN-7.15 Construction Noise Management
Ensure that construction activities are managed to minimize overall noise impacts on surrounding land uses.

Policy SN-7.16 Construction Noise Reduction Plan
Where appropriate, particularly when located adjacent to sensitive land uses, the City may require construction noise reduction measures as part of project development plans to reduce the effects of construction noise.

Policy SN-7.17 Use of Truck Routes
Limit truck traffic in residential and commercial areas to designated truck routes.

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SN - 38 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Actions
Noise Ordinance
The City shall adopt a comprehensive noise ordinance which implements the noise policies of this General Plan. The noise ordinance will contain land use compatibility noise standards and will prescribe methods for meeting those standards.

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure SN-1: Fire Hazard Areas ±

C O M M U N I T Y

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit
Area
¬«1 ¬«2
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¬«8 Access, water supply, fuel load,
topography
Highway 17 Vine
Hill Ridge
¬«7 Access, road condition, topography,
water supply
Granite Creek -
Southwood Drive
Issue
¬«1 East Ridge of Bean
Creek
Access, water supply, fuel load (dry
season), topography
¬«3 Cadillac Drive Access (narrow roads), fuel load
¬«2 Population density, access, road
condition, structure type
1440 Multiversity
¬«4 Kaiser Sand and Highly combustible vegetation
Lockewood Lane
¬«5 Water supply, lack of fire
hydrants
Manana Woods
¬«6 Water supply, access, fuel load,
topography
Monte Fiore
Neighborhood
Fire Hazard Areas

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure SN-2: Flood Hazards ±

C O M M U N I T Y

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit
For more information regarding flood hazard zones, please refer to the FEMA flood hazard mapping program.
100-year Flood Zone
500-year Flood Zone

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes. ± S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N

L E G E N D

C O M M U N I T Y
Figure SN-3: Fault Zones
Planning Area
San Andreas Fault Zone
Butano Fault
Zayante-Vergeles Fault Zone
Ben Lomond Fault
Ben Lomond fault
Butano fault
San Andreas fault zone
Zayante-Vergeles fault zone

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure SN-4: Liquefaction Potential ±

C O M M U N I T Y

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit
Low Liquefaction Potential
Moderate Liquefaction Potential

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Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure SN-5: Landslide Deposits ±

C O M M U N I T Y

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit
a Direction of Movement
Landslide Deposits

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Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure SN-6: Evacuation Routes ±

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit
A Place of Assembly
_ Direction of Movement
State Highway Arterials
Collector

C O M M U N I T Y

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure SN-7: Noise Contours ±

C O M M U N I T Y
LEGEND
Planning Area
45 dB
50 dB
55 dB
60 Db
65 dB
70 dB
75 dB
80 dB
City Limit
Noise Contours

COMMUNITY SERVICES & FACILITIES
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | CSF - 1
The Scotts Valley Community Services & Facilities
Element defines the nature and types of community
facilities, services, and activities necessary to
maintain a high quality of life in Scotts Valley. The
primary goal is to align funding resources with the
level of service the community expects. The City also
seeks to maintain safety, quality of schools, and
other public facilities that are valued by the
community.

COMMUNITY SERVICES
& FACILITIES

COMMUNITY SERVICES & FACILITIES
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | CSF - 3

COMMUNITY SERVICES & FACILITIES
Introduction
The Community Services & Facilities element is an optional element per California State law. It addresses community services related to city administration, police and fire protection, water services, wastewater and solid waste management, parks and recreation, public education, and community health.

It provides policy direction and implementation measures to guide future decisions related to these services and associated infrastructure, and to integrate community service concerns into land use decision making. The element is also intended to maintain community services that are available when needed to serve the residents and businesses in the City.

Current Status
Recommended by Planning Commission to City Council – DATE Accepted by City Council at Public Hearing – DATE

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Background and Context
City departments include Administration; Finance; Police; Planning; Building; and Public Works, which includes Engineering, Street Maintenance, Vehicle Maintenance, Park Maintenance, Building Maintenance, Wastewater, and a Parks & Recreation Division.

The Scotts Valley Water District, a separate special district, provides water services. The Scotts Valley Fire Protection District, also a separate special district, provides fire services. Refuse collection and recycling services are contracted out.

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City of Scotts Valley Community Services & Facilities
Scotts Valley was incorporated as a general law city in 1966. The City operates under the council form of government with legislative responsibility residing with an elected City Council of five members. One City Council member is elected by the others to serve as Mayor.

Administration, Finance, Planning, Building and Police functions are administered from the City Hall building on Civic Center Drive. Public Works/Engineering facilities are in the corporation yard on Lundy Lane.

Below is a summary of the primary City services and facilities. Additional information can be found at www.scottsvalley.org.

Police Protection
The major goals of Scotts Valley Police Department (SVPD) are to reduce crime through prevention, detection and apprehension; to provide the orderly and safe movement of vehicular traffic through law enforcement, to provide accident prevention and accident investigation; to ensure public safety through regulation and control of hazardous conditions; to recover and return lost and stolen property and; to provide non-enforcement services through programs reflecting community needs and desires.

SVPD has 20 sworn officers and eight non-sworn employees. In 2023, the SVPD’s Dispatch Center handled more than 3,000 emergency calls and approximately 20,000 non-emergency calls. The average response time to emergency calls in 2023 was approximately two minutes (SVPD, 2023).

The Police Department has both formal and informal assistance agreements with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol. Assistance may range from immediate help with an emergency problem to large or complicated criminal investigations.

Public Works
The Public Works Department includes four divisions, namely: 1) Engineering, 2) Maintenance, 3) Recreation, and 4) Wastewater.

Engineering Division
The Engineering Division includes three primary categories: design and construction, traffic engineering, and land development. The design and construction category includes design and implementation of capital improvement projects. Traffic engineering consists of the review of traffic impact studies, traffic movement counts, capacity analyses, and management of traffic signals throughout the City. Land development includes reviewing projects proposed by

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prospective land developers and coordinating the review process with other departments such as Planning, Police, and other agencies.

Maintenance Division
The Maintenance Division involves street maintenance to include road repair work and striping of public streets within the City, as well as storm drain repair and maintenance; public building maintenance; and City vehicle maintenance. The Maintenance Division also takes care of the City parks; the two largest being Skypark and Siltanen Park. In total, the City has 38.6 acres of developed parks. Facilities include six parks/playgrounds, six soccer fields, four tennis courts, seven softball and baseball fields (four of which are joint use with ball fields), two bocce ball courts, two outside half-court basketball courts, a community center, a senior center, and two childcare facilities on the elementary school campuses.

Additional recreation facilities are provided by the Scotts Valley Unified School District (SVUSD), and the private sector. Public recreation facilities are shown in Figure CSF 1: Schools, Parks and Open Space.

Recreation Division
Recreation programs are administered by the Recreation Division. The Parks and Recreation Commission, a five-member commission appointed by the City Council, is an advisory Commission that oversees the parks and recreation programs.

The Parks and Recreation Commission has the responsibility of preparing a Parks Master Plan to plan for the acquisition, development and improvement of park facilities in Scotts Valley. The City's Parks Master Plan (adopted March 1996) indicates the goal of five acres of developed parks per thousand (1,000) persons. This does not include undeveloped open space and natural resource areas.

With a current population of nearly 12,000, the City has just over three acres of developed park land per thousand persons.

Wastewater Division
The City's sanitary sewer collection system is made up of approximately 45 miles of gravity pipelines, seven lift stations, and eight miles of force main. Wastewater is eventually conveyed to the City’s Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) on Lundy Lane. It provides residents with wastewater treatment services and recycled water for landscape irrigation and other potential uses.

The WRF was constructed in 1964 as a 30,000 gallon/day package wastewater treatment plant to provide secondary level wastewater treatment. In 1972, an activated sludge treatment system was added, and plant capacity expanded to 120,000 gallons/day. Over the years, plant

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capacity has been expanded several times to serve growth in the community and has the capacity to treat 1.5 million gallons each day, enough to see the City through planned build-out.

In 2001, the City received a permit from the Regional Water Quality Control Board to produce recycled water for unrestricted irrigation use. The tertiary treatment facility is treats up to one million gallons per day of recycled water which is used mainly for irrigation at local parks, schools, residences, landscape medians, and businesses. Following disinfection, the tertiary treated water meets State Title 22 standards for water reuse in California and is safe for all permitted uses.

City of Scotts Valley has partnered with the Scotts Valley Water District, which is the permitted distributor of the recycled water produced at the tertiary treatment facility. An average monthly recycled water demand ranges between 0.8 million gallons in January to 9.4 million gallons in July. Annual demand has been fairly stable at approximately 60 million gallons.

Other Community Service and Facility Providers
Fire Protection
As shown in Figure CSF-2: Fire Districts, the Scotts Valley Fire District (SVFD) provides all risk emergency response to a variety of incidents including fires, medical calls, hazardous materials incidents, rescues, and vehicle accidents for both the City of Scotts Valley and the surrounding unincorporated areas. SVFD is an autonomous special district, with funding generated from the area’s property taxes. SVFD serves approximately 22,000 people in a 22-square-mile area. The SVFD boundaries run to Highway 17 at Highway 1 to the south, just beyond Laurel Road along upper Highway 17 to the north, Graham Hill Road through Henry Cowell, down to the City of Santa Cruz to the west, and along the Glen Canyon, Granite Creek, and Vine Hill Road areas to the East. The City of Scotts Valley lies within the district boundaries and represents 4.5 square miles of the total area served and approximately 60 percent of the SVFD’s service area population.

SVFD has mutual aid agreements with numerous regional fire districts, including the Santa Cruz City Fire Department, Central Fire Protection District, Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District, Felton Fire Protection District, Zayante Fire Department, and Cal Fire. The District currently manages and provides administrative oversight for the adjoining Branciforte Fire District.

SVFD operates two fire stations (both within the Scotts Valley city limits) and has 24-line firefighting personnel. Station One (headquarters), is located at 7 Erba Lane, and Station Two is located at 251 Glenwood Drive. The District has 27 full-time employees which include line firefighters and the administrative staff. The District also employs two part-time secretaries and 10 paid call firefighters which are used to supplement the Fire District’s regular career firefighters on emergency incidents and in community service activities.

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SVFD provides fire prevention services related to the enforcement of local and state fire codes, public fire prevention education, and the investigation of the cause and origins of fire. The Fire Prevention Division provides a comprehensive fire/life safety plan review for land development, new building construction, interior remodel projects, fire suppression, and fire alarm systems.

In addition, periodic construction inspections are performed to ensure that completed projects conform to both state and local fire safety regulations.

SVFD responded to more than 2,300 district wide calls in 2023. The majority (more than 55 percent) of these calls were medical emergency calls. SVFD has a cooperative agreement with the Santa Cruz regional 911 dispatch center, also known as NETCOM, for all emergency and non-emergency dispatching.

Additional information regarding SVFD can be found at www.scottsvalleyfire.com. Additional information regarding wildfire hazards is discussed in the Safety & Noise element.

Water Services
Water is provided by three sources: the Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD), the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD), and private wells. As shown in Figure CSF-3: Water Districts, the SVWD and SLVWD service area boundaries extend beyond the City’s Planning Area boundaries.

These two districts are responsible for providing public water services for residential, institutional and commercial purposes and for fire protection in their respective service areas.

Both the Scotts Valley Water District and the San Lorenzo Valley Water District rely mainly on groundwater in Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin to serve their respective customers.

SVWD has actively managed groundwater in the area since the early 1980s to increase water supply reliability and to protect local water supply sources. In 1983, SVWD instituted a Water Resources Management Plan to monitor and manage water resources, in 1994 the agency formally adopted a Groundwater Management Plan in accordance with AB3030, also known as the Groundwater Management Act under Water Code section 10750.

In 1995, SVWD, SLVWD, Mount Hermon Association, Lompico County Water District, City of Scotts Valley and County of Santa Cruz signed a Memorandum of Understanding forming Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin Advisory Committee that was actively involved in the cooperative groundwater management of the basin until its dissolution and substitution with Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency (SMGWA) in 2017. SMGWA is a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) that was established as a Joint Powers Authority in response to the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) that required the formation of local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) that must assess conditions in their local water basins and adopt groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs). The Santa Margarita Groundwater

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Sustainability Plan (2021) includes the following elements: basin description including groundwater levels, groundwater quality, subsidence, information on groundwater-surface water interaction, data on historical and projected water demands and supplies, monitoring and management provisions, and a description of how the plan will affect other plans, including city and county general plans. The Plan was approved by the Department of Water Resources in April 2023and is evaluated every five years after its adoption.

Additional information can be found at www.smgwa.org.

In accordance with the California Water Code (CWC), urban water suppliers with 3,000 or more service connections or supplying 3,000 or more acre-feet of water per year are required to prepare an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) every five years. The UWMP is a longrange planning tool that guides the actions of the public water suppliers and provides the elected officials, managers and the public with a broad perspective regarding various water supply issues. The Districts completed individual UWMPs in prior years; however, they decided to prepare a regional UWMP in 2020 because they are adjacent water districts that share groundwater and have a long history of partnering on various projects and activities.

Scotts Valley Water District
The Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) was formed under County Water District Law in 1961.

Its service area includes most of the City of Scotts Valley as well as some unincorporated areas north of the City with the service area of 5.5 square miles serving approximately 10,600 people.

SVWD relies entirely on local groundwater for its potable water supply. Currently surface water is not part of the water supply portfolio, however, supplemental supply planning includes diversification of the supply and supplementing the groundwater with surface water via a conjunctive use with neighboring agencies, as well as utilization of the excess recycled water for future permitted uses.

SVWD service area boundaries include most of the City of Scotts Valley (City) as well as some unincorporated areas north of the City. Groundwater from the Santa Margarita Basin is the source of potable water supply for SVWD.

Potable Water
SVWD owns and maintains approximately 60 miles of potable water mains, several potable water storage tanks, pump stations, production wells, and water treatment facilities.

Additionally, SVWD owns a recycled water distribution system.

As of 2023, the SVWD has six production wells that have a combined capacity of approximately 2,000 gallons per minute (gpm), or 2.87 million gallons per day (mgd), or 3,214-acre feet per year (afy). From the 1970’s to the 2000’s, groundwater production steadily rose to a peak of

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2,077 afy in 2003. Since then, average production has declined by 40% due to water use efficiency measures, and service connection conversions from potable to recycled water.

Recycled Water
Recycled water has been available in Scotts Valley since 2002 and the program has expanded steadily through expansion of pipelines and service connections. The existing recycled water distribution system is comprised of a storage tank, pump station, approximately six miles of recycled water distribution mains, and supplies an annual average of approximately 200-acre feet per year (afy) water.

San Lorenzo Valley Water District
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District supplies water service to approximately 500 customers in the Pasatiempo Pines and Manana Woods area of Scotts Valley (SLVWD South Zone) from three wells located near the Santa Cruz County Probation Center. These wells have a combined pumping capacity of approximately 700 gallons per minute. Within the Scotts Valley portion of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District there are three major storage facilities with a combined storage capacity of 390,000 gallons, and approximately 4.5-mile transmission and distribution system.

Private Wells
There are several private wells in the Scotts Valley area that provide water for residential, commercial, and industrial uses, including the Valley Gardens Golf Course and several large mobile home parks. The County of Santa Cruz has the responsibility for permitting and registering the private groundwater wells.

Additional information about the SVWD and SLVWD can be found at:
www.svwd.org
www.slvwd.com
Additional information regarding water services can also be found in Chapter 5: Open Space & Conservation.

Scotts Valley Unified School District
The Scotts Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) operates the public-school system within the City of Scotts Valley. SVUSD administers two elementary schools; Vine Hill Elementary and Brook Knoll Elementary (K-5); Scotts Valley Middle School (6-8), and Scotts Valley High School (9-12).

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Total SVUSD school enrollment for elementary and secondary students for the 2022/2023 academic year was 2,237. This roughly equates to approximately 600 students for each elementary school and the middle school, and 800 students for the high school.

