Desk Items 12-05-2019Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
Cupertino Parks & Recreation
System Master Plan
Environmental Review Committee Meeting
December 5, 2019
Master Plan: System wide park and
recreation facility plan, to meet the
needs of the community & guide
decision making for the next 20 years
Focus: existing & planned City
owned / managed developed parks,
special use sites, trail corridors,
potential major new facilities, and
school fields managed by City under
the joint City/CUSD agreement
(Section 2.6.1)
Introduction –Parks & Recreation System Master Plan
•7 goals, supported by Objectives, carried out with Actions.
•Enhancement Opportunities at individual City parks, special use sites,
trail corridors, or school sites.
•Major new park and recreation facility opportunities identified.
•Consistent with General Plan, 2015 ADA Self-Evaluation & Transition
Plan, 2016 Bicycle Transportation Plan, 2018 Pedestrian Transportation
Plan.
Introduction –Parks & Recreation System Master Plan
Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
(IS/MND) prepared for Master Plan
•IS/MND takes a programmatic approach
to impact analysis
▪Many actions / enhancement
opportunities are conceptual and will
require project-specific CEQA review
when plans are available
•Public Comment period: 10/23 to 11/22
•4 comment inputs received from residents
▪Focused on the Master Plan, not the
CEQA document
CEQA Documentation
CEQA Project Description:
•Presents the existing park and recreation facilities (Table 2-1).
•Describes Covered Facilities: City owned or managed parks, trail
corridors, special use sites, school fields managed by the City, and
potential major new facilities (Section 2.6.1)
•Presents Goals, Objectives and Actions with the potential to affect the
environment (Table 2-2).
•Presents summary of enhancement opportunities for each park, special
use site, trail corridor, school field (Table 2-3).
•Presents New Park & Recreation Facility Opportunities (Table 2 -4).
CEQA Project Description
Scope of CEQA Review:
•IS/MND focuses on goals, objectives, actions, and enhancement opportunities
with the potential to cause environmental impacts.
•Master Plan identifies enhancement opportunities, but does not present project-
level design plans for any specific improvement or project.
•In the absence of project-level information, IS/MND identifies general areas and
locations of potential environmental impacts and identifies how existing City
policies, programs, and procedures, as well as regulatory standards and
programmatic procedures, would reduce or avoid environmental impacts.
CEQA Review
Scope of CEQA Review
•Where a potentially significant impact is
identified, the Initial Study identifies
programmatic mitigation measures that would
be applied to future projects to reduce or
avoid environmental impacts.
•Adoption of the Master Plan would not
authorize any specific project or construction
of park improvements contemplated in it.
•Once project-level information is developed
for park improvements, City would evaluate
the project to determine the appropriate level
of environmental review under CEQA.
Initial Study Checklist Analysis
City Standard Design & Construction Measures:
Table 2-5: standard measures that would be incorporated into park design
& construction projects, intended to ensure that park projects are carried
out consistent with relevant regulations.
•Air Quality –Dust Control Measures
•Air Quality –Construction Equipment Emissions BMPs
•Hazardous Materials –Screen site, soil sampling if site used for past
agricultural activities
•Water Quality –Erosion Control per Chapter 9.18 of the Municipal code, & as
applicable Regional NPDES permit, General Conditions, BMP sheet
•Noise –Short-term construction (Chapter 10.48) and general park usage –
hours (Chapter 13.04.190)
•Traffic –traffic control measures for safety, flow, access
CEQA Review
Standard Construction Contract Measures:
•Standard measures specified in City construction contracts to eliminate or reduce
environmental impacts associated with construction projects.
•Measures cover air emissions, storm water pollution prevention, hazardous
materials handling/storage.
•Measures would be incorporated into the park project and implemented as part
of the appropriate phase.
CEQA Review
Initial Study impact analysis determined
project could have potentially significant
impacts to:
•Aesthetics: Light and glare from new
night lighting (AES-1)
•Biology: Potential impacts to special-
status species, sensitive communities,
wetlands, and wildlife corridors (BIO-1)
•Cultural / Tribal: Disturbance of unknown
resources (CULT-1)
Initial Study Checklist Analysis
Mitigation Measures:
AES-1: New exterior lighting in
proximity to adjacent property will
be shielded as necessary to ensure
exterior light sources do not create
a significant light or glare impact
on an adjacent land use.
A lighting plan that addresses
potential light/glare impacts shall
be prepared for projects that
include new night lighting in
proximity to adjacent private
properties.
Initial Study Checklist Analysis
Mitigation Measures:
BIO-1: The CIP program for Parks and Recreation
improvements shall be reviewed annually by staff
to identify projects that could potentially affect
sensitive biological resources. Any such projects
shall be reviewed by a professional in field biology
who shall:
•Research potential for special-status species and
sensitive communities to be impacted by the
project;
•Identify all resource agency permits required for
the project and ensure project is modified as
necessary to minimize impacts; and
•Identify site/project specific measures as
necessary to avoid or reduce impacts
Initial Study Checklist Analysis
Mitigation Measures:
CULT-1: Upon discovery of possible buried
prehistoric or historic cultural materials, work within
25 feet of find must stop, City shall retain qualified
archaeologist to review and evaluate find and
recommend any necessary plans for treatment
and mitigation of impacts. Human remains will be
handled according to Health and Safety Code
Section 7050.5 and Public Resource Code 5097.98:
•If resource is suspected to be Native American in
origin, the resource shall be treated as a
significant Tribal Cultural Resource until
determined otherwise in consultation with a
qualified archaeologist.
•Develop appropriate treatment plan and place
construction conditions on plans
Initial Study Checklist Analysis
Action
•Find that the Initial Study
is appropriate for the
Master Plan; and
•Recommend that the
City Council adopt the
Mitigated Negative
Declaration
Recommended Action:
Conduct the Public Hearing and:
Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
Cupertino Parks & Recreation
System Master Plan
Environmental Review Committee Meeting
December 5, 2019