HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1997 0716 CC REG ITEM 09F�'�
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AGENDA REPORT
CITY OF MOORPARK
The Honorable City Council
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ITEM
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Nelson Miller, Director of Community Developme�
Deborah S. Traffenstedt, Senior Planner
July 8, 1997 (CC Meeting of 7- 16 -97)
SUBJECT: CONSIDER COMMENTS
FOR GRIMES ROCK,
PERMIT (CUP) NO.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR)
INC., SAND AND GRAVEL MINE, CONDITIONAL USE
4874
The Draft EIR for the Grimes Rock, Inc., Sand and Gravel Mine Project
identifies that the Project would result in significant, unmitigable
visual and air quality impacts; and significant, mitigable biological
resources, noise, and traffic impacts. The City of Moorpark would be
impacted by proposed increased truck traffic on Grimes Canyon Road.
Staff is recommending that the City Council direct staff to prepare a
letter to the County identifying the City's opposition to CUP -4874,
unless the Second Environmentally Superior Alternative is selected.
The Second Environmentally Superior Alternative would restrict heavy
truck travel south along State Route 23 to State Route 118 via Grimes
Canyon Road. With the Second Environmentally Superior Alternative, the
majority of the heavy truck traffic would travel north along State Route
23, then west along State Route 126 en route to the State Ready Mix
facility on State Route 118.
BACKGROUND
Project Description
The proposed Grimes Rock, Inc., Sand and Gravel Mine Project, Ventura
County Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 4874, is planned for a 160 -acre
site off of Grimes Canyon Road, north of the City's Area of Interest
boundary. A location map is attached (Attachment 1).
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County CUP -4874, Grimes Rock, Inc.
To: Honorable City Council
July 8, 1997
Page 2
The proposed project site was mined for aggregate materials from 1957 to
1965 by the SP Milling Company. Approximately 15 acres were disturbed
by the previous mining operation, which left a level area, approximately
three acres in size, flanked by three pinnacles that were partially
mined. Recent use of the property has been confined to livestock
grazing.
As proposed, CUP -4874 would include excavation of approximately 9,485,618
tons of materials from a 42 -acre area of the total 160 -acre site. The
applicant has applied for a permit that would allow mining to occur
within the 42 -acre area for a period of up to 15 years or until 9,485,618
tons of material has been excavated, whichever occurs first.
In requesting approval of CUP -4874, the applicant has requested
flexibility regarding the permitted annual rate of production in order
to respond to changing market conditions. The initial mine production
rate is proposed to be 930,000 tons per year (i.e., 3,000 tons per day),
operating 310 days per year. With the initial mine production rate,
project- related heavy truck traffic would be limited to an average of 240
one -way trips per day, based on a rolling annual average, and a maximum
of 300 one -way trips per day. If market demand were to increase, the
applicant has requested the flexibility to increase the mine production
rate to approximately 1,162,500 tons per year (i.e., 3,750 tons per day),
operating 310 days per year. Under a peak mine production rate, project -
related heavy truck traffic would be limited to a maximum of 300 one -way
trips per day and an average daily limit would no longer be used. The
Draft EIR assesses the peak mine production rate as the "worst case"
scenario.
Attachment 2 is an exhibit from the Transit Mixed Concrete (TMC)
Aggregate Mine Project Final Environmental Impact Report that shows other
approved mining permits (Conditional Use Permits) in the vicinity of the
TMC Mine that contribute to, or have the potential to contribute to,
cumulative truck traffic on Walnut Canyon and /or Grimes Canyon Roads.
The TMC Project, as approved by the Board of Supervisors, is allowed a
rolling monthly average of 980 one -way, week -day truck trips, and a daily
maximum of 1,180 weekday truck trips. The number of TMC Project truck
trips to and from the west on Grimes Canyon Road was estimated to be 5
percent. The Traffic Study for the Grimes Rock CUP -4874 assumed that 79
percent of the truck trips (190 to 237 one -way truck trips per day) would
be routed to and from the north through the City of Fillmore to State
Route 126 and 21 percent (50 to 63 one -way truck trips per day) would be
routed to and from the south to State Route 118 (Los Angeles Avenue) via
Grimes Canyon Road.
