CC Resolution 2002-058 RESOLUTION NO. 2002-58
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA, CERTIFYING AN ADDENDUM
TO A PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED MITIGATED NEGATIVE
DECLARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PREPARED
FOR SPECIFIC PLAN 2000-043, AMENDMENT NO. I
CASE NO: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 2000-395 ADDENDUM
MADISON/P.T.M. LA QUINTA, L. L C.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of La Quinta, California, did, on
the 16th day of April, 2002 hold a Public Hearing to consider an Addendum to
Environmental Assessment 2000-395, as prepared for Specific Plan 2000-043,
Amendment No. 1; and, herein referred to as the "Project" for Madison/ PTM La
Quinta L.L.C.; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of La Quinta, California,
did on the 26th day of March, 2002, hold a duly noticed Public Hearing to consider an
Addendum to Environmental Assessment 2000-395, as prepared for Specific Plan
_ 2000-043, Amendment No. 1; and,
WHEREAS, said applications has complied with the requirements of "The
Rules to Implement the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970" (as amended;
Resolution 83-68 adopted by the La Quinta City Council) in that the Community
Development Department has prepared an Addendum to Environmental Assessment
97-341 pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15164; and,
WHEREAS, on May'16, 2000, the La Quinta City Council certified a
Mitigated Negative Declaration for Environmental Assessment 2000-395 for Point
Happy Specific Plan 2000-043; and,
WHEREAS, the Amendment to the Specific Plan does not call for the
preparation of a subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration or EIR pursuant to CEQA
Guideline 15162 or Public Resources Code Section 21166, in that the Revised Project
does not involve: (1) substantial changes to the project analyzed in the Mitigated
Negative Declaration which would involve new significant effects on the environment
or substantially increase the severity of previously identified impacts; (2) substantial
changes with respect to the circumstances under which the project is being
undertaken which would involve new significant effects on the environment not
analyzed in the Mitigated Negative Declaration or substantially increase the severity
of previously identified impacts; or (3) new information of substantial importance
which would involve new significant effects on the environment not analyzed in the
Mitigated Negative Declaration or substantially increase the severity of previously
identified impacts.
Resolution No. 2002-58
Addendum to Environmental Assessment 2000-395
Adopted April 16, 2002
Page 2
WHEREAS, upon hearing and considering all testimony and arguments,
if any, of all interested persons desiring to be heard, said City Council did find the
following facts, findings, and reasons to justify a recommendation for certification of
said Addendum:
1. The proposed Specific Plan Amendment will not have the potential to degrade
the quality of the environment, as the project in question will not be developed
in any manner inconsistent with the General Plan and other current City
standards. The project does not have the potential to eliminate an important
example of California prehistory, as extensive archaeological investigation of the
site have been conducted as part of the project to implement appropriate
mitigation alternatives. The applicant has agreed to implementing the necessary
mitigation measures prior to site development activities and is in concurrence
with project conditions relating to this.
2. The project does not have the potential to achieve short-term environmental
goals, to the disadvantage of long-term environmental goals, with
implementation of the monitoring program, as the proposed project size will not
exceed the total parking requirement within the Specific Plan.
3. The proposed Specific Plan Amendment and related applications will not have
impacts which are individually limited, but cumulatively considerable when
considering planned or proposed development in the immediate vicinity, in that
the proposed project is undertaken pursuant to the General Plan for which a
Mitigated Negative Declaration has been certified.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of
La Quinta, California, as follows:
1. That the recitations are true and correct and constitute the findings of the City
Council for this Addendum to Environmental Assessment 2000-395.
2. That it does hereby certify an Addendum to Environmental Assessment 2000-
395 in that the changes proposed to the project are a minor nature and do not
require the preparation of a subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration pursuant
to Public Resources Code Section 21166 and there are no new circumstances
which would require the preparation of a subsequent Mitigated Negative
Declaration and there is no new information or change in circumstances which
would require the preparation of a subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration.
Resolution No. 2002-58
Addendum to Environmental Assessment 2000-395
Adopted April 16, 2002
Page 3
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the La
Quinta City Council held on this 16th day of April , 2002 following vote:
AYES: Council Members Adolph, Henderson, Perkins, Sniff, Mayor Pe~a
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
(~ iOt'yH No ~P (~l~lu i~n~aM, ~?~ o r n, a
ATTEST:
JUli~'~. GREEK, CMC, ~'-rt~Clerk
City of La. Quinta, California
(City Seal)
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
M.~A~HERINE JENSdN, C~'~Attorney
Cit~.,~f La Ouinta, Cali rni~~
ADDENDUM TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
FOR
SPECIFIC PLAN 2000-043, AMENDMENT NO. I
Prepared by:
City of La Quinta
78-495 Calle Tampico
La Quinta, California 92253
Contact: Principal Planner Fred Baker
(760)777-7125
Prepared for:
MADISON/P.T.M. LA QUINTA L.C.C.
