AV Apollo Solar Project by Sunbow Solar I LLC, Syracuse Solar LLC and Tours Solar LLC

82 Pages·2017·1.68 MB·English

GPA 5, CUP 37-41 Map 214
City of Arvin Bakersfield City Planning Dept
cc 07/25/2017
P.O. Box 548 1715 Chester Avenue
I:\Planning\WORKGRPS\WP\LABELS\
Arvin, CA 93203 Bakersfield, CA 93301
214gpa5cup37-41Agencies.docx
Bakersfield City Public Works Dept California City Planning Dept Delano City Planning Dept
1501 Truxtun Avenue 21000 Hacienda Blvd. P.O. Box 3010
Bakersfield, CA 93301 California City, CA 93515 Delano, CA 93216
City of Maricopa City of McFarland City of Ridgecrest
P.O. Box 548 401 West Kern Avenue 100 West California Avenue
Maricopa, CA 93252 McFarland, CA 93250 Ridgecrest, CA 93555
City of Taft City of Tehachapi
City of Shafter
Planning & Building Attn: John Schlosser
336 Pacific Avenue
209 East Kern Street 115 South Robinson Street
Shafter, CA 93263
Taft, CA 93268 Tehachapi, CA 93561-1722
City of Wasco Inyo County Planning Dept Kings County Planning Agency
764 E Street P.O. Drawer "L" 1400 West Lacey Blvd, Bldg 6
Wasco, CA 93280 Independence, CA 93526 Hanford, CA 93230
San Luis Obispo Co Planning Dept
Los Angeles Co Reg Planning Dept San Bernardino Co Planning Dept
Planning and Building
320 West Temple Street 385 North Arrowhead Avenue, 1st Floor
976 Osos Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012 San Bernardino, CA 92415-0182
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Santa Barbara Co Resource Mgt Dept Tulare County Planning & Dev Dept Ventura County RMA Planning Div
123 East Anapamu Street 5961 South Mooney Boulevard 800 South Victoria Avenue, L1740
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Visalia, CA 93291 Ventura, CA 93009-1740
China Lake Naval Weapons Center
U.S. Bureau of Land Management Edwards AFB, Sustainability Office
Tim Fox, RLA - Comm Plans & Liaison
Ridgecrest Field Office 412 TW/XPO, Bldg 2750, Rm 204-38
429 E Bowen, Building 981
300 South Richmond Road 195 East Popson Avenue
Mail Stop 4001
Ridgecrest, CA 93555 Edwards AFB, CA 93524
China Lake, CA 93555
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Eastern Kern Resource Cons Dist Antelope Valley Resource Cons Dist
777 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 208 300 South Richmond Road 44811 Date Avenue, #G
Palm Springs, CA 92262 Ridgecrest, CA 93555-4436 Lancaster, CA 93534-3136
Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Dept of Agriculture/NRCS
Region IX Office Regulatory Division
5000 California Avenue, Ste 100
75 Hawthorn Street 1325 "J" Street, #1350
Bakersfield, CA 93309-0711
San Francisco, CA 94105 Sacramento, CA 95814-2920
U.S. Postal Service So. San Joaquin Valley Arch Info Ctr Caltrans/Dist 6
Address Management Systems California State University of Bkfd Planning/Land Bank Bldg.
28201 Franklin Parkway 9001 Stockdale Highway P.O. Box 12616
Santa Clarita, CA 91383-9321 Bakersfield, CA 93311 Fresno, CA 93778
Caltrans/Dist 9 State Clearinghouse State Dept of Conservation
Planning Department Office of Planning and Research Director's Office
500 South Main Street 1400 - 10th Street, Room 222 801 "K" Street, MS 24-01
Bishop, CA 93514 Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814-3528
State Dept of Conservation State Dept of Conservation California State University
Division of Oil & Gas Office of Land Conservation Bakersfield - Library
4800 Stockdale Highway, Ste 108 801 "K" Street, MS 18-01 9001 Stockdale Highway
Bakersfield, CA 93309 Sacramento, CA 95814 Bakersfield, CA 93309
California Energy Commission
James W. Reed, Jr. California Fish & Wildlife Public Utilities Comm Energy Div
1516 Ninth Street 1234 East Shaw Avenue 505 Van Ness Avenue
