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82-62 SPECIFIC PLAN & REZONE 4 OF 15
I. SUMMARY This report addresses the potential impacts of developing 385 dwelling units plus x small commercial and recreationalarea on 1200 acres located on Doe MITI Ridge,, seven miles east of Chico. Those impacts found not to be significant include subsidence; loss of mineral resources, volcanism, water quality effects, air pollution, aesthetics, noise, impact on rare plants, impact on cultural resources, impae,t on public Utilities, alteration of drainage patterns and flow volumes, ;effects on groundwater quality, and impacts on schools; Those impacts which are potentially significant requiring mitigation +nclude exposure to seismic hazards, wildlife habitat reduction, traffic increases at the High 32/SantosWay intersco tion, exposure to fire hazard, increased service load on police and fire 'agencies, energy use, expansive soils, and erosion,: - Project alternatives described in the report include no projects a different design with Y g g ning a reduction' in project density with: the same density utilizing or avoiding PA -C zo and an incmase in project density. Since the project is a land nroj'ect, as defined in Section 11000.5 of the Mate Business and Professions Code, a Specific Plan and subdivision, maps are regiiired before parcels Me sold. The Specific Plan, to be adopted pursuant to Section 664.445 of the Government Code, is intended to provide coordination of development activities, to insure that the various ownerships within the project area complete integrated developments compatible with each other and t ith the ' County General Flan.' 'this FUR will serve as a munter environmental as."err;ment for all developments within thq project bounda.riesi (b) 0t tiie Government Code provides that the EI , for the subject area, sha.11 be applicable to subsequent land divisions and rezones pursuant to and in conforriity with the Specitio Plan for which an BIP has been certified. Rt3fer to Appendi„^ a for Article 81 ,authority for and Scope of SpecificanS f' r _ H. INTRODucTIo V Urbili7 and suburban gIOV�/t1 brings NltiIt eR�lr?nRejdal Chi1�R , S WhiCh to SQl'Re extent can be anticipated and analysed before they occur. `I;hc CtiliCori1ia Envi`ro m n ental Qualit. Act of 1970 (CEQA) A` Y (. � ) established the Environmental linpact 1'tcport (1•rIll,) I procedures for such analysis. Throunh the revicti process established by this legislation, the environmental consequences of lend u'se decisions by governmental' agencies can be Istudied bofoj,e the ;decision is made;: The results of this -analysis are refinod through comments, responses, and public hearings and are made available to persons potentially affected by the decision as well as to the decision-makers themselves, This EIR is intended to be a full disclosure document Written as a part of the bbove described process. It describes the anticipated environmental effects of converting 1200 acres of ,ridge top chaparral to rural residential homes tes to meet the recognized need for housing. The project proponent; Bidwell 116- hts Land Company; Inas selected a rural setting for the development. Through a project design which va 81 strUnglvinfluenced by environmental constraints the developer int. i p aesthetic quail-dies of 'the site While making the area available for home construction. Preservation of the rural character of the site Would be accomplished t!hrouoh a 1, comlainaton of relatively larger parcels on portions of the site and cluster design vrith open space Where residential densities are more concentrated.> a Prior to firming up the project design, an interdisciplfriary team of field researchers_ reviewed the project site and identified potential impact; in th'e fields of wildlife biology, botany,, geology, archaeology and sails engineering. The results of these surveys are attached as Appendices. Figure 3 illustrates the project design Which reflects survey results. Anj iniaal study ;vas also q0t pleted (Sue Appendix A) ivhich directed 'theprimaryfocus of the EIS study to the following issuEs: m Topographic changes o Soil erosion j a Geolo&c hazards o Surface runoff aceornrnodatiM` o GraundcVater qualit.V and quantity i is Wgetaflon removal ® Wildlife habitat dkt lrbance • Lend use and POPUI'MiMl d'istribu;tion o Energy consumption Traffic CIr culation o Public services o Aesthetics The }r1 E1 assesses the' rclatitre signli`icance of eAch is.,t,c and proposes mitigation minasurc5 to Ovoid or recili ce iill p:ycts where ap,tiropriete. '2' ,i ' SinGc ti►is particular areia has, r- peri:enC vi li utl � : csi s}sort l ;i.�,l dr vel opmtrr,t �. careful planning it needed to balance ti:e objer ;iVes of prov.it 119 h0uding versu- r r land drrd i.L•s inherent: such as the curnt apci7aiNnci:rar�i.a't ir,s .. e ,n nature of the la wildlife habitat. A convenience store arid, gas ,tation are pluar,ed as a means to provide some of the food, fuel and incidental. needs of futux'c, residents, thus diminishing the need for long distance commutes to Chico. A GENERAL DESCRIPTION 0r, THE PROJECT'' S 'IL"CH111TC%AL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS The Bidwell Heights Land Project is intended to be a com}?=Lt.te subdivision and planned development built in conformance with Butte County l.irlpravemcnt Standards for subdivisions. The main access road is proposed to be an i:t-"7 Ctandard, 20 foot wide graveled road with seal. coat. Secondary roads are -also to be graveleds handled by on-site filtration or by drainage swales Surface drainage Mould be leading to either Little Chico Creek or Butte Creek. Sewage disposal would be ,with individual or common septic tank- leaclzfield sysi?ems: Water will bs pa from a community water system. Additional wells d to meet the water needs for domestic use and fire protection. Gre anticipate Upgrading Currently, water storage is available in the amount of 541000 gallons. as development occurs and after.n.gineering of the water storage capac:.ty will occur for the design. An on-site fire statim is proposed for construction in the near future The fndation for the building is in place and one fire truck, is available. ou Open space is' to be provided for the PA-C re'Zone areas with corridors for wildlife movements. The larger parcels of 5 acres plus will also have open space though not coordinated as with the PA-0 area., This area of Doe !dill Ridge is consider ed a key migratory area for the East 'Tehama Deer Herd and is important for other wildlife species of the Upper Sonoran Life Zone. The fallor•},ng estimates are made of the economic facto for the project: Value of land $45,000 to $60,000 Value of dwelling units - X690,000 to $105 000 For 385 dwelling units 'the following figures are dprivetl: Total valise of land and impr.oveMaril s (385 x G�Ci,OOO) Using a market value of y57, 50,000 and,a Count, t, rate of l% of market taxes returned to the Count would be approXima.t�eUl X577,500. valt,te the property y Additional tax revenues, ma'y be realized in the future by Special taxes for school districts and other entities. A fiscal analysis is to be pr6pared, prior to i public hearings on the Specific p1411, to determine how the revenues will balance with `costs for publi.o services by the County. _�xa_ IV. ENYIRRGNMENTAL SET'TIN! FIGURE 2 SITZ.'VICT1,111 'V LOCATION + a , I+ �� Bta� I :r� ' �, 1' 1 I'/� F l ! �a' .� �` � t, �•'`I I� ,�5 ' C I 1 ;oto; � � 1 � •,. r, � .-- - � � r te. +,i `/ � ref �•tr �� i �` . ,..,,LG' � �.�10 ``r`°� fes. t, ���. � �• .9 /. .,,� ! at r^"'�'�+:�+',Iaf— '�--,,,. .,• •••. � ✓` T ; tiro ," j.Ao j 'i,' t a.,5.t i F...` -'•_ 1 , , p p ';, n ♦ 1 i , /- I /' -40414 41, 14 � r " i �_ / „f / �' s til n' I r• 41 117 „ - 1 r., ' i—wr✓•• 'r,,,,,.,! �, rM � ,.4�� .�R' , f I 'I t � � I • r I•.. � tr ''r .. r FM' '�,�'�. t +. J'Y r"'n f�t�• �� I��. t�)��l'h'" JJ � 1 J nf' � 1 4 14%YL/ ( Y,.±' � 1 � ". r.. _ � 1 n C hhoot � 1 � �� �'�'• I , A T' I, ♦'I fOS � t+'^` ++,"' 1 A / I 14 .7 `f' .-, .1 l � 'v- � I x Ia Ar r i. �t _ ..t . � .�, rr. �.., i• � `-1. t �.. t. i ».� r'':—= � : ` N,�_. ^ "' r "^ �... � i` %ilt t' t 011-� � i tN16 z�t1 3bo0: � A Wtt 5otx) GC�:tin 7oCo rF [ r ' i t \ T .,,. - r,' , 1 r • �� 7.4f F,Ar �j\A l y uN , „ ll ti `�� '\ y Cu+I• r� /, / f. l /rrri� '- 1 1 'I �I o Tuscan Formation t�,' �� } �� tr..-�' A '1. y T i GEULGGI` or IN AR L Lovejoy Basalt r�LONG ]:.I'P`AE CIAICO L + '� ��►. .. I � . l ;,}�i,,' ;f/' r,, I Formation- r Ct11C0'r r ' CTt'? EY, AND DOE M! LL boundary between '1 r !,• �. _ und , r. t .:�/ ' RID GE its ter. f rock dashe ,- .i � It � >, r;p � � r ' where. obscured.� ,t� rr / /) ,, ��'f '� ;J ' r %' �"' •- �.._-.• �,^ r fractures visible on :�`' ��;� i•+ ,� u I s dashed photos; �✓, �,,�� ., _ ,t � .� � .� � �," where taken from , Har-Wbo d et a1. ]981 `< property boundary, j„', 4 ~- ;'' /,r• -r _ l r, location approximate , , y\�;, IA. J� ��� ♦�-' ' �'Jf r ' "1 µ,gyri ,^'�� '!