Mendocino Forest Products Grading For Industrial Land Improvements

Transcription

1 Mendocino Forest Products Grading For Industrial Land Improvements Technical Memorandum #10 CEQA Evaluation of Environmental Impacts Prepared for: Mendocino Forest Products Company, LLC Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc. 335 S. Main Street Willits, California January /

2 Reference: Mendocino Forest Products Grading For Industrial Land Improvements Technical Memorandum #10 CEQA Evaluation of Environmental Impacts Prepared for: Mendocino Forest Products Company, LLC Prepared by: Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc. 335 South Main Street Willits, CA January 2014

3 Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations... ii 1.0 Overview Proposed Project Affected Environment County General Plan Guidelines Evaluation of Environmental Impacts Proposed Mitigation Measures List of Preparers References... 8 List of Illustrations Figures Follows Page 1. Site Location Map Aerial Site Location Map Site Map Project Truck Entry Point Project Truck Haul Route... 2 Photos On Page 1. Existing uses at project site 2 2. Current state of NWPRR rail line 3 3. Existing entrance to Project site 4 4. Driver's view to south 4 5. Driver's view to north 4 i

4 Acronyms and Abbreviations Caltrans CEQA LOS MFP MPH NWPRR SHN California Department of Transportation California Environmental Quality Act Level of Service Mendocino Forest Products Company Miles per Hour Northwestern Pacific Rail Road SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc. ii

5 1.0 Overview Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc. (SHN) has developed this Technical Memorandum to document the potential impacts of the Mendocino Forest Products grading for future industrial land improvements at their Willits industrial site regarding transportation/traffic resources in the project area. This Technical Memorandum will evaluate each of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) questions pertaining to this resource and provide information and analysis (as needed) that leads to the determination of a level of significance. 2.0 Proposed Project Mendocino Forest Products (MFP) proposes to grade portions of their 53 acre industrially zoned site (Assessor s parcel numbers and ; Figures 1, 2 & 3) to expand the usable area of the site to facilitate future industrial uses. In particular, MFP proposes to grade three areas and remove the graded fill material by truck on existing roads. Those areas are displayed on Figures 1, 2 and 3, and activities in each area are shown below: Area 1 is approximately 10.6 acres in size and will have approximately 497,194 cubic yards of soil removed. This is an historical log deck and most vegetation has been previously removed. A small fringe of forest vegetation around the eastern edge will be removed, including forest vegetation. Area 1 will be graded using earth moving equipment (dozers, excavators, dump trucks, etc.). Operations are planned to begin in the non-forested portion of Area 1 the first week of May 2014 with the removal of the on-site vegetation and will take approximately one week to complete; work will be done in 12 hour shifts. The forested portion of Area 1 is expected to be excavated beginning in the first week of July Grading operations will occur from the middle of May 2014 and will proceed for about 80 working days (6 days per week, for 12 hours each day) and will terminate sometime in late August 2014, depending on the overall progress of work. Night operations may be required to meet other trucking schedules, and if these are required it is anticipated that night work will include both grading and trucking operations. Area 2 is approximately 3.0 acres and will have 64,519 cubic yards of soil removed; approximately 46,000 cubic yards of soil have already been removed from this area, leaving approximately 18,519 cubic yards to be removed. As a historical log deck and lumber storage area, vegetation has been previously removed and any remnant vegetation was removed as part of the first 46,000 cubic yards of soil removal. The balance of the material to be removed will be by dozer, excavator and dump truck. Grading and trucking operations are expected to begin the first week of May 2014 and run for approximately 6 days, in 12 hour shifts. No night work is anticipated. Area 3 is approximately 7.4 acres and will have approximately 322,237 cubic yards of soil removed. This site is covered by forest vegetation and this vegetation will be removed by timber harvest activities prior to grading. Timber harvest operations 1

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7 LEGEND EXCAVATION AREAS PROJECT PARCEL BOUNDARY BYPASS ROADWAY LIMIT BYPASS RIGHT OF WAY WILLITS CITY LIMIT \\Willits\projects\2013\ WillMillCEQA\GIS\Figures\AERIAL SITE LOCATION MAP figure2.mxd Path: 0 2,000 ± Mendocino Forest Products Company, LLC MFP Willits Sawmill US Highway 101 N, Willits, California Aerial Site Location Map Grading for Industrial Land Improvements SHN December 2013 AERIAL SITE LOCATION MAP figure2 Figure 2

8 LEGEND EXCAVATION AREAS PROJECT PARCEL BOUNDARY Path: \\Willits\projects\2013\ WillMillCEQA\GIS\Figures\SITE MAP figure3.mxd ± Mendocino Forest Products Company, LLC MFP Willits Sawmill Highway 101 N, Willits, California December, 2013 SITE MAP figure3 Site Map Grading for Industrial Land Improvements SHN Figure 3