Mail Stop 17 Fresno, CA 93710 San Francisco, CA 94102
Sacramento, CA 95814
California Regional Water Quality State Dept of Water Resources
Control Board/Lahontan Region San Joaquin Dist.
Kern County Administrative Officer
15095 Amargosa Road - Bld 2, Suite 210 3374 East Shields Avenue, Room A-7
Victorville, CA 92392 Fresno, CA 93726
Kern County Public Works Department/ Kern County Public Works Department/ Kern County
Building & Development/Floodplain Building & Development/Survey Env Health Services Department
Kern County Fire Dept Kern County Fire Dept Kern County Library/Beale
Brian Marshall, Fire Chief Derek Tisinger, Fire Marshall Local History Room
Kern County Library Kern County Library
Kern County Library/Beale Mojave Branch Wanda Kirk/Rosamond Branch
Andie Apple 16916 1/2 Highway 14, Space D2 3611 Rosamond Boulevard
Mojave, CA 93501 Rosamond, CA 93560
Kern County Public Works Department/
Kern County Sheriff's Dept
Kern County Parks & Recreation Building & Development/Development
Administration
Review
Kern County Public Works Mojave Town Council
Kern County Public Works Department/
Department/Operations & Bill Deaver, President
Building & Development/Code
Maintenance/Regulatory Monitoring & P.O. Box 1113
Compliance
Reporting Mojave, CA 93502-1113
Mojave Unified School Dist Southern Kern Unified School Dist Tehachapi Unified School Dist
3500 Douglas P.O. Box CC 300 S Robinson Street
Mojave, CA 93501 Rosamond, CA 93560 Tehachapi, CA 93561
Kern County Superintendent of Schools Antelope Valley-East Kern
Kern County Water Agency
Attention Mary Baker Water Agency
P.O. Box 58
1300 17th Street 6500 West Avenue N
Bakersfield, CA 93302-0058
Bakersfield, CA 93301 Palmdale, CA 93551
Adams, Broadwell, Joseph & Cardozo
Tehachapi Parks & Recreation Dist
East Kern Air Pollution Attention: Janet M. Laurain
P.O. Box 373
Control District 601 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 1000
Tehachapi, CA 93561
South San Francisco, CA 94080
U.S. Army
U.S. Air Force U.S. Army
Attn: Tim Kilgannon, Region 9
Attn: David Bell Attn: Philip Crosbie, Chief
Coordinator
Western Regional Environmental Officer Strategic Plans, S3, NTC
Office of Strategic Integration
50 Fremont Street, Suite 2450 P.O. Box 10172
721 - 19th Street, Room 427
San Francisco, CA 94105-2230 Fort Irwin, CA 92310
Denver, CO 80202
U.S. Navy U.S. Marine Corps
Attn: Steve Chung Commanding General AT&T California
Regional Community Plans & Liaison MCIWEST-MCB CamPen OSP Engineering/Right-of-Way
Officer Attn: A/CS, G7 4540 California Avenue, 4th Floor
1220 Pacific Highway Box 555010 Bakersfield, CA 93309
San Diego, CA 92132-5190 Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5246
Center on Race, Poverty
Kern Audubon Society
Los Angeles Audubon & the Environment
Attn: Harry Love, President
926 Citrus Avenue Attn: Marissa Alexander
13500 Powder River Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036-4929 1999 Harrison Street – Suite 650
Bakersfield, CA 93314
San Francisco, CA 94612
Center on Race, Poverty
Defenders of Wildlife/
& the Environmental/ Mojave Chamber of Commerce
Kim Delfino, California Dir
CA Rural Legal Assistance Foundation P.O. Box 935
980 - 9th Street, Suite 1730
1012 Jefferson Street Mojave, CA 93502
Sacramento, CA 95814
Delano, CA 93215
Southern California Edison
Sierra Club/Kern Kaweah Chapter Smart Growth - Tehachapi Valleys
Planning Dept.
P.O. Box 3357 P.O. Box 1894
421 West "J" Street
Bakersfield, CA 93385 Tehachapi, CA 93581-1894
Tehachapi, CA 93561
Kern Valley Indian Council
Chumash Council of Bakersfield David Laughing Horse Robinson
Attn: Robert Robinson, Chairperson
2421 "O" Street P.O. Box 20849
P.O. Box 401
Bakersfield, CA 93301-2441 Bakersfield, CA 93390
