Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutEIR 235 SECTION V. GENERAL PLAN/ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS O Note: EIR No. 235 was cetified and adopted by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on September 6, 1988. Amendment No. 1 to Specific Plan No. 219 was used in conjuction with the certified EIR. A copy of EIR No. 235 is included herein as part of the final document. Because no changes have occured in Section V., it will have the same page numbers as before. O n V. GENERAL PLAN/ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ~./- A. GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DETERMINATION SYSTEM (STEPS 1-4) 1. Site Identification Within the Open Space and Conserva- tion P1ap Inventory A review of the County's Open Space and Conservation Map reveals that the site is not within an area designated as Open Space or Conservation. The portion of the site between De Portola and Pauba Roads is designated as being within the Rancho Villages Policy Plan area, which is not designated as open space (Figure 51). The portion of the site between De Portola Road and Highway 79, with the one noted exception, is located in an "Area Not Designated as Open Space."!Therefore, there are no open space or conservation uses designated for this portion of the site, or the portion of the site, designated as being within the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. Appropri- ate land uses for the project site, with the noted excep- tion, will be determined by the Land Use Determination System in this section. open Space and Conservation land use standards are speci- fied in the Comprehensive General Plan. The proposed project conforms as follows (See Figure 3, Specific Land Use Plan): o Standard: Natural floodways, drainage channels, seis- mic fault zones and unstable slopes should be retained as open space. o Consistency: The site is being graded with maximum respect and sensitivity to natural land forms. Where possible, natural drainage course alignments have been utilized to continue to carry flood waters, however a subterranean pipe and culvert system has been proposed. It was determined (See Appendix) that there is no evidence of active faulting on the site. It has also been determined that there are no slope stability problems that would serve to constrain the site's development. o Standard: Natural terrain shall be used to separate and define urban communities. 287 ~.~ _ / IIEILVY URBAN - ' _ _ - _ ~I ~ 1~ MEdl1M URBAN' ~ . •~. `.. ~ .. !~ PARK 3 b - I . - __ ... ` s ~ ___, .. .. ~ COMM. I `_ i .r .. ~ .. - A• - HEAVY [6IBAN: ' ' v uM - _ -_ _ _ ~ MEDUM URBAN - . `' _a ~. 3-tn OW AC ~. _ .. -, .~ - PARK --~; l1GHT URBAN '.: _ .. ~-. ' -- "~~. - ,.3-1000/AC- ~ 9-30WAL ' ., r6 ti - ~ ~~ F ' ~ _ ~ ~ . " ~" - ~ '~- s _ f . l6IDAN i LIGN _ D-30U/AO -. /~ IffAYV UiiBAN - MEDIUM URBAN ~ - 0. 1 ~ ~ ~ V': '. / _, .. _: . 8C1100L ~LIGHf URBAN . .D-3 W/AC .. \J / l t„ 110111e1M1BAN ~ ~ ~ .. ~' ... PARK - - oY~ _~ ,~... FVV i _, _~__ __ •.w a% l . •. ~' J ~. _. :. - „ :_' -= ___ .. I - .. UNDESIONATED NAP. OF RANDND Va1AGE POLICY PLAN r R~ 1~ .. - . - raw. a __ _. +., ` ... - - _.__ . .. - x .. I ~/, __ - __ - ,. _._~ ___.____ ._ _ _ .. _ -_. -__ _-~_-r ~_ ~_ ..- v• ___. -___- ---. - ..... _ V I~ L ~ U tll`.~.l.I `L~~ U® U~ ll V~U I I II Q IQ ~\'~® ~('~~/~ I'~~ 'f^/ ® ' ' p ®I~~~ II II 15U UII V ~~~ ~ ~ .~~ ~~ '" FIGURE 1Y ~Y 1L ~L AT RANCHO CALIFORNIA ~ Ca ~I~~K ; ; BEDFORD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY J.N. 168-032 , ;, ,~„~ u,,,,,„ ` 9 O c mean. ~ afvm 28]65 Single Oak Drive Suite 200 Ranelro Calilomia, CA 92390 DATE: 4-27-87 >".~mw.,oa~w.,w Q L "'°"""'"""`"'"' e.~ 288 ^ o Consistency: Grading of the site, which is sensitive (~.J1 to natural terrain, will be accomplished that will define planning area boundaries and provide vertical spatial differentiation between certain land uses. o Standard: Development projects shall consider incorpo- rating usable open space into project design. Poten- tial open space areas include "environmental hazard" locations such as those with unstable slopes, seismic faults or flood risks. o Consistency: A maximum of usable open space has been incorporated into the Specific Land Use Plan. In fact 28 acres have been incorporated into Greenbelt Paseos, and 87.6 acres have been incorporated into Roadway Paseos. In addition, two Recreation Areas and one Neighborhood Park will also be provided. o Standard: Natural and scenic features shall be incor- porated into project design. Urban area adjacent to open space lands will be developed in a manner harmoni- ous with open space area. o Consistency: This plan has been developed to be harmo- nious with adjacent land uses. Generally, lower densi- ty land uses are proposed to be located around the O perimeter of the site. The exception is that Medium Density Residential, and Community/Neighborhood Commer- cial land uses are proposed adjacent to Highway 79. These land uses would appear to be compatible with potential future land uses which may be developed along Highway 79. o Standard: The visual character of development from Highway 79 should reflect a variety of visual features and should avoid monotonous repetition. o Consistency: A variety of visual features will ~e reflected along Highway 79. Community wall and roadway landscaping will serve to provide an interesting and aesthetic visual appearance. In addition, a number of land uses are proposed to be located adjacent to High- way 79 including: Low Density, Medium Density, and Medium Low Density Residential; and Community/ Neigh- borhood Commercial land uses. O 289 2. Site Identification Within Composite Hazards/Resources lxap Inventory According to the Environmental Hazards and Resources Ele- ment, several conditions currently exist on the project site. The Composite Hazards Map (General Plan Figures 30, 31; pages 371, 372) in the Comprehensive General Plan shows a liquefaction hazard area in the southern portion of the site generally paralleling Highway 79. A liquefaction study was conducted in September 1987 (See Appendix). It was the geologist's conclusion that given the proposed development conditions, the surface effects of liquefaction may be reasonably expected to be within toler- able limits of structures. The Composite Resources Map depicts that a portion of the project site may be within an area designated as Agricul- tural Resource land. The site is also located within the Stephen's Kangaroo Rat habitat area. As noted previously, it appears that the site is not im- pacted by the Agricultural Resource designation. A biolog- ical study of the site was conducted during which no evidence of Stephen's Rangaroo Rats was found. A complete evaluation of the seismic, wildlife and other O key environmental impacts follows in Section V.C. of this document, and forms the Environmental Impact Report. 3. Land IIse Area Profile and Community Policy Area Identi- fication for Project Site a. Southwest Territo The Comprehensive General Plan- outlines several Land Use Planning Area Profiles, providing background information for each Planning Area, including a general description; population and housing statistics; growth and land use forecasts; land use potential and constraints; trends and adopted Specific Plans. The County's five-year forecasts are intended to guide infrastructure development to support expected growth in all Planning Areas. The project site is located in the eastern sector of the Southwest Territory Planning Area. O 290 O b. Communit~ The portion site between covered by incorporated ~ Policy Area of The Meadows at Rancho California project De Portola and Pauba Roads is within an area the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, which has been into the Comprehensive General Plan. For further information please see Section V.B. analyses. c. Mount Palomar observatory Within each land use area, there are additional community land use policies which are not covered by the county-wide elements of the Comprehensive General Plan. In the case of the subject site, it is located within, and will comply with the Mount Palomar Observatory policies. 4. Summary of Project Proposal/Site Comparison Edith Appli- cable Land Use Category Policies or Community Plans a. Summary of Project ProDOSal The Meadows at Rancho California project proposes a mixed- use, urban community, blending a variety of residential uses and product types with appropriately scaled commercial and public facilities land uses. In addition, five school O sites have been shown, four for elementary schools, and larger site for a Temecula Union middle school. A drainage system, which drains to the southwest, traverses through the central portion of the site. That system is planned to facilitate traffic within the site, including a new north/ south aligned roadway through the central portion of the site, The plan is also designed to consider access links and compatible land use transitions with adjacent proper- ties. b. hand Use Categories The Land Use Determination System reviews standards and locational policies for land use categories and specific land uses not determined by Steps 1, 2 and 3. As stated on the Comprehensive General Plan, "Land use categories and specific land uses are based on different levels of public facilities and services." Step 4 begins by assessing the availability of water, sewer and circulation systems in the project area. The results are then compared to Land Use Categories I-V (Heavy Urban, Urban, Rural, Outlying Area and Planned Community). Ade- O 291 quate public facilities, services (water and sewer) and an O extensive circulation system are planned in the project area. This project is determined to be a combination of Category I (Heavy Urban) and Category II (Urban) land use as fol- lows: Category I Hea Urban land uses are characterized by intensive commercial and industrial land uses and higher residential densities. Examples of Category I land uses include regional and community commercial centers, heavy industrial uses and residential densities of eight to twenty dwelling units per acre. Category II (Urban) land uses represents a broad mix of land uses, including many types of commercial and industri- al land uses, and residential land uses with a density of two to eight dwelling units per acre. c. Southwest Area Community Plan The Meadows at Rancho California project site is located in an area covered by the Southwest Area Community Plan; however, this Community Plan has not been incorporated into the Comprehensive General Plan. The plan is currently O begin developed and monitored by a Citizens Advisory Com- mittee and County staff. The study area for the Southwest Area Community Plan is located between the City of Lake Elsinore, extending from the Cleveland National Forest to the Aguanga area. Within this area there area number of individual areas with special issues and concerns. This Area Plan will consist of a land use allocation plan, land use policies and an EIR. The land use allocations will be designated with specific categories permitting a limited range of uses and densities, including urban, rural, industrial, commercial and open space uses. The remainder of the study area will be allocated in very general land use categories, including Rural (0-2 du/ac), Commercial and Open Space. The community land use goals and development policies for the area will be incorporated into the Comprehensive Gen- eral Plan. County staff anticipates that the Land Use Allocation Map will be finalized in late 1987. 0 292 Q d. Rancho Villages Policy Plan The portion of the project site between De Portola and Pauba Roads is located in an area which is covered by the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. That plan has been incorpo- rated into the Comprehensive General Plan. The Rancho Villages Policy Plan includes 3,760 acres and is subdivided into 9 Planning Areas. The subject site is located with Planning Areas 'C' and 'D' of the Policy Plan. Planning Area 'C' (between Pauba and Santiago Roads) contains a total of 535 acres, of which 475 acres are specified for residential development at an average density of 3 du/acre. Planning Area 'C' also specifies 40 acres to be developed with public facilities, and 20 acres to be developed with commercial land uses. Planning Area 'D' (between Santiago and De Portola Roads) contains a total of 905 acres, of which 845 acres are specified for residential development at an average density of 3 du/acre. Public facility acreage is to total 45, and 15 acres are to be developed with commercial land uses. (See Section V.B.2. for a consistency analysis of The Meadows at Rancho California .relative to the Rancho Vil- lages Policy Plan.) _ O a 293 B. LAND USE ELEMENT 1. Land Use Planning Area Policy Analysis As noted in the previous section, the site is in the South- west Territory Planning Area of the County. SCAG-82 popu- lation forecasts for the general project area (RSA-49 Murrieta) project population increase from 34,200 (1978) to 77,000 persons in the year 2000, and an increase in housing from 23,500 dwelling units (1978) to 39,000 dwelling units in 2000. Population is expected to increase by over 100 and housing by 66$. More recent figures were adopted in February 1985 by the SCAG Executive Committee entitled SCAG 1982 Modified Forecast. That forecast provides figures for the years 2000 and 2010. Those figures indicate no change in population proposed for the year 2000, however, there is a decrease in dwelling units from 39,000 to 37,000. The 2010 figures show 96,000 population and 46,210 dwelling units. 1985 forecast figures for population and housing were 40,000 and 19,800 respectfully. The 2010 figures represent a population increase of 140 percent and a hous- ing increase of 133 percent. The following are expected to accommodate growth in the Southwest Territory: o Circulation improvements, including those along I-15. O o Water, sewer and infrastructure improvements in Rancho California region. o Employment bases in the Murrieta Hot Springs/Rancho California area, as well as Orange and San Diego Coun- ties. o Increased demand for a variety of housing densities and types. o Increased industrial development potential with comple- tion of I-15 to San Diego. o Desirable air quality in Rancho California. 2. Community Policy Area Analysis As noted earlier, the portion of The Meadows at Rancho California project site between De Portola and Pauba Roads is within an area covered by the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, which has been incorporated into the Comprehensive General Plan. The portion of the site between Santiago and Pauba Roads is within Planning Area 'C', and the portion of the site between De Portola and Santiago Roads is within O Planning Area 'D'. both of those Planning Areas specify a gross residential density of 3 dwellings per acre. Staff 294 mapping of the Policy Plan (Figure 51) calculates to rough- O ly 3.8 dwellings per acre utilizing mid-point densities within the Medium Urban and Light Urban categories, and l0 dwellings per acre for the Heavy Urban category. This project proposes a slightly higher density of 4.04 dwellings per gross acre. However, the developer will be providing improvements to the area to accommodate such a density. they include the construction of north/south oriented Major roadway through the site which will connect Pauba Road to Highway 79, and off-site roadway improvements as discussed in the Appendix, Section F. Improvements to infrastructure will occur with the proposed sewer and water master plans. In addition, numerous paseos, recreational facilities and amenities will be provided for use of the residents. Both Planning Areas 'C' and 'D' propose that a Park, School, and Village Commercial Center be provided. The Meadows at Rancho California plan shows four elementary school sites and one middle school site. Commercial facil- ities are proposed to be centrally located in the southern portion of the site at the intersection of Highway 79 and the new north/south collector rather than in the middle of the site as proposed by the Policy Plan. Commercial land use in the central part of the site would have provided a division to the community and associated adverse impacts. As noted, paseos and open space areas are interspersed throughout the community and residential facilities are (~,ll proposed. A "park" is proposed in close proximity to the designated location on the "staff mapped" Rancho Villages Policy Land Use Plan. While this project is not proposing business park and employment generating land uses, other than the limited amount of proposed commercial land use, this region is developing an employment/business corridor along Interstate 15 to the west. Generally, communities at this distance from the Interstate are thought of more in terms of residential development, as evidenced by the land uses specified in the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. How- ever, due to the noted employment/business corridor, em- ployment opportunities exist and will continue to be created within the region. This corridor will certainly provide persons residing on the subject site the possibili- ty of working in the same general area. This will help preserve desirable air quality in the area because all residents will not have to commute into Orange and San Diego Counties for employment. 0 295 3. Land IIse Category Policy Analysis O Based on the availability of infrastructure and circula- tion, the portion of the proposed project site not covered by the Rancho Villages Policy Plan (between Highway 79 and De Portola Road) is determined to be a combination of Category I (Heavy Urban), and Category II (Urban). As noted in Section V.D., Public Facilities and Services Element, adequate water service can be provided by the Rancho California Water District, and sewer service by the Eastern Municipal Water District. (See Figures 8 and 9, Water and Sewer Plans.) Circulation routes area also master-planned in the area, as shown on the Riverside County Master Plan of Highways), and acceptable levels of road use can be anticipated at project build-out. (See Section V.D.1., Circulation.) Master-planned roads in the immediate vicinity include: - State Highway - E/W Expressway - 142' ROW - Pauba Road - E/W Secondary - 88' ROW - Margarita Road - N/S Arterial - 110' ROW - Butterfield Stage Road - N/S Arterial - 110' RoW - Winchester Road (79)_- N/S Mountain Arterial - 110' ROW and Urban Arterial - 134' ROW The proposed Specific Plan project must be designed to comply with the appropriate category requirements in terms of density, infrastructure, circulation, etc. As noted above, conditions for the physical site are conductive to blending Land Use Categories I and II. Public facilities and utilities exist in the vicinity, the proposal blends with adjacent land uses, and the physical attributes of the site lend themselves to development of mixed residential, commercial and open space uses reflecting Heavy Urban and Urban designations, as follows (please see Figure 3, Spe- cific Land Use Plan). Cateaorv I - Heaw Urban Land uses that are representative of Category I including business park, industrial, intensive commercial and higher residential densities as well as a public facilities/town center. Residential densities shall average 8-20 dwellings per acre. ,,.-.> 296 Cateaorv II - Urban Category II land uses represent a broad mix of land uses, including many types and intensities of residential, com- mercial and industrial land uses. Residential densities shall average 2 to 8 dwellings per acre. F~ 297 ac:. C. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS AND RESOURCES ELEMENT (EXISTING CONDITIONS, I1~ACTS, GENERAL PLAN RELATIONSHIP AND MITIGATIONS) 1. Seismic Safety The following discussion of conditions is based upon three reports: 1) "Geotechnical Report for Environmental Impact Purposes, Butterfield Hills, Rancho California, County of Riverside, CA" (May 1987); 2) "Fault Study, 1400-acre The Meadows at Rancho California Project, Rancho California" (August 1987); and 3) "Evaluation of Liquefaction Poten- tial, Portion of Vail Meadows" (September 1987). These reports were all prepared by Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc. and are included in Sections A. B. and C., Technical Appendices. a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies Three faults have been previously mapped within and adja- cent to The Meadows at Rancho California project (Kennedy 1987). These include a right-lateral fault referred to in this report as the "Quarry Fault," which is well exposed near the north central portion of the site, and two inferred faults to-cated at the southwest portion of the site and off-site near the northwest boundary. These O faults are inferred based upon linear topography and are referred to as the "Southern Published Fault" and "Northern Off-site Published Fault". Several site faults with displacements less than four feet were mapped during the field reconnaissance. These faults, all confined to the Pauba Formation, are referred to as the "North Central Off-Site Fault", the "Northeastern Off-Site Shears", the "Utility Corridor Fault", and the "Livestock Area Fault". Lineament analyses were performed in order to identify possible unrecognized faults. In addition, approximately 4,000 feet of trenches were excavated in order to identify and evaluate possible fault activity. The trenches were located across published fault traces and across "strong" photographic lineaments and faults identified during site geologic mapping. Additional detail on the individual faults named above can be found in the "Fault Study, 1,400-acre Meadows at Rancho California Project", included as Section B., Technical Appendix. The conclusion of Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc. with regard to these .faults is that a few, probable Pleistocene-age faults occur within The Meadows 298 .. ~~ z _ t 1 i // ^ J .J/ a .~J __ orc i ,~ (l ~ _ ~ V ~ /xs rC ~/ ~ ~. ,~ l1 ~~ ooe ~ ai. ~ 1 ~~ \x~~' i 1 Fi~ _ N~ '~ l~ J I/ ,~. n ... ~ - } ~ - ~ _ ~ -,~ %_+~° _. ~ ~! ~~R .~~m tee: ,/ ti 1 F /~~1 'j iy~. rt \ r~ ~ ~ -~' ~-~ (m ~ S ~~ 1 i. ,Cv. °e' ~, `~l ' it ,. )_ s 5~ ~• / , 'tee. l __ _ ~ ~_ Fr / ~.1 I` JAI / ~'~ _ ~. / -.~:~~ ~ ~ _~ //. ~~ :11,1 F ~ - .. •. ~_ _ i ~'~_. I' .. - _ / - /. ..... ^~. ~ ~eu e~ _._---_ _-_Sy s- - -~.. _ _- _-__ ~_ _ __ _ ^~ - _- _--. ` _ _~- ___ 4 _~_ ~___ -. __...~____ __c_ _ ~ r_ __ - - ~ ~ L~ _ °='.. _ ~ ~\~`. ~., LEGEND 1' t.. . _.. ~~~ . ,~~_------ 0D1 ALLUVIUM -------- -f ~- _ "~ °' "'~" ~ ~~• ~- -- .01D LAN OSLIDE Source : -- ~ ~-*`~`° 0pD ?AUBA FORMA7K)N PACIFIC SOILS -._ -. -- -~ ~~ r -i^`~ - ,--` Gt~LOGIC CONTACT ENGINEERING INC. 65 TRACE OF FAULT SHOWING STRIKE AND DIP . ~2®~~~0 U~~~~~ (~ ~~~ -A~. LINEAR TOPOGRAPHY, FROM KENNDEY 119771 ~R T~ ~~~~~~ 4~ ,~ FIGURE 52 AT RANCHO CALIFORNIA , ~ ~7URRINI&~i1NK . J.N. 168-032 9 P~1p1"~"°~"~ can+no,muwerw BEDFORD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY ~, w~.o•,vnm 26765 SinBls Oak Driva Suite 200 Rancho Calitomis, CA 92390 DATE :4-27-87 Q ~ mo,uu nartvnw w. wcnwn amw,rsa 299 at Rancho California site. According to definition by the State of California, such faults are classed as potentially active. However, Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc.'s data indicate that these faults do not displace Holoceneage units (about 11,000 years before present). The faults are, therefore, deemed to be not active. This conclusion is supported mainly by the following data and observations. 1) There is no geomorphic evidence indicative of active faulting; namely, closed depressions, ponded alluvi- um, deflected drainages, faceted spurs, shutter ridges, modified scarps or unexplainable linearly- aligned vegetation. In contrast, known active faults such as the Wildomar and other active portions of the Elsinore fault zone display the above geomorphic features indicative of Holocene faulting. 2) Field reconnaissance shows no obvious regional deformation of site sediments., This is exemplified by the near horizontal attitude of the Pauba Formation as exposed on roadcuts and trenches. 3) There is no evidence of widespread fault zones as exposed in an aggregate of 4,018 feet of trench. 4) Lineaments identified in this study have been trenched in The Meadows at Rancho California and adjacent areas. It can be demonstrated that lineaments are not fault controlled, but rather they probably owe their existence to a moderate east-west consequent drainage pattern and to cultural practices. 5) Trenches and field exposures of faults display a general north-south orientation. This pattern is not apparent in the lineament analyses. This suggests that on-site faulting has very limited topographic expression, inferring lack of recent movement, and a probable long history of erosional modification. 6) As demonstrated by trenching of the "Quarry Fault", on-site faults are not through-going. Faults displace Pauba age sediments thirteen feet or less and when traced across the site, demonstrably do not displace Holocene geomorphic surfaces or paleosols. The dominant structural feature of the area is the Elsinore fault zone located approximately 7,000 feet west of the site. In this area, the Elsinore fault zone is comprised of two distinct zones, the Willard on the west and the Wildomar on the east. Alquist-Priolo Special Study Zoning is located off-site of the property, southwesterly of Interstate 15. 300 ~_ Other active faults which could influence the site include the San Jacinto and San Andreas fault zones located ap- proximately 20 and 38 miles, respectively, northeast of the site. Table V, Seismic Parameters, summarizes site seismic parameters for the four nearest active faults. TABLE V SEISMIC PARR Approx. Maximum Estimated Repeatable Distance Probable Peak High Ground Fault From Site Earthquake Acceleration Acceleration Elsinore 1.3 mi. 6.5 .66g .44g San Jacinto 24.0 mi. 7.0 .17g .llg San Andreas 44.0 mi. 8.0 .14g .09g Newport - Inglewood Z8.0 mi. 6.5 .lOg .07g During the life of the project, it is possible that strong ground motions will be experienced at the site as a result of earthquakes generated from active faults within the southern California region. A potential for liquefaction exists along the southern boundary of the site along the flat alleviated flood plain of Temecula Creek. (See Figure 52, Geotechnical Map.) Percolation ponds, which are actively maintained by Eastern Municipal Water District, are present in this area. A report entitled "Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential" was prepared by Pacific Soils Engineering which evaluates this condition. (See Section C., Technical Appendices.) On-site soils were found to be primarily interbedded sands and silty sands with occasional seams of clayey silt and silty clay. Standard penetration testing indicates the soils are generally medium dense to dense with localized loose to medium dense seams. Ground water is typically found at a depth of 25 feet in the westerly (downstream) portions of the site, but is artificially high at a depth of 5 to 15 feet in the immediate area of the recharge basins. Data from previous studies indicate ground water conditions near the upstream portion of the site were in excess of 30.0 feet prior to recharge pond construction. This report concludes that given existing site ground water and soil conditions, some layers may undergo liquefaction when subjected to high intensity ground shaking. The threshold acceleration of liquefaction occurs, in the worst case, at approximately 0.25 g. It O is possible that the site soils-will be subjected to that intensity of ground shaking during the life of the project. 301 The County of Riverside Seismic Safety Element (1976) O states a maximum probable earthquake of M 5.8 for the Elsinore fault. Accordingly, when considering the M 5.8 event for the Elsinore fault, liquefaction potential is very low for the site. In addition, liquefaction potential is nil to low for the stated design earthquakes. However, when considering the artificially high ground water levels associated with the recharge basins, there is a higher potential for liquefaction. Liquefaction is unlikely to occur at the site when ground water is 20 or more feet in depth. General Plan Policies The objective of the Environmental Hazards and Resources Element - Seismic Safety Element of the Riverside County Comprehensive General Plan is to recognize seismic and geologic hazards as serious constraints in determining suitable land uses and structural design. This element contains land use standards for proposed sites which are located within a potential liquefaction area per the County Seismic-Geologic Map, within an Alquist-Priolo Special Studies Zone, a County Fault Hazard Zone, or within 150 feet of an active or potentially active fault. The following Seismic Safety - Land Use Standards are a applicable to the project site: 1. Seismic Fault Zones - If the proposed project is lo- cated within 150 feet of an active or potentially active fault, then submission of a geologic report or a request for a waiver is required with applications for permits or approvals. These faults are shown on the County Seismic Geologic map. For active and potentially active faults which are not included in County Fault Hazard Zones, a setback of 150 feet will be allowed in lieu of a geologic report. Although the County Seismic-Geologic Map shows no faults on-site, a report entitled "Fault Study, 1,400- acre Meadows at Rancho California Project" was prepared by Pacific Soils Engineering. (See Section B., Technical Appendices.) This study was undertaken because some Quaternary faulting exists on-site. Because these faults displace Pleistocene sediments, they are classified as potentially active. However, direct and indirect field evidence indicates that these faults do not displace Holocene age sediments and, therefore, are judged as not active. Liquefaction Hazards - If the proposed site is located in a County potential liquefaction area on the County U Seismic/Geologic Map, then submission of a geologic report to assess liquefaction hazards or request for a waiver of the report is required. The site is shown 302 as lying within a "Liquefaction Hazard Area" on the Seismic/Geologic Map. 3. Groundshaking Zones - Development proposals are to be evaluated based on Groundshaking Zones. The site lies within Groundshaking Zone II, per the Seismic/Geologic Map. The "Rancho Villages Policy Plan" includes the following Development Criteria relative to Seismic Safety: a) When a permanent building is proposed within 150 feet of a fault or its trace, a trench will be required to further ascertain the extent of the hazard and appro- priate mitigation. b) Foundations will be setback 50 feet from all known fault traces. c) Critical facilities, i.e., schools, hospitals, police and fire, shall not be located in a fault zone. Also, that portion of The Meadows at Rancho California site lying between De Portola Road and Santiago Road constitutes "Policy Plan Area D" of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. Development Criteria for this area requires that, "Areas ,rte of moderate liquefaction potential shall be studied at the v specific plan stage to determine appropriate residential densities and mitigation measures". b. Proiect Impacts/Relationship to General Plan Policies Moderate to severe groundshaking should be anticipated during a 100-year interval, and some secondary earthquake phenomena may be generated. Liquefaction potential exists along the entire flat alluvi- ated area of Temecula Creek within the southern site bound- ary. However, site development is likely to mitigate the liquefaction potential for the following reasons: 1) The existing ground water recharge basins will be removed. Thus, the present artificially high ground water levels are likely to be lowered to levels similar to those in evidence downstream and prior to pond construction. 2) The site is likely to be raised to some extent above the existing flood plain during mass .grading. The added fill will produce higher overburden stresses, thereby increasing the factor of safety O against liquefaction. 303 For the reasons noted above, project development will f~ eliminate the potential for liquefaction. Although land- ~/ scape water will be introduced to the alluvial areas as a result of implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan, it is likely that the long term effect of landscape water will not detrimentally influence liquefaction potential. Relationship to General Plan Policies 1) Seismic Fault Zone - In accordance with these Stan- . dards, a geologic report entitled "Fault-Study, 1,400- acre Meadows at Rancho California Project" has been prepared by Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc. which concludes that the faults located on-site 'are inactive and pose no constraints to development. This report is included as Section B., Technical Appendices. 2) Liquefaction Hazards - In accordance with these stan- dards, an additional geologic investigation entitled "Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential" has been pre- pared and is submitted as Section C., Technical Appen- dices. 3) Groundshaking Zones -The Specific Plan proposes Nor- mal-Low Risk and Uses, which are compatible with O Groundshaking Zone II. The Rancho Villages Development Criteria have been satis- fied as follows: a) Trenching and extensive geologic testing have been performed to evaluate the hazards associated with on-site faulting. As a result, these faults have been determined to be inactive and do not pose a constraint to site development. b) See a) above. c) See a) above. In accordance with the Rancho Villages Planning Area D Development Criteria, areas of liquefaction potential have been studied. Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc. has deter- mined that project development will mitigate the liquefac- tion hazards associated with the on-site percolation ponds. c. Mitigation Conformance with the latest Uniform Building Code and County Ordinances can be expected to satisfactorily miti- O gate the effect of seismic groundshaking. Mitigation of the liquefaction potential within the south- ern portion of the site will occur as a result of project ~ ne... O development, which will lower artificially high ground water levels by removal of recharge ponds, as well as increase overburden as a result of site grading. During site development, additional geologic evaluation should be continued in order to verify the extent and relative age of fault activity, according to Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc. 2. Slopes and Erosion The following discussion of conditions is based upon the "Geotechnical Report for Environmental Impact Purposes, Butterfield Hills, Rancho California, County of Riverside, CA" (May 1987), prepared by Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc. This report is included in its entirety as Section A., Technical Appendices. a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The northern one-third of the site drains westerly into a major unnamed tributary of Murrieta Creek, while the south- ern two-thirds drains southerly and southwesterly into Temecula Creek. The drainage divide is located between future Santiago Road and Pauba Road and is represented by a subdued and rather sinuous east-west ridge line. O General topographic relief over the project is rolling with natural hillside slopes. As shown on Figure 53, Elevation Analysis, on-site elevations range from approximately 1,050 to above 1,300 feet. Valley and tributary areas are typically broad and gently inclined. Locally steep relief is sometimes associated with the headward areas of canyons in the northern portions of the site. There are only limited and isolated areas on-site of slopes greater than 25$. None of these areas of 25$ slope constitute signifi- cant topographic features. (See Figure 54, Slope Analy- sis.) surficial IInits The 1,389-acre parcel is underlain by two surficial units, which include alluvium/colluvium and the Pauba sandstone of upper Pleistocene age. Basement rocks are absent from the site. The following describes each unit as shown on figure 52, Geotechnical Map. a) Alluvium Cllluvium (Map Symbol Qal) Normally consolidated alluvial and colluvial materials occupy the low lying canyon and tributary areas over a majority of the site. These materials are •locally O derived and consist primarily of a dark brown to light brown clayey to silty sand with occasional sandy silty intervals. Cobble and gravel lenses infrequently 305 occur throughout the sequence and a cobble layer, or O stone line, is usually present at the base of the unit. 0 0 306 ~n~ \~ ~t~o~ ...~ .. ~;/ o° ~=: ~. ~ ~.. ~~ `~ ~_ j, '~ _ ..;q' s~ ~?~r--`___ '_ i -. j ~, %~~ ~, i/~ _._. -{- .:; - ---- ------------- LEGEND ~~~ ___ .. _ _._. __. 1 0-10% ~I5®II L`~ O UY VO U`L-~~~~~. ~~~ ~~~~0 IY ~Y AT RANCHO CALIFORNI BEDFORD DEVELOPMENT LOMPRNY 28]85 Bingle Oak Drive Sulte 200 Paneho Celifomia, CA 92790 3nR ~, ;~. .'. yL -.~~. ~^~ "`1 - ~.+..~~ ~~~__ FIGURE SO A Q ~ NRRINI&BRINK J.N. 168-032 a Pti"°"'gC°`aN'"'u 9 .',.'".w."::.,. M urr.~ni~uarr. DATE: 4-27-87 Y ~„'"~4;;~;;,,:,,..,e, ::°/.. ~`\ ' ~ L -:. More-granular alluvial sediments comprised of tan to brown silty sands to sands are associated with the Temecula Creek flood plain along the southerly bound- ary. Occasional dark brown interbedded silts are present and groundwater is relatively shallow, espe- cially adjacent to the percolation ponds. b) Pauba Formation (Map Symbol Qps) The upper Pleistocene Pauba Formation occurs over much of the parcel. Infrequent gravel and cobble intervals are present, especially in the upper portion of the unit. The sandstone varies from pale reddish-brown to yellow-brown and is typically poorly sorted and mas- sive. Brown to gray micaceous silt interbeds are common within the unit. Basement rock is associated with the Southern California batholith cropout approximately two miles west of the site. Remnant terrace deposits may cap the higher portions of the site. Three small possible landslide features (Qls) were identified on the western half of the project site during the field reconnaissance. (See Figure 52, Geotechnical Map.) General Plan Policies The following Land Use Standards-Slopes and Erosion from the Environmental Hazards and Resources Element of the Comprehensive General Plan are applicable to the project site. They are: 1) Hillside Design - Development in hillside areas should be designed to follow or flow with the natural contours of the site. Development is discouraged on slopes in excess of 25$, and unstable slopes should be designed as common open space. Major projects and buildings on major ridgelines, canyon edges and hilltogs are discouraged, and any development on such areas shall be visually unobtrusive by sensitive siting and appropriate landscaping. 2) Slope Heights and Contours - All cut and fill slopes or combinations there of shall be made no steeper than 2:1 (two horizontal to one vertical), and their height shall be no greater than ten feet. Exceptions to these standards are permitted if they are recommended to be safe in a slope stability report written by a soil engineer. The slope stability report must also include recommendations for erosion control and Q landscaping of the proposed grading. 3) -Road Grades County dedicated roads, County maintained roads, roads built to County standards, and access roads to all lots shall be graded to a 309 finished grade of no more than fifteen (15) percent, or as recommended by the County Road and Survey Department . 4) 51ope Stabilization and Landscape Plans -Where land uses are to be located on slopes subject to instabil- ity, erosion or slippage, an environmental assessment, rockfall study, a geologic report or engineering report may be required. 5) Grading Plans - Grading is to be generally limited to the amount necessary to provide stable areas for structural foundations, street rights-of-way, parking facilities and other intended uses. Applicants for development permits will provide an estimate of the development proposal's grading magnitude and slope contours of the site. Depending on the magnitude of the grading operation, the applicant may be required to submit a grading plan for County approval prior to issuance of a grading permit. In addition, an Errvironmental Impact Report may be necessary. As the project site is located within the boundaries of the "Rancho Villages Policy Plan", the following development criteria relative to slopes are also applicable to the proposed project: a) Grading is to be minimized in all hillside areas. All final slopes are to be contour graded. b) The height of all cut and fill slopes, or a combination thereof, (on a 2:1 slope range) shall be no greater than ten feet. Exceptions to these standards are permitted when: 1) slope ratios can be increased, or 2) a special landscape terracing plan is proposed. c) For areas where the slopes are in excess of 25~: 1) A detailed slope analysis study will be provided for steep terrain development; pads and access roads will be shown on the subdivision; and access roads will not exceed 15$ grade; and/or 2) parcels will be developed with a minimum average lot size of 2-1/2 acres or greater, utilizing a minimal grading design concept. The Meadows at Rancho California project site lies within the southern portion of Rancho Villages Planning Area B and constitutes all of Planning Area C. Development Criteria for these Planning Areas requires that large grading projects provide temporary ground cover curing the construction phase to prevent erosion. Permanent' vegetation is to be planted as soon as possible after grading. 