SVHS participates in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program – the only one in Santa Cruz County and among only a few within the Monterey Bay area. The IB program is an alternative to the more common advanced placement (AP) program that most high schools provide for their more academically oriented students seeking college preparation. It draws students from around the county and serves as a valuable distinguishing feature for Scotts Valley.

Additionally, there are students that reside in the City of Scotts Valley who attend private schools within Scotts Valley. These include Baymonte Christian School, Child’s Reflection, Montessori Scotts Valley, and Monterey Coast Preparatory School.

Additional information can be found at scottsvalley-ca.schoolloop.com.

Solid Waste Management
GreenWaste Recovery, a private contractor, provides weekly collection of garbage, recyclable materials, and yard trimmings for residents and businesses in the City of Scotts Valley. Solid waste (garbage and yard trimmings) is transported to the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD) and eventually disposed of in the Monterey Peninsula Landfill while recyclables are delivered to the GreenWaste transfer facility in Watsonville and eventually taken to the GreenWaste Materials recovery campus in San José (GreenWaste, 2022).

The Monterey Peninsula Landfill, located in Monterey County, is permitted until 2107 and has a maximum capacity of 49,700,000 cubic yards of solid waste, with approximately 48,560,000 cubic yards of remaining capacity. The Monterey Peninsula Landfill is permitted to receive 3,500 tons of solid waste per day.

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Goals, Policies & Actions
Goal CSF-1 To provide reliable and cost-effective water, wastewater, and solid waste management services that is sustainably managed.

Policies
Region
Policy CSF-1.1 Groundwater Management Coordination
Support the collaborative efforts by the Scotts Valley Water District, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, the County of Santa Cruz who are responsible for sustainably managing the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin.

Policy CSF-1.2 Solid Waste Management Coordination
Coordinate with the Santa Cruz County Recycling and Solid Waste Services and other local non-profit agencies to carry out community public health education and waste reduction programs.

City
Policy CSF-1.3 Annexation
Confirm with the relevant agencies prior to a city-led annexation that adequate water and disposal services can be provided for the proposed annexation area.

Policy CSF-1.4 Master Plans
Conduct periodic updates to wastewater, and stormwater master plans and require all new development requiring discretionary review to be consistent with the current master plans.

Policy CSF-1.5 Special District Management Plans
Work cooperatively with the Scotts Valley Water District and San Lorenzo Valley Water District to update their Urban Water Management Plan and other water management related plans as necessary.

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Policy CSF-1.6 Water Facility Protection
Work in coordination with the relevant agencies to protect existing and future water, wastewater, and recycled water facilities from encroachment by incompatible land uses that may be allowed through discretionary land use permits or changes in land use or zoning designations.

Policy CSF-1.7 Waste Diversion Rate
Support efforts to meet the state’s current and future waste diversion goals through City, County and other agency’s recycling and diversion programs.

Policy CSF-1.8 Expanded Materials Recycling
Encourage increased recycling of materials by commercial, industrial, and residential generators.

Project
Policy CSF-1.9 New Development
The City shall not allow existing or new private wells to service new development that requires discretionary review.

Policy CSF-1.10 Regulatory Compliance
Monitor the development review process to support compliance with the water efficiency related regulations.

Policy CSF-1.11 Wastewater Improvements
Plan for necessary improvements and associated funding to ensure adequate levels of wastewater treatment are available to meet the demand of the service area.

Policy CSF-1.12 Development-funded Facilities
Where practical and appropriate, require new developments to construct onsite or off-site facilities that benefit larger group of constituents than just the ones served by the new development. In such instances, establish a process by which a future development is to reimburse the original development a proportionate share of the original cost of the facilities to the degree of the benefit received by them.

Policy CSF-1.13 Stormwater Management
Require new development to maintain predevelopment runoff levels, consistent with State regulations.

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Policy CSF-1.14 Recycled Water
Support the expansion of recycled water infrastructure throughout Scotts Valley and require new development to connect to recycled water system if appropriate and feasible.

Actions
Action CSF-1.1 Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Compliance Develop an agreement between the City and the Scotts Valley Water District to ensure that all landscape construction within the City will comply with the State 2015 Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). 1 Action CSF-1.2 Greywater Systems
Adopt the Over-the-Counter Building Permit for simple greywater systems. 2 Action CSF-1.3 Compliance with Senate Bill 407
Establish the standard operating procedures and support the Scotts Valley Water District in addressing the compliance of CA Senate Bill 407. 3 1 The City adopted this ordinance by default per state law in 2016, and the only known compliance activity pertains to large multi-family developments that are reviewed by the Scotts Valley Water District via a third party. This agreement would ensure that the City is in compliance with the state law to ensure new (and large retrofitted landscapes) are in compliance for water use efficiency and to support new development. 2 As a pilot program in 2016, a branched drain residential greywater system was installed within the City of Scotts Valley with a provisional overthe-counter greywater permit. On September 9, 2016, the permit was granted by the City. The City has expressed support of permanently adopting the permit form modeled after the Cities of Marina and Monterey. 3 This bill requires public entities that supply water to adopt a program for tracking disclosures made upon the transfer of real estate water use efficiency. The District currently collects these for the municipality but lacks an appropriate form with the City logo and updated requirements on it.

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Goal CSF-2 To provide high-quality emergency services for Scotts Valley residents, businesses, and visitors.

Policies
Region
Policy CSF-2.1 Interagency Support
Participate in mutual aid system and automatic aid agreements to back up and supplement capabilities to respond to emergencies.

Policy CSF-2.2 Interagency Communications
Maintain an effective communication system between emergency service providers within Scotts Valley and neighboring jurisdictions.

Policy CSF-2.3 Regional Crime Prevention
Participate in multi-jurisdictional crime suppression units with emphasis on career criminal apprehension and reducing the number of victims.

City
Policy CSF-2.4 Police Service
Ensure appropriate police staff, stations, equipment, and training to meet the demands of city residents, employees and visitors.

Policy CSF-2.5 Fire Service
Support the Scotts Valley Fire District’s efforts to maintain staffing, facilities, and training activities to effectively respond to emergency and public service calls.

Policy CSF-2.6 Emergency Preparedness Planning
Maintain an emergency operations plan and emergency operations center to prepare for actual or threatened conditions of disaster or extreme peril.

Policy CSF-2.7 Police Response Time
The Police Department will strive to maintain a maximum three-minute response time to emergency calls within the City, 24 hours a day.

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Policy CSF-2.8 Community-based Program Development
The Police Department will proactively promote community involvement and participation to define community needs, confirm priorities, and develop programs, which meet their needs, while also promoting neighborhood crime prevention programs.

Policy CSF-2.9 Community Outreach
Conduct outreach in the community to promote personal and public safety in daily life and in cases of emergency. Regularly update and inform the public on the real levels of crime and safety to strengthen their perceived sense of personal security.

Policy CSF-2.10 Drug and Crime Prevention for Youth
Work with the Scotts Valley School District and private schools to provide drug and crime prevention education and awareness.

Project
Policy CSF-2.11 Plan Review
All new development shall be referred to the Police Department for law and Scotts Valley Fire District for plan review evaluation of crime reduction, fire, and life safety issues.

Policy CSF-2.12 Safety and Crime Prevention Through Design Seek ways to reduce police service demands through land use planning and project design.

Policy CSF-2.13 Community Wildfire Protection Planning
Require new development in areas susceptible to wildfires to be responsible for fire prevention activities (e.g., visible house numbering and use of fireresistant and fire-retardant building and landscape materials) and to provide a defensible zone to inhibit the spread of wildfires.

Actions
Action CSF-2.1 Emergency Services Budgeting
During the annual budget review, assess the present and future requirements of the Police Department and allocate a budget commensurate with the City’s needs.

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Goal CSF-3 To provide ample, safe, and well-maintained park and recreation facilities and programs that serve the needs of the community.

Policies
Region
Policy CSF-3.1 Multiuse Trail Network
Work in coordination with other state and local organizations in the development of a regionally integrated, multiuse trail network as identified in the City’s Parks Master Plan.

Policy CSF-3.2 Connected Trails
Where appropriate, trails shall connect with parks and recreational areas.

City
Policy CSF-3.3 Park Planning
Plan parks and recreation facilities adequate for the City’s recreational needs, activities, and programs, commensurate with projected population growth.

Policy CSF-3.4 Locating Park and Recreation Areas
Locate and design park and recreation areas to provide for ease of access by pedestrians and bicyclists.

Policy CSF-3.5 Mobility Access to Park and Recreation Facilities As a part of the City's open space/park and recreation implementation plan, incorporate trails, paths, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes to provide ease of access to and in the identified park and recreation areas.

Policy CSF-3.6 Park Concessions
Plan for the expansion of concessions in parks and recreation facilities.

Policy CSF-3.7 Preventative Maintenance
Fund and staff regularly scheduled preventative maintenance of all recreation facilities.

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Policy CSF-3.8 Coordination with Schools
Coordinate with local schools to expand parks and recreation opportunities for the community through joint use agreements; co-development, expanding, and refurbishing; and other collaborative efforts.

Policy CSF-3.9 Small Park Opportunity Sites
Evaluate all lands, regardless of size, for their potential development as small parks, community gardens, landscape lots, etc.

Policy CSF-3.10 Ongoing Maintenance
Ensure that ongoing maintenance needs are addressed in the development and funding plans for any new or expanded parks, recreation facilities, and open space.

Policy CSF-3.11 Recreation Programs
Provide adequate recreation programs that serve the needs of all members of the community including youth, seniors, and disabled persons.

Policy CSF-3.12 Parkland and in-Kind Contributions
The Parks and Recreation Commission should advise the City Council regarding the acceptance or rejection of offers of donations of money, personal and/or real property to the City for recreational and park purposes and use and make recommendations where appropriate.

Policy CSF-3.13 Sale or Purchase of Parkland
The City Council should solicit the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission regarding the sale or purchases of lands for park and recreation purposes.

Policy CSF-3.14 Recreation Fees and Budgets
The City Council should refer proposed changes to the Recreation Division's fee schedule and Parks and Recreation Division 's budgets to the Parks and Recreation Commission for its recommendation prior to City Council action.

Policy CSF-3.15 Volunteer Support & Private Funding
Volunteer efforts and private financial resources should be promoted and used in combination with public funds for enhancement, acquisition, maintenance and operation of park and recreation facilities. The Parks and Recreation Commission and/or park specialist should solicit volunteer efforts and private financial resources.

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Neighborhood
Policy CSF-3.16 Access to the Lodato Park Trail System
The City shall work with property owners towards obtaining increased and ultimately full-time access to the trail system connecting to Lodato Park.

Project
Policy CSF-3.17 Provision of Park Land and Facilities
Condition new development requiring discretionary review to provide for the orderly completion of the City's comprehensive park system, including bicycle paths and hiking trails.

Policy CSF-3.18 Dedication of Trail Easements
The City shall require public dedication of trail easements and bike paths in new projects located along adopted routes.

Policy CSF-3.19 Construction of Trails and Bike Paths
For new development requiring discretionary review, the City may require where appropriate, the dedication and construction of trails and bike paths consistent with the General Plan policies as part of project approval.

Policy CSF-3.20 Minimizing Trail Impacts
When siting and designing new trails, seek to minimize impacts to sensitive biological and scenic resources.

Policy CSF-3.21 Public Safety
Promote public safety in planning, design, construction, and use of all recreation facilities.

Policy CSF-3.22 Parkland Siting
Locate and design park and recreation areas to provide for ease of access by pedestrians, bicyclists, and, where feasible, transit and equestrian.

Policy CSF-3.23 Land Use Compatibility
Park and recreation areas should be planned, developed, and used in a manner which is compatible with adjacent land uses.

Policy CSF-3.24 Recreation for New Development
Ensure that adequate park land is provided in conjunction with new residential development, concurrent with the City’s parks, recreation and open space, land and facilities development fee schedule.

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Policy CSF-3.25 Commercial and Industrial Development
All commercial and industrial developments shall provide recreational facilities on-site or contribute money to enhance the City's park and recreation system.

Actions
Action CSF-3.1 Parks Master Plan
Maintain a citywide Parks Master Plan that sets service standards and strategic goals for the development and maintenance of parks and related facilities.

Action CSF-3.2 Park Grant Funding
Continue to solicit state open space, park and recreation, and access grants to acquire park land and/or to expand and develop the City's existing park facilities.

Action CSF-3.3 Commercial and Industrial Recreation Provisions Amend City Code to require commercial and industrial development to provide open space/recreation facilities within the project. In the alternative, require dedication of land or in-lieu fees for park and recreation amenities.

Action CSF-3.4 Park Programming Assessment
Periodically reassess the changing needs of the community for recreation programs.

Action CSF-3.5 Park Design
The Parks and Recreation Commission shall develop specific designs for the park sites identified in the Parks Master Plan. These designs should provide recreation opportunities and facilities to meet the needs of various target groups: youth, adults and seniors, with emphasis on lifetime sports and activities for the expanding adult population.

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Goal CSF-4 To provide great schools and high quality educational and training facilities and programs that define Scotts Valley as the preeminent community for families and a skilled workforce.

Policies
Region
Policy CSF-4.1 Educational Partners
Partner with educational institutions throughout the region to expand the range and quality of educational offerings available to the community.

City
Policy CSF-4.2 Academic Excellence
Advocate for the continued pursuit of academic excellence in schools serving the Scotts Valley community.

Policy CSF-4.3 Adequate School Facilities
Encourage communication and cooperation between the City, applicants for residential development projects, and appropriate educational districts and agencies to ensure that adequate, safe school facilities and services are planned to provide a quality educational environment for anticipated growth.

Policy CSF-4.4 School Access
Coordinate with the school districts to improve access to school facilities that maximize access, walkability, and safety, while minimizing impacts to surrounding neighborhoods. Implement the Safe Routes to School program where funded. Re-stripe streets for school zone safety as needed.

Policy CSF-4.5 Joint Use of Facilities
Continue to encourage school administrations to enable non-school hour use of their facilities by the public for educational and recreational purposes.

Policy CSF-4.6 Workforce Training
Collaborate with industrial organizations, businesses, and educational institutions to create opportunities for workforce training.

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Policy CSF-4.7 Youth Programs
Work with public and private school administrators to promote or sponsor teen activities such as dances, job fairs, special classes geared to teen interests and issues, and volunteer programs for youth. Develop programs that promote youth leadership, empowerment, self-esteem, and an understanding, appreciation, and respect for cultural diversity.

Project
Policy CSF-4.8 Project Review Adjacent to School Property The Planning Department shall submit any General Plan amendment, rezoning, or project development proposals for properties adjacent to existing or future school sites to the appropriate school district for review and comment prior to preparation of the City staff report.

Goal CSF-5 To provide high-quality community facilities and programs that connect members of all ages and abilities to a broad range of cultural, informational, and recreational resources.

Policies
City
Policy CSF-5.1 Cultural Facilities
Encourage the establishment of a broad range of facilities and events that expose Scott Valley residents to a variety of cultures, the arts, history, and technology.

Policy CSF-5.2 Library Services
Assure that basic library services are provided free of charge.

Policy CSF-5.3 Libraries and Community Centers
Support any improvements and programs associated with libraries and community centers as focal points for community engagement and information for residents of all ages and abilities.

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Policy CSF-5.4 Lifelong Learning
Enhance and expand Scotts Valley’s library facilities to meet the evolving educational and lifelong learning needs of the community. Coordinate with local educational institutions to offer courses and learning opportunities outside the classroom.

Policy CSF-5.5 Recreation Programs
Provide and/or sponsor recreational programs and services that are accessible and affordable to residents of all ages and abilities and encourage active and healthy living.

Policy CSF-5.6 Access to Community Facilities. Support the improvement of transit connections to community facilities for people who are transit dependent.

Actions
Action CSF-5.1 Youth Programs
Coordinate with public and private schools, local nonprofits, service clubs, and other agencies to provide opportunities for youth to explore and enjoy sports, creative and performing arts, future career paths, civic activities, and volunteer opportunities.