Weldon, CA 93283
Kern Valley Indian Council Santa Rosa Rancheria Tejon Indian Tribe
Historic Preservation Office Ruben Barrios, Chairperson Kathy Morgan, Chairperson
P.O. Box 401 P.O. Box 8 1731 Hasti-acres Drive, Suite 108
Weldon, CA 93283 Lemoore, CA 93245 Bakersfield, CA 93309
Kitanemuk & Yowlumne Tejon Indians Tubatulabals of Kern County Tule River Indian Tribe
Chairperson Attn: Robert Gomez, Chairperson Neal Peyron, Chairperson
115 Radio Street P.O. Box 226 P.O. Box 589
Bakersfield, CA 93305 Lake Isabella, CA 93240 Porterville, CA 93258
San Fernando Band of Mission Indians Matthew Gorman Eight Bar Ranch
Attn: John Valenzuela, Chairperson The Gorman Law Firm Jon and Helen Lantz
P.O. Box 221838 1346 E. Walnut Street, Suite 220 11300 Cameron Canyon Road
Newhall, CA 91322 Pasadena, CA 91106 Mojave, CA 93501
Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce Janice Armstrong Joyce LoBasso
209 East Tehachapi Blvd. 24121 Rand Court P.O. Box 6003
Tehachapi, CA 93561 Tehachapi, CA 93561 Bakersfield, CA 93386
LIUNA Mojave Foundation
Northcutt and Associates
Attn: Arthur Izzo Attn: Todd Quelet
4220 Poplar Street
2201 "H" Street 16922 Airport Boulevard
Lake Isabella, CA 93240-9536
Bakersfield, CA 93301 Mojave, CA 93501
Darren Kelly
Terra-Gen
Sr. Business Manager Lozeau Drury LLP
Randy Hoyle, Sr. Vice Pres
Terra-Gen Power, LLC 410 – 12th Street, Suite 250
11512 El Camino Real, Suite 370
1095 Ave of the Americas – FL 25, Ste A Oakland, CA 94607
San Diego, CA 92130
New York, NY 10036-6797
Renewal Resources Group
Congentrix Sunshine, LLC Fotowatio Renewable Ventures
Holding Company
Rick Neff Sean Kiernan
Rupal Patel
9405 Arrowpoint Blvd 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2200
113 South La Brea Avenue, 3rd Floor
Charlotte, NC 28273 San Francisco, CA 94104
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Darren Kelly, Sr. Business Mgr
EDP Renewables Company Wind Stream, LLC
Terra-Gen Power, LLC
Jon VanDerZee Albert Davies
1095 Avenue of the Americas, 25th
53 SW Yamhill Street 1275 - 4th Street, No. 107
Floor, Ste A
Portland, OR 97204 Santa Rosa, CA 95404
New York, NY 10036-6797
PG&E
Bill Barnes, Dir of Asset Mgt Wayne Mayes, Dir Tech Serv
Steven Ng, Manager
AES Midwest Wind Gen Iberdrola Renewables
Renewal Dev, T&D Intercon
P.O. Box 2190 1125 NW Couch St, Ste 700, 7th Fl
77 Beal Street, Room 5361
Palm Springs, CA 92263-2190 Portland, OR 97209
San Francisco, CA 94105
Michael Strickler, Sr Project Mgr Recurrent Energy Tehachapi Area Assoc of Realtors
Iberdrola Renewables Seth Israel Carol Lawhon, Assoc Exe, IOM
1125 NW Couch St, Ste 700, 7th Fl 300 California Street, 8th Floor 803 Tucker Road
Portland, OR 97209 San Francisco, CA 92109 Tehachapi, CA 93561
Kelly Group Beyond Coal Campaign/Sierra Club
David Walsh
Kate Kelly Sarah K. Friedman
22941 Banducci Road
P.O. Box 868 1417 Calumet Avenue
Tehachapi, CA 93561
Winters, CA 95694 Los Angeles, CA 90026
Sunbow Solar I LLC, Syracuse Solar
Structure Cast LLC, Tours Solar LLC APPLICANT
Robert Burgett
Larry Turpin, Sales Mgr Attn: Lendlease Energy Development –
9261 - 60th Street, West
8261 McCutchen Road John Wieland
Mojave, CA 93501
Bakersfield, CA 93311 909 Lake Carolyn Parkway, Suite 260
Irving, TX 75039
Native American Heritage Council
QK, Inc.
of Kern County
Attn: Jaymie Brauer
Attn: Gene Albitre
5080 California Avenue, Suite 220
3401 Aslin Street
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Bakersfield, CA 93312
Notice of Completion & Environmental Document Transmittal
Mail to: State Clearinghouse, P. O. Box 3044, Sacramento, CA 95812-3044 [phone] SCH #
For Hand Delivery/Street Address: 1400 Tenth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

