4.10 PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITIES

Transcription

1 Setting 4.10 PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITIES a. Police Protection Services. The contracts with the Los Angeles county Sheriff s Department (LACSD) for police protection, enforcement, and emergency services. The LACSD provides contract services to 41 cities within Los Angeles County as well as serving the unincorporated portions of the County. Deployment of deputies within the contract cities is determined by the contracting city and the Sheriff s Department based upon the anticipated needs and appropriate level of service consideration factors such as service area size, residential population, frequency and type of crimes, transient and visitor population, actual and expected service calls, traffic levels and response times. These anticipated needs are subject to periodic review by the Sheriff s Department and the City to assure current adequate service. The LACSD serves the from is Lost Hills/Malibu Station located at Agoura Road in Agoura Hills. This station provides service to the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village as well as the surrounding unincorporated areas including the communities of Chatsworth Lake Manor, Malibu Lake, Topanga and West Hills. According to the LACSD the crime rate in the Malibu area is relatively low, and most of their efforts in the City revolve around traffic enforcement. The estimated response time for the is 6.3 minutes for emergency calls, and 19.6 minutes for routine calls. The Sheriff s Department estimates about 90 percent of the emergency calls in the City are traffic related. The City has prepared an Emergency Preparedness program in preparation for a major emergency event. Under the City Manger s direction, the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator (EPC) is responsible for implementation of the State Emergency Management System Multi-Hazard Function Plan, which includes training staff and volunteers in preparation of a disaster and equipping the City s emergency operations center. The objective of the program is to train and coordinate personnel and facilities in the in order to have an efficient organization capable of responding to a major emergency, to protect lives and preserve public and private property. The maintains a mutual aid agreement with other Fire and Law enforcement agencies in the area. In the event that all local resources are committed to the maximum and additional resources are required, the City will initiate requests for mutual aid through the Los Angeles County Operational Area. b. Fire Protection. The and the entire Santa Monica Mountains are subject to wildfire hazard. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) ranks the Malibu area of the Santa Monica Mountains as Fire Zone 41, the highest fire hazard category in Los Angeles County. The State Division of Forestry also ranks the Santa Monica Mountains area as being a critical fire hazard area, giving it a Class III or highest hazard rating. Class III areas are defined as having more than nine extremely critical fire hazard days per year. The rating system takes into account fuel loading, weather conditions and slope. The receives its fire protection and paramedic services from various Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) Battalion 5 Fire Stations. Fire Station 99 (32550 Pacific Coast

2 Highway) is the closest to the project site, as shown in Figure Additional Battalion 5 stations that would be used to provide additional fire support if needed are also shown. Station 99 has three firefighters on duty at all times, and equipment includes one fire engine and one patrol vehicle. The County of Los Angeles Fire Code and Safety Elements set forth officially established standards, policies, and goals for the construction, design, and distribution of fire suppression facilities. These policy documents ensure that new developments meet standards for fire-flow, minimum distance to fire stations, public and private fire hydrants, and roadway access provisions for fire fighting units. Further, fire sprinkler systems are required in some residential and most commercial structures. Fire flow pertains to the performance capacity of water lines to supply water during emergencies and is generally defined as the quantity of water available or needed for fire protection in a given area. Fire flow attributes are normally measured in terms of line pressure, rate of flow (i.e., gallons per minute), and duration over which prescribed volumes of water can be delivered at designated pressures. The quantity of water necessary for fire protection varies by land use type, life hazard, occupancy, and the degree or level of fire hazard. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, fire flow requirements can range from 750 gallons per minute (gpm) in low-density residential areas to 12,000 gpm in high-density commercial or industrial areas. A minimum residual water pressure of 20 pounds per square inch (psi) is required to remain in the water system while the required gpm is flowing in order to be considered adequate under the County of Los Angeles Fire Code standards. The nearest fire hydrant to the project site is on the northeast corner of La Gloria Drive and Trancas Canyon Road, just south of the project site. This hydrant is connected to the Los Angeles County Water District No. 29 (District) water line that follows Trancas Canyon Road (see Subsection c. below). If a new fire hydrant is required to serve the site, it would also connect to this water line. A pressure test was performed by the district in May of 2007 at the request of Rincon Consultants. Static pressure was recorded at 44 psi, residual pressure was recorded at 37 psi, and observed flow was measured at 465 gpm. The calculated fire flow was determined to be 905 gpm at 20 psi residual. c. Water. The receives fresh water through the Los Angeles County Water District 29. The District acquires water from the West Basin Municipal Water District (WBMWD), which pumps about 20% of its water from the West Coast Groundwater Basin and purchases about 65% of its water supply from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD), which imports water from the Sacrament River/San Joaquin Delta through the State Water Project and also from the Colorado River Aqueduct beginning at Lake Havasu. The WBMWD attributes about seven percent of the water supply to recycled water and seven percent to conservation. West Basin MWD receives its imported water supply from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The District has an interconnection with West Basin MWD in the City of Culver City. A 35-mile transmission water main along Pacific Coast Highway conveys water from the interconnection with West Basin MWD to the western boundary of the District. The water is pumped from the transmission water main into various gravity storage tanks in Malibu and Topanga. The District also has four emergency interconnections; two with the City