�'�. y aaa.- +1.; r �t ^~ q��• ;'^^�"'.+..;��; •;��.0 ', �.=+. - ..rLi`J � -r^:• � ' �r I J.ji ' ell � . 1G }' 1. �,' , , U'.� \�' + � 'rJ , Ake `V ''�'�t ii . � 1 �•-! ^-��.rr� ^y r (r /L i !' J•! Iluj(t ^i _ � � ,+ ..`.-G` � . l+'r , "_.'•' :y .'� r'... ,1`.. (! I ` . \L. • r ` Y �j.". � • A'^�:.. . .�.I'�".-. , fl ,.•' j/s � n' p _ rte.,. ,. s4✓,, � a/f w � . � ,}Ill'. 'v 'iY � ' \ ' i+ + �, + `. r +Ir ! .� ' %/ '✓"t`'a �� ` rr —_, g ..L,' _ J :-..^...,.`. ., ,, .' 1.11 «._,... %' »��-”- ' ... r r 1 ' , � V. \.�!•.� � /�� / +/>r �. I + y,.�ysxsP - >' .. // a �/ ' � r , �, ..1 hti, .. ', .^l rlr � r ?� � r r .^' . /,r„�'�, I✓ o i 4 C,, -'-%- `t\ y" /rr �, f . • � ` "_, • , � ', ��1 1 d ` �, ,, �I' �A •„/'r r'l � 1'� , I /�.r] � I• .ir�r i'•'j I ,r ..,.� 7 r . "� 1,/1''•/7. r't �`' 73 Geologist J}(Tr%, L ,jass rr v' � f/ y � � �...i . rl� ' . S:' ''- Y� '� .• r,1� I `-r'�•',rt � 1+ ' I' � G7 „ /� :... _�.:.►,•---'tT I. `"''" "f..^ !" , lj - I !r I // ~! ,:..-.� r'r iL-- + ~ �,.. rte/ �..'� r. % .� I� 1 „" � .� � i =� .rr µ� t �! i rr'�' �• �F+^. +.r' � rr •' �'��:r>�"%�/r rt � l�pt{ " -', � + '_. J r r.� �. t �' ��r .Y i'rr ' e�r.w.�.."' ,�Il • '�.,.�,r ,r4 \....+ ;y, ' ,..• .,{/ i} / w4 \•' /•'y ;> ,'� v'�� !;. 4� t� I�j�,r,-"".'"; ��+ �!- r'''�r r Jyr�Y7A;. +r .r '� I f j r ell, 'C) Ft /°ynr•�-� ,t "f ..l : It v1.� ./"'.. ir..-�" �.. I' �-s".+.r•"+�w ✓fir' .�-. „r.��r��� ,_' �� + 1 / +',. f (i1:. ^ 1 �r.r" _ _ r�• � ray � ru'�C��� f�� _� -!• ,if�� iJ / � t i' 'y��r...t� �� � 5r rot .•`� �} `11� �r r '�JJJ 1 ` .ter ,'/',✓'r".,".,�.� v + rs ��,�,,, r 1 .�( ,.- }.. �� ., ' ��� r',It: t j / I t ri r` lY'>A J ,+','r y �., r ' 3 �., •e, ���✓ �+ C. HYDROLOGY Surface liydrology No perennial streams are located on the proporty, Runnoff f1lon') this upland area drains on the east into Butte Creek and to the west into Little Ch1+o Creek. The land surface slopes slightly to 'the west and southwest, so most of U10 drainage follows intermittent tributaries into Little Chico Creek. A major tribl.at,rtiy to Little Chien Creek forms the ravine on the property's northwest ;and north bouncInnes, while a second drains the ;property f1+om tike south, beginning at the small irrigation grind. Subsurface Hydrology The volcanic layers of the Tuscan Formation have a variable Water content, since permeable and impermeable materials with varying clay content, grain size and pore sizes are inter-layered. The presence of a well on the property with an estimatt:,.l yield of 60 gal/min. from a depth of 85feet indicates that some groundwater is present in the upper portions of the Tuscan Formation r The lower Tuscan, near its contact with the impermeable Lovejoy Basalt at (about 8- '900 feet elevation, accumulates larger volumes of water. This is indicated by another well on the property yielding 225 aalJmm, continuously from a depthof 770 feet (the well-head is at about '1600 feet elevation). Beneath the Tuscan, the Lovejoy Basalt,; Chico Formation and Sierra bedroci: do.not contain substandal'amounts of water. Quality of water from the Tuscan Formation ,wells is excellent, as evidenced by the Y tests done for incorporation of the mutual water cotnpany; these test results, on file with the Stat ssion and included in this report as Appendix: 11 show that State Corporation Comrni the well, water meets all standards for potable water supply. The Tuscan forrraation, north and ea.-I. of Chico,' serves a ro�tadwater. recharee for well o in the Chico area. 1,1. CLIMATE The project area; lying 6bove the Sacramento Valley and below the Sierra-Cascade Muntain range eomple\, is considr:red a foothill ;r'egion with a Mediterranean clitnatie regime nonsist ng of hot. dry is and' cool; rainy` winters, The nearest weather stit`tioris with ubstantial long-term cliniatog cal d-i to are the Chico University Farm :And the Paradise weather stations, The project area is in a transition tone between` the VN st gtio-t for most clfMatie''factois. e The area's usual" wind pattern is southeast to northwest (see wind rose in Appendix D), but it sometimes shifts to a north -to -south wind corridor as wormed valley air, and cool, canyon air flow tip and down the ridges and creek canyons. Generally, winds generated by passing storm systems tend to scour the area in the winter, whereas summer air is more stable. The project area is located at the elevations where the valley floor -based autumn inversion layer ends, so that depending on-werither conditions, the property can occasionally be included under the inversion layer. however,, because thy ' inversion layer usually ends at 10,00 feet elevation, the property is for the most part above it and exposed to more ventilated conditions. P reel ita 'p' tion usually occurs as rain, although occasional light and quickly melting_ shows can occur at this elevation. Over a four year period from 1974 to 1977, Paradise (slightly. higher elevation than the project area) received about 45 inches of precipitation annually and Chico received an wverage of about 20 inches 'annually. Based on its intermediate elevation, the project area probably receives an average of about 40 inches of rain per year. Te mperatures in the foothills do not differ from those in the valley as markedly as do precipitation levels; both Chico and Paradise stations have recorded similar temperatures, ranging from average lows around 30-35°F to summer highs averaging 900F with temperatures commonly reaching over 1000 in both the foothills and the valley. (Refer to Table 2 for annual temperatures and precipitation levels.) Variations in the site's canyon -and -ridge topography would be expected to modify local 'Wind speeds and directions, precipitation levels and temperature levels: Ridge tops would experience difference mieroclimate conditions from 'tile valley and canyon bottoms due to differing degrees of exposure to wind, solar heating, moisture retention, and other factors. " G: AIR QUAMTY The existing air quality at the proposed project site and its vicinity in the foothills above Chico is generally good. The site is located in the Sacramento Palley Air Basin which as a; whole is not in compliance with Stste'and Vederal (EPA,) standards for ozone and carbon monoxide '(CO). The site itself lies mainly above, the 600 to 1000. toot ;elevtit.ion under which the combust`io'd pollutants arc seasona sly trapped by the, vi3lleN+'s temperature inversiOh This surface-Nised inversion operates frons Septembele, H. NOISE Existing Horse levels on the proposer) T3id�' ell llei hts Subdi vision Site are very ]o'v�' since the land is not beingused intensively b5 humans is surrounded tsy, open land in a Y : natural setting, and is over a mile from IliQhw's.y 32, which is the only �tiauttce of traffic noise in the vicinity: This site is not near any of the identified r1o, 80 sources on the County General Plan Noise Element N'18p BackgroundIII, present arc probably close to 40 d13, t` (Butte County veneral Plan, Noise r.lentent, ..; i,oise level measured in a wildlife ;area tte[tt' a county road � liable About About 100 trucks per day (annual average) travel up and down the grade between Chico rind forest Trench; true). noise should not carry significantly from the road to the proposed prdjeet site. A. LANDUSE Site Ttt1 proposed Bidwell Heights property is mostly open land, with the e%ceptlon of a e center of the property. On the east side of the vineyard of approximately 68 acres in th vineyard are a small irrigation pond and well; electrical power lines traverse the property from northwest to southeast) ending at the well by the vineyard. The Ian d is ot}►er',vise unused by humans, with no structures ex cent that a system of unpaved roads is presen sure the site (see Figure 3), The Butte County General Plan Land Use lle5ignat>on for the i is r'lgricultural-Resi.detltial e�:�aeQt for the southern 80 acres which is designated Gpen- as �g�" ct�J ttti a:L-t,eeidential. do,e to its ridgetop topd�xaTi) ;, Gr xirtg, but interpreted. Surrounding Lands surrounded E open lands with scattered residences. 