Rosamond Solar Project Addendum EIR

348 Pages·2013·18.42 MB·English

Addendum to the
Environmental Impact Report
for the Rosamond Solar Project

ROSAMOND SOLAR MODIFICAITON PROJECT (PP13292)
SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC

Specific Plan Amendment No. 18, Map No. 232
Specific Plan Amendment No. 19, Map 232
Zone Change Case No. 36, Map No. 232
Modification to Conditional Use Permit No. 27, Map No. 232
Streets and Highways – Nonsummary Vacation – Map No. 232

Kern County
Planning and Community Development Department
Bakersfield, California

May 2013
Addendum to Rosamond Solar Project EIR May 2013
Rosamond Solar Modification Project
by SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC
Appendices

Appendix A Air Quality Construction Emission Calculations and Supporting Documentation
Appendix B Biological Resources Report and Evaluation
Appendix C Cultural Resources Inventory
Appendix D Traffic Impact Analysis
Appendix E Preliminary Drainage Study
Addendum to Rosamond Solar Project EIR May 2013
Rosamond Solar Modification Project
by SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC
Chapter 1
Introduction & Overview
1.1 Introduction
As Lead Agency, the Kern County Planning and Community Development Department prepared an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Rosamond Solar project (referred to herein as the “approved
project”) which evaluated 200 megawatts (MW) of solar development on a 960-acre site. The Kern
County Board of Supervisors certified the Rosamond Solar Final EIR (referred to herein as the “certified
EIR” or “EIR”) (State Clearinghouse No. 2010031024) and approved the Rosamond Solar project on
November 9, 2010, which consisted of Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) No. 16, Map No. 232; Zone
Change Case (ZCC) No. 33, Map No. 232; and Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 27, Map No. 232. On
January 25, 2011, the Kern County Board of Supervisors approved the nonsummary vacation of public
access easements and portions of public access easements located within the original project site (Streets
and Highways – Nonsummary Vacation – Map No. 232; Resolution No. 2011-016); and the Advisory
Agency approved the following parcel mergers located within, and adjacent to, the original project site:
(a) Parcel Merger No. 11-001 (Document No. 0211044912; Recorded April 5, 2011); (b) Parcel Merger
No. 12-009 (Document 000213019730; Recorded February 12, 2013); and (c) Parcel Merger No.12-011.
Modifications are now being proposed to the approved project’s boundaries, which will require new
Specific Plan Amendments, Zone Changes, a Modification to Conditional Use Permit No. 27, Map No.
232, and Nonsummary vacations to portions of public access and utility easements. The proposed changes
to the approved project are referred to herein as the “proposed modified project” or “ proposed project
modifications.” This Addendum has been prepared to determine whether the proposed modified project
would result in new or substantially more severe significant environmental impacts compared with the
impacts disclosed in the certified EIR.
Lead Agency Contact Information
Kern County Planning and Community Development Department
Mr. Paul F. Sorenson, Planner III, Advanced Planning Unit
2700 “M” Street, Suite 100
Bakersfield, California 93301
Phone: [phone]

Project Proponent
SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC
Mr. Joshua Teigiser, Sr. Manager, Project Development
101 Ash Street; HQ 15-A
San Diego, CA 92101-3017

