CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND

This Environmental Impact Report (EIR) examines the potentially significant effects on the
environment resulting from the proposed City of Citrus Heights City Hall and Medical Office
Building Project (proposed project). The proposed project consists of two primary components—
construction of a new City Hall and a new Medical Office Building—and associated
entitlements. Both project sites are located in the southwest portion of the City of Citrus Heights
(City) in the County of Sacramento. The proposed Medical Office Building would be located at
7115 Greenback Lane on the Fountain Square site, which is the location of the City’s existing
City Hall complex. The proposed City Hall would be constructed on the Stock site, located at
6360 Fountain Square Drive, approximately 800 feet north of the existing City Hall. As detailed
in Chapter 3, Project Description, the project includes the following elements:

 Demolition of six existing structures at the Fountain Square site;

 Construction of a three-story, approximately 69,000-square-foot medical office building;
 Construction of a single-story, approximately 35,000-square-foot City Hall building
and approximately 1.2-acre Utility Yard including an approximately 4,000-square-
foot building, 5,000 square feet of screened outdoor storage, and secured parking for
vehicles;
 Planning approvals for the Fountain Square site include a lot-line adjustment, General
Plan Amendment, Design Review Permit, demolition permit, tree permit, and building
permit;
 Adoption of a new Civic Center Special Planning Area zoning district to be applied to the
Stock site, the existing Police Department Services Building, Community Center, and
U.S. Post Office; and
 Planning approvals for the Stock site include a General Plan Amendment, Design Review
Permit, tree permit, building permit, and annexation of the site to the Citrus Heights
Water District.

In addition, if the project is approved, the City would enter into leasing and financial agreements
with the project applicants/developers for each project site and would consider releasing the
owner of the Stock site from a former Redevelopment Agency Inclusionary Housing
Reimbursement Agreement.

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1.2 PURPOSE AND INTENDED USE OF THIS EIR

The City has prepared this EIR for the following purposes:

 To satisfy the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

(California Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.), the CEQA Guidelines (14
CCR 15000 et seq.), and the City’s procedures for implementing CEQA.
 To inform the general public, the local community, responsible agencies, trustee agencies
and other interested public agencies, and the City’s decision-making bodies (Planning
Commission and City Council) regarding the potential significant environmental effects
resulting from implementation of the proposed project as well as possible measures to
mitigate those significant effects and alternatives to the proposed project.
 To enable the City to consider the environmental consequences when deciding whether to
approve the proposed project and the requested discretionary actions necessary to support
the project.

In summary, this document is intended to provide City decision makers, other agencies, and the
general public with information that enables them to consider the environmental consequences of
the proposed project. The document identifies significant or potentially significant environmental
effects (“impacts”) and ways in which those impacts can be reduced to less-than-significant
levels, whether through implementation of mitigation measures adopted by the lead agency or
through the implementation of an alternative to the project. In a practical sense, an EIR functions
as a method of fact-finding, allowing an applicant, the public, other public agencies, and agency
staff an opportunity to collectively review and evaluate baseline conditions and project impacts
through a process of full disclosure. Additionally, this EIR provides the primary source of
environmental information for the lead agency to consider when exercising any permitting
authority or approval power directly related to implementation of this project.

1.3 TYPE OF EIR

This EIR provides a project-level analysis for the proposed project “focus[ing] primarily on the
changes in the environment that would result from the development project” (14 CCR 15161).
As further stated in Section 15161 of the CEQA Guidelines, a project-specific EIR “shall
examine all phases of the project including planning, construction, and operation.”

1.4 LEAD, RESPONSIBLE, AND TRUSTEE AGENCIES

As required by CEQA, this EIR defines lead, responsible, and trustee agencies. The City is the
lead agency for the project because it holds principal responsibility for approving the project. A
responsible agency is a public agency, other than the lead agency, that has discretionary approval

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over the project. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) is a
responsible agency for this project as each construction component will require approval from
the CVRWQCB and preparation of a stormwater pollution prevention plan. A trustee agency is
defined as a state agency that has jurisdiction by law over natural resources that are held in trust
for the people of the state. For example, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is a
trustee agency with respect to any potential impacts of the project on fish and wildlife resources.

Prior to approving the project, the lead agency is required to certify that the EIR has been
completed in compliance with CEQA, the decision-making body reviewed and considered the
information in the EIR, and the EIR reflects the independent judgment of the lead agency. The
EIR will be reviewed by the City Planning Commission for its recommendation to the City
Council, and will be reviewed by the City Council for certification in accordance with CEQA.
Written findings of fact for each significant environmental impact identified in the EIR will be
prepared by the lead agency to:

 Determine if the proposed project has been changed to avoid or substantially reduce the
magnitude of the impact;
 Find that changes to the proposed project or mitigation measures are within another
agency’s jurisdiction, and such changes have been or should be adopted by such other
agency; or
 Find that specific economic, social, or other considerations make mitigation measures or
proposed project alternatives infeasible.