Action CSF-5.2 Senior Programs
Collaborate with service providers to provide a wide variety of senior services and programs, including daily opportunities for seniors to have physical activity, social interaction, and mental stimulation.

Action CSF-5.3 Childcare and Childhood Development
Encourage efforts to expand the overall capacity of and access to local childcare and early childhood development centers.

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Goal CSF-6 Seek to create a community that promotes a physical, social, and business environment that improves the health and well-being of its citizens.

Policies
Regional
Policy CSF-6.1 Multiagency Coordination
Coordinate the activities and communications between code enforcement, fire, police, and public health agencies in the City of Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz County to proactively identify and ameliorate hazardous building and living conditions that create chronic health problems.

City
Policy CSF-6.2 Community Education
Provide and/or support the provision of campaigns that motivate healthy lifestyles and teach residents about the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating habits. Emphasize abuse prevention education for children in coordination with schools and the fire department.

Policy CSF-6.3 Healthy and Local Food Venues
Encourage stores and restaurants to offer and promote healthy food options, with a focus on underserved areas and areas near schools. Support incentives that encourage the development of retail venues that sell local, fresh produce. Actively support and provide space for a farmer(s) market.

Policy CSF-6.4 Health and Social Services
Support the permitting of sites for and services from organizations providing a broad range of health, prevention, and treatment services that reach individuals and families commensurate with the needs in Scotts Valley.

Policy CSF-6.5 Healthy Workplace
Encourage building design and employee programs and policies that maintain and improve the health, well-being, and productivity of employees.

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Policy CSF-6.6 Access to Medical Facilities
Work with healthcare providers to improve transit connections to local and regional healthcare facilities for people who are transit dependent.

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure CSF-1: Schools, Parks and Open Space ±

C O M M U N I T Y

L E G E N D
Vine Hill Elementary School
Siltanen Park
Al Shugart Park
Glenwood Preserve
Little Triangle Park
Lodato Park
Skypark MacDorsa Park
Hocus Pocus Park Vern Hart Fishing Park
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¬«1 Scotts Valley High School
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Scotts Valley Middle School
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Open Space
Parks
Schools
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City Limit Planning Area

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure CSF-2: Fire Districts ±

C O M M U N I T Y

L E G E N D
City_Parcels
Mask_Planning_Area
County_Parcels
Scotts Valley Fire Protection District
Planning Area City Limit
Scotts Valley Fire Protection District
Branciforte Fire Protection District
CSA 48 Santa Cruz County Fire
Zayante Fire Protection District

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure CSF-3: Water Districts ±

C O M M U N I T Y
Water Districts
San Lorenzo Valley Water District
Scotts Valley Water District

L E G E N D
Planning Area City Limit

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The Scotts Valley Environmental Review is provided
pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15123. It
includes an overview of the proposed action,
significant effects, mitigation strategies, alternatives, and potential areas of controversy. For additional
detail regarding specific issues, including the existing environmental conditions, please refer to the
respective element of this General Plan.

ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW

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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The purpose of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is to inform decision-makers and the general public of the environmental effects of a project that an agency may implement or approve. The EIR process is intended to provide information sufficient to evaluate the Scotts Valley General Plan (the project or proposed project) and its potential for significant impacts on the environment, to examine methods of reducing adverse impacts, and to consider alternatives to the project. The project site includes the City limits and the City of Scotts Valley Planning Area, as shown in Figure I-1 Regional Location.

This EIR has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as amended. In accordance with the requirements of CEQA, this EIR includes the following sections:
 A summary of the project;
 A project description;
 A description of the existing environmental setting, potential environmental impacts, and mitigation measures;
 Alternatives to the project as proposed; and
 Environmental consequences, including (a) any significant environmental effects which cannot be avoided if the project is implemented; (b) any significant irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources; (c) the growth inducing impacts of the project; (d) effects found not to be significant; and (e) cumulative impacts.

Current Status
Recommended by Planning Commission to City Council – DATE Accepted by City Council at Public Hearing – DATE

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Summary of the Proposed Action
The project is an update to the City’s existing 1994 General Plan which will guide the City’s development and conservation over the next 20 + years.

State law requires that a general plan contain eight elements: land use, circulation, housing, open space, noise, safety, environmental justice, and conservation. The contents of these elements are outlined in state law. The City of Scotts Valley General Plan would bring the General Plan into compliance with recently enacted state laws and reflect current data as well as public and staff participation. The project addresses the following General Plan elements:
 Land Use
 Economic Development
 Housing
 Mobility
 Open Space & Conservation
 Safety & Noise
 Community Services & Facilities
The General Plan addresses the current needs and preferences of the community. It identifies and prioritizes opportunities to preserve the character of the community, conserve natural resources, and direct land use policies that enable sustainable growth in and around Scotts Valley.

The General Plan is the long-range plan or roadmap for the City as a whole. Updates to the General Plan include changes to various policies, addressing land use compatibility and development intensities, establishing impact thresholds for future development projects, and implementing various actions that would help meet its goals.

General Plan Buildout Assumptions
The Land Use Element describes the General Plan buildout assumptions that were used as the basis for this environmental review.

Public Agency Approvals
The project requires adoption by the Scotts Valley City Council. The Planning Commission and other decision-making bodies have reviewed the project and made recommendations to City Council. While other agencies have been consulted during the General Plan process, their approval is not required for adoption of the General Plan. However, subsequent development

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under the General Plan may require approval of state, federal and/or responsible trustee agencies that may rely on this programmatic EIR for decisions in their areas of expertise.

Potential Environmental Impacts of the Project
This EIR focuses on the resource areas/issues germane to updating the General Plan. It evaluates potentially significant environmental impacts of the project and evaluates whether there are feasible mitigation measures that may lessen or avoid such impacts. As the project does not include any specific construction or development, but rather the potential for land use changes or development to be constructed in the future, the impact analysis is programmatic and cumulative in nature. This EIR also identifies and evaluates alternatives to the updated General Plan. This EIR evaluates potentially significant environmental effects related to the following environmental issues:
 Aesthetics
 Air Quality
 Biological Resources
 Cultural Resources & Tribal Cultural Resources
 Geology & Soils
 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
 Hazards & Hazardous Materials
 Hydrology & Water Quality
 Land Use & Planning
 Noise
 Population & Housing
 Public Services & Recreation
 Transportation
 Utilities & Service Systems
 Wildfire
As part of the Notice of Preparation (7/16/20), the following environmental resources were determined to not pose significant impacts, as described below in Effects Not Found to be Significant:
 Agricultural & Forestry Resources
 Energy

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 Mineral Resources
This environmental review chapter, in combination with several other elements of the General Plan document, serves as the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the project and provides the environmental information and analysis and primary CEQA documentation necessary to adequately consider the effects of the General Plan. The City of Scotts Valley, as Lead Agency, has approval authority and responsibility for considering the environmental effects of the whole of the project.

CEQA allows the Lead Agency to integrate the EIR as a chapter of the General Plan, as described in Section 15166 EIR – As Part of a General Plan, which states:
(a) The requirements for preparing an EIR on a local general plan, element, or amendment thereof will be satisfied by using the general plan, or element document, as the EIR and no separate EIR will be required, if:
(1) The general plan addresses all the points required to be in an EIR by Article 9 of these Guidelines, and
(2) The document contains a special section or a cover sheet identifying where the general plan document addresses each of the points required. 1 (b) Where an EIR rather than a Negative Declaration has been prepared for a general plan, element, or amendment thereto, the EIR shall be forwarded to the State Clearinghouse for review. The requirement shall apply regardless of whether the EIR is prepared as a separate document or as a part of the general plan or element document.

Summary of Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures Potentially Significant Impacts
With the exception of the Significant Unavoidable Impacts described below, all potentially significant and cumulative impacts identified in this Chapter 8: Environmental Review were 1 Article 9 Contents of the EIRs requires inclusion of sections 15122 through 15131. These section are included in this Chapter 8: Environmental Review of the GP with the exception of section 15125 Environmental Setting which is included in the Background and Context of each respective Element.

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determined to be less than significant due to the respective policies and action items described in this General Plan.

Significant Unavoidable Impacts
A significant and unavoidable impact was identified for Impact AQ-2 regarding a cumulatively considerable net increase in criteria pollutants. The most recent AMBAG 2018 Population, Housing Unit, and Employment Forecasts project population growth in five-year increments to the year 2040. The 2040 population forecast for the City of Scotts Valley by AMBAG is 12,418 persons. Since the General Plan assumes a population buildout of 15,400 (see Table LU-1:

General Plan Buildout Summary), the General Plan would be inconsistent with the AQMP. This inconsistency in population forecasts is considered to result in a cumulatively considerable significant air quality impact. Due to the projected population growth, regional emissions would remain significant, and the General Plan would likely remain inconsistent with the AQMP. No further mitigation is feasible to reduce this impact. Therefore, this impact would remain significant and unavoidable.

A significant and unavoidable impact was identified for Impact T-1 regarding the exceedance of VMT thresholds. While Impact T-1 identifies goals and policies in the Mobility Element, and the City’s VMT Implementation Guidelines identifies strategies to reduce VMT, impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan would not be reduced to less than significant due to the increased development, new roadways, and increased use of the City’s and regional transportation system. While project-level impact mitigation shall be analyzed to reduce the significance of VMT-related impacts and the City VMT Implementation Guidelines will be continually improved and innovated to require VMT reduction to the extent feasible, this impact would be significant and unavoidable.

No other significant impacts were identified in this EIR. This is due to the fact that this General Plan is a programmatic policy document and does not propose specific development projects.

Furthermore, where potential significant impacts were initially identified, additional policies were added to the General Plan to “pre-mitigate” such impacts. Lastly, the City of Scotts Valley is a compact urban community that is surrounded by natural barriers to outward expansion. As described in the Land Use Element, developable areas within the City limits are largely built out.

As an established community, new development accommodated by the General Plan would be considered infill development, both on limited remaining vacant lands or intensification and/or redevelopment on underutilized parcels.

Cumulative Impacts
CEQA Guidelines
CEQA requires that an EIR contain an assessment of the cumulative impacts that could be associated with the proposed project. According to CEQA Guidelines Section 15130(a), “an EIR shall discuss cumulative impacts of a project when the project’s incremental effect is

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cumulatively considerable.” Where a lead agency is examining a project with an incremental effect that is not “cumulative considerable,” a lead agency need not consider that effect significant but shall briefly describe its basis for concluding that the incremental effect is not cumulatively considerable.

Cumulative Analysis Approach
In the case of a General Plan, the plan’s cumulative effects are more challenging to assess since the scale of a General Plan does not meet the standard “project” description as envisioned by CEQA. Some agencies take the approach that the General Plan’s environmental analysis is one and the same with the cumulative analysis since the General Plan anticipates full buildout of the Planning Area and represents the ultimate “list of projects”.

However, such an approach circumvents the primary purpose of the requirement of analyzing the combined effect of “closely related” projects. For this reason, the Scotts Valley General Plan is evaluated in the context of its cumulative effect when considered with the general plans of neighboring communities. Specifically, this analysis includes a qualitative discussion of anticipated environmental effects of the combined planning efforts of Santa Cruz County and the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Watsonville. Using the general plans of other communities provides a more regional perspective on cumulative development impacts within the broader Santa Cruz County.

Cumulative Effects
Based on the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) Regional Growth Forecast (AMBAG, June 2018), the population of Santa Cruz County is estimated to increase by 9% over the next 20 years (2020 to 2040), compared to only 2% for Scotts Valley. Although the current growth rate of Santa Cruz County can be expected to fluctuate and probably slow to some degree, it can be assumed, based on AMBAGs forecast, that the population of the County has the potential to grow from approximately 281,147 to 306,881 (25,734), as compared to 12,145 to 12,418 (273) for Scotts Valley.

Cumulative impacts must be discussed when they are significant. Only significant cumulative effects are analyzed in this EIR, which include:
 Air Quality
 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
 Public Services & Utilities (Groundwater)
 Transportation (VMT)

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Project Alternatives Considered
Two land use alternatives to the General Plan have been evaluated in the environmental review. These alternatives included a “No Project Alternative” and a “Lower Intensity Alternative.”
Based on the alternatives analysis contained within the Alternatives Analysis section of this EIR, the environmental review concludes that the Lower Intensity Alternative would be the “environmentally superior alternative.” CEQA requires the identification of such an alternative as a component of the alternatives analysis.

Growth-Inducing Effects
Section 15126.2(d) of the CEQA Guidelines provides the following guidance regarding growth‐ inducing impacts: a project is identified as growth inducing if it “could foster economic or population growth, or the construction of additional housing, either directly or indirectly, in the surrounding environment.” Potential growth inducing components of the project would relate to labor requirements for construction, as well as conversion of land uses, generally from vacant and underdeveloped/underutilized land to residential and commercial uses. Given the nature of gradual land development over time that has been the predominant pattern for more than 20 years in Scotts Valley, employment would be unlikely to induce significant growth in the Planning Area.

Significant Irreversible Commitment of Resources
Section 15126.2(c) of the CEQA Guidelines defines an irreversible impact as an impact that uses nonrenewable resources during the initial and continued phases of the project. Irreversible impacts can also result from permanent loss of habitat, damage caused by environmental accidents associated with project construction, or operational resource use.

Build‐out of the project would commit nonrenewable resources during project construction and ongoing utility services during project operations. During project operations, oil, gas, and other nonrenewable resources would be consumed. Therefore, an irreversible commitment of nonrenewable resources would occur as a result of long‐term project operations. Compliance with all applicable building codes, policies and goals, and the mitigation measures identified in this EIR would ensure that all natural resources are conserved to the maximum extent possible.

Areas of Controversy
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15132(b)(2), areas of controversy and issues to be resolved that are known to the City or were raised during the scoping process for the EIR include the following comments from public agencies:
 CA Department of Fish & Wildlife submitted a letter (8/11/2020) requesting the CEQA document address issues associated with special-status plant, fish, and wildlife species including all rare, threatened, or endangered species.

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 CA Department of Transportation (Caltrans) submitted a letter (8/11/2020) regarding the using vehicle miles travelled (VMT) as the basis for the transportation analysis, encouraging the use of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, and General Plan consistency with the Caltrans Highway 17 Access Management Plan.  CA Native Heritage Commission submitted a letter (7/20/202) regarding CEQA compliance requirements with AB 52 and SB 18, as well as compliance with any other applicable laws.

Issues to be Resolved
Section 15123(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines requires the summary section of an EIR to identify any "issues to be resolved including the choice among alternatives and how to mitigate significant effects."
The following major issues would be resolved by the City of Scotts Valley in its decision process:
 Determine whether the EIR adequately describes the environmental impacts of the project;
 Choose among alternatives;
 Determine whether the recommended mitigation measures should be adopted or modified; and
 Determine whether additional mitigation measures need to be applied to the project.

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INTRODUCTION
This chapter of the General Plan comprises the environmental review of the project and, combined with several other elements of the General Plan, serves as the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines Section 15166, the EIR is included as part of the General Plan and no separate EIR is required.

Purpose
The City of Scotts Valley has prepared this EIR to provide the public, responsible agencies, and trustee agencies with information about the potential environmental effects of the General Plan (the project). As described in CEQA Guidelines Section 15121(a), an EIR is a public information document that assesses potential environmental effects of the proposed project and identifies mitigation measures and alternatives to the proposed project that could reduce or avoid adverse environmental impacts. Public agencies are charged with the duty to consider and minimize environmental impacts of proposed development where feasible and have an obligation to balance a variety of public objectives, including environmental, economic and social factors.

CEQA requires the preparation of an EIR prior to approval of any “project” that may have a significant effect on the environment. For the purposes of CEQA, the term “project” refers to the whole of an action, which has the potential to result in a direct physical change or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378[a]).

Project Background
Incorporated in 1966, Scotts Valley’s current (2020) population is 12,073. Scotts Valley consists predominantly of single-family neighborhoods constructed in the 1950’s and 60’s, 70’s with typical lot sizes of 7,000-10,000 square feet. The remaining dwelling units consist of multiplefamily residences at a density between 5-20 dwelling units per acre (du/ac).