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County CUP -4874, Grimes Rock, Inc.
To: Honorable City Council
July 8, 1997
Page 3
Significant Impacts /Environmentally Superior Alternatives
The California Environmental Quality Act requires that the EIR discussion
shall focus on alternatives to the proposed project or its location which
are capable of avoiding or substantially lessening any significant
effects of the proposed project, even if these alternatives would impede
to some degree the attainment of the project objectives, or would be more
costly. The EIR identifies that the Project will result in the following
significant impacts:
Long -term significant, unmitigable visual resources impact for those
viewing the proposed project site from State Route 23, an "eligible"
County scenic highway.
Significant, unmitigable air quality impacts due to nitrogen oxides
and particulate matter exceedance of both the state and federal air
quality standards for ozone and particulate matter.
Significant, mitigable biological resources impacts due to the
disturbance of coastal sage scrub vegetation.
Significant, cumulative impacts due to the resulting need for
additional road maintenance and repair, State Route 23 improvements
at the entrance to the proposed project, and cumulative impacts to
the Ventura County Road Network.
Since the No Project Alternative was identified as the Environmentally
Superior Alternative, another alternative was developed to further
minimize significant impacts, but still partially achieve the stated
project objectives. The Second Environmentally Superior Alternative is
described in Attachment 3. Although significant, visual and air quality
impacts would still result, the majority of the heavy truck traffic would
be directed north along State Route 23, then west along State Route 126
en route to the State Ready Mix facility on State Route 118. This
alternative would reduce the allowed truck traffic on Grimes Canyon Road
from the proposed peak mine production rate of 300 one -way heavy truck
trips to 32.
DISCUSSION
The proposed Grimes Rock Sand and Gravel Mine Project is outside of the
City's Area of Interest, but would result in impacts that would be
negative from the City's perspective, such as increased truck trips on
Grimes Canyon Road. In addition, all persons driving on State Route 23,
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County CUP-4874, Grimes Rock, Inc .
To: Honorable City Council
July 8, 1997
Page 4
past the proposed mine site, would be adversely impacted by the mining
that would transform the natural hillsides into manufactured slopes.
Staff' s opinion is that a comment letter should be sent to the County,
which identifies the City' s opposition to the proposed Grimes Rock mining
operations, unless the Second Environmentally Superior Alternative is
selected. Also, the comment letter should include a request that the
applicant be required to cooperate with the owner of the adjacent mining
operation to the west (Best Rock Products, CUP-4171) to reclaim
(recontour and revegetate) the existing highwalls created by the prior
mining operations . The County Board of Supervisors will be required to
adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations for significant, adverse
visual impacts that would result from the mining operations, including
cumulative adverse visual impacts .
RECOMMENDATION
Direct staff to prepare a letter to the County, and include the comments
discussed in the staff report .
Attachments :
1 . Location Map
2 . Figure 47 from TMC Project Final EIR
3 . Draft EIR Section 5 .8, Second Environmentally Superior Alternative
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LEGEND:
PROJECT BOUNDARY
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Area Previously Mined/
Area Proposed for Mining
Grimes Rock, Inc. (CUP4874)
SCH # 96071021
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ATTACHMENT 3
' 5.8 SECOND ENVRONMENTAI .T y cr roru rng e r -i-G SAT
Based upon the analysis of the proposed project and the alternatives described above, a second
Environmentally Superior Alternative (ESA) was developed. This was done pursuant to Section
15126(d)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines, which notes, if the No Project Alternative is the ESA, then the
EIR must also identify a second ESA from among the other alternatives. (Refer to EIR Section 5.3
for a discussion of the No Action Alternative.)
Under this alternative it is possible to reduce and possibly avoid significant environmental impacts
f while allowing the applicant to partially achieve the stated project objectives. The Second ESA
includes the following elements:
All of the mitigation measures and recommended conditions of approval described previously
in this EIR apply.