9 Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading will include intermittent use of chainsaws, skidders and loaders, and log trucks. Once the timber is removed clearing and grading operations will occur, and will use conventional grading equipment such as dozers, excavators, loaders and dump trucks. Work is expected to begin with timber operations in early July 2014 and that these operations will take approximately 14 days. Additional vegetation clearing and grading that will take approximately 75 working days, and will begin in August 2014, terminating in early October Work will be in 12 hour shifts, 6 days per week. Night work is not anticipated at this site, but may be required to meet seasonal shut-down restrictions. Trucking of graded material off-site will use standard dump trucks capable of holding about 13 cubic yards of material each. The operations will utilize 20 trucks per shift that will generate approximately 600 trips each day. While it is expected that the grading and trucking operations will be completed in 2014, unanticipated weather delays and winter shutdowns may extend grading and trucking into Graded material from this project will be hauled off the project site to the Willits Bypass project, approximately 1 mile south of the site. Trucks will exit the MFP property at the existing access road, travel on Highway 101 for approximately 1 mile and then exit onto the construction project. Empty trucks will then make a return trip to the project. Grading activities will be governed by a grading permit and Conditional Use Permit from Mendocino County and a Large Grading Project air quality permit from Mendocino County Air Quality Management District. An erosion control and storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) has been prepared for the site and will be amended as needed for project activities. Once grading is completed, the site will be available for further industrial uses. MFP has no current plans for expansion of industrial operations at the site, but may do so in the future as economic conditions dictate. 3.0 Affected Environment The project site has been partially developed and was historically used as a heavy industrial lumber mill. Industrial operations at the project site date back to about 1950, when lumber milling operations began and extended over the next 50 years, during which the site was fully developed for industrial milling operations. Loaded log trucks and finished lumber trucks entered and exited the site during the mills operations; no numbers of daily or annual truck trips are known. In 2000, the lumber mill operations were terminated and most of the mill structures were Photo 1. Existing uses at project site. 2

10 LEGEND EXCAVATION AREAS PROJECT PARCEL BOUNDARY Path: \\Willits\projects\2013\ WillMillCEQA\GIS\Figures\TRANSPORTATION TRAFFIC figure4.mxd ± Mendocino Forest Products Company, LLC MFP Willits Sawmill Highway 101 N, Willits, California December, 2013 TRANSPORTATION TRAFFIC figure4 Transportation/Traffic Grading for Industrial Land Improvements SHN Figure 4

11 LEGEND EXCAVATION AREAS PROJECT PARCEL BOUNDARY PROJECT TRANSPORTATION ROUTE BYPASS ROADWAY LIMIT BYPASS RIGHT OF WAY Path: \\Willits\projects\2013\ WillMillCEQA\GIS\Figures\TRANSPORTATION TRAFFIC figure5.mxd ± Mendocino Forest Products Company, LLC Transportation/Traffic MFP Willits Sawmill Grading for Industrial Improvements US Highway 101 N, Willits, California SHN TRANSPORTATION TRAFFIC figure5 Figure 5 December, 2013

12 Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading removed. However, former log decks, bark disposal areas, quarry areas, and the infrastructure (roads, underground water and sewer lines, storm drains, light poles, etc.) remain, and some historical structures remain in use. The site is currently used, in part, as construction offices, equipment and material storage, and for general construction staging for contractors developing the Willits Highway 101 Bypass. Photo 1 shows a current view of the highway construction operations uses at the site. Highway load trucks and passenger vehicles enter and exit the site daily. Immediately adjacent to the project is Highway 101 (a two lane highway) which is the major northsouth public transportation corridor in the area. Refer to Figure 2 for an overview of the highway in relation to the project site and the adjacent Willits Bypass Construction Project. Due to increased traffic congestion within the community of Willits and the immediate surrounding area, Caltrans has undertaken the Willits Bypass project which is constructing a new segment of Highway 101 around the town of Willits in an effort to reduce delays, improve safety and achieve a level of service (LOS) of at least C for interregional traffic on U.S. 101 within the vicinity of Willits through the 20-year design period (i.e., 2028) (Caltrans, 2002). Development of this project on MFP lands is not a part of the Willits Bypass project, and this project is outside of the active construction operations for the new bypass. While the project is outside of the immediate construction area, it is within the designated construction zone defined on Highway 101 for motorists. As such, traffic is currently controlled by construction related speed limits, construction vehicles entering and exiting the bypass construction areas, and other construction related traffic. Posted speed limits on this section of Highway 101 are 55 miles per hour (MPH). Also adjacent to the project is the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWPRR) where existing railroad easements occur. This rail line has been essentially abandoned, but remnant tracks remain as do the easements for rail use; while there is no current rail use, the line could have future uses. Photo 2 shows the current state of the rail line and Photo 3 shows the project access road over the rail line. Photo 2. Current state of the NWPRR rail line at the project entrance. Existing access connects to Highway 101; this access has been in use for the past 50 years and is the only access to the project site. Figures 4 and 5 displays the existing access point from the project site to Highway 101. Historical vehicle uses accessing the site have been log and lumber trucks, service trucks and passenger vehicles; current vehicle uses consist of passenger trucks, heavy equipment (earth scrapers, loaders, etc.) dump trucks and transport trucks associated with the Willits Bypass construction. Past and present uses are similar. Mendocino Forest Products Company employees also access the site for routine uses and facility inspections, and these uses are typically by light passenger trucks. 3

