Item 09 - Fairview Street Improvement Project

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Analysis Supporting Categorical Exemption 2.0 CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION ELIGIBILITY 2.1 Class 1 Categorical Exemption: Existing Facilities The Proposed Project is exempt from further environmental review under the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA;Public Resources Code Sections[PRC]21000 et seq.) because it falls underthe list of classes of projects that have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and have been declared exempt by the Legislature in accordance with the CEQA Guidelines.The Project is consistent with Categorical Exemption Class 1(c), Existing Facilities, as specified by CEQA Guidelines: Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of use (CEQA Guidelines § 75307). (c) Existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities (this includes road grading for the purpose of public safety), and other alterations such as the addition of bicycle facilities, including but not limited to bicycle parking, bicycle-share facilities and bicycle lanes, transit improvements such as bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, street trees, and other similar alterations that do not create additional automobile lanes. This exemption is applicable to the Proposed Project because it involves minor alterations to a half-mile portion of the existing Fairview Street.As noted in Section 1.2 (Project Description), the Project proposes to acquire four existing residences and restripea portion of Fairview Street to accommodate bicycle lane and three vehicle lanes in each direction.Although the Project would include additional vehicle lanes, the Project is designed to relieve a bottleneck along this portion of Fairview Street. The design would be based on comprehensive inclusion of"Complete Streets" components to better facilitate pedestrian and bicycle access, enhance safety, and increase efficiency. The Project comprises pedestrian safety and connectivity improvements such new sidewalk, wheelchair ramps, raised medians, pavement rehabilitation, landscape, water quality improvements, and traffic signal modifications. 3.0 REVIEW OF EXEMPTION EXCEPTIONS The Proposed Project has been reviewed under CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2, Exceptions, which provides conditions under which a categorical exemption for a proposed project is not applicable. As indicated below, none of the exceptional conditions would apply. (a) Location. Classes 3,4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where theproject is to be located—a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may in a particularly sensitive area be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply in all instances, except where the project may impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated. Precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. ECORP Consulting, Inc. 4 January 2025 Fairview Street Widening Project 2024-088.03 9-16