'Parcel, sizes of The property is surr Y _ adjacent properties start at five acres, with several parcels of over 10Q acres nearkrt The surrounding County c enrral Plan Lnnd Use DePigttrition is mostly Open�Grazind, with idential eilong Little Chiro Creek to the souts, hwest and in Butt strips of Agri cultural -Res Creel: Canyon oto the dast� North of the property is open land t it}t scattered residences tend the town of Forest Ranch about six milee Up'1lill1way 32, 'Ca the, t��est, open land with settsonwtl grazinutief Chic Creek, with 4liglt.v� ilr 32 rtlonq the wo$ti to, the Vvc h either sides of T,tttic :rnmo5t cite rtt of f3idwe13 ntLr , !t low intensity rbereatiottal. uG� H glttvny 32 lies "thb northe, rtlong Big Clhico Crack:, `l'he City of r rtico, seven miles to tlic;. wi*st, is capericneitt= In°ercas �ti residi;ntial and contily'ei'r�ia`! rlcvc},<�pr�tcilt ort its cast side (facing the foGtlti)ls). The land soots) of the etroperty is rt�m r5l�ineir with scattered hoilioN t4�s; thrice. to fetir miles _ -j. l- further southwest is Stilson Canyon (the lower portion of Little Chico Crack canyon);, whereresidential densities are higher. To the east of the property lies 13u:tte ONOk Canyon with its increasingly dense rural -residential development; past the natural cat yOn lands is the flown of Paradise, about three miles to the east on the next ridge. J VEGETATION* VIAbitat The habitat is basically chaparral, at elevations ranging from below 1.,150 feet to above 1640 feet; some elements of riparian habitat occur along ephemeral stream banks and seeps Disturbance H,9tory A number of unpaved roads have been constructed throughout the site, .some with gravel, others essentially suitable for four-wheeldrive vehicles. An extensive_ portion of the land along a ridge in the '(,-enter of the property has been cleare( in the past fete years, and a large' vineyard has been planted on some of the cleared area. The chaparral is returning on the uncultivated part: A power line traverses the property from northwest to southeast, ending at a well that has recently been dug. A rock crusher is located toward the west boundaryof the site, various items of heavy to medium equipment are scattered throughout the area, primarily along reads, Drainage ditches have been d'ag. Tires have occurred in the past. Uncleared land is otherAse relatively undisturbed. Chaparral This habitat which frequently intergrades With foothill woodland, is well represented on the property. Tree species present include digger pine) several oak, species, hiuckeye, redbud and bay. Shrub- species include toyon,_ 'manzanita, buckbrush, deerbush, poison oak, scrub oak, silk tassel bush, yerba sante, Oregon grape, and others, Herbaceous species present include several brodiaeas, pitcher sage, bedstraw, small - flowered dwarf flax, rattlesnake weed, lotus, California sandw6rt, purple godetia, Hooker"s plantain, western morning, glory, lessingia, clovers, gpikemoss, California soaproot, goldback fern, audwecd, yarrow, hedge,, parsley, wild sweet pea, prickly lettuce, *Ttais infor►nation is adapted from nn t�etober) t081 ti' rvey of the site for general vegetation ai'►d rare rind enoal gered plants by Ringsley Stern. Please see Appendix F,for his conIpleto;report, eollmining a species list for both the chaparral and riparitlh6bit6ts. Gln_ w� �►�i�9�'daY��'111[®�`lSacles�\e�.N'®®.,. .... ..._...�— - spurge, Prudy's pensternon, wild bucrwhent, tidy tips, Hendersons tihooting stars, silver bush lupine, valley tassels; 'rush, and several grasses and introduced wuods. RiparIat Elements of this habitat type, which is associated with st�crrmcourues, inc!arlo cottonwood, bgleaf maple, flowering ash, willow, wild grape and blackberry, shield- bracted monkey flower, skullcap, cocklebur, hedge nettle, and of}rc�ls, on this particular.' property: Rave and Endangered Species No officially recognized rare and endangered species of vascular plants have previously been reported ;from this particular property, but sev(;ril, such species have been reported from ,within a few miles of the area. Three speuies currently recognized by the California Native Plant Society as "rare but not endangered'' have been reported from sites Irn;ediateiy adjacent t�, the project area, Paris of the property containing steep slopes potentially could support two species on "rare and endangered" lists, but the plants were not observed during the October, 1,981 survey. Bidwell's knotweed (Polygonum bidwelliae), one of the taxa recognized as rare but not endangered, Was observed at several locations in grassy openings on slopes throughout the project 6ite. This annual easily reseeds itself, growing in rocky ;outcrops. Ka WMDLIFE* , \ Site Value As Wildlife Habitat, As a part of the Upper Sonoran Life Zone, this area, as a whole, is an; excellent Wildlife habitat. The varied topography of the land and the variety of species and growth g , g ` `f forms of vegetation provide excellent cover and meetin sates fora 'eat diverstt�, of wildlife. Pine nuts, acorns, Wild grapes, marzanita berries, grasses, and buck brush provide abundant wildlife food'. In general, those areas With the most dense vegetation, especially the intermittent stroamcourses with trees and the dense chaparral, provide the Most food and cover. Next highest in wildlife vslUe tyre tl7c shrubbyareas wit)) occasional digger pines. Open areas, especially the grassland With scattered oaks, sire, *Qn October 2 and 3, 1981, Dr. Itogor Lederer of the o ttlifc�r►i}a State University at ' Chico 5urvoyTeel it e property for protaG�net of wildlife, ineluditi rare or-ndang&Md hr�.bitat, the species. llt� also, evnitat thy: xtlst��a'S 'aloe' tts wildlife and searched Literature for t�xpcetdd wildlife, to cnrltpleillont hl} riold sur'vcy. `t'he infornttit}on }n tt7is section is adtxptod from his repot t; pleitse see AppendixCJ for r7tiore dctrt 1. �3 1Zoad, two 4crcc.ntl� constructed project toads (Canyon Sliad6w.t;, Wilder Ctottd and s t unpaved rands and Jeep tr ) several J [' ails running throughout the site and in soma 0t:ises connectins tlaG site with adjacent land (see Fihu,re 3). Iliph'Way 32 passes the pr'a(a(}i"ty a,) Out. ra i,. ' � y nl a ca to the est. This stretch of the highway between Chico and sorest iti11tt'07 carries about 2000 vchic108 per day (ADT -average d,d r tri I3 S 'ps), 6•6 percent of cvliieh are tr•u,cr, ( CAIf7"ItANS, ;1980 an 11Y substantially less than its esla,mal�,l vehicles caf,eiy of fJ�1 tY3e es Pur day, The section Pact the site al mba is ri'l:r�r� aPP`r"O i.matel,y three perceht, risi.h tly gvade of` �©U feet in aboutt4lo tli:i�.r,{�, Doe Hill Road begins off Schott Road, Which intersects Ilii h�yrly 3� near sorest e through the si`te's easterililtost edges; through Ranch; it extends down Doe ,Mill Iiiri ; open land south of the property, and ends east of Iiighway 32 at an unrepaired washod_ out bridge. Schott Road is paved only for a short section at its intersection with IikfhW 32 the Count ay s�; here, 5 has. traffic counts of 220 ADT; which is near capaeity for this oherwi gravel road. Doe Mill Road itself is entirely se 5 unpaved. The County has no tra- for it Since it is not a ffic counts Public road, but it is estimated that it catries a rn ` ADT. Other as yet Unpaved roads existing throughout the pro nirnum of 100 )figure 3, C? J site are shown in Canyon Shadows Road begins with a 3J8 mile paved section at San ,, Highway 32, And continues unpaved through thee H811 -Isom ;propert , to; Santos j�a,; near a road recently constructed by the Applicant through the eastern Portion et jofldthe er Road. Isom prope k+y to the Bidwell' g.'eights proj'eet. ,1t continues tht•otagh Bidwell east and connects with Doc 'Mill Road. POPdons of Canyon Sile[doWs and All ofcipivht «aY� r Road have 30 -foot road beds and are bonded to meet County stfindards for an R5i`gravel and ai`] surface road. The Public Wort„ BePar+rtient recottrrr,eY� i�, its ils f f dor these two roads. l concrete (AC) iY. PUBLIC SI IMC S Schools The site is �tifithin the Chico Unified 8cwhool D[sLr{ct. At the reser attendance boutid'artes `have not chttngo�d from the previous • p t time, schcQl Soar+ so e{iiicrcn in the project aroi «�otrld atto'nd Pari�view Memo' acv Scltoc�I, Cftieb ,]trnior 1{i„ , Chico senior f{i�r h .3ohca�i; and ,la' School, ,�, �+��av 3. a t The bus to[rtCIS cal tll' ^ 1,1 e ,tnniar and. Smit r fiigf ,Schoo{s p,aG; 01,b,. "_ M�r tli alonv,x ) 17 �y i1 F, G d ti�a[tl�i li[YP vii the 7�'a 1.. "1 a w .... i, ]rci vidinity; �lwn�crit ;i School buwrw,. hot rm ning " ' Grp lligiiwny 3L at present booauso Vii' Mc!1 of dcjtnarrii. buatrld 'be ar ov i - it tht woulde O.Pill id «ore to Occur. i &d �l•5- IMM d MPM The capacity remaining in these schools, as of the 1981.-$2 school year, is as _ follows: Parkview Elementary has ;room for another 130 pupils, Chico Junior High for another 300, and Chico Senior high for another 400 to 500, The schools are not uncomfortably close to capacity now, but could reach capacity before the proposed project residents need the schools if other Chico area subdivisions fill up in the interim (for example, California Park and the Village). Through an ongoing demographic study of population growth and distribution, the District reviews school capacity yearly. Should a school. become overcrowded, the District would change attendance boundaries as a first Option to redistribute the student load to the schools with greater capacity; second and third options are building temporary buildings and year-round schooling as schools become overcrowded, since funds are not available for building of new schools. Police Protection Law enforcement and police protection is provided to the project area by the Butte County Sheriff's Department. At present-, there is no regular patrol assigned to the area, the Sheriff's patrol cars on the East Bent in Chico respond to site vicinity calls from their location at the time of the call. In addition to the driving time from Chico to the site, additional delays in response to emergency calls would likely occur, since the patrol car may also be attending to multiple calls in Chico at the time. The Sheriff's service to the entire area north and east of Chico is recognized as inadequate at present', the patrol has been recalled. 