13 Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading Utilizing the existing access road, vehicle drivers generally have an unobstructed view of north bound traffic for about 0.5 miles of sight distance. The straight stretch of roadway provides good views of traffic, and with the access slightly elevated above Highway 101, drivers have good sight distance. Photo 4 shows a typical view drivers have from the project entrance of oncoming northbound traffic. Photo 3. Existing entrance to the project site, crossing the NWPRR line. Note Highway 101 in background at left. Views of southbound traffic are also good, but do not have as long of a clear roadway segment available for drivers to see traffic. There is approximately a 0.2 mile roadway segment that can be seen from the project entrance (Photo 5). The roadway to the north curves, reducing driver s sight time of oncoming traffic. Photo 4. Drivers view south from project access road. Photo 5. Drivers view north from project access road. 4

14 4.0 County General Plan Guidelines Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading Transportation resources are discussed in the Mendocino County general plan, Chapter 3: Development Element. In this chapter the County has developed a series of Development Goals related to various modes of transportation within and without the County, including goals for Transportation (Goal DE-8), Road System (Goal DE-9), Pedestrian and Bicycle (Goal DE-10), Transit Systems (Goal DE-11), Rail (Goal DE-12), Airports (Goal DE-13) and Harbors (Goal DE-14). These goals provide overarching principles and goals that the County will seek to attain through development of projects within the constraints of the General Plan. To implement the various goals, the County has created a series of Development Policies. Review of these policies related to transportation and traffic found the following development policies pertinent to the development of the MFP project. Policy DE-136 provides guidance for development project accessing state highways which states The County will ensure that development projects which propose direct access to a state highway have legal entitlements for such access. As a specific Action Item (Action Item DE ) The County will refer to Caltrans all development applications which propose direct access to a state highway. Policy DE-141 states that The County encourages development using existing roads with available capacity prior to locating development in areas that require new transportation facilities. Policy DE-163 relates to rail service in the County, and states The County will encourage federal, state and regional funding for rail service and corridor enhancements. 5.0 Evaluation of Environmental Impacts This section provides an evaluation of the environmental impacts for this resource and each question from the Initial Study Checklist is evaluated against the proposed project, with detailed analysis provided, where applicable. For each question, a determination is made that indicates the project is likely to be Potentially Significant, Less Than Significant with Mitigation, Less Than Significant or has No Impact. Question A Would the project conflict with an applicable plan, ordinance, or policy establishing measures of effectiveness for the performance of the circulation system, taking into account all modes of transportation, including mass transit and non-motorized travel and relevant components of the circulation system, including but not limited to intersections, streets, highways and freeways, pedestrian and bicycle paths, and mass transit? 5