The City’s previous General Plan was last updated in 1994. Per the City’s General Plan Land Use designations, the City includes residential, commercial, industrial, open space, and civic (government) uses. A large majority (72%) of Scotts Valley is designated residential, followed by commercial and industrial. As discussed in the Land Use Element, commercial and industrial land makes up a small portion of the City (about11%). Uses include retail, office, warehouse/light industrial, and research & development. Most of these uses are located along Scotts Valley Drive and Mount Hermon Road. Other uses include open space (14%), and public (4%).

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Scope and Organization
Sections 15122 through 15132 of the CEQA Guidelines identify the content requirements for a Draft EIR, namely:
 A description of the environmental setting,
 An environmental impact analysis,
 Mitigation measures,
 Alternatives,
 Cumulative impacts,
 Significant irreversible environmental changes, and
 Growth-inducing impacts.

The environmental issues addressed in this EIR were established through the preparation of environmental documentation, technical reports, NOP responses, agency consultation, and review of the project. Accordingly, the City has determined the scope for this EIR.

This document is a “program EIR” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15168 and has been prepared to contemplate a series of future actions (implementation and future development of land within the City’s Planning Area). These actions are related: 1) geographically; and 2) in connection with the goals, policies and actions as described in the General Plan.

This Draft EIR is organized in the following manner:

Project Description
The Introduction of the General Plan provides an overview of the General Plan Community Goals and Vision, a summary of projected growth and subsequent actions to follow General Plan adoption. The Land Use Element provides details regarding city-wide planning boundaries, land uses, densities, projected growth and land use goals, policies and actions. These two chapters provide the information necessary that serves as the Project Description for this EIR.

Environmental Setting
Each element of the General Plan contains a review of the existing conditions and current setting in the City of Scotts Valley. Supporting technical analysis was prepared for the General Plan to provide additional information as it relates to Transportation and Noise.

Applicable Regulations, Plans and Standards
This section describes the relevant CEQA regulatory requirements that apply to the project.

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Impacts and Mitigation Measures
This section includes a description of the potential environmental impacts of the project and associated mitigation measures. Wherever possible, this EIR references specific General Plan goals, policies and actions that serve to mitigate the impacts of General Plan buildout. The General Plan was prepared with environmental factors in mind and is intended to be “selfmitigating” to the extent possible.

Alternatives to the Project
CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.6 requires that an EIR describe a range of reasonable alternatives to the project, which could feasibly attain the basic objectives of the project and avoid and/or lessen the environmental effects of the project. The determinations of the City of Scotts Valley concerning the feasibility, acceptance, or rejection of each and all alternatives considered in this EIR will be addressed in the City’s findings, as required by CEQA.

Cumulative Impact Analysis
Cumulative impacts are analyzed within the respective resource sections, namely:
 Air Quality
 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
 Public Services & Utilities (Groundwater)
 Transportation (VMT)
Other Sections Required by CEQA
This section contains required discussions and analyses of various topical issues mandated by CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.2, including; Effects Found Not to be Significant, Irreversible Environmental Changes, Growth Inducing Impacts, and Significant and Unavoidable Environmental Effects.

Report Preparers
This section provides a list of all authors and agencies that assisted in the preparation of EIR.

Impact Terminology
This Draft EIR uses the following terminology to describe environmental effects of the proposed project:

Standards of Significance: A set of criteria used by the lead agency to determine at what level, or “threshold”, an impact would be considered significant. Significance criteria used in this EIR include: the CEQA Guidelines and Statutes; factual or scientific information; regulatory

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performance standards of local, state, and federal agencies; and the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the City of Scotts Valley General Plan.

Less than Significant Impact: A less than significant impact would cause no substantial change in the environment and no mitigation is required.

Significant Impact: A significant or potentially significant impact may cause a substantial adverse change in the physical conditions of the environment. A "potentially significant impact" occurs when there is a possible impact that cannot be identified at this time (i.e., presence of cultural resources). Significant impacts are identified by the evaluation of project effects using specified standards of significance. Mitigation measures and/or project alternatives are identified to reduce project effects to the environment.

Significant Unavoidable Impact: A significant (or potentially significant) unavoidable impact would result in a substantial change in the environment for which no feasible mitigation is available to reduce the impact to a less than significant level, although mitigation may be available to lessen the degree of the impact.

Cumulative Impact: Cumulative impacts refer to two or more individual effects which, when considered together, are considerable or which compound or increase other environmental impacts.

Intended Uses of this EIR
This EIR provides a programmatic evaluation of the environmental consequences resulting from implementation of the General Plan. This document will be used by the City and other responsible agencies as a first-tier analysis when considering the environmental effects of subsequent projects within the City’s Planning Area. It also provides the baseline environmental information needed by responsible agencies acting on permits relative to the projects within the Planning Area. The Project Description for the General Plan is comprised of the Introduction and Land Use Element.

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AESTHETICS
Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards
Federal
None applicable.

State
California State Highway 17 is listed as an eligible State Scenic Highway. In 1963, the California Legislature established the State’s Scenic Highway Program, intended to preserve and protect scenic highway corridors from changes that would diminish the aesthetic value of lands adjacent to highways. The state laws governing the Scenic Highway Program are found in the Streets and Highways Code, Section 260 et seq.

The State Scenic Highways program is administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The State Scenic Highway System includes highways that are either eligible for designation as scenic highways or have been designated as such.

Local
Relevant General Plan policies associated with the protection of scenic resources, visual character, and new sources of substantial light or glare are described in the respective impacts section, below.

As described in SVMC Section 17.50.030 – Design Review Procedures, a project’s design is required to go through a design review process carry out the objectives of the City’s general plan and related zoning ordinances and to ensure that permits for construction would be carried out in a manner which is not detrimental to surrounding uses and is consistent with the overall planning goals of the City. Proposed projects are reviewed for a wide variety of design issues including: 1) Siting of structures on the property, 2) Materials, colors, proportion, mass and detail, 3) Signage, 4) Landscaping, 5) Parking, 6) Site access, and 7) Building height and access to sunlight.

The Mount Hermon Road Design Guidelines, the Commercial and Industrial Design Review Guidelines, and the Residential Design Handbook provide guidance regarding the protection and enhancement of aesthetic and visual resources, as applicable.

SVMC Chapter 17.56 Signs provides standards for signs to safeguard and enhance the City’s visual image.

The Scotts Valley Municipal Code (SVMC) Section 17.44.080 Tree Protection Regulations regulates the removal of protected trees within the City, in part to preserve scenic beauty.

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SVMC Section 17.39.110 Planned Development Plan Requirements, a lighting plan is required as part of a proposed Planned Development.

Various zoning regulations for both residential and commercial developments include required development standards to protect adjacent residential properties from adverse illumination.

Impacts of the Project
Significance Criteria
An impact of the project would be considered significant and would require mitigation if it would meet one of the following criteria
 Cause a substantial adverse effect on a scenic vista.  Substantially damage scenic resources, including, but not limited to, trees, rock outcroppings, and historic buildings with a State scenic highway.  Substantially degrade the existing visual character or quality of public views of the site and its surroundings. (Public views are those that are experienced from publicly accessible vantage point). If the project is in an urbanized area, would the project conflict with applicable zoning and other regulations governing scenic quality?  Create a new source of substantial light or glare, which would adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area.

Summary of No and/or Beneficial Impacts
None.

Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures
Impact AES-1: Substantially alter an existing scenic vistas, resources or viewsheds. This is considered a less than significant impact.

While the City of Scotts Valley is largely built out, implementation of the General Plan would result in localized alteration to the existing landscape characteristics of the City.

The City of Scotts Valley is a compact urban community that is surrounded by natural barriers to outward expansion. As described in the Land Use Element, developable areas within the City limits are largely built out. As an established community, new development accommodated by the updated General Plan would be considered infill development, both on limited remaining vacant lands or intensification and/or redevelopment on underutilized parcels.

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Figure OSC-5: Viewsheds and Scenic Corridors identifies prominent forested ridges, scenic road corridors along portions of Highway 17 and several redwood canyon riparian areas, and vistas (largely from higher vantage points toward the ridges, or toward the broad sweep of the valley below). Prominent ridges parallel Highway 17 on the east and Scotts Valley Drive on the west, surround the City limits north and west on Glenwood Drive, and follow the Bean Creek/Zayante divide in the southwest part of the City.

While the mapped road corridors largely remain scenic due to dense vegetation or absence of development, those areas visible from Highway 17, Scotts Valley Drive, and Mount Hermon Road should all be considered important. These areas are visually accessible in the Planning Area and therefore make up much of Scotts Valley’s visual image. In the City’s Planning Area, Highway 17, Graham Hill Road, and Mount Hermon Road are designated by Santa Cruz County as scenic and worthy of viewshed protection.

As described in the Open Space & Conservation Element, Goal OSC-2 and associated policies require future development to preserve and protect existing viewsheds and scenic open spaces and corridors. Policies include ridgeline protection, visual integration of new development within the natural setting, clustering development, and careful site planning to protect scenic resources.

Given the fact that the City is largely built out, and there are a number of General Plan goals and polices that protect existing viewsheds and scenic open spaces, substantial impacts to scenic vistas, resources, and viewsheds are considered less than significant and no mitigation is required.

Impact AES-2: Substantially degrade the existing visual character or quality of public views. This is considered a less than significant impact.

Implementation of the General Plan would result in localized alteration to the existing visual character within the City.

Land Use Element Goal LU-1 and associated policies require future development to maintain and enhance Scott Valley’s small-town valley character and community-focused quality of life.

Specific policies address design quality, compatible development, landscaping, and design guidelines.

Land Use Element Goal LU-4 and associated policies require high-quality commercial and mixed-use development within the Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive corridors that create an active and inviting public realm.

As described in the Open Space & Conservation Element, Goal OSC-2 and associated policies require future development to incorporate appropriate site planning and design features to minimize aesthetic impacts and visually integrate with the visual character of surrounding land

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uses and the overall City’s “small town” character. Policies include natural setting integration, landscape screening, infill and clustering of development, street and open space planning, integrated site planning, and quality design.

Additionally, the Mount Hermon Road Design Guidelines, the Commercial and Industrial Design Review Guidelines, and the Residential Design Handbook provide guidance regarding the protection and enhancement of aesthetic and visual resources, as applicable.

Given the fact that the City is largely built out, and there are a number of relevant General Plan goals and polices, as well as City design guidelines and regulations to protect visual character, substantial impacts to visual character is considered less than significant and no mitigation is required.

Impacts AES-3: Create a new source of substantial light or glare, which would adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

Daytime Glare
The main sources of daytime glare are sunlight reflecting from structures and other reflective surfaces and windows. Implementation of the General Plan could introduce new sources of daytime glare into the City and increase the amount of daytime glare associated with new development.

Policy LU-1.13 Commercial & Industrial Development – Daytime Glare requires non-residential development to minimize the use of reflective materials to minimize daytime glare.

Furthermore, the City’s design guidelines and design review process includes the evaluation of building materials, including minimizing the use of reflective building materials.

Given the fact that the City is largely built out, Policy LU-1.13, and the City’s various design guidelines documents, substantial impacts associated with the creation of new sources of daytime glare are considered less than significant and no mitigation is required.

Nighttime Lighting
Implementation of the General Plan would introduce new light sources in undeveloped and underdeveloped portions of the City. New light sources would include, but not be limited to, new commercial and residential development, street lighting, parking lots, and security lighting.

These new light sources would occur within the existing urban areas of the City limits where nighttime lighting already existing.

Policy LU-1.14 Commercial & Industrial Development – Lighting requires that lighting in nonresidential development be controlled to the extent necessary for security, safety and identification without interfering with adjoining land uses. Lighting shall be directed away from public rights-of-way and adjacent residential land uses. Policies LU-1.9 Design Quality and LUPage 307 of 536

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1.10 Compatible Development, requires future development to enhance the visual character of the community. Furthermore, future development projects are subject to design review, which includes an assessment of exterior lighting.

Chapter 17.44.020 – Commercial and Industrial Performance Standards (7) requires that no direct or sky-reflected glare, whether from floodlights or from high-temperature processes such as combustion or welding or otherwise, shall emanate from any establishment or use so as to be visible at a distance of 500 feet from said establishment or use.

Given the fact that the City is largely built out, implementation of General Plan policies, the City’s various design guidelines documents, design review, and City regulations, substantial impacts associated with the creation of new sources of nighttime light are considered less than significant and no mitigation is required.

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AIR QUALITY
Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards
Federal
The federal and State governments have been empowered by the federal and State Clean Air Acts to regulate the emission of airborne pollutants and have established ambient air quality standards for the protection of public health. U.S. EPA is the federal agency designated to administer air quality regulation, while CARB is the State equivalent in California. Local control in air quality management is provided by CARB through county-level or regional (multi-county) air pollution control districts (APCDs). CARB establishes air quality standards and is responsible for control of mobile emission sources, while the local APCDs are responsible for enforcing standards and regulating stationary sources. CARB has established 14 air basins statewide.

Federal Clean Air Act
U.S. EPA is charged with implementing national air quality programs. The agency’s air quality mandates are drawn primarily from the federal Clean Air Act (CAA). The CAA was passed in 1963 by the U.S. Congress and has been amended several times. The 1970 CAA amendments strengthened previous legislation and laid the foundation for the regulatory scheme of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1977, Congress again added several provisions, including non-attainment requirements for areas not meeting NAAQS and the Prevention of Significant Deterioration program. The 1990 CAA amendments represent the latest in a series of federal efforts to regulate the protection of air quality in the U.S. The CAA allows states to adopt more stringent standards or to include other pollutants.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards
The federal CAA requires U.S. EPA to establish primary and secondary NAAQS for a number of criteria air pollutants. The air pollutants for which standards have been established are considered the most prevalent air pollutants that are known to be hazardous to human health.

NAAQS have been established for the following pollutants: ozone (O3), CO, SO2, PM10, PM2.5, and lead (Pb).

Title III of the Federal CAA
As discussed above, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are the air contaminants identified by U.S.

EPA as known or suspected to cause cancer, other serious illnesses, birth defects, or death. The federal CAA requires U.S. EPA to set standards for these pollutants and reduce emissions of controlled chemicals. Specifically, Title III of the CAA requires U.S. EPA to promulgate National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for certain categories of sources that emit one or more pollutants that are identified as HAPs. The federal CAA also requires U.S.

EPA to set standards to control emissions of HAPs through mobile source control programs.

These include programs that reformulated gasoline, national low emissions vehicle standards,

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Tier 2 motor vehicle emission standards, gasoline sulfur control requirements, and heavy-duty engine standards.

HAPs tend to be localized and are found in relatively low concentrations in ambient air.

However, they can result in adverse chronic health effects if exposure to low concentrations occurs for long periods. Many HAPs originate from human activities, such as fuel combustion and solvent use. Emission standards may differ between “major sources” and “area sources” of the HAPs/TACs.

Under the federal CAA, major sources are defined as stationary sources with the potential to emit more than 10 tons per year (tpy) of any one HAP or more than 25 tpy of any combination of HAPs; all other sources are considered area sources. Mobile source air toxics (MSATs) are a subset of the 188 HAPs. Of the 21 HAPs identified by U.S. EPA as MSATs, a priority list of six priority HAPs were identified that include diesel exhaust, benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and 1, 3-butadiene. While vehicle miles traveled in the United States are expected to increase by 45 percent over the period 2010 to 2050, a combined reduction of 91 percent in the total annual emissions for the priority MSAT is projected for the same time period.2
State
California Clean Air Act
The California Clean Air Act (CCAA), which was approved in 1988, requires that each local air district prepare and maintain an Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) to achieve compliance with CAAQS. These AQMPs also serve as the basis for the preparation of the SIP for meeting federal clean air standards for the State of California. CARB administers California’s air quality policy. The California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) were established in 1969 pursuant to the Mulford-Carrell Act. In addition to the criteria pollutants, CAAQS have been established for visibility reducing particulates, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfates.