'from the Forest Ranch/Butte Meadows area, so no calls could be answered from there either. At present there are five Sheriff's Department personnel assigned to the entire revion of the Count 1 from 4 y rn Butte College to the Tehama County ine, Tw' officers are assigned to the Paradise area, but they do not serve the Doe Mill Ridge area because the goads throughout Butte Creel Cahyon are not passable in wgini er., Fire Protection The site and immediate vicinity is classified by the California Division of Forestry (and adopted by the Bunte County General Plan Safety Element) 0,'a, High Natural, Fire Hazard area; the site is surrounded' by areas of High to Etrerne Natural Fire I3a7ard. The Butte County Fire Department, staffed by State' Division of_Forestry personnel and having; access to all Division of forestry fire -fighting 'crews and' equipment; serves the' projc;t area, from Chico -based fire stations. ' Year-round s :rv'iee is provided by the, statior78 listed in Table 3 with their chgine response Ornos; all -season valuntecr service is also available fro`Mthe Vores't Ranch station No. 24 and Clutte Cotuity Volunteer i'ire Company No. 24 (response tiMe seven minutes plus time for volt ntci's to travel to the trook, from their homes). 'rile Vo'a$t Rail h Division of Forestry station pr'vides -1 G- of landforms due to mass wasting (in severe cases), and siltation of'treambeds which interferew with aquatic life., Erosion is not expected to be a significant problem in this cn3o because of site topography and project design. Most of the ,project area is flat or nearly flat upland surface, which would not easily ,erode.. Erosion activity from co►'►st►jucton and road building taking place on ravine slopes as well as ongoing erosion from runoff, would be preventedby measures outlined below (see section on Mitigation). Volcanism. A generalized analysis of volcanic hazards In the United States (Mullineaux, 197 6) indicates that the site migf(t be subject to 5t 'LU em (''to 12' inches) of ash from a large eruption in the Lassen Peak area. 'A large or.uption would be one that erupts about four times as much material as was erupted in the May 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. The probability that such an event will affect the site is very low, because it would require that a largeeruption, al in itself, coincide with unusual a eru tion unusual due-north' high-level winds. Expansive Soil. Shrink-swell behavior of Toomes soil is classed as low (Soil Conservation Service, 1967). On the upland ridges, the scattered presence of soil mounds and, rarely, shrinkage cracks in soil indicate that shrink-swell activity is moderate. Fault Displacement. There is no evidence of, an active fault on the site. However, as described in the section on geology, some of the lineaments visible on air photos are probably faults; further, although the age of the last fault activity in the lineament zone is not known, the possibility, exists that it is recent. enough for the lineaments to be viewed with some concern. Landslides and Rockfalls. TheCountY '- General Plan rates the relative risk from landslides on the site as "moderate", Examination of low-level air photos, and coverage of most of the property on the ground, failed to reveal any evidence of landslides. Even on the steeper parts of canyon walls, the: 'strength of rock units ap;�ears to b, great enough to prevent slides from developing. Rockfalls do occur however. A rockfall is the rapid fall, at least partly through air, of single or multiple blocks of rock. Erosion-resistant, cliff-forming layers of mudflow debris in the' Tuscan. Formation are underlain by softer,, more erodible sedimentary layers. ks erosion or the soft material undercuts the hard layers, material in small cliff's bre, away along near-ve'rticai fractures and tumbles downhill in places,. small boulder-.siat reces of mudfloM mater►al are scattered over the p surface of the lower, gently-sloping sedin entary layers; such rock debris must have fallen and then rolled or slid to its present tion. posi EarthquakeActivity. A primary effect of an earthquake is ground shaking, the horizontal: and vertical vibration of thegroundthat can result in daingo to buildings, pipes, storage tanks, etc. Secondary effects include liquefaction, lurch ng, slumping, and rock'fall. Liquefaction, which can be a problem in loose, granular, saturated soil, refers to creation of a liquid -like condition in soil by vibration. Lurching and slumping, which are most severe in loose, granular soil, refers to formation of mounds, depressions, and � large cracks by vibration. Blocks of rock that are on the verge of falling are sometimes shaken loose during an earthquake. Because the loose, sandy, clay -free types of soil most subject to liquefaction, I lurching, and slumping, are not present on the site; except perhaps ;immediately along intermittent stream courses; these processes do not constitute a significant: hazard on the site. Rockfall could be a problem in places. The severity of ground shaking depends mainly on the distance to the causative earthquake, the strength of the earthquake,' and the nature of the soil and rock at the affected site. The strength of earthquakes is expressed as maga .ade (Richter scale), and the severity of damage in inhabited areas is expressed as intensity (Modified Mercalli scale). Because the site lies within the northern extension of the Foothills Fault System;, and 'because the System is generally considered capable of producing.a magnitude 6.5 earthquake (evi;dence from numerous private and public studies is summarized in Diu, Mines Geology Staff, 1979), it is reasonable planning to expect the site; to be subjected to a magnitude 6.5 earthquake with its epicenter (a spot on the ground' immediately above the earthquake source) located at a distance of less than 20 miles. f Studies correlating magnitude; distance to epicenter and effects at, a site (Booze et.al., 1978) show that such an earthquake ten miles from the site could result in horizontal ground acceleration of 0.2 to 0.4 g (20 to 40 percent of the acceleration of gravity) This corresponds very roughly to an intensity of 'VIII (Hays, _1980). The following paraphrasing of part of the Modified MerealIi scale indicates impacts to structures associated with earthquakes of intensity VI and greater. VT,: Weak plaster and unreinforced adoL _ uraek•, windrows bteaki VIft Weak masoF ry damaged; some cracks' in good, but unreinforded, masonry.:. VIII: Good, but unreiriforced, masonry damaged; so' le damage to reinforced structures with good mortar atld workmanship; loose panel walls thrown out, -2 0- 1/i.tigationt 1. Erosion Meazt!res Incorporated as Dart Of ProJec' DLi.gn Law road cuts - maXiIMize use of existing road alignrrttAtitm, minimize side hill•. cuts. Make roads conform to natural cart,ours. Adequate composition of fill. areas. Measures to be Included as Conditions oy' Permit Approval -� Proper grading - all grading do�.e in a cordance with (4,hapter 70 of the Uniform Building Code and the pc rtinent re«ommendatiotis found in the Erosion and Sedimentation; Control, Handbook (P.X.Ama.moto, May, 11)78, Calif. Dept. Of Conservation) , Prompt revegetation of conaLruction sites and road �,rhdine- Use of detention ponds or other runoff control meat;tai'es to prevent' gullying of drainages a.ld sedime nt8tion of streams. (J)ertinent for specific pro jec11 2. Expansive Soil Expansive soil can cause damage to 'building foundations, utility connections, and slab driveways. Mitigations to be employed include chemical, treatment of soil at building sites, avoidance of slab foundations., placement of deep foundations below the soil level at which expansion occurs, a.r~;i use of grading and landscaping practices designed to mi imize shrink-swell actio'4'y. Engineering, for proper foundation design is the key measure to withstand the shrink-swell potential of the $oil. j. Fault T3ysplacettent A mi iga ion that can be employed to, remove any possibility of hazard from fa�� displacement is simply not to place inhabited structures across any of the lineame"Its• Philip Lydon or another geologist will review building sites in relation to the lineaments prior to tentative approval of a PA--C or prior to issuance of a building permit on parcel.:~ o,�^eated by land division. 