310 b. Project Impacts/Relationship to General Plan Policies According to Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc., severely limiting or unmanageable geotechnical constraints are not associated with the project. Implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will unavoidably alter some of the existing landforms. Figure 55 Grading Concept, shows re-graded contours as required to accommodate the proposed land uses. It is intended that the proposed plan be sensitive to and reflect original natural landforms where possible, so that different residential neighborhood enclaves are distinguished and separated by topographic features. Portions of the site that are flat or gently sloping will require minimal cut and fill operations. Earthwork quanti- ties will be balanced in logical areas on-site. See Section III.6.b., Grading Plan Development Standards, for additional description of the proposed grading plan. Alluvial/Colluvial Removal Considering a mass grading approach to site development, removal and recompaction of portions of alluvial/colluvial O soils within fill areas and shallow cut areas will be necessary. This effort is required due to the consolidati- on potential of the dry and desiccated, near surface soils associated with these units. As a general guideline, the upper three to six feet will require removal and recompac- tion. Logically deeper areas may occur. Specific removal requirements should be developed during tentative map studies and incorporated into project grading. Slope Stability Graded slopes will typically be composed of granular fill soils or exposed Pauba sandstone with occasional inter- bedded siltstones. In general, both cut and fill slopes should exhibit favorable gross slope stability characteris- tics if designed at slope ratios of 2:1 (horizontal to O 311 N W W ~ ~ ~ YF`' ~ ~a Z__~ WiF W ~ ` ~ U z k~ O C"<23 °` ~ ~ ~ c < ~C =i n~ IVVI Q O `~ O ~ ornv ® W v~ ~ p p ~J W , ® ~ I ,W~qq V I W N „ j I m N C7 O m tD Z O o F--1 m m N Q U c w s O (/ \ ~ U I ' a o ~j a o ,L~ o m J W O W m ~ C Q N ~ ~ c U C U Y O Z O O Q N a y F~ O U N 1-1-1 U~m W' r-y O v~ ~ ~o~ W m m N ~~ 0 Q vertical) and vertical heights less than 35 feet. Higher vertical cut and fill slopes may be justified through slope stability calculations. These may be provided during design level studies. Owing to the general granular nature of graded slopes, a moderate to severe erosion potential exists if slopes are unprotected. Landscaping of all slopes should be pro- grammed as soon as practical to reduce exposure to erosion. Landslides The three small possible landslide areas identified during the field reconnaissance should be investigated during design level studies, as development areas are proposed adjacent to or within these landslide areas. Remedial grading recommendations to provide for the long term sta- bility can be provided based upon a finalized grading design. Relationship to General Plan Policies The Meadows at Rancho_California Specific Plan responds to the Land Use Standards for Slopes and Erosion, as follows; 1j Hillside Design - As discussed under "Existing Condi- tions", only very limited and isolated areas of slopes greater than 25$ are found on-site. None of these areas represent major ridgelines or significant topo- graphic features. Some grading of these slopes is required to accommodate the proposed project. However, grading for this project has been specifically designed to reflect original landforms, wherever possible, so that different residential and commercial enclaves are distinguished and separated by topographic features. 2) Slope Heights and Contours - In accordance with these standards, all cut and fill slopes shall be constructed at inclinations of no steeper than two horizontal to one vertical. The Grading Plan will reflect a contouring and landscaping program intended to control slope erosion. 3) Road Grades - In accordance with these standards, all streets shall have a gradient not exceeding 15~. 4) Slope Stabilization and Landscape Plan - In accordance with these standards, a geologic report for the proj- ect has been prepared and is included as Section A., /~ Technical Appendices. In addition, prior to initial ~J .grading activities, further study will be per- 313 formed to analyze on-site soil conditions. Slope stabilization will be ensured through hydromulching, landscaping etc. 5) Grading Plans - In accordance with these standards, detailed grading plans shall be prepared prior to any on-site grading for each project or group of projects. In accordance with the Rancho Villages Development Criteria for slopes, all final slopes will be contour graded. Although cut and fill slopes greater than 10 feet are proposed, detailed landscaping and irrigation plans shall be submitted to the Planning Department when grading plans are submitted for approval. This is in accordance with the Rancho Villages Development Criteria for slopes. Also, as stated under "Mitigations" below, temporary ground cover will be provided to prevent erosion during the construction phase, and permanent vegetation will be planted as soon as possible after grading. This satisfies Development Crite- ria for Rancho Villages Planning Areas C and D. c. Mitigations According to Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc., severe or unmanageable geotechnical constraints are not associated with the subject parcel. The three possible landslide areas should be investigated during design level studies if development areas are proposed adjacent to or within these features. Remedial grading recommendations to provide for long term stability can be provided based upon a finalized grading design. Specific requirements for alluvialjcolluvial removal should be developed during tentative map studies and incorporated into project grading. Additional slopes stability calcula- tions should be provided during design level studies. Temporary ground cover will be provided to prevent erosion during the construction phase. Permanent vegetation will be planted as soon as possible after grading. All grading will be performed in accordance with the River- side County objectives for Slopes and Erosion noted above. In addition, the following mitigation will be provided: - Development Standards outlined in Section III.6.b., Grading Plan, will be implemented. - Grading for the site will be done in stages,thus limit- ing the potential for erosion. - Fugitive dust will be controlled by regular watering or /^~ other palliative measures to meet AQMD Rule 403. v 314 - Final slopes will be contour graded and will blend into natural contours. ~~.J ~/ 3. Wind Erosion and Blowsand The project site is not located within the wind/erosion or blowsand area designated within the Comprehensive General Plan. This topic also concern within the Notice Therefore, the issue of addressed within this EIR. 4. Flooding was not identified as an area of of Preparation for the project. Wind Erosion and Blowsand is not The following discussion is based upon a "Preliminary Drainage Assessment for The Meadows at Rancho California" (August 18, 1987) prepared by Robert Bein, William Frost and Associates. This report is included in Section D., Technical Appendices. a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The project site is within the jurisdiction of the River- side County Flood Control District and Water Conservation Agency. All hydrologic calculations performed for the current analysis were based on the Riverside County hydro- logy methods as outlined in their manuals. The majority of the project is located within the Temecula Creek watershed, close to the confluence of the Temecula Creek and Murrieta Creek. A small area in the northern portion of the site does drain directly into Murrieta Creek. (See Figure 56, Existing Hydrology.) Temecula Creek is an extremely large regional watershed encompassing many square miles of area. Temecula Creek is also being currently studied by the Riverside County Flood Control District. There are no existing floodplain maps for Temecula Creek; however, there may be regional flooding adjacent to Highway 79. As shown on Figure 56, Existing Hydrology, the majority of the site drains in an east to west direction and is eventu- ally tributary to Temecula Creek through an existing under capacity battery of culvert crossings of Highway 79. Off- site drainage enters the site from the east along Butter- field Stage Road. The area east of Butterfield Stage Road and north of De Portola Road is known as "Butterfield Stage Ranch". This area currently has tentative maps prepared and the developed flows tributary from this drainage area have been determined. This total off-site tributary area amounts to 192 acres and off-site flows are tentatively planned to enter the project boundary at four locations in storm drain pipes. These storm drains will be connected to the master plan drainage system for the specific plan area. (See "Impacts" below.) 315 One other significantly large off-site drainage basin has been identified which may impact the project. This area is located east of Butterfield Stage Road and south of De Portola Road and is naturally tributary to Temecula Creek. (See Figure 56, Existing Hydrology.) A regional master plan of the area could include this as a tributary to the intersection of De Portola Road and Butterfield Stage Road, but was not considered in this analysis since it is not naturally tributary at this location. Coordination with the land use master plans and property owners should be investigated to refine the location of this system. The remainder of the smaller drainage basins originate on-site since the project is located on or near the ridge- line. The small drainage areas are generally in the form of small narrow canyons in the northerly portions of the site which are very steep. .The slopes of the drainage courses flatten significantly where they discharge into the Temecula Valley near Highway 79. Temecula Valley is an alluvial wash type valley and this is a typical response for this type of drainage pattern. A portion of the project site may be located within the Murrieta Creek Area Drainage Plan and would be subject to drainage fees. The Temecula Valley area has a drainage fee of $932/acre associated with development. Approximately 142 acres of the site is within this assessment area. The remainder of the site is not encumbered with any other known drainage fees. General Plan Policies The project site is shown as being subject to inundation from Vail Dam on the County Map of Dam inundation Areas - 100 Year Flood Plains - Area Drainage Plans. Though not depicted as lying within the limits of an Area Drainage Plan, the project engineers have stated that approximately 142 acres of the site lie within the Temecula Valley Drain- age Area and that northern portions of the site may lie within the Murrieta Creek Area Drainage Plan. The following Land Use Standards - Flooding from the Envi- ronmental Hazards and Resources Element of the Comprehen- sive General Plan are applicable to the project site: 1. Flood Hazard FTitigation - Proposed developments are reviewed for location in flood hazard areas, including floodways, floodplains, areas subject to sheetflow or local pondinq, and dam inundation areas. A drainage study may be required. All flood-related hazards must be adequately mitigated. a 316 0 l~J O V ~ ~~ ® y ~..~ Ze~~"~~ ~~Wa ~~ ~ F,,, LL Zeos~^5 a <w ~s5~=x m ~ ~ ~~ 9z3x L1o Q LL ~ W d ~ o~v b c~ ~ ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Z ~ ~ o 0 ~ g o ~~~~pp o ~ O O r M a A Y 2 i V r ~ e n o 0 Q ro co 0 '7 0 ~ Q A ~ O 0 Q ~9 O f ~ e e u .- <O f O f o QO N f p~ o 0 a N r fn " b° f e <~ O O f7 f0 f m e ~ O ~~ N N N C9 O f N e 1 ~ Q Q °n :~ x x a ~ N 2 ~ 3 3 ~ Z "u 0 ~ C Y 3 C u c n °m N z~ 'Q 01 ~ ~ :.{ U W A o O ~ O A ° E Q ~ w _o /~ r--~ m ~ ~ ~ U N ~ N f ~ v ~ O ~ m f= U <® o O Z N ~ ~~ O xj U y 2 V '' m W f ~ a OA w~ W m o a LLQ N O ~ W m ID N O 2. Floodplains - If a development proposal includes an O area located in a floodplain, all new structures and substantial improvements to existing structures shall be constructed on a pad the elevation of which is up to or above the 100-year flood elevation. A drainage study may be required. 3. Drainage Improvement Fees - A development proposal located within the boundaries of an adopted Area Drainage Plan is required to pay a fee in the amount set forth in the plan for the support of drainage improvements. Rancho Villages Development Criteria applicable to the project is as follows: a) Development shall not result in increased flood hazards to adjacent or downstream properties. In order to avoid these hazards, both on- and off-site improvements may be utilized. Drainage fees or other appropriate mitigation measures may be required to improve the area's flood control system prior to development. b. Proiect Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies Development of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific O Plan would require a combination of cuts and fills which would alter the existing on-site drainage patterns: Howev- er, no drainage area will be diverted from its natural tributary drainage course. Development of the site will result in increased runoff due to the creation of impervi- ous surfaces. Figure 57, Drainage Plan, includes calcu- lated 100-year frequency discharges associated with project development. Calculations were based on the Riverside County Flood Control District Hydrology Manual and Proce- dures. As shown on Figure 57, Drainage Plan, the storm drain master plan is comprised of several large conduit systems which traverse the project. The largest of these storm drain systems intercepts proposed storm drains from the development to the east of Butterfield Stage Road. This system ranges in size from a 39" to a 120" diameter storm drain. This system generally follows the same alignment and direction as the existing drainage pattern, flowing in an east to west direction. This system will outlet into its natural streamcourse when it leaves the eastern project boundary at the crossing of Margarita Road. The configura- tion of the storm drain outlet at Margarita Road will be a concrete energy dissipation/flow spreading device in order to mitigate higher pipe exit. velocities and provide a O non-erosive velocity into the existing stream. As previ- ously discussed project implementation will result in 318 O N Ma c °~ aB Z ,.. Q O ~ oa J ~ Q ~ Q Z W Z Z; _ ~' H a Q ~ z Q ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 ~ ~ W - d 0 ~ ~ ~ W ~ Q fn W LL H ((~ ~ fn fA O W Q g g o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o'p a n N a o M ~ a o w 2 C7 LL 8 d LL g d 3 t m a W O1 W ~ OD ui ~ ~ Np o , e • v • eO ['a9j I~ i v'' Y. ~ lli ~~ Y ~ ~, ~~r~~~ Z~~~~ L1o arnv o~ M Q~ N (7 0 m m Z m ~ N ~ o p~ ~ p Q to O m O m w U o L U U Q ~ ~ O Y ~ Q N a t710 P/ j ~ ~.m O ~ iD o ~ U N ~~ U z° vevavv" v ~ W ~ O a r O ~ w0 ^/ F~1 W m o c Oy Q D A W m (O N O increased runoff. In order to mitigate the increase in runoff at Margarita Road outlet, the larger east/west storm drain could be realigned to discharge directly into Temecula Creek. Three storm drain systems are proposed along the southern project boundary to outlet directly into Temecula Creek. The precise discharge locations would have to be determined by off-site owners. These three storm drains generally run in a north to south direction, generally following the existing drainage pattern. The proposed storm drain system in Butterfield Stage Road will intercept two proposed storm drains by the adjacent development to the east. All of the storm drain outlets will be higher pipe outlet velocities. Relationship to General Plan Policies The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan responds to The Land Use Standards for Flooding, as follows: 1) Flood Hazard Fiitigation - In accordance with these standards, a drainage study has been prepared, resulting in the Figure 57, Drainage Plan. This study is included as Section D, Technical Appendices. Due to the site's location within a "Dam Inundation Area" of the Vail Dam, the development proposal will be reviewed for siting constraints by the County Flood Control District and the County Planning Department. 2) Flaodplains - The site does not lie within the identi- fied floodplain area, though additional study of the Temecula floodplain is recommended. (See "Mitiga- tions".) 3) Drainage Improvement Fees - If required, the developer will contribute $932 per acre for the approximately 142 acres of the site which lie within the Temecula Valley Drainage Area. A portion of the project site may also be subject to fees associated with the Murrieta Creek Area Drainage Plan. In accordance with the Rancho Villages Development Crite- ria, development will not result in increased flood hazards to adjacent or downstream properties. As discussed above, drainage fees will be paid for those portions of the site located within the Temecula Valley or Murrieta Creek Area Drainage Plans. c. Mitigations O A more in-depth assessment of the Temecula floodplain should be conducted during the final design and preparation of the tentative tract maps. The study will require a regional hydrologic analysis of the Temecula Creek water- 320 shed and detailed floodplain mapping of the Temecula Creek O adjacent to the project site. All improvements will be constructed in accordance with the standards of the Riverside County Flood Control District. Erosion control devices will be utilized in hillside devel- opment areas to mitigate the effect of increased runoff at points of discharge. Possible devices may include tempo- rary berms, culverts, sandbagging or desilting basins. The configuration of the major storm drain outlet at Margarita Road will be a concrete energy dissipation/flow spreading device in order to mitigate higher pipe exit velocities and provide a non-erosive velocity into the existing stream. 5. Noise The issue of "Noise" was addressed in the "Draft Environ- mental Impact Report for Rancho Villages General Plan Amendment", sponsored by Kacor Realty and submitted to the County of Riverside in August, 1980. A Noise Assessment was performed as part of that General Plan Amendment EIR by the firm of Hilliard and Bricken. As The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan is being proposed in accordance with that GPA, that Noise Assessment is hereby incorporated by refer-ence into this Draft EIR document. However, specific policies and development O criteria related to noise are included in the following discussion. a. Existing ConditionslGeneral Plan Policies As the project site is presently undeveloped, it generates little noise. Primary existing noise sources in the pro- ject area include vehicular noise along State Route 79, Margarita Road, De Portola Road, and Pauba Road. General Plan Policies The project site is not shown as noise impacted, per the County of Riverside Airport Noise Impact Area Map. The Environmental Hazards and Resources Element of the Compre- hensive General Plan includes Land Use Standards addressing Noise. Those which are relative to the proposal are listed below: 1) The following uses shall be considered noise sensitive and shall be discouraged in areas excess of 65 CNEL (dBA): Single and multiple family residential, group homes, hospitals, schools and other Seaming institu- tions, and parks and open-space lands where quiet is a basis for use. (/'~) 2) Proposed noise sensitive projects within noise impacted v areas shall be required to have acoustical studies 321 O prepared by a qualified acoustical engineer and may be required to provide mitigation from existing noise. 3) Proposed projects which are noise producers shall be required to have an acoustical engineer prepare a noise analysis including recommendations for design mitiga- tion, if the project is to be located within close proximity to a noise sensitive land use or land zoned for noise sensitive land uses ._ The Rancho Villages Development Criteria states that, "In order to protect residential areas from ground based noise generated by highways and commercial or industrial activi- ties, dense sound absorbing walls, berms, and/or setbacks to achieve exterior noise levels of 65 dB(A) Ldn are re- quired. All new residential structures shall ensure a maximum interior noise level of 45 dB(A) Ldn." In addition, both Policy Plan Areas C and D are shown as possessing "Noise potential - 65 CNEL" along Pauba Road, Rancho Vista Road, Butterfield Stage Road, Santiago Road, De Portola Road and Margarita Road. b. Proiect Impacts/Rel_ationshiU to General Plan Policies O Implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will result in increased noise levels due to construction equipment, motor vehicle traffic and stationary sources. The ambient noise levels on the site would be increased to levels which characterize most suburban areas. The various noise impacts resulting from project development are discussed below: Construction Noise Construction noise represents a short-term impact on ambi- ent noise levels. Noise generated by construction equip- ment, including trucks, graders, bulldozers, concrete mixers and portable generators can reach high levels. Construction equipment noise comes under the control of the Environmental Protection Agency's Noise Control Program (Part 204 of Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations). Presently, air compressors are the only equipment under strict regulations, and no new regulations are currently under consideration. Noise levels for equipment which might be used for the excavation and construction of the proposed project range from approximately 65 to 105 dBA at a distance of 50 feet. The noise levels decrease at a rate of approximately 6 dBA per doubling of the distance. Therefore, at 100 feet the O noise levels will be about 6 dBA less. Intervening struc- tures or topography will act as a noise barrier and reduce noise levels further. 322 Highway/Traffic/Noise O The most significant source of noise resulting from imple- mentation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will be that associated with traffic. As discussed in Section V.D.1., Circulation, an estimated 47,600 vehicle trips per day will be generated at project build-out. These trips will be primarily destined for State Route 79 to the south or will head north on Margarita Road and Kaiser Parkway to reach Rancho California Road, which has an interchange with Interstate 15. These roadways will, therefore, experience the greatest off-site noise impacts due to project traffic. Projected noise levels on Arterial Roads (Margarita Road, De Portola Road and Butterfield Stage Road), Major Roads (Kaiser Road) and Secondary Roads (Pauba Road) are indi- cated in Table VI, Preliminary Noise Contours. These contours are generated from the typical noise contours as presented in the Comprehensive General Plan. Highway 79 to the south of the site is designated as a "Highway"; the General Plan presents no noise contours for this classifi- cation of roadway. The General Plan contour calculations are based upon assumptions and estimates which, in all probability, will be refined as more detailed information becomes available. Moreover, these noise contour calcula- tions assume no physical attenuation measures. TABLE VI PRELIlvIINARY NOISE CONTOIIRS Roadway Distance in Feet from Centerline to: 60 dBA 65 dBA 70 dBA Roadway Classification Arterial 315' 155' 70' Major 310' 150' 65' Secondary 270' 130' 45' The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan does not cause any of the above roadways to exceed the capacity of their current designations per the Riverside County General Plan Circulation Element. It is assumed that existing and future land uses adjacent to these roadways have been planned in consideration of the Preliminary Noise Contours presented above; therefore, noise generated by project traffic should not result in the creation of unacceptable noise levels to existing or proposed off-site uses. O 323 O The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan proposes an expanded parkway system adjacent to all collector and higher volume roadways. These parkways, which will vary in width will provide landscaping, sidewalks, and community "theme" walls. The parkways will serve as setbacks between proposed uses and the vehicular noise occurring on project roadways. Relationship to General Plan Policies 1) Due to the potential for on-site areas adjacent to roadways to possess noise levels in excess of 65 CNEL, a noise analysis may be required at a more detailed stage of project development in order to insure that all residences will comply with the County's require- ment of a maximum interior noise level of 45 dBA. (See "Mitigation".) 2) See No. 1 above. 3) The proposed project is not a significant noise pro- ducer. In accordance with the Rancho Villages Development Crite- ria, dense sound absorbing walls, berms, and/or setbacks to achieve exterior noise levels of 65 dB(A) Ldn and interior noise levels of 45 dB(A) Idn will be incorporated into the project design, if necessary. c. Mitigation As discussed above, a noise analysis should be prepared by an acoustical engineer at a more detailed stage of project development, if deemed necessary by the County of River- side. 0 324 Q 6. Air Quality a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies A predominant wind direction from the coast (near Oceanside and southern Orange County) gives the vicinity of the site relatively clean air. Two sources of air fill the Perris plain: a source originating over orange and southern Los Angeles Counties (the harbor area) which flows through Santa Ana Canyon and disperses into its peripheral canyons (e.g., Temescal) by way of Riverside; and, a source origi- nating along the coastline midway between Los Angeles and San Diego which flows up the Santa Margarita River Canyon (Temecula Canyon). Both are influenced by differences in temperature and area sea breezes. The former, however, possesses considerable air contaminants, while the latter is relatively clean. These air masses meet in a zone, trending approximately NNE-SSW, north of Sun City that forms a visible discontinuity in air mass quality. While the project area remains clear, cool and moist, areas less than ten miles to the north may be inundated by smog. Inversions of temperature commonly associated with air pollution exist inland, but should not be compared on the same terms with inversions in coastal areas where a heavy (\/} marine layer is overlain by a subsiding, warm high pressure air mass. A more critical air pollution problem exists in the after- noon hours when the sea breeze under-runs warmer air and forces it aloft. If areas near the source of this mass (northern San Diego, southern Orange County) become indus- trialized, this flow will degenerate and infuse the Murrieta Valley with air of low quality. When winds are present, the inversion layer does not form, and atmospheric mixing is sufficient to dissipate pollutants that can occur when creating certain types of smog. The project site lies within the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), which maintains monitoring stations throughout the County. The monitoring station nearest the site with published data available is Perris Air Quality Monitoring Station. Only quantities of oxidant (ozone} are measured at that facility. At present, oxidant is the most serious problem in the project area. As oxi- dant is formed by a multi-step photochemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen and reactive hydrocarbons, extended periods of intense sunlight, which are charac- teristic of the project area, contribute to the high 0 325 _~ oxidant levels. Total suspended particulates (TSP) also continue to be a major problem in the South Coast Air Basin. Provided below is a summary of air quality trends for the previous four years at the Perris Station: TABLE VII AIR QIIALITY SUMMARY 1983 - 1986 California Days Federal Days Air Quality Standard Air Quality Standard Pollutant Standards Exceeded Standards Exceeded Oxidant l0.ppm 1983-128 .12ppm 1983-88 1 hour 1984-137 1 hour 1984-75 1985-146 1985-96 1986-133 1986-79 General Plan Policies There are two Land Use Standards in the Environmental Hazards and Resources Element of the Comprehensive General Plan relative to air quality. They concern air quality impact mitigation sensitive land uses. 1) Air Quality Impact Litigation - Major development proposals which may create a significant new source of air pollutant emissions must contribute to the mitiga- tion of adverse air quality impacts. Major projects may include large industrial, mining, residential, commercial or recreational projects. Air quality mitigation measures to reduce automobile or energy use include the following: - Bicycle facilities such as bike lanes, racks and lockers. - Transit facilities, such as benches, shelters and turnouts. - Park-n-Ride facilities - Carpool preferential parking programs. 326 Q - Energy efficient buildings. - Solar access orientation of structures. - Solar heated and cooled structures and swimming pools. 2) Sensitive Land Uses - Sensitive land uses should not be located adjacent to sources of heavy air pollution, such as major roadways or heavy industrial land uses. b. Project Impacts/Relationship to General Plan Policies Note that_ the following information was calculated based on formulas provided in the South Coast Air Quality Management District's (SCAQMD) "Air Quality Handbook for Environmental Impact Reports" (revised April 1987). Site Preparation and Construction Heavy-duty trucks, earth movers, air compressors and gene- rators will be used during site preparation and construc- tion. Various pollutants, principally exhaust emissions, dust and particulates, will be emitted on short-term basis. The amount of pollutants emitted during site preparation and construction cannot be determined at this time, because of a lack of specific information, such as location, extent and techniques of grading and construction. In order to accurately calculate these factors, it is also necessary to know which motors will propel vehicles during site prepara- tion and construction for a specific number of hours, as concentration of gasoline-powered motor emissions differ from those of diesel-powered motor emissions. In addition, it is expected that 100 lbs. of dust per acre per day of construction activity will be generated by project develop- ment. Dust can be controlled by revegetation of graded surfaces. Operation of Completed Project When the project is completed and occupied, air quality in the project area will be directly affected by: 1) motor vehicle emissions from project traffic, and 2) indirectly influenced by pollutants emitted by power generation plants which serve the project in the South Coast Air Basin. 1) lxotor Vehicle Emissions - The greatest project-related air quality impact results from the daily vehicle trips the project will generate at build-out. The amount of motor vehicle emissions associated with the proposed 327 project is calculated based upon the total vehicle miles travelled (VMT) at various phases of development. The VMT is determined by multiplying the 47,600 average trips (ADT) generated by the development times the average trip length of 11.6 miles for a total of 553,000 VMT. An average vehicle speed of 35 miles per hour was assumed for the projections. In accordance with the project's estimated l0-year phasing plan, the emissions are projected for the year 1998. The pro- ject's vehicular emissions are presented in Table VIII. TALE VIII MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS 1998 DAILY EMISSIONS FOR PROPOSED PROJECT CO = 553,000 VMT x 4.27 gm/mi 1 lb/454 gm = 5,200 lbs/day TOG = 553,000 VMT x .39 gm/mi 1 lb/454 gm = 474 lbs/day ROG = 553,000 VMT x .35 gm/mi 1 lb/454 gm = 425 lbs/day NO = 553,000 VMT x 1.09 gm/mi 1 lb/454 gm = 1,325 lbs/day Part (1) = 553,000 VMT x .217 gm/mi 1 lb/454 gm = 263 lbs/day Part(2) = 553,000 VMT x .056 gm/mi 1 lb/454 gm = 67 lbs/day CO - Carbon Monoxide TOG - Total Organic Gas ROG - Reactive Organic Gas NO - Nitrogen Oxides Part (1) - Particulates, Tire Wear Part (2) - Particulates, Exhaust 2) Energy Consumption - Electricity: The proposed project will create a demand for electrical energy which is generated from power plants utilizing fossil fuels. Electric power generating plants are distributed throughout the SCAQMD area, and their emissions contribute to the total regional pollutant burden, as well as to local pollution concentrations. The level of emissions that could result from generation of elec- tricity for the proposed residential units and com- mercial use is computed by multiplying the project's total energy demand by the emission factor for each pollutant (as determined by the SCAQMD). According to Southern California Edison, residential units utilize an estimated 6,081 kwh/unit/year. This estimate is based on the "Air Quality Handbook for EIR's" (revised April 1987). Utilizing this estimate, 328 the 5,654 units proposed by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan would utilize 34,381,974 kwh per year. Assuming that the 33 acres of Neighborhood and Community Commercial uses proposed by the project will support approximately 500,000 square feet of space, 7560,000 kwh per year would be utilized (15.3 kwh per s.f. per year). Based on the above informa- tion, the total annual electrical usage for The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan is estimated to be 42,030,975 kwh. See Table IX, Power Plant Emissions, for emissions associated with this demand for electric- ity. TABLE IX POWER PLANT E~IISSIONS* CO = 42,030,975 kwh x .20 lbs/1,000 kwh = 8,406 lbs/yr NO = 42,030,975 kwh x 1.15 lbs/1,000 kwh = 48,335 lbs/yr SO = 42,030,975 kwh x .12 lbs/1,000 kwh = 5,043 lbs/yr PART 42,030,975 kwh x .04 lbs/1,000 kwh = 1,681 lbs/yr ROG 42,030,975 kwh x .O1 lbs/1,000 kwh = 420 lbs/yr *Assuming continued availability and use of natural gas in power plants and average hydro year. CO - Carbon Monoxide NO - Nitrogen Dioxide SO - Sulfur Dioxide PART - Particulates ROG - Reactive Organic Gas Natural Gas: The primary use of natural gas by the project will be for combustion to produce space heat- ing, water heating and other miscellaneous heating or air conditioning. Consumption for residential use is estimated by Southern California Gas Co. at 6,665 cubic feet/unit/month. The 5,611 units proposed by this project would require 37,683,910 cubic feet of natural gas per month. Utilizing a factor of 2.9 cubic feet per square foot per month, the 500,000 square feet of commercial uses proposed by the project is projected to create a demand for 1,450,000 cubic feet of natural gas per month. Based on the above information, the average monthly consumption of natural gas for The Meadows at 329 0 Rancho California Specific Plan is projected to be 39,133,910 cubic feet. See Table X, Natural Gas Emissions, for emissions associated with this consump- tion of natural gas. TABLE X NATURAL GAS EMISSIONS O CO = 39,133,910 c.f. x 20 lbs/1,000,000 c.f. = 782 lb5/mo NO = 39,133,910 c.f. x 100 lbs/1,000,000 c.f. = 3,913 lbs/mo SO = Negligible PART = 39,133,910 c.f. x .15 lbs/1,000,000 c.f. = 5.8 lbs/mo THC = 39,133,910 c.f. x 5.3 lbs/1,000,000 c.f. = 207 lbs/mo In 1982, the Air Quality Management District and the South- ern California Association of Governments (SCAG) adopted the Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) for the South Coast Air Basin. In order to demonstrate consistency with the AQMP, a project must conform to the local general plan. The majority of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan project site is located in the "Rancho Villages" area on the Open Space Conservation Map of the Riverside County Comprehensive General Plan, while the portion of the site lying south of De Portola Road is located in an area "Not Designated as Open Space". The proposed Specific Plan complies with the Goals and Objectives of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan in terms of land use and is, therefore, consistent with the Riverside County Comprehensive General Plan. This, in turn, results in consistency with the AQMP. Relationship to General Plan Policies It is intended that the project conform with the Air Quality Land Use Standards by employing mitigation measures listed in the following discussion entitled "Mitigation". c. Mitigation The quality of particulate matter and other pollutants emitted during the grading and construction phase of the proposed project may be reduced through watering graded surfaces and planting ground cover as dust palliatives. 330 0 Because most of the project-related air pollution emissions are generated by automobiles, there is very limited poten- tial for any effective mitigation on the part of any single developer. However, where feasible, the project will integrate the following features into the project design: - Transit facilities, such as benches, shelters and turn- outs - Energy Efficient buildings - Solar access orientation of structures - Solar heated and cooled structures and swimming pools Additionally, the design of efficient and direct traffic flow patterns on the project site can help reduce the quantity of air pollutants generated by minimizing the places in the roadway system where automobiles would be idling unnecessarily. The Circulation Plan for the project has been designed to meet this criteria. The Meadows at Rancho California project site contains most of Planning Area C and all of Planning Area D of the O Rancho Villages Policy Plan. Development Criteria for these planning areas require that commercial areas provide for pedestrian and bus stop facilities in the design of the project and that projects be designed to facilitate safe pedestrian access. In addition, the Rancho Villages Policy Plan is based upon the "New Town" concept, which will minimize external trips by incorporating working, shopping and living in close proximity. The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan also for alternative modes of transportation within and adjacent to the site, including pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian trails. The provision of these facilities will somewhat mitigate air quality impacts. A Parkway System will be provided on all collector higher volume roadways adjacent to and throughout the project site. This system will contain sidewalks on each side of the street. The pedestrian pathways will provide linkages to each neighborhood within the community, but also to major destination points including schools, parks, community recreation centers, shopping facilities, and the Rancho California Sports Park just northwest of the site. Class II or Class I bicycle trails will be located on the majority of all interior roadways with a classification of collector or greater, as shown on Figure 58, Bicycle Plan. O Pauba Road at the northern boundary of the site will also contain a bicycle trail. This system will connect neighbor- 331 ~~ ll1 Y~ F ~ s ? ~ g~~$ `~^ ~~-a~£ LL ~U ~~~< ~ Z,o~ ~ ~~ ~,_~ ~~^ ~ F. ~~~5 J U~ UQ o ~ W~ p~ asrv ~~Q° O`~J uW~JJ ad a~ ~~ ~~ ® . g ~ ~ ~ , o Q~ ~ • N M ~•1 E N 07 O .,;, `'; { ,~: ,~'' °i ,~;, ,.;~ ~, , t _t y F }Ya a ~Ya : A`~ t ~ :~ ji : ='%Y.a R v a ~ T R R ~a< dyed .. < RR ~ > ~mar....~ ^ s' ~'... ... Ro Y a "Piq=r ~,~~5~~ ~'ypVf'tl ~ yiy3 t ~ 1 c ' ~ .• ~'~y. .~~ ~L . ..~ a„. an « ~ R fYYaaal 5 ,e •d i ~~ `~' 1 ~'/ + ~S I ,+ bbb .~~::. O., Ya L~ v~ ' y • ,o a, <, ~s •. K ~ ~i l.~ P' .y~i~ a ~Y3 ~ ~ ~Yd a. 5.i ~y 'n '~~~ a 8•e ;~ •ti °~ N x e g Lc~ ~. yH~ .~aa`'1.B,,.p?~.g 9sagi:$_~' n ~ qY 1°,~'- ~ '~r'.r~~i s~°~ ''# on, ~,°~°R -~:r}4,8y~ig ~ d ,e~ ~: ~ j,., *n I O C qq v •0, ,.; •' 0Q~ B sF •y ~Y ,e ,:, ;.t.1~`.i '~ 1P y~,1 Q N n 7 n ~a ,y~+ n- 7 9, ~ Vii::,' 1, '~ :~ Ma1'~'r :. w..~~Y ~ .~.