Santa Maria Airport Ditch DRAFT Mitigated Negative Declaration

206 Pages·2016·12.11 MB·English

Sa nta Barbara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District

Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration
S anta Maria Airport Ditch Improvements Project

16NGD-00000-00014

September 8, 2016

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Lead Agency and Project Proponent Prepared by
County of Santa Barbara, Public Works RECON Environmental, Inc.
Department, Flood Control and Water
5951 Encina Road, Suite 104
Conservation District
Goleta, CA 93117
130 E. Victoria Street, Suite 200
Contact: Bret McNulty
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
[phone] x 187
Contact: Maureen Spencer
[phone]
Santa Maria Airport Ditch Improvements Project September 8, 2016
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Table of Contents
1.0 REQUEST/PROJECT OVERVIEW ................................................................................ 3
1.1 PROJECT LOCATION ................................................................................................. 3
2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................. 5
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING .......................................................................................11
3.1 PHYSICAL SETTING ..................................................................................................11
3.2 OTHER PENDING AND APPROVED PROJECTS .....................................................13
3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE ...................................................................................15
4.0 POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS CHECKLIST .................................................15
4.1 AESTHETICS/VISUAL RESOURCES ........................................................................16
4.2 AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES .................................................................................19
4.3 AIR QUALITY .............................................................................................................20
4.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES .......................................................................................26
4.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES .........................................................................................36
4.6 ENERGY ....................................................................................................................38
4.7 FIRE PROTECTION ...................................................................................................39
4.8 GEOLOGIC PROCESSES .........................................................................................40
4.9 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS .............................................................................47
4.10 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS/RISK OF UPSET ............................................................49
4.11 HISTORIC RESOURCES ...........................................................................................53
4.12 LAND USE ..................................................................................................................54
4.13 NOISE ........................................................................................................................55
4.14 PUBLIC FACILITIES ...................................................................................................58
4.15 RECREATION ............................................................................................................60
4.16 WATER RESOURCES/FLOODING ............................................................................61
4.17 TRANSPORTATION/CIRCULATION ..........................................................................65
5.0 INFORMATION SOURCES ...........................................................................................67
5.1 County Departments Consulted ..................................................................................67
5.2 Comprehensive Plan (check those sources used):......................................................67
5.3 Other Sources (check those sources used):................................................................68
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6.0 MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE ..............................................................68
7.0 PROJECT SPECIFIC (short- and long-term) AND CUMULATIVE IMPACT SUMMARY 70
8.0 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ..........................................................................................70
9.0 INITIAL REVIEW OF PROJECT CONSISTENCY WITH APPLICABLE SUBDIVISION,
ZONING AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REQUIREMENTS ........................................70
10.0 RECOMMENDATION BY P&D STAFF ..........................................................................72
11.0 DETERMINATION BY ENVIRONMENTAL HEARING OFFICER ..................................72
12.0 ATTACHMENTS ...........................................................................................................73
13.0 REFERENCES CITED ..................................................................................................74

Figures
1: Santa Maria Airport Ditch Improvement Project ............................................................... 4
2: Biological Habitat ........................................................................................................... 28
3: California Tiger Salamander Known and Potential Breeding Ponds in Project Vicinity ... 30
4: Soil Types ..................................................................................................................... 43
5: Hazards Materials Radius Map ...................................................................................... 51
6: FEMA Flood Zones........................................................................................................ 63

Tables
1: Project Site Information ................................................................................................... 5
2: Estimated Construction Equipment and Personnel ........................................................ 11
3: County of Santa Barbara - Cumulative Public Works Projects List ................................. 13
4: City of Santa Maria – Cumulative Public Works Projects List ......................................... 15
5: Estimated Onsite and Offsite Construction Emissions ................................................... 23
6: Typical Construction Equipment Noise Levels ............................................................... 57

Photographs
1: Views of SMAD looking East Towards Waller County Park ............................................. 6
2: Views of Erosion of Bank at SMAD Curve ....................................................................... 6
3: Views of SMAD and Skyway Drive Looking Southeast .................................................... 7
4: Views of SMAD Along Skyway Drive Looking Northwest Toward Hagerman Drive.......... 7
5: Views of SMAD Inlet Looking South Towards Staging Area ............................................ 8
6: Views of Project Staging Area Looking East .................................................................... 8
7: View Looking West Across SMAD and Skyway Drive Toward Santa Maria Airport .......... 9
8: Views of Hagerman Drive Bridge Over SMAD Looking Northwest near YMCA
Entrance and Monument Sign ......................................................................................... 9
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1.0 REQUEST/PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Santa Maria Airport Ditch (SMAD) Improvements project (project) is a County of Santa
Barbara Flood Control and Water Conservation District (District) project to repair erosion
damage to an approximate 0.5-mile segment of the existing earthen flood channel located along
the north side of Skyway Drive immediately southeast of the Santa Maria Public Airport (See
Figure 1, Project Location Map below). The purpose of this project is to install drainage system
improvements in the existing earthen and unlined portion of the trapezoidal drainage ditch to
eliminate ongoing erosion that is threatening Skyway Drive. The proposed project will provide
necessary improvements to the SMAD to improve the hydrology and drainage flow for future
storm and flood events. The project encompasses reconstruction of the eroding 2,300-foot
(0.5-mile) SMAD between the existing 60” cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) outfall at Auto Park Drive
and the 10’ wide by 5’ high box culvert under Hagerman Drive located northeast of the Santa
Maria Public Airport in northern Santa Barbara County (County).