4. Ro«lsfall Mitigations that can be 11e61 to reduce, hazard .From a^ockfall.s include: (:1.) not, building dwellings at the base or near the edge of bl.uf C's in the TuscanToa^motion, especially where erasion, has begun to undercut th.e'blufi; and .C2) avoiding areas downslope frau large blocks, A minimum setback of 50 feet is to be enforced'fratt� the edge o bluffs unless a geologist or engineer determines a lesser setback is acceptable.; 5: Zarthqua.te Shaping MitigationasurW es for earthquake-induced rock fall are the sane as described in the section of landslides atad rockfalls. >mpacis of lateral moti.an in structures Will be covered by following., 10 design criteria df the uniform Building od'e, Which idQntifies alb. of Northern baliforriia as being in seismic zo>ie 5 (earthquake anteilsi.tiew of,Vlll or higherant iciPat 6d). these cumulative impacts on the local Chico area and on the County Air Basin level have been anticipated in the three percent per year growth assumed by the California Air Resources Board (C;ARB) :in its emissions projections.. While the Air Basin is now a Non- Attainment Area for ozone and carbon monoxide (CO), the standards (see Appendix D) are projected to be met by 1982, assuming the projected growth, simply through incorporation of required emissions control systems into all vehicles. Thus the project"s traffic -generated pollutants, while adding -to the pollutant burden hi the 'valley 'portion of p� y g , not expected to the Air Basin es Pciall during the summer and fall inversions, tip e exceed those anticipated in the Basin's Non' -Attainment Plan. If approximately two-thirds of the project's westbound traffic enters Chico he rest heading either south or north on Highway 99 for, other destinations), a maximum of 1628 vehicles per day would enter Chico due to the; project. In terms of possible peak -hour congestion, about ten percent or 1-63 cars/hour would be added to the morning and evening rush-hour counts. A "hot spot" calculation, taking a given section of a,commuter artery inside of Chico, would show the increment of CO emissions during that hour that. would be attributable to this project. However, in the absence of a known traffic dispersal pattern; it seems more appropriate at this time to simply point out that the project's emissions, along proposed with those of other ro osed projects, would contri'butesmall percentages, gradually increasing over a period of several years, to the Chico; area p jA , p pollutant load. Th e' ro ..ct s emissions increases are expected to fall within the accepted model of three percent per year anticipated growth, since 'the project would not build out all at once but over a 10 -to -15 year period: :Stationary Source Emissions The California A,ir`Resources AR Board (GB) has used 250 homes or 25 tons/year Ew a guideline of significance for emissions impact for NO amd THC, 250 homes with: their associated vehicle travel produce approximately 25T/yr 'NOx and THC. (The 'AR'B!s estimate uses a trip length between; eight; and 13 miles, similar to the trip length used in this report.)At about eight tons per year, the project's. NO and THC vehicle emissions would be so low that even with the. stationary source emission,,;,from '385 homes added,; these emissions rare not likoly to exceed the ARB's _;level of significance. _4t about 14 tons per year, the vehicle CO emissions plus those from stationary So, cos may or may not be considered significant at the local level.' but not at the Air Basin level, depending , capacity � other factors.,Determination an projected levels at file time ca aci"t for dispersal and., _ _ �25- of significance of CO and ,other emissions levels will be made by the CA RO. Consistency With NAP, PSD Regulations: As stated earlier, this project's growth should be within the magnitude and time frame of the County growth projections incorporated into the Non -,Attainment Plan (NAP) for the Air Basin. No transportation control strategies have been adopted in the N,AP; However, the local Air Pollution Control District (APC a) ;supports County - promoted measures such ;as the Butte County Transit System. The mitigation measure. (see section on Mitigations below) of providing a project transit bus which would tie in with the County's Transit line would fit in with the APCD's support of local transportation control measures. In general, mitigation measures for mobile soUrcPs would be enforced/implemented by the CAR13 Motor vehicle Emissions program. (with an inspection and maintenance program likely to be reinstated in the next few ye;ars); measures for stationary source emissions would be overseen by the Butte County AP D. No Prevention of Significant Deterioration ,(PSD) Rule exists for this Air Basin (since it is a 'Non -Attainment Area for some pollutants). The project is approximately three miles from the southernboundary of the Lassen Class Iarea; probability of pollutant transport to this area is ow, since most. winds are from the southeast or northwest and would tend to carry pollutants to the north and west or to the south and east of the Class I area, The main volume of emissions, thoseL produced by commuters, would be generated further away` m the lower elevations, and would tend to remain in the Valley rather than be carried up into the foothills, Arliitigations Measures incorporated into project design to reduce trip -generation, and therefore I missions, includeprovision of a gas station and small commercial center on site. The developer is also "considering provision of a bus or van on a regular schedule to transport project residents to a Highway 32 bus stop (probably neai- tt,ish�aay 99), from which they ^.oald use the Chico Area TraYlusil-. System atYlthe Ilutte County Transit system. H� the nu.nbers of elementary, ,school age chil.dxe:a in thc� Tkro jest a ncrea�,e, add tir�tir echo6l bus service would also be provided.; D. VISOAL AESTHETICS IMPACT The Scenic ,I3ighways Element of the Butte County Oenerai Plan recognizes than "Butte County has many areas of picturesque natural landscapes,'' Doe 112111 Ridge; with It cha arral vegetation and rock outcrops including bluffs and g p buttes overlookin the e scenic canyons of Little Chico Creek and Butte Creek certainly qualifies as a picturesque area. The scenic values of the ridge are responsib`-le in part for the area's appeal as a setting for rural homesites. The site is visible from Highway 32 at several points although not for the entire length of the highway because of intervening landforms ;and vegetation. At its closest point, the project is about two miles from the highway and most of the site is four miles or more from Highway 32. The site can also be seen from several points on' the Skyway with the closest being three miles from thesouthernmost tip of the project. Those portions of the ,project which are on or below the canyon rim (a small percentage of the overall development) are visible from the Butte Creek canyon floor, The project can also be seen from 'residences at the western edge of Paradise which overlook Butte Creek Canyon some three to four miles east of the Bidwell Heights project. g , p e Because of the large distances Involved aesthetic impacts can occur when site development•or construction activities alter the natural appearance of a large area. This can happen through vegetation removal, road cuts- and fills, excavation for homesites, and ;the erection of buildings of a contrasting color to the natural landscape, Mitigations - • Retain natural vegetation in all designated open space areas., g p ,nage 21) • R;eve etate cut and fill slo es to contro]. erosion. (See 4 Select architectural styles and building colors which harmonize with the natural. laridscape. This is particularly important where buildings will be visible ;above the skyline. m Conform new road and driveways locations to the more gentle slopes, to reduce cut ;and fill requirements; E NOISE IMPACT Short-tbfm The greatest noise generated by this project wo�,tld be during construction; which would take place over an approximately ten-year period as homes and cluster areas and their ,access roads are built, Of this cponstruction=related noise, the ,most' "intense period P j g , ` year, when earth-movie equiptt'ent and of ro ect Horse eheration ,nould W in the first ear wh other heavy vehicles Would be improving the major raadGvays and some of the several 'littehoughoit the nextminor roadwaysConstruction Hotse Would continue interi -27- several years, as homes and cluster areas and their access roads are bu�1t. In the quiet construction noise would noticeably raise the local noise natural setting on the property, levels: The area 'affected by this noise would depend on how