Like the EPA, CARB also designates areas within California as either attainment or nonattainment for each criteria pollutant based on whether the CAAQS have been achieved.

Under the CCAA, areas are designated as nonattainment for a pollutant if air quality data shows that a state standard for the pollutant was violated at least once during the previous three calendar years. Exceedances that are affected by highly irregular or infrequent events such as 2 Federal Highway Administration, 2016. Updated. Interim Guidance on Mobile Source Air Toxic Analysis in NEPA Documents.

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wildfires, volcanoes, etc. are not considered violations of a State standard, and are not used as a basis for designating areas as nonattainment. The applicable State standards are summarized in Table ER-AQ-1: Current National and State Ambient Air Quality Standards.

California Ambient Air Quality Standards
The CCAA requires CARB to establish CAAQS. Similar to the NAAQS, CAAQS have been established for the following pollutants: ozone (O3), CO, NO2, SO2, PM10, PM2.5, lead (Pb), vinyl chloride (H2C=CHCl), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfates (SO4 2-), and visibility-reducing particulates.

In most cases, CAAQS are more stringent than NAAQS. The CCAA specifies that local air districts should focus particular attention on reducing the emissions from transportation and area-wide emission sources and provides districts with the authority to regulate indirect sources.

The applicable State standards are summarized in Table ER-AQ-1: Current National and State Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Table ER-AQ-1: Current National and State Ambient Air Quality Standards Pollutant Averaging Time
Federal Primary Standards California Standard
Concentration
Attainment
Status Concentration
Attainment
Status
Ozone
1-Hour --- N/A5 0.09 ppm N
8-Hour 0.070 ppm N4 0.070 ppm N9
Carbon Monoxide
8-Hour 9.0 ppm A6 9.0 ppm A
1-Hour 35.0 ppm A 20.0 ppm A
Nitrogen Dioxide
Annual 0.053 ppm A 0.030 ppm ---
1-Hour 0.10 ppm11 U 0.18 ppm A
Sulfur Dioxide
Annual 0.03 ppm A NA ---
24-Hour 0.14 ppm A 0.04 ppm A
1-Hour 0.075 ppm A 0.25 ppm A
PM10
Annual NA --- 20 µg/m3 N7
24-Hour 150 µg/m3 U 50 µg/m3 N
PM2.5
Annual 12 µg/m3 N 12 µg/m3 N7
24-Hour 35 µg/m3 U/A NA ---

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Pollutant Averaging Time
Federal Primary Standards California Standard
Concentration
Attainment
Status Concentration
Attainment
Status
Sulfates 24- Hour 25 µg/m3 A NA ---
Lead
30-Day Average NA A 1.5 µg/m3 ---
Calendar Quarter 1.5 µg/m3 A NA ---
Rolling 3-Month
Average 0.15 µg/m3 --- NA ---
Hydrogen Sulfide 1 Hour NA --- 0.03 ppm (0.15
µg/m3
) U
Vinyl Chloride 24 Hour NA --- 0.01 ppm (26
µg/m3
) ---
Visibility Reducing
Particles8
8 Hour
(10:00 to 18:00
PST)
--- --- --- U
A = attainment; N = nonattainment; U = unclassified; N/A = not applicable or no applicable standard; ppm = parts per million; µg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter; mg/m3 = milligrams per cubic meter; – = not indicated or no information available.

1. California standards for ozone, carbon monoxide (except Lake Tahoe), sulfur dioxide (1-hour and 24-hour), nitrogen dioxide, suspended particulate matter - PM10, and visibility reducing particles are values that are not to be exceeded. The standards for sulfates, Lake Tahoe carbon monoxide, lead, hydrogen sulfide, and vinyl chloride are not to be equaled or exceeded. If the standard is for a 1-hour, 8-hour or 24-hour average (i.e., all standards except for lead and the PM10 annual standard), then some measurements may be excluded. In particular, measurements are excluded that CARB determines would occur less than once per year on the average. The Lake Tahoe CO standard is 6.0 ppm, a level one-half the national standard and two-thirds the state standard.

2. National standards shown are the "primary standards" designed to protect public health. National standards other than for ozone, particulates and those based on annual averages are not to be exceeded more than once a year. The 1-hour ozone standard is attained if, during the most recent three-year period, the average number of days per year with maximum hourly concentrations above the standard is equal to or less than one. The 8-hour ozone standard is attained when the 3-year average of the 4th highest daily concentrations is 0.070 ppm (70 ppb) or less. The 24-hour PM10 standard is attained when the 3-year average of the 99th percentile of monitored concentrations is less than 150 µg/m3 . The 24-hour PM2.5 standard is attained when
the 3-year average of 98th percentiles is less than 35 µg/m3. Except for the national particulate standards, annual standards are met if the annual average falls below the standard at every site. The national annual particulate standard for PM10 is met if the 3-year average falls below the standard at every site. The annual PM2.5 standard is met if the 3-year average of annual averages spatially-averaged across officially designed clusters of sites falls below the standard.

3. National air quality standards are set by the EPA at levels determined to be protective of public health with an adequate margin of safety.

4. On October 1, 2015, the national 8-hour ozone primary and secondary standards were lowered from 0.075 to 0.070 ppm. An area will meet the standard if the fourth-highest maximum daily 8-hour ozone concentration per year, averaged over three years, is equal to or less than 0.070 ppm. EPA will make recommendations on attainment designations by October 1, 2016, and issue final designations October 1, 2017. Nonattainment areas will have until 2020 to late 2037 to meet the health standard, with attainment dates varying based on the ozone level in the area.

5. The national 1-hour ozone standard was revoked by U.S. EPA on June 15, 2005.

6. In April 1998, the Bay Area was redesignated to attainment for the national 8-hour carbon monoxide standard.

7. In June 2002, CARB established new annual standards for PM2.5 and PM10.

8. Statewide VRP Standard (except Lake Tahoe Air Basin): Particles in sufficient amount to produce an extinction coefficient of 0.23 per kilometer when the relative humidity is less than 70 percent. This standard is intended to limit the frequency and severity of visibility impairment due to regional haze and is equivalent to a 10-mile nominal visual range.

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Pollutant Averaging Time
Federal Primary Standards California Standard
Concentration
Attainment
Status Concentration
Attainment
Status

9. The 8-hour CA ozone standard was approved by the Air Resources Board on April 28, 2005 and became effective on May 17, 2006.

10. On January 9, 2013, EPA issued a final rule to determine that the Bay Area attains the 24-hour PM2.5 national standard. This EPA rule suspends key SIP requirements as long as monitoring data continues to show that the Bay Area attains the standard. Despite this EPA action, the Bay Area will continue to be designated as “nonattainment” for the national 24-hour PM2.5 standard until such time as the Air District submits a “redesignation request” and a “maintenance plan” to EPA, and EPA approves the proposed redesignation.

11. To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the 98th percentile of the daily maximum 1-hour average at each monitor within an area must not exceed 0.100ppm (effective January 22, 2010). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to make a designation for the Bay Area by the end of 2017.

12. On June 2, 2010, the U.S. EPA established a new 1-hour SO2 standard, effective August 23, 2010, which is based on the 3-year average of the annual 99th percentile of 1-hour daily maximum concentrations. The existing 0.030 ppm annual and 0.14 ppm 24- hour SO2 NAAQS however must continue to be used until one year following U.S. EPA initial designations of the new 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.

13. CARB has identified lead and vinyl chloride as ‘toxic air contaminants’ with no threshold level of exposure below which there are no adverse health effects determined.

14. National lead standard, rolling 3-month average: final rule signed October 15, 2008. Final designations effective December 31, 2011.

15. In December 2012, EPA strengthened the annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from 15.0 to 12.0 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). In December 2014, EPA issued final area designations for the 2012 primary annual PM2.5 NAAQS. Areas designated “unclassifiable/attainment” must continue to take steps to prevent their air quality from deteriorating to unhealthy levels. The effective date of this standard is April 15, 2015.

Tanner Air Toxics Act and Air Toxics Hot Spots Information and Assessment Act TACs, referred to as HAPS by the federal CAA, in California are primarily regulated through the Tanner Air Toxics Act (AB 1807) and the Air Toxics Hot Spots Information and Assessment Act of 1987 (AB 2588) (Hot Spots Act). As discussed above, HAPs/TACs are a broad class of compounds known to cause morbidity or mortality (cancer risk). HAPs/TACs are found in ambient air, especially in urban areas, and are caused by industry, agriculture, fuel combustion, and commercial operations (e.g., dry cleaners). Because chronic exposure can result in adverse health effects, TACs are regulated at the regional, State and federal levels.

AB 1807 sets forth a formal procedure for CARB to designate substances as TACs. Research, public participation, and scientific peer review are necessary before CARB can designate a substance as a TAC. To date, CARB has identified more than 21 TACs and adopted U.S. EPA’s list of HAPs as TACs. In 1998, DPM was added to CARB’s list of TACs. Once a TAC is identified, CARB adopts an Airborne Toxic Control Measure for sources that emit that particular TAC. If a safe threshold exists at which no toxic effect occurs from a substance, the control measure must reduce exposure below that threshold. If no safe threshold exists, the measure must incorporate Best Available Control Technology (BACT) to minimize emissions.

The Hot Spots Act requires for existing facilities that emit toxic substances above a specified level to prepare a toxic emissions inventory and a risk assessment if the emissions are significant, notify the public of significant risk levels, and prepare and implement risk reduction

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measures.

Diesel Exhaust and Diesel Particulate Matter
Diesel exhaust is the predominant TAC in urban air and is estimated to represent about twothirds of the cancer risk from TACs (based on the statewide average). According to CARB, diesel exhaust is a complex mixture of gases, vapors, and fine particles. This mixture makes the evaluation of health effects of diesel exhaust a complex scientific issue. Some chemicals in diesel exhaust, such as benzene and formaldehyde, have been previously identified as TACs by CARB, and are listed as carcinogens either under State Proposition 65 or under the Federal Hazardous Air Pollutants programs.

CARB reports that recent air pollution studies have shown an association between diesel exhaust and other cancer-causing toxic air contaminants emitted from vehicles and the overall cancer risk from TACs in California.

Particulate matter emitted from diesel-fueled engines (DPM) was found to compose much of that risk. CARB has adopted and implemented a number of regulations for stationary and mobile sources to reduce emissions of DPM. Several of these regulatory programs affect medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks that represent the bulk of DPM emissions from California highways. These regulations include the solid waste collection vehicle (SWCV) rule, in-use public and utility fleets, and the heavy-duty diesel truck and bus regulations. In 2011, CARB approved the latest regulation to reduce emissions of DPM and nitrogen oxides from existing on-road heavy-duty diesel fueled vehicles.

The regulation requires affected vehicles to meet specific performance requirements between 2012 and 2023, with all affected diesel vehicles required to have 2010 model-year engines or the equivalent by 2023. These requirements are phased in over the compliance period and depend on the model year of the vehicle. With implementation of CARB’s Risk Reduction Plan, DPM concentrations are expected to be reduced by 85 percent in 2020 from the estimated year-2000 level.3 As emissions are reduced, risks associated with exposure to emissions also are expected to be reduced.
3 CARB. 2000. Risk Reduction Plan to Reduce Particulate Matter Emissions from Diesel-Fueled Engines and Vehicles. https://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/documents/rrpFinal.pdf

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CARB Air Quality and Land Use Handbook
In April 2005, CARB released the final version of its Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective. This guidance document is intended to encourage local land use agencies to consider the risks from air pollution before they approve the siting of sensitive land uses (e.g., residences) near sources of air pollution, particularly sources of TACs (e.g., freeway and high traffic roads, commercial distribution centers, rail yards, ports, refineries, dry cleaners, gasoline stations and industrial facilities).

These advisory recommendations include general setbacks or buffers from air pollution sources. Unlike industrial or stationary sources of air pollution, however, the siting of new sensitive land use does not require air quality permits or approval by air districts, and as noted above, the CARB handbook provides guidance only, rather than binding regulations.

CAPCOA Health Risk Assessments for Proposed Land Use Projects The California Air Pollution Control Officer’s Association (CAPCOA) is a consortium of air district managers throughout California that provide guidance material to address air quality issues in the State. As a follow up to CARB’s 2005 Air Quality and Land Use Handbook, CAPCOA prepared the Health Risk Assessments for Proposed Land Use Projects. This guidance document was released to ensure that the health risk of projects be identified, assessed, and avoid or mitigated, if feasible, through the CEQA process. The CAPCOA guidance document provides recommended methodologies for evaluating health risk impacts for development projects.

Regional
Monterey Bay Air Resources Board (MBARD)
MBARD regulates air quality in NCCAB and is responsible for attainment planning related to criteria air pollutants, as well as for district rule development and enforcement. The district also reviews air quality analyses prepared for CEQA assessments and published the CEQA Air Quality Guidelines document (last revised February 2016) for use in evaluation of air quality impacts.

The purpose of these guidelines is to assist in the review and evaluation of air quality impacts from projects that are subject to CEQA. These guidelines are an advisory document intended to provide lead agencies, consultants, and project proponents with uniform procedures for assessing potential air quality impacts and preparing the air quality section of environmental documents. These guidelines are also intended to help these entities anticipate areas of concern from MBARD in its role as a CEQA lead, commenting and/or responsible agency for air quality.

Air Quality Management Plan for the Monterey Bay Region In accordance with CCAA, MBARD has developed the 2012 Air Quality Management Plan for the Monterey Bay Region (2012 AQMP). The 2012 AQMP is a transitional plan shifting focus of

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MBARD’s efforts from achieving the 1-hour component of the State ozone AAQS to achieving the 8-hour ozone requirement. The plan includes an updated air quality trends analysis, which reflects both the 1- and 8-hour standards, as well as an updated emission inventory, which includes the latest information on stationary, area and mobile emission sources.

In March 2017, MBARD adopted the 2012-2015 Triennial Plan Revision, which assesses and updates elements of the 2012 AQMP, including the air quality trends analysis, emission inventory, and mobile source programs. The 2017 AQMP Revision only addresses attainment of the State ozone standard. In 2012, EPA designated the NCCAB as in attainment of the current national 8-hour ozone standard of 0.075 ppm4.

The following MBARD rules would limit emissions of air pollutants from construction and operation of residential development pursuant to the project:
 Rule 400 (Visible Emissions) – Discharge of visible air pollutant emissions into the atmosphere from any emission source for a period or periods aggregating more than 3minutes in any 1 hour, as observed using an appropriate test method, is prohibited.  Rule 402 (Nuisances) - No person shall discharge from any source whatsoever such quantities of air contaminants or other materials which cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to any considerable number of persons or to the public; or which endanger the comfort, repose, health, or safety of any such persons or the public; or which cause, or have a natural tendency to cause, injury or damage to business or property.
 Rule 425 (Use of Cutback Asphalt) – The use of cutback asphalt (asphalt cement that has been blended with petroleum solvents) is restricted.
 Rule 426 (Architectural Coatings) – This rule limits the emissions of ROGs from the use of architectural coatings.
4 On October 1, 2015, U.S. EPA adopted a new 8-hour ozone standard of 0.070 ppm. However, U.S. EPA has not yet reviewed recent NCCAB emissions to determine attainment with the current 0.070 ppm standard. Therefore, this attainment status is based upon U.S. EPA’s prior 0.075 ppm standard.

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Impacts of the Project
Significance Criteria
The following significance criteria for air quality were derived from MBARD’s 2008 CEQA Air Quality Guidelines (MBARD, 2008) and are summarized in Table ER-AQ-2: MBARD Significance Thresholds for Construction and Operational Emissions.