1.1 PROJECT LOCATION
The project is located in the Fourth Supervisorial District, in the Orcutt Community Plan Area on
the southern edge of Waller County Park, south of the City of Santa Maria, bounded by Skyway
Drive and the Santa Maria Public Airport to the west.
The project site consists of the existing 2,300-foot (half-mile) SMAD earthen drainage channel
segment, which runs southeast to northwest along the northern side of Skyway Drive between
Auto Park Drive, and Hagerman Drive. The total project footprint is approximately five acres,
bounded by Auto Park Drive to the east, Skyway Drive to the south, Hagerman Drive and a
YMCA facility to the northwest, and Waller County Park to the north, as illustrated in Figure 1.
The Santa Maria Public Airport is located to the southwest across Skyway Drive and Airpark
Drive. Two contractor staging areas totaling approximately one acre will be established within
the project footprint, located adjacent to the northwest corner of the intersection of Skyway Drive
and Auto Park Drive. Table 1 provides a summary of the project site information.
Map Source: County of Santa Barbara Public Works Flood Control and Water Conservation District (2016)
FIGURE 1
Santa Maria Airport Ditch Improvement Project
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Santa Maria Airport Ditch Improvements Project September 8, 2016
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Table 1
Project Site Information
Comprehensive Plan County of Santa Barbara: Urban Area, Orcutt Community Plan Area, Existing
Designation Public or Private Park/Recreation and/or Open Space
Zoning District, County of Santa Barbara: Land Use Development Code Chapter 35 Section 35-
Ordinance 1, (REC) Recreation
Site Size Existing Channel: Approximately 2,300 feet (0.5 mile)
Proposed Project: Approximately 2,300 feet (0.5 mile)
Proposed Project Temporary Overall Disturbance Area – 5 Acres
Present Use & Santa Barbara County Flood Control District – flood control channel/drainage
Development ditch
Surrounding North: County of Santa Barbara: Waller County Park (REC)
Uses/Zoning South: City of Santa Maria: Airport Service III (AS-III)
East: City of Santa Maria: General Commercial (C-2)/High Density Residential
(R-3) with Planned Development Overlay
West: City of Santa Maria: Airport Service III (AS-III)
Access Auto Park Drive, Skyway Drive, and Hagerman Drive (Skyway Lane)
Public Services Water Supply: Golden State Water
Sewage: Laguna County Sanitation District
Fire: County of Santa Barbara Fire Department
Law Enforcement: County of Santa Barbara Sheriff’s
2006 Orcutt Community Plan Zoning Overlays.
2014 Orcutt Community Plan Land Use Designations

2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The SMAD is an earthen, District maintained stormwater conveyance ditch designed to carry
runoff and storm flows from a series of storm drains located in the unincorporated community of
Orcutt. Currently, the SMAD has ongoing erosion exacerbated during storm and flood events
which if left uncorrected may affect Skyway Drive and surrounding lands. The existing half-mile
drainage channel is earthen with steep side slopes and is sparsely vegetated with ruderal
plants. Unstable soils and a lack of infrastructure or stabilizing vegetation have resulted in areas
of erosion within the SMAD channel. Photographs 1 through 8 show existing conditions at the
project site.
Downstream of this half-mile portion of the earthen channel, the channel becomes concrete
lined and eventually drains into a regional basin in the Betteravia sub-basin. Sediment
deposition from channel bank erosion in the reach just upstream of the bridging culvert at
Hagerman Drive impairs the channel’s stormwater conveyance capacity and requires regular
clearing. Continued erosion along the SMAD could lead to increased maintenance costs and
hazardous conditions that could necessitate more intensive reconstruction efforts. Thus, the
improvements are needed to reduce the potential risk of road and property damage and
eventual overtopping of the channel.
PHOTOGRAPH 1
Views of SMAD Looking East Towards Waller County Park
PHOTOGRAPH 2
Views of Erosion of Bank at SMAD Curve
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PHOTOGRAPH 3
Views of SMAD and Skyway Drive Looking Southeast
PHOTOGRAPH 4
Views of SMAD Along Skyway Drive Looking Northwest Toward
Hagerman Drive (Santa Maria Public Airport Located to the
Left and the YMCA to the Right and is visible between the trees)
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PHOTOGRAPH 5
Views of SMAD Inlet Looking South Towards Staging Area
PHOTOGRAPH 6
Views of Project Staging Area Looking East
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PHOTOGRAPH 7
View Looking West Across SMAD and
Skyway Drive Toward Santa Maria Airport
PHOTOGRAPH 8
Views of Hagerman Drive Bridge Over SMAD Looking
Northwest Near YMCA Entrance and Monument Sign
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