15 Discussion Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading Less Than Significant with Mitigation. The development of this project will have less than significant, short-term impacts on Highway 101 traffic with the implementation of mitigation measures. Potential impacts may occur during the trucking of fill material from the project. It is anticipated that approximately 600 truck trips will occur at the project site each day (6 days per week) for about 6 months. Impacts from increased truck traffic at the project s existing encroachment onto Highway 101 may require drivers on Highway 101 to slow their driving speeds for approximately 0.5 miles as trucks enter and exit the project site, and again at the Highway 101 construction access. Refer to Figure 5 for a depiction of the limits of project related truck haul on Highway 101. The project is within the limits of the posted Construction Area of the Caltrans Highway 101 Willits Bypass Construction Project, and traffic will already be experiencing construction related signage, equipment and work areas and potential traffic delays or slowdowns. While it may be inconvenient for drivers, the impacts from truck haul with the proposed project will be short-term (approximately 6 months), after which the truck haul from the project grading activities will cease. To mitigate any potential significant impacts from the short-term trucking as a result of this project, the project proponent will be required to implement Mitigation Measure TRANS-1 that will install additional signs and message boards at locations approved by Caltrans. Development of this project, with mitigations, will be in conformance with Mendocino County Development Policies related to transportation and traffic. Once the trucking of graded material is completed, the project will have no impact on traffic and circulation patterns on Highway 101, as the existing encroachment will continue to be utilized and no new access points are planned. Question B Would the project conflict with an applicable congestion management program, including but not limited to, level of service standards and travel demand measures, or other standards established by the county congestion management agency for designated roads or highways? Discussion Less Than Significant. This project will not conflict with the development of the Willits Bypass project, a project that is part of a state-wide effort to reduce congestion along Highway 101 in the Willits area. Additional truck traffic that will be generated during the grading operations at the project will utilize a short segment of Highway 101 to transport material to the Willits Bypass construction site. This short-term trucking operation is expected to be intermittent over a 6 month period, and will then cease. Motorists using Highway 101 will be aware of the construction traffic through construction signage, and mitigations developed for additional warning signs of approaching trucks. After the grading portion of this project, truck and vehicle use of the project site will continue at levels that will not conflict with the level of service for the roadway. 6

16 Question C Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading Would the project result in a change in air traffic patterns, including either an increase in traffic levels or a change in location that results in substantial safety risks? Discussion No Impact. The project is a surface grading project that will have no impact on air traffic and has no impact on Ells Field which is located approximately one mile to the west of the project site. The project would not result in a change in air traffic patterns. Question D Would the project substantially increase hazards due to a design feature (e.g., sharp curves or dangerous intersections) or incompatible uses (e.g., farm equipment)? Discussion Less Than Significant. The grading and future uses of this project will have no impact on transportation or traffic at the project site or in the immediate vicinity of the project, as historical uses at the site have been accessing Highway 101 at the same location, and no changes will occur with this project. This project will not modify any public roads and will not introduce incompatible uses on area roads from its development. Trucking of soil offsite is a compatible use of area roadways, and historical use of the project site also had commercial truck traffic entering and exiting the highway at this location. Question E Would the project result in inadequate emergency access? Discussion No Impact. There will be no change to any emergency access to the project site or surrounding areas adjacent to Highway 101. Short-term truck traffic related to the project will use Highway 101 and is required to obey all traffic laws and regulations related to emergency vehicles and emergency vehicle access. Question F Would the project conflict with adopted policies, plans, or programs regarding public transit, bicycle, or pedestrian facilities, or otherwise decrease the performance or safety of such facilities? Discussion No Impact. The project will have no impact on any public transit, bicycle or pedestrian facilities as it is a surface grading project located on private land. The short-term trucking impacts are located 7

17 Technical Memorandum #10 Mendocino Forest Products Grading outside of the City of Willits where existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities are located; therefore there will be no impact. Public transit services (bus lines) that use Highway 101 will not be impacted by this project as there will be no change to traffic patterns. The Northwestern Pacific Railroad maintains rail lines at the project s existing encroachment onto Highway 101 and there will be no modifications to this rail line or other site features that would impact existing or future uses. 6.0 Proposed Mitigation Measures The following mitigation measures are proposed to reduce identified impacts to resources to a level that is Less Than Significant. Mitigation Measure TRANS-1: To reduce the potential impacts to area motorists during trucking operations, the following traffic control measures will be installed through an approved Encroachment Permit from Caltrans, who has responsibility for operations on Highway 101: 1. Northbound traffic controls will consist of the following, at a minimum: a. Road Work Ahead Sign b. Trucks Entering/Exiting Roadway Sign c. Be Prepared to Stop Sign 2. Southbound traffic controls will consist of the following, at a minimum: a. Changeable Message Sign with the messages of Road Work Ahead and Trucks Entering and Exiting b. Road Work Ahead Sign c. Trucks Entering/Exiting Roadway (placed at two locations due to curve on road) 7.0 List of Preparers Mark Chaney, Principal Scientist, SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc. 8.0 References Caltrans Willits Bypass, Mendocino County, KP R69.4/KP 84.2 (PM R43.1/52.3) [EA26200], Draft EIS/EIR with Text Changes. California Department of Transportation and the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. (Volume 3 of 4). Caltrans Willits Bypass, Mendocino County, KP R69.4/KP 84.2 (PM R43.1/52.3) [EA26200], Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report. Volume 1 to 4. California Department of Transportation and the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Pacific Municipal Consultants. (Adopted August 2009). County of Mendocino General Plan, Mendocino County, CA. Rancho Cordova, CA:PMC. 8