Table ER-AQ-2: MBARD Significance Thresholds for Construction and Operational Emissions Criteria Air Pollutants and
Precursors (Regional)
Construction-Related Operational-Related
Average Daily Emissions
(pounds/day) Average Daily Emission (pounds/day)
Fugitive Particulate Matter
(PM10)
1 82 822
VOC -- 137
Nitrogen Oxides (NOX), as
NO2
-- 137
Local CO --
LOS at intersection/road segment
degrades from D or better to E or F or V/C
ratio at intersection/road segment at LOS
E or F increases by 0.05 or more or delay
at intersection at LOS E or F increases by
10 seconds or more or reserve capacity at
unsignalized intersection at LOS E or F
decreases by 50 or more.
5503
Sulfur Oxides (SOx), as SO2 -- 150 1 Examples: 1) Construction site with minimal earthmoving exceeding 8.1 acres per day, 2) Construction site with earthmoving (grading, excavation) exceeding 2.2 acres per day.
2 The District’s 82 lb./day operational phase threshold of significance applies only to onsite emissions and project-related exceedances along unpaved roads. These impacts are generally less than significant. On large development projects, almost all travel is on paved roads (0%) unpaved), and entrained road dust from vehicular travel can exceed the significance threshold. Please contact the Air District to discuss estimating emissions from vehicular travel on paved roads. District approved dispersion modeling can be used to refute (or validate) a determination of significance if modeling shows that emissions would not cause or substantially contribute to an exceedance of State and national AAQS.
3 Modeling should be undertaken to determine if the project would cause or substantially contribute (550 lb./day) to exceedance of CO AAQS. If not, the project would not have a significant impact.

Source: MBARD, 2008.

Short‐term construction emission thresholds, as stated in the MBARD 2008 CEQA Air Quality Guidelines, involve identifying the level of construction activity that could result in significant temporary impacts if not mitigated. Construction activities (e.g., excavation, grading, on‐site vehicles) that directly exceed MBARD criterion for PM10 would have a significant impact on local air quality when they are located nearby and upwind of sensitive receptors (MBARD, 2008).

Regarding ozone, construction projects using typical equipment that temporarily emits ozone precursors are accommodated in the emission inventories of State and federally required air

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quality management plans and would not have a significant impact on ozone concentrations (MBARD, 2008).

If construction‐related activities exceed the PM10 threshold of 82 pounds, the project would be characterized as contributing substantially to existing violations of CAAQS for PM10. In addition to the tabulated thresholds, a project may also have significant adverse impacts on air quality if the project individually or cumulatively results in any of the following:
 Conflict with or obstruct implementation of applicable MBARD air quality management plans, polices, or regulations.
 Result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant for which the project region is non-attainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard.
 Exposure of sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations.  Result in other emissions (such as those leading to odors adversely affecting a substantial number of people.

The criteria for assessing cumulative impacts on localized air quality (i.e., CO, PM10) are identical to those for individual project operation. The criteria for determining a project's cumulative impact on regional ozone levels depends on consistency with the applicable air quality management plan. Consistency with the MBARD Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) does not mean that a project would not have a significant project‐specific adverse air quality impact.

However, inconsistency with the MBARD AQMP is considered a significant cumulative adverse air quality impact.

MBARD guidelines state that odor impacts would be significant if the project would result in the emission of substantial concentrations of pollutants that produce objectionable odors, causing injury, nuisance, or annoyance to a considerable number of persons, or endangering the comfort, health, or safety of the public. If construction or operation of the project would emit pollutants associated with odors in substantial amounts, the analysis should assess the impact on existing or reasonably foreseeable sensitive receptors.

A project would conflict with or obstruct implementation of the 2008 MBARD AQMP and 2012 Triennial Plan Revision (2012 AQMP Revision) if it is inconsistent with the plan’s growth assumptions, in terms of population, employment, or regional growth in VMT. These population forecasts were developed, in part, using data obtained from local jurisdictions regarding projected land uses and population projections identified in community plans.

Projects that result in an increase in population that is inconsistent with local community plans would be considered inconsistent with MBARD’s AQMP.

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Summary of No and/or Beneficial Impacts
Exposure to Odorous Emissions
The occurrence and severity of odor impacts depends on numerous factors, including the nature, frequency, and intensity of the source; wind speed and direction; and the sensitivity of the receptors. While offensive odors rarely cause physical harm, they can still be unpleasant, leading to considerable distress among the public and often generating citizen complaints to local governments and regulatory agencies. Projects with the potential to frequently expose members of the public to objectionable odors would be deemed to violate the MBARD standards.

MBARD enforces permit and nuisance rules to control odorous emissions from stationary sources. For instance, MBARD Rule 402 (Nuisances) prohibits the discharge of air contaminants or other materials that cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to any considerable numbers of persons. Given these regulations, and the fact that there are no odorous emissions existing or proposed, there would be no impact.

Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures
Impact AQ-1: Conflict with or obstruct implementation of applicable MBARD air quality management plans, polices, or regulations. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

The MBARD’s 2008 CEQA Air Quality Guidelines provides criteria for determining cumulative impacts and consistency. The CEQA Air Quality Guidelines note that a project which is inconsistent with an Air Quality Plan would have a significant cumulative impact on regional air quality. As discussed above, the project is consistent with the Air Quality Management Plan for the Monterey Bay Region. In addition, the project’s construction and operation emissions would not exceed MBARD thresholds as noted below. The NCCAB is currently in nonattainment for State ozone and PM10 standards which represents an existing cumulatively significant impact within the NCCAB. Ozone precursors include reactive organic gases (ROG) and NOX. The project would not exceed quantitative thresholds for either of these ozone precursors. Similarly, PM10 thresholds also would not be exceeded for construction or operation of the project. Therefore, the project would not make a considerable contribution to this existing, cumulatively significant impact. Impacts would be less than significant, and no mitigation is required.

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Impact AQ-2: Future construction activities would generate dust and exhaust emissions of criteria pollutants and toxic air contaminants. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

Construction Impacts
Construction emissions produced during future grading activities are considered short-term; however, still have the potential to significantly impact air quality. Construction emissions would include the generation of fugitive dust, on-site generation of construction equipment exhaust emissions, and the off-site generation of mobile source emissions related to construction vehicle and worker vehicle trips.

Fugitive dust emissions that may have a substantial, temporary impact on local air quality. In addition, fugitive dust may be a nuisance to those living and working in the project site vicinity.

Fugitive dust emissions are associated with land clearing, ground excavation, cut-and-fill operations, demolition, and truck travel on unpaved roadways. Dust emissions also vary substantially from day to day, depending on the level of activity, the specific operations, and weather conditions.

Fugitive dust from grading/demolition and construction on the project site would be shortterm. Dust larger than ten microns generated by such activities usually becomes more of a local nuisance than a serious health problem. Of particular health concern is the amount of PM10 generated as a part of fugitive dust emissions.

Particulate Matter
MBARD CEQA Guidelines state that construction activities (e.g., excavation, grading, on-site vehicles) that emit 82 pounds per day or more of PM10 would have a significant impact on local air quality when they are located nearby and upwind of sensitive receptors. Based on this emissions threshold, construction activity occurring on more than 2.2 acres per day may result in significant PM10 emissions (MBARD, 2015).

Emissions from individual development construction sites would be short term and temporary but would occur through build-out of the General Plan. At any given times, several construction projects may be under way, which may result in substantial construction related emissions.

Policy SN-4.18 Minimize Direct and Indirect Emissions of Air Contaminants requires that all future development control dust and particulate matter by implementing the MBARB fugitive dust control measures.

Policy SN-4.19 Dust Control Monitor requires that consistent with Monterey Bay Area Resources Board guidelines, new developments that result any ground disturbance greater than

2.2 acres per day shall require the contractor(s) or builder(s) to designate a person or persons to monitor the fugitive dust emissions.

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Policy SN-4.20 Low VOC Paint requires that new developments shall require by contract specifications that the interior and exterior architectural coatings (paint and primer including parking lot paint) products have a volatile organic compound (VOC) (i.e., ROG) content of 10 g/L or less.

Policy SN-4.21 Tier 4 Emissions requires that prior to issuance of grading permits, new developments shall prepare and submit documentation to the City of Scotts Valley that demonstrates that all off-road diesel-powered equipment meet the California Air Resources Board’s Tier 4 Final off-road emissions standards.

Implementation of Policy SN-4.18 through 21 would ensure that construction emissions associated with implementation of the General Plan would be less than significant.

Operation Impacts
Planned future development would have associated long-term stationary and vehicular emissions.

Stationary Source Emissions
Stationary source emissions would be generated from future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan due to an increased demand for electrical energy, which is generated from power plants utilizing fossil fuels. Electric power generating plants are located in the Basin, and their emissions contribute to the total regional pollutant burden. The primary use of natural gas would be for combustion to produce space heating, water heating and other miscellaneous heating or air conditioning.

Mobile and Area Source Emissions
Area Source Emissions
Area source emissions are generally a function of land use (e.g., number of single-family residential units, commercial area), activity (e.g., fuel use per residential unit, commercial business), and emission factor (e.g., mass of pollutant emitted per fuel usage). These include the following:
 Natural gas fuel combustion. This source includes natural gas combustion for water and space heating.
 Hearth fuel combustion. This source includes wood stoves, wood fireplaces, and natural gas-fired stoves.
 Landscape fuel combustion. This source includes exhaust and evaporative emissions from landscaping equipment including lawnmowers, rototillers, shredders/grinders, trimmers, chain saws, and hedge trimmers, used in residential and commercial applications.

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 Consumer products. This source category comprises a wide range of products including air fresheners, automotive products, household cleaners, and personal care products.  Architectural coatings. This source includes ROG emissions resulting from the evaporation of solvents contained in paints, varnishes, primers, and other surface coatings, from residential and commercial structures.

Mobile Source Emissions
Mobile source emissions may include but would not be limited to the following: running exhaust emissions of ROG, CO, carbon dioxide (CO2), NOX, and PM10, including PM10 from tire and brake wear.

The amount of mobile source emissions associated with future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan is based on land use designations (e.g., number of single-family residential units; square footage of various educational, recreational, retail, commercial, and industrial uses), trip rates (i.e., number of vehicle trips per day), assumptions regarding the vehicle fleet (e.g., analysis year, vehicle type and technology class), trip lengths (i.e., miles traveled per trip), and pollutant emission factors (i.e., mass of pollutant emitted per mile traveled).

As described in Transportation section below, future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan would result in additional daily trips per day. This would result in both area and mobile emissions.

The operational emissions associated with future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan, which include both area and mobile emissions, would occur incrementally over the next 20 plus years. Given the fact that Scotts Valley is largely built out and future development would occur on the few remaining vacant parcels or as infill development, individual projects are not anticipated to exceed MBARD significance threshold for daily emissions and would be evaluated against operational phase emissions presented in Table ER-AQ-2: MBARD Significance Thresholds for Construction and Operational Emissions.

Cumulative impacts of all projects are addressed in Impact AQ-2, below.

As required by MBARB, approval of future projects would prohibit the use of wood-burning fireplaces and require the use of low-emitting architectural coatings to further reduce air quality impacts.

Therefore, impacts of dust, criteria air pollutants, and toxic air contaminants generated by longterm operation of future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan would be less than significant and no mitigation is required.

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Impact AQ-3: Result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant for which the project region is non-attainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

Individual development projects typically have emissions attributed to the project that are evaluated against operational phase emissions presented in Table ER-AQ-2: MBARD Significance Thresholds for Construction and Operational Emissions. General Plans however establish the development for a City over an extended period of time and are used directly in development of the Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), which provides the framework by which the region can meet the state ambient air quality standard for ozone. The emission inventory forecasts developed for the AQMP are based on emissions from motor vehicle exhaust; stationary sources such as industrial processes and stationary fuel combustion; and areawide sources such as solvent evaporation from architectural coatings, consumer products, and prescribed burns.

The AQMP forecasted emissions inventory assumed a population size based on the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) population projections. Emission sources related to population size include those from motor vehicle usage, energy consumption, consumer products, as well as industrial and commercial activities. The AQMP, through its emission inventory, provides a framework for the region to meet the State Implementation Plan (SIP) goals of meeting state and federal Ambient Air Quality Standards.

As recommended by the MBARD, the evaluation of whether or not General Plan implementation would lead to significant air quality emissions should be based on whether the population forecasts described in the General Plan are consistent with the population forecasts used in the AQMP. If the population forecasts described in the General Plan are above the population forecasts described in the AQMP, then the General Plan is considered inconsistent with the AQMP and would result in significant cumulative air pollutant emissions. The consistency analysis is performed by AMBAG, because AMBAG develops population forecasts that are used in the AQMP.

The most recent AMBAG 2018 Population, Housing Unit, and Employment Forecasts project population growth in five-year increments to the year 2040. The 2040 population forecast for the City of Scotts Valley by AMBAG is 12,418 persons. Since the General Plan assumes a population buildout of 15,400 (see Table LU-1: General Plan Buildout Summary), the General Plan would be inconsistent with the AQMP. This inconsistency in population forecasts is considered to result in a cumulatively considerable significant air quality impact.

Action SN-4.2 would require the City to work cooperatively with the MBARB and AMBAG to reduce significant emissions, and to the extent feasible, to meet Federal and State air quality standards for all pollutants. This action would also require the City to participate in future amendments and updates of the Air Quality AQMP for the Monterey Bay Region to ensure that

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new measures can be practically enforced in the region. However, due to the projected population growth, regional emissions would remain significant, and the General Plan would likely remain inconsistent with the AQMP. No further mitigation is feasible to reduce this impact. Therefore, this impact would remain significant and unavoidable.

Impact AQ-4: Expose receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

Sensitive land uses are defined as facilities or land uses that include members of the population that are particularly sensitive to the effects of air pollutants, such as children, the elderly, and people with illnesses. Examples of these sensitive receptors are residences, schools, hospitals, and daycare centers.

Construction-Related Diesel Particulate Matter
Future project construction would generate diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions from the use of off-road diesel equipment required for grading and excavation, paving, and other construction activities. For construction activity, DPM is the primary toxic air contaminant of concern. On-road diesel-powered haul trucks traveling to and from the construction area to deliver materials and equipment are less of a concern because they would not stay on the site for long durations. Diesel exhaust from construction equipment poses a health risk to nearby sensitive receptors.

The amount to which the receptors are exposed (a function of concentration and duration of exposure) is the primary factor used to determine health risk (i.e., potential exposure to TAC emission levels that exceed applicable standards). On-road diesel-powered haul trucks traveling to and from a construction site to deliver materials and equipment are less of a concern because they would not stay for long durations.

Health-related risks associated with diesel-exhaust emissions are primarily linked to long-term exposure and the associated risk of contracting cancer. The use of diesel-powered construction equipment would be episodic and would occur in various phases throughout a project site.

Additionally, construction activities would be limited to idling for no more than five minutes (Policy SN-4.18) and would be required to use (at a minimum) Tier 4 equipment (Policy SN4.21), which would further reduce nearby sensitive receptors’ exposure to temporary and variable DPM emissions. Furthermore, even during periods of greater construction activity, emissions of DPM would be generated from different locations rather than in a single location because different types of construction activities (e.g., site preparation and building construction) would not occur at the same place at the same time.

California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has not identified short-term health effects from DPM. Construction is temporary and would be transient throughout the site (i.e., move from location to location) and would not generate emissions in a fixed location for extended periods of time. Construction activities would be subject to and would comply with

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California regulations limiting the idling of heavy-duty construction equipment to no more than five minutes to further reduce nearby sensitive receptors’ exposure to temporary and variable DPM emissions. For these reasons, DPM generated by future construction activities would not expose sensitive receptors to substantial amounts of air toxics. Therefore, impacts associated with substantial pollutant concentrations associated with construction activities would be less than significant and no mitigation is required.

Carbon Monoxide Hotspots
Local air quality is a major concern along roadways. CO is a primary pollutant, and unlike ozone, is directly emitted from a variety of sources. For this reason, CO concentrations are usually indicative of the local air quality generated by a roadway network and are used as an indicator of its impacts upon the local air quality. Areas of vehicle congestion have the potential to create “pockets” of CO called “hot spots.” These pockets have the potential to exceed the 1-hour CAAQS of 20 parts per million (ppm) and/or the 8-hour CAAQS of 9 ppm.