The findings of fact prepared by the lead agency must be based on substantial evidence in the
administrative record and must include an explanation that demonstrates that evidence in the
record supports the conclusions required by CEQA. The lead agency must also prepare a
Statement of Overriding Considerations as part of the project approval process if the decision-
making body elects to proceed with a project that would have significant impacts that cannot be
mitigated to a less-than-significant level. If required, the statement explains the agency’s
decision to balance the benefits of the project against the environmental impacts identified as
significant and unavoidable consequences of project construction and operation.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE EIR

The scope of this EIR includes analysis of environmental issues identified as potentially
significant in the Notice of Preparation (NOP) and Initial Study (IS), comments on the NOP, and
meetings held with the public (see Appendix A for the NOP and comments received in response
to the NOP, including a summary of verbal comments received at the City’s EIR scoping
session). The IS prepared for the project (see Appendix B) evaluated all the issue areas identified
in the Environmental Checklist (Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines). The IS is a tool for the

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lead agency to use in order to determine where the project may result in potentially significant
impacts. Based on the NOP and IS, the City found that construction and/or operation of the
proposed project could result in significant impacts in the following issue areas:

 Aesthetics
 Air quality
 Biological resources
 Cultural resources
 Hazards and hazardous materials
 Land use and planning
 Noise
 Transportation and circulation.

As discussed further in Chapter 6, Other CEQA Considerations, the analysis in the IS found
that the project would have no impacts or less-than-significant impacts in the following
resource areas:

 Agricultural and forest resources

 Geology, soils, and seismicity
 Greenhouse gases
 Hydrology and water quality
 Mineral resources
 Population and housing
 Public services
 Recreation
 Utilities and service systems.

The EIR addresses issue areas that could result in significant impacts in Chapter 4,
Environmental Analysis. The evaluation of these effects is presented on a resource-by-resource
basis in Sections 4.1 through 4.8. Each section is divided into two main subjects: (1)
Environmental Setting and (2) Impacts and Mitigation Measures. A discussion of cumulative
impacts is included at the end of each technical section.

This EIR evaluates the direct impacts, reasonably foreseeable indirect impacts, and cumulative
impacts resulting from construction and operation of the proposed project using the most current

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information available and in accordance with the provisions set forth in CEQA (California Public
Resources Code, Section 21000 et seq.) and the CEQA Guidelines (14 CCR 15000 et seq.). In
addition, the EIR recommends potentially feasible mitigation measures, where possible, and
project alternatives that would reduce or eliminate significant adverse environmental effects. The
project’s demand for energy and increase in energy consumption, as required by Appendix F of
the CEQA Guidelines, is addressed in Chapter 6, Other CEQA Considerations.

The alternatives chapter of the EIR (Chapter 5, Project Alternatives) was prepared in accordance
with Section 15126.6 of the CEQA Guidelines. In addition to the proposed project, the following
alternatives are analyzed in this EIR:

Alternative 1a: No Project/No Build Alternative. This alternative assumes no development

would occur, and both sites would remain in their current condition. The Fountain Square site
would remain as the current City Hall, no buildings would be demolished, and the Stock site
would remain undeveloped.

Alternative 1b: No Project/Existing Zoning Alternative. This alternative assumes the

Fountain Square site would remain as the current City Hall, and the Stock site would be
developed with 160 multifamily residential units, consistent with the underlying land use
designation and zoning and the development entitlements granted in 2006 for that site.

Alternative 2: Two-Story Medical Office Building. This alternative assumes the existing
buildings at the Fountain Square site would be demolished, and a two-story Medical Office
Building would be constructed and that a new City Hall would be constructed at the Stock
site, consistent with the proposed project.

Alternative 3a: Stock Site Medical Office Building Alternative. This alternative assumes the
Fountain Square site would remain as the current City Hall, and the Medical Office Building
would be developed at the Stock site.

Alternative 3b: Stock Site Medical Office Building Alternative with Rehabilitation of
Existing City Hall. As in Alternative 3a, it is assumed that the Fountain Square site would
remain as the current City Hall, and the Medical Office Building would be developed at the
Stock site. In addition, it is assumed that the existing City Hall buildings would be rehabilitated
to improve building operations.

Alternative 4: Winding Way Medical Office Building Alternative. This alternative assumes
the Fountain Square site would remain as the current City Hall, and the Medical Office Building
would be developed at a vacant site located at 5900 Winding Way in the unincorporated
Sacramento County community of Carmichael.

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1.6 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS

This EIR has been prepared to meet all of the substantive and procedural requirements of CEQA.
As the lead agency, the City has primary responsibility for conducting the environmental review
and approving or denying the project.

As a first step in complying with the procedural requirements of CEQA, the City examined
whether or not any aspect of the project, either individually or cumulatively, may cause a
significant effect on the environment. For this project, the IS (provided in Appendix B)
demonstrated that potentially significant impacts to aesthetics, air quality, biological resources,
cultural resources, hazards and hazardous materials, land use and planning, noise, and
transportation and circulation could result associated with project implementation. Based on the
conclusion that potentially significant impacts could occur, the City determined that it is
necessary to prepare an EIR to analyze the impacts.