1.2 Project Overview
The certified EIR analyzed the construction and operation of a 200-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV)
solar energy generation facility sited on 960-acres, and located on the east side of 150th Street West,
approximately ½-mile south of Rosamond Boulevard and ½-mile north of Avenue A in the Rosamond
area, in eastern Kern County. The proposed modified project would add approximately 100 MW of
solar development on 400 adjacent acres to the approved project site along its northern edge, southeastern
spur and central portion (see Figure 00). The resulting modified project site would be 1,360 acres and be
capable of generating approximately 300 MW.
The proposed modified project would contain the same general facilities identified in the EIR and also
proposes new potential alternate locations for the solar project’s substation, gen-tie power line, operations
and maintenance building, and septic system, as it is currently uncertain if the solar project will
interconnect into the Southern California Edison (SCE) or Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
(LADWP) electrical systems.
The project proponent is requesting: (a) Amendments to the Land Use, Open Space and Conservation
Element of the Willow Springs Specific Plan from the existing Map Code designations to Map Code 8.1
(Intensive Agriculture), 8.1/4.4 (Intensive Agriculture-Comprehensive Planning Area), 8.1/4.4/2.6
(Intensive Agriculture-Comprehensive Planning Area-Erosion Hazard), 8.1/2.6 (Intensive Agriculture-
Erosion Hazard), 8.1/2.8 (Intensive Agriculture-Military Flight Operations), and 8.1/2.85 (Intensive
Agriculture-Noise Management Area); (b) Amendments to the Circulation Element of the Willow Springs
Specific Plan to eliminate road reservations along section and mid-section lines; (c) changes in zone
classification on 238 acres from the existing zone districts to the A FPS (Exclusive Agriculture-
Floodplain Secondary Combining) District; (d) a Modification to Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 27,
Map No. 232 on 1,360 acres to modify the location of an approved substation, gen-tie power line,
operations and maintenance building, and septic system, and to add up to 100 megawatts (MW) of solar
development in conjunction with the approved Rosamond Solar Project, and to modify Condition of
Approval No. 6 to extend the expiration date of CUP No. 27, Map No. 232 ; and (e) Nonsummary
vacations of portions of public access and utility easements. Throughout this document, the term
“approved project site” consists of the 960-acre site evaluated in the EIR, and the term “proposed
modified project site” consists of the 1,360 acres that would be developed with implementation of the
proposed modified project analyzed in this Addendum. The term “proposed project addition” refers only
to the approximately 400 contiguous acres proposed to be added to the approved project site.
1.3 Addendum Organization
This document is organized as follows pursuant to the requirements of the CEQA Guidelines:
• Chapter 1, Introduction and Overview, describes the background of the proposed modified
project; explains the rationale for preparing an Addendum to the EIR as the appropriate form of
environmental review pursuant to CEQA; and explains the purpose, scope, and content of the
Addendum.
• Chapter 2, Modified Project Description, describes the location and details of the proposed
modified project.
• Chapter 3, Environmental Analysis, evaluates whether the proposed modifications to the
approved project would result in new or substantially more severe significant environmental
impacts compared with the impacts disclosed in the certified EIR.
• Chapter 4, List of Preparers, lists the individuals involved in preparing the Addendum.
• Chapter 5, References, lists the documents and individuals consulted during preparation of the
Addendum.
Addendum to Rosamond Solar Project EIR 1-5
Rosamond Solar Modification Project
by SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC May 2013
1.4 Addendum Scope of Environmental Review
This Addendum evaluates whether the proposed modifications to the approved project would result in
new or substantially more severe significant environmental impacts compared to the impacts disclosed in
the certified EIR.
The EIR assessed the environmental impacts of the Rosamond Solar project, a 200-MW solar PV energy
generation facility located on approximately 960 acres. Components of the facility included:
• Solar field with arrays of photovoltaic panels that are generally 6 to 8 feet in height, arranged in
rows with center-to-center spacing from 12 to 22 feet, and are either fixed tilt or mounted on
single-axis trackers;
• Inverters, combiners, and transformers;
• Overhead and buried conduits;
• Onsite medium-voltage (34.5 kV) collection lines;
• Approximately 2.5 miles of 230-kV generation tie-lines and poles or lattice towers to interconnect
with Southern California Edison’s Whirlwind Substation, located approximately 2-miles west of
the project site;
• Onsite unpaved access roads, consisting of 12-foot wide interior driveways, and 24-foot wide
perimeter driveways ;
• Security fencing, up to 8 feet in height, located along the site perimeter;
• Construction laydown areas, equipment, and structures;
• Substation where the electrical output is combined and transformed to a voltage of 230 KV; and
• Operation and Maintenance (O&M) building located on an approximate 2-acre portion of the
project site.
For complete descriptions of approved onsite facilities, please refer to the EIR. The potential impacts of
these facilities were assessed in the EIR and approved in the CUP. The proposed modified project
contains the same general facilities identified in the EIR but, along with solar fields with arrays of
photovoltaic panels on 400 adjacent acres, contains new potential alternate locations for the solar
project’s substation, gen-tie power line, operations and maintenance building, and septic system because
it is currently uncertain if the solar project will interconnect with the Southern California Edison (SCE) or
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) electrical systems.
As discussed in the certified EIR, the approved project was determined to have no impact with regard to
the following impact thresholds. Since the proposed modified project would have generally the same
facilities located in the same geographic area, the impacts of the proposed modified project would also
have no impact with regard to these impact thresholds. Therefore, these impact thresholds are not further
analyzed in this Addendum.