3 L a H e r a n R d os o L h e n R d A n ac a p a Vi e w B a il a r d R d Dr L u nit a R d H wy Br Tr T a nc R d a pi a Dr as P o M a n z a n o D r n R d S e a St ar Dr P hili p Av e Trancas Canyon Park EIR!( ^_LOS R a m b la d e l O rt o D r AN GE LES CO. P acific C o ast L a G lo r ia D r e o C a ny o n Dr as C any F ro n d o s a D r Kanan Dume R d Corr al Can yo n Cre ek M a P iu ma Rd Station #99 Ed ison R d Zuma Ca ny o n C re ek Bonsa ll D r Edi son R d R a m ire z Ca nyo n C re ek Ramirez Canyon Rd Via Escondido Dr Sequit Dr Puerco Mtwy Seaver Dr libu Canyon Rd M a libu Cree k Station #88!( Carbon Canyon Rd Station #70!( o a d B e ac h M o r n in g V i e w D r E scon d ido C anyon Creek Latigo Can yon C r eek S olstice C any on C reek UV 1 Pa cific Coast Hwy Station #71!( Du m e Dr Malibu P a c i f i c O c e a n ^_ Project Location!( Fire Station Location ± Source: US Bureau of the Census TIGER 2000 data Miles Fire Station Locations Figure

4 of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and two with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. Properties surrounding the proposed park site receive water from private wells and from the large tank on the park site, which is maintained by Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29. (A smaller, non-operational tank adjacent to the main tank is owned by the Malibu Water Company and would be removed.) A 12-inch water main extends from Trancas Canyon Road to the tank adjacent to the existing driveway on the park site. Residences below the project site are served by connections to the main. The tank is the terminus of the water main, which does not extend further up Trancas Canyon Road. (According to the District 29 Superintendent, Mark Carney (verbal testimony at the EIR Scoping Meeting of April 26, 2007), the existing water line runs just west of the dirt road to the tank, and has had leakage problems.) The park project would rely on a connection to the water main or tank for water supply. d. Solid Waste and Recycling Services. Two separate haulers collect solid waste generated in the, GI Industries and Las Virgenes Disposal. Residential properties are provided with three containers, one for trash, one for recycling and one for greenwaste or compostable plant matter. Large three-yard bins are provided for commercial properties. Non-recyclable waste materials are transported directly to the Calabasas and Simi Valley landfills. Recyclable materials are transported to sorting facilities then the sorted recyclables are transported by different parties to various recycling destinations. Construction and demolition sites collect solid waste in three-yard bins or large roll-off dumpsters. The solid waste is then hauled to a materials recovery facility, where recyclable materials are sorted and recovered. The recovered material is then transported to various recycling destinations while non-recoverable material is transported to either the Simi Valley or the Calabasas landfill. Concrete, green and food waste is collected in roll-off dumpsters and then transported directly to the Calabasas Landfill where the green and food waste is sent to appropriate facilities (e.g. composting sites) and the cement is sent to gravel pits. The Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center is owned and operated by Waste Management of California and is located at 2801 Madera Road in Simi Valley, in Ventura County. The Simi Valley Landfill has a maximum permitted throughput of 3,000 tons per day and a maximum permitted capacity of 43,500,000 cubic yards. The most recent inspection of the landfill, on June 15, 2001, estimated the remaining capacity to be 9,473,131 cubic yards. The January, 2034 closure date of the landfill was estimated by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) from the operating permit issued by the Board on May 16, The facility is inspected on a monthly basis by the County of Ventura Resource Management Agency, Environmental Health Division with no violations or areas of concern ever reported. The Calabasas Sanitary Landfill is located at 5300 Lost Hills Road in Agoura, which is an unincorporated community of Los Angeles County. The landfill is owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles Sanitation Districts. The Calabasas Landfill has a maximum permitted throughput of 3,500 tons of solid waste per day and a maximum permitted capacity of 69,700,000 cubic yards of solid waste. On October 14, 2004 the remaining capacity in the landfill was estimated by the CIWMB at 16,900,400 cubic yards. The landfill s ceased operation date was estimated by the CIWMB as January first 2028; this estimate is derived from current operating permits issued by the CIWMB. The Calabasas landfill is subject to monthly inspections by the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services. There are no records of enforcement action for violations or areas of concern against this facility