Project Title: EIR 06-17; AV Apollo Solar Project by Sunbow Solar I LLC, Syracuse Solar LLC and Tours Solar LLC
Lead Agency: Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department Contact Person: Randall Cates
Mailing Address: 2700 "M" Street Suite 100 Phone: [phone]
City: Bakersfield Zip: 93301-2323 County: Kern

Project Location: County: Kern City/Nearest Community: Mojave
Cross Streets: Approximately nine miles southwest of the unincorporated community of Mojave and approximately eight miles northwest of the
unincorporated community of Rosamond, being the N/2 of Section 19 and the W/2 of the W/2 of Section 18, T10N, R13W, SBB&M, County of
Kern, State of California
Lat. / Long.: 34° 56′ 59.8094″ N/ 118° 18′ 8.8934″ W Total Acres: 493.5
Assessor's Parcel No.: 346-022-03, 346-131-12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 Section: 18 & 19 Twp.: 10N Range: 13W Base: SBB&M
Within 2 Miles: State Hwy #: N/A Waterways: Oak Creek, Los Angeles Aqueduct
Airports: N/A Railways: N/A Schools: N/A

Document Type:
CEQA: NOP Draft EIR NEPA: NOI Other: Joint Document
Early Cons Supplement/Subsequent EIR EA Final Document
Neg Dec (Prior SCH No.) Draft EIS Other
Mit Neg Dec Other FONSI

Local Action Type:
General Plan Update Specific Plan Rezone Annexation
General Plan Amendment Master Plan Prezone Redevelopment
General Plan Element Planned Unit Development Use Permit Coastal Permit
Community Plan Site Plan Land Division (Subdivision, etc.) Other

Development Type:
Residential: Units Acres Water Facilities: Type MGD
Office: Sq.ft. Acres Employees Transportation: Type
Commercial: Sq.ft. Acres Employees
Mining: Mineral:
Industrial: Sq.ft. Acres Employees Power: Type Solar PV MW 60
Educational Waste Treatment: Type MGD
Recreational Hazardous Waste: Type
Other: communication tower, temporary concrete batch plant
during construction of the solar facilities

Project Issues Discussed in Document:
Aesthetic/Visual Fiscal Recreation/Parks Vegetation
Agricultural Land Flood Plain/Flooding Schools/Universities Water Quality
Air Quality Forest Land/Fire Hazard Septic Systems Water Supply/Groundwater
Archeological/Historical Geologic/Seismic Sewer Capacity Wetland/Riparian
Biological Resources Minerals Soil Erosion/Compaction/Grading Wildlife
Coastal Zone Noise Solid Waste Growth Inducing
Drainage/Absorption Population/Housing Balance Toxic/Hazardous Land Use
Economic/Jobs Public Services/Facilities Traffic/Circulation Cumulative Effects
Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Tribal Cultural Resources

Present Land Use/Zoning/General Plan Designation:
Syracuse Site: Undeveloped Land / Zoning: A FP (Exclusive Agriculture/Floodplain Combining District) / Kern County General Plan: 8.3
(Extensive Agriculture; minimum 20 acre parcel size, minimum 80 acre parcel size with a Williamson Act contract). Tours Site: Undeveloped
Land / Zoning: A FP and A (Exclusive Agriculture) / Kern County General Plan: 8.3. Sunbow Site: Undeveloped Land / Zoning: A FPS
(Exclusive Agriculture/Floodplain Secondary Combining District) / Kern County General Plan: 8.3
Project Description: (please use a separate page if necessary)
The project proponents are requesting: (a) an Amendment to the Circulation Element of the Kern County General Plan to eliminate road
reservation along the mid-section line in Section 19, T10N/R13W SBB&M, in Zone Map 214 (General Plan Amendment 5, Map 214); (b) Three
Conditional Use Permits, each to allow for the construction and operation of a 20 megawatt solar photovoltaic electrical generating facility
(Section 19.12.030.G) in an A District (CUP 37, Map 214; CUP 38, Map 214; CUP 39, Map 214); (c) a Conditional Use Permit to allow for the
installation and operation of a temporary concrete batch plant on the Syracuse Site during construction of solar facilities (CUP 40, Map 214); and
(d) a Conditional Use Permit to allow for the construction and operation of a communication tower on the Syracuse Site (CUP 41, Map 214). The
project’s permanent facilities would include service roads, a communication tower, communication cables, overhead and underground
transmission lines, an electrical switching station, project substations, operations and maintenance facilities, and a gen-tie line to transmit
electricity from the project substation on the Sunbow Site to the electrical switching station. An existing gen-tie line would transmit electricity
from the electrical switching station to the electrical grid.

Reviewing Agencies Checklist
Lead Agencies may recommend State Clearinghouse distribution by marking agencies below with and "X".
If you have already sent your document to the agency please denote that with an "S".