~.lIE1~ tj U Z i ' ° ~~ 8 ~ 7 sacred ar Ylaaln6AA4q,~a ~, W O j01 ~ ~Ya fir: ^T ~' #,. ~~ i W m < p al i f G m -, ,~, e ~WY .. ~ :~ m N • _ '~~'~ hoods and points of destination throughout the site. In addition, an equestrian trail will be provided in the parkway area on the south side of Pauba Road. Q ~J 333 Q 7. Water Quality a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies According to the geotechnical consultant, Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc., groundwater was encountered in borings at depths varying from approximately 5 feet to as much as 25 feet. The higher groundwater elevations are present in the area of existing EMWD percolation basins in the south- ern portion of the sites, indicating that artificially high ground water conditions have been created as a result of recharge. General Plan Policies The Environmental Hazards and Resources Element of the Comprehensive General Plan contains the following Land Use Standard relative to water quality: 1) All development proposals will be reviewed for poten- tial adverse effects on water quality and will be required to mitigate any significant impacts. b. Project Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies Implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will alter the composition of surface runoff by grading the site surfaces, by construction of impervious streets, roofs and parking facilities, and by irrigation of landscaped areas. Runoff entering the storm drain system will contain minor amounts of pollutants typical of urban use, including pesticides, fertilizers, oil and rubber residues, detergents, hydrocarbon particles and other debris. This runoff, typical of urban use, will contribute to the degradation of water quality downstream in the Murrieta and Temecula Creeks. Relationship to General Plan Policies The project is compatible with the Comprehensive General Plan Land Use Standard in that no significant impacts to water quality are anticipated. In addition, as discussed under "Mitigation", erosion and sedimentation will be controlled by proper grading practices. Only pesticides and herbicides typical of urban doses are expected. 334 O c. Mitigation In accordance with the requirements of the Riverside County Flood Control District, the project will employ erosion control devices during grading, such as temporary berms, culverts, sand-bagging or desilting basins. Urban runoff impacts can be mitigated by employing the program outlined in the "Water Pollution Aspects of Street Surface Contaminants", published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This program provides recommendation for street cleaning and prevention of pollutant generation. Its implementation rests with local agencies, Homeowners Associations and individual residents. O 335 0 8. Toxic Substances The residential, recreational and neighborhood commercial uses proposed by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will not generate any toxic substances. In addition, this topic was not identified as an area of concern within the Notice of Preparation for the project. Therefore, the issue of Toxic Substances is not addressed within this EIR. O O 336 -Q 9. Open Space and Conservation a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The following are the key Land Use Standards from the "Comprehensive General Plan" Open Space and Conservation Element associated with the Open Space and Conservation Map and the Composite Environmental Hazards and Resources Map. - Open Space and Conservation Map The Open Space and Conservation Map is reviewed as Step One of the Land Use Determination System. All projects must be consistent with the Open Space and Conservation Map to file for a development permit. The Meadows at Rancho California project site is designated "Rancho Villages" and "Area Not Designated as Open Space" on the Open Space and Conservation Map. - Composite Environmental Hazards and Resources Maps On the Composite Environmental Hazards Map, hazard informa- tion mapped includes seismicity, geology, slopes, flood hazards, noise and fire hazards. According to this Map, The Meadows at Rancho California site is located within a Liquefaction Hazard Area. On the Composite Environmental Resources Map, resource information mapped includes topography, agricultural re- sources, wildlife, vegetation, mineral and energy re- sources, parks and resources. The site is shown as within "Rare, Endangered, Threatened Species Ranges", as is all of western Riverside County. This reflects the extent of potential Stephens kangaroo rat habitat. b. Project Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan is being developed in accordance with the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, as well as with the Land Use Standards of the Open Space and Conservation Element. This topic is discussed in detail in Section V.A., General Plan Land Use Determination System. In regards to the site's designation as a "Liquefaction Area" on the Composite Hazards Map, the project geologist has determined liquefaction potential does exist along the entire flat alluviated area of Temecula Creek within the southern portion of the site. However, site development is U likely to mitigate the liquefaction potential. (See Sec- tion V.C. 1., Seismic Safety.) A report has been prepared 337 entitled "Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential, Portion of O Vail Meadows" (September, 1987). This report is included in Section C., Technical Appendices. In regards to the site's designation as potential Stephen's kangaroo rat habitat, the project biologist has determined that the site does not contain suitable habitat and, there- fore, the species could not exist on-site. (See Section V.C.11. Wildlife/Vegetation.) c. Mitigation Specific mitigations relative to The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan are found throughout Section V.C., Environmental Hazards and Resources Element. ~../ O 338 0 lo. Agriculture a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies Past agricultural use of The Meadows at Rancho California project site has been limited to dryland farming and grazing by sheep and cattle. Some of the soils on-site fall into the Class I and Class II categories, which are considered "Prime" agricultural soils because they are suitable for all crops. These soils occur on the project site in isolated pockets, primarily along drainage washes. General Plan Policies The Countywide Agricultural Resources Map of the Environ- mental Hazards and Resources Element of the Comprehensive General Plan identifies the several classifications of important agricultural land established by State and Fed- eral agencies. These classifications are prime farmland, Statewide important farmland, unique farmland, and locally important farmland. The classifications are based on O criteria for soil characteristics, climatic conditions and water supply. The criteria include soil type, moisture content, water supply, soil temperature, acidity, salinity, depth, drainage, water table flooding, slope erodibility, permeability, rock content, rooting depth, growth season, crop type and value, and other economic factors. The Countywide Agricultural Resources Map does not identify the site as important agricultural land. b. Project Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will permanently discontinue the use of the site for dryland farming and grazing activities. Because of the minor amount of Class I and II agricultural soils on the site, this is not significant. Also, it should be noted that this impact was previously addressed in the "Draft EIR for Rancho Villages Policy Plan General Plan Amendment". That document addressed impacts associated with conversion of the dryland farming and grazing uses of the site to the urban uses proposed by the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. The uses proposed by the Vail Meadows Specific Plan imple- ment the Rancho Villages Policy Plan and do not create any additional impacts relative to agriculture. 339 0 Relationship to General Plan Policies The Countywide Agricultural Resources Map of the Comprehen- sive General Plan does not identify the site as containing significant agricultural resources, so no impacts to Gen- eral Plan policies will occur. It should be noted that development of the site, with the inevitable loss of potential agricultural productivity, is occurring in accordance with the Open Space and Conserva- tion Map, which designates the site as an "Area Not Desig- nated as Open Space". If the site were an agricultural preserve, significant area of prime agricultural land, or an area with intense agricultural uses or long-term commit- ment to agriculture, the site would be designated by the County of Riverside as "Agriculture" on the Open Space and Conservation Map. c. Mitigation No mitigation measures are proposed for the discontinuance of dryland farming and grazing activities on-site, since the actual project impact is not considered significant. O 340 11. Wildlife/Vegetation The following information is based upon a report entitled "Biological Assessment for Vail Meadows" (May 1987), pre- pared by Steven G. Nelson. The complete text of the report is included in Section E., Technical Appendices. a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies - Biotic Communities Following are descriptions of the biotic communities con- sisting of plant and wildlife species found on-site. As the term implies, biotic communities are predictable assem- blages of species which exist within the same physical habitat and have a very close and complex set of interrela- tionships. Introduced grassland and coastal sage scrub are the only truly developed biotic communities found on-site. (See Figure 59, Biology.) Introduced grassland covers the majority of the site. This community derives its name from the predominance of intro- duced grass and herb species which have replaced native /~ vegetation as the result of grazing and other past distur- ~/ bances. It is a community which is widespread in Southern California today, particularly the western Riverside County area. Dominant plant species on-site are red-stemmed filaree (Erodium cicutarium), foxtail chess (Bromus rubens), soft chess (Bromus mollis), wild oats (Avena fatua), common barley (Hordeum vulgare), lupine (Lupinus sp.), and mustard (Brassica geniculata). Other common species include croton (Croton californicus), telegraph weed (Heterotheca grandi- flora), cudweed (Ganpthalium sp.), doveweed (Eremocarpus setigerus), and western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya). In physical appearance, this vegetation forms a dense ground cover, growing to a height of approximately two to four feet. As a result of its annual lifeforms, introduced grassland typically sprouts and grows rapidly following the onset of the winter rains with the most flowering taking place in the spring. Plants then die back and dry out over the summer and fall. Due to their altered conditions, large open expanses of introduced grassland generally support a limited abundance and diversity of wildlife. Several ground-nesting birds and burrowing mammals were observed including the western meadowlark, horned lark, mourning dove, beechy ground squirrel, audubon cottontail, and valley pocket gopher. 341 w ~~ m ¢ Y~ sett OC °° ~ U " `~u ~,z lA J _Zm~~~„ W ~ ~~~~~~ C7 () Fs'. ~ac~ 2 ~ (~ ~o J Q a ~:v Q ~ v~ }i' U 2 ® , ~ ~ N C' rl 00 ~ -` ., \ ,. aif ~ ~~ P,' ~ i. I I -: ti ~~ - ~1~ O O _ ~ ./ /. ,T Z O J N W ~ Z ~ W m 7 ~ W y Z m U 7 O N m N a n/ a 1-~ c~ O ~ w A U L U C " y O Z O O Q N a y O 1TI F~1 y U V ~ W ~J a o` F~ o W o ~/ Wm o ~ ~ c N r ~ N ~ ~o^ Wm m N 0 0 Other species typical of grassland foraging habitat were observed as well. These include the red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, turkey vulture, vesper sparrow, brewers blackbird, loggerhead shrike and starling. Coastal sage scrub is a native community. As shown in Figure 59, Biology, it is found over the steeper hillsides in the extreme southern, western, central and eastern portions of the site, presumably where clearing and agri- culture production is not feasible. In a regional perspec- tive, this is a relatively common biotic community of coastal southern California. It ranges from the South Coast Ranges near Point Conception in the north to northern Baja California in the south, and extends inland to the vicinity of Cajon and San Gorgonio passes in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, respectively. Characteristically, coastal sage scrub occupies physical habitats consisting of dry, more or less rocky slopes at elevations generally below 3,000 feet in elevation. Coastal sage scrub is an open shrub vegetation, dominated by shrubs that grow two to five feet high and do not com- monly form a closed canopy. On-site, the shrub cover is O dominated by California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), deerweed (Lotus scorparius), and white sage (Salvia apiana). Within drainageways, lemonade berry (Rhus intergrifolia) is also a dominant plant species. Of interest in hillside and water- shed management, these species are adapted to frequent fire. Although fire normally consumes coastal sage scrub vegetation entirely, it is reestablished within two to three years by resprouting from burned stumps. Ground cover is present but sparse. Dominant ground cover species are annual grasses and forbs that have been intro- duced through grazing and agriculture. On-site, these include foxtail chess (Bromus rubens), soft chess (Bromus mollis), slender, wild oats (Avena fatua) and red-stemmed filaree (Erodium cicutarium). Coastal sage scrub supports a moderate diversity of wild- life in comparison to other habitats in Southern Califor- nia. However, vegetative productivity is normally high and large numbers of individuals of each species are usually found. Based on field observations, conditions on-site are believed to follow this pattern. No amphibians were ob- served and are not expected due to the dry habitat condi- tions. Although reptiles were not directly observed due to the time of year, the author's experience in nearby areas O within similar habitats permit an accurate inventory of 343 0 expected, including side-blotched lizard, western fence lizard, gopher snake, red diamond rattlesnake and red racer. Rodents and other small mammals are also abundant. The more common species observed and expected are deer mouse, botta pocket gopher, pacific kangaroo rat, audubon cotton- tail and beechy ground squirrel. These, in turn, support several species of larger mammalian predators, including coyote, gray fox and bobcat. Many species of birds were observed using the project area and others are expected. Mourning doves, scrub jay, common crow, roadrunner, brown towhee, sage sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, western meadowlark, loggerhead shrike, yellow- rumped sparrow, anna's hummingbird, and common bushtit were all observed foraging within the coastal sage scrub. Several raptorial birds were also observed foraging over- head, including red-tailed hawk, marsh hawk, turkey vul- ture, and American kestrel. In addition, there is a series of recharge ponds in the extreme southeastern portion of the site along State High- way 79. Most of the ponds did contain surface water and ^ supported relatively small numbers of waterfowl at .the time (~.J1 of the survey. The shorelines and areas surrounding these ponds, however were mostly devoid of vegetation and exhib- ited ruderal conditions. These ponds are not considered to represent independent community types and, with the excep- tion of several waterfowl species, support similar wildlife populations to those of introduced grassland. - High Interest Species Several species which were observed or are expected to occur within the project area have been given special status designations by goversunental agencies and private conservation groups. One species designated as "rare" by the California Depart- ment of Fish and Game potentially occurs within the project area. This is the Stephen's kangaroo rat, whose range includes the study area (California Department of Fish and Game, 1982). Historically, the species was found through- out the San Jacinto Valley of Riverside County, with small populations also being found in southern San Bernardino County and northwestern San Diego County. Recent surveys by Thomas (1973) and Bleich and Schwartz (1974), however, indicate the current distribution of this includes less than 20 isolated localities. This reduction is believed to O 344 O be due to widespread agricultural and urban development within areas of preferred habitat. Based on information gathered to date, soil types and vegetation density appear to be the primary ecological factors limiting the distribu- tion of this species. Generally, populations are found in soils having high percentages of sand and gravel in rela- tively flat or gently rolling areas and covered by open, grassy herblands where scattered shrubs occur. Although based on the habitats present on-site, it is possible that Stephen's kangaroo rat occurs on-site, its presence could only be verified through a trapping program. Stephen's kangaroo rat has been recently found at Margarita Village within the general Rancho California area (Friesen, 1985) where it was found in four small, disjunct popula- tions. A similar study was undertaken at the Butterfield Stage Ranch project site, immediately east of the subject property. Based on the author's observations, habitat conditions of that site and The Meadows at Rancho Califor- nia site are similar. No Stephen's kangaroo rats were found on the Butterfield Stage Ranch site. The site also provides habitat fora group of birds in- cluded on the Audubon Society's early warning list, known O as the "Blue List" (Tate et al. 1982). These birds species are listed below: Marsh hawk Turkey vulture Snowy plover Merlin American kestrel Ferroginous hawk Prairie falcon Burrowing owl Barn owl Short-eared owl Bewick's wren Western Bluebird Loggerhead shrike Grasshopper sparrow Vesper sparrow Blue-listed species are not rare or endangered and the listing is advisory only. According to the Audubon Soci- ety, which updates and publishes the list annually, the list is an early warning list of species whose populations indicated non-cyclical declines or range contractions and which are recommended for monitoring by wildlife agencies, conservation groups and individual researchers. 345 0 No rare or endangered plant species are reported from the project area (Smith et al., 1980). - Areas of Special Biological Importance As indicated by the preceding discussion, the site provides habitat 'for many wildlife species, potentially including one rare species and a number of blue-listed species. In addition, the area is considered to be a fairly important raptor wintering area. This determination was made as a result of the are being a location where raptorial birds (hawks, vultures, eagles, owls and falcons) concentrate due to a high abundance of roosting sites, a good supply of prey species (small mammals and birds) and suitable hunting habitat (generally open brushland and grassland). As a raptor wintering area, however, the site is not of high significance within the context of regional biological resources. It was not, for example, called out as an area of high biological importance by the California Department of Fish and Game (1979) as was the area around Perris Reservoir because of its raptor habitat. General Plan Policies The project site is shown as lying within the range of the n Stephen's kangaroo rat on the County's map of Endangered, ~.../ Rare and Threatened Wildlife Ranges and Habitats, as is all of western Riverside County. No unique plant communities are shown as existing on-site, per the County's Map of Vegetation Resources. The Environmental Hazards and Re- sources Element of the Comprehensive General Plan contains the following Land Use Standards relative to Wildlife and Vegetation: o Detailed biological reports, including inventories, impact assessment, and mitigation shall be prepared and submitted with substantial development. o Disruption of sensitive vegetation shall be kept to a minimum, and adequate measures to protect vegetative species shall be taken. o Where possible, landscaping shall be accomplished through the use of vegetation native to the project site. o Adequate provision shall be made for the retention of existing trees and other flora, and where necessary, immediate planting shall be planned and implemented. O 346 Rancho Villages Development Criteria require that measures be taken to protect the Stephen's kangaroo rat and its habitat through the use of natural open spaces, encroach- ments, easements, deed restrictions and other implementable devices. Development Criteria for Planning Area D of Rancho Villages requires that sensitive biological areas identified on the resources map be protected from residential and commercial development. At the specific plan stage, the applicant will provide a biological survey which will evaluate and propose mitigation for road alignments, area drainage, and increased human activity. b. Proiect Impacts/Relationship to General Plan Policies Adverse impacts to vegetation and wildlife are expected to occur as the result of several causal factors originating from the construction, presence and inhabitation of urban developments as proposed by The Meadows at Rancho Califor- nia Specific Plan. These causal factors can be grouped into two general categories--the removal or alteration of physical habitats through earthwork and the introduction of increased activity levels, exogenous species and other disturbances related to human activities. Biotic communities, as described in the previous section are. assemblages of plant and animal species occurring in the same physical habitat. They occur together in an orderly predictable manner and have a very close and com- plex set of interrelationships. As a consequence, first order impacts resulting from causal factors will, in turn result in second order impacts which will, in turn, result in third order impacts and so on. Typically, the degree to which this chain-like reaction proceeds toward the complete breakdown and loss of community stability and integrity will depend on the severity and magnitude of the causal factor. Construction activities will result in the removal of physical habitats through cut, fill and other grading activities necessary for roads, building pads, utilities, fuel modification and flood control. The first order impacts of habitat loss will be the direct loss of vegeta- tion and the destruction of less mobile wildlife forms. In and of itself, the significance of vegetation loss will depend on the diversity and availability of plant communi- ties and associations affected.. From the standpoint of biological diversity, the loss of native communities will 347 0 have an inherently greater significance than non-native or highly disturbed communities, duced grassland. The same will generally be loss of less mobile wildlife forms since habitat dependent and their abundance and directly related to those of their habitats. the loss of such as intro- true for the they are highly diversity are The impacts of vegetation loss through direct removal will, in turn, have potentially significant adverse effects on wildlife. As vegetation is removed or otherwise destroyed, the associated wildlife will either be destroyed (as men- tinned above for less mobile forms) or will be displaced to adjacent habitat dependent and their abundance and diver- city are directly related to those of their habitats. The impacts of vegetation loss through direct removal will, in turn, have potentially significant adverse effects on wildlife. As vegetation is removed or otherwise destroyed, the associated wildlife will either be destroyed (as men- tioned above for less mobile forms) or will be displaced to adjacent habitat areas where they will crowd and disrupt local populations. Although increased competition and predation will act rapidly to return population numbers to habitat carrying capacity levels, either displaced or local wildlife will be lost. The effect will be increased in magnitude and duration if this impact occurs in the spring when most wildlife are reproducing. Other determinants of their severity are the relative importance of habitats lost to local and regional wildlife populations, the abundance and diversity of wildlife these habitats support, the availability of these habitats, and the habitat dependency of the associated wildlife. - Harassment of Wildlife Causal factors genera~.ed during human activities resulting from the construction and inhabitation of urban land uses may be collectively termed "harassment". Harassment is defined as those activities of man and his associated domestic animals which increase the physiologi- cal costs of survival or decrease the probability of suc- cessful reproduction in wildlife populations. The most common forms of harassment expected to accompany develop- ment of the site include excessive construction-related noise, background noise, light and glare and the introduc- tion of feral cats, dogs and children which are unnatural predators and competitors for wildlife. 0 348 O - Potentially Significant Adverse Impacts Conversion of the on-site introduced grassland and coastal sage scrub biotic communities to urban development will reduce areawide foraging habitat for raptors. As mentioned above, however, the area is not considered to be of high significance in this regard, nor does it contain the habi- tat for rare and endangered species and the loss of habitat will not be significantly adverse. The same holds true for the loss of habitat supporting other grassland and coastal sage scrub species of wildlife. With the loss of habitat from the site, harassment will become less of a concern, since wildlife populations will also be removed. Based on these findings, it is concluded that the proposed project will not result in significant adverse impacts. Some impacts upon potential habitats for Stephen's kangaroo rats on the project site are unavoidable if development is approved. Extensive development would entirely eliminate the species from the site (if present), reducing the total remaining population of this species. Although recent surveys throughout the range of Stephen's kangaroo rat have documented a number of previously-unknown populations of this species, fragmentation of these populations has accel- erated. - Cumulative Impacts Although not significant in themselves, the loss of coastal sage scrub and introduced grassland habitat described above for the proposed project will contribute on an incremental basis to cumulative impacts to biological resources on a regional basis. These impacts are those which are now occurring in the region as a result of past and planned developments to the west and north. These Impacts Include: - An overall reduction in the native and naturalized biotic resources of the region. - Loss of secondary foraging habitat for migratory popula- tions of birds of prey which are winter visitors to the region. O 349 a The situation for the loss of potential habitat for Stephen's kangaroo rat is more serious. Loss of potential on-site habitat would be incremental; however, the cumula- tive loss of its habitat from the region would contribute further to its rare status. Relationship to General Plan Policies The Land Use Standards for Wildlife and Vegetation call for a Biological Report to be prepared in conjunction with substantial development programs. The standards further state that disruption of wildlife and vegetation be kept to a minimum and adequate measures be taken to protect im- pacted species. In accordance with these standards, a biological report was prepared for the site and is being submitted as part of this Specific Plan/EIR document. (See Section E., Technical Appendices.) Mitigation measures, as discussed below, will minimize disruption of vegetation and wildlife species. As discussed in Section III.B., Landscaping Plan and in Section IV.C., many native trees will be utilized in .the landscaping scheme. These species also adapt well to dry environments. This responds to County Land Use Standards which encourage the use of native vegetation and the reten- tion of existing trees and flora. In accordance with the Development Criteria for Planning Area D of the Rancho 9illages Policy Plan, a biological report has been prepared and is submitted as Section E., Technical Appendices. c. Mitigations On-site mitigations of impacts to Stephen's kangaroo rat would include preserving areas of potential habitat that may possess populations of this species, such as along ridgelines and wash bottoms where this species is typically found. Corridors of land connecting such habitat on-site, and connecting such habitat to contiguous, off-site habitat could be left undeveloped, allowing for movement of indi- viduals during spring population increases, and during times of environmental stress, such as caused by changes in weather or climate. Such on-site mitigation would require the consignment of much more land than may currently or actually be utilized by Stephen's kangaroo rat. The amount of such a consign- ment is difficult to estimate. At the highest extreme, O 350 -o presumably during the course of any ten or twenty year cycle on the project site, all but only a small portion of the entire project site could possibly possess an individ- ual Stephen's kangaroo rat, either as a resident of that area or as a transient individual seeking new habitat. Because populations of this species, wherever they could occur, would be 1) small, and 2) scattered, it is unrealis- tic to assume, therefore, that most of the project is "potential habitat" of these kangaroo rats. Further, much of the land of the project site possesses depauparate flora and fauna. This suggests that if on-site mitigations (by consignment of land to preserve potential kangaroo rat populations) were to work, larger-than-normal buffer zones and corridors might have to .be designed for reasonable expectations of success. By surrounding the habitat saved in such a manner with houses, it is probably certain that the habitat would deteriorate, rather than return to normal or improve. Off-site mitigation for destruction of potential habitat for Stephen's kangaroo rat populations on the project site appears to be an attractive and logical alternative. The project plan would be providing a way to decrease, rather than increase, further fragmentation of the species. By contributing to the survival of a large, known population, less risk to the total species would likely occur. If the project site were prime, undisturbed grassland/shrublands preferred by Stephen's kangaroo rat, then on-site mitiga- tion would be less a risk and could likely be successful. Since the project area has shown a trend toward decreasing populations of the species, it unlikely at this time that on-site mitigation would benefit the total species as much as off-site mitigation. Therefore, the project applicant should participate in any in-place County program which provides for off-site mitiga- tion of impacts to the Stephen's kangaroo rat. It should be noted that The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan provides 242.3 acres of greenbelt/paseos, roadway paseos, slopes and other recreational uses through- out the project site. (See Figure 60, Specific Land Use Plan.) These open space areas will provide some opportuni- ty for re-habitation by urban adapted bird and wildlife species. 0 351 ^6 q~ 6pp crl IVVI ~/a//~~ VO 6 ~ i do O~ t N O vi p O f0 N N m ~ m W ~ry~ v m ~ ° '~ ~ ea v vi ui LL ~ ,~ 5~<eY ~ ~ in m o N Z~n~ ^k ~~zf. C ..~ ps I I CGC S~~$ N m 4 a zS ~ ~ m ~ ~n ri m m v~ of m ~ ,^ N o N a o~ m N or r e ~ ui ~~f/ v o m ISO ' J ~a'A O O Q ~ ¢ U w v ~ W m O O p< cn O = U w O S Z 0 tq _ 'N" z o Z w N `~ Q ¢ Q a ~ W ta- ¢ ~ p Y w N M G > > ~ ~~ m Q U w¢ W O ¢ ~ ~ W W Y W ~ ~ W O Z 2 ~ y j ¢ f f > ul O UU z Q o ~ W Q w a (7 0 Q g ¢ a ;~ L N M O m f0 Z ~z m N Q+ ~. Q U O ~ w e 0 L U C U Q " O ~, O Z ° Q N a y f O in U V ~ W ~ f O a x O ~ W O > m W ~ O ~ ¢ m O n ~ ~Wm (p N ~~ C O 12. Mineral Resources No mineral resources have been identified on the project site. The Mineral Resources Element of the General Plan does not indicate the presence of resources on the project site, and this topic has not been identified as an area of concern within the Notice of Preparation for this project. Therefore, the issue of Mineral Resources is not addressed within this EIR. a 0 353 13. Energy Resources O a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies In its present condition, the project site consumes little or no energy, except that needed to perpetuate the limited on-site agricultural uses. General Plan Policies The following Land Use Standard is applicable to the pro- posed Specific Plan: 1) The use of solar energy for water heating in residen- tial, commercial and industrial projects in all Land Use Categories shall be encouraged. Project layout design shall facilitate the use of passive and active solar systems. The use of solar energy for space heating also should be developed in large scale commer- cial, industrial and residential projects, where feasi- ble. b. Project Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies The proposed project will increase consumption of energy O for motor vehicle movement, space and water heating, cook- ing, refrigeration and air conditioning, operation of construction equipment, use of miscellaneous home appli- ances, and the energy required to produce the construction materials and all other material aspects of the project. As discussed in Section V.D.7., Utilities, at build-out The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will utilize an estimated 42,030,975 kwh of electricity per year and 39,133,910 cubic feet of natural gas per month. Relationship to General Plan Policies As discussed under "Mitigations" below, the use of solar applications will be used where practical. c. Mitigation Passive solar heating techniques will be employed whenever possible within the project. Passive solar systems do not utilize sophisticated hardware. Passive systems involve orienting buildings properly, planting trees to take advan- 0 354 Q tage of the sun, seeing that roof overhangs are adequate, making sure that walls are properly insulated and install- ing simple heat storage systems. Space and water heating should be provided by gas instead of electricity. This decision would be dictated by eco- nomic considerations as well as energy conservation. Tests show that space heating accounts for about 61g of all energy used in residential development. Tests in another warm climate showed that properly designed wood-frame buildings require minimal or no air condition- ing. Well-oriented buildings with adequate overhead insu- lation seldom got warmer than 75 degrees F., while identical dwellings with inadequate overhead insulation and improper window orientation often got warmer than 100 degrees F. Windows should be concentrated on the north and south sides of buildings to allow window shading and summer comfort. Building energy conservation will be largely achieved by compliance with Title 24 of the California Administrative Code. 0 0 355 14. Scenic Highways O The project site is not directly bordered by any designated scenic highways. However, Highway 79 is eligible for designation as a County scenic highway. This designation occurs by action of the Board of Supervisors; subsequent "upgrading" to the status of a designated County scenic highway requires a corridor study by the County Planning Department and subsequent approval by the State Department of Transportation. As discussed in Section IV. C., Landscape Guidelines and Community Elements project frontage along Highway 79 will be treated with a special setback and landscaping concept, to buffer the site form traffic and enhance the project's visual image for drivers and persons viewing the site from adjoining properties. This special landscape treatment will also establish and reinforce the project image. 0 356 15. Historic and Prehistoric Resources The entire 1,389-acre project site was surveyed as a part of a cultural resources survey conducted for 7,500 acres of Rancho California by Archaeological Systems Management, Inc., as part of the "Draft EIR for Rancho Villages Policy Plan/General Plan Amendment". Field reconnaissance for this survey was conducted in two five-day periods between July 30 and August 10, 1979. The results of that survey were incorporated into a report entitled "Cultural Resource Inventory and Impact Assessment for the KACOR/Rancho Cali- fornia Property" and were included as Technical Appendix "G" to the above mentioned Draft EIR. Said cultural re- source source inventory is hereby incorporated into this Draft EIR document. However, relevant portions as they apply to The Meadows at Rancho California project site are summarized below. a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies A records search was conducted and no previously identified cultural resources were located on The Meadows at Rancho California project site. However, during the course of the O field survey, one prehistoric and one historic cultural resource were identified on-site. Although the historic site no longer exists on the site, the prehistoric site, labeled as "RIV-1728" is discussed below: RIV-1728 - This site consists of two unifacial manos and a 40 x 20 meter area of black sandy loam. The darkened soil present would suggest at least sporadic occupation, and therefore, this locus may have been associated with the extracting and processing of valley-bottom marshland resources. Due to the level of existing im- pacts and problematical nature of the soil discoloration, it is recommended that: (1) the ground cover be reduced by removal of vegeta- tion and trash to provide better surface visi- bility, and all artifacts and features mapped and collected; and (2) subsurface testing be conducted consisting minimally of two 1 by 1 meter excavation units. General Plan Policies The following are the applicable Land Use Standards for Historic and Prehistoric Resources from the Environmental Hazards and Resources Element of the Comprehensive General O Plan. 357 o Development proposals shall be assessed for potential impacts upon prehistoric resources. b. Proiect Impacts/Relationship to General Plan Policies Without proper mitigation, the proposed Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan could_potentially destroy site "RIV-1728". (See "Mitigation".) Relationship to General Plan Policies The land use standards for prehistoric and historic re- sources state that development proposals shall be assessed for impacts upon these resources. Further, development proposals found to have a significant impact upon historic and prehistoric resources shall provide adequate mitiga- tion. In accordance with these standards, an impact assessment was performed on the entire 1,389-acre project site as a part of a cultural resources survey conducted for 7,500 acres of Rancho California by Archaeological Systems Man- agement, Inc., as part of the "Draft EIR for Rancho Vil- lages Policy Plan/General Plan Amendment." Field reconnaissance for this survey was conducted in two five- O day periods between July 30 and August 10, 1979. The results of that survey were incorporated into a report entitled "Cultural Resource Inventory and Impact Assessment for the KACOR/Rancho California Property" and were included as Technical Appendix "G" to the above mentioned Draft EIR. The mitigation measures recommended in that report for the one on-site prehistoric resource are presented under "Mitigation" below. c. Mitigation In accordance with the findings of the "Cultural Resource Inventory and Impact Assessment for the ItACOR/Rancho Cali- fornia Property", it is recommended that: 1) The ground cover be reduced by removal of vegetation and trash to provide better surface visibility and all artifacts and features mapped and collected; and 2) subsurface testing be conducted consisting minimally of two 1 by 1 meter excavation units. 0 358 Q D. PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES ET.