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Agenda Item
ASR
Control 19-000694 |
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MEETING DATE: |
09/24/19 |
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legal entity taking action: |
Board of Supervisors |
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board of supervisors
district(s): |
3 |
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SUBMITTING
Agency/Department: |
OC Community Resources (Approved) |
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Department contact
person(s): |
Dylan Wright (714) 480-2788 |
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Stacy Blackwood (949) 923-3743 |
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Subject: Peters Canyon Regional Park
General Development and Resource Management Plans
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ceo CONCUR |
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Clerk of the Board |
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Concur |
No Legal Objection |
Consent Calendar |
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3 Votes Board Majority |
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Budgeted: N/A |
Current Year Cost:
N/A |
Annual Cost:
N/A |
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Staffing Impact: |
No |
# of Positions:
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Sole Source:
N/A |
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Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A
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Prior Board Action: N/A
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RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
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1. |
Find that Mitigated Negative Declaration No. IP 16-198, prepared for the Peters Canyon Regional Park - General Development Plan and Resource Management Plan project, reflects the independent judgment of the County of Orange as lead agency and satisfies the requirements of CEQA for the proposed project. Its adoption is recommended for the proposed project, as are the making of the following additional findings: |
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a. |
The Mitigated Negative Declaration and comments on the Mitigated Negative Declaration received during the public review process were considered and Mitigated Negative Declaration No. IP 16-198 is adequate in addressing the impacts related to the project;
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b. |
On the basis of the whole administrative record there is no substantial evidence that the project, with the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures that are included in the Mitigated Negative Declaration, may have a significant effect on the environment; |
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c. |
Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21081.6 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15074, the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program is adopted; and |
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d. |
Mitigated Negative Declaration No. IP 16-198 is adequate to satisfy the requirements of CEQA for the Peters Canyon Regional Park General Development Plan and Resource Management Plan project. |
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2. |
Approve the Peters Canyon Regional Park General Development Plan and Peters Canyon Regional Park Resource Management Plan. |
SUMMARY:
Approval of the General Development Plan and Resource Management Plan for Peters Canyon Regional Park will provide long-range guidelines for improvements to and management of Peters Canyon Regional Park resources and operations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In 1992, the Irvine Company dedicated 340 acres of land to the County within the boundaries of the Cities of Orange and Tustin, to be preserved as open space. This land was later named Peters Canyon Regional Park (PCRP) (Attachment A). The park offers eight miles of trails through hilly topography and a variety of native habitat areas, including coastal sage scrub, grasslands, oak, sycamore and willow woodlands, as well as non-native grasslands and eucalyptus groves. Subsequently, in 1996, PCRP was one of nine County Parks enrolled into the 38,000-acre Central/Coastal Orange County Subregion of the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP). The NCCP/HCP, while allowing for offsetting of development impacts through a more streamlined and less fragmented mitigation process, placed a higher level of regulatory requirements, reporting and oversight over the lands enrolled in the NCCP/HCP.
PCRP is currently operated under an Interim Operations Plan that contains basic policies and guidelines to address fundamental recreational, resource, public access and infrastructure elements of PCRP. Limited permanent public amenities have been constructed at PCRP since its dedication due to the lack of an approved comprehensive park planning document.
Preparation of a Peters Canyon General Development Plan (GDP) was initiated in 2015 (Attachment B). The GDP examines the physical, natural and cultural environment of the park and its surrounding areas and provides a long-term plan to address current and future park programming, infrastructure and operations. The accompanying Resource Management Plan (RMP) (Attachment C) addresses natural and cultural resource protection, fire hazard reduction measures and requirements of the NCCP/HCP.
Five public workshops in total were conducted in 2015 to discuss the GDP planning process, invite public comments, conduct an on-site survey and solicit feedback on alternative park plans. Notable areas of concern identified by the public during these workshops were parking issues and the resultant queuing, along Peters Canyon Road (at the south entrance to PCRP), during peak park hours and overwhelming public preference to avoid installation of a Class 1 paved bikeway within PCRP boundaries.
Based on public feedback received, a “preferred plan” was prepared, which would, amongst other development components: (1) provide onsite overflow parking to address existing parking and queuing issues along Peters Canyon Road (Peters Canyon Road is a City of Tustin roadway and the County of Orange has no authority to regulate parking or make any improvements to this roadway); and (2) exclude an in-park, paved Class 1 bikeway as part of the development plan (OC Public Works is currently conducting an alternative bikeway alignment study to identify ways to achieve regional connectivity, including construction of a bikeway along the east or west side of Jamboree Road, outside park boundaries).
While initial completion of project documents was anticipated in 2017, unfortunately, the Canyon 2 Fire burned approximately 183 acres of PCRP in October 2017, and previous biological and cultural studies needed to be reassessed and revised. The fire also presented an opportunity to revisit proposed trail alignments and fire hazard reduction measures.
The proposed GDP contemplates construction of park improvements such as a dam overlook trail and boardwalk across the upper Peters Canyon reservoir that provides the opportunity for accessible experiences outdoors for people with disabilities; permanent restrooms near the lower Peters Canyon reservoir; trailhead park entrance enhancements, permanent ranger station, shade structures and picnic tables at the main park entry near the existing north parking area; overflow parking off of Skylark Place; and trail rest areas. The accompanying RMP sets goals and strategies in public access and recreation management, reservoir management, cultural resource management, biological resource management, public outreach and education, fire management and park operations that will guide future policy decisions in land use and resource stewardship.
Orange County Parks Commission: Orange County Parks Commission considered this item and recommended it for Board approval at its June 6, 2019, meeting.
Compliance with CEQA: Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) No. IP 16-198 (Attachment D) was prepared to study the potential environmental impacts of the proposed PCRP GDP and RMP. The document was posted for a 30-day public review period from June 17, 2019, to July 17, 2019. The IS/MND was also circulated to the California State Clearinghouse and assigned file number SCH# 2019069062.
Eleven comment letters were received from public agencies and individuals during the public review period. The comment letters and summaries of the comments are appended as Attachment E.
None of the comments presents substantial evidence of a fair argument that the proposed project may have a significant impact on the environment.
All mitigation measures for the proposed project are included in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) (Attachment F). The MMRP is proposed for adoption through Recommended Action No. 1(c) and will be carried forward with the implementation of the project.
Based on the IS/MND, and the administrative record as a whole, there is no substantial evidence of a fair argument that the project may have a significant impact on the environment. The IS/MND identifies the potential significant environmental impacts of the project, in accordance with CEQA, and incorporates mitigation measures to reduce impacts to a level below significant. Therefore, the adoption of IS/MND No. IP 16-198 and the MMRP satisfies the requirements of CEQA for the GDP and RMP.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
N/A
STAFFING IMPACT:
N/A
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment A – Location Map
Attachment B – Peters Canyon Regional Park General Development Plan
Attachment C – Peters Canyon Regional Park Resource Management Plan
Attachment D – Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) No. IP
16-198
Attachment E – IS/MND No. IP 16-198 Comment Letters
Attachment F – Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP)
Attachment G – IS/MND Appendices A through I