Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout704 411/ RESOLUTION NO. 704 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS ADOPTING GUIDELINES IMPLEMENTING THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT OF 1970 AS AMENDED. WHEREAS, the State of California has adopted the Environmental Quality Act of 1970, as amended, (CEQA) set forth in Public Resources Code 21050-21174, which requires all public agencies to adopt objectives, criteria and procedures for its implementation (21082); and WHEREAS, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills desires by these local guidelines to combine into its planning, review and project approval process the necessary procedures to determine whether or not a project has a significant effect on the environment; and WHEREAS, it is necessary that the criteria and the procedures provide for an adequate and objective report on the effect to the environment of the applicable project; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED as follows: I. DEFINITIONS. The following definitions shall apply in connection with this Resolution. a) "DECISION MAKING BODY." The Board of Planning Administra- tion, Environmental Planning Commission, or City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills, whichever has Town authority with respect to an action on a project, shall be the Decision Making Body. Where the decision is made in conjunction with planning, zoning or other matters which are subject to appeal under the ordinances and regulations of the Town, the decision on environmental impact shall be subject to the same rules of appeal as is the other matter being decided. b) "GUIDELINES." That document entitled Guidelines for Imple- mentation of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970, as amended, adopted by the California Resources Agency on February 3, 1973, and promulgated by the Secretary for Resources and including any amendments thereto, being Division 6, Title 14, California Administrative Code. c) "Environment, "Environmental impact report," "Local agency," "Public agency," "Project," "Person," and "Lead agency" shall be those definitions ascribed to them, respectively, in Public Resources Code 21060.5-21067. d) All of those definitions set forth in the Guidelines 15020 through 15040, which includes and expands those definitions provided in c) above. II. CONFLICTS. In the event there is any conflict between the Public Resources Code sections and the Guidelines sections the Public Resources Code shall govern. In the event there is any conflict between the Public Resources Code and these local guidelines the provisions of the Public Resources Code shall govern. III. INFORMATIONAL DOCUMENT. The purposes and objectives of an Environ- mental Impact Report (EIR) are prescribed as follows (Guidelines 15012): An Environmental Impact Report is an informational document which, when fully prepared in accordance with the CEQA and these local -1-. Aii guidelines, will inform public decision-makers and the general public of the environmental effects of projects they propose to carry out or approve. The EIR process is intended to enable public agencies to evaluate a project to determine whether it may have a significant effect on the environment, examine and institute methods of reducing adverse impacts, and consider alternatives to the project as proposed. These things must be done prior to approval or disapproval of the project. An EIR may not be used as an instrument to rationalize approval of a project, nor do indications of adverse impact, as enunciated in an EIR, require that a project be disapproved--public agencies retain existing authority to balance environmental objectives with economic and social. objectives. IV. EXEMPTIONS. The following projects shall be exempt from the require- ment of an environmental impact report: a) ONGOING PROJECTS. Those set forth in Guidelines 15070, subparagraph b,c,d and e. b) EMERGENCY PROJECTS. Those set forth in Guidelines 15071 . c) . FEASIBILITY AND PLANNING STUDIES. Those set forth in Guidelines 15073. d) MINISTERIAL PROJECTS. Those set forth in Guidelines 15073. (1 ) Also deemed to be ministerial is the issuance of permits under the uniform building, electrical , plumbing, mechanical and housing codes adopted by the Town. e) CATEGORICAL EXEMPTIONS. Those set forth in Guidelines 15100 through 15112. (1 ) Except that Guidelines 15114 may modify the right to the exemptions based on location as determined by the Decision Making Body. V. EXEMPTION DETERMINATION. The decision concerning the exemptions set forth in Paragraph IV hereof shall be made by the City Manager or his designated representative and shall be recorded in writing on an Exemption Determination Form prepared by the Town. Each Exemption Determination made pursuant to subsections b, c and e of Section IV above shall be promptly reported to the City Council . VI. ALTERNATE DETERMINATION. In the event the City Manager or his desig- nated representative is unable to determine that the project comes within the exemptions set forth in Paragraph IV, then the matter shall be referred in writing to the Decision Making Body for a deter- mination as to whether or not the project may have a significant effect upon the environment. The applicant shall submit information required by the Town on an Environmental Assessment Worksheet form prepared by the Town. In the event the Decision Making Body determines that said project may not have a significant effect upon the environment, the Town Clerk shall file a Notice of Determination with the County Clerk of the County of Santa Clara. In the event the Decision Making Body determines that the project may have a significant effect on the environment, an environmental impact report shall be prepared, in accordance with the _Guidelines, 15085, subsections (a) through (h). VII. NEGATIVE DECLARATION. In the event the Decision Making Body deter- mines that the project, which would ordinarily, be expected to have -2- • • a significant effect upon the environment, but due to circumstances peculiar to this specific project will have no significant effect, it will then cause a Negative Declaration to be prepared. The Negative Declaration shall include a description of the pro- ject, as proposed, and the finding that the project will not have a significant effect on the environment. The Negative Declaration shall be filed with the Town Clerk and County Clerk. If no objection to the decision is made within 10 days of the post- ing of the Negative Declaration, and thereafter upon approval or disapproval of the project, the Town Clerk shall file a copy of the Negative Declaration and a Notice of Determination with the County Clerk, County of Santa Clara. The determination of the Decision Making Body shall be final except that determinations made in conjunction with other determinations of the Decision Making Body which are subject to appeal shall like- wise be subject to appeal . VIII. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE. The mandatory findings of significant effect shall be as set forth in 15082 of Guidelines. IX. FEES AND DEPOSITS. In addition to any other fee required with an application for any entitlement from the Town, the following minimum fees shall be charged to meet the requirements of this Resolution, the Guidelines and the Public Resources Code: a) For determination of exemptions, a fee of $ 0 , deposit of $ 0 . b) For processing a Negative Declaration, a fee of $ 25, deposit of $100. c) For processing a Draft Environmental Impact Report and Final Preparation and Summary Form a fee of $100, deposit of $500. In the event the deposits do not meet the full costs, the applicant shall pay the additional costs upon submission of the Town's invoice. X. NOTICE OF DETERMINATION FORM. The Notice of Determination shall be in the form as set forth in Exhibit "A" attached hereto and made a part hereof. XI. NEGATIVE DECLARATION FORM. The Negative Declaration shall be in the form as set forth in Exhibit "B" attached hereto and made a part hereof. XII. NOTICE OF COMPLETION FORM. The Notice of Completion shall be in the form required by Public Resources Code 21161 , as set forth in Exhibit "C" attached hereto and made a part hereof. XIII. EIR CONTENTS. The contents of the Environmental Impact Report shall include those matters set forth in 21100 of the Public Resources Code, 15140 through 15146 of the Guidelines and such other matters as the Town may require in connection with the filing of the Environ- mental Impact Report or any preliminaries in relation thereto. XIV. INFORMATION FOR EIR. Town reserves the right to require any and all applicants for entitlement from Town to submit any and all infor- mation necessary to prepare the required Environmental Report. The Town may require all applicants to set forth the source of the infor- mation submitted. The Town shall require the payment of fees authorized by 15053 of the Guidelines, and a deposit in such an amount to secure payment thereof, which may be in addition to those provided in part IX hereof. -3- , 1 • .. XV. PUBLIC PROJECTS. The Town shall also follow the provisions of these local guidelines for processing its public projects. XVI. FEDERAL PROJECTS. Any proposed Federal project within the Town which may have a significant effect on the environment shall be processed in accordance with 15063 of the Guidelines and these local guidelines. XVII. DRAFT EIR. When a draft EIR is available for review, it shall be filed with the Town Clerk who shall post notice thereof., A period of 10 days may be allowed for public review of the draft. a) When a final EIR is prepared, it shall be filed with the Town Clerk who shall post notice thereof. The determination on the final EIR shall be made by the Decision Making Body except as to any matters which may be subject to appeal as provided herein. XVIII. POSTING OF NOTICES. Posting required herein by the Town Clerk shall be made at the Town Hall . XIX. CONTINUANCE. The Decision Making Body may continue any matter relating to proceedings under these local guidelines, from time to time, for the purpose of obtaining further information or for obtaining public response. XX. SEVERABILITY. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of these local guidelines is for any reason held to be illegal , invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions hereof. The Council hereby declares that it would have passed these local guidelines and each section, subsection, sentence, clause and phrase hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared to be illegal , invalid or unconstitutional . XXI. POSTING. These local guidelines shall be posted in three public places and take effect immediately. I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted at an adjourned regular meeting of the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills held on the 18th day of April , 1973. ATTEST: City Clerk ' NOTICE OF DETERMINATION. TO: County . Clerk County of Santa Clara 191 N. 1st Street San Jose, Calif. 95110 Town. of Los Altos rills Responsible Agency Project—Title 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County, 94022 Sown Clerk 415 948-9127 Contact Person Area Code Phone PROJECT DESCRIPTION, LOCATION: T ne Town oflosAlfos by action taken on 19 , completed a review of thePro proposed project and determinedrmi e a that : 1. It is exempt as : [ ] ONGOING PROJECT [ ] EMERGENCY PROJECT [ ] FEASIBILITY And PLANNING STUDY [. ] MINISTERIAL PROJECT [ ] CATEGORICAL 2. It have a significant effect on the (will or will not) environment.,ens. • 3. It is (approved or. disapproved) An Environmental Impact Report been prepared (has or has not) -suant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality of 1970, as amended. . Date : Town Clerk . Exhibit r"A1 l ON 1 � CLa�14�-� ..{.. NEGATIVE L 1J.0 TO: County Clerk County of Santa Clara 191 N. 1st Street San Jose, Calif. 95110 Town of Los Altos Hills Responsible Agency Project Title 25379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County, 94022 Town Clerk 415 948-9127 ; Contact Person Area Code Phone PROJECT DESCRIPTION, LOCATION° The Town of Los Altos 'Hills by action taken on , 19 , completed a review of the proposed project and determined that : 1. It will not have a significant effect on the environment . 2. No Environmental Impact Report is required. Unless appealed within 1O. days hereof the determination shall be final. Appealed.: [ ] Yes [ ] No. Date Final: • By Town Clerk Exhibit "B" • • NOTICE OF COMPLETION TO: SECRETARY FOR RESOURCES 1416 Ninth Street, Room .1311 Sacramento, California 95814 • Town of Los Aitos Hills Responsible Agency • Project Title • • 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County, 94022 Town. Clerk 415 948-9127 Contact Person Area Code Phone PROJECT DESCRIPTION OF NATURE, PURPOSE, AND BENEFICIARIES Town of Los Altos Hills Project Location • . . ..Santa Clara • Project Location "County • 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California Address Where Copy:. of Draft EIR is Available Date : . For Town of Los Altos By . . Town Clerk • • • Exhibit "Crs