~xm 1. Circulation The following discussion is based upon the "Vail Meadows Development, Traffic Impact Study" pre-pared by Wilbur Smith Associates (November 1987). This report is included in its entirety in Section F., Technical Appendices. a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The configuration of existing area roadways is depicted in Figure 61, Existing Area Roadway Network and Control Fea- tures. As shown, State Route 79 is the principal east-west roadway providing access to-the project study area. State Route 79 is a paved two-lane road between Interstate 15 (I-15), Ynez Road and proposed Butterfield Stage Road. Additional east-west access to the study area is currently provided by De Portola Road, Rancho Vista Road, Pauba Road and Rancho California Road is currently 4-lanes between Front Street and Solana Way. The only north-south road currently serving the project study area is Margarita Road, a paved two-lane road between State Highway 79 and Rancho O California Road. Figure 62, Circulation, Riverside County Master Plan of Highways, depicts the General Plan classification of road- ways in the project vicinity. Recent improvements have been implemented at the intersec- tion of Rancho California Road/Margarita Road and Rancho California Road/Front Street. These improvements generally include the widening of all legs of the intersection to provide separate lanes for left and right turn movements and signalization of both intersections. Traffic controls at principal intersections along major access roads serving the project area are currently limited to "stop" sign control. Estimated 1987 average daily traffic volumes on area road- ways are depicted in Figure 63, Existing Traffic Volumes. Documentaton of 1987 traffic conditions has been prepared based on actual peak-hour traffic counts taken by Wilbur Smith Associates staff and recent traffic counts obtained from CalTrans District 8, Riverside County Road Department, O 359 d N a O O C ~ ~ J ~ d C 01 Q ¢ O ~ _D1 ~ U D C C ~ Q ro E , ~? ~ ~o ~ o cnE`- ' w a~ z Q O N O O ,~ 4 plJ~dp iuui p~ ipu~ui iu~ ~l pp~ Iuui V 0 ~~ l+/ O rte' ~ p~ (UUI ~o 7 LL W a U O M Q _~ Q m~~p J U Q N ~Y ~ ~:~ ~~s°~ c sz ng c -a-3 a~~s L1 ~ a rnv v 0 M N C7 O 1 2 1~ o m n N OI ~/ a U O a c w l U O L U A Q U~ y O O Z O Q N a ~ m O ~ UN U ~ m Z W ~ ~ O a O " m W O > m D rn Q N O ro ~ n W m m N N t0 ~ E ) 3 ~ ~ ~ ~9~r '1 ~ ¢ ~ ~ ~ ~ c0 ~ F ?S Ob ~~e~ t^ r I ~~ "~ r ~ r ~ a ~ ~ O ~ a ~ ~ z ~ ~ %Y ~ ~ L.SO W = F- O OU ~ ~ a rn:v f ~ c~ rc Q w .- a r=J 8~. ~ .~ o -~ o ' ' '~~ ~~ ~ p Q p ~~,o o _ o : ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ° ~ ro ( ~ J f._ _ \ 1 '` ~ HIV , ''° ~~ ~ /' i , 8 r. . O~ ~" ~ ~ =I o` ~ C-~-- 7 \\\ I Q r~~,11 //~~ ~ . ~ I U L ylrf:r.; .S.'j; ::..... i ~ :.~'::~::':';3 :~; ~'.:. O -(~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~y( •ll~lnll ?:!<::i'(C~ ~b, :'ir`r oa7.i~`'^" m O:>:: O :5': x;:5':4:. •`.i:::ia.... O ? O ~ ~, alp C tS ;%?;i ..•... ;:.. ;.i': O . ~j O 8 p $ ~ j ^~ ~ " , ~ h '` ~d~ O os'l 'mss. O~,~~ yw l . ~ o p s' ~ ~ ~S~ C'~ (~'tt~ ~'~o ~ ~s.b ~ Q °sp ~ ~ ° ~~ `O .. `-v O ~~o ~ ~ ° ~ p O O J J D ~ I ,__i ~ .._ ~O KOt~P ..p `'•O '~- ~P Op• ~p. ~ PQO n "~.~ l.~ 0~3~0 ~ JL7 0--~~ .'b Q °cr: ~. ~/ ~Op O~ v" QP~~, ® ` .r _/ /~%,a a~ .//~ rG~ i ~ p r) ~p ~ yQ.~ ~.. _ .~ .nDileA ~. ~n~a~ ~~~ ~ L~ - I c CC`s ~~_ ~ '. ~~ O O ~ `~~~ ~ ~ O .O Q. i m ~ a Z I` ~ O 4~> . .a po __ VV ~ __ ^..1, ------ ---- --`-' _________..._~.l~ ~~_~ ..I. _ _ O / 0-1. .M'iN __ O_-__ w~~ ~ppO ~ • ~ ~ /~ N D ~ _ / O! Z.;\\1,~•~LL7. O' ..I ;~ °/? QO.~'. '^.:P~OpOOpp O..O .. x,15 _ ~ ~ O o d' ' ~.J --~ `, I .. ~ti~_~ ~ ~ ~ !;~~ OOO tea' ~P~ > g ~ M~--i ,_ f^ y ~ ~ m ~, C~ ~, ~~ „„`tom r ~. l ~ ` ~^~ f'. _~ ~ , .s~~ m ~ U x .; ~V/,.. ~ ~ .-. /10 ... ~M ...- ~, E" a .m. VV '~ e'': ~ V'•5: O ..~' J ~ f. .. T ~~15 '%_ U N S `\ a i O e •~ ~ "~ e ~ O m .'\. ho /il 8e~ ~ ~ ~ W m e1 ~~ C~ ~~ ~ ~ Q~/) um . ~ ~ ` ~ ~ ~ ~1 10 N 5.6 ` F~ td.l 4~p~ ~ ~ V/ ~ ~~ I• "~ o O O ~' N N E a~i 7 U1 (O a U N ~.-. ~ U d ro ~ ~ o ~ ~ N O ~ c0 L C~ ro ~ .N F- .N C 0 ~ V X C X ~~ W wc w a J N ~o m Z~ ~~ '~ ~ km ~ R ~~ a LL ~~~`~. Z ~5 f m r -«s ~~ i~.a Fa ^~ c~ ~~ jj L1o a rn:v o~ N M H 6!1 4 _ V o N y Q ~_ Q f0 J_ N O Q ~ Q Z (A ~ O O ,i i~ IWI ~pp J ip~upp~ IyL ('~ ~Ul._ 0 _~ !:/ .O ~ o ~1 m N O1 z~ ~,/ a I-~ U O m c w ~1 U o L U C V Y O Z O O Q N a o ~ U N 2 ~ U~ W - f 0 a x ryry O ~ W 0 w m _~ Q N ~~~ ~1 N ~, ~ W m m N and a recently completed traffic study for Butterfield Stage Ranch development. Traffic counts were factored, where necessary, to estimate 1987 traffic volumes. General Plan Policies The following are the Land Use Standards of the Public Facilities and Services Element of the Comprehensive Gen- eral Plan relative to circulation. 1) Road Right-of-Way and Dedication: Necessary rights-of- way dedications shall be made by developers as part of the land division and review process. All road dedica- tions shall relate to the overall existing and proposed street systems of the immediate area surrounding a proposed development. 2) Roadway Design: Intensive urban land uses shall be served by streets and highways capable of handling high volumes of commuter and truck traffic. Through traffic movements shall be limited to General Plan roads and should avoid streets through residential neighborhoods. Provisions shall be made for highways O capable of carrying high volumes of through traffic between major trip generators. 3) Alignment: Curves and roads shall be designed to permit safe movement of vehicular traffic at the road's design speed. 4) Access: All weather access shall be provided to all developed areas. 5) Intersections: All street intersections shall be designed to assure the safe, efficient passage of through traffic and the negotiation of turning move- ments. 6) On-Site Road Improvements: Private land developments shall be required to provide all on-site road and auxiliary facility improvements necessary to mitigate any development-generated circulation impacts. A review of each proposed land development project shall be undertaken to identify the project impacts to the circulation system and its auxiliary facilities. 7) Off-Site Road improvements:. All developments shall be required to mitigate all significant impacts which they O will place upon the circulation system. Off-site 363 0 improvements will be provided by the developer or by other County-approved financing mechanisms, including State or Federal funds. All identified impacts to the circulation system by proposed land developments shall be mitigated by the developer in conformance to re- quirements established by the responsible agency. 8) Arterial.Higheays: Arterial highways shall be identi- fied on a map and improved as area development and highway needs warrant. Whenever possible, improvements shall be made with financing mechanisms which equally distribute the cost of road improvements among those who will benefit. 9) Collector Streets: Provisions shall be made for a comprehensive, efficient collector road system in developing the site. l0) Circulation Hazards: The circulation system should be designed to avoid or mitigate significant environmental hazards. Adequate measures shall be taken to protect County residents from transportation-generated noise hazards. O Increased setbacks, walls, landscaped berms, other sound absorbing barriers or a combination thereof shall be provided. 11) Congestion Relief/Levels of Service: Private develop- ments which are projected to reduce levels of service on existing facilities below acceptable standards shall be required to provide appropriate mitigation measures. Traffic signals shall be constructed and improved at appropriate intersections. b. Proiect Impacts/Relationship to General Plan Policies As shown on Figure 64, Circulation Plan, on-site circula- tion is accommodated by a network of roadways. Each road- way's location and size are designed to facilitate the efficient movement of traffic throughout the site. This Plan is described in detail in Section III.A.2., Circula- tion Plan. This Plan implements the Riverside County Master Plan of Streets and Highways as shown on Figure 62, with the following exceptions: O 364 N b b ib t0 ~ o ao m o O d Q a Q ¢ ~ b ~ Q p ~ Q QO w a oc ~ w Q ~ a ~ n c~ ~ a ® ^ g o ~ ~ ~ ° ~ o ~ (~ ~ ^ o ~ o o a _ ~ ~ ~ ~ 8 ~ o a ~o ~ ~ ~ Y3 ~„a Z_~q P` ~ LL :- ~~ka ~M1 mE"'~ y Ccv~~~`~ ~ ~~^z ~ Fa zs c'S ~o arnv v M BUTTERFIELD STAGE ROAO ~ o ^ .~nnfl000~~~~~~~~ q'~~OO ~,-~` T{' a :~ LuJ 6 ~ N M O m W V ~ 2 o N z~ ~/ N ~1 U O m c w L U Q U~ ,~ - a y O F1L_,_LJ'+' O Z O Q N a y o S U y z m U~ ~7 w H a o` om wo m ~ c O N 2 ~ ~o~ Wm m N O O 0 1) Santiago Road has-been deleted through the project. It was felt that Santiago Road would have segmented the property and would have carried some amount of off-site traffic through the site, creating negative on-site impacts. 2) The abandonment of Pio Pico Road as an east-west secon- dary "through" street between Margarita Road and Butterfield Stage Road. 3) The extension of Pauba Road (as a secondary roadway) from Kaiser Parkway to Butterfield Stage Road which would essentially replace Santiago Road as the east- west secondary "through" street; and 4) The extension of Kaiser Parkway from De Portola Road to State Route 79 as a major roadway. These recommended revisions are discussed in more detail in The Meadows at Rancho California Development Traffic Impact Study included as Section F., Technical Appendices. In addition to the roadway system, The Meadows at Rancho O California Specific Plan also provides for alternative modes of transportation within and adjacent to the site, including pedestrian, bicycles, and equestrian trails. A Parkway System will be provided on all collector and higher volume roadways adjacent to and throughout the project site. This system will contain sidewalks on each side of the street. The pedestrian pathways will provide linkages to each neighborhood within the Community, but also to major destination points including schools, parks, communi- ty recreation centers, shopping facilities, and the Rancho California Sports Park just northwest of the site. Class II bicycle trails will be located on the majority of all interior roadways with a classification of Collector or greater, as shown on Figure 65, Bicycle Plan. Pauba and Butterfield Stage Roads at the northern and eastern bound- aries of the site will also contain bicycle trails. This system will connect neighborhoods and points of destination throughout the site. In addition, an equestrian trail will be provided in the parking area on the south side of Pauba Road. To evaluate the traffic impacts of the proposed Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan on area roadways, future project and non-project traffic flows were forecast and combined to simulate post-project traffic conditions. Due O to uncertainties in the proposed development schedule of 366 m W ~~ s ~~~ ~ ~~e~=~ ~? ~~~a~a ~. ~~~~p ~~s~rs ~5 U- J J Imo g U ~~ ~~ o~~ ~ O~ ~~ a~ a °' °~ lnl a ~ ~ m (~ ~ 9 e \J 6a a 8 a i a e h @~ ~ M 8 R N bJ O 1 . , i, ~ y, Ya } '- :. 1; ..~ .,r+' ..M. ...... .., ..n-,.° \~V.~.7.r, a ,dp^P1(na.seNgNb~,d~; g a ~! N \ d y a,~ ~~ `~ 3 ~~ ~av je.,. .: 0 ~ya ~~is" c~' ~~~te° ~p~J 1,~AeM9a M1 9 _ ~I ~Cybb \. Y~A'~ $ ~r0~,. ~ ~ a ~RS q V~~fr° ~VY~LP° \~ ° $ .~ 1 d ~ z y,.' S s,~`~~ rtp yr,Z~~9~ 'C o i4 4 S :... _. '+ as ~1$ ~ e8 >+ ~ ,.~,. a i~ ~~e~ ~ ~~ ¢ A ,j a J(y emu. <c~, ,~ ,..,,o ] : ~ *d~~"~~, ~' ~~~ 'I S A r g y® ~ 1 yea, OF' ~ ti ~' ~ .. ~ g:a v~;„fie: v ~ J~ e4 - ~.: a ~Fi$ yP a y a ~.:'\p Su i. S o 'tip. ah ! N >' ~ ~ V . s, N KKK."'` ~ y a •ei ' ? ' ~ ~ N ° ..C1.~. a: ~ Q ~{~ n p _~ / ~ C ~ ~~ \\ e~ eA. ~~t°O~fJ -~:d~.gRSi~ R •e •pn ~ ~ ~i~,.. ~9 ...' O c p 0 r e~ er.. w q6 ,~q, ~ ° ~ ~ Rte. ~ - I e^ ~~~~ "~C ~ya f~p~ q3 ~~ ~K ~ •y ^ y ;qr. ~$~ 4 rya a; ~~,.. ~ O a A" y , 7 ~" a ..': ~a ,tee, o ` .. a •; Z a pC ,~eaa / - ~ '~ ~~" o x 9' 3,yr ~O°•reddeabbdi°eBRq~ Q v W ( ~ \ ~ ~ya ~ J ZxnO Y~ ~ W ~~ ~ ~ ~~ Nt ~ ~"~~ O c °+ ~ i " C y a 9~ ~` ~ ~~a 't ~, '$ "~~ o ~ 9 ...~, ' ::i...r.. a ~ ~~' a ~~ ~ / O O O 0 Margarita Village, a 10-year development period (1997 target year) was assumed for the purpose of projecting background (non-project) traffic and assessing impacts. A three-step procedure was employed to estimate future traffic within the project influence area. First, non- project related increases in background traffic were added to current traffic volumes to estimate 1997 condition without the project. Second, the number and distribution of The Meadows at Rancho California vehicle trips were estimated for the fully completed project. Project traffic was then assigned to the area roadway network and added to the projected 1997 background traffic volumes, to arrive at projected post-project traffic conditions. Background Traffic - The following traffic growth rates were applied to current traffic volumes to estimate the increase in traffic due to other general development occur- ring prior to 1997: o To estimate traffic growth on Z-15, an increase of 5.0 percent per year was applied. This represents a slight O reduction in traffic growth experienced in the past. This growth pattern is based on the assumption that as time goes on, less developable land will remain in the Rancho California area and therefore would add fewer trips proportionately to the freeway. o Similarly, traffic on local roadways was assumed to increase at a rate of approximately 4.7 percent per year for the next five years and then drop off slightly to an average of 3 percent per year over the following five years. The initial five-year growth rate of 4.7 percent per year is the generally accepted rate by Riverside County for the Rancho California area. A lower rate of 3 percent per year was used for the remaining five-years to adjust for traffic increases added from three major developments discussed below. In addition to the general area background traffic growth, trip assignments previously developed for the following projects were also added to produce total 1997 background traffic forecast: o Rancho Highlands o Margarita Village o Butterfield Stage Ranch O 368 0 1997 Base Roadway Network - Prior to the actual assignment of projected future traffic and the determination of pro- ject traffic impacts, it was necessary to make certain assumptions regarding implementation of area roadway im- provements between now and 1997. Using the current River- side County General Plan Circulation Element as a guide, new roads were assumed to have been added to the existing street system based on current patterns of development in the area. Projections for 1997 indicate that background traffic volumes will increase by more than 75 percent on most local roadways. It is very likely, therefore, that some roadway improvements will take place concurrent with the development generating that traffic. Based on current practices, it was assumed that these improvements would include the construction of new roads as well as the widen- ing of existing roads and signalization of existing inter- sections. In developing a 1997 "base" roadway network, it was assumed that certain roadways would have been improved, due to development having occurred in the area and the resultant increases in traffic. The assumed configuration of the 1997 "base" roadway network, including roadway cross-sec- tions (number of lanes) and intersection traffic control O improvements, is illustrated in Figure 66, 1997 Base Road- way Network. Improvements were assumed on the following roadways: o Rancho California Road/I-15 interchange o Rancho California Road, between Front Street and Kaiser Parkway o Ynez Road, in the vicinity of Rancho California Road o Margarita Road o Rancho Vista Road o Jedediah Smith Road o Butterfield Stage Road Other improvements will likely occur also, but were not considered relevant to this analysis. It should be noted in reviewing Figure 66, 1997 Base Roadway Network that this base network includes a number of new roads within and adjacent to the project site. These new roads reflect, and presumably would be implemented as part of, The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan, to provide for internal project circulation and access to the established adjacent roadway network. For the purpose of the project impact analyses, it has been assumed that these O 369 O ~ U N N N O _J C Q ~ ~ ro 0 ~~ i. N Of 3 C LJ O E N ~ N No UI 7 z ~ `~ X(t w J N O ~ O f e 9 a 8 IUI, G O Q m m ~. rn iL H IAJ F Q U O h h Q _~ H v~ F--I ~~ Y~ ~ ~~ Z ~ ~,_ ~~ ~~a<~= z~a~ ~~ ~~~~~~ ~a ~~ ~~ Qo t~rnv ar~ O M N M O f0 Z ~,,,y o m N O+ U O ~ c w ~. U o L U Q U Y ~ = O Q N a m O '~ U y U ~ m Z W ~ O a O m Q w O W m O O~ C ~ N O w W m m N new project roads have a minimum cross-section of two lanes. The actual cross-section required to accommodate project traffic will be assessed later in the analyses. The assumed 1997 base network is for the most part consistent with the Riverside County General Plan Circulation Element. During development of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan circulation system, it became clear that it would be advantageous to the overall circulation system if Kaiser Parkway were extended as a Major street, south from its presently planned terminus at De Portola Road to State Route 79. The Meadows at Rancho California Project Traffic -Based upon The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Land Use Plan, the project area was divided into 27 traffic analysis zone. Figure 67, proposed Meadows at Rancho California Circulation Plan and Traffic Analysis Zones, shows the location of these zones. Table XI, Meadows at Rancho California Project Trip Generation Characteristics, summarizes their trip generation characteristics. To account for travel from the project to destinations outside of the project boundaries (and vice versa), 21 special zones called "external stations" were created. Table XII, Meadows at Rancho California External Travel Characteristics, identifies these external stations and their assumed trip production/attraction characteristics. The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan development would generate a total of 47,600 vehicle trips daily. Approximately 40,000 of these trips would be external to the project boundaries. Morning and evening peak-hour generation for the project is estimated to be approximately 9 to 10 percent of the total daily trips or 4,500 vehicle trips. Figure 68, Projected Post-Project Traffic, shows the roadway network and 1997 traffic projections and distributes project-related traf- fic. Total vehicle-miles of travel generated by The Meadows at Rancho California project was estimated by multiplying the total daily project vehicle trips by the average trip length estimated for all project trips. The average trip length also includes trips which would be made internal to The Meadows at Rancho California development (e.g., between residential uses and commercial, institutional, and recreational facilities within the project). The results indicated that the project could generate an estimated 553,000 vehicle-miles of travel daily, with an average trip O length of 11.6 miles. 371 ro ~ 3 ~ ~, °_ o m .. '~ ro N o ro n ~ o ~ = n ~ ° .N ~U O ~ U ~n 47 - O Ul a C :.~ C ~ O n1 O UJ d N 4. N J `B-~ O O V Q ti 2 N O O `~~? 8 s ~~~Oa U ~~e^^ ~L ~~j V a 0 a Q ~1 IJ ~ ~~ m Y~ ~~S Ol C ~ c. ~z ~ LL ~t5 ~S 5 g ~ ~~ ~$ ~ ~ ~~ ~o a Q;v vr~ N n M W Q V O h y Q B N M O I m U ~ ~ O z y ~ ~~ o N ~z N Ol 1"'y Q O O m c w A U o L U U Q O y O = O Q N a m O ~ r-1 r~-~ U N U ~ Z m 'Z W ~ s O r~i a O ~ W O W m O ~ O y Q O ~ ~ ~ W m m' N TABLE X,j , O Vail Meadows Project Trip Generation Characteristics Single Multi- Daily Percent Family Family Vehicle of Project Zone DU's DU's Trips Tr1D5 1 196 1,575 2 324 2,192 3 561 3,777 4 426 3,472 5 333 2,719 6 170 1,392 7 259 2,119 8 363 2,964 9 165 1,351 10 230 1,882. 11 277 2,266 12 277 2,267 O 13 113 927 14 215 1,761 15 275 2,251 16 192 1,572 17 434 3,541 18 301 2,463 19 369 3,015 20 220 1,800 Subtotal 4,815 885 45,306 95$ - C1 - 25 Acre Commercial 4,358 C2 - 10 Acre Commercial 3,058 R1 - 10 Acre Recreational 153 R2 - 10 Acre Recreational 153 S1 - 12 Acre Elem School 1,035 S2 - 8 Acre Elem School 689 S3 - 20 Acre JrHi School 475 O Subtotal 9,921 21~ External Trips (from Table 2) 40,008 84$ Total Project Trips 47,618 373 TABLE XiI- Vail Meadows External Travel Characteristics O Daily Percent of _ Vehicle Total Ext External Area Trips Travel Rancho California Travel o Rancho California Plaza Area 5,087 12.7 o Rancho Calif/Marg Rd Comm Ctr 5,087 12.7 o E of I-15, Temecula Area 1,600 4.0 o E of I-15, Diaz Rd Ind Park 1,147 2.9 o E of I-15, Jefferson Ave Com/Ind 2,411 6.0 o Winchester Rd Ind Park 7,526 18.8 o Other 2,219 5.6 Subtotal 25,078 62.7% Regional Travel O o Z-15 North 8,957 22.4 o I-15 South 4,584 11.4 o Peripheral Points 1,390 3.5 Subtotal 14,930 37.3% Total External Project Travel 40,008 100% Total Project Trips (From Table 1) 47,618 Percent External Project Travel 84$ 374 O m ~ ~~ ® Z~ ~~~s CA ~~r~~~ LL ~o~= u ZCn 3V ~~ ~ ~ ~~~a cq j ~ F-a ~~~~ i O = o I- c arnv ~~ U w N c U H ` ~ U O Z «~ O f°- a` '^ W M W ~r N M O m f0 Z O O '~, P lug, iu~ ~~~ !u~ IuL FJ!/ ~,'-.'~ a ~J ~ ~ o I-H m N T ~j U O m c w b U O t U v c yo Z o O N a m O U N U ~ W a o ~' o w o w o c~ sN om ~ o~ W~ m N Area Roadway Service Levels - Volume/capacity ratios were calculated for all roadways which would. provide primary access to The Meadows at Rancho California project. Road- way capacities used in this analyses are based on Riverside County "maximum" capacities (Service Level "E") developed for General Plan Circulation Element roads. Capacities applied in the analysis also reflect roadway cross-section (available traffic lanes) included in the 1997 "base" area roadway network depicted in Figure 66, 1997 Base Roadway Network. The assessed traffic volumes represent 1197 development conditions both with and without the addition of The Meadows at Rancho California project traffic. Findings of the 1997 roadway service level analyses are summarized in Table XIII, Estimated 1997 Roadway Service Levels, The Meadows at Rancho California. The analyses results indicate that projected post-project traffic volumes on several roadway segments along State Route 79 would exceed Level of Service C based on the number of available traffic lanes assumed in the 1997 "base" area roadway network. (See Figure 69, Roadway and Intersection Service Levels.) State Route 79 would serve as the primary access route between The Meadows at Rancho Q California development and Interstate 15. The two-lane section of State Route 79 identified to be capacity defi- cient extends from Pala Road to the proposed Kaiser Park- way. This section would serve the cumulative traffic demand generated by the proposed Butterfield Stage Ranch and The Meadows at Rancho California project as well as local and regional background traffic. Front Street, north of Santiago Road was the only other roadway segment in the analyses to have a projected 1997 post-project service level exceeding Level "C". It should be noted that project-related traffic increased on Front Street reflect a conservative estimate of daily vehicle trip attractions (1,600 total in and out) which could be served by other future commercial and employment centers either identified in this study or not yet anticipated. The remaining "base" area network roadways would accommo- date projected traffic and maintain Level of Service "C" or Intersection Service Levels -Analyses were made of pro- jected traffic movements at intersections located along primary access routes, to determine traffic service levels and signalization needs. The Intersection Capacity Utili- zation (ICU) procedure was used to evaluate traffic service levels at signalized intersections. The analysis of traf- fic service levels at non-signalized intersections was 376 TABLE 7~,III Estimated 1997 Road~ay Service Levels Vail Meadors YITNOUT DROJECT N0. OF ROADVAY SEGMENT LANES GPACiTY (a) VOLUME V/C (b) L.O.S. (U VOLUME 52ate Route 79 o E/0 ]-15 <• 38,000 15,775 0.<2 A 29,375 o E/0 Jedediah Smith Road 2 18,OD0 10,500 0.58 B 23,380 o E/0 Margarita Road 2 18,000 9,000 0.50 A 16,850 o E/O Kaiser Park~ay 2 18,000 9,000 0.50 A 9,300 o E/0 8ut terf field Stage Rd. 2 18,000 7,625 0.41 p 8,525 De Partola Road o E/O La Pez Road 2 18,000 1,800 0.10 A 3,675 o E/0 Jetlediah Smith Rd. 2 18,000 1,350 0.07 A 3,050 o E/0 Margarita Rd. 2• 18,000 650 O.OG A 7,850 o E/0 Kaiser Parkway 2' 18,000 1,225 0.07 A 2,925 Jedediah Smith Rd. o S/0 State Route 79 2' 18,000 2,150 0.12 A 2,350 o N/0 State Route 79 2 18,000 1,500 0.08 A 2,750 o NE/0 De Porto[a Rd. 2• 18,000 <00 0.02 A 1,250 San;iago Road o E/0 Frcnt Street 2 18,000 8,300 0.<6 - A t0,5D0 o E/0 Ynez Road 2• 18,000 3,000 0.17 A 3,850 o E/0 Margarita Road 2• 18,000 <00 0.02 A 11,800 Pauba Road o E/0 Ynez Road 2 18,000 3,300 0.18 A 8,725 o E/0 Margarita Road 2• 18,000 2,150 0.12 A 5,250 o E/0 Kaiser Parkway 2' 18,000 2,800 0.15 A <,<50 Rancho Vista Road o E/0 Tnez Road 2 18,000 8,000 0.« A 8,050 o E/0 Margarita Road 2• 18,000 3,200 0.17 A 3,250 o E/0 Keiser Parkway 2• 18,000 3,200 0.17 A 3,200 Rancho Calif. Road o Y/0 Froni Strtt2 < 38,000 22,000 0.58 8 23,600 o E/0 Front Strttt 6• 5<,000 36,<00 0.67 g 39,<00 o E/0 I-15 6• 5<,000 38,600 0.71 C <3,300 o E/D Ynez Read <• 38,000 17,500 0.<6 A 21,125 o E/0 gargarita Road <• 38,000 19,875 0.52 A 24,575 o E/0 Kaiser Darkwey 2 18,000 10,950 0.61 B 11,150 o E/0 Butterfield Stage Rd. 2 18,000 3,825 0.21 A <,225 • Number of lanes indicated reflects improvement of existing facility or construc tion o f new facility. a) Capacity based on Riverside Count y max iatao capacity (service level E) for Gene ral Plan roads. b) Volume-Capacity Ratio. t) See Appendix D for service level descriptions. 377 uITH PROJECT V/C (b) L.0.5. (c) o.n c 1.30 'r 0.9< E 0.51 A 0.<7 A 0.20 A 0.17 A 0.« A 0.16 A 0.13 A 0.15 A 0.07 A 0.58 A 0.21 A 0.66 B 0.<8 A 0.29 A 0.25 A 0.<5 a 0.18 A 0.18 A 0.62 B 0.73 0.80 C 0.56 A 0.65 B 0.62 8 0.23 A Q 0 0 TABLE XII I (CONTINUED) ^ Estimacetl 1997 Roadway Service Levels (v\ Vail Meadows YITHWT PROJECT M0. OF ROAD4AY BEGMENT LANES CAPACIT7 (a) VOLUME V/C (b) L.0.5. (c) VOLUME Inters ca to IS 0 S/0 S.R. 79 8 190,000 66,150 0.36 A 72,650_ o N/0 S.R. 79 8 190,000 65,800 0.35 A 74,550 o Ni0 Rancho Calif. Rd. 8 790,000 T0,500 0.37 A 79,300 Front Street o N/0 B.R. 79 2 18,000 8,<00 0. <6 A B, 750 o N/0 Santiago Rd. 2 18,000 13,975 0.77 C 15,830 o N/0 Rancho Calif. Rtl. G 38,000 27,250 0.56 B 23,600 Ynez Road o N/0 La Pax Street Z 18,000 8,400 0.46 A 10,275 o N/0 Santiago Rd. 4• 30,000 12,300 O.G7 A 13,400 o N/0 Pauba Road 4' 30,000 12,750 O.G3 A 18,650 o N/0 Rancho Vista Rd. 4 38,000 22,350 0.59 8 28,300 o N/0 Rancha Calif. Rd. 6' 54,000 33,375 0.62 B 39,900 o N/0 Plaza G• 38,000 8,450 0.22 A 10,000 Margarita Road o N/O B.R. 79 2 18,000 1,625 0.09 A 7,875 o M/0 De Portola Raed 2 10,000 7,750 0.09 A 3,950 o N/0 Jedediah Smith Rd. 2 18,000 7,900 0.10 A 5,600 o N/0 Santiago Road 2 18,000 2,300 0.12 A 72,400 o N/0 Pauba Road 2 78,000 2,850 0.76 A 70,350 o N/0 Rancho Yista Rd. 2 18,000 6,750 0.37 A 74,200 o x/0 Rancho Calif. Rd. < 38,000 6,150 0.21 A 14,150 a N/0 La Serena Yay 2 18,000 5,500 0.30 A 9,000 Kaiser Parkway o N/0 B.R. 79 2' 18,000 <00 0.02 A 8,550 o N/0 De Portola Rd. 2` 18,000 525 0.03 A 4,275 o N/0 Pauba Road 2• 18,000 1,025 0.06 A 7,725 o N/0 Rancho Yista 0.oad 2' 18,000 3,600 0.20 A 9,250 o N/0 Rancho Calif. Rd. 2' 18,000 2,300 0.13 A Butterfield Stage Road o N/0 B.R. 79 2• 18,000 3,425 0.19 A 4,225 o N/0 De Pertela Road 2' 78,000 ~ 4,050 0.22 A 4,550 o N/0 Pauba Road 2' 78,000 5,850 0.32 A 7,600 o N/0 Rancho Vista Road 2° 18,000 5,350 0.29 A 7,100 o N/0 Rancho Calif. Rd. 2• 18,000 800 0.04 A 2,350 • Number of lanes irdicated reflects improvement of exi sting facility or colutruction of new facility a) Capacity based on Riverside County maximm rapacity (service level E) for Omeral Plan roads. b) Yolume-Capacity Ratio. O e) See Appendix D for service level descriptions. YI7H PROJE ~T V/C (D) L.0.6. 0.38 0.39 0.42 0.48 0.88 0.52 0.57 0.45 0.52 0.74 0.7G 0.25 O.GG 0.22 0.31 0.59 0.58 0.79 0.37 0.50 0.48 0.2G 0.43 0.51 0.2G 0.25 0.<2 0.39 0.13 378 o~ ~ ~~ Q1 Y~ ~o~ ~ ~ ~~$w~ ~= ~ ~ ~< Z e_5! ~ ~ ~ Q ~ ~ZZ Q ~~ FSC~ C 0 ISO C D C C p a a~,v 01roU v~ OI y C ~ ~ N .. ` O N D m .- o m m Z ~ W ~ " ~ LL o i % c3 ` n "I _ r' Q V y Q 2 h 5~ T!S Q N O li9 ~ °D U O z M ~ 'a, O O ~p~~p iuui iuvU '~J q~ ~/ D ', 1~' 1~ 9~ 6 ~® IBS o m N A O ~ O C w U ~J o r U C U O Y O Z O Q N a y O ~~ U N U Z j ~ W ' ~ ~ a Y O ~ W ~ > ~•~/ F.:{ m W ~ ~ C_ Qy O ~ ~ ~ o~ W m m N O performed using methodology presented in Transportation Research Circular; Number 212, "Interim Materials on High- way Capacity". For this analysis, assumptions had to be made regarding the configuration of approach lanes at the intersections stud- ied. For off-site intersections,. these assumptions were essentially dictated by projected 1997 pre-project traffic demand. In most cases, assumed intersection configuration reflect recommended improvements identified in previous traffic studies such as those for the Margarita Village and and Butterfield Stage Ranch developments. For on-site intersections, post-project traffic demand was used to dictate intersection approach lanes, since most of these intersections will not exist until after the project is implemented. Intersection approach lane configurations required to maintain Level of Service "C" or better are identified for internal access intersections under "c. Mitigations" later in this section. Results of the post-project peak hour intersection analyses are summarized in Figure 69, Roadway and Intersection Service Levels. Only intersections having service levels of "C" or worse are identified in the figure. Service O levels shown in parentheses represent traffic condition after mitigation measures are implemented. Intersections found to have post-project service levels of "D" or worse are discussed below. State Route 79/I-15 Southbound Ramps - Estimated post- project traffic flows at this intersection would result in Level of Service "E" during peak periods. Combined back- ground and project-related traffic increases to the peak- hour left-turn volumes both off and onto the I-15 ramps would result in very long and unacceptable delays at these movements. The most serious concern under these conditions would be the potential for traffic queues on the "stop" controlled off-ramp to extend back onto the mainline. State Route 79/I-15 Northbound Ramps - Heavy traffic flows projected on State Route 79 would result in Service Level "E" at this intersection. Left-turn from State Route and both left and right turns from the "stop" controlled off- ramp would be subject to long delays. State Route 79/F?argarita Road - The projected evening peak-hour left turn volume (450 vehicles) would experience long delays along with left-turns from Margarita Road at 380 this non-signalized intersection. Even assuming that a separate left-turn lane is provided, the overall post- project service level is estimated to be "E". State Route 79/Raiser Parkeay - Post-project traffic move- ments at this non-signalized intersection are expected to result in Level of Service "E" during peak periods. Left- turn movements would be subject to long delays especially during the evening peak-hour. Rancho California Road I/-15 Southbound Ramps - Project related traffic would add an incremental increase to the background traffic flows at this intersection. Implementa- tion of improvements designated for this intersection in the Margarita Village Traffic Impact Study would result in a 1997 post-project Service Level of "D". Rancho California Road/Ynez Road - Due to the central location of this intersection and its proximity to the Rancho Plaza Shopping Center, future area trip generation continue to impact this location. Project-related traffic destined to the Plaza, I-15 north, and commercial/employ- ment area west of I-15 will contribute to heavy background traffic flows expected at this intersection. The resultant post-project service level is projected to drop to an "E" O Rancho California Road/Margarita Road - Project-related traffic would result in moderate increases to several through and turn movements at this intersection. Assuming the lane configuration designated in the Rancho Villages Traffic Impact Study, the post-project evening peak-hour service level would be "D". Rancho California Road/Raiser Parlay - Additional back- ground and project traffic increases could reduce peak hour service levels at this 2-way stop intersection to Level of Service "D" . The xleadoes at Rancho California Related Impacts Specific project-related impacts can be approximated through the comparison of 1997 post-project traffic volumes and project-related traffic contributions at locations where roadway capacity deficiencies have been identified. The proportion of project traffic to the total post-project traffic volumes at the critical locations provides an indication of the magnitude of The Meadows at Rancho Cali- fornia related impacts. It is important to note, however, that roadway improvement recommendations presented under "c. Mitigations" would in many cases provide reserve capac- O 381 0 ity which would serve non-project traffic increases beyond Year 1997. Consideration should be given to this when assessing funding responsibilities for these improvements. A comparison of project traffic and total post-project traffic volumes is presented in Table XIV, The Meadows at Rancho California Related Traffic Impacts, for those loca- tions where significant roadway capacity deficiencies have been identified. Relationship to General Plan Policies The project's conformance with the Comprehensive General Plan's Circulation Land Use Standards are noted below: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) Road Right-of-Way and Dedication Roadway Design Alignment Access Intersections On-site Road Improvements Off-site Road Improvements Arterial Highways Collector Streets Circulation Hazards Congestion Relief/Levels of Service The project responds to General Plan Land Use Standards 1) through 11) as noted above through the design of the proj- ect circulation system. As noted in the Circulation Plan Development Standards (Section III.A.2.b.), the project will insure proper roadway design through dedication and construction of public roads. Through traffic movements will avoid streets through residential neighborhoods. Curves and roads will permit safe movement of vehicular traffic at the road's design speed, and intersections will be designed to assure the safe passage of through traffic and the negotiation of movements. Final design and offer of dedication will occur at the land division stage. The circulation system as proposed will provide for all weather access to all portions of the project site. c. Mitigations Mitigation measures are presented in two categories: On- site Improvements and Off-site Improvements. On-site roadway improvements are considered those which relate to new proposed roadways within and bordering The Meadows at Rancho California project and existing roadways immediately o adjacent to the project. Off-site roadway improvements 382 TABLE XIZI _ Vail Fleadoers Related Traffic Impacts ROADWAY SEGMENT (24 Hour Volumes) State Route 79 o Pala Rd. To Jedediah Smith Rd. o Jedediah Smith Rd. to Margarita Rd. o Margarita Rd. to Kaiser Pkwy. 0 PERCENT OF TOTAL 1997 POST PROJECT TRAFFIC DEMAND Proiect Related Non-Proiect Relate INTERSECTION (Peak-Hour Volumes) State Route 79/I-15 S.B. Ramps State Route 79/I-15 N.B. Ramps State Route 79/Margarita Rd. State Route 79/Kaiser Pkwy. Rancho California Rd./Ynez Rd. Rancho California Rd./Margarita Rd. Rancho California Rd./Kaiser Pkwy. 383 57 55 47 36 45 55 42 19 30 25 43 45 53 relate to roadways away from the project which provide primary access to the project. Because the traffic study considers off-site impacts not directly related to the Specific Plan, it is important to delineate between those improvements to be provided by the applicant and/or any subsequent developers as part of the development of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan and those im- provements delineated in the traffic analysis but not included within the scope of this Specific Plan. Those improvements anticipated to be constructed in conjunction with development of The Meadows at Rancho California Spe- cific Plan are specifically delineated in the circulation Plan, Section III.A.2. Recommended On-Site Improvements Mitigation measures recommended for on-site roadways are illustrated in Figure 70, Recommended On-Site Roadway/ Intersection Improvements. Key features included in the on-site roadway improvement program are listed below. o Extension of General Plan Major Street (Kaiser Park- way) from De Portola Road south to State Route 79. O o Signalization of: - State Route 79 and Margarita Road Intersection - State Route 79 and Kaiser Parkway Intersection - Margarita Road and designated "gateway" street (south of Pauba Road) o Provision of 4-Lanes on: - Kaiser Parkway between State Route 79 and De Portola Road; - Designated Secondary road connecting Kaiser Parkway to De Portola Road which provides access to the proposed community shopping center; and - Designated "gateway" streets. o Inclusion of separate left and right turn lanes at intersections as noted in Figure 70, Recommended On- Site Roadway/intersection Improvements. Recommended intersection improvements identified in Figure O 70 are designed to avoid unnecessary delay to the heavier 384 N N C O N J C U ~ J H ~ ~ H U .O O C ~ C Q a ~ ` y J L O C ~ (n _ 4. O F-- O ~ T ~ tV In O Ol C ~ N In 01 N ttl `O cC ~ ~ y T C ~ ~ ~ cC U .~ a N 'n N O Q N ~ N m~ o n E ~~ ,. a ~ a ~ u) cn U U cn g ¢ w c7 J a ~,~1 f ~ m a a w v 0 n ~ m 7 Y~ °. ~ Z Y~~F O1 ~c ~.'~a LL Use-" Z E0• v ~ s =<~ ~c_~~~ UO o~v a~ m M !d W H a U ~ a q 6 F- ppp iuui 7 N 3 "' 0 ®~ U °D `~ ~ j lug a o z 0 a ~. O V f N U ~~a O O QY X o R 0 0 ~~~o N z Of ® N a 1~1 U I ~ .~ w U o L o ~ U Q ^ ~ C >~ O Z ~ a N F~--i a ® xj ~ U y ® ( 1 r- \~ W > n n n 7 ~ 0 IUUI /~ a ,~ O ~ cy~ 1~~J1 /~/ W O ~ Ol L5 ~ I~ m O C_ Q. N ~ ~ tom W m m N O major street traffic. Actual post-project traffic move- ments from the minor streets at non-signalized intersec- tions should be monitored to verify whether additional control of major street traffic might be warranted. It should be noted that intersection approach lane configu- rations and stop sign controls have been identified for all intersections bordering the project. Some of these inter- sections are existing and others would be partially con- structed by other development projects such as Butterfield Stage Ranch. The intent in showing all approach lane configurations and controls is for the purpose of clarifi- cation and to facilitate the coordinations of multi-project improvements. Recommended Off-Site Improvement Unlike on-site traffic impacts, where mitigation responsi- bilities can be more clearly defined, projected off-site impacts are, in most cases, the result of substantial growth in background traffic (including traffic from other major developments) with a modest increment of project- related traffic. This factor, combined with the problems O of accurately projecting roadway improvements between now and 1997, make it difficult to tag specific roadway im- provements as mitigation measures required solely by The Meadows at Rancho California project. The following sections identify recommended off-site im- provements which would address the cumulative impacts of: o General background traffic growth o Traffic increases from other nearby major development projects o Traffic increased associated with The Meadows at Rancho California project Recommended improvements discussed below and depicted in Figure 71, Recommended Off-Site Roadway Improvements, have been designed to maintain a traffic Service Level of "C" or better on the impacted roadway or intersection. Identified in Figure 69, Roadway and Intersection Service Levels, are the service levels which would result from implementation of the proposed mitigation measures. State Route 79 (Pala Road to Raiser Parkeay) - The existing 2-lane cross-section of State Route 79 should be widened to 386 0 C O N U W N O o C J O td w N ~ J O 5 >, ~ ~ W 7 Q y W 7 O~ 1- E W o, o t a n ~ ~ ~~e~`~ ~ ~ r:~~ . ~~ LL ; _ ~ z~,5~~5 ~~ ~~ ~~ ~01 n Q.