To identify CO hotspots, MBARD criterion recommends performing a CO hotspot analysis when:
 Intersections or road segments that operate at LOS D or better that would operate at LOS E or F with the project's traffic,
 Intersections or road segments that operate at LOS E or F where the volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio would increase 0.05 or more with the project’s traffic,  Intersections that operate at LOS E or F where delay would increase by 10 seconds or more with the project’s traffic,
 Unsignalized intersections which operate at LOS E or F where the reserve capacity would decrease by 50 or more with the project’s traffic. This criterion is based on the turning movement with the worst reserve capacity, or
 Project would generate substantial heavy duty truck traffic or generate substantial traffic along urban street canyons or near a major stationary source of CO.

As described in the Transportation section below, future planned development and implementation of recommended transportation improvements would not result in an intersection cumulative LOS increase at any of the study intersections and the overall intersection capacity utilization (ICU) would not exceed MBARD criterion. Therefore, impacts related to carbon monoxide would be less than significant and no mitigation is required.

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Impact AQ‐5: Result in other emissions (such as those leading to odors) adversely affecting a substantial number of people. This is considered a less than significant impact.

Construction
Construction activities associated with future planned development may generate detectable odors from heavy-duty equipment (i.e., diesel exhaust), as well as from architectural coatings and asphalt off-gassing. Odors generated from the referenced sources are common in the manmade environment and are not known to be substantially offensive to adjacent receptors. Any construction-related odors would be short-term in nature and cease upon project completion.

As a result, impacts to existing adjacent land uses from construction-related odors would be short-term in duration and therefore would be less than significant, and no mitigation is required.

Operational
The occurrence and severity of odor impacts depends on numerous factors, including the nature, frequency, and intensity of the source; wind speed and direction; and the sensitivity of the receptors. While offensive odors rarely cause physical harm, they can still be unpleasant, leading to considerable distress among the public and often generating citizen complaints to local governments and regulatory agencies. Future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan has the potential to frequently expose members of the public to objectionable odors and potentially violate MBARD standards.

MBARD enforces permit and nuisance rules to control odorous emissions from stationary sources. For instance, MBARD Rule 402 (Nuisances) prohibits the discharge of air contaminants or other materials that cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to any considerable numbers of persons.

Future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan would include uses consistent with surrounding area and would be required to comply with MBARD Rules regarding operational emissions. Therefore, impacts would be less than significant, and no mitigation is required.

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BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards
Federal
Federal Endangered Species Act
The Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) provisions protect federally listed threatened and endangered species and their habitats from unlawful take and ensure that federal actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat. Under the ESA, “take” is defined as “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any of the specifically enumerated conduct.” The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) regulations define harm to mean “an act which actually kills or injures wildlife.” Such an act “may include significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering” (50 CFR § 17.3).

Critical habitat is defined in Section 3(5)(A) of the ESA as “(i) the specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the species on which are found those physical or biological features (I) essential to the conservation of the species, and (II) which may require special management considerations or protection; and (ii) specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species upon a determination by the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) that such areas are essential for the conservation of the species.” The effects analyses for designated critical habitat must consider the role of the critical habitat in both the continued survival and the eventual recovery (i.e., the conservation) of the species in question, consistent with the recent Ninth Circuit judicial opinion, Gifford Pinchot Task Force v.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Activities that may result in “take” of individuals are regulated by the USFWS. The USFWS produced an updated list of candidate species December 6, 2007 (72 FR 69034). Candidate species are not afforded any legal protection under ESA; however, candidate species typically receive special attention from Federal and State agencies during the environmental review process.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Raptors (e.g., eagles, hawks, and owls) and their nests are protected under both Federal and State regulations. The Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) prohibits killing, possessing, or trading in migratory birds except in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

This act encompasses whole birds, parts of birds, and bird nests and eggs.

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Regulated Habitats
Areas meeting the regulatory definition of “Waters of the U.S.” (Jurisdictional Waters) are subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under provisions of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (1972) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (1899).

These waters may include all waters used, or potentially used, for interstate commerce, including all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, all interstate waters, all other waters (intrastate lakes, rivers, streams, mudflats, sandflats, playa lakes, natural ponds, etc.), all impoundments of waters otherwise defined as “Waters of the U.S.,” tributaries of waters otherwise defined as “Waters of the U.S.,” the territorial seas, and wetlands (termed Special Aquatic Sites) adjacent to “Waters of the U.S.” (33 CFR, Part 328, Section 328.3).

Construction activities within jurisdictional waters are regulated by the USACE. The placement of fill into such waters must comply with permit requirements of the USACE. No USACE permit would be effective in the absence of State water quality certification pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. As a part of the permit process, the USACE works directly with the USFWS to assess potential project impacts on biological resources.

State
California Endangered Species Act
Provisions of California Endangered Species Act (CESA) protect State‐listed Threatened and Endangered species. CDFW regulates activities that may result in “take” of individuals (“take” means “hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill”).

Habitat degradation or modification is not expressly included in the definition of “take” under the California Fish and Wildlife Code. Additionally, the California Fish and Wildlife Code contains lists of vertebrate species designated as “fully protected” (California Fish & Game Code §§ 3511 [birds], 4700 [mammals], 5050 [reptiles and amphibians], 5515 [fish]). Such species may not be taken or possessed, without an exemption issued by CDFW.

In addition to federal and State‐listed species, the CDFW also has produced a list of Species of Special Concern to serve as a “watch list.” Species on this list are of limited distribution or the extent of their habitats has been reduced substantially, such that threat to their populations may be imminent. Species of Special Concern may receive special attention during environmental review under CEQA, but they do not have statutory protection.

Birds of prey are protected in California under the State Fish and Wildlife Code. Section 3503.5 states it is “unlawful to take, possess, or destroy any birds of prey (in the order Falconiformes or Strigiformes) or to take, possess, or destroy the nest or eggs of any such bird except as otherwise provided by this Code or any regulation adopted pursuant thereto.” Construction‐ related disturbance during the breeding season could result in the incidental loss of fertile eggs or nestlings or otherwise lead to nest abandonment. Disturbance that causes nest abandonment and/or loss of reproductive effort is considered “take” by the CDFW. Under

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Sections 3503 and 3503.5 of the State Fish and Wildlife Code, activities that would result in the taking, possessing, or destroying of any birds‐of‐prey, taking or possessing of any migratory nongame bird as designated in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or the taking, possessing, or needlessly destroying of the nest or eggs of any raptors or non‐game birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or the taking of any non‐game bird pursuant to Fish and Wildlife Code Section 3800 are prohibited. Proposed revisions to Sections 3503 and 3503.5 to clarify the regulations and make them more consistent with the MBTA were posted on August 14, 2015, by the CDFW; one of the revisions removes language regarding nest abandonment caused by projects, to be consistent with MBTA and because it is difficult to determine reasons for nest abandonment at any one site (CDFW 2015).

Regulated Habitats
The State Water Resources Control Board is the State agency (together with the Regional Water Quality Control Boards [RWQCB]) charged with implementing water quality certification in California. The project falls under the jurisdiction of the Central Coast Region of the RWQCB.

The CDFW potentially extends the definition of stream to include “intermittent and ephemeral streams, rivers, creeks, dry washes, sloughs, blue‐line streams (USGS), and watercourses with subsurface flows. Canals, aqueducts, irrigation ditches, and other means of water conveyance can also be considered streams if they support aquatic life, riparian vegetation, or stream‐ dependent terrestrial wildlife” (CDFW, 1994). Such areas of the proposed project were determined using methodology described in A Field Guide to Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements, Sections 1600‐1607 (CDFW, 1994).

Activities that result in the diversion or obstruction of the natural flow of a stream; or which substantially change its bed, channel, or bank; or which utilize any materials (including vegetation) from the streambed, may require that the project applicant enter into a Streambed Alteration Agreement with the CDFW.

Local
Santa Cruz Sandhills Conservation and Management Plan
The Sandhills Conservation and Management Plan: A Strategy for Preserving Native Biodiversity in the Santa Cruz Sandhills (2004) provides a comprehensive strategy for the maintenance of native biodiversity in the Santa Cruz Sandhills.

Where Santa Cruz Sandhill habitat is located on private land, development is restricted according to the guidelines as described in the Interim-Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan (IPHCP) for the Endangered Mount Hermon June Beetle and Ben Lomond Spineflower (2011).

Within the City limits, these areas are located in three IPHCP “Project Units”, namely the Scotts Valley East Unit (3.2 acres), Scotts Valley West Unit (109 acres) and the Whispering Pines Unit

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(242 acres within the City and 131 additional units in Santa Cruz County [373 acres total]).

While these areas are largely built out, any new development is limited to small, residential projects and must adhere to the following requirements: (1) Require a County or City discretionary or building permit that involves ground disturbance; (2) Be residential in nature; (3) Be within 1 of 10 identified “Project Units;” (4) Be located within a parcel that is less than or equal to 1.5 acres; (5) involve no more than 15,000 square feet of development activity and associated ground disturbance on a single parcel; and (6) incorporate the minimization measures described in Section 5.2 of the IPHCP.

Interim-Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan
The Interim Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan for the Endangered Mount Hermon June Beetle and Ben Lomond Spineflower (IPHCP) was prepared because numerous private landowners in the City of Scotts Valley and the County of Santa Cruz expressed interest in applying for a permit from USFWS for incidental take of the federally endangered MHJB. The landowners have projects on sites likely to be occupied by both MHJB and Ben Lomond spineflower. USFWS has recommended that the City and County together apply for incidental take permits and develop a regional programmatic HCP for the sandhills. The HCP would streamline local, State, and federal permitting processes. The HCP is still under preparation.

Consequently, USFWS, the City, and the County developed the IPHCP for MHJB and Ben Lomond spineflower for small development projects in areas with existing, dense residential development.

The 2011 IPHCP was to be in effect for five years following the issuance of the requested incidental take permits. The IPHCP is only applicable to parcels currently zoned for residential use by the County or City, which are less than or equal to 1.5 acres in size, and that would result in development not exceeding 15,000 square feet (0.34 acres).

Scotts Valley Tree Protection Regulations
The City of Scotts Valley Zoning Ordinance Section 17.44.080 regulates the removal of protected trees. Section 17.44.080 includes tree protection regulations. Protected trees are defined as:
 Any tree having a main stem or trunk at least 8 inches or greater diameter at breast height (DBH) (25 inches in circumference), located in a hillside residential zone where the slope within 20 feet of where the tree is located exceeds 20 percent;  Any single-trunk oak tree with a main stem or trunk at least 8 inches DBH (25-inch circumference), or any multi-trunk oak tree with an individual trunk over 4 inches DBH (12-inch circumference);
 Any street tree (defined as any tree within five feet of a public or private street or right of way), regardless of size;
 Any single-trunk tree with a 13-inch or greater DBH (40-inch circumference);

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 Any multi-trunk tree with any trunk greater than or equal to 8-inch DBH (25-inch circumference);
 Any tree, regardless of size, required to be planted or preserved as part of a permit approved by the Planning Department, Planning Commission or City Council, or required as a replacement tree for a removed tree; or
 Any Heritage Tree, defined as a tree identified, because of unique quality and/or size, as among the most significant and noteworthy in the City and formally designated by the City Council.

Future projects that would involve removal of protected trees are required to obtain a Tree Removal Permit, which involves submittal of an application and an arborist report to verify the reasons for removal or to determine alternatives to removal. Removal of protected trees other than Heritage Trees may be granted by ministerial approval. Remove of Heritage Trees, which are identified in the City of Scotts Valley Municipal Code 17.44.080 - Tree Protection Regulations, regulate the removal of protected trees within the city.

Other Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards
CA Native Plant Society
The mission of the CNPS Rare Plant Program is to develop current, accurate information on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of California's rare and endangered plants, and to use this information to promote science‐based plant conservation in California. Once a species has been identified as being of potential conservation concern, it is put through an extensive review process. Once a species has gone through the review process, information on all aspects of the species (listing status, habitat, distribution, threats, etc.) are entered into the online CNPS Inventory. The program currently recognizes more than 2,300 plant taxa (species, subspecies and varieties) as rare or endangered in California (CNPS List, 2015).

Vascular plants listed as rare or endangered by the CNPS, but which might not have designated status under State endangered species legislation, are defined as follows:
 List 1A – Plants considered by the CNPS to be extinct in California  List 1B – Plants rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere  List 2 – Plants rare, threatened, or endangered in California, but more numerous elsewhere
 List 3 – Plants about which we need more information – a review list  List 4 – Plants of limited distribution – a watch list

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In addition to the list designations above, the CNPS adds a Threat Rank as an extension added onto the CNPS List and designates the level of endangerment by a 1 to 3 ranking, with 1 being the most endangered and 3 being the least endangered and are described as follows:
 0.1 – Seriously threatened in California (high degree/immediacy of threat)  0.2 – Fairly threatened in California (moderate degree/immediacy of threat)  0.3 – Not very threatened in California (low degree/immediacy of threats or no current threats known
Impacts of the Project
Significance Criteria
An impact of the project would be considered significant and would require mitigation if it would meet one of the following criteria:
 Have a substantial adverse effect on any riparian habitat or other sensitive natural community identified in local or regional plans, policies, regulations or by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or US Fish and Wildlife Service;  Have a substantial adverse effect, either directly or through habitat modifications on; or substantially reduce the number or restrict the range of any species identified as a candidate, sensitive, or special status species in local or regional plans, policies, or regulations, or by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
 Have a substantial adverse effect on federally protected wetlands as defined by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (including, but not limited to, marsh, vernal pool, coastal, etc.) through direct removal, filling, hydrological interruption, or other means;  Interfere substantially with the movement of any native resident or migratory fish or wildlife species or with established native resident or migratory wildlife corridors, or impede the use of native wildlife nursery sites;
 Conflict with any local policies or ordinances protecting biological resources, such as a tree preservation policy or ordinance;
 Conflict with the provisions of an adopted Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP), or other approved local, regional, or state habitat conservation plan.

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Analysis Methodology
A number of environmental documents have been prepared for projects in and around Scotts Valley over the past several years. The combined database resulting from these publicly available documents provides a sufficient representation of the habitat types and biological resources present in the Scotts Valley area. As a programmatic document, this EIR summarizes those potential resources.

Summary of No and/or Beneficial Impacts
None identified.

Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures
Impact BIO-1: Have a substantial adverse effect on any riparian habitat or other sensitive natural community identified in local or regional plans, policies, regulations or by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or US Fish and Wildlife Service. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

As described in the Open Space & Conservation Element, there are three habitat communities in the Scotts Valley Planning Area: 1) Riparian Woodland, 2) Ponderosa Pine, and 3) Zayante/Santa Cruz Sandhills. These habitat communities support a variety of special-status plants and animals that do or could potentially occur.

Previous development projects within the Planning Area have been the subject of environmental studies that have included site-specific biological resource surveys. The findings of these surveys and the results of the various data base searches have been consistent with regard to the potential occurrence of special-status wildlife species in the Scotts Valley Planning Area.

The Open Space & Conservation Element contains a number of policies designed to protect candidate, sensitive, rare, and/or special-status plant and animal species. In particular:

Policy OSC-1.1 Regional Collaboration – Biological Resources requires the City to continue to participate in regional, state, and federal programs that protect biological resources in Scotts Valley and the region.

Policy OSC-1.6 Natural Diversity requires the City to promote the protection and preservation of native species, habitat, and vegetation types and overall natural diversity in Scotts Valley.

Policy OSC-1.7 Environmentally Sensitive Areas requires the City to preserve and protect environmentally sensitive areas in Scotts Valley.

Policy OSC-1.15 Project Biological Resources Impacts requires the City’s environmental review process be used to determine potential impacts to biological resources of project proposals.

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Ensure that new development avoids, minimizes, and/or mitigates impacts to biological resources and sensitive habitat.

Policy OSC-1.16 Biological Survey requires that new development proposed within areas of native plants, or rare or endangered wildlife habitat shall prepare a site-specific survey which identifies the location and type of species present. Any such development is required to mitigate any potential impacts to such species.

Policy OSC-1.14 Native Plant Communities requires that new development proposed in, or adjacent to, areas containing native plant communities shall be carefully planned and provide for their conservation and maintenance.