widespread the construction activity was at any one. time, on direction of air movements and on the topography of the construction site, vicinity. Sound ` carries and is more plainly heQrd in such a natural setting; however; in some areas, vegetation and land masses can absorb much of the noise • 'g , gp t neap the construction site. During the first most noise--generatin hese of Project construction few people would be expose to the noise since residences would not yet be occupied. It is unlikely that residences offsite'(in the proposed Isom-Draice project to the immediate southwest)' would be exposed to construction noise froth thi project. On site. construction could cause some minor disturbance to wildlife adjacent to noise sources. Some bird and mammal species may avoid, the vicinity of noise generation for the duration of construction in that area. Although 'construction would raise local noise levels, the impacts are not expected- to be significant due to the limited intensity (loudness), duration and extent of the noise, and to absence of residences or other sensitive receptors. - Long-term On an on-going basis, the various project components (see chapter on Project contribute low levels of noise localized at the source. This would Description) would apply to he occasional light-duty traffic on the project's roads, to the residences or residential clusters themselves; to the commercial area and to other miscellaneous noise p compressors. While none of the noise generated by the sources, such as well pum project should be .at levels or frequencies objectionable to the residents of this - or adjacent projects, some wildlife (birds' and larger mammals) may avoid the places where tial cluster areas their habitats; 'border on at eas of human activity; such as the residential With higher densities, or the commercial area. lh lrtiject cop{oonel,t wl" olt would produce occacionally objectionable � no Mould be the fire statiozl (internded as part of the rrojeot):. The s: rens of tit e fire engino, 81.thou�h gvite loud, would occur so iifrequently that the disturbance ilgacts, to residents or' nearby taxi dlif'e woul d rzo be I sagniz^icaut.. -28- Exposure osure of project residentsto traffic ;noise from Highway 32 would be minimal since the highway is not heavily traveled and. the project is over a mile taway. Accor ding to the State Office of Noise Control's document Estimation of (;ammunity Noise Exposure (May, 1975), general traffic between 40 and 55 mph produces an Ldr► (equivalent to Community Noise Exposure Level, CNEL) of under 60dB beyond a distance of 200 feet 'y's centerline. On site, this noise level would be inrlisting,uishable from from the highwa (night). the outdoor background noise of 5OdB (day) and 40dB Residents may hear occasional heavy trucks climbing the gradebythe propr„ rty as :s carry the sound in the project's direction, With about 66 percent trunks, a air current 1995 CALTRA'NS estimate of 3700 ADT on Highway 32 past the site would mean that about 244 trucks pet- 24 hours, or about 10 trucks per hour, Would travel past the site According to the Motor Vehicle Noise Laws, trucks should be no louder than 90 dB at feet fr om the road's centerline; with 4:5 dB reduction in noise level with each doubling of distance, truck noise would be about 600, or below on mast of the site, assuming ;no d and on the ridge to the south would be earth mass intervening, Homes on the vineyar maximally exposed,, at about 59dB outside the house, since this location has a clear line g g cceptable indoor of sight down'to the highway. This noise level Would ''still result in a no levels of'39d8, since houses provide about 2OdB noise reduction. Homes north of the vineyard would be minimally exposed to truck noise, since the knoll (1487 fee earl two miles) would attenuate the - Highway and thea. distance (n y elevation) by the Htgh y sound. Truck noise levels hereand in the clusters in southern parcels down below ridge levels would be acceptable at below 55dB outdoors and below 35dB i ndoors. Within Chico, project-generated traffic would add somewhat to peak hour noise action of a maximum of 2700 ADT would be added to the section of highway levels. A p 32 running or., of percent of nin through Chico; over a day time this would be oil the the projected 1895 traffic volumes there. However, since this 'and other subdivision (Butte traffic is all part of the estimated 3.5 percent per year growth rate of "traffic d by p. General Plan Noise Element,; p. 1V-8) for this road section, the noise generate y this traffic is also taken into account in the Noise Blements statement (p. TV-12) that "projected increases in traffic voluires should cause no significant hcrea5es in noise levels''. -29- Conceptual/ c) no urban development should be permitted on .Design highly" erodible land (�. E3) Design/ d), the County should regulate residential„ detitelop-- in meat the foothills to facilitate the survivtl and migration of deer herds (Deasy. of Fish and: ,Game recommends 20 to 40 acre or larger parcels in migration corridors, 5„B) E. Safety Element/Fire ;Protection SLbelemen I - Circulation. Considerations Design a) in case ofa maji�r emergency or disaster, evacua- tion routes and n ajor txansportatior,�• systems must be Located,•designed and maintained for mobility and safety (A, 21 b) Design b) i ensure that road a«cess for new de•velopmFant. adequate for fixse iis ) Protection purposes (Policy Design” 2. Fine Hazard Protection, the Doe Mill Ridge area rated High to Extreme for, hazard tection u-ith marginal to no pro- - County fire standar,•ds Conceptual/ a) malwe protection from .fire hazards ,� cor�sidex'ation in all planning, regulatory . Desi ,n ee a�,d capital. improve- ment programs with special concern for areas 11high�� of and ".extreme" firs: hazard (Policy �) Desi Design, b) , use fuelbreaks aloe the d •e of dovel opin areas �� it �� edge "high and extreme fire hazard �Policy areas i) Conceptual.,/ Design c) determine the Level of water suppJ.ies necessax�j for new cleve].,opment for fire protectionpurpos�ti (Policy 6) d) regulate use of ce.rta n building ma ke' als xn :Design areas of higher than average fine hazard. (Paliey 10), F. Housing demerit none applicable G. Noise Element - none applicable H. Seismic Safety Element - none applicable -31b The conditional zoning and development criteria which would n' Aquatic Biology Impacts The project area includes about 1000 feet of an intermittent stroam on its western edge and about 1500 feet on its southern edge. If these streambeds tire to be included in road, home, utility line or other construction, a streambed alteration permit (a 1603 permit); will, have to be obtain"ed from the California Department of l"Jsh and Game. imentation or of surface e or groundwater pollution to th Impacts of erosion and sed aquatic hnbitats these intermittentstreamsor of Butte or 'Little Chico Creeks are not anticipated to occur see discussions in Waver Quality Impact and Mitigations sections. Cumulative impacts This project. would result in adverse impacts ui)olr footYl i,13, ecology which ,would ti. partia�ly reduced by the , mitigation measures on a�+c: 5. Loom wildlife populations would be reduced. These spec es maz adapt and adjust to � disruptions in their normal movements, as long as the surrounding lands remain undeveloped as a source of unrestricted ,activity. However, if adjacent lands developed in similar fashion, the foothills outside of Chico would become unsuitable for larger wildlife, thus upsetting the ecological balance. In general, the foothills are an important habitat, being a zone of transition between the valley floor and the montane habitats. f Both plant and wildlife species need large expanses of undisturbed land in this transitional zone as a buffer from extreme conditions (temperature, rainfall, winds) in the lower and higher elevations. In addition, the foothills contain aflora and fauna of their own which are important both in their awn right and as links in both, valley and. montane ecology. It is thus important to use ,moderation both in the spacing out and in urations of foothill developments to, retain as much the internal spatial config interconnected open space as possible (measures to this end are listed under Mitigation). On a regional scale, if dense residential developments are introduced into the foothills in substantial numbers and are located close together, foothill ecology would be adversely s as listed are im lemfited withift each development, affected even if mitigation measure P t since nor area Would be far from human habitation. Rare or Endangered Species Since the rare and endan " ered plant species •potentially or' actually growing' on 'the 6 project site grow on steep, rocky outcrop areas .Which would not be disturbed by development, and since the one annual actually foUttd onsite (Bidwell's tinotWeed, I abitat, Polygonum bidwelliac), easily* reseeds itself in its steep hrnitigr tions for rare and endangered plants are not considered necessary by Dr. Kingsley Sterno wilo carried out rare Aunt surveys for this report. No caro or endangered animal species actually or potentially inhabit the site. Suggested Mitigation Measures The value of the atoa as wildlife habitat is generally proportional to the variety and density of the vegetation as well as to the water supply. Thus; to preserve wildlife { habitat, vegetation should he preserved as much as possible. The maintenance of vegetation is also; important in stabilizing the soil and thus minimizing erosion. Although fire is a natural phenomenon which maintains chaparral and grassland eomrnunities and helps to recycle minerals,' it is riot alWays compatible with human habitation. But removal of chaparral, increases the danger of erosion and perhaps even rrud or rock slides. Thus removal of chaparral should be judic' -)us. i In general, development should use these guidelines to preserve the site's value for both vegetation and wildlife and to mitigate ;potential cuntulative impacts of this and other nearby developments upon the foothills habitat. 