The NOP was released on September 26, 2014, for a 30-day public review period that closed
on October 27, 2014. The City received a total of five comment letters including comments
from the CVRWQCB and from four city residents. In addition, the City held a public scoping
meeting on October 14, 2014, during which four city residents provided comments. All
comments received in response to the NOP are provided in Appendix A to this Draft EIR.
Agencies and interested persons will also have an opportunity to provide public comment
during the public review period for the Draft EIR and at public hearings on the project.

As required by CEQA, this Draft EIR will be publicly circulated for a 45-day period for public
review and comment. During the comment period, the general public, organizations, and
agencies may submit comments to the City on the Draft EIR’s accuracy and completeness.
Comments must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 26, 2015, to the following:

City of Citrus Heights Planning Division

6237 Fountain Square Drive
Citrus Heights, California 95621
Colleen McDuffee
[email protected]

After the public review period is complete, a Final EIR will be prepared for consideration by the
Planning Commission and City Council. The Final EIR will include comments on the Draft EIR
received during the public review period, including comments received at any public hearings,
and responses to those comments, as well as any revisions to the Draft EIR made in response to
agency or public comments. The Draft EIR and Final EIR together will compose the complete
EIR for the project.

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A Planning Commission hearing will be scheduled during the 45-day public review period; this
public hearing will provide another opportunity to submit comments on the Draft EIR either
verbally or in writing. After preparation of the Final EIR, and in accordance with Section 15080
of the CEQA Guidelines, the EIR will be presented to the City Council to review and certify that
the EIR provides an accurate and complete record. Certification of the EIR does not, however,
constitute approval of the project but establishes the City’s conclusion that the EIR meets the
requirements of CEQA. Upon certification of the EIR, the City will make a separate
determination as to whether to approve the various entitlements and the proposed project.

Additionally, according to CEQA Section 21081.6 (a)(1), for projects in which significant
impacts will be lessened or avoided by mitigation measures, the lead agency must prepare a
mitigation monitoring and reporting program, to be adopted at the same time the lead agency’s
decision-making body makes its “CEQA Findings” addressing the disposition of all significant
environmental effects disclosed in an EIR (see 14 CCR 15091). The purpose of the mitigation
monitoring and reporting program is to ensure compliance with required mitigation during
implementation of the project.

EIR Adequacy

The level of detail contained throughout this EIR is consistent with Section 15151 of the CEQA
Guidelines, which states the following:

An EIR should be prepared with a sufficient degree of analysis to provide

decision makers with information which enables them to make a decision which
intelligently takes account of the environmental consequences. An evaluation of
the environmental effects of a proposed project need not be exhaustive, but the
sufficiency of an EIR is to be reviewed in the light of what is reasonably feasible.
Disagreement among experts does not make an EIR inadequate, but the EIR
should summarize the main points of disagreement among the experts. The courts
have looked not for perfection but for adequacy, completeness, and a good faith
effort at full disclosure.

1.7 DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION

This EIR has been designed for easy use and reference. To help the reader locate information of
particular interest, a brief summary of the contents of each section of the EIR is provided. This
report includes seven principal parts:

 Introduction (Chapter 1). Provides a brief background description for the project and
description of the EIR, including its purpose, intended use, type, scope, and standards for

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adequacy; and identification of lead, responsible, and trustee agencies; a description of

the environmental review process; and a summary of how the document is organized.
 Executive Summary (Chapter 2). Includes a summary of impacts and mitigation
measures proposed by the project in a table format.
 Project Description (Chapter 3). Includes a discussion of the existing conditions at each
project component site; a statement of project objectives; a general description of the
project site’s environmental characteristics, including onsite and adjacent land uses and
proposed plans for development; and required agency approvals.
 Environmental Analysis (Chapter 4). Includes a topic-by-topic analysis of baseline
environmental conditions without the project and impacts that would or could result from
development of the project. It also identifies potentially feasible mitigation measures that, if
adopted, would reduce the level of significance of environmental impacts. The results of field
visits and data collection, and the findings of technical reports are included in the analysis.
 Project Alternatives (Chapter 5). Includes an assessment of alternative methods for
accomplishing most of the basic objectives of the proposed project while avoiding or
substantially lessening at least one significant impact of the project. This assessment
provides information for decision makers to make a reasoned choice among potentially
feasible alternatives based on comparing the impacts of the alternatives to the impacts of
the proposed project.
 Other CEQA Considerations (Chapter 6). Includes a discussion of additional issues
required by CEQA, including significant unavoidable adverse impacts, irreversible
environmental changes, energy consumption, and growth inducement. The analysis of
cumulative impacts is included in the technical sections contained in Chapter 4.
 References (Chapter 7). Identifies the author, title, and publication information for each
document referenced in support of the EIR analysis.
 EIR Preparers (Chapter 8). Identifies the environmental professionals who have
contributed to preparation of this EIR.
 Appendices. Contains a number of reference items and reports providing support and
documentation of the analysis performed in the EIR.

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