~ vr~ r M W H Q V o o dl Y H Q N C7 O I U m Q ~ 7 p Z fA ~ 0 0 -- -a` o. °o 0 o i 0 a yyo~op nn~ pp~ppp Iuui 0 1~ Qp® p p~/p A G ~ ~ o N z~ N O1 F'~ a O 0 C w L Q o C Q U " y O O = o Q N a y ~ - U y U~m Z> Z W- ~s a x O o w O ~ m O Oi c O y 6 O~ ~ ~Wm t0. N 0 a full 4-lane section with median (for left turn lanes) to adequately accommodate projected 1997 traffic volumes. The need for additional right-turn lanes at major cross street intersections west of Margarita Road should be assessed during the preliminary roadway design phase. State Route 79/I-15 Access Ramps - Post-project 1997 traf- fic demand projections would warrant the signalization of both northbound and southbound access ramps intersections with State Route 79. It has been assumed in the analysis that State Route 79 would be widened to a 4-lane cross- section from the I-15 interchange to Pala Road prior to 1997. Depicted in Figure 71, Recommended Off-Site Roadway Improvements, are the recommended approach lane configura- tions for the two proposed signalized ramp intersections. Rancho California Road/Ynez Road Intersection - Moderate traffic demand increase at this intersection would require the provision of a separate right turn lane at the Rancho California Road eastbound approach. This improvement would be in addition to those previously identified in the Margarita Village Traffic Zmpact Study. This dedication of additional right-of-way to accommodate this improvement is currently being investigated as part of separate projects involving improvements on the Rancho Highlands project site. Rancho California Road/Fargarita Road Intersection - Sig- nificant increases in eastbound to southbound (right turn) traffic demand would warrant the provision of striping for a separate right-turn lane at the Rancho California east- bound approach. This striping improvement would not re- quire additional right-of-way roadway widening. Rancho California Road/Kaiser Parkway Intersection -With 1997 post-project conditions, unacceptable delays at the Kaiser Parkway northbound approach would warrant the con- version of the proposed 2-way stop control to a full 4-way stop condition. Kaiser Parkway/Rancho Vista Road Intersection - In the Margarita Traffic Impact Study, it was assumed that Kaiser Parkway would "T" into Rancho Vista Road. With this condi- tion a stop control was proposed at the Kaiser Parkway approach. Under the presently assumed condition, Kaiser Parkway would continue south as a Major "through" street and should be given priority over Rancho Vista Road which is designated as a Secondary Road. The previously proposed stop control should be modified to allow uninterrupted traffic flow on Kaiser Parkway. 388 O Rancho California Road/I-15 Southbound Ramp Intersections - Although 1997 post-project traffic projections at this intersection would result in Level of Service "D" condi- tions, no additional improvements are recommended beyond those already identified in the Margarita Village Traffic Study. As commercial and employment centers continue to develop in areas east of I-15, there will be a diminishing need for residents from The fleadows at Rancho California, Butterfield Stage Ranch, and Margarita Village to visit businesses along Front Street/Jefferson Avenue and to seek employment outside the Rancho California Road interchange. If, in fact, the project traffic flows at this interchange are realized at some point in the future, the resultant service-level (LOS D) should be a tolerable condition for the morning and evening peak hours. Implementation Schedule - The proposed implementation plan for The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan calls for the construction of residential housing and other uses to occur in five construction phases spread over a ten-year period. Previously identified mitigation measures repre- sent roadway improvements which would be required to accom- modate projected traffic flows at full "build out" of the project. The following discussion provides a schedule for on- and off-site roadway improvements which would be re- quired to accommodate the incremental increases in project ~.J ~.J traffic reflected by The Pteadows at Rancho California phasing plan. The implementation of on-site roadway improvements are dictated, for the most part, by the geographic location of development occurring in each project construction phase and the corresponding need for access to-and-from those newly developed areas. Improvements should be in place prior to the completion of the development phase for which they are scheduled. The recommended implementation sched- ule for the most significant on-site improvements is summa- rized in Table XV, Implementation Schedule for On-site Roadway Improvements. Schedule for On-Site Roaderay Improvements The implementation of proposed off-site roadway improve- ments is less dependent on the geographic location of phased development within The Meadows at Rancho California and more dependent on the incremental increases in both project and non-project related traffic. An analysis of area traffic conditions at various intervals during the ten-year Meadows at Rancho California development period resulted in off-site roadway/intersection improvement O implementation schedule presented in Table XVI, Implementa- 389 0 tion Schedule for Off-Site Roadway Improvements. Recom- mended improvements should be implemented prior to the completion of the project development phase indicated. 0 0 390 0 PHASE I II III TABLE XV IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR ON-SITE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENT LOCATION NATURE OF IMPROVEMENT o Margarita Road - Pauba Rd. to S.R. 79 - Reconstructed existing two-lane section and provide identified intersection improve- ments. o De Portola Road o Santiago Road o De Portola Road - Butterfield Stage Rd. to Margarita Rd. o State Route 79 - Margarita Rd. to Kaiser Pkwy. - Kaiser Pkwy. to Butterfield Stage Rd. o Kaiser Parkway - Pauba Rd. to S.R. 79 - Construct new two-lane segment immediately east of Margarita Rd. - Construct four-lane "gateway" section. - Construct remaining new two-lane segment. - Construct four-lane section and provide identified intersec- tion improvements. - Reconstruct existing two-lane section and provide identified intersection improve- ments. - Construct new two-lane section and provide identified intersec- tion improvements. 0 O 391 .~ TABLE IV (cont.) PHASE IMPROVEMENT LOCATION o Butterfield Stage Rd. - Pauba Rd.~ to Santiago Rd. o Pauba Road - Margarita Rd. to Butterfield Stage Rd. o State Route 79/ Margarita Road o Santiago Road/ Margarita Road O o State Route 79/ Kaiser Parkway 0 NATURE OF IMPROVEMENT - Construct new two-lane section and provide identified intersec- tion improvements. - Construct new two-lane section and provide identified intersec- tion improvements. - Install signal. - Install signal. - Install signal. 392 0 TABLE XVI IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR OFF-SITE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENT NATURE OF PROJECT PHASE LOCATION IMPROVEMENT Early Phase III o State Route 79 - Pala Rd. to Margarita Rd. - Construct new four- lane section. Early Phase III Early Phase III Mid Phase III Mid Phase IV o Interstate 15/ - State Route 79 o State Route 79/ Margarita Rd. o Santiago Road/ Margarita Rd. o State Route 79/ Kaiser Pkwy. - Construct ramp intersection im- provements and install signals. - Install signal. - Install signal. - Install signal. O O 393 2. Water and Sewer O The following discussion is based upon a report entitled, "Preliminary Investigation on Water and Sewer Service for Vail Meadows", prepared by Robert Bein, William Frost & Associates (August, 1987). This report is included in its entirety as Section G., Technical Appendices. a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The Meadows at Rancho California area comprises a portion of the Rancho Villages Assessment District which will provide for major infrastructure improvements to benefit the proposed development. The site also lies within the jurisdictions 'of the Rancho California Water District (RCWD) and the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) which will respectively provide water and sewer service to this area. - Water The project site lies within the RCWD;s 1305, 1380, and 1485 pressure zone systems, with the majority of the site lying within the 1,380 pressure zone system. Figure 72, water Plan, shows existing water lines in the project vicinity. - Sewer Sewage from the project area is treated at EMWD's Rancho California Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The sewage treatment plant currently has a capacity of 2.0 MGD with a proposed expansion to 6.25 MGD. Ultimately, the facility is master planned to treat 30 MGD; however, the current site could accommodate a plant with a maximum of 40 MGD treatment capacity. The EMWD has indicated that the exist- ing treatment plan will be expanded in a timely fashion to meet the needs to be placed on it by future development. Currently, the EMWD operates several storage ponds on-site adjacent to Highway 79. These ponds are utilized to store treated effluent from its Regional Water Reclamation Facil- ity. The District has indicated that these ponds are proposed - to be relocated to anew site outside of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan within the next two years. 0 394 Q a MJ Q ~~ 0 ~', J 0 J UW y OW w w w O ~ ~ ~ 0 O N N N p ~ N ao ao o ,~ p N ~ ~ ~ 8D r f p d' M M 0 T ~ ~ 0 ~ W ~ W ~ W ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 Q 0 y ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ X ~ X ~ X a w a w a w ~~0~~]~ w ~ u ~~ Z~~R ~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~ Z~§s u ~ ~ ~~~k ~o~ a a'.v a c-J ~, M d E Y f N [7 O I t0 . Z !J ~ ~ o 1-1 m N T z~ ,.,/ a C O m w l U c t U C U 6 ~ Y O Z O Q N O a m O ~ U N U Z i `" W ~ O 1r~41~,1 ~ a w o o m Y~ ^/ I-1 w ~ c Q m /r--~ o m L_~ ~ o r YL---~ W m m N General Plan Policies The Public Facilities and Services Element of the Compre- hensive General Plan sets forth the following Land Use standards relative to water and sewer: 1) A Category II development must be located within special districts authorized to provide water and sewer service. A Category II development must use a district water system and district sewer system. The development proponent must show that adequate water and sewer facilities, water resources availability and sewer treatment plant capacity will exist to meet the demands of the development. Commitments for adequate and available water and sewer service must be con- firmed by the special districts. 2) Water Use for Landscaping - Irrigation systems shall be properly designed, installed, operated and main- tained to prevent the waste of water. Vegetation which uses less water will be encouraged for landscap- ing purposes. The Rancho Villages Policy Plan provides no development criteria. relative to the provision of water and sewer service. However, under the heading of "Energy" are the O following standards: a) In order to conserve water and reduce water consump- tion, the following must be included within development projects: 1) Automatic sprinkling systems must be provided within commercial and industrial projects. 2) Drought resistant vegetation shall be used in the landscaping of commercial and industrial projects and residential projects where landscaping is provided. This should also be encouraged in all other residential areas. b) Conditions on Specific Plans shall require homeowner's associations which maintain common open space areas to use water conserving landscaping and irrigation. 0 396 b. Proiect Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies - - Water Q The Meadows at Rancho California site lies within the jurisdiction of the RCWD for water service, as noted previ- ously. Water supply and storage requirements were calcu- lated using RCwD's criteria. Based on an average .day demand (ADD) factor of 1 gpm/dwelling unit and a peaking factor of 2 time the ADD, the maximum day demand (MDD) for the specific plan will be approximately 25 cfs. RCwD's criteria for above ground reservoir storage is not clearly established at this time due to the abundant ground water supplies which underlie its service area. For purposes of this report, it has been assumed that 25 percent of the maximum day demand will be sufficient to meet normal fluc- tuations in demand as well as fireflow storage. Therefore, for The-Meadows at Rancho California project, the required storage is approximately 4 million gallons. The RCWD currently has an abundant water supply from the underlying groundwater basins within its service area. This water supply was assumed by Robert Bein, William Frost & Associates (RBF) to be adequate to provide domestic water service for The Meadows at Rancho California project. In addition, the RCWD currently has interconnections with the existing MWD pipelines which cross its service area and can O be utilized to supplement groundwater supplies. The Meadows at Rancho California project is proposed to be served by the 1305, 1380 and 1485 Pressure Zone systems. Reservoir storage will be provided from existing reservoirs. It has been estimated that approximately 4 million gallons of reservoir storage will be required to serve the entire Meadows at Rancho California site. The majority of this capacity will be required in the 1380 system. It is uncertain at this time whether additional new storage tanks will be required to serve The Meadows at Rancho California area. It is proposed that the need for any additional reservoir storage facilities be resolved with the RCWD prior to the development of the initial phase of The Meadows at Rancho California area. The proposed water distribution and storage system improve- ments for The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan are shown on Figure 72, Water Plan. The concepts for providing water service to The Meadows at Rancho California site were developed to be integrated with the District's regional facilities planning. Therefore, the facilities for providing water service to the specific plan area, as presented in this report, are compatible with the District's current system operation. O 397 - Sewer O The estimated sewage generation from the proposed Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan was determined based on EMWD criteria. Assuming a generation rate of 100 gallons per person per day, the average dry weather (ADWF) sewage flow is estimated to be 1.81 million gallons per day (MGD). The peak dry weather (PDWF) sewage flow is estimated at 3.08 MGD. These flows include sewage generated by the proposed residential, commercial and school uses. The proposed infrastructure wastewater collection facili- ties to ultimately serve The Meadows at Rancho California project are shown on Figure 73, Sewer Plan. This system layout was based on the EMWD's overall system master plan- ning for the Rancho Villages Assessment District and has been refined to be compatible with the most recent land use planning and grading studies completed to date for The Meadows at Rancho California project. Several of the proposed sewers will be included as part of the infrastruc- ture improvements under the Rancho Village Assessment District. These improvements include the proposed sewers in Pauba Road, Kaiser Parkway, De Portola Road, Margarita Road, Butterfield Stage Road, and the sewer adjacent to Highway 79. Relationship to General Plan Policies O The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan proposes Category II urban uses and, as such, must be located within special districts authorized to provide water and sewer service. In accordance with this requirement, the project is located within the Rancho California Water District for water service and the Eastern Municipal Water District for sewer service. Both Districts have indicated to RBF their ability to provide water and sewer service to the project. In accordance with Land landscaping, irrigation installed, operated and water. Vegetation utilized for landscapi~ will be selected, as semi-native vegetation. Use Standards for water systems shall be properly maintained to prevent the which uses less water ig purposes. Landscape feasible, to include use for designed, waste of will be materials native and In accordance with the Rancho Villages Development Criteria for "Energy", the project will include automatic sprinkling systems with commercial and industrial projects. As 398 ~~ Q Y5 ~ ~ Z~ C7 C kR ~~~~~s W (Cyy~~ V ~ LL SS ~ p5' g q~C<j ~V q ~ ~ [ Y ~ s a L ~ F~C~ // ~~~ ( 1~0 ~7 !/~ ~ a rnv v c~ 6 a ~ o~ °a a cWn MJ g ~ m ~ ~ m ~~////~~ VO ~ M H w O e LL W OLL 7 ~g a (J~ Y O Ux H C7 aq~q a rrl H z w a yW W O } W J J LL; J W 0 O yLL QYQ LL 0 W U W O d WG J :~ ~~ a_ w z a W U m Q f N Q Q W O z a 5 i k S N to 0 i Z °m N O+ ^' {.:~ U O m w e i--i m 1 U o L U U C ~ y o z o O Q N a ~ .. U y U ~m Z W ~ a~ O ~ W ~ ~/ w m p m c G N r -l ~ Q N ~, ~ o W m m N O O discussed in Section III.A.B, Landscape Plan, plant species O chosen, will adapt well to dry environments. Their use will reduce water requirements for common landscaped areas. c. Mitigation The payment of fees to the affected Districts will prevent any negative financial impacts to the Districts. All lines will be designed per EMWD or RCWD requirements. Several of the major infrastructure improvements to benefit the pro= posed development will be provided for by the Rancho Vil- lages Assessment District. The infrastructural system will be installed to the requirements of the County's Engineer- ing Department. In addition, the following State laws require water effi- cient plumbing fixtures in structures to minimize water use: - Health and Safety Code Section 17921.3 requires low- flush toilets and urinals in virtually all buildings. - Title 20, California Administrative Code Section 1604(f) (Appliance Efficiency Standards) establishes efficiency standards that set the maximum flow rate of all new showerheads, lavatory faucets, etc. O - Title 20, California Administrative Code Section 1606(b) (Appliance Efficiency Standards) prohibits the sale of fixtures that do not comply with regulations. - Title 24 of the California Administrative Code Section 2-5307(b) (California Energy Conservation Standards for New Buildings) prohibits the installation of fixtures unless the manufacturer has certified to the CEC compli- ance with the flow rate standards. - Title 24, California Administrative Code Sections 2-5352(1) and (j) address pipe insulation requirements, which can reduce water used before hot water reaches equipment or fixtures. - Health and Safety Code Section 4047 prohibits installa- tion of residential water softening or conditioning appliances unless certain conditions are satisfied. - Government Code Section 7800 specifies that lavatories in all public facilities be equipped with self-closing faucets that limit flow of hot water. a 400 3. Fire Services a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The project site is presently provided fire protection services by the Riverside County Fire Department in coop- eration with the California Department of Forestry. The area is serviced from the Temecula Fire Station located at 28330 Mercedes Street. Current staffing during the summer fire season is twelve personnel, with four "heavy" fire trucks (only two operate during the winter season), and one volunteer rescue unit. The Fire Department is in the process of completing a local study area map for the Temecula/Rancho California area and it is anticipated that the study will identify a future fire station near Highway 79 and either Butterfield Stage Road or An2a Road. General Plan Policies The following Land Use Standards - Fire Services of the Public Facilities and Service Element are applicable to The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan site: 0 1. Fire Protection - All new developments must have an adequate level of fire protection. Applicable develop- ment standards as well as any additional fire protec- O tion and prevention measures deemed necessary by the County shall be implemented. 2. Service Commitments - Concurrent with submittal of Category I, II or V project applications, fire protec- tion service commitments, including fiscal commitments, will be evaluated in order to confirm that fire protec- tion services will be adequate for the project. 3. Fire Facilities Improvements - As determined by the County Fire Department, Category I, II and V projects may be required to contribute to the improvement of fire protection services. 4. Fire Response Time - Category I and V projects shall have a fire response time by emergency fire equipment of no greater than five minutes. Category II projects shall also have a five minute response time, or shall provide adequate mitigation measures as determined by the County Fire Department. O 401 ~ IS 5. Mitigations - Regarding Category I, II and V Category O projects for which a five minute response time is not available, additional fire protection mitigation meas- ures must be provided, including: 1) above standard water systems or storage facilities; 2) construction of roofs, eaves and siding of structures with fire resis- tant materials; and 3) clearing of brush areas and/or the planting of fire resistant vegetation. b. Proiect Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies The Riverside County Fire Department would Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan Urban Category II, which requires an initial within three miles, with a second or backup eight miles, to be able to provide the neces engines for a structure fire alarm. designate The as Development fire station station within nary three fire According to Michael Gray, Planning Officer for the River- side County Fire Department, the project site could only be provided with Category III level of protection from the existing fire station, which would not be adequate for the proposed development. Upon its completion, the new fire station will be able to adequately serve the site. Relationship to General Plan Policies O The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan responds to the Land Use Standards for Fire Services, as follows: 1. Fire Protection - An adequate level of fire protection will be provided. The project applicant will cooperate with the County Fire Department to determine necessary fire protection and prevention measures. 2. Service Commiffients - As The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan proposes Category II development, the project's fire protection commitments will be subject to evaluation in order to insure adequate fire protection services. As discussed under "Mitigations" below, fire protection impact mitigation fees will be assessed for this project. 3. Fire Facilities Improvements - As Category II land uses are proposed by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan, the project proponent will be required to contribute to the improvement of fire protection services. Q 402 4. Fire Response Times - It is anticipated that The Meadows at Rancho California project will be within a O five minute response time from the new station to be constructed near Highway 79 and either Butterfield Stage Road or Anza Road. This is compatible with the Category II land uses proposed. 5. ]litigation - Although the site will be within a five minute response time, additional mitigation may be required for any dwelling units constructed prior to construction of the new fire station. Therefore, additional fire protection mitigations may be required in the event that construction of the proposed station is delayed. c. Mitigation The developer will be required to participate in the fire protection impact mitigation program as approved by the County Board of Supervisors. This program includes a fee of $400.00 per residential dwelling unit to be paid when the first building permit is completed. The fees cover the cost of building, equipping and staffing a fire station. They are generated and used with specific geographical "Fire Management Areas." Land division and/or any other discretionary permits for development within a Fire Manage- ment Area require payment of fees or other mitigation determined by the County Fire Department to mitigate the O impact of the development on fire protection services. The project will be required to provide fire protection service to the satisfaction of the Riverside County Fire Department. 4. Sheriff Services a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies Police service to the site is provided by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department operating from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's station. The station has a manpower level of approximately 39 personnel and is open 24 hours a day. A "store front" office has been established in Rancho California. It serves as a convenience to patrol officers, but serves no public function. Noting response times for specific areas would be mislead- ing because it depends on the location of the emergency in relationship to the responding unit. As an average, the Sheriff's Department figures on a 45-minute response time 403 s' for non-life threatening situations. While in the field, O Sheriff's Department personnel provide the following serv- ices: response to calls, follow-up investigation, limited patrol and limited traffic control. The Sheriff's Department attempts to maintain a ratio of one police officer for every 4,000 persons. As the popula- tion of an area increases, additional financing of equip- went and manpower needs are requested to meet the increased demand. General Plan Policies The following Land Use Standard - Sheriff Services of the Public Facilities and Services element is applicable to the Vail Meadows project site: 1) Police Protection and Facilities Adequacy - the design of Category I and II projects will be reviewed for adequate safeguards for crime prevention. b. Project Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies In general, it can be assumed that an increase in develop- ment and population will result in an increase in crime. The County Sheriff's Department recognizes that new devel- opment adds to the demands on law enforcement in the County. The Department utilizes current knowledge of population and development to project future population and law enforcement needs in order that law enforcement keeps pace with County growth. Further personnel and equipment needs are provided through allocation of funds by the County Board of Supervisors in its yearly budget. The specific law enforcement needs which would result from the development of the proposed Specific Plan cannot be esti- mated, but can be expected to increase commensurate with the level of build-out that occurs. Relationship to General Plan Policies In accordance with the Land Use Standards for Sheriff Services, crime prevention policies designated by the Sheriff's Department for the proposed Category II land uses will be followed. c. Mitivation The applicant will coordinate with the Sheriff's Department to assure proper protection facilities and personnel are available. 404 For the security and safety of future residents, the appli- cant and/or develop shall incorporate the following design O concepts within each individual tract: a) Circulation for pedestrians, vehicles and police pa- trols. b) Lighting of streets and walkways. c) Visibility of doors and windows from the street and between buildings. d) Fencing heights and materials. 5. Schools a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The project site lies within the Temecula Union School District for grades K-8 and within the Elsinore Union High School District for grades 9-12. Both Districts are expe- riencing overcrowding due to the rapid growth of the area, and have filed statements with the County of Riverside requiring the payment of development impaction fees to mitigate the overcrowding. If no new schools were built, students from the Vail Mead- ows project would attend Vail School (K-6) and Temecula O Middle School (7-8). Both of these schools are now over capacity. High school students would attend Temecula Valley High School, located immediately northwest of the site, at 31555 Rancho Vista Road. An expansion program is currently underway to increase capacity of this school to 1,200 students from its previous capacity of approximately 600 students. General Plan Policies The Comprehensive General Plan Use Standards regarding schools are as follows: 1) Impacted Schools - Projects in school districts which are already impacted or are over capacity must make arrangements with the school districts to mitigate additional effects of the project. These arrangements may include site dedication or development agreements. 405 2) School Facilities Improvements - As determined by the O school districts, large developments and self-con- tained planned communities which will generate suffi- cient students to warrant a new school shall arrange with the school district to provide adequate school facilities in accordance with the needs of the commu- nity. The Rancho Villages Development Criteria states that, "Mitigation measures such as site dedications or fees will be required to offset development impacts on schools". In addition, Development Criteria for Planning Areas C and D of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan encourages the siting of parks adjacent to school site in order to allow joint facility use. 0 O b. Proiect Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies The Temecula Union School District utilizes a generation factor of .55 students per unit. Therefore, development of the 5,611 dwelling units proposed'by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan would generate an estimated 3,086 students in Grades K-8. The Elsinore Union High School District utilizes a genera- tion factor of .21 students per unit; therefore, The Meadows at Rancho California project would generate an estimated 1,178 students. The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan allocates 61 acres for school sites to serve the Temecula Union School District. Four elementary school sites are planned, containing a total of 61 acres. One elementary school site is located in the southwestern quadrant of the site adja- cent to Margarita Road. One additional school site is located within each of the remaining three quadrants of the site. A 20-acre junior high school site is located in the northern portion of the site, adjacent to Raiser Parkway. (See Figure 3, Specific Land Use Plan.) As discussed in Section III.A.5., Public Facility Sites Phasing Plan, the elementary school sites will be constructed by the School District during Phases I, II, III and IV, in accordance with their pupil demand and funding capabilities. The junior high school is planned to be constructed by the School District during Phase III, also in accordance with their pupil demand and funding capabilities. It is anticipated that the generated by this project Temecula Valley High School. 1,178 high school students can be accommodated at the 406 Relationship to General Plan Policies The Specific Plan is being planned in conformance with Land O Use Standards, in that the applicant is working with the appropriate school district(s) to mitigate the student impact from the project. As discussed above, the project proposes a total of 61 acres of school sites to serve the Temecula Union School District. Depending on the needs of the Elsinore High School District, mitigations to that district may include site dedication, developer agreements or payment of fees. Although the Rancho Villages Development Criteria recom- mends placing park sites adjacent to .school sites, this was not done in the Vail Meadows Specific Plan. The Temecula Union School District requires ten acre sites for elemen- tary schools and does not reduce their acreage requirements when school recreational facilities are shared with a park. Therefore, the land use benefits and sharing which can occur when placing parks adjacent to schools is partially lost. It should be noted that the project proposes more school sites and more acres of recreational use than is required by the Rancho Village Policy Plan. c. Mitigation It is anticipated that the 61 acres of school sites will adequately mitigate impacts to the Temecula Union School O District. However, the project applicant will be required to provide mitigation measures satisfactory to the Elsinore Union High School District. This may include additional site dedication, developer agreements, or payment of fees. 6. Parks and Recreation a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies Currently, there are several recreation areas in the pro- ject vicinity. The closest is the Rancho California Sports Park located at the southwest corner of Rancho Vista and Margarita Roads. Other facilities include Temecula Valley High School at the southeast corner of Rancho Vista and Margarita Roads, and the facilities discussed below: - Nature Conservancy - 3,700 acres within the Santa Rosa Mountains, providing natural open space, hiking, etc. - Lake Skinner - artificial lake located northeast of Rancho California, offering camping, boating, etc. O 407 - Vail Lake - 1,100 acre artificial lake with fishing, O boating, etc. located off Highway 79, east of Rancho California. - Butterfield Country RV Park - 800 acre American Adven- ture Park, offering camping, swimming, hiking, etc., located off Highway 79, east of Rancho California. - Rancon Park - 7.9-acre park offering baseball and soccer fields, located at Alta Murrieta Drive and I-215. - Rancho California Sports Park - located at Rancho Vista and Pauba Roads, to contain more than 100 recreational acres upon completion, immediately northwest of the site. This park will contain sports playfields and recreational facilities for use by all residents. - Temecula Community Park - located at Pujol Street in Temecula, includes a playground and picnic areas. - Temecula Park - a County of Riverside Park located west of the Rancho California/Temecula area along Rancho California Road. - Water Park - 200-acre lake and camping facility located east of DePortola and Pauba Roads. O - Sam Hicks Park - 0.8 acres at Moreno Road in Temecula, offering playground and picnic facilities. General Plan Policies The Park and Recreation - Land Use Standards of the Public Facilities and Services Element of the Comprehensive Gen- eral Plan contains one standard applicable to this project: i) Recreation Facilities - Residential Category I and II projects will be reviewed for adequate recreation facilities. Mitigation measures may be required to ensure adequate future recreational opportunities. In addition, according to the Comprehensive General Plan, the County supports development of neighborhood and commu- nity parks throughout the County, particularly adjacent to or in combination with school sites. While not part of the General Plan, nor an adopted ordinance, it should also be noted the Quimby Act requires that 3 acres of park be provided for every 1000 persons of population. One of O 408 these three acres is Regional park, leaving ment of two acres of p Development Criteria Rancho Villages Policy schooljpark sites. to be provided through the County as a local/neighborhood park require- O ark per 1,000 population. for Planning Areas C and D of the Plan recommend the use of joint b. Proiect Impacts/Relationship to General Plan Policies Implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will create a demand for parks and recreation facili- ties in the project area. To meet that demand, the Spe- cific Plan proposes a number of community recreation facilities for members of The Meadows at Rancho California Community. These facilities are discussed in detail in Section III.A.7., Open Space and Recreation Plan, and are summarized below. The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan includes an extensive Open Space and Recreation Program, which is planned as a major unifying element of the proposed commu- nity. According to the Specific Plan, the program is significant in that 242.3 acres of land will be devoted to recreational open space, parkway and paseo uses, which is equivalent to 16.6 acres per 1,000 residents. It should be noted that this acreage total includes the 25-acre Temecula Valley High School, which is located immediately off-site to the northwest. The various recreational facilities are linked to each other and other elements of the community with an extensive parkway and paseo trail system. The parkway trail system, which parallels project roadways, occupies 87.6 acres, while the greenbelt paseo occupies 28 acres. The paseo will provide pedestrian access to the off-site recreational uses offered by the Rancho California Sports Park and the Temecula Valley High School. The following community recreational facilities are pro- posed: a) Neighborhood Parks - A 2.9-acre publicly owned and maintained neighborhood Park is proposed. It is lo- cated in the east/central portion of the site and may include such uses as picnic areas, tot lots, exercise courses and play fields. b) Recreational Centers - Two homeowner owned and main- tained recreation centers totalling 12.5 acres are provided. One of the centers is located in the north- western part of the site and contains nine acres. The 0 409 other is a 3.5-acre facility, located in the southeast- O ern portion of the site. They will function in at least the same, if not expanded capacity as a fully developed park and could be constructed as public parks. Each center will contain a community clubhouse and may include such amenities as a pool complex, tennis courts, tot lot, game courts, etc. c) Schools - Five schools are proposed to be located on-site and will contain typical recreational equipment .and sports fields which may be used by the community. d) Equestrian trail - An extension of a regional equestri- an trail will be provided along the south side of Pauba Road in a meandering parkway. e) Activity nodes - Within the community paseo system, a number of activity nodes will occur at a rate of one acre per 6,500 residents, yielding a total of approxi- mately 2.4 acres. These nodes may include picnic tables, par courses and open play areas. They will be available for use by all residents and will be main- tained by the master homeowner's association or a County Service Area (CSA). Relationship to General Plan Policies O As The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan proposes Category I and Category II Land Uses, the project will be reviewed for adequate recreation facilities. However, it is anticipated that the project proposal includes suffi- cient recreational facilities to satisfy County require- ments. Although the Rancho Villages Development Criteria recom- mends placing park sites adjacent to school sites, this was not done in the Vail Meadows Specific Plan. The Temecula Union School District requires ten acre sites for elemen- tary schools and does not reduce their acreage requirements when school recreational facilities are shared with a park. However, it should be noted that the project proposes more school sites and more acres of recreational use than is required by the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. c. Mitiaation As discussed under "Impacts", the project proposes an extensive Open Space and Recreation Program. It is antici- pated that these facilities will adequately mitigate im- pacts associated with the increased recreational demand generated by -The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. a 410 7. Utilities a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies O Locations of easements and existing utilities are shown on Figure 74, Existing Utilities. The Southern California Edison Company will provide elec- tricity to the site. They have indicated that they have existing overhead lines along Margarita Road and along Highway 79. The Southern California Gas Company will serve the site with natural gas. The Gas Company has indicated that existing qas mains are located along Margarita Road from Highway 79 up to approximately DePortola Road and within the western end of Pauba Road, then up Margarita Road. General Telephone Company will serve the project area. They have existing facilities along Highway 79 and along portions of Margarita Road north of Highway 79. They also have facilities along most of Pauba Road. General Plan Policies The Land Use Standards - Utilities address utility siting only and do not concern the Specific Plan. b. Proiect Immact/Relationshiv to General Plan Policies O The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will create a demand for electrical energy. Based on consumption rates provided by Southern California Edison, the residential, commercial and office uses proposed by the project will create a demand for an estimated 42,030,975 kwh per year. (See Section V.C.6., Air quality, for additional detail on electrical demand.) Southern California Edison Company has indicated their ability to meet the demands created by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. Q 411 } . b \\\~ ~' 7 ~ Iii - l/ o ~r~;, °~~, ( ~ °O°o - . v ~ °p° _ ..,:_.~ a.Or°n~ ~'7 l~-~: ` o o°o ~_rr~r./'~ (r7 ~~ 'r ' rte' ~ \d oo ~~oo o °no8b°o°om°a°°aeueepO /~j ~~ ~ ifJ / ;C r3-~~r.`. II Ur L -7 ~ \~ ~ , -opt '_, > ^-- . .,~ ~ ~ ~~ ..'1 ~ ~ ~ \/N .. \ ,. k~~. t -~.J to fir \\~\~-.~f ~~~~ ~i ~~'f_ _ '~-.~. .~ p ~~ 1, ~, ~_ ~\ o.- _ p ... 1 4c.. .. ~ O -. ~./ .^.J ~ ., O 1' ~ ~ 1 ~~ ~ Qr ' ~ ~ ~ ~ i~7i s ~~ r - ~ ~;~ .' v; ~~ _ ~'~ ~ '> 'i ~a - y.,> ~: - %-~ ~~~L_ ~~+,.,: ___ ~ _T_ -_- .^a. 0 I c °`' / ~ ' ~ ; _ c -~..= ~ ~ c _-__` ~ \ i ti ~~ \ n ! ~~_ _ _" Y ... ~ ~ _~ -1~ .. i ~ 7 ~ ~' i /,' I r ... O a ` ~ !J. .. ~, ~~, p.. - _...~.Z : - _: ° ,p - - - .~ #p ~~ _ ; ~ ~, ~, ~~ ~ ~~ - - j O _ - c -°OQoeO - Fo _ r ?