1. Concentrate development in c!usters, leaving as much. continuous natural open space a.0, possible; this includes not build nor Pa meter fencing. 2. Leave riparian corridors contiinuous; keep major development clusters out of wooded ravines through ripari qn zone setbacks as re,com mendeciby the State Fish and Game Department; minimum setback is 100 feat. & Leave connections between riparian corridors and major open spade areas'. 4. Leave substantial connection of undeveloped land between the major open space Areas. This would mean leaving an amen space corridor through lots; zoned S,R-�2 or SR -3 to connect habitat in the lower 40=acreparcels with open space to the ` north. 5. Include a variety(vegetation types) in the major open space : Seas' _ some chaparral, some open shrub and Digger pipe, sonic fiat grasslandj as well orvegt�ted;ravines.athe oak"wo 6. Destroy as few mature trees as possible. " 7. Preserve the: connection between water' bodies (the pond)and their drainages (the wooded ravine to the southWest). �. Cross drainage beds with open bridge rather than engineered Lill and culverts. ],nor.. al loads Project residents would use: the local Unpaved roads, in particular Doc Mill Toad, to a'mi,nor extent. According to William Gheff of the Butte County Public Worts Department, "arc ultimate project ADT of 2,4W0 cars;, of which most will use Canyon Shadowy Road, Wil" - create safety and maintenance problems due 'to the minimal road standards lasing used an Guardrail on the outsi,drl of curves on the the construction of thema .n access road. G canyon side of the road and on the bridges should be installed. A klvavel road with the projected amount of traffic and grades will generate dusty and rough ridi,ngr character- istics whicn will require constant maintenance:' Local access roads would be available for emergenr.,y access in and out of the project, with proposed use of knock -down gates at: project boundaries. Such roads would include Doe Mill Road to tho north, Centerville Gap road, and Doe Mill Roars to the south. project ec t _ F�_ntran c e Staff of t1te District � Office of GAL BANS (Marysville), feel that some left turn problems me ' occur at Highway 32 and Santos Way. Although ,the hi.gltway is relatively t11ey` felt that since most project residents would straight for goad vision at this po be turning left onto Highway 32 (towards the valley) a problem could occur at times, particularly with heavy vehicle coming; dowthill,: impacts of construction of these improvements would cons'is't of small amounts of grading', Vegetation removal and drainage modiPieatioia within the right -of, -day associated with widening the road at this point. The impacts would be miner since very localized;grading would change the Land farm sligh,,ly. Ero,3ion of the rut slope should hot occur if revegetation is carried out promptly an,d: if stormwater draiijgge is properly channeled (by terracing, using pipe, etc. Where applicable), Highy�ay 3 Between the project and Chico, CALTPANS staff felt that the highway has amp1e capaoi.ty to handle they maximum project ADT of about 21430.* The most heavily used section of Highway 3� 'is at Chino's east edge. Even at peak. hour, the current traffic volumes of .390 cart; per hour are sign ificantl.y under CALTRANS' design capacity of 2000 Gars per hour for atwo-lane road. The addition of another few hundred cars per. hour d.;e o th ,n� project (using, a guide of 10 percent; ADT for peak -hour) would not bring the t traffic to the congestion point, unless other unanticipated traffic increases occur between now and project build -out. This applies also to the section of Highway 3R b.etWeen Santos Way and Chico. ofher residential growth as proposed for the project area, a small However, since potential -exists 'that 2,430 ADT from this p'rojec't added with traffic from other projects could 'e tend over the projected 1995 ADT of 3600 for this section of highway 3Z and bri,rig the road oloser to capacity. 2+30 = 90 percoht of 2'00: project trips; l0 percent, or 270, would probably head east on, Highway 3.,' In Chico Not all 2,430 daily trips would enter Chico via Highway ; P come would heed north or south on Highway 99. if as mush, as two-thirds of proj(-�t traffic were 'to enter, Chico, as ment;.ioned earlier, non _e .�I�Oy unless several la,r(, ee;�tion would not be . developments were also built at ' az,01.1nd 'whe same time, in Whiel, t,!A rc. entering Chico, by road, could become Congested at peak hours. Highway 32, rt aid, cul Highway 99 1;0 about. Bruce Road, is expected to Piave a level of Service Dray tlio year 2000.; Love! C reflects occasional congestion and is typically used in urban, dnrii8 standards, TrIaffic conditions which exceed. C levels of service, that ir: b and L levels, art: considered significant impacts. (Reference Chico Area. Land On(, Ilan 1IR, ApJAI 19821 Mages 112=122. Miti e_.�,ian 1. Loft turn ct annelization, a lane ii the downhill (vr�� ;k t�Ound) 1 anc� Of 32 to accommodate project residents and Prevent other traffic from having to stop. (Caltrans letter of March 12, 1982.) 2. Any grading for left turn or other improvements on IliGhwa-y 32. should be reveetated promptly with native vegetation prior to winter rainy season (November to March'). p d incorporating the following measures into the The develo er has considered projoct design: (a) to provide auxiliary access to the pro,in t without creating undue traffic in nearby neighborhoods, several local roads (marked on:2ro ect Map, Figure 3 would be upgraded to a11-weother, traversable (R,88, County Standard) and provided With a gate at project boundaries, to be for emergency use only; (b) to reduce overall trip generation, the developer Would provide a aonVenience shopping and gas station near the project entrance ($ee N-C area on Projpo.. Map, Figura 7); and (c) to reduce trig generation, the developer would provide a small transit bis or van to circulate through the project and tie in with,the,scb6,iulr of the "Butte County Transit System,, by deposit- ng and co lect ng passengers at existing Butte County Tranr.it and Chico Area Transit System stops. The fire station is to be 'built by Summer 1982. Timing- cif . the neighborhood commercial area is dependerit on having sufficient numbers of rerjidents to justify it and the plans of the l:som-Fall, project for a possible store and ;gas station near Iigh�my 32 ,and Santos,' Way. A Community Services District is proposed to administrate the fire station, tra»i,i.t van and ;similar faotors beyond the scope of a. Ilomeow4ersAssociation. x I A..