5 The ability to accommodate future solid waste generation has been an issue of continuing concern in California. With limited capacity in existing landfills, and difficulty establishing new landfills in California the anticipated increases in solid waste generation due to population increases and economic growth led to the enactment of the California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB 939) in 1989 to promote and require the reduction, recycling, and ruse of solid waste generated in the State to the maximum amount feasible. Under the Act each city and county is required to promote source reduction, recycling, and safe disposal or transformation. Each city and county jurisdiction was required to identify an implementation schedule to divert 25% of their total solid waste stream from landfill disposal by 1995, and by 2000 at least 50% of the total waste stream from landfill disposal. Thus far the implementation of the Act has proven a successful method of promoting landfill waste reduction. With curbside recycling programs for residences, and waste prevention, recycling, and composting efforts by California cities and counties, 28 million tons of material was kept out of landfill in 2000, a large increase of 9.5 million tons diverted over the 1998 levels according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Californians have successfully diverted an estimated million tons (47%) of solid waste from landfills since the year Based on AB 939, the County of Los Angeles and the have instituted a mandatory recycling program for commercial and residential uses that has been successful at reducing the volume of waste entering the waste stream and disposed of in landfills. By 2000 the County had 29 of it 89 jurisdictions reaching the 50% and over diversion rate, and 50 jurisdictions between 25% and 49% diversion, with only five jurisdictions under 25% and five not reported. Through its recycling and education programs the successfully diverted 57% of its solid waste stream from entering landfills in 2000, although in recent years the rate dipped below the mark, with only 49% diversion in Impact Analysis a. Methodology and Significance Thresholds. Information from the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department was used to characterize existing conditions related to Police protection. Information from the Los Angeles County Water District #29 and the West Basin Municipal Water District was used to characterize existing conditions related to water supply. Information from the was used to characterize sewer service conditions. Information from the Integrated Waste Management Board, the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, and Solid Waste Solutions Inc. was used to characterize existing solid waste and recycling services conditions. According to the CEQA Guidelines Appendix G, public service impacts are considered potentially significant if the project would result in substantial adverse physical impacts associated with the provision of new or physically altered governmental facilities or the need for new or physically altered governmental facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental impacts in order to maintain acceptable service ratios, response time, or other performance objectives. The General Plan EIR considers the impacts created by the proposed projects as being potentially significant if their implementation would result in:

6 Activities which use large amounts of energy or which use energy in a wasteful manner, or An increased demand for utilities which exceeds either the existing supply or capacity of the infrastructure (or financially feasible infrastructure that could be developed) required to service additional demand and/or equipment (treatment facilities, electric lines and substations, natural gas lines, etc), or Alter the nature of the demand for utility services causing increased costs or service delivery limitations. The CEQA Guidelines Appendix G, Utilities and Service Systems, states that a proposed project s impacts are considered to have a potentially significant effect on the environment if the project would: Exceed wastewater treatment requirements of the applicable Regional Water Quality Control Board. Require or result in the construction of new water or wastewater treatment facilities or expansion of existing facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental effects. Require or result in the construction of new storm water drainage facilities or expansion of existing facilities, the construction of which could cause significant environmental effects. Have insufficient water supplies available to serve the project from existing entitlements and resources, or if new or expanded entitlements are needed. Result in a determination by the wastewater treatment provider which serves or may serve the project that is has inadequate capacity to serve the project s projected demand in addition to the provider s existing commitments. Be served by a landfill with insufficient permitted capacity to accommodate the project s solid waste disposal needs. Not comply with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations related to solid waste. b. Project Impacts. Impact PS-1 The proposed project would incrementally increase demands on the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. However, the increase would not require the construction of new police protection facilities. This is considered a Class III, less than significant, impact. The proposed park would increase the demand for police protection services in the City. However, according to a personal communication with the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department (Lt. Steve Wilson, January 2006), the current staff levels and facilities at the Malibu/Lost Hills Station are sufficient to support the incremental increase in demand associated with the park. Being a relatively moderate-sized park with no night hours, the increase in demand for police services would not necessitate increased staff or facilities. Therefore the proposed park would not significantly affect police protection services in the City of Malibu. Mitigation Measures. None required