71361 SAN GORGINO
RANCHO MIRAGE, CA 92270
Contact:
RICK WlLKERSON , MANAGING MEMBER
760-771-1755
FEBRUARY 1, 2002
INTRODUCTION
This Addendum to the previously certified Environmental Assessment (EA 2000-395)
for the Point Happy Specific Plan 2000-043 has been completed pursuant to the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in order to evaluate the environmental
impacts associated with minor changes.
PREVIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION
Proposed changes to now require further environmental evaluation. This evaluation
need not take the form of another EA, as explained below, but can take place in an
Addendum to the EA for Specific Plan 2000-043, Amendment No. 1.
EA ADDENDUM CRITERIa,
According to CEQA Guidelines § 15164, if a project does not fulfill any of the criteria
enumerated in CEQA Guidelines § 15162(a)(1)_(3) then an Addendum, rather than a
subsequent or Supplemental EA is appropriate. The determination that none of the
criteria outlined in CEQA Guidelines § 151 62(a)(1)-(3) are fulfilled must be supported
by substantial evidence.
As stated in CEQA Guidelines § 15162:
a. When an EIR has been certified or negative declaration adopted no
subsequent EIR shall be prepared for that project unless the lead agency
determines, on the basis of substantial evidence in the light of the whole
record, one or more of the following:
(1) Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances
under which the project is undertaken which will require major
revisions of the previous EIR or Negative Declaration due to the
involvement of new significant environmental effects or a
substantial increase in the severity of previously identified
significant 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 or Negative Declaration due to the
involvement of new significant environmental effects or a
substantial increase in the severity of previously identified
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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 as complete
or Negative Declaration was adopted shows any of the following:
(A) The project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the
previous EIR or Negative Declaration;
(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.
A detailed description of the initially proposed project and the currently proposed
project is provided in Section (Project Site Characteristics) of this document. Using
the information provided in Section 2, a brief refutation of the criteria set forth in
CEQA Guidelines § 1 5162 is provided as follows.
Subsection (a)(1) does not apply to the proposed changes to the Project because the
revision is not a substantial change in the Project's scale with commensurate increase
in environmental impacts from those initially anticipated and disclosed in the Negative
Declaration. No new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the
severity of previously identified significant effects would occur as a result of
construction of the currently proposed project.
Subsection (a)(2) does not apply because there are no substantial changes to he
existing environmental conditions such that new and significant environmental
impacts or a substantial increase in the severity of the environmental impacts would
occur. As previously stated, the proposed Project is not a substantial change, with
a commensurate increase in environmental impacts. In summary, the environmental
circumstances under which the Project is undertaken are substantially similar to, or
in some cases are, improved over the conditions in 2000.
Lastly, Subsection (a)(3) does not apply because the environmental analysis did not
identify any significant environmental effects that were not previously disclosed in the
Negative Declaration, nor did this analysis find that any significant environmental
effects previously examined in the Negative Declaration will be substantially more
severe with the revised plan. In fact, some effects were determined to be less severe
as a result of the project redesign. Further, this analysis did not reveal that there are
any new mitigation measures that would substantially reduce one or more significant
effects.
In summary, CEQA Guidelines § 15164 (a) states that:
"The lead agency or responsible agency shall prepare an addendum to a
previously certified EIR 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."
Given that none of the conditions outlined in CEQA Guidelines § 15162 have
--- occurred, an Addendum to the Negative Declaration is the appropriate document for
evaluating environmental impacts resulting from the revised Tentative Tract.
PROJECT SITE CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL
The proposed Point Happy Specific Plan is a commercial center consisting of nine
building clusters designed around centralized parking. The project site is divided into
twelve 12 buildable parcels. The uses proposed include retail, fast food, restaurant,
office, bank, financial and a service station/convenience store/car wash. Each
proposed building requires a site development permit and the proposed uses may
move or change location among the development pads at time a site development
review permit is processed subject to the total parking provided for the commercial
center. The Specific Plan establishes guidelines and standards in a focused
development plan for the distribution of land uses, location and sizing of supporting
infrastructure, design and development standards, and requirements for public
improvements.
The revision to this Specific Plan adds additional landscape material, one additional
sign type, one additional roof tile type, one additional facade type, and a project
entry/street name change. In addition the plan amendment updates all previously
approved building square footage and parking ratios. These proposed additions apply
to the entire site.
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REVISED IMPACTS
The addition of landscape, design material, street name change, and updating building
size and parking allocation on the project site will not change the environmental
impacts. No significant change in impacts will result in the areas of air quality, noise,
population generation, use of natural and energy resources, traffic, public facility and
services demand, and cumulative impacts.
CONCLUSION
The La Quinta Community Development Department has determine
this addendum . .. d that based on
to the previously certified Negative Declaration, no further
environmental review is deemed necessary, pursuant to the Guidelines for
Implementation of the California Environmental Guality Act, Section 15304. .
A:\SP 2000-043 Amd No. I\EA Addendum.wpd _~