� x i . F�JELIC SERVICES IMPACT residents would Lei; fire and police The +.hef public services needed by project it's demand would protection and school facilities. For each of these services, the proj(,r,, not in itself overextend the capacities of serving agencica, but wttid be part of a cumulative demand which; in the case of fire and police proteetioll, would result in inadequate service levels and a need for mitigation provided by the project. Fire Protection both fire.. hazard.. As human activity increases in the chaparral wildland area;,, (already high to :extreme) and the need for fire protection will ithe creasci t development would According to the Butte County Fire Department, of 777 people generating 8A medical aid calls, 2.8 have an estimated population structural fire calls, 0 vegetation fire calls, and f.3 miscellaneous calls for a total of e g y al calls each year. These calls would generate an addit�ona. 14.2 fire/emergency enc medical g p response time ' annual workload of 149 manhours, addin to the cumulative manpower and problem created by the existing or planned developments in the surrounding: area, The project would provide ,a volunteer fire department, to be located east of the vineyard on the mutual water company land. A fire truck already purchased and additional equipment bought in the future Will su fslement tt�e existing fire depafitments, enabling a he faster response time. later fordton p. Doe Mill Ridge fire trucks would be supplied` from wells and from the irriga�ion pun site. This fire equipment would be made available to residents on adjoining lapels, since t p of the County Fire ' the volunteer fire department and equipment would become art De artment. with the fire trucks located onsite: response time to fires on the site %You'd p be much improved over present and projected service levels available from existing fire departments (Butte County, U.S Forest Sery ee)= Nltigatic;: if the County Fire Department finds fire protection to be inadequate for the project even w►:tii the o��site equipment, its requiretncnt of fire hydrants for &e telop► kilts with densities of one to five acresg)U would be applied. Each hvdra►it :must have a` min',cnu,m flow of 5Q0 gels,/ niinute must be ,paced a minimutn of 800 feet. from, adjacent Hydrants, and have a four inch main hook-up: poi•' safe circulation fire/rescue emcrget7cies th U rnrl f�evctofaitient Seo' TO tment_requires: of ti'ie'l'ublie'Yorks l cpflr police service where it is already inadequate Signi surrounding areas are also developed, ficant unmet derinfind will occur, it the Mitigations: 'The developer plans to p P provide a security officer patrol for the project, to be paid for through a I30raeow�era' _Association, in the manner of a special assessment district. This measure (also suggested by the Sheriff's Department) would Provide regular patrol in 'the project as well as good response time to calls. A possible further bnprovement in security would be to tie in a security alarm system with the cable television >line the developer is considering installing oti site. This measure, suggested by the developer, would enable residents to register calls for ent,ergefitcy aid (police, fire, medical) rapidly with the project security patrol (or' proposed volunteer fire department), and would further raise the level of police protection in the project. Schools Since capacity now exists for '830-330 school-age children (grades X-12)in the Chico - Schools, and the_ Bidwell Heights :project would add approximately 190 children ';(at 045 children per household), this project alone would' not strain or exceed the schools' capacities. However, this project's addition, if accompanied by those of other large residential projects either existing or proposed, may result inovercrowding of one or .:more of the schools... �liitigctticx� 1?,X'O4nsr.on funds for bUilding a new sahaal, expansion of present school sites, and or busing of students moist come .from a cooperative effort on the part of the deVel.opers, project residents and citizens of the Chico Unifled School Dittr�ct. The four uti%ities noeded by the project would be telephone service, electricity; water supply and sewage disposal system maintenance, natural bas would not be supplied by the utility; those residents desiring gay would supply their own fuel from one of the local bottle gas cotmpantes. ; Teleptione Pacific TeleptYonc Company foresees he problems in ability to serve the I?t`eject from the lines they maintain along. Highway 32. Determination of telephone line locations Within the 04,63ect' and financial arranpcMents between the Telephgt(e 'Comljany and the developer foe covering i:nstaliation costs would tai:e'place after the development plans are: firm, and the, detailed; subdIv'son maps have been prepared, Electricity Pacific Gas and Electric Company (P G & E) would have the edpacit to supply electricity to the project using the existing powerline on site. 'Their requirements include underbrounding of utilities with a single-family, dwelling on a parcel less than three acres in size. This would apply to the parcels to be zoned S] 1-2; to ,any other parcels with potential for future subdivision to below three -acre paresals and to the 40 acre parcels to be zoned PA -C with multiple units: Power may have trj be undergrounded from the supply line to the clusters,. Els well as Witr-in the cluster:;. However, these> I arrangements would be made in discussions between the developer 0114 h G & Els New Building Representative after firm, detailed subdivision maps Are complete. Although no additional requirements are apparent tinder County zoning regulations, any surh local ordinances would have to be checked at the time of discussions with l' G & E, as County requirements supersede those of P G & la.; A concern for availability of power, especially in the sunsrner months of peak demand has resulted in a policy set by: the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that the developer rather than the. ratepayer ,should bear the cost of supplying power at the initial stages of development planning. The developer must have a letter ' from P G & E stating that financial arrangements have been made to pay for the power. These arrangements 'would be made after subdivision traps are complete. This CPUC policy on developer financing of power supply reflects the cumulative nature of the impacts of development proposals on availability of power supply. While the Bidwell ' Heights project alone would not strain the utility,it is -art of the projected demand which together represent considerable allocation of resources for the Northern Sacramento Valley, MITIGATION: A.ten foot 5etbacF,from Lhc centerline of the power line is to be enforced for dwelling units and wells. Water Supply Water would be supplied to all proj'ec-t residences through the mutual water company, Buzz; Tail Yater jYorks, whose service area boundaries coincide at present with' the property included in this report, aid which now operates the two wells on site. More , wells would be °developed by the water company as needed. All wells,��,mild be part of an entire "neer-connected system throughout the property. A11 residences would be served } 0 by a piped wager system, with no individual wells,' The developer would provide pipes to the 16ts, and each homeowner would pay a fee to hook up to the Maini pipes..' -4 2- Water supply should be more than adequate for the development as proposed. At about 625 gal/day* consumption, 385 residences would need 240,625, gal/day; the existing large well can supply 225 gal/min. or about 324,000 gal/day, more than the supply needed for domestic consumption. The excess supply in this and other wells would be available for fire protection: Current water ;storago capacity is an estimated 34,000 gaiioz,.s. The quality of the water in the existing wells meets all standards for potable water supply; Results of tests done by Monarch Labs of Chico (see Appendix 1) are on file with the State Corporation Commissioner and the County Health Department, Sewage Disposal 1 Project residents would be responsible for proper sewage disposal in the individual or combined septic tank -leach field systems through a Sewage Disposal Maintenance District: This District is a means proposed by the developer, to ensure .that savage disposal in the septage areas identified as acceptable by the County Health. Department would continue to operate in a manner acceptable to the Health Department. 'Under terms of the District agreement, 'the Health Department would be able to inspect the septic tanks and leach 'lines periodically, notifying homeowners or (in PA -C areas) Homeowners' Associations of' any malfunction or improper condition, and have R corrected at the owner's expense if they did not correct it within an agreed-upon time period. Thus through initial approval of septage areas before development and on-going authority to monitor and mae xepair , the disposal of project sewage e should. be done in a' mannerthat prevents environmental contamination and health hazard (see also the section on e'a'ter Quality/Public Health Impacts). L ENERGY - Residential use of this site is likely to result in the following energy* impacts: j Assuming a maximum buildout of 385 homes using electric heat (.without any offset for likely solar installations) the worst case for electric consumption will be a total of 1 58 million kilowatt-hours per year. Gasoline consumption for com'm'utinn (assuming trip ends per residence, ten miles per trip end, and 25 miles per gallon per, "vehicle) will' total 3,93,-170 gallons per year, t Typical water usage by metered residential, customer In Chico- "(1$5.0 gal/month/ resident divided by 3a days/month)—Gcnc Grant, California Nater 5ervic'e Con piyny.: =43- -4,4- V`H. SIGNI. ICA'NT ENVIRONMENTAL, Ei?Pr,."c, S wincti CANNOT BE AVOIDED LC PROPOSAL IS EMPLEMEN` ED