PROJECT DESCRIPTION The purpose of this project description is to describe the project in a way that will be meaningful to the public, reviewing agencies, and decision-makers. According to CEQA, an adequate project description need not be exhaustive, but should supply the detail that is necessary for project evaluation. 1 PROJECT APPLICANT The applicant for the proposed project is as follows: Shawn Nichols for T. M. Mian Associates. 24150 Park Sorrento Calabasas, CA 91302 PROJECT OBJECTIVES The objectives for the project, as set forth by the project applicant and the City of Camarillo, are: Provide conference and meeting facilities to serve the community that are currently not available in Camarillo at a site that has easy access and regional visibility. Improve blighted conditions at the project site by developing a hotel and conference center as envisioned in the City of Camarillo Successor Agency s Long Range Property Management Plan. 2 Provide hotel rooms within the community so that visitors to Camarillo can find lodging within the community instead of needing to find hotel rooms in surrounding cities. Provide the approved improvements to the Camarillo Hills Drain flood control channel that bisects the project site while accommodating a commercial development that accommodates the required flood control easements and is consistent with the existing General Plan and zoning designations for the site. 1 Although required by CEQA for a project description, this Final EIR provides a list of the agencies that are expected to use the EIR in their decision-making process in the Introduction section and the location of the project site is provided in the Environmental Setting section. 2 Kosmont Companies, September 2013. Draft Environmental Impact Report!37
PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS Development Concept The project applicant is requesting approval from the City of Camarillo to develop the site with a new hotel and conference center. The current site plan envisions the development of a 153-room Embassy Suites hotel with 17,500 square feet of conference facility space, a 122-room Home2 Suites hotel, and up to 15,500 square feet of restaurant space and 10,450 square feet of retail space provided in four smaller buildings. The Embassy Suites hotel would provide approximately 165,422 of space (including the 17,500 square feet of conference facility space) in one four story building. The Home2 Suites hotel would provide approximately 69,356 square feet of building space in one four story building. The proposed site plan is illustrated in Figure 4. The proposed uses are consistent with the existing General Plan and zoning designations for the site. The City of Camarillo has already received approval to improve and cover the paved flood control channel that bisects the site. The required work would be performed by the project applicant as part of the overall project development as a requirement of the project. The proposed buildings have been located in areas that do not impede on the easement for the flood control channel. Surface parking spaces and other non-building surface spaces are allowed and would be provided above the covered flood control channel. Site Access Direct vehicular access to the project site would be provided via a full-access driveway that connects to Ventura Boulevard at the existing signalized Ventura Boulevard/Promenade Drive intersection and two other right-turn only driveways that connect to Ventura Boulevard. The north leg of the Ventura Boulevard/Promenade Drive access is proposed to provide one inbound lane and two outbound lanes (same as the existing south leg). Both the north and south legs would be striped to provide one outbound lane designated as a shared left+thru lane and one outbound lane designated as a right-turn lane. Secondary access is proposed via a connection to the Park-And-Ride road on the northwestern side of the project site and would have a controlled access. Pedestrian access would be available at each of the vehicular access points to the project site. FIGURE 4 - PROPOSED SITE PLAN! 38 Camarillo Hotel and Conference Center
Draft Environmental Impact Report!3 9
Building Design Conceptual building designs for the Embassy Suites hotel are illustrated in Figure 5 while conceptual building designs for the Home2 Suites hotel are illustrated in Figure 6. Conceptual building designs for the four singe-story retail and restaurant buildings are illustrated in Figures 7 through 10. FIGURE 5 - EMBASSY SUITES BUILDING DESIGN Parking A total of 668 surface parking spaces are proposed for the project site. Approximately 68 bicycle parking spaces would also be provided throughout the project site. Utilities and Infrastructure The proposed project site is located within the service area of the Camarillo Water Division. The project development would connect to an eight-inch water main located within, Las Posas Road, a 12-inch main located within Ventura Boulevard, and/or an eight-inch water main located within the old Ventura Boulevard right-of-way for potable water use. Wastewater from the project development would be treated by the Camarillo Sanitary District, which operates and maintains the Camarillo Sanitary District Water Reclamation Plant located on Howard Road! 40 Camarillo Hotel and Conference Center
near Conejo Creek. The project development would connect to a 12-inch sewer main located along the paved flood control channel that bisects the site, and/or an 18-inch sewer main located within Las Posas Road. FIGURE 6 - HOME2 SUITES BUILDING DESIGN FIGURE 7 - BUILDING A BUILDING DESIGN Draft Environmental Impact Report!4 1
FIGURE 8 - BUILDING B BUILDING DESIGN FIGURE 9 - BUILDING C BUILDING DESIGN! 42 Camarillo Hotel and Conference Center
FIGURE 10 - BUILDING D BUILDING DESIGN Stormwater runoff from the site would be controlled on site through the inclusion of three underground infiltration systems. The infiltration systems would include outlet control devices to discharge the runoff at pre-development flow rates. Electrical power to the project site would be provided by Southern California Edison. The two hotel buildings would also provide solar panels over approximately 15 percent of the available rooftop areas. Natural Gas would be provided to the project site by the Southern California Gas Company via an existing gas line located with the old Ventura Boulevard right-of-way. Construction Activities Construction of the proposed project is expected to be initiated in the first quarter of 2018 and occur over a period of approximately 24 months. Grading of the site would be balanced and no import or export of soil is anticipated. Draft Environmental Impact Report!4 3
DISCRETIONARY ACTIONS AND APPROVALS The City of Camarillo is the lead agency for the proposed project. The Environmental Impact Report will be provided to address all discretionary and ministerial actions associated with the development of the project including, but not limited to, the following: Commercial Planned Development CPD-246: The project applicant is requesting approval of CPD-246 to permit the development of two hotels providing up to 275 rooms, 17,500 square feet of conference facility space, and up to 25,950 square feet of restaurant and retail space at the project site. Conditional Use Permit CUP-384: The project applicant is requesting approval of CUP-384 to permit a building height increase from two stories/35 feet to four stories for the two hotel structures and up to 62 feet for the Embassy Suites hotel (tower) and 71.4 feet for the Home2 Suites hotel tower). Approval of the project would also include an agreement between the City of Camarillo and the project applicant for the Sale and Development of Real Property. Other non-discretionary actions anticipated to be taken by the City at the staff level as part of the proposed project include: Review and approval of building permits by the Camarillo Building and Safety Department; Review and approval of grading permits, encroachment permits, and on- and off-site infrastructure improvements by the Camarillo Public Works Department and Community Development Department; and Approval by the Camarillo Public Works Department of a Post Construction Storm Water Management Plan (PCSMP) to mitigate post-construction stormwater flows produced by the projects. Permit coverage will be required under the California State Water Resources Control Board General Construction NPDES Permit CAS000002, Order 2009-0009-DWQ as amended by Orders 2010-0014- DWQ and 2012-0006-DWQ for construction-related stormwater quality discharges. Approvals and permits that may be required by other agencies include: Approval of encroachment permits from the Ventura County Watershed Protection District. Approval of encroachment permits from the California Department of Transportation for all encroachments within the Caltrans right-of-way. Approval of permits for the use and operation of food service equipment and pools from the Ventura County Environmental Health Division.! 44 Camarillo Hotel and Conference Center