Air Resources Board Office of Emergency Services
Boating & Waterways, Department of Office of Historic Preservation
California Highway Patrol Office of Public School Construction
CalFire Parks & Recreation
S Caltrans District # 6 & 9 Pesticide Regulation, Department of
Caltrans Division of Aeronautics S Public Utilities Commission
Caltrans Planning (Headquarters) S Regional WQCB # Lahontan
Central Valley Flood Protection Board Resources Agency
Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy S.F. Bay Conservation & Development Commission
Coastal Commission San Gabriel & Lower L.A. Rivers and Mtns Conservancy
Colorado River Board San Joaquin River Conservancy
S Conservation, Department of Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Corrections, Department of State Lands Commission
Delta Protection Commission SWRCB: Clean Water Grants
Education, Department of SWRCB: Water Quality
S Energy Commission SWRCB: Water Rights
S Fish & Game Region # Fresno Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
Food & Agriculture, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Department of
General Services, Department of S Water Resources, Department of
Health Services, Department of
Housing & Community Development S Other So. San Joaquin Arch. Info. Ctr.
Integrated Waste Management Board S Other DOGGR - Bakersfield
Native American Heritage Commission

Local Public Review Period (to be filled in by lead agency)
Starting Date August 18, 2017 Ending Date September 19, 2017

Lead Agency (Complete if applicable):
Consulting Firm: Applicant:
Address: Address:
City/State/Zip: City/State/Zip:
Contact: Phone:
Phone:

Signature of Lead Agency Representative: /s/ Date: August 18, 2017
Authority cited: Section 21083, Public Resources Code. Reference: Section 21161, Public Resources Code.
INITIAL STUDY/NOTICE OF PREPARATION

AV Apollo Solar Project
by Sunbow Solar I LLC, Syracuse Solar LLC, and Tours Solar LLC

General Plan Amendment 5, Map 214
Conditional Use Permit 37, Map 214
Conditional Use Permit 38, Map 214
Conditional Use Permit 39, Map 214
Conditional Use Permit 40, Map 214
Conditional Use Permit 41, Map 214

(PP17144)

LEAD AGENCY:

Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department
2700 M Street, Suite 100
Bakersfield, CA 93301-2370

Contact: Mr. Randall Cates
[phone]
[email protected]

August 2017
KERN COUNTY PLANNING AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
Apollo Solar Project

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.  Project Description ................................................................................................................................. 1 
1.1  Project Location ............................................................................................................................ 1 
1.2  Environmental Setting .................................................................................................................. 4 
1.3  Project Description ..................................................................................................................... 11 
1.4  Project Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 24 
1.5  Proposed Discretionary Actions/Required Approvals ................................................................ 24 
2. Kern County Environmental Checklist Form ....................................................................................... 27
2.1  Environmental Factors Potentially Affected: ............................................................................. 27 
2.2  Determination ............................................................................................................................. 27 
3.  Evaluation of Environmental Impacts .................................................................................................. 28 
Aesthetics ............................................................................................................................................. 29
Agriculture and Forest Resources ........................................................................................................ 31
Air Quality ............................................................................................................................................ 33
Biological Resources ............................................................................................................................ 36
Cultural Resources ............................................................................................................................... 39
Tribal Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 40
Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................................ 41
Greenhouse Gas Emissions .................................................................................................................. 45
Hazards and Hazardous Materials ........................................................................................................ 47
Hydrology and Water Quality .............................................................................................................. 52
Land Use and Planning ......................................................................................................................... 56
Mineral Resources ................................................................................................................................ 58
Noise ..................................................................................................................................................... 59
Population and Housing ....................................................................................................................... 61
Public Services ..................................................................................................................................... 63
Recreation ............................................................................................................................................. 65
Transportation/Traffic .......................................................................................................................... 66
Utilities and Service Systems ............................................................................................................... 69
Mandatory Findings of Significance .................................................................................................... 72

Figures
1  Site Vicinity ............................................................................................................................................ 3 
2  Existing Kern County General Plan Designations ................................................................................. 7 
3  Existing Zoning ...................................................................................................................................... 8 
4  Amendment to Kern County Circulation Element to Eliminate Future Road Reservation .................... 9 
5  Project Boundary .................................................................................................................................. 10 
6  Overall Site Plan ................................................................................................................................... 14 
7  Syracuse Solar ...................................................................................................................................... 15 
8  Tours Solar ........................................................................................................................................... 16 
9  Sunbow Solar ....................................................................................................................................... 17 

Tables
1 Project Assessor Parcel Numbers and Corresponding Map Codes, Zoning and Acreage ...................... 2 
2 Project Site and Surrounding Land Uses ................................................................................................ 5 

August 2017 i Initial Study/Notice of Preparation