• Agricultural Resources
• Geology and Soils
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Mineral Resources
• Noise
• Population and Housing
• Recreation
Addendum to Rosamond Solar Project EIR 1-6
Rosamond Solar Modification Project
by SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC May 2013
• Utilities and Service Systems
The certified EIR established that, with mitigation incorporated, the approved project would result in less-
than-significant impacts related to the following environmental impact areas:
• Air Quality (Project)
• Biological Resources (Project)
• Cultural Resources (Project and Cumulative)
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Project and Cumulative)
• Hydrology and Water Quality (Project and Cumulative)
• Land Use and Planning (Project and Cumulative)
• Public Services (Project and Cumulative)
• Transportation and Traffic (Project and Cumulative)

The certified EIR established that the approved project would result in significant and unavoidable
impacts with regard to the following environmental impact areas:

• Aesthetics (Project and Cumulative)
› Significant project-level and cumulative impacts as a result of changes to visual character
of the site and its surroundings.
• Air Quality (Cumulative)
› Significant cumulative impacts as a result of construction-period air pollution.
• Biological Resources (Cumulative)
› Significant cumulative impacts as a result of reduction or loss of habitat.
This Addendum will address changes resulting from implementation of the proposed modified project on
each of the environmental resource areas previously analyzed in the EIR.
1.5 Basis for an EIR Addendum
An agency may prepare an addendum to a certified EIR pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15164 that
states, in pertinent part, that “if some changes or additions are necessary but none of the conditions
described in Section 15162 calling for the preparation of a subsequent EIR have occurred.” Section
15162 states that a subsequent EIR is required if any of the following conditions exist:
(1) Substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require major revisions to the previous
EIR … due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase
in the severity of previously identified effects;
(2) Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertaken
which will require major revisions of the previous EIR … due to the involvement of new
significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified
significant effects; or
(3) New information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been
known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the previous EIR was certified …
shows any of the following:
(A) The project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previous EIR;
Addendum to Rosamond Solar Project EIR 1-7
Rosamond Solar Modification Project
by SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC May 2013
(B) Significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the
previous EIR;
(C) Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be
feasible and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the project, but the
project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative; or
(D) Mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in
the previous EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the
environment, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or
alternative.
Based on the evaluation provided in this Addendum, no new significant impacts would occur as a result
of the proposed modified project, nor would there be any substantial increase in the severity of any
previously-identified significant environmental impact. In addition, no new information of substantial
importance shows that mitigation measures or alternatives that were previously found not to be feasible or
that are considerably different from those analyzed in the previous EIR would substantially reduce one or
more significant effects on the environment alternative. Therefore, none of the conditions described in
Section 15162 of the CEQA Guidelines has occurred. For this reason, an addendum is the appropriate
document to comply with CEQA requirements for the proposed modified project.
1.6 Evaluation of Alternatives
CEQA requires a comparative evaluation of a proposed project and alternatives to the project, including
the “No Project” alternative. The certified EIR addressed a reasonable range of alternatives for the
approved project. There is no new information indicating that an alternative that was previously rejected
as infeasible is in fact feasible, or that a considerably different alternative than those previously studied
would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment.
1.7 Adoption and Availability of Addendum
In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15164(c), an addendum to an EIR need not be circulated
for public review but can be included in or attached to the certified EIR. The decision-making body must
consider the Addendum with the certified EIR prior to making a decision on the project (CEQA
Guidelines Section 15164(d)). Although not required, this Addendum is available for public review at the
Kern County Planning and Community Development Department, 2700 “M” Street, Bakersfield,
California 93301.