7 Significance After Mitigation. Impacts to police protection service are considered less than significant without mitigation. Impact PS-2 The proposed project would incrementally increase demands on the Los Angeles County Fire Department. However, the increase would not require the construction of new fire protection facilities. Fire safety would be ensured by compliance with standard and site-specific Fire Department requirements and the required Fuel Modification Plan. This is considered a Class III, less than significant, impact. The proposed park would increase the demand for fire protection services in the City. However, according to a personal communication with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (Cpt. Hill, Fire Station 99, April 2007,), the current staff levels and facilities at Station 99 and surrounding stations are sufficient to support the incremental increase in demand associated with the park. Furthermore, a fire at the site would require less fire protection resources than a typical residential development at the site, as the structures needing protection (i.e. restrooms, small structure, shade structures) would be small and not lived-in, and thus would not support a major fire. In addition, chances of a brush fire starting on the site would be reduced due to increased turf area and irrigated landscaping, as well as higher security. The proposed park is exempt from the Fire Department s development impact mitigation fee program. The project must undergo design review by the and the LACFD to assure compliance with fire requirements for adequate fire-flow, distance to fire stations, public and private fire hydrants, and roadway access provisions for fire fighting units, as well as specific design requirements of the proposed structures (please see Section 4.11, Traffic and Circulation, for discussion on evacuation traffic). The project will also require a fuel modification plan, which at a minimum would require vegetation clearance/control within up to 200 feet of proposed structures (please see Section 4.3 Biological Resources for additional information on required fire clearance). The nearest fire hydrant to the project site is on the northeast corner of La Gloria Drive and Trancas Canyon Road, just south of the project site. A pressure test was performed by Waterworks District 29 in May of 2007 at the request of Rincon Consultants. The calculated fire flow was determined to be 905 gpm at 20 psi residual. According to staff at the Los Angeles County Fire Department s Calabasas Fire Prevention Office (Engineer M. Bonner, pers. comm. 5/30/07), a flow of 905 gpm would likely be sufficient to serve the park if other fire protection measures are incorporated into the design and construction of proposed structures. During Fire Department plan check, a determination would be made whether a new hydrant on site would be required as well as what specific conditions would be placed on the project. Impacts related to installation of an additional hydrant on the site, if required, would be less than significant. Mitigation Measures. None required. Fire safety would be ensured by compliance with standard and site-specific Fire Department requirements and the required Fuel Modification Plan

8 Significance After Mitigation. Impacts to fire protection service are considered less than significant without mitigation. Impact PS-3 The proposed project would incrementally increase demand for water service. This increase would not require the construction of water facilities, or the procurement of new water resources. This is considered a Class III, less than significant, impact. The proposed new park would require water for irrigation of proposed landscaping and activity fields as well as for operation of the proposed restrooms. This would represent an increase in the site s water demand over the current use (vacant, unused, unirrigated land). As discussed under Setting above, the project would receive water from the Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29 water main that follows Trancas Canyon Road and/or the District tank that is fed by the water line and stores water on the site. As discussed above, District 29 receives water from the West Basin Municipal Water District. District 29 s agreement with West Basin does not include limits on the supply of water; in other words, District 29 s supply equals their demand. The West Basin Municipal Water District s Urban Water Management Plan projects a 100% reliable supply of water for all retail agencies served by West Basin Municipal Water District for the next 25 years. This assumption is assured through Metropolitan Water District s Water Surplus and Drought Management Plan. (Waterworks District Urban Water Management Plan, December 2005.) Thus the District is able to meet the project s water demands. The increase in demand would not require the construction or expansion of new facilities (Kirk Allen, Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29, pers. comm. May 9, 2007). According to District 29 Superintendent Mark Carney (verbal testimony at the EIR Scoping Meeting of April 26, 2007), the existing 12-inch water line, in the portion of its alignment that traverses the western edge of the project site, has had leakage problems. Based on observation of the line and surrounding area, the leakage does not present significant environmental impacts, and repair or replacement of the line along its existing alignment would not result in significant impacts. In addition, the line and other District water delivery infrastructure appear to be within the area proposed for the access road. As a result, it is recommended that coordination with the District include a slightly modified access/parking lot plan that accommodates the line or relocation of the line, which may include adjusting existing easements, as well replacement or repair of the line during park construction to solve leakage problems. Again, these matters are not considered environmental impacts but coordination and final design issues, which can be resolved by coordination between the Parks Department and Waterworks District 29. Mitigation Measures. No mitigation beyond these standard requirements is necessary. Significance After Mitigation. Impacts to water service are considered less than significant without mitigation