£o eooa eoo°o [e °eoeeooeb` o eeo°°° - e ~' _ ~ O ...... ° u i 1! .. ~ ~ °.. o o ab.. ' 33} ' - _ Y __p ___r T_?~ ~__. -_ __ __r~~\~~-_-__----_ SOURCE: ROBERT.BEtN, NlIWAd'FROST AND ASSOCIATES ~OU~~~~U VC~I V~~L~~~U~~. O ~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~ AT RANCHO CALIFORNIA BEDFOflD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY 28788 Singla Oak Oriva Suite 200 RancNO Celitomia, GA 92390 412 I^. LEGEND __ ___ .. '.-'.i. ~ --- 00o R.GW.D. WATER UNES ~- _ I ' ~ _ e ° ° E.M.WD. EFFLUENT tAJES ' ® S.C.E. OVERHEAD POWER UNES o ° ° G.T.E. TELEPHONE LINES o ^ o SO. CAL GAS CO. UNES FIGURE 74 J.N. 168-032 F ~ ' `1 ~""""°`-~~ 1NI FInp[1Vn W The primary use of natural gas by the project will be for O combustion to produce space heating, water heating and other miscellaneous heating or air conditioning. Based on consumption rates provided by the Southern California Gas Company, the project will create a demand for a total of 39,133,910 cubic feet of natural gas per month. (See Section V.C.6., Air Quality, for additional detail on demand for natural gas.) The Southern California Gas Company has indicated their ability to meet the demands created by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. General Telephone has indicated their ability to provide phone service to the project site. If the Specific Plan is approved, General Telephone will need 6-12 months notice prior to any major construction beginning on the project site. Relationship to General Plan Policies As stated previously, the IItility Land Use Standards do not apply to this Specific Plan. c. Mitigations In order to insure an adequate supply of natural gas, electricity and telephone service to The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan project, the project applicant will provide these utility companies with detailed project plans and phasing information as soon as possible. A number of energy-saving features could be incorporated into the project design, as described in Section V.C.13, Energy Resources. 8. solid G7aste a. Existinc Conditions/General Plan Policies The project site is within the Elsinore service area for solid waste. Refuse from the project site would normally have been disposed of at the Lake Elsinore site. However, the County Department of Waste Management closed the Elsinore site in November 1986. Two alternate sites are now available for use: the Double Butte site near Winchester; and the E1 Sobrante site, in the Temescal Canyon near Lake Matthews, between I-15 and I-215. The Double Butte site between Corona and Lake Elsinore is a County-owned and operated Class II landfill. The E1 Sobrante site is owned and operated by Western Waste Indus- O 413 tries Inc. under a permit granted by the County. The O Double Butte site is nearing capacity, whereas the E1 Sobrante site opened in 1985 and is estimated to have a 20-year life expectancy. _ General Plan Policy One Land Use Standard from the Public Facilities and Serv- ices Element of the Comprehensive General Plan relative to solid waste is applicable to the Specific Plan proposal: 1) Solid Waste Adequacy - Sufficient solid waste disposal capacity and life expectancy should exist or be planned within a reasonable distance of the project site to accommodate the needs of the development, consistent with the County of Riverside Solid Waste Management Plan (CoSWMP). b. Project Imtiact/Relationship to General Plan Policies The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan as proposed will increase the amount of solid waste generated on the project site, and thus increase service needs for waste haulers. The average waste generation factor for Riverside County was 7.9 pounds per person per day in 1986, based on the wastes received at County Disposal site and the esti- mated population within the County. Therefore, the popula- O tion of 14,476 estimated to be generated by the proposed 5,611 units (2.58 persons per d.u.) would result in approx- imately 58 tons per day of wastes. This increased solid waste will incrementally shorten the life of the Double Butte and E1 Sobrante Disposal sites. 9. Libraries a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The project area is currently served by library facilities located near the intersection of Ynez Road and Rancho California Road in Rancho California. General Plan Policies There are no Land Use Standards in the Comprehensive Gen- eral Plan relative to library facilities. O 414 b. Project I~actlRelationship to General Plan Policies The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will in- crease the area's population and community desire for library services. Adequate library services will be guaranteed through the collection of taxes and subsequent expenditures by the County Board of Supervisors. c. Mitigation As stated above, impacts to the library facilities will be mitigated by collection of County taxes which pay for library services. 10. Health Services a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies Paramedic services are provided by the Riverside County Fire Department. The project area is served by the following existing hospi- tals: The Christian Hospital Medical Center in Perris with 36 beds; the Hemet Valley Hospital in Hemet with 242 beds, and the Mission Valley Medical Center, which provides 24-hour emergency services and is the closest hospital for the project site and vicinity. A number of medical facilities are proposed to serve the growing Rancho California-Temecula area. An expanded Mission Valley Medical Center acute care facility is planned near I-15 and Clinton Keith Road. A 99-bed con- valescent care center and 20,000 square foot medical office building and clinic also are proposed near the Murrieta Hot Springs Road/I-5E intersection, within the Golden Triangle. General Plan Policies The Comprehensive General Plan's Health Services Objective is to assure adequate health facilities and services con- sistent with community needs. b. Project Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies No adverse impacts are expected to occur from construction of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. Project consistency with the General Plan is assured, since the presence of the medical community will increase commensu- rate with the increase in population. O 415 c. Mitiaation O As discussed above, no adverse impacts are expected from project construction. Health care service is regional issue which generally responds to market demand. Thus, it is anticipated that adequate facilities will be available. 11. Airports The project site is not affected by any "Airport-Influenced Areas" per the Comprehensive General Plan. 12. Disaster Preparedness a. Existing Conditions/General Plan Policies The disaster preparedness supplement to the General Plan identifies the agencies with differing responsibilities and their role in assuring preparedness and recovery after a disaster has occurred. Section V.C.l, Seismic Safety, discusses the on-site conditions relative to a potential seismic event. Section V.C.1, Slopes and Erosion, dis- cusses the on-site conditions relative to slope stability and Section V.C.4., Flooding, discusses on-site conditions relative to hydrological concerns. General Plan Policies O The Comprehensive General Plan Land Use Standards for disaster preparedness state the Environmental Hazards and Resources Element must be consulted for Seismic Safety; Slopes and Erosion; Wind and Blowsand; and Flooding. b. Proiect Impact/Relationship to General Plan Policies The impacts of the project relative to Seismic Safety, Slopes and Erosion, and Flooding are discussed in Sections V.C.1, V.C.2, and V.C.4 respectively. Relationship to General Plan Policies General Plan compatibility will be assured by following the mitigations proposed in Sections V.C.1, Seismic Safety, V.C.2., Slopes and Erosion, and V.C.4., Flooding. c. Mitigation Please see Section V.C.1, Seismic Safety, V.C.2, Slopes and Erosion and V.C.4, Flooding. 416 E. HOUSING ELEMENT 1. General Plan Policies a a. Aoplicable Housing Programs 5. Program - Proiect Compatibility with Area Development - Project compatibility with area development will be as- sessed by examining its consistency with the surrounding lot size, land uses and other appropriate development standards. 6. Program - Continuous Development - The project will be reviewed for contiguous development to ensure the best and most efficient use of infrastructure and services and to obtain a growth pattern which is orderly and enhances the quality of the area. 7. Program - Resident Participation in Community Plans - Residential participation in Community Plans is recom- mended so that the development standards and criteria for that community plan will meet the resident's goals, objec- tives and concerns and at the same time provide housing opportunities for all segments of the community. 18. Program - Housing Types and Mix -The County will consider policies and development standards that will provide for a variety of housing types and mix throughout O the County and its communities. 19. Program - Housing Proximity to Jobs - Provide for housing in proximity to jobs and daily activities. 22. Program - Development Monitoring - Provide a system for monitoring land with infrastructure, services and buildable lots. 23. Program - Master Environmental Assessments - Develop Master Environmental Assessments. 24. Program - Housing Density Determinations - These pro- grams as designed to monitor and review residential devel- opment throughout the County and are executed by County staff. b. Axrolicable Housing Policies Within Other Elements Applicable housing policies outlined in the Comprehensive General Plan include: O 417 * Provide a comprehensive and coordinated effort to improve infrastructure and community surroundings and to encourage the provision of adequate public and private services and facilities in all residential areas. * Review development projects to ensure that they will be consistent and compatible with the existing community environment and that they are not costly "leap frog" developments. * In conjunction with the revisions of the Countywide General Plan, recognize the continuing need for commu- nity plans that establish development criteria and standards to meet the goals, objectives, and concerns of communities within the County, while minimizing the environmental hazards and constraints. * Encourage energy conservation programs to be used in existing homes and new housing developments. * Plan and provide for housing that responds to market needs and satisfies varied price and type demands of the residents of the County. * Develop a system to maintain an inventory of buildable lots, where current and planned infrastructure exist, O for the purpose of providing adequate housing sites. * Actively promote equal housing opportunities. * Monitor and review for effectiveness all programs adopted as part of this Housing Element. 1) Affordable Housing Incentives The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan designates land uses in the project area to be in Land Use Category II, which consists of Urban uses. Category II does not require affordable housing units for low and moderate income households, and therefore, the proposed development will hot offer afford-able housing incentives. 0 418 2. Specific Plan a. Project Relationship to General Plan Policies O 1) Project Housing Inventory The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan proposes development of a maximum of 5,633 dwelling units in a coordinated program that responds to up-to-date marketing input for the Rancho California area. The site features units of residential density in Low, Medium-Low, Medium, Medium High and High categories. 2) Project Compatibility with Existing Inventory This project is compatible with the existing community environment and is providing unique residential view oppor- tunities in an area where infrastructure and services exist or will exist in the future. The plan also provides hous- ing that responds to market needs and will promote equal housing that responds to market needs and will promote equal housing opportunities for all segments in the commu- nity. These policies are outlined in the Comprehensive General Plan and area applicable to the proposed project. 3) Project Design Mitigation As indicated in the Land Use Summary (Table I), a maximum O 5,611 residential dwelling units have been proposed for the 1,389 acre site. Varied housing types will include sin- gle-family detached, patio home or duplex, condominium, and possibly apartment units. Although a variety of residen- tial products are proposed, at some locations, clustering will be a design element. This technique of grouping units and buildings increases appeal by creating ~~people scaled~~ neighborhoods. Increased opportunities will be provided for a quiet and safe environment due to reduced through traffic and increased interaction. O 419 F. REGIONAL ELEMENT O 1. Regional Growth (SCAG) Forecasts a. Identification of Regional Growth Forecasts for Proiect site The subject site is located within the Murrieta (also referred to as Lake Elsinore) Regional Statistical Area (RSA) as delineated by the Southern California Association of Goverrvnents (SCAG). Major communities included within that area include Rancho California, Elsinore and Temecula. Most recent population, housing, and economic data avail- able from SCAG for this RSA was conducted in 1984 and is termed, "SCAG '82 Modified Forecast." It consists of information which has been updated from their 1982 fore- cast. At this time SLAG is in the process of developing a 1988 forecast which should be available in draft form in early 1988 and in final adopted form in late 1988. See Table XVII for SCAG, 1982 Modified Forecast Data. b. RSA/Land Use Plannina Area Profile The Meadows at Rancho California site is located within the Southwest Territory Land Use Planning Area which occupies approximately 482 square miles in southwestern Riverside County and corresponds to the Murrieta RSA boundaries. O This Area Plan is currently being prepared by the County Planning Department with input from residents within the area. It is estimated that this Plan may be complete and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in the near future. When complete the Plan will provide background information, including a general description; population and housing statistics; growth and land use forecasts; land use potential and constraints; trends and adopted Specific Plans. The County's five-year forecasts are intended to guide infrastructure development to support expected growth in all Planning Areas. c. Population growth in this portion of Riverside County (RSA) 49, Murrieta) and Rancho California should occur at a rate of approximately 4.7 percent annually for the next 20-25 years. It is anticipated that Vail Meadows project popula- tion will be a component of that rate of growth. The total "build-out" population for the project is estimated to be approximately 14,476 persons (2.58 persons per dwelling unit by 5,611 units). O 420 TABLE XVII SCAG 1982 MODIFIED POPQLATION, HOIISING AND EMPIAYMENT FORECAST LAKE ELSINORE (RSA 49) 1990 1995 2000 Total Population 51,070 65,115 Total Housing 24,589 30,795 Total Employment 15,875 24,773 77,000 36,999 2005 2010 86,499 96,000 41,999 46,999 32,300 38,750 45,200 From discussion with SCAG planning personnel, it appears that SLAG 1982 Modified Forecast numbers are conservative estimates. Zt is anticipated that forecast figures for total population, housing, and employment may be signifi- cantly higher than previously considered. In any case, it is expected that The Meadows at Rancho California project will be one relatively minor component of overall regional growth. Project development will be compatible with sur- rounding development and infrastructure networks which will serve the site. 2. Applicable Employment/Housing Balance Policies, as outlined in the Riverside County Comprehensive General Plan, policies for achieving a job-balance in a job deficient/housing rich area (such as this area) include the following: Adopt relatively high employment growth forecasts for those subregions; In SCAG's review of development proposals, support commercial and industrial development within these subregions. Work with other governmental agencies (federal agencies, the state, South Coast Air Quality Management District, and local governments) to incorpo- rate this criterion in their project approval process; Work with local governments and the private sector to identify and implement local economic development strategies. As can be noticed from a review of the Vail Meadows site plan and statistical abstract, on-site land uses generating employment opportunities include four elementary schools, one junior high school, 34 acres of commercial development, and various recreational facilities throughout the site. 0 0 421 While it is acknowledged. that on-site employment opportuni- O ties may be fewer than persons seeking employment from the development, a slightly broader region must be considered. Therefore, it is appropriate that the entire Rancho Cali- fornia, Murrieta, Temecula region be reviewed for proposed and approved employment generating development. This may give a more accurate assessment in the determination of the amount of acreage to be devoted to employment generating land uses. Within this area numerous Specific Plans have received approval (most within the last several years), or are pending, which include employment generating land uses such as commercial, industrial, or business park. Of particular merit is the Winchester Specific Plan, located several miles to the north at the intersection of Highway 79 (Winchester Road) and Murrieta Hot Springs Road. That development was approved by the County Board of Supervisors on July 21, 1987, and will contain 255 acres of business park, 60 acres of Town Center/Commercial, and 48 acres of - commercial land uses. In addition, other developments such as California Oaks (approved on June 21, 1984) will provide 71 acres of commercial land use, and 129 acres of indus- trial land use. Menifee Village (approved on July 23, 1986) includes 84 acres of commercial land use; 85 acres of business park land use; and a 100 acre site for a college. O The Dutch Village development will contribute 87 acres to commercial land use and 130 acres to industrial land use. In conclusion, it would appear that, all developments considered, adequate acreage in the Rancho California, Murrieta, Temecula region, is available for development with employment generating land uses. _~../ 422 G. ADMINISTRATIVE ELEMENT 1. Land IIse Policy/Specific Plan Time Frames O a. Proiect Time Frames for Development The County requires that a phasing plan be adopted for each Specific Plan and that each plan be monitored for reasona- ble progress toward implementation. A phasing program is outlined in The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan in Section III.D. The applicants will work closely with the County to assure timely and logical completion of the project based on the phasing plan, subject to County-ap- proved modifications resulting from updated market and economic data. O 423 H. MANDATORY CEQA TOPICS O 1. Cumulative Impact Analysis The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan is located within an area undergoing rapid urbanization as a result of demand pressures from the Orange County area for affordable housing. Initially, significant growth occurred in the close-in locations of Corona, Norco and the City of River- side. Growth restrictive measures were passed in some of these areas in efforts to preserve their rural atmo- spheres. These growth restrictions, coupled with low land costs and inexpensive housing prices, have created the current demand for housing in the Rancho California area. In addition, the construction of I-15 to a full freeway and the improvement of 215 (formerly I-15E) has enhanced acces- sibility of the Rancho California area and acts as an impetus to the development trends. The majority of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan is within the Rancho Villages Policy Plan Area, and development of the project site was considered in prepara- tion of the Draft EIR for Rancho Villaaes Policv Plan/ General Plan Amendment. This EIR, certified by the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors in 1981, addressed the Cumulative Impacts of past, present and future development within the Rancho Villages Policy Plan area. Development O considered in this assessment includes 11,300-12,400 residential units along with commercial, industrial, school and park acreage, which was forecast for the 4,000-acre Rancho Villages Policy Plan area. It also includes ap- proximately 9,900 residential units and commercial, indus- trial, schools and park acreage which are projected to occur on land outside the project area of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, yet within the Rancho California- Temecula Community Plan Area. This Draft EIR encompasses the land uses that were existing, proposed and approved at the time (1981) in the Rancho California area. The dwell- ing unit count anticipated within Rancho California as utilized in the Cumulative Impacts discussion of Draft EIR fnr D~wnf... cr: i i .. ~.~- .._~ _ ___ ... _ ._ _ _ _ totals approximately 25,000 units, and includes projections for The Meadows at Rancho California site. Since that time (1981), the nature of development proposals in the area have altered and/or expanded. Several major Specific Plans have been approved by the County of River- side which should be taken into consideration when evaluat- ing cumulative impacts. The Draft EIR for the Rancho Bella Vista Specific Plan, prepared in June 1984 by Donald A. 0 424 Cotton Associates, provides a thorough discussion of cumu- lative impacts of this area-wide development. The projects O assessed are as follows: MURRIETA HOT SPRINGS - Specific Plan 103 2,175 acres 12,366 d.u. 36 acres commercial use Population - 27,205 DUTCH VILLAGE - Specific Plan 106 1,248 acres 1,248 d.u. 60 acres commercial 90 acres industrial Population - 2,745 THE FARM - Specific Plan 116 1,520 acres 1,800 d.u. 18 acres commercial Population - 3,690 JOAQUIN RANCH - Specific Plan 128 2,130 acres 2,100 d.u. l0 acres commercial Population - 4,620 O RANCHO VILLAGES (including Vail Meadows site) - GPA 167 4,400 acres 11,797 d.u. 521 acres commercial 640 acres industrial Population - 25,953 DRAM PROPERTIES - Specific Plan 155 89 acres 471 d.u. 70 acres commercial 20 acres industrial Population - 1,036 GOLDEN TRIANGLE - Specific Plan 156 710 acres 4,581 d.u. 32 acres commercial Population - 10,078 425 CALIFORNIA OAKS - Specific Plan 173 O 1,976 acres 10,052 d.u. 71 acres commercial 129 acres industrial Population - 22,114 RANCHO BELLA VISTA SPECIFIC PLAN 798 acres 2,580 d.u. 15 acres commercial Population - 7,017 OTHER DEVELOPMENTS 15,600 acres 13,560 d.u. 485 acres commercial and industrial Population - 29,832 In addition, the following major developments have been recently approved or proposed in the project area: WINCHESTER PROPERTIES SPECIFIC PLAN N0. 213 1,042 acres 3,408 d.u. 95 acres commercial and town center 68 acres industrial Population - 8,793 THE VINEYARD SPECIFIC PLAN (AMENDS JOAQUIN RANCH SPECIFIC PLAN) 1,587 d.u. increase over previous approvals Population - 4,100 increase over previous approvals BUTTERFIELD STAGE RANCH (T.M. NO. 21697) 483 acres 1,096 d.u. Population - approx. 2,800 Cumulatively, the above listed major developments total approximately 64,000 dwelling units, approximately 2,400 acres of commercial and industrial use, with a population total of 143,237. The 5,611 dwelling units proposed by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan constitutes approximately 8~ of the total 64,000 units proposed in the general Rancho California/Temecula/Murrieta Hot Springs area and proposes an insignificant portion of the proposed commercial uses. It should be noted that the Vail Meadows Specific Plan largely implements the Rancho Villages Policy Plan for the 0 426 site, in accordance with the Open Space and Conservation Map of the Comprehensive General Plan. Therefore, impacts O associated with its development were considered and planned for in the creation of the General Plan. While the individual projects may contribute marginally to growth in the area, the collective projects will create an overall change in the once rural and sparsely populated nature of the region. The overall increase in units and related demands along neighborhood roads and for local services and utilities will cumulatively impact the area: In addition, the development of these projects in what is currently a semi-rural but steadily developing area could result in conversion of adjoining lands to similar uses. Therefore, ultimate urbanization of the project vicinity could potentially, indirectly influence expansion through- out the area. Areas for which cumulative impacts may be particularly noteworthy are discussed below: a. Seismic Safety. Sloes and Erosion Impacts resulting from grading for construction of numerous development projects in the area will alter the natural topography of the region. Cut and fill operations will be necessary in areas designated for development of lots and pads. A large portion of the Rancho California area is O comprised of gently rolling hills with well defined water courses. This may, in some cases, require extensive cut and fill operation which will impact landforms. Because of the presence of regional faults, the potential exists for impacts as a result of a seismic episode. An effort will be made to minimize grading impacts, however, through regulations of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. b. Flooding Drainage patterns and the quality, velocity and composition of runoff will be altered by large scale grading of areas planned for construction, as well as the creation of imper- vious surfaces (such as roadways, driveways, parking lots, etc.) Runoff entering streams will contain minor amounts of pollutants typical of urban use, thereby impacting the downstream water quality in the area. Siltation resulting from exposed ground surfaces from grading also may affect downstream water quality. Infiltration of-water used for irrigation of landscaped areas throughout the vicinity may affect the abundance and distribution of groundwater. It O 427 is anticipated that storm drain systems will be constructed O in accordance with the County's Master Drainage Plan in order to mitigate impacts on local drainage patterns. Alteration of natural drainageways in the region will be controlled through the regulations of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. c. Wildlife and Vegetation Although not significant in themselves, the loss of coastal sage scrub and introduced grassland habitat resulting from implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will contribute on an incremental basis to cumulative impacts to biological resources on a regional basis. These impacts are those which are now occurring in the region as a result of past and planned developments to the west and north. These impacts include: 1) an overall reduction in the native and naturalized biotic resources of the region; and 2) loss of secondary foraging habitat for migratory populations of birds of prey which are winter visitors to the region. The situation for the loss of potential habitat for Stephen's kangaroo rat is more serious. Loss of potential on-site habitat would be incremental; howev- er, the cumulative loss of its habitat from the region would contribute further to its rare status. d. Historic and Prehistoric and Resources O Development of the area will disturb any existing unknown archaeology or paleontological resources because of grading and excavation activities unless these areas are preserved as natural open space. However, if a certified archae- ologist or paleontologist is present, where necessary, during the grading operations, these impacts may be largely mitigated. This impact may be considered positive due to the discovery of resources which would have not otherwise been evaluated or uncovered. It is possible that grading and excavation in the area will uncover valuable resources which would contribute to the paleo-environmental and archaeological record of the southwestern Riverside County area. e. Agriculture Construction of various projects in the vicinity will continue and possibly accelerate the trend towards develop- ment of agricultural lands in Riverside County. This will undoubtedly involve some land designated as "Prime Farm- lands" on the Countywide Agricultural Resources Map; how- ever, development would be confined to areas designated as 0 428 "Area not Designated as Open Space" on the Riverside County Comprehensive General Plan's Open Space and Conservation O Map. In general, development of these proposed urban uses may increase the economic pressures on other agricultural properties to develop with urban uses. f. Land Uses Extensive urban development planned in the region may necessitate alterations in zoning designations, to create parcels where urban uses are permitted in the area. It may be anticipated that development of numerous projects planned in the region would influence the atmosphere of passive rural open space and scattered development which typifies the outlying areas of Rancho California. However, it is anticipated that plans for preservation of large open space areas and recreational areas within these various projects may retain the existing rural open space atmos- phere as much as possible. Although these proposed projects will influence the current open space character of the area, it is expected that uses proposed will be compatible with the current atmosphere of urban use in Rancho California. Any contrast in lifestyle accommodated by existing and proposed development may be mitigated by the fact that provision of a variety of addi- tional projects in the area will permit all local residents O to enjoy access to a diversity of recreational and commer- cial facilities. Nonetheless, development projects pro- posed for the project vicinity will have the potential for inducing growth within the neighboring lands. (See Section V.H.4 Growth-Inducing Impact of the Proposed Action.) g. Socio-Economic Fiscal Analysis The combined proposed projects will introduce approximately 64,000 d.u. accommodating approximately 143,237 persons (assuming 2.58 persons per d.u.). It is anticipated that these projects, combined with existing population, along with others proposed in RSA-49 (Murrieta) will greatly exceed the SCAG forecast of 77,000 persons for the year 2000 for RSA-49. More recent figures were adopted in February 1985 by the SLAG Executive Committee entitled "SCAG 1982 Modified Forecast". That forecast provides figures for the years 2000 and 2010. These figures indi- cate the change in population and housing were 40,000 and 19,800 respectively, the 2010 figures represent a popula- tion increase of 1408 and a housing increase of 1338. Based on the above analysis of cumulative impacts, it appears that even the 1982 Modified .Forecast may be exceeded. O 429 However, it should be noted that The Meadows at Rancho O California Specific Plan implements the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, which was planned for in the formulation of the SLAG-82 forecasts. While providing a greater diversity of housing units, the combination of projects will create an impact upon existing commercial, industrial, recreation- al facilities and local utility and service facilities. However, it is expected that the various developments planned in the area will provide for these uses to accom- modate the added population. It is also anticipated that applicants will cooperate with respective agencies to assure provision of adequate utilities and services. (See Section V.D., Public Facilities and Services Element.) h. Circulation and Traffic Ultimate development of additional dwelling units in the project area will generate a large increase in local traf- fic volumes. Approved and proposed open space, recrea- tional, commercial and industrial land uses may also be generated by the developments will impact existing road- ways, necessitating the expansion and improvement of exist- ing and construction of new regional roadway networks in order to accommodate additional traffic flows. Within developments it will be necessary to install circulation systems with sufficient capacity to accommodate traffic generated, in coordination with the regional roadway sys- tem. Section V.D.1., Circulation, assumes an increase in I~.J) traffic on local roadways at a rate of approximately 4.7$ per year for the next five years, then dropping off slightly to an average of 3$ per year over the following five years. The initial five-year growth rate of 4.7$ is the generally accepted rate by Riverside County for the Rancho California area. A lower rate of 3$ per year was used for the remaining five years to adjust for traffic increases added from three major developments in the imme- diate project area - Rancho Highlands; Margarita Village, and Butterfield Stage Ranch. Also, see Section VI.F., Technical Appendices - Rancho California Vail Meadows Traffic Impact Study. While the cumulative impact of all these projects may be viewed as a substantial increase that will necessitate expansion and improvement of the existing road network, it is important to reiterate the County of Riverside planning goals reflected in the Master Plan of Arterial Hiahwavs, include programming major roads in the area for incremental widening and/or extension to serve expected growth in 0 430 surrounding areas. Therefore, it appears that improvement O of the system of streets and highways in the area responds to County planning goals that anticipate local growth. Climate and Air Oualitv It is possible that the proposed projects will influence micro-meteorlogical conditions in the area to a minor degree. Construction of numerous additional projects will cumulatively impact air quality in the vicinity. Air quality will be temporarily degraded during construction activities which occur separately or simultaneously. However, the greatest cumulative impact on the quality of the regional air cell will be in incremental additional pollutants from increased traffic in the area and increased consumption of energy by inhabitants of the various new projects. j. Noise Noise during construction activities will impact noise conditions in the region on a short-term basis. It is expected that any cumulative construction noise impact would be mitigated, as the proposed projects are physically separate for the most part, and development will not occur simultaneously within a concentrated area. The major cumulative noise impact in the area would result from the O increased traffic volume in the vicinity. Any significant noise increase in the area would be directly related to the incremental increase in traffic volume. k. Utilities and Services Increased development in the Rancho California area will incrementally increase the demand for public utilities and services, including water and sewer service; electricity and natural gas services; telephone and cable television services; police and fire protection; school and park facilities; public transportation; hospital and ambulance service; and solid waste disposal service. This increased demand may be viewed as a growth-inducement to existing systems, which may result in expansion or extension of existing service facilities to serve all anticipated pro- jects. 1. Water and Sewer Services Increased expansion in the project area will increase the demand from the Rancho California Water and Eastern Munici- pal Water Districts for sewer and water service. Addi- O 431 tional lines and facilities will be required and O improvement districts formed to provide this service effec- tively to all developments in the area. Annexation fees, as well as water and sewer service fees charged on a per unit basis, will be applied to all units built. These fees should cover the costs of needed expan- sion. m. Electricity and Natural Gas Service The addition of 64,000 dwelling units and 2,400 acres of office/commercial/industrial use to the area will create a need for additional electricity and natural gas service. Southern California Edison and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) utilize an estimated residen- tial demand rate of 6,081 kwh/unit/year. With an estimated cumulative total of 64,000 dwelling units in the project area, the ultimate demand for electricity for the proposed residential uses alone may reach 389,184,000 kwh/year. Additional electricity would be required to serve the 2,400 acres of office/commercial/industrial uses proposed. The Southern California Gas Company and the SCAQMD gener- ally utilizes a rate of 6,665 cu feet/d.u./month. Consid- ering the estimated cumulative dwelling unit total of 64,000 d.u., approximately 426,560,000 cubic feet per month of natural gas could be consumed. Additional natural gas would be required to serve the 2,400 acres of office/com- mercial/industrial uses proposed. Additional Southern California Gas lines, as well as South- ern California Edison lines, would be required to provide these services to the area. n. Police and Fire Protection Growth in the project area will increase the demand for fire and police services provided by the County of River- side and State of California law enforcement and fire protection agencies. It is expected that each project applicant will cooperate with local jurisdictions to assure that sufficient effective services are provided to serve each project, thereby ensuring a safe environment through- out the area. The payment of fire impact mitigation fees of $400 per residential unit will be applied towards con- struction of additional fire stations and the purchase of equipment. 0 432 o. School and Park Construction of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Q Plan proposal and development of surrounding areas will increase area population, and therefore, the demand on schools and park facilities. It is expected that each development will cooperate with local school districts so that sufficient facilities are collectively provided to accommodate the students generated. It is anticipated that additional park facilities will be provided within the respective developments to alleviate demands upon existing parks. p. Hospital and Ambulance Services Expansive development in the project area may necessitate enlargement of existing facilities as well as expansion of ambulance service. O O 433 2. Unavoidable Adverse Impacts Unavoidable adverse environmental effects are those which cannot be eliminated or sufficiently mitigated through design measures to render them insignificant. These are, therefore, inevitable consequences inherent in the project and its ultimate construction. For the purpose of this EIR, the probable adverse impacts are those common to most residential development. These impacts have been discussed previously in Section V.C., Environmental Hazards and Resources Element and Section V.D., General Plan/Environ- mental Analysis and, therefore, they will only be summa- rized here. a. Seismic Safet Slo es and Erosion Grading for the project will involve cut and fill opera- tions which will alter the existing landform. Ground surfaces which are temporarily exposed during grading may be eroded. Because of the presence of regional faults, the potential exists for structural damage as a result of earthquake activity. (See Section V.C.1., Seismic Safety, and Section V.C.2., Slopes and Erosion.) b. Floodina O The volume and peak flow of surface runoff generated on- site will increase as a result of the creation of impervi- ous surfaces, such as roadways, driveways and other urban uses. Runoff entering the storm drain system and Temecula and Murrieta Creeks will contain pollutants typical of urban use. Ground water recharge may be somewhat reduced by project development. (See Section V.C.4., Flooding.) c. Noise Short-term noise from construction activities may temporar- ily impact areas on the project site and in proximity to the project site. Noise related to future daily traffic volumes and general urban activities on the project site will increase local acoustical levels, affecting the pro- ject site and surrounding areas. See Section V.C.S., Noise. 