NOTICE OF PREPARATION - City of Manteca

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2. Agriculture and Forest Resources. In determining whether impacts to agricultural resources are significant environmental effects, lead agencies may refer to the California Agricultural Land Evaluation and Site Assessment Model (1997) prepared by the California Dept. of Conservation as an optional model to use in assessing impacts on agriculture and farmland. In determining whether impacts to forest resources, including timberland, are significant environmental effects, lead agencies may refer to information compiled by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection regarding the state’s inventory of forest land, including the Forest and Range Assessment Project and the Forest Legacy Assessment Project; and forest carbon measurement methodology provided in Forest Protocols adopted by the California Air Resource Board. Would the project: a. Convert Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, or Farmland of Statewide Importance (Farmland), as shown on the maps prepared pursuant to the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program of the California Resources Agency, to non-agricultural use? b. Conflict with existing zoning for agricultural use, or a Williamson Act contract? c. Conflict with existing zoning for, or cause rezoning of, forest land (as defined in Public Resources Code section 12220(g)), timberland (as defined by Public Resources Code section 4526), or timberland zoned Timberland Production (as defined by Government Code section 51104(g))? d. Result in the loss of forest land or conversion of forest land to non-forest use? e. Involve other changes in the existing environment which, due to their location or nature, could result in conversion of Farmland, to non-agricultural use or conversion of forest land to non-forest use? Potentially Significant Impact Less Than Significant With Mitigation Incorporation Initial Study-07-10 Less Than Significant Impact a) The 2006 San Joaquin County Important Farmland Map identified the Terra Ranch project area as Farmland of Statewide Importance. Farmland of Statewide Importance consists of farmland similar to Prime Farmland but with minor shortcomings, such as greater slopes or less ability to store soil moisture. The land must have been used for production of irrigated crops at some time during the four years prior to the mapping date. The 2023 Manteca General Plan identifies the conversion of Farmland of Statewide Importance to a non-agricultural use as a potentially significant impact. An iron clad definition of a significant impact is not always possible because the significance of an activity may vary with the setting (Section 15064 [b]). An example would be an impact in a rural setting having a significant effect, whereas in an urban setting the impact would be considered less than significant. In this case the property is across from existing residential subdivisions to the north and northeast of the property line. The proximity of these subdivisions makes the probability of long term sustained agriculture very low. Additionally, in 2005 the City of Manteca adopted an Agricultural Mitigation fee; which is intended to mitigate the loss of productive agricultural lands converted for urban uses within the city Compliance with Mitigation Measure 2.1 will make the project level impact less than significant. Mitigation Measure 2.1: The developer shall pay the applicable agricultural mitigation fee in place at the time of the issuance of each individual building permit as calculated by the Manteca Building Division. Cumulative impacts: Conversion of Farmland of Statewide Importance to urban uses is identified as a significant and unavoidable impact for which a statement of overriding consideration was adopted by the City of Manteca on October 6, 2003 (Resolution R2003-412). The Manteca General Plan EIR is considered to be a Program EIR as identified in section 1.1.1 of the Manteca General Plan EIR. In the 2023 Manteca General Plan the project area is designated as LDR (Low Density Residential) and MDR (Medium Density Residential), therefore the project site was expected to develop as a single family subdivision and the loss of Farmland of Statewide Importance was anticipated and addressed in the General Plan EIR. The City finds that the project complies with section 15168.c of the California Environmental Quality Act, in that the impact(s) were 1) previously examined in a Program EIR, 2) and no new effect to the project that are outside the scope of the General Plan assumptions are present, 3) the project complies with the General Plan policies regarding the protection of agricultural land until development is imminent; and 4) the site specific operations are documented in this Initial study and are within the scope of the original Program EIR. Therefore, no additional mitigation is required. Initial Study_Terra Ranch IS 07-10 6 X No Impact X X X X
Initial Study-07-10 b) The site is currently zoned PEC (Planned Employment Center) and designated LDR and HDR in the General Plan. The project includes a General Plan Amendment to change the location of the LDR (Low Density Residential) and MDR (Medium Density Residential) and a Rezone of the property to R-1 (Single Family Residential) and R-4 (Multiple Family Residential). Therefore, the project does not conflict with existing zoning for agricultural use because the General Plan has designated this site for urban development, nor is it under a Williamson Act contract. Therefore, there is no impact. c-e ) As outlined in the 2023 General Plan, the project site (within City limits) is proposing to develop a subdivision with the proposed zoning of R-1 (Single Family Residential) and R-4 (Multiple Family Residential). As discussed and analyzed in the General Plan and General Plan EIR, the site is already zoned LDR (Low Density Residential) and HDR (High Density Residential). Therefore, loss of farmland has already been analyzed in the General Plan EIR, and there would be no impact on the existing environment. In addition, the project site is not considered forest land (as defined in Public Resources Code section 12220(g)), timberland (as defined by Public Resources Code section 4526), and is not zoned Timberland Production (as defined by Government Code section 51104(g)). Therefore, the proposed project would have no impact with regard to conversion of forest land and conflict with forest land, timberland, or Timberland Production zoning. Initial Study_Terra Ranch IS 07-10 7
Page 1 and 2: TO: Responsible and Interested Part
Page 3 and 4: Notice of Completion & Environmenta
Page 5 and 6: DATE: July 21, 2010 TO: Interested
Page 7 and 8: Figure 2 Project Location 3 Project
Page 9 and 10: NOP Comment Period: Written comment
Page 11 and 12: • Rezone of the 74.5-acre site fr
Page 13 and 14: Hydrology and Water Quality The Hyd
Page 15 and 16: A. BACKGROUND: ENVIRONMENTAL INITIA
Page 17 and 18: Assessor’s Parcel Map (Exhibit 2)
Page 19: Initial Study-07-10 G. EVALUATION O
Page 23 and 24: Initial Study-07-10 Mitigation Meas
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Page 27 and 28: 6. Geology and Soils. Would the pro
Page 29 and 30: 7. Hazards and Hazardous Materials.
Page 31 and 32: 8. Hydrology and Water Quality. Wou
Page 33 and 34: 9. Land Use and Planning. Would the
Page 35 and 36: 11. Noise. Would the project result
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Page 39 and 40: 14. Recreation. a. Would the projec
Page 41 and 42: 16. Utilities and Service Systems.
Page 43 and 44: 17. Global Climate Change. Would th
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NOTICE OF PREPARATION - City of Manteca

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