9 Impact PS-4 Although the quantity of solid waste generated from the project site would increase with implementation of the proposed project, the site is served by landfills with sufficient permitted capacity to accommodate the park s solid waste disposal needs. Impacts related to solid waste are considered Class III, less than significant. Operation of the proposed park would generate solid waste in greater quantities than the site s current use (vacant, unused, unirrigated land). Vegetation management on the site results in some greenwaste, however the proposed park would generate additional greenwaste through landscape maintenance as well as trash disposed of in onsite receptacles by park users. For turf areas, greenwaste is expected to be minimal. This is because grass clippings from parks are typically disposed of through grass recycling, where clippings are cut up into very small pieces and left on fields to allow them to simply deteriorate into the soil. Nevertheless, landscape maintenance and trash disposal is expected to represent an increase in overall solid waste generation. As discussed above under Setting, non-recyclable waste materials from within the City of Malibu are transported directly to the Calabasas and Simi Valley landfills. Recyclable materials are transported to sorting facilities then the sorted recyclables are transported by different parties to various recycling destinations. The increase in solid waste generation by the proposed project could be accommodated by GI Industries and Las Virgenes Disposal and would not represent a significant impact to regional landfill capacities, as the waste generated at the project site would represent a small portion of each landfill s daily maximum intake. The Simi Valley Landfill & Recycling Center permits a maximum of 3,000 tons of solid waste per day, has a remaining capacity of approximately 9.4 million cubic yards, and is scheduled to close in The Calabasas Sanitary Landfill permits a maximum of 3,500 tons of solid waste per day, has a remaining capacity of approximately 16.9 million cubic yards, and is scheduled to close in 2028 ( California Integrated Waste Management Board 2005). Additionally, because recycling is mandatory in the City, a substantial portion of the waste generated by the proposed project would be diverted away from the local landfills and recycled. Given that these landfills have the capacity to accommodate the solid waste generated by the project, long-term operational impacts from the proposed project would be less than significant. Additionally, as capacity at regional landfills diminishes, facility expansions and new landfills are continuously being sought by regional agencies. Based on these assumptions, a less than significant impact to solid waste service is anticipated. The proposed project would be required to comply with all applicable state and federal solid waste regulations, as well as applicable City standards for recycling. No significant impacts to solid waste would occur as a result of the project. Mitigation Measures. As impacts would be less than significant, no mitigation is required. Significance After Mitigation. Impacts would be less than significant without mitigation

10 c. Cumulative Impacts. Cumulative projects in the include approximately 340,000 new square feet of office/retail space, 15,000 square feet of new restaurants, 172 new hotel rooms and eight new residential units. This pending and proposed new development is primarily located in the more urban parts of the City that are already served by police, fire and utilities. The modest rise in population and the cumulative development of non-residential square footage cited above would increase the demand for protection services from the fire and police departments as well as demand for water. However, compliance with building and site development standards required by the City of Malibu for new residential development, in addition to regular budget allocations and Fire Department Impact Mitigation Fees to address staffing needs, would mitigate impacts to fire and police services to less than significant levels. As discussed above, Malibu s water supply is guaranteed by the West Basin Municipal Water District for a minimum of 25 years. Therefore, cumulative impacts to public services and utilities would be less than significant