434 d. Wildlife and Vegetation Implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific O Plan will necessitate the removal of vegetation and wild- life habitats in areas where urban uses are planned. Conversion of on-site introduced grassland and coastal sage scrub biotic communities will reduce area-wide foraging habitat for raptors; however, the area is not considered to be of high significance in this regard, so this is not a significant adverse impact. Some impacts upon potential habitat for the Stephen's kangaroo rat are unavoidable. (See Section V.C.11., Vegetation/Wildlife.) e. Cultural Resources The potential exists for disturbance or destruction of unknown cultural resources during earthwork and grading operations. If removed without the proper scientific technique, valuable scientific resources could be lost. (See Section V.C.15., Historic and Prehistoric Resources.) f. Air Ouality Air quality in the project area will be temporarily de- graded during construction activity, and the quality of the regional air cell will be incrementally degraded by pollut- ants from increased traffic and energy consumption. (See Section V.C.6., Air Quality.) O g. Circulation Development of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will necessitate construction of an on-site circula- tion system, as well as modification to certain elements of the off-site system. The project will generate an esti- mated 47,600 vehicle trips per day. Approximately 40,000 of these trips would be external to the project bound- aries. This traffic will increase traffic volumes on area roads. (See Section III.D.1., Circulation.) h. Public Facilities and Services The demand for public utilities and services will be incre- mentally-.increased as a result of project implementation. These demands may result in the expansion or extension of existing facilities to serve the project site. (See Sec- tion V.D., Public Facilities and Services Element.) O 435 i. Enerav Development of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will increase pressure on energy resources in the project area and decrease the amount of natural open space resources on the project site. Energy consumption will increase on both a temporary and long-term basis through short-term consumption of energy during project construc- tion and long-term operation and maintenance of the project site. (See Section V.C.13., Energy Resources.) j. Agriculture Implementation of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will discontinue any further use of the site for dryland farming and grazing use. However, because of the limited nature of the agricultural use which is taking place on-site, this is not a significant impact. (See Section V.C.10., Agriculture.) 0 0 436 3. Alternatives to the Proposed Project It is the intent of this section to present several alter- natives to the proposed project. According to State EIR Guidelines, an EIR must present alternatives which are capable of eliminating significant environmental impacts and state why they were rejected for the proposed project. Included in this section are alternatives addressing the following scenarios: 1) the Ro Project Alternative; 2) the Reduced Density Alternative; and 3) the Increased Density Alternative. Each of these alternatives is analyzed with respect to their potential impacts on the environment. While a particular alternative may mitigate to some degree a particular adverse enviro~ental impact, other environ- mental impacts may be caused, or the achievement of a project objective may be sacrificed. a. No Project The "No Project" Alternative could retain the site's cur- rent approvals under the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, as shown on Figure 75, Rancho Villages Policy Plan. Approved uses are essentially those which would be implemented by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. Therefore, the "No Project" Alternative would permit the construction of land uses comparable to The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. O However, assuming that the project site is left undevel- oped, it would be maintained in its existing condition as agricultural use/open space, as described in Section V.C., Environmental Hazards and Resources Element. This is considered the environmentally superior alternative for the following reasons: o Elimination of all grading and associated impacts. o Reduction in traffic and associated air quality and noise impacts over development scenarios associated with the project proposal, or other alternatives con- sidered herein. o Elimination of all water quality and flood control impacts. o Elimination of impacts to biological and agricultural resources. O 437 ~~~~~® ~o~~~~~ p®I~a~~ p~~l 4 O ~ ~~~ j~ /j ~~~~~~ .~ ~' J FIGURE 75' AT RANCHO CALIFORNIA ~N.,68-032 ~~ ~'s°<<°141m q`~ ~ ,~ BEDFOFD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY i ~~ O a.u ..~c.~v ummecu.im. 29785 Single Oak Drive Suita 20D Rencno Calitomin, CA 92390 DATE : 4-27-87 ~ „1D0„~~, ;,;,,.~„ 438 o Elimination of impacts associated with increased demand O for public services and utilities, schools, parks, fire and police protection, etc. Reasons for Rejection of pNo Projectp° Alternative This alternative would negate the benefits associated with reflecting anticipated marketing needs and public demand by providing a range of housing types in a cohesive community which will be marketable within the developing economic profile of the Rancho California area as well as the County of Riverside generally. The "No Project" Alternative also would, of course, negate and/or significantly reduce any economic benefits to the project applicant. For these reasons, the "No Project" Alternative was rejected. b. Reduced Density Alternative For purposes of this analysis of a Reduced Density Alterna- tive, it will be assumed that the 399 acres of Medium Density (5.5 du/ac.) and the 495 acres of Medium Low Den- sity (4.5 du/ac.) residential use proposed by the present Specific Plan are developed with Low Density (3.5 du/ac.). This revision results in the construction of approximately 4,362 units on-site, a reduction of 1,292 units. This alteration in density results in all single-family units being developed at a Low Density, with approximately 26 O acres of Medium High (324 du) and 34 acres of High (578 du). Density located in the southern portion of the site, near the 23.0-acre community/neighborhood commercial cen- ter. This alternative also results in Low Density uses in all residential planning areas which are located along the boundaries of the site. For purposes of this alternative, one ten-acre school site will also be removed and replaced with a 10-acre public park. No further changes will be assumed in the remaining features of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. This alternative can be consid- ered environmentally superior to the current project pro- posal because fewer vehicle trips would be generated, resulting in reduced impacts to the local and regional circulation system, reduced amounts of air pollution would be created, and fewer impacts to utilities and services, would result. Environmental impacts of the Reduced Density Alternative are summarized below: 1) Traffic and Circulation The Reduced Density Alternative would generate approximate- ly 10,500 vehicle trips per day less than the current The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan proposal, resulting in a total trip generation for this alternative O 439 of 37,100. This represents a reduction of 22$ compared to O the 47,600 total vehicle trips per day associated with The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. This reduced traffic generation would proportion-ately reduce project impacts. 2) Noise The reduction of 1,292 dwelling units and the concomitant reduction in traffic volumes (as discussed in Item 1. above) could reduce the need for mitigation along some of the major roadways of the site, such as Margarita Road, Kaiser Road, De Portola Road and Pauba Road. Off-site noise impacts would also be reduced as a result of the reduction in traffic volumes on regional roadways. 3) Air quality The greatest project-related air quality impact results from vehicle trips. It is estimated that the 37,100 vehi- cle trips associated with the Reduced Density Alternative will generate 122,640 miles of travel less than the 553,000 miles generated by the current project proposal. This would reduce ultimate air quality impacts by approximately 22i. 4) Land IIse and Population O The Reduced Density Alternative would result in reduced quantitative (1,292 or approximately 22~ fewer dwellings) but not qualitative (residential) land use impacts. ~ The land use in areas presently proposed for residential use would remain unchanged. The intensity of impacts would, however be reduced. An estimated 3,300 fewer project residents would be generated by this Alternative, reducing demand for utilities and public services. The Reduced Density Alternative also reduces impacts to County-wide population. However, it should be noted that the uses proposed by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan implement the Comprehensive General Plan as embodied in the Rancho Villages Policy Plan. The elimination of the Medium and Medium Low Density residential uses as proposed by this Alternative would damage the concept of providing a variety of densities and housing types within "Villages" and would reduce opportunities for affordable single-family housing. 0 440 5) Wildlife/Vegetation The Reduced Density Alternative would require removal of O the existing introduced grassland and coastal sage scrub community to accommodate the Reduced Density Alternative, as would the currently proposed Specific Plan. 6) Hydrology and Water quality Development of the project site with the uses proposed by the Reduced Density Alternative would still require imple- mentation of a Master Drainage Plan to accommodate upstream and on-site flows. Water quality impacts are anticipated to be similar with both plans. 7) Topography The project site would require a similar amount of grading to accommodate the proposed Reduced Density Alternative, resulting in alteration to the natural topography. 8) Public Facilities and Services The Reduced Density Alternative would require an estimated maximum day demand of 20 cfs of water, a reduction of 5 cfs compared to the Vail Meadows Specific Plan, or a reduction of approximately 22~. Approximately 1.4 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage per day would be generated, based ~./ on average dry weather sewage flow generation rates, an ~.J approximately 22$ reduction compared to the current Spe- cific Plan proposal. These reductions in sewage generation and water consumption are not significant, however, as both the Rancho California Water District and the Eastern Mu- nicipal Water District have indicated their ability to serve the Specific Plan as currently proposed. The Reduced Density Alternative will incrementally reduce but not eliminate impacts associated with fire and police protec- tion. The elimination of 1,292 dwelling units, along with one school site will result in comparable impacts to the Temecula Union School District. Both the Reduced Density Alternative and the currently proposed Vail Meadows Spe- cific Plan propose adequate park and recreation facilities to mitigate impacts to local and regional recreational resources. 0 441 9) Geology, Soils and Seismicity; Cultural Resources -~ It can be anticipated that impacts resulting from the Reduced Density Alternative would be similar in nature and scope to those associated with the proposed The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. These impacts are briefly summarized below: Geology and Soils: Ground surfaces which are temporarily exposed during grading may be eroded. Seismicity: Because of the presence of regional faults, the potential exists for ground shaking at the project site. This in turn creates the potential for structural damage as a result of earthquake activity. Cultural Resources: No adverse impacts will result from project implementation, because no significant resources have been identified on-site. Reasons for Rejection of the Reduced Density Alternative The Reduced Density Alternative is concluded to be "envi- ronmentally superior" to the current development proposal. This conclusion is based upon the reduced environmental impacts presented above. However, by only offering sin- O gle-family units in the low density category, rather than the range of densities proposed by The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan, this alternative precludes some of the marketing objectives of the project including "to reflect anticipated marketing needs and public demand by providing a diversity of housing types and locations that are marketable in the region". This alternative also damages the "Village" concept of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, which calls fora variety of densities and housing types and reduces opportunities for the provision of more affordable single-family housing. With the Reduced Density Alternative, it also may not be economically feasible to offer the extensive range of recreational and open space uses which characterize the current The Meadows at Rancho California proposal. This alternative also reduces eco- nomic benefit to the project applicant and for these rea- sons this alternative was rejected. c. Increased Density Alternative For purposes of analyzing an "Increased Density" Alterna- tive, the 4 acres of Low Density, the 45 acres of Medium Density and the 48 acres of Medium Low Density residential land uses which are located south of De Portola Road will be assumed to be developed with Medium High Density units O 442 (12.0 du/ac.). This results in the construction of an - additional 1,108 units, for a total of 6,672 units under O the Increased Density Alternative. This area south of De Portola Road is outside the Rancho Villages Policy Area and is also closest to Highway 79, thereby providing immediate transportation access for these higher density uses without routing the additional vehicle trips through the lower density uses proposed on the more northern portions of the site. For purposes of this discussion of alternatives, no changes will be assumed in the remaining features of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan. This alterna- tive is not environmentally superior to the current proj- ect proposal. Environmental Impacts of the Increased Density Alternative are summarized below: 1) Traffic and Circulation The 6,672 residential units proposed by this Alternative result in an increase of approximately 8,327 vehicle trips per day to a total of approximately 55,900. This repre- sents a 17~ increase to the 47,600 vehicle trips per day generated by the Vail Meadows Specific Plan as presently proposed. This increased traffic generation would con- comitantly increase off-site project impacts. 2) Noise The increase of 1,108 dwelling units and the associated O increase in traffic volumes (as discussed in Item 1. above) would concomitantly increase on-site and off-site noise levels associated with the project. 3) Air quality The greatest project-related air quality impact results from vehicle trips. It is estimated that the 55,900 vehi- cle trips associated with the Increased Density Alternative will generate 648,440 vehicle miles of travel per day (assuming an average trip length of 11.6 miles). This is an increase of 96,593 vehicle miles compared to the 553,000 miles generated by the current project proposal. This would increase ultimate air quality impacts by approximate- ly 17$. 4) Land IIse and Population The Increased Density Alternative would result in increased quantitative (1,018 or 18$ additional dwellings) but not qualitative (residential) land use impacts. The intensity of impacts would, however be increased. An estimated 2,626 O 443 additional project residents would be generated by this Alternative, increasing demand for utilities and public services. The Increased Density Alternative, therefore, increases impacts to County-wide population. 5) Wildlife/Vegetation The Increased Density Alternative would require removal of the existing introduced grassland and coastal sage scrub communities, as would the currently proposed Specific Plan. 6) Hydrology and Water Quality Development of the project site with the uses proposed by the Increased Density Alternative would still require implementation of a Master Drainage Plan to accommodate upstream and on-site flows. Water quality impacts are anticipated to be similar with both plans. 7) Topography The project site would require a similar amount of grading to accommodate the proposed Increased Density Alternative, resulting in significant alteration to the natural topogra- phy. O 8) Public Facilities and Services The Increased Density Alternative would require an esti- mated maximum day demand of approximately 29.5 cfs of water, an increase of 4.5 cfs compared to the Vail Meadows Specific Plan, or an increase of approximately 18$. Ap- proximately 2.13 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage per day would be generated, based on average dry weather sewage flow generation rates, an approximately 18$ increase compared to the current Specific Plan proposal. The sig- nificance of this increase would depend on the affected Districts' ability to provide the additional service needed. The Increased Density Alternative will incre- mentally increase impacts associated with fire and police protection. The addition of 1,018 dwelling units will increase impacts to the Temecula Union School District and create the-need for additional school facilities. The Increased Density Alternative generates approximately 2,626 more project residents than does the current Specific Plan proposed. This would increase the on-site park needs. 444 9) Geology, Soils and Seismicity; Cultural Resources It can be anticipated that impacts resulting from the Increased Density Alternative would be similar in nature and scope to those associated with the proposed The Mead- ows at Rancho California Specific Plan. These impacts. were summarized previously in this Section, as part of Subsection B.; Reduced Density Alternative. Reasons for Rejection of the Increased Density Alternative As discussed above, several adverse impacts are associated with the Increased Density Alternative. These impacts are either greater than or equal to the impacts associated with the current project proposal. This Alternative also may not meet the market objective of "reflecting anticipated marketing needs and public demand by providing diversity of housing types and locations that are marketable in the region". For these reasons, this Alternative was rejected. 0 0 445 4. Growth-Inducing Impacts of the Proposed Action The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan site is located in the Temecula/Murrieta Hot Springs/Rancho Cali- fornia portion of southwestern Riverside County. This area is currently experiencing rapid growth and is anticipated to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. While the project may be considered growth-inducing, as discussed below, the project also is responding to development pres- sures already existing in the area. Development of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will cause growth in the project area. Assuming a population of 2.58 persons per dwelling unit, the project will increase area population by approximately 14,587 persons. The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan is located in Regional Statistical Area (RSA) No. 49 (Murrieta) which includes Rancho California, Temecula, Murrieta and Elsinore. SLAG-82 Forecasts for housing and population for RSA-49 include a population of 77,000 persons and 39,000 dwelling units. Modified SCAG-82 Fore- casts call for a 2,010 population of 96,000, housed in 46,999 dwelling units. Although The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan will not cause SLAG-82 Forecasts to be exceeded, on-going development in RSA-49, will result in a population greater than the forecast. /'~ It should be noted that The Meadows at Rancho California v Specific Plan proposal implements the approved Rancho Villages Policy Plan for the site. The growth embodied by the Rancho Villages Policy Plan is in conformance with the existing Riverside County Comprehensive General Plan. The Meadows at Rancho California residents will incremen- tally increase demands for public services and utilities, increasing use of off-site park and school facilities, commercial establishments, churches and other community institutions. The project also will contribute to the increasing demand for larger new retail commercial ser- vices, such as regional shopping centers, in the project area. This proposed project's contribution to demand for these services should be considered as a growth-inducement to these systems. Residents also will support and expand the existing economic base, stimulating commercial and office/industrial development in the area. It is not anticipated that the increase in demand will reduce or impair any existing or future levels of utility services, either locally or regionally, as costs for in- creased utilities and services will be met through coopera- O 446 tive agreements between the applicants and servicing agen- cies. Project phasing over l0 years is also expected to help regulate the rate of growth. Although the extension and expansion of these public services and utilities to The Meadows at Rancho California project site may contribute to growth in surrounding areas, as a result of their availability, the surrounding area is already largely developed or proposed for development, irrespective of the status of The Meadows at Rancho California project. (See Section V.H.1., Cumulative Impact Analysis.) O O 447 5. Project Correspondence O The correspondence listed below has been received, consid- ered and follows this page: * Eastern Municipal Water District, October 13, 1987 * Department of Water Resources, August 18, 1987 * County of Riverside Parks Department, August 20, 1987 0 0 448 O Agency Letters O O 449 astern ~unicipa~~atei•~istrict ~.r Mmnjer Bmrd o/Dirmors D. J,mes Laughlin - Jahn M. Coudures. Presdem CAirfEnginm and Aepury Grnrml Mawgrr - Richard C. Kelley, Vke Presidem James H. Buna Jr. Wm. G. Aldridge legal Counu7 Redr,irc aad Sherrill D 7k M l Chem C. Gdben ~" ~ ~ 1 " ~ ~ ~ Rodger D. Siems ; 1 irtnor oJ iam Warr e rempo h Di i Cdi S ~, d u ~ au ern vr a oJ Jomia ~ ~ loui¢ C. Korners Doyle F-Born T 0 CT 14 1967 Rogers M. Caa October 13, 1987 RIVERSIDE COUNTY Riverside County Planning Department PLP.NNING DEPARTMENT 4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor Riverside, California 92501 O ATTENTION: Olivia Gutierrez, Associate Planner SUBJECT: bAII F'IFADOWS, SPECIFIC PLAN 219 Dear Ms. Gutierrez: Thank you for the opportunity to review your Specific Plan 219. The Eastern Municipal Water providing reclaimed water and sewer services to These services include the following: RECLAIMED WATER Distribution Delivery Notice of Preparation for District is responsible for the subject project area. SEWER Collection Transmission Treatment Disposal Discussions of projected water demands, sewage flows, and proposed District facility improvements should appear in the EIR. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (714) 925-7676, extension 205. bery Truly Yours, n ~C~ ~~ avid G. Crosley Associate Civil Engineer DGC:eg 449a 24650 San Jacinto Street o Poet Office Bo: 858 o Hemet, California 92363 o Telephone (714) 925.7676 ST:.TE OF CALIFORNIA-RESOURCES AGENCY GEORGE OEU KMEJIAN, Goramor DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES P. O. Be: 6598 ~r"5 R1 C~~~yp~ y-~ • ~ •~ LOS ANGELES ® I::; .~~,~ \~ p ~ ~ I °p 90055 ~ ~ ~. I ;:1 k ` ~n ~~ rl.uu z ~ ~ss~ . AU6 1 8 1987 R!VERS!Dc L,CUNTY PLANNING Dc?ARTNENT County of Riverside Planning Department 4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor Riverside, CA 92501 Attention: Olivia Gutierrez Reference: Notice of Preparation of DEIR for tlsil Meadows Specific Plan 219, aeted July 24, 1987• sCHft 87072003 Your referenced document has been reviewed by our Department staff. Recommendations, as they relate to water conservation and flood damage prevention, are attached. The Department recommends that you consider implementing a comprehensive program to use reclaimed water for irrigation purposes in order to free fresh water supplies for beneficial uses requiring high quality water supplies. For further information, you may wish to contact John Pariewski at O 213-620-3951• Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment an .this report. Sincerely, Charles R. Nhite, Chief plwnning $renCh Southern District Attachments cc: Office of Pl++*+++~*+g and Research State Clearinghouse 3400 Tenth Street Sacramento, CA 95814 REC'c;`JED AUG 3 1 '~~ TURRINI h Eii„~:r( 4491 ®EPAE5YGIEIMY O~ WAYEE3 WESC~6DRC~S W{=CORAIiAEWOAYIORiS O' fFOLB WAYEta COgSEWH&YBOW AR1® tlkIAYSW WECLAl~AY80q To reduce water demand, implement the water conservation measures described here. G$O ~IdIPO~ The following State laws require water-efficient plumbing fixtures in structures: o Health and Safety Code Section 17921.E requires low-flush toilets and urinals in virtually all buildings as follows: "After January 1, 1983, all new buildings constructed in this state shall use water closets and associated flushometer valves, if any, which are water-conservation water closets as defined by American National Standards Institute Standard A112.19.2, and urinals and associated flushometer valves, if any, that use less than an average of 1-1/2 gallons per flush. Blowout water closets and associated flushometer valves are exempt from the requirements of this section." o Title 20, California Administrative Code Section 1604(f) (Appliance Efficiency Standards) establishes efficiency standards that give the maximum flow rate of all new showerheads, lavatory faucets, and sink faucets, as specified in the standard approved by the American National Standards Institute on November 16, 1979, and known as ANSI A112.18.1M-19']9. 0 0 0 trriciency standards) prohibits the sale of fixtures that do not comply with regulations. No new appliance may be sold or offered for sale in California that is not certified by its manufacturer to be in compliance with the provisions of the regulations establishing applicable efficiency standards. ~~aiii vrnia cnerxy conservation stanaards i-or New Buildings) prohibits the installation of fixtures unless the manufacturer has certified to the CEC compliance with the flow rate standards. address pipe insulation requirements, which can reduce water used before hot water reaches equipment or fixtures. These requirements apply to steam and steam-condensate return piping and recirculating hot water piping in attics, garages, crawl spaces, or unheated spaces other than between floors or in interior walls. Insulation of water-heating systems is also required. 449c o Health and Safety Code Section 404'] prohibits installation of O residential water softening or conditioning appliances unless certain conditions are satisfied. Included is the requirement that, in most instances, the installation of the appliance must be accompanied by water conservation devices on fixtures using softened or conditioned water. o Government Code Section X800 specifies that lavatories in all public facilities constructed after January 1, 1985, be equipped with self-closing faucets that limit flow of hot water. 40 ~o Ion~lomon4od ~to,oro og®Iteoblo Interior 1. Supply line pressure: Water pressure greater than 50 pounds per square inch (psi) be reduced to 50 psi or less by means of a pressure-reducing valve. 2. Drinking fountains: Drinking fountains be equipped with self-closing valves. 3. Hotel rooms: Conservation reminders be posted in rooms and restrooms.° Thermostatically controlled mixing valve be installed for bath/shower. 4. Laundry facilities: Water-conserving models of washers be used. 5. Restaurants: Water-conserving models of dishwashers be used or spray emitters that have been retrofitted for reduced flow. Drinking water be served upon request only.° 6. Ultra-low-flush toilets: 1-1/2-gallon per flush toilets be installed in ell new construction. Exterior•O 1. Landscape with low water-using plants wherever feasible. 2. Minimize use of lawn by limiting it to lawn-dependent uses, such as playing fields. When lawn is used, require warm season grasses. 3. Group plants of .similar water use to reduce overirrigation of low-water-using plants. 4. Provide information to occupants regarding benefits of low-water-using landscaping and sources of additional assistance. °The Department of Water Resources or local water district may aid in developing these materials or providing other information. 449d 0 5. Use mulch extensively in all landscaped areas. Mulch applied on top of soil will improve the water-holding capacity of the soil by reducing evaporation and soil compaction. 6. Preserve and protect existing trees and shrubs. Established plants are .often adapted to low-water-using conditions and their use saves water needed to establish replacement vegetation. ']. Install efficient irrigation systems that minimize runoff and evaporation and maximize the water that will reach the plant roots. Drip irrigation, soil moisture sensors, and automatic irrigation systems are a few methods of increasing irrigation efficiency. 8. Use pervious paving material whenever feasible to reduce surface water runoff and to aid in ground water recharge. 9. Grade slopes so that runoff of surface water is minimized. 10. Investigate the feasibility of using reclaimed waste water, stored rainwater, or grey water for irrigation. 11. Encourage cluster development, which can reduce the amount of land being O converted to urban use. This will reduce the amount of impervious paving created and thereby aid in ground water recharge. 12. Preserve existing natural drainage areas and encourage the incorporation of natural drainage systems in new developments. This aids ground water recharge. 13. To aid in ground water recharge, preserve flood plains and aquifer recharge areas as open space. O 449e ~~oo®®~~~~~ ~~~d~~~,o~ o In flood-prone areas, flood damage prevention measures required to protect a proposed development should be based on the following guidelines: 1. It is the State's policy to conserve water; any potential loss to ground water should be mitigated. 2. All building structures should be protected against a 100-year flood. 3. In those areas not covered by a Flood Insurance Rate Map or Flood Boundary and Floodway Map, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the 100-year flood elevation and boundary should be shown in the Environmental Impact Report. 4. At least one route of ingress and egress to the development should be available during a 100-year flood. 5. The slope and foundation designs for all structures should be based on detailed soils and engineering studies, especially for hillside developments. 6. Revegetation of disturbed or newly constructed slopes should be done as soon as possible (utilizing native or low-water-using plant material). 7. The potential damage to the proposed development by mudflow should be O assessed and mitigated as required. 8. Grading should be limited to dry months to minimize problems associated with sediment transport during construction. O 449f Ie,. ~`1~ ~-~ 666... p.~'r; ~ I l~til r:~_ C~o0MNN4~'l OO ~ G°3DMC~G°W,~.-0OC~,_-~;:-~ T0: Olivia Gutierrez, Associate Planner, Planning Department FROM: George Balteria, Chief Park Planner, Parks Department ~A,i3/ ~• SUBJECT: Specific Plan 219, Vail Meadows The following are the areas of concern that we feel should be addressed in the Environmental Impact Report for the above referenced project. Recreation Facilities 1. County Park Facilities - Lake Skinner County Park is located immediately south of the project site. The potential impacts associated with a development near this park facility should be addressed. O 2. Recreation Trails - Both existing and proposed riding and hiking traits are located adjacent to and within the proposed project area. These trails are incorporated in fhe General Plan of Recreation Trails and should be addressed in the EIR. Maps of these trails are available through the Parks Department. A recreation trail master plan, including bicycle, riding and hiking trails should be incorporated into this project. Cultural and Historical Resources Cultural and Historical Resources need to be surveyed and identified and appropriate preservation or documentation implemented. Additional information or mitigation measures can be obtained from Diana Seider, History Division Director, Riverside County Parks. Circulation, Traffic Vehicular Traffic and Circulation - The EIR should address the impacts created by the additional traffic created by this project and support facilities. The increased traffic congestion should be addressed as it relates to impacts on recreation trail facilities. O ~p1TEFI-DEPA&iTPAERlYAL LETTER 4498 August 20, 1987 Memo to Olivia Gutier,_~ August 20, 19,.. Page 2 Hvdrology, Flooding, Drainage, Biological Resources Hydrology and Drainage - The cumulative impacts involving erosion control, drainage and sedimentation need to be reviewed as to the need for possible long-term monitoring. Biological Resources - Impacts to existing habitat and animal species should be addressed and appropriate mitigation measures be proposed. Concerns regarding biological resources must be addressed and coordinated with Jann Young, Interpretive Specialist, of this department. Should you have any questions regarding our areas of concern, please do not hesitate to contact this department. GB/KS:mg 0093M Enclosure c: Sam Ford Diana Seider Jann Young Ken Sotelo O O 449h "~~,~ ~9~t~~~~a~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~~~g~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ f~otlce ofi®$reparation ~n environmental Impact Deport a~rt~r ~urr~ DATE: July 16, 1987 T0; Parks Department PROJECT CAS"c NO/TITLE: Vail Meadows, Specific Plan 219 0 PROJECT SPONSOR: Turrini 8 Brink c/o Barry Burnell 1920 E. 17th St. X200 Santa Ana, CA 92701 PROJECT LOCATION: North of Highway 79, south of Pauba Road, east of Margarita O Road and west of Butterfield Stage Road in the Rancho California Community. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: See attachment 6 Pursuant to Riverside County Rules to Ymplement 4he California Environmental Quality Act, notice is given to responsible and interested agencies, Yhat the Riverside County Planning Department plans to oversee the preparation on am Environmental Impact Report for the project. The purpose of this notice is to.solicit gmidance from your agency as i:o the scope and content of the environmental information to be included in the EIR. Information in that regard should be submitted to this office as soon as possible, but not later than 45 days after receiving this notice. Attached is a copy of the issues to be included in the: draft EIR. Yf you have any questions, please contact Olivia Gutierrez at (71B) 787 6568 Very truly yours, O PD 83-15 a-63 R%VERSYDE COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT Roger S. Streeter, Planning Director Olivia Gutierrez, Associate Planner 4491 4080 LEMON STREET. 9TM FLOOR 46.9 OASIS STREET, ROOM 304 Attachment B The Riverside County Planning Department has determined that an EIR is required for the following project: Specific Plan No. 219, Vail Meadows, proposes to provide a mix of residential uses, commercial and open space. The number of units and acreage is distributed as follows: Land Use Acrea a No. of Unit Residential Low Density 103 Medium Low Density 513 Medium Density 390 Medium High Density 27 High Density 33 Commercial 25 ~ Parks and Recreation 20 ~` Greenbelt/Paseos 112 Elementary Schools 20 Jr. High Schools 20 Roads 116 TOTAL 1379 OG:mcb 361 2309 2145 324 561 -... 5700 0 O O 449j .~ ~ , ;:~ - . _ ' ~ 'r r .Y ~ ~ ._r, i ~ cti .. g ~...c~ C~~ ~. ". ~: j ~ - , - a ~ r r . _ ~, ' ' ~ w a ~••M• i _ ' ` ~Q{] F ;~` ' ~ -i/ Q 0 - ~~ c Z ~ Y « ~ L F~ .. ~ ~ ~ e c : ~ ' as h ~ ~ ~. .~ . : - • i' 5 ~ - t ba • ,~~t~q ~ ,~ ° - ~. - .~ . . __~ . J N , _ ~ .~- '1~~ ~~ . 1'~ ' .I - f ~'. 1 ~ ; ~ 1. "y 0 ~ q / r. _ .' u n~ U O Q d ( .~ > n ~ - ~ r . J ` , ~ w Y •6.. 2 •` ~ .~, ~ /. ./. .~ ~ . D~ .i \~ . ~• ~~ e• O4 °~•• ~i 6~ ~ W ~ .. ~O 1 " O . d - O e' j O ° e ~ O Y ~ . I ~Q ~ l•~': ) ', d g ~ ~ ~ • ,I ~ ~ Q n - ~~ f _ ~ ~ ~ ~ • ~ ~ O t ~ ~~~;; ~~ e ~ V ' ¢ ~~ S Y ~ 449k ~ Y9 OItl0001B0 V ~C~A ~ ~ ~9~ O 6dQQ CT/OOQO I t VO tlB00104G _ 6®O®0O p09 6001000 /a o 000600 6~61~®OC1~ O~ QO e l~s~.'^ C~ f8 O ~L 1'Y ~ -d MUO /~ 4ntl0CN6A m o.o.n. c~o~aau4v qm caap oaa oeno® QG°~C~Q ~1Qp 4491 6. Organizations and Persons Consulted a. Technical Rep orts Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc. 7370 Opportunity Road, Suite "N" San Diego, CA 92111 May 1987. September 1987. 1987. Steven G. Nelson, Consulting Biologist 24230 Delta Drive Diamond Bar, CA 91765 California, May 1987 Wilbur Smith Associates 2406 South 24th Street, Suite E-210 Phoenix, AZ 85034 Contact: Bob Davis August Rancho California, Vail Meadows Development Traffic Impact Stuff, November 1987 Robert Bein, William Frost & Associates 14725 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA 92718 August 1987. Preliminary Drainaae Assessment for Vail Meadows August 1987. O 450 b. Organizations and Persons Consulted County of Riverside Planning Department Ron Goldman Olivia Gutierrez County of Riverside Fire Department Captain Mike Gray c. Documents South Coast Air Quality Management District, April 1987. California Air Ouali_y Data. Summary of 1986 Air Oual- itv Data; California Air Resources Board. California Air Resources Board. Riverside County Comvrehensive General Plan; March 1984 Rancho Villages Policy Plan. GPA 167-790-L-51, County of Riverside Draft EIR for Rancho Villages Policy Plan General Plan O 0 Amendment; prepared for the Riverside. County Planning Department, by the Planning Center (August 1980). 