Addendum to Rosamond Solar Project EIR 1-8
Rosamond Solar Modification Project
by SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC May 2013
Chapter 2
Modified Project Description
2.1 Introduction and Background
This chapter of the Addendum describes the modifications to the project that have been proposed by the
project proponent. The proposed modified project would add approximately 400 acres of similar infill
and adjacent property to the approved project site. The total size of the approved project would therefore
be increased from 960 acres to approximately 1,360 acres, and the project’s energy generation capacity
would increase from up to 200 MW to up to 300 MW. The modified project would also include potential
alternate locations for the solar project’s substation, gen-tie power line, operations and maintenance
building, and septic system because it is currently uncertain if the solar project will interconnect with the
Southern California Edison (SCE) or Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) electrical
systems.
Modified Project Location
The regional setting for the proposed modified project would be unchanged. The proposed modified
project site is located in the Antelope Valley region of unincorporated area of Kern County (see Figure 2-
1, Regional Location Map), approximately 12 miles west of the unincorporated community of Rosamond
and State Route (SR) 14. The proposed modified project site remains within the Willow Springs Specific
Plan area.
The boundaries of the proposed modified project are depicted in Figure 2-2, Proposed Rosamond Solar
Modified Project Layout. The proposed project addition is located in the following locations: (1) the
northern parcel, which is bordered by Holiday Avenue on the south, Astoria Avenue on the north, 140th
Street West to the east, and 145th Street West to the west; (2) the central area , which is bordered by
Gaskell Avenue on the south, Buckhorn Avenue on the north, 140th Street West on the east, and 145th
Street West on the west, and (3) the southeastern parcel, which is generally bordered by Kingbird Avenue
on the south, Gaskell Avenue on the north, 132nd Street West on the east and 140th Street West on the
west.
Primary access to the proposed project addition would be from 145th Street West, to the north; and from
130th Street West, to the south. The project has an approved access route from Avenue A along the 140th
Street West and 150th Street West alignments, and from 170th Street West south of the Holiday Avenue
alignment.
Project Site and Surrounding Land Uses
The proposed modified project would be comprised of two parcels of record (the northern and southeast
parcels as described above) and a portion of a parcel of record (the central area as described above) upon
recordation of requested Parcel Merger No. 12-011, which proposes the merger of …as shown in Figure
2-00.
Northern Parcel
The northern parcel of the proposed modified project site is designated Map Codes 5.3/4.4 (Maximum 10
Units per Net Acre/Comprehensive Planning Area), and 5.3/4.4/2.6 (Maximum 10 Units Per Net
Acre/Comprehensive Planning Area/Erosion hazard) by the Willow Springs Specific Plan, and a zone
classification of A FPS (Exclusive Agriculture, Floodplain Secondary Combining). The site is currently
vacant/undeveloped. Surrounding land uses include vacant/undeveloped land with one single family
residence to the north.

Southeastern Parcel
The southeastern parcel of the proposed modified site is designated Map Codes 5.6/2.6 (Minimum 2.5
Gross Acres per Unit/Erosion Hazard) and 5.6/2.8 (Minimum 2.5 Gross Acres per Unit/Military Flight
Operations) by the Willow Springs Specific Plan, and has a zone classification of E (2 ½) RS FPS
(Estate-2 ½ Acre Minimum, Residential Suburban Combining, Floodplain Secondary Combining). The
site is currently vacant/ undeveloped. Surrounding land uses include vacant/undeveloped land with
sparsely scattered single family residences to the south and east.
Central Area
The central area of the proposed modified site is designated Map Codes 5.6/2.85 (Minimum 2.5 Gross
Acres per Unit/Noise Management Area), 6.2 (General Commercial), and 6.2/2.6 (General
Commercial/Erosion Hazard) by the Willow Springs Specific Plan, and has a zone classification of E (5)
RS FPS (Estate-5 Acre Minimum, Residential Suburban Combining, Floodplain Secondary Combining).
The site is currently vacant/ undeveloped and surrounding land uses include vacant/ undeveloped land.
The entire proposed modified project site is located within a FEMA-designated flood zone, Flood Zone
“A,” indicating that it could be inundated during a 100-year flood event. Specific Plan land use
designations, and zone classifications for the proposed modified project and surrounding areas is provided
in Table 2-1, Proposed Modified Site and Surrounding Land Uses, Designations, and Zoning.

Addendum to Rosamond Solar Project EIR 2-10
Rosamond Solar Modification Project
by SGS Antelope Valley Development, LLC May 2013