Issuance of a permit for both mining phases for a duration of no more than 15 years.
Except as noted below, all heavy trucks exiting the proposed project would travel north along
State Route 23, then west along State Route 126 en route to the State Ready Mix facility on
State Route 118 (refer to EIR Section 5.6). Trucks would return to the project site along the
same route. The exceptions to this requirement are as follows:
1) Under the initial mine production rate, up to 25 heavy trucks would be permitted to exit the
project site and travel south along State Route 23 to State Route 118 via Grimes Canyon
Road (County road), providing these trucks exit between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00
P.M.
2) Under the peak mine production rate, up to 32 heavy trucks would be permitted to exit the
project site and travel south along State Route 23 to State Route 118 via Grimes Canyon
Road (County road), providing these trucks exit between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00
P.M.
This requirement would remain in force M1 such time as the City of Moorpark has entered into
a reciprocal traffic impact mitigation fee agreement with Ventura County (refer to EIR Section
4.6.3 -2). If such a reciprocal agreement is affected, upon the permittee's payment of said fees,
heavy truck traffic would be permitted to travel south from the proposed project site along State
Route 23 to State Route 118 via Grimes Canyon Road (County road), providing the number of
project related truck trips per day along this route do not exceed 21 % of the project's daily total
aW that truck travel along this route is limited to between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M.
Regarding heavy truck traffic trave ling south from the proposed project site along State .Route
23 to State Route 118 via Grimes Canyon Road (County road), the permittee would also be'
required to contribute the project's prorata share toward an alternative State Route 23 project,
should said project be, implemented by a jurisdiction or special assessment district during the life
of the project.
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Except as noted below, during pacific Standard Tune, all truck traffic would be limited to
between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. During pacific Daylight Savings Tune, all truck
traffic would be limited to between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. (refer to EIR Section
5.7). Exceptions may be granted on a case -by -case basis by the planning Director and will
usually be limited to emergency construction or repairs by Caltrans or utility companies, though
other situations may warrant an exception.
Exceptions: Under the initial mine production rate, up to 20 northbound heavy truck would be
permitted to exit the project site during the hours of 6:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M. Under the peak
mine production rate, up to 10 northbound heavy truck would be permitted to exit the project
site during the hours of 8:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M.
The Second ESA would not result in new significant impacts, when compared to the proposed
project. Under this alternative, changes in the proposed haul truck operating hours could reduce the
magnitude of truck noise and traffic, during the evenings, along the haul routes. However, such
changes would not reduce impacts to visual and biological resources. Since the daily mining activities
under the Second ESA would be substantially similar to those of the proposed project, near term
significant impacts to the visual resources and air quality would continue, albeit for a shorter time
period, and significant impacts to the biological and visual resources would occur over a somewhat
lesser area.
This alternative affords the following benefits: 1) truck traffic would be directed away from the
City of Moorpark during A.M. and P.M. peak hours until such time as a reciprocal agreement has
been affected, or an alternative State Route 23 project has been completed; 2) traffic congestion
would be reduced and safety maintained along that portion of State Route 23, between the project
site and the City of Moorpark, where the roadway is a steep uphill climb with many curves; and 3)
nights m truck traffbc would be prohibited and noise precluded along that portion of Grimes Canyon
Road between Broadway and State Route 118.
This alternative was not rejected because it is possible for Ventura County decision makers to
approve a project of shorter duration, with the above described changes to address some of the
environmental issues, and still achieve the majority of the applicant's project objectives.
5.9 IMPACTS FROM TTRRNATTyEs
CEQA (Section 15126(d)(3) states that, if an alternative would cause one or more significant
effects in addition to those that would be caused by the proposed project, the significant effects of
the alternative shall be discussed but in less detail than the significant effects of the proposed project.
This has been done for each of the alternatives described above. For those alternatives involving
alternative locations, this determination and the related discussion is necessarily qualitative rather than
quantitative due to the absence of site specific analyses for those locations.
Based on the available information, the following summarizes the new and potentiall v significant
impacts described above for each of the alternatives:
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