451 7. The Relationship Between Local Short-Term Uses for O Man's Environment and the lKaintenance and Enhancement of Long-Term Productivity. The project site is currently undeveloped, supporting dryland farming and sporadic grazing. If the proposed The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan is approved and constructed, a variety of short-term and long-term impacts will occur on both local and region- al levels. During construction, the limited introduced grassland and coastal sage scrub vegetation and wildlife on-site, as well as portions of surrounding lands would be temporarily impacted by dust and noise over the proposed ten year project build-out. Short-term erosion may occur during grading. There also will be a minor increase in air pollution, caused by grading and construction activities. These disruptions however are temporary and can be miti- gated to a large degree. The long-term effect of the project proposal and the subse- quent development will be to gradually convert the site into residential, commercial, school and recreation land uses. In relation to this process, the characteristics of the physical, biological, cultural, aesthetic, and human environment will be impacted, as with any form of urbaniza- tion. As discussed in Section V.C., Environmental Hazards O and Resources Element, consequences of this urbanization include: Increased traffic volumes, incremental degrada- tion of the regional air cell, additional noise created by traffic generated by inhabitants of the proposed residen- tial uses, incremental increased demands for public serv- ices and utilities and increased energy and natural resource consumption. Ultimate development of The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan would create long-term environmental conse- quences that are connected with any form of urbanization. However, the proposed project has been designed to benefit the community and population by providing increased oppor- tunities for housing, commercial services and recreation. The proposed project will ultimately provide for a form of long-term productivity which appears compatible with human needs in the area and with County of Riverside goals for planned growth, in accordance with SLAG Growth projections and the Comprehensive General Plan as embodied in the Rancho Vil-lages Policy Plan. O 452 8. Irreversible/Irretrievable Commitment of Energy Sup- plies and Other Resources Should the Project be Imple- O mented Specific Plan approval would constitute the County of Riverside's intent to allow the development of the project site as proposed. Implementation of the proposed The Meadows at Rancho California Specific Plan would result in the following primary environmental changes: a) Permanent commitment of land which will be physically altered to create access roads, home sites, commercial uses, open space and recreational uses. b) Removal of existing agricultural land uses in order to develop various aspects of the project. c) Alteration of the human environment as a consequence of the development process. The project, which represents a commitment of land to urban use, continues the trend toward urbanization of these resources. dj Increased requirements for public services and utili- ties by the project residents, representing a permanent commitment of these resources. e) Utilization of various new materials, such as lumber, sand and gravel for construction. Some of these re- O sources are already being depleted worldwide. The energy consumed in developing and maintaining the site for urban use may be considered a permanent invest- ment. O 453 0 VASL MEADOWS SPECIFIC PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ,",235 PROPOSED SPECIFIC PLAN NO. 219 STATE CLEARINGHOUSE #87072003 O MAY 1988 0 0 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT NO. 235 PROPOSED SPECIFIC PLAN NO. 219 STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NO. 87072003 PLANNING DEPARTMENT CERTIFICATION I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS FINAL EIR IS AN ACCURATE, OBJECTIVE AND ADEQUATE STATEMENT WHICH CONTAINS THE DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED BY SECTION 607 OF THE LOCAL RULES TO IMPLEMENT CEQA, AND HAS OTHERWISE COMPLIED WITH CEQA. Ro~r treeter, Planning Director 0 AGENCY COMMENTS/STAFF RESPONSES The following agencies commented on the Draft EIR. Please note that Section I contains agency comments and staff responses. Section II of the Final EIR contains associated project correspondence. AGENCIES A. Riverside County Sheriff B. State of California, Department of Fish and Game C. State of California, Department of Transportation, District 8 D. Eastern Municipal Water District Page No.'s 1 - 2 4 7 E. Southern California Association 9 of Governments II-1 II-2 thru II-4 ZI-5 thru II-7 II-8 II-9 thru II-10 0 COMMENTS RECEIVED ON VAIL MEADOWS SPECIFIC PLAN EIR NO. 235 AGENCIES Paae No.'s A. Riverside County Sheriff 1 II-1 B. State of California, Department of 2 II-2 thru Fish and Game II-4 C. State of California, Department of 4 II-5 thru Transportation, District 8 II_7 D. Eastern Municipal water District 7 II-8 E. Southern California Association 9 II-9 thru of Governments II-10 O 0 O EIR No. 235 Response to Comments The following comments were received the Draft EIR as well as projected promote. Staff has prepared responses concerning the adequacy of impacts this project will to the comments received. SECTION I A. RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF 1. Comment: The Vail Meadows Specific Plan will increase the population of Rancho California by approximately 16,889 persons. This increase in population will result in an increase in crime. We need a time element for beginning and completion of each phase. Response: In accordance with this comment, page 396 of the Specific Plan/Draft EIR document states that "an increase in population will result in an increase in crime". In regards to project phasing, it is expected that the proposed project will be constructed in five phases over a l0-year period, in response to market demands. The exact date for the beginning and completion of each phase cannot be determined at this early stage of project development. However, additional detail on phasing is found on pages 168 through 172 of the Specific Plan/Draft EIR document. 2. Comment: The Vail Meadows project would require an estimated 7.5 additional deputies, based on an officer-resident ratio of one officer per 1,500 persons. Response: This information is hereby incorporated into the Final EIR document. In addition, this topic is discussed in more detail in the Fiscal Impact Report for the Vail Meadows Specific Plan. 3. Comment: At the present time, there is one deputy servicing the Rancho California area, which encompasses an area with a population of approximately 40,000 persons. Upon completion, the additional growth will negatively impact the Lake Elsinore Sheriff Station and the Rancho California Area, unless this project makes adequate provisions for the additional officers needed. Response: As discussed in this comment, the Vail Meadows project will incrementally contribute to the need for additional officers in the Rancho California area, due to continued development in the area. The project proponent will cooperate with the Sheriff's Department to assure proper protection facilities and personnel are available. However, further personnel and equipment needs are provided through allocation of funds by the County Board of Supervisors in its yearly budget. The project will be contributing to the General Fund through revenues from property taxes and other general fund revenues. 0 1 B. STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 1. Comment: The Department of Fish and Game has reviewed th~a' Draft EIR for the Rancho Villages Assessment District (RVAD), which is a plan to finance public facilities construction in a 5,860-acre area along the Highway 79 corridor in Rancho California. This area encompasses 36 separate properties, including the Vail Meadows Specific Plan. Construction of the proposed projects will primarily impact: 1) the riparian resources of the Temecula Creek; 2) Stephen's kangaroo rat habitat and other sensitive species associated with the coastal sage scrub community, and 3) grassland areas which are important raptor foraging areas. This correspondence from Fish and Game constitutes their DEIR comments on Vail Meadows, Wolf Valley, Butterfield Stage Ranch, and Vail Ranch Redevelopment. Response: No response required. 2. Comment: Approximately 25 acres of riparian habitat associated with Temecula Creek will be adversely impacted by proposed developments. Mitigation measures described in the RVAD DEIR include the creation of a Biological Enhancement Program involving 70 acres to be dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of riparian habitats. Though this Program has merit, additional information regarding a precise description of the area is needed. It is the policy of the Department to oppose projects which result in a ne O loss of either wetland acreage or wetland habitat values. We recommend that the County incorporate mitigation requirements into the DEIR which assure that no net loss of either wetland acreage of wetland habitat values will result from project implementation. Department personnel are available to work with County staff on the development of such a mitigation program. Response: As discussed on pages 333 through 343 of the Specific Plan/Draft EIR document, no riparian habitat exists or. the Vail Meadows project site. Biotic communities on-site consist of isolated pockets of coastal sage scrub surrounded by rural/agriculture. Therefore, this comment is directed to other projects within the RVAD area and is outside the scope of the Vail Meadows Final EIR. 3. Comment: The RVAD DEIR understates the significance of losses of grassland and coastal sage scrub communities and offers no mitigation for the loss. The Department of Fish and Game recommends that these habitats be preserved as open space in sufficient acreage to reduce impacts to levels of insignificance. The Department considers adverse impacts to grasslands and coastal sage scrub communities to be significant unmitigated adverse impacts. 2 O O Response: The Vail Meadows Specific Plan/Draft EIR does not consider the losses of grassland and coastal sage scrub communities to be significant within the context of regional biological resources. The project site is not, for example, called out as an area of high biological importance by the California Department of Fish and Game (1979), as was the area around Perris Reservoir because of its raptor habitat. In addition, these on-site communities do not contain the habitat for rare and endangered species-; therefore, the loss will not be significant. 4. Comment: The RVAD DEIR documents the existence of historic SKR habitat within the project area. This documentation is evidence of the fact that the Stephen's kangaroo rat (SKR) population is in extreme jeopardy. For this reason, the Department renews their request to the County Planning Department and the Board of Supervisors to work with the Department on the preparation and implementation of a Countywide plan for the preservation of this species. Resoonse: The project applicant retained the fires of Michael Brandman Associates to undertake a trapping program for the Vail Meadows project site in May, 1988 to determine whether the Stephen's kangaroo rat inhabits the site. The results of this survey have been submitted to County of Riverside Planning O Department Staff for their review and distribution. As a result of this trapping program, mitigation measures were recommended to offset the loss of potential habitat on-site. Participation in an off-site mitigation program for preservation of the SKR was recommended and agreed to by the project applicant. Q ~ 3 C. STATE OF CALZFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION I 1. Comment: Cumulative vehicle travel demand will significantly reduce the level of service on the State Highway System. This project should be conditioned to reduce regional travel demand through a Transportation Management Association or other mitigation measures to reduce demand. Response: It is anticipated that this project will participate in the Rancho Villages Assessment District- in order to implement regional roadway conditions needed to accommodate traffic from this and other projects in the area. 2. Comment: There is an arithmetic error in Table 1, page 10 of the Traffic Analysis. Subtotal dwelling unit trips (45,306) plus Subtotal other trips (9,921) equals 55,227 vehicle trips, not 47,618. External trips are, therefore, underestimated by 14%. Response: According to the project traffic engineer (Bob Davis of Wilbur Smith Associates), this is not an error. Some vehicle trips are double-counted and adjustments have been made accordingly. For instance, residential trips to commercial areas, schools, etc. are also counted as trips generated by those uses. Therefore, adjustments have been made so that only one trip is counted when this occurs, not two. 3. Comment: Table 3, page 14 of the Traffic Analysis, at O 190,000 ADT, I-15 would provide LOS F during peak hours. Response: The 190,000 ADT figure in this comment reflects the capacity of I-15, not anticipated volume. Volume ranges from 65,150 ADT without the project (LOS A) to 72,650 ADT with the project (LOS A). 4. Comment: Figure 71 (page 279 of the Draft EIR) indicates a double left-turn lane onto southbound I-15. This will require ramp widening and installation of ramp meters. Response: This comment is acknowledged and is hereby incorporated into the Final EIR. 5. Comment: Project-generated traffic impacts to Route 79 and I-15 must be mitigated by the development creating the impact. This report assumes that State Route 79 would be widened to a 4-lane cross section from I-15 to Pala Road prior to 1997, but does not address how this widening will be funded. Response: The Rancho Villages Assessment District Traffic Study looks at proposed roadway improvements for the area, 4 O including the Vail Meadows project. Phase II of this program will widen State Route 79 from I-15 to beyond Butterfield Stage Road. Therefore, this improvement noted by Caltrans is included in the proposed Assessment District. 6. Comment: Vail Meadows will contribute significantly to the planned growth in this area. Caltrans recommends that this proposal participate in the Rancho Villages Assessment District and other County-approved funding mechanisms to widen Route 79 to a 6-lane arterial from the I-15 interchange to Anza Road. Other mitigative measures should include intersection widening and signalization at: 1) I-15 off-ramps ar Route 79 (South Junction). 2) Pala Road and Route 79. 3) Margarita Road and Route 79. 4) Butterfield Stage Road and Route 79. 5) I-15 off-ramps at Rancho California Road. Response: The project applicant will participate in the Rancho Villages Assessment District, as well as the Traffic Signal Mitigation Program. In regard to the five intersections listed as requiring signalization, it should be noted that the Vail Meadows Traffic Analysis discusses the needs for signals at locations 1, 2, 3, and 5. The Traffic Analysis recommends that a stop sign be installed at Butterfield Stage Road/Route 79, but O that the intersection be monitored to determine the need for a signal. However, the County ultimately decides where signals are required and constructs those signals utilizing funds from the Traffic Signal Mitigation program. 7. Comment: Major interchange modifications to I-15 at Jct. 79 (Front Street) and at Rancho California Road will be necessary within the next 10 years due to this and other development proposals in the vicinity. The County of Riverside should consider these needs and begin now to find appropriate sources of funding for development-related growth. Response: According to Bob Davis of Wilbur Smith Associates, these improvements are now being designed, including signals at Rancho California Road. The I-15/Route 79 modifications are being addressed in the Rancho Villages Assessment District, while improvements to I-15/Rancho California Road are being studied as part of the Margarita Village development. 8. Comment: Any or all of the proposed changes could have a significant effect on Creek degradation for a considerable distance up and down stream of the improvements which could endanger the structural integrity and/or the water-carrying capabilities of street and highway drainage structures. O 5 Creek changes should take into consideration the changes it sediment and improvements as necessary to protect tY. highway. Drainage improvements for the area should take into consideration the importance of the-State Highway in the area and recognize that higher standards and design criteria are required. Response: See pages 306 through 312 of the Specific Plan/Draft EIR for details on hydrology and flood control associated with the Vail Meadows proposal. In addition, all improvements will be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the County of Riverside Flood Control and Water Conservation District, as well as Caltrans, where appropriate. 0 6 O D. EASTERN MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT -O 1. Comment: In the event that the proposed Rancho Villages Assessment District is unable to provide the required sewer facilities, other means for their provision must be made. Response: If the RVAD is unable to provide the funding for certain required sewer facilities, it will be the responsibility of the developer to provide such facilities. 2. Comment: The proposed sewer plan as presented does not totally conform to EMWD's master sewer plan for the project area. During the tentative tract planning stage, pipeline alignments, tributary flows and pipe sizes will need to be extensively reviewed and approved by the District. Road alignments shall consider the design of a gravity sewer which will provide for the sewer to be located in road right-of-way, and not through easements or requiring a lift station. Response: This comment is hereby incorporated into the Final EIR. Project engineers will meet with EMWD planning and engineering staff members to discuss specific problem areas and develop acceptable solutions at the tentative tract stage of development. O 3. Comment: We request that more consideration be given to the issue of effluent disposal. Reclaimed water use is required for this project unless other mitigation for effluent disposal can be presented. Response: Please see attached letter from EMWD (dated May 24, 1988) which states that due to the location of Vail Meadows in the Pauba Valley of Rancho California, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) requirements of the Regional Water Quality Control Board's Basin Plan cannot be met. This correspondence concludes, "Therefore, until a basin plan amendment is obtained by EMWD to allow higher TDS levels, the Vail Meadows project is not required to use reclaimed water." 4. Comment: The District's storage ponds are not proposed to be relocated. The District plans to abandon the ponds and return the area to its natural state as soon as permanent effluent disposal facilities are established elsewhere. Response: This comment is hereby incorporated into the Final EIR. O 7 Gwnd ALrwrrr 0. ),mn laughlie Lid Caeru,! Rdriw ,nd Shcnrl! Dlrwe. of TM Merre{w(wn W.ur Dkn:n of Seeee~.e C.lle.wu Doyk P. Ban T.«rwe. Roaw M. Ga May 24, 1988 Mr. Ron Goldman Riverside County Planning Department 4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor Riverside, California 92501 SllBJECT: PAIL FlEADOHS SPECIFIC PLAN 219, EIR 235 Dear Ron: 90..! of Dlnue•r )oha M. CoWUn~ Prnidene Rimud C K,iM, Vln ?:n:Mee CPT. G. Aldriyc O Urfur C Gibr:c aad~rt D. Si,m. Srnrr..~ Lwir, C Konen The Otstrlct is clarifying its general eammertt regarding use of reclaimed water for the subject pro3ect. It is the District's position that reclaimed water be used for landscape irrigation to common areas. However, the Yail Meadows project is located in the Pauba Valley of Rancho California.- The Pauba Valley has total dissolved solids (TDS) requirements which are lower than the treated effluent. The TDS requirement is contained in the Regional O Water quality Control Board's Basin Plan. Therefore, until a basin plan amendment is obtained by EMWD to allow higher TDS Tevels, the Vail Meadows project is not required to use reclaimed water. Should you have any questions regarding this subject, please call me. Very Truly Yours, William E. Plummer Assistant Chief Engineer WEP:,js 0 2045 S. San Jacinro Scree: o Pose Office Boz 8300 o San jacinro, California 42383.1300 o Telephone (714) 92;•1676 Q E. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS 1. Comment: The DEIR projects an additional cumulative growth of 143,237 persons and 64,000 dwelling units in the Rancho California area, with Vail Meadows responsible for roughly 8~ of the total. When added to the 1984 population of the entire RSA 49 (34,215), this would result in a population of 177,452, in excess of the 141,858 Baseline Projection Year 2010 population for the entire RSA. An even greater total would be generated if the 109,730 new dwelling units for the area presented in the Rancho Villages Assessment District DEIR were analyzed. Response: This information is hereby incorporated into the Final EIR. The Rancho Villages Assessment District Draft EIR evaulates the cumulative impacts associated with construction of 109,730 new dwelling units in_ 55 projects over 26,000 acres. Using the average of 2.1 persons/dwelling unit for RSA 49, the additional units will result in an additional 230,433 persons. When added to the 1984 population of RSA 49 (34,215), this would result in a population of 264,648, almost double the 141,858 Baseline Projection Year 2010 population for the entire RSA. It should be noted that the estimate is a worst case estimate, and many projects have been significantly redesigned to reduce density. It should also be noted that the Vail Meadows Specific Plan project is within the area covered by the Rancho Villages Assessment District. Therefore, the 5,654 dwelling units proposed by Vail Meadows were included within the cumulative impacts assessment prepared in conjunction with the Rancho Villages Assessment District DEIR. 2. Comment: The section on Regional Growth Forecasts does not contrast the cumulative growth totals with either the SCAG- 82 Modified Forecast or the Baseline Projection. It is essential that the DEIR fully consider and attempt to mitigate the air quality impacts of the additional anticipated growth. Resconse: The section on Regional Growth Forecasts is part of the Specific Plan document. The author of this letter should refer to the Section V.C.6., Air Quality, of the Draft EIR for mitigations to air quality impacts. As discussed therein, .the Vail Meadows project is part of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan, which has been planned based upon the "New Town" concept, which will minimize external trips by incorporating working, shopping and living in close proximity. Pedestrian and bus stop facilities will be provided in commercial areas and the project has been designed to facilitate safe pedestrian access. The Vail n Meadows Specific Plan also provides for alternative modes of ~-/ 9 transportation within and adjacent to the site, includin~~ bicycle, pedestrian and equestrian trails. As requested by this comment, below is a comparison of cumulative growth totals with SCAG projections, which is hereby incorporated into the Final EIR. As discussed in Response to Comment #1, cumulative population growth is almost double that of the SCAG 2010 Population Projection. Existing RSA 49 Population 34,215 Cumulative Population 2010: 230.433 (109,730 x 2.1) Total 2010 Population Projection: 264,648 SCAG 2010 Baseline Projection 141,858 SCAG-82 Modified Forecast: 96,000 3. Comment: The DEIR should document actions being taken by Riverside County to reduce the rapid growth in mobile source emissions. In this regard, we commend your County's leadership in initiating the development of an Air Quality Element for your General Plan. The County should also require and the DEIR should enumerate a number of transportation/land use measures to reduce trip generation at existing and future development. SCAG is currentl:~ working with the Riverside County Transportation Commission concerning the implementation of the measures included in a Prototype Transportation/Land Use Ordinance and Report published by SCAG in January 1987. Response: The County is considering a program involving an air quality enhancement fee, but it has not yet been adopted. See Response to Comment #2 above for transportation/land use measures to reduce trip generation. 4. Comment: The preponderantly residential nature of existing, recent and planned development in the area has exacerbated the increasing jobs/population imbalance in the region. It should be made clear that the project, by proposing housing increases without assurances of proportionate employment increases, will likely lead to a greater regional imbalance. Response: The Rancho California area has traditionally emphasized planning for development~of industrial and commercial space and the balanced community concept. As stated earlier, the Vail Meadows Specific Plan is part of the Rancho Villages Policy Plan area, which is a comprehensively planned community which provides the opportunity for the development of a wide range and balance of residential, industrial, commercial, open space and 10 public areas. Also, the advisory committee plan for the Southwest Territory Community Plan shows approximately 13,682 acres of industrial property and 2,551 acres of commercial property. However, as pointed out by this comment, a regional imbalance of jobs/employment exists in Riverside County and that the Vail Meadows Specific Plan, by proposing an additional 5,611 dwelling units is contributing to this imbalance. 11 0 0 0 SECTION II C,~ RIVERSIDE COUNTY O COLS BYRD, SHERIFF December 18, 1987 Riverside 4080 Lemon Riverside, ~I,ra„^----- -~ ~ DEC 2 21987 1 County Planning Department Street , 9th Floor Rib _ •..~: , ; Cal iforni a 92501 PLANNING DEriNriTMENT Attention: Ms. Olivia Gutierrez Regarding: EI3 x235 - Specific Plan h219 Dear Ms. Gutierrez: On December 17, 1987, we received your letter in reference to t:-:=_ above merticned Environme.^.tal Impact Report. In response to tis letter, we offer the following information. This particular developme.^.t, upon completion, will impact the population of Rancho California by approximately 16,899 persons. This increase in development and population will result in an in- crease in crime. We need a time element for beginning and comple- tion Of each Dh252. The specific law enforcement needs which would result from the Vail 2 Meadows project, can be estimated at 7.5 additional deputies. ':'his figure is arrived at by computing the officer-resident ratio o= cn=_ officer per 1,500 persons. At the Dresent time, we have one deputy servicing the Rancho California area, which encompasses an area with a population o_' approximately 40,000 persons. UDOn completion of this project, the > additional growth will negatively impact the Lake Elsinore Sheriff '~' Station and the Rancho California Area, unless this project makes adeeuate provisions for the additional officers needed. Sincerely, C IS Y1j8~ SHERIFF I William D. eynolds, Captain Lake Elsinore Station 117 South Langstaff Street O Lake Elsinore, CA 92330 ~iG ~~y LAKE ELSINORE SHERIFF'S STATION ~ (714) 674-3131 117 S. LANGSTAFF ST. LAKE ELSINORE, CA 92330 II-1 .arq.ei Cs&farnm _~ RA~ee~®~®nd~av~ TO 1. Projects Coordinator Resource~-Agency Tha 8owurcos Ag, Dare January 27, 1988 2. County of Riverside Planning Department 4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor 8iverside, CA 92501 From ; aopartmont of Fah and Gmn+o Sabjrcf: Draft Envizonmental Impact Report (DEIR): Rancho Villages Assessment District (RVAD), Riverside County, SCH 87082402 (and DEIRS for the Vail Fieadows, wolf valley, Butterfield Stage Ranch, and Vail Ranch Development, SCHs 8701 03, 87031614, 87030917, and 871110216, respectively) 0 we have reviewed the DEIR for the RVAD which is a plan to finance public facilities construction in a 5;860-acre area along the Highway 79 corridor in Rancho California in southwestern Riverside County. The public facilities consist of streets, bridges, dater, weer, and flood control improvenents. The RVAD consists of 36 separate properties. Four of these properties, totaling 3,849 acres (wolf Valley, Vail Ranch, Butterfield Stage Ranch, ¢. Vail F3eadows~), are also currently under review for development, and the Department of Fish and Game (Department) has reviewed the DEIRS for each of these related projects. The planning area is largely rural and consists of coastal sage scrub, row crops and grazing lands. and is bisected by Temecula Creek. Construction of the proposed improvements will primarily impact the riparian resources of Temecula Creek whereas subsequent construction of the affectdhistorietStephen'sokangaroo rate(SRR)nhabitat andmother sensitive species associated with the coastal sage scrub community (San Diego horned lizard, California black-tailed gnatcatcher and orange-throated whiptail), and will negatively impact raptors • through conversion of grasslands which are impor±_n*_ raptor - foraging areas. The DEIRS for the. Vail Fleadows, wolf Valley, Butterfield Stage Ranch, and Vail Ranch redevQlopments (SCHs 87072003, 87031614, 87030917, and 87110216, respectively) are very closely related to each other is terms of project impacts upon fish and wildlife resources. Additionally, these. develop®ents (totaling 3,849 acres) are entirely contained within the 5,680-sere area of the RVAD. Further each g h 0 proposals discussed in theeDEiREf.or theuR~~Dt(SCSt87082402). these reasons, this letter sha~.3,'•sQg #.he Department's comments on five distinct DEIR~~CH a 87Q, ~3, 87031614, 87030917, 87110216, and 87081:0 . l_~ i_ 1.. II-2 .,, ~~ ~~ ~ ,. ~ ~, ;~ ~:;- For .~ ~n~~ ~~ J -2- Approximately 25 acres of riparian habitat associated with Temecula Creek gill be adversely impacted by proposed developments. mitigation measures described in the RVAD DEIR (the creation of a Biological Enhancement Ptograa involving 70 acres to be dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of riparian habitats) have merit but additional inforaation regarding a precise description of impacts and a precise description of existing conditions within the 70-acre aitigation area is needed. It is the policy of the Department to oppose projects which result in a net loss of either wetland acreage or Wetland habitat values. In this regard, the loss of riparian wetlands associated with proposed development must be offset through creation of no less riparian acreage of no less habitat value than that ae:eage and those values which would be lost to project implementation. we recommend that the County incorporate mitigation requirements into the DEIR which assure that no net loss of either wetland acreage or wetland habitat values will result from project implementation. Department personnel are available to work dith County staff on the development of such a mitigation program. oss o gras g these habitats be preserved as open space in sufficient acreage to reduce impacts to these sensitive resources to levels of insignificance. The Department considers adverse impacts to grasslands and south coastal sage scrub communities which would result from project implementation to be significant unmitigated adverse impacts which are inconsistent with the requirements of CEQA. The RVAD DEIR, as well as the related DEIRS discussed above, describe losses of grassland and coastal sage scrub communities O that are important habitats for several sensitive species (page 352, RVAD DEIR). W'e believe that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as well as the Land Use Standards of the County Comprehensive General Plan, require either avoidance of impacts to sensitive wildlife species or that such impacts are fully mitigated. Instead, the DEIR understates the significance of these impacts and offers no mitigation for the 1 f sland and sa a scrub communities. ate recommend that The DEIR documents the existence of historic SRR habitat within the project area. This documentation, in addition to similar documentation for related projects in the subject 5,860-acre .area, is evidence of the fact that the SRR population in the County is in extreme jeopardy. For this reason, we renew our request to the County Planning Department and the Board of Supervisors to Bork with the Department on the preparation and implementation of ~' Countywide plan for the preservation of this species. in light of the County's burgeoning population growth (estimated at approximately 5 percent per year) it is not an exaggeration to find that, without a cohesive plan for the preservation of this O species, it is threatened with extinction. II-3 ~. -3- 'q • t In summary, ae recommend against certification of the RVAD DEZR (and related DEZRS discussed above) until such time as ouz concerns have been resolved. Department personnel are available to discuss our concerns and recoamendations in greater detail. Thsnk you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. If you have any questions, please contact Fred E7orthley, Regional Hanager of Region 5, at 245 W. Sroadvay, Suite 350, Long Beach, CA 90802-4467 or by telephone at (213) 590-5113. Pete Bontadelli Director 0 II-4 ~::~; RA~enoe®ndueTi O State Clearinghouse Office of Planning s Research 1400 19th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Attention John Reene tram OEPABT/gENT OF T@AMSPORTATIOiV District 8 wbi«+: DEIR Vail I4eadows Butinass, Transportation end Hovaing Agency Dere : January 26, 1988 Fik rb.: 08-Riv-79-17.38/18. 7Z 87072003 Because of the eomnlexity of the project and the necessity for extensive evaluation in the short time remaining, we would like to discuss our concerns with the County of Riverside (Lead Agency) before the drafting of the final environmental document is approved. The following are comments that need to be considered: Cumulative vehicle travel demand will significantly reduce the level of service on the State Highway System. This project should be ~ conditioned to reduce regional travel demand through a O ~~ Transportation Management Association or other mitigation measures to reduce demand. There is an arithmetic error in Table 1, page 10. Subtotal Dwelling Onit Trips (4-5,306) plus Subtotal other trips (9,921) equals 55,227 2` vehicle trips, not 47,618. External trips are therefore under- estimated by 14~. Table 3, Page 14 - At 190,000 ADT, I-15 would provide LOS F during peak hours. r~ Figure 71 (p. 379) indicates a double left-turn lane onto southbound ~~~(J'J Interstate 15. This will require ramp widening and installation of ramp meters. Project-generated traffic impacts to Route 79 and I-15 must be mitigated by the development creating the impact. This report J assumes that State Route 79 would be widened to a 4-lane cross section from Z-15 Interchange to Pala Road prior to 1997, but does not address how this widening wil a funded. '~^ ~/~ Gy _ O ~ F". ..,gig o y_-~ ~'.. I I-J Vi ~'r~ ~ v ~~. ~' State Clearinghouse Attention John Reene Page 2 January 26, 1988 when considered with Wolf Valley and Vail Ranch Specific Plans, Vail Meadows will contribute significantly to the planned growth in this vicinity. we strongly recommend that this proposal participate in •' the Rancho Villages Assessment District and other County-approved funding mechanisms, to widen Route 79 to a 6-lane arterial from the I-15 Interchange to Anza Road. Other mitigative measures necessary to offset project impacts should include intersection widening and signalization at: 1. I-15 off-ramps at Route 79 (South Junction). 0 2. Pala Road and Route 79. 3. Margarita Road and Route 79. 4. Butterfield Stage Road and Route 79. 5. I-15 off-ramps at Rancho California Road. In .addition, major interchange modifications to I-15 at Jct. 79 O C (Front Street) and at Rancho California Road will be necessary within the next 10-years due to this and other development proposals in the vicinity. The County of Riverside should consider these needs and begin now to find appropriate sources of funding for development-related growth. Any or all of the proposed changes could have a significant effect an Creek degradation/aggradation for a considerable distance up and down stream of the improvements which could endanger the stzuctural integrity and/or the water-carrying capabilities of street and highway drainage stzuctures of the area. The creek changes need to take into consideration the changes in sediment and improvements as necessary to protect the highway. j Cumulative impacts from additional development in the area need to be analyzed and considered in the mitigation measures. Drainage improvements for the area should take into consideration the importance of the State highway in the area and recognize that higher standards and design criteria are required. we would like to review the drainage plans when available. 0 II-6 ~L:,astern ~unicipa~ V~v ater~istric~/ Gwn,d Almae/ O D. Jame Lausitlin ChyEnnwee*nd Onww, C,+w.aJ .Vawwee• Jame H. (4,naa !r. Ltnt Cnwwad RN.nne anJ Sh,nll !kY„snJTM Nnnwwdi,aw tVm'r Ouu¢, eJS.wlww, Cdi/emm De1m F. floe, February 23, 14F3~t ~Jniw~n.. Jonn M. CuWU¢ ^tw R:...... C Kdk,, v~ , w,n 4 AMlee,,t' Rmyc D. S~mn Riverside County Planning Depar::nent x080 Lemon Street, 9th Fiaor Riverside, California 92501 tirn,an - tlwnc C. K.wn rnvmn+ o ,~ iti o ~ ` Rqc„ M: C.+. Ai1N: Ron Goldman, Supervising Planner SUBJECT: YAIL NEAOOWS S?ECIFiC PLAN 219 ANO OEiR Cear .4r. Golcaan: As r_cuested, we have revi=-wed the subject document one cr-,"er :he fciiowir,g comments: General IhrpUCnpL. t`e dcC~-2.^.: it 15 State. t`at t`e Zan:'0 YiilaCeS O A5525a1ent District TS the prppOSed funding Vehicle to provide car=air, , required sewer SaCilTties. !n the °-`/ent the prOpOSed a5S25a-e.^.t diS:r7C 15 LLOable ~0 provide t:1B52 'aC111tie5 OL`Er means fOr their 7rcviSSOn -u5t b2 O made. Sewer Plan (Figures S. 731 The proposed sewer plan as presented does n, totally conform to cMWO's master Sewer plan far the project area. During the tentztive trot: planning stage, pipeline alighments, tributary flows and p;oe ® sizes will need to be extensively reviewed and approved by the District. Road alignments shall consider the design or a gravity sewer which will provide for the sower to he located in road right-of-way, and not through easements or re, inq a lift station. General We request that more consideration be given to the issue of effluent disposal. Reclaimed water use (e.g., open space and landscape irrigation) is required for ttii5_projec: unless ether mitigation for efr uent disposa' can be presented. - Page 386. Par. 5. The District's storage ponds are not proposed to be relocated. the District plans to abandon the ponds, and rereturn the area tc L.~ its natural state as. soon as permanent effluent disposal facilities are established elsewhere. We appreciate having been given an opportunity to review the draft report and would tike tp receive a copy or the final document when it becomes available. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (714) 925-i676. Very Truly Yours, ~ ~'~~' ~' Oa iv d G. Crosley II-8 Associate Civil Engineer 211GS ~m Jaanm Street o Poac Otruro Box 353 o Hemet Californio 92313 0 ?eiepnone ( ~ I~1 925• a ~ . ;, ,. -. '~ j_. _J ~...,d . ,. - tOUTHERO CALlFORf11R ^: - '~.Y~JJOGIRTIOf1OFGOHERfitilEtiTJ 600 Jouth Commonwoolth Rvenue •7uite 1000 ~ Lot flngelei • California • 90005 •21d/385-1000 January 22, 1988 Ms. Olivia Gutierrez Riverside County Planning Depar"anent 4080 Lemon Street, 9th Floor Riverside, California 92501 RE: Vail Meadows Draft Environmental Impact Report SLAG File No. RI-50907-EDR Oear Ms. Gutierrez: Thank you for submitting the Vail Meadows Draft Enviroranertal Impact Reocrt (DEIR). Staff has reviewed the document and offers the following cormnents base. on regional plans, policies, and the issues we asked to be dddressed in cur responsa to your Notice of Preparation. The DEIR projects an additional cumulative growth of 143,237 persons and 04,000 dwelling units in the Rancho California, with Vail Meadows responsible for O roughly 8 percent of the total, khen added to the 1984 population of the entire © RSA 49 (34,215), this would result in a population of 177,452, in excess of the 141,858 Baseline Projection Year 2010 population for the entire RSA. An eve.^. greater total would be generated if the 109,730 new dwelling units for the area presented in the Rancho Villages Assessment District DEIR sere analyzed. O The section on Regional Growth forecasts does not contrast the cumulative growth totals atth either the SLAG-82 Modified Forecast or the Baseline Projection. In addition, the cumulative impacts of the projeCed growth are only briefly considered and are not quantitatively analyzed. Since the Regional Air Quality Management Plan (1982) is based upon the growth assumptions in SCAG-82 Modified, it is essential that the DEIR fully consider and attempt to mitigate the air quality impacts of the additional anticipated growth. IL is clearly incorrect to state that because the proposed Specific Plan is consistent with the Riverside County Comprehensive General Plan °This, in turn, results in Consistency with the AQMP° (p. 322). The DEIR should also document actions being taken by Riverside County to reduce the rapid growth in mobile source emissions. In this regard, ae commend your County's leadership in initiating the development of an Air Quality Element for your General Plan. The County should a]so require and the DEIR should enumerate a number of transportation/land use measures to reduce trip generation at existing and future development. SLAG is currently working with the Riverside County Transportation camfnission concerning the implementation of the measures included in a Prototype Transportation/Land Use Ordinance and Report published by SCAG in January, 1987. In addition, the preponderantly residential nature of existing, recent and ~ planned developments in the area has exacerbated the increasing joos/population II-9 1 imbalance in the region. In particular, over the last two years Los Angeles O /-~ Orange Counties have had employment growth at twice the rate of population /\~~ `J growth chile Riverside County's employment growth (g.1 percent from 1985-d6) is roughly 60 percent greater than its population growth (5.7 percent from 1/1/96 ~,~ to 1/1/87). While the DEIR discusses the various proposals for industrial and commercial development in the Rancho California area, it does not attempt to analyze or quantify the overall impact on the balance of jobs and populaticn in the region. It should be made clear that the project, by proposing housinc increases without assurances of proportionate employment increases, will likei_v lead to a greater regional imbalance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Many of these comments were also mace in a letter we sent in response to the Rancho Villages Assessment Distric_ OE :.P and the thr=_ related DEIRs prepared by the same consultant. ke applaud the great deal of thought artd work that has gone into planning for the substantial growth in this area and ae eagerly await the forthcoming Southwest Territor;. Land Use Area ?tan currently being prepared by your department. We would appreciate the ocportunity to review the final EIR when it becomes availa.l_. If you have any questions, please ccrtact Tcm Brady a*_ (213) 139-67c2 or me a. (213) 739-664S. ~^ Sincerely, 1 ~ ~~c~i.~„.~ ~~~~ RIC4ARD SPIC_R Principal Planner RS:TB cc: Brian Farris, SCAQMD 0 O II'-10