Implementation of these policies in the General Plan, and implementation of existing federal, state, and local regulations, would ensure that individual projects are required to analyze and mitigate for site-specific biological resources pursuant to current state and federal protocols for protected species. Implementation of these policies and programs would mitigate impacts to these resources to a less than significant level and no mitigation is required.

Impact BIO-2: Have a substantial adverse effect on federally protected wetlands. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

Isolated wetlands, particularly those associated with riparian corridors and low-lying undeveloped areas, are located throughout the Planning Area. Future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan could have a potential impact on protected wetlands. However, the Open Space & Conservation Element contains a number of policies designed to protect wetlands. These include:

Policy OSC-1.8 Riparian Corridors requires that riparian corridors be maintained and protected consistent with federal, State and local regulations. Degraded corridors shall be restored or improved in association with development of frontage properties. Require landscaping for new developments along creeks or in wetlands to be native riparian plant species.

Policy OSC-1.9 Creek Protection requires the City to maintain creek beds, riparian corridors, water courses, and associate vegetation in their natural state to assist in groundwater percolation and prevent erosion and downstream sedimentation.

Policy OSC-1.10 Creek and Wetland Setbacks requires setbacks and implementation of standards and guidelines for development and improvements within the City and adjacent to creeks and wetlands as set forth in the City’s Stormwater Management Program.

Policy OSC-1.12 Wetland Protection requires that all future development protect and restore the biological productivity and quality of wetlands, where feasible.

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Policy OSC-1.17 Wetland Habitat requires new development to protect and preserve wetland habitats that meet any of the following conditions: 1) Wetlands that contribute to the habitat quality and value of undeveloped lands established or expected to be established in perpetuity for conservation purposes; 2) Wetlands contiguous to riparian or stream corridors or other permanently protect lands; 3) Wetlands located within or contiguous to other high value natural areas.

Policy OSC-1.18 Wetland Study requires all future development applications to submit a detailed biological study where an initial site inventory indicates the presence or potential for wetland species or indicators. The study shall contain a delineation of all wetland areas on the project site based on the definitions contained in Section 13577(b) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

Implementation of these policies in the General Plan, and implementation of existing federal, state, and local regulations, would ensure that individual projects are required to analyze and mitigate for site-specific impacts to protected wetlands. Implementation of these policies and programs would mitigate impacts to these resources to a less than significant level and no mitigation is required.

Impact BIO-3: Interfere substantially with the movement of any native resident or migratory fish or wildlife species or wildlife corridors, or wildlife nursery sites. This is considered a potentially significant impact.

Wildlife movement corridors can vary from narrow specific paths a few feet wide used by certain species to move from breeding areas to forage areas, to major corridors for population dispersal and migration with spans of hundreds of miles and at the scale of mountain ranges and valleys. Depending on the organism and its needs, movement corridors can either be continuous or discontinuous patches of suitable habitat. For a fish migrating upstream, the habitat needs to be relatively continuous, whereas highly mobile species, such as birds and large mammals, can adequately move through discontinuous habitat.

When habitat linkages are too small or narrow, they may collapse ecologically due to encroachment or edge effects. An example is a corridor intended for deer movement that is so narrow that adjacent residential lighting is too bright for deer to tolerate crossing open pools of light. For small mammals, such as rodents and reptiles, habitat linkages need to be sufficiently wide to decrease the predatory effects of domestic dogs and cats associated with suburban development. In general, the larger and wider a link is, the better it functions for the movement of animals and genetic exchange between major areas of open space. Preserving expanses of open space that are connected may enable species utilizing this site as a thoroughfare or a residence to persist.

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In developed urban areas within the Planning Area, there are few locations that could potentially allow movement of large mammals and would require movement across barriers such as roads, fences, and areas of night lighting. As shown in Figure OSC-3: Riparian Woodlands, wildlife movement could occur along the riparian corridors, including those associated with Been Creek and Carbonera Creek, and their tributaries.

As described in the Open Space & Conservation Element contains a number of policies designed to address wildlife within riparian corridors. These include:

Policy OSC-1.8 Riparian Corridors requires that riparian corridors be maintained and protected consistent with federal, State and local regulations. Degraded corridors shall be restored or improved in association with development of frontage properties. Require landscaping for new developments along creeks or in wetlands to be native riparian plant species.

Policy OSC-1.9 Creek Protection requires the City to maintain creek beds, riparian corridors, water courses, and associate vegetation in their natural state to assist in groundwater percolation and prevent erosion and downstream sedimentation.

Policy OSC-1.10 Creek and Wetland Setbacks requires setbacks and implementation of standards and guidelines for development and improvements within the City and adjacent to creeks and wetlands as set forth in the City’s Stormwater Management Program.

Implementation of these policies in the General Plan, and implementation of existing federal, state, and local regulations, would ensure that individual projects are required to analyze and mitigate for site-specific impacts to wildlife corridors. Implementation of these policies and programs would mitigate impacts to these resources to a less than significant level and no mitigation is required.

Impact BIO-4: Conflict with any local policies or ordinances protecting biological resources, such as a tree preservation policy or ordinances. This is considered a less than significant impact.

Future planned development associated with buildout of the General Plan could have a potential impact on the removal of trees, including native trees such as Coast live oak and Ponderosa pine. In addition, project construction may require grading within the dripline of native trees slated for retention and trimming to provide road clearances. Both grading and tree trimming activities may adversely affect tree health and vigor.

The City of Scotts Valley Zoning Ordinance Section 17.44.080 Tree Protection Regulation regulates the protection and removal of protected trees. Applicants for future development associated with buildout of the General Plan that would involve removal of protected trees are required to obtain a Tree Removal Permit, which involves submittal of an application and an arborist report to verify the reasons for removal or to determine alternatives to removal.

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Removal of protected trees other than Heritage Trees may be granted by ministerial approval.

Remove of Heritage Trees, which are identified in the City of Scotts Valley Heritage Tree Inventory (Ordinance Exhibit A), requires authorization by the Planning Commission, either at project approval or at a separate public hearing held thereafter.

Implementation of the City’s Tree Protection Regulations would ensure that individual projects are required to analyze and mitigate for site-specific impacts to tree preservation policy or ordinances. Implementation of these policies and programs would mitigate impacts to these resources to a less than significant level and no mitigation is required.

Impact BIO-5: Conflict with the provisions of an adopted Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) or Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP). This is considered a potentially significant impact.

As described in the Open Space & Conservation Element, there are three designated conservation areas within the Planning Area that are managed to preserve their habitat and plant and animal species: 1) Santa Cruz Sandhills, 2) Glenwood Preserve, and 3) Polo Ranch.

Habitat. Conservation plans that provide long-term management and monitoring of biological resources for the Santa Cruz Sandhills and Glenwood Preserve have been adopted by the City of Scotts Valley. 100 acres open space in the 40-lot Polo Ranch subdivision is protected per the entitlement conditions of approval, is owned by the homeowner association, and is managed by an open space manager.

In addition to these conservation plans, the Open Space & Conservation Element contains a number of policies and actions designed to protect conservation areas. These include:

Policy OSC-1.3 Regional Sandhills Habitat Conservation Plan requires the City to continue to collaborate with the County of Santa Cruz and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to maintain the habitat conservation plan (HCP) for the Sandhills Habitat area.

Action OSC-1.2 Santa Cruz Sandhills HCP requires the City to work with relevant agencies to finalize and implement an HCP for the Sandhills area habitat in the Planning Area. In the interim, continue to support use of the Interim Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan (IPHCP) as mitigation for loss of sandhills habitat in conjunction with new development.

Action OSC-1.3 Glenwood Open Space Preserve Access requires the City to seek opportunities (e.g., grants) to expand the amount of publicly accessible trails within the Glenwood Open Space Preserve and properly manage and mitigate neighborhood impacts at trail access points, where possible.

Implementation the respective conservation plans, as well as the policies and actions described above (as well as other General Plan biological resources protection polices and actions) would ensure continued implementation and monitoring of the City’s conservation areas and impacts

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to these resources would be reduced to a less than significant level and no mitigation is required.

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CULTURAL & TRIBAL RESOURCES
Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards
Federal
National Historic Preservation Act
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, sets forth a national policy and procedures regarding historic properties and resources, defined as districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects included in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP or National Register) and any artifacts, records, and materials remains related to such properties or resources (16 U.S.C. § 470w). Prior to commencement, the Project must comply with Section 106 of NHPA. Section 106 requires federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on properties that may be eligible for listing or are listed in the National Register and to allow the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation the opportunity to comment on those undertakings, following regulations issued by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (See 36 CFR § 60.4 and 36 CFR part 800).

Executive Order 11593 (May 13, 1971), 36 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 8921 as incorporated into Title 7, United States Code
Executive Order 11593, Protection of the Cultural Environment, orders the protection and enhancement of the cultural environment through providing leadership, establishing State offices of historic preservation, and developing criteria for assessing resource values.

American Indian Religious Freedom Act and Native American Graves and Repatriation Act The American Indian Religious Freedom Act establishes that it is the nation’s policy to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise their traditional religions, including access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites. Additionally, Native American remains are protected by the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act of 1990.

State
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that for public or private projects financed or approved by public agencies, the effects of the projects on historical resources and unique archeological resources must be addressed (PRC §§ 21083.2; 21084.1; Title 14 CCR §15064.5).

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Historical resources are defined as buildings, sites, structures, objects, or districts that have been determined to be eligible for listing in the CRHR, those resources included in a local register of historical resources as defined in section 5020.1(k) of the Public Resources Code, or any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record or manuscript which a lead agency determines, based on substantial evidence, to be historically significant in the architectural, engineering, scientific, economic, agricultural, educational, social, political, military or cultural annals of California. PRC § 21084.1; 14 CCR § 15064.5.

A unique archeological resource means an archeological artifact, object or site about which it can be clearly demonstrated that, without merely adding to the current body of knowledge, there is a high probability that it: (1) contains information needed to answer important scientific research questions and that there is a demonstrable public interest in that information; (2) has a special and particular quality such as being the oldest of its type or the best available example of its type; or (3) is directly associated with a scientifically recognized important prehistoric or historic event or person. See PRC § 21083.2(g); 14 CCR § 15064.5.

Assembly Bill 52
Section 21080.3.1(b) of the California Public Resources Code (AB 52) requires a lead agency formally notify a California Native American tribe that is traditionally and culturally affiliated within the geographic area of the discretionary project when formally requested. As of this writing, no California Native American tribes traditionally and culturally affiliated with the Santa Cruz County region have formally requested a consultation with the City of Scotts Valley (as Lead Agency under CEQA) regarding Tribal Cultural Resources.

Public Resources Code Section 5024.1
Cultural resources in California are protected by California Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 5024.1 which established the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). Properties that meet one of the following criteria are eligible for listing in the CRHR:
 Criterion 1: Association 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: Association with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history;
 Criterion 3: Embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or representing the work of a master, or possessing high artistic values; or
 Criterion 4: Has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation.

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The CRHR interprets the integrity of a cultural resource as its physical authenticity. An historic cultural resource must retain its historic character or appearance and thus be recognizable as an historic resource. Integrity is evaluated by examining the subject's location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. If the subject has retained these qualities, it may be said to have integrity. It is possible that a cultural resource may not retain sufficient integrity to be listed in the NRHP yet still be eligible for listing in the CRHR. If a cultural resource retains the potential to convey significant historical/scientific data, it may be said to retain sufficient integrity for potential listing in the CRHR. Most significant Native American prehistoric sites are eligible due to their age, scientific potential, and/or burial remains. Properties listed in the National Register are automatically eligible for listing in the California Register.

Title 14, Penal Code, Section 622.5
According to Penal Code Section 622.5, anyone (except the owner of the item at issue) who willfully damages or destroys an item of archaeological or historic interest or value is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Human Remains
Public Resources Code 5097.98 (b) and (e)
Public Resources Code 5097.98 (b) and (e) require a landowner on whose property Native American human remains are found to limit further development activity in the vicinity until he/she confers with the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)-identified Most Likely Descendants (MLDs) to consider treatment options. In the absence of MLDs or of a treatment acceptable to all parties, the landowner is required to reenter the remains elsewhere on the property in a location not subject to further disturbance.

California Health and Safety Code, Section 7050.5
This code makes it a misdemeanor to disturb or remove human remains found outside a cemetery. This code also requires a project owner to halt construction if human remains are discovered and to contact the county coroner.

Public Resources Code Section 5097.5
California Public Resources Code Section 5097.5 prohibits excavation or removal of any “vertebrate paleontological site…or any other archaeological, paleontological or historical feature, situated on public lands, except with express permission of the public agency having jurisdiction over such lands.” Public lands are defined to include lands owned by or under the jurisdiction of the state or any city, County, district, authority or public corporation, or any agency thereof. Section 5097.5 states that any unauthorized disturbance or removal of archaeological, historical, or paleontological materials or sites located on public lands is a misdemeanor.

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California Historical Building Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 8 The California Historical Building Code, defined in Sections 18950 to 18961 of Division 13, Part

2.7 of the Health and Safety Code, provides regulations and standards for the rehabilitation, preservation, restoration (including related reconstruction) or relocation of historical buildings or structures deemed by any level of government as having importance to the history, architecture, or culture of an area.

Local
Scotts Valley Cultural Preservation Ordinance
Section 17.44.130 – Cultural Resource Protection requires the City to protect the interest of the public by providing for the identification, protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of archaeological resources and sites within the City that reflect special elements of the City's prehistoric and historic archaeological heritage. The Ordinance requires the City to:
 Integrate the preservation of archaeological resources and the extraction of relevant data from such resources into public and private land-management and development processes;
 Develop and maintain a cultural resource conservation and protection environment now and in the future and take all actions necessary to protect and enhance the cultural resource heritage of the City;
 Ensure that the long-term protection of the cultural resource heritage shall guide public decision;
 Require consideration of protection of cultural resources as well as economic and technical factors and long-term benefits and costs in addition to short-term benefits and costs; and consider alternatives to proposed actions affecting the cultural resource heritage of the City in land-use management and development activities.

A Cultural Resource Alteration Permit shall be required for relocation, removal, alteration or demolition of any recorded cultural resource, designated cultural resource site or area which has been identified in any preliminary or comprehensive cultural resource report as containing a potentially significant cultural resource.

The Ordinance also describes specific procedures that must be followed in the event cultural resources (e.g., bones or other human remains, or artifacts clearly associated with a human interment) are discovered.

Scotts Valley Historic Landmark Preservation
Section 17.44.140 – Historic Landmark Preservation requires the protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of all City-designated historic landmarks. An Historic Landmark Alteration

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or Demolition Permit is required prior to the relocation of a designated historic landmark or for any alteration to a designated historic landmark that involves change in design, replacement of construction material or change in external appearance, or for any reconstruction thereof.

Impacts of the Project
Significance Criteria
An impact of the Project would be considered significant and would require mitigation if it would meet one of the following criteria:
 Cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource pursuant to § 15064.5?
 Cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an archaeological resource pursuant to § 15064.5?
 Disturb any human remains, including those interred outside of dedicated cemeteries? Would the project cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a tribal cultural resource, defined in Public Resources Code section 21074 as either a site, feature, place, cultural landscape that is geographically defined in terms of the size and scope of the landscape, sacred place, or object with cultural value to a California Native American tribe, and that is:
 Listed or eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources, or in a local register of historical resources as defined in Public Resources Code section 5020.1(k), or  A resource determined by the lead agency, in its discretion and supported by substantial evidence, to be significant pursuant to criteria set forth in subdivision (c) of Public Resources Code Section 5024.1. In applying the criteria set forth in subdivision (c) of Public Resource Code Section 5024.1, the lead agency shall consider the significance of the resource to a California Native American tribe.

California Register of Historical Resources
In order to be determined eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), a property must be significant at the local, State, or national level under one or more of the following four criteria as defined in Public Resources Code 5024.1 and CEQA Guideline 15064.5(a).
 It is associated with events or patterns of events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history and cultural heritage of California and the United States.