HomeMy WebLinkAboutWalnut Village Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Draft Program Environmental Impact Report
WALNUT VILLAGE
SPECIFIC PLAN
for the City of Fontana
SCH No.2023050271
LEAD AGENCY
City of Fontana
CECILY SESSION-GOINS, SENIOR PLANNER
8353 SIERRA AVE.
FONTANA, CALIFORNIA 92335
(909) 350-6723
CONSULTANT
Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
KARI CANO
3801 UNIVERSITY STREET, SUITE 300
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA 92501
JUNE 2024
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Updated Walnut Village Specific Plan
Final Program Environmental Impact
Report
Table of Contents
City of Fontana June 2024
i
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction
1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1.0-1
1.2 Organization of EIR ............................................................................................................. 1.0-1
1.3 CEQA Process Summary ...........................................................................................................1.0-2
1.4 Changes to the Draft EIR .................................................................................................... 1.0-2
Section 2: Comments and Responses to Draft EIR
2.1 Introduction to Comments and Responses ............................................................................2.0-1
Section 3.0: Errata to the Draft EIR
3.1 Introduction to the Errata .................................................................................................. 3.0-1
3.2 Changes to the Draft EIR .................................................................................................... 3.0-1
Updated Walnut Village Specific Plan
Final Program Environmental Impact
Report
Table of Contents
City of Fontana June 2024
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Updated Walnut Specific Plan
Final Environmental Impact Report Section 1 - Introduction
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Section 1.0 Introduction
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The City of Fontana (City) has prepared this Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) in compliance with
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Update Walnut Specific Plan Project (Project). The
City is required, after completion of a Draft Program EIR (DPEIR) (State Clearinghouse No. 2022120083),
to consult with and obtain comments from public agencies having jurisdiction by law with respect to the
Project and provide the general public with an opportunity to comment on the DPEIR. This FEIR has been
prepared to respond to comments received on the DPEIR, which was circulated for public review from
March 18, 2024, through May 1, 2024 (45 days). However, the City received no public comments during
the public review period of the DPEIR. As such, recirculation of the DEIR is not required.
CEQA Guidelines §15132 indicates that the contents of a FEIR shall consist of:
(a) The DEIR or a revision of the draft.
(b) Comments and recommendations received on the DEIR either verbatim or in summary.
(c) A list of persons, organizations, and public agencies commenting on the DEIR.
(d) The responses of the Lead Agency to significant environmental points raised in the review and
consultation process.
(e) Any other information added by the Lead Agency.
Since the City did not receive comments from the public, interested organizations, or public agencies. The
requirement of Section 21092.5 of CEQA to send responses to the public agency comments received on the
DPEIR at least 10 days prior to Project approval is not warranted.
1.2 ORGANIZATION OF EIR
This FEIR provides the requisite information required under CEQA and is organized as follows:
Section 1.0: Introduction. This section provides an introduction to the FEIR, including the
requirements under CEQA, the organization of the document, as well as a brief summary of the
CEQA process activities to date.
Section 2.0: Comments on the Draft EIR and Responses to Comments. This section provides a list
of public agencies, organizations, and individuals commenting on the DEIR, provides a copy of
each written comment received, and any response required under CEQA.
Section 3.0: Errata to the Draft EIR. This section presents clarifications, amplifications, and
insignificant modifications to the EIR, identifying revisions to the text of the document.
As previously discussed, the City received no comments on the DEIR. As such, Section 2.0 will not include
comments and responses to comments and Section 3.0 will not include modifications and revisions to
the DPEIR.
Updated Walnut Specific Plan
Final Environmental Impact Report Section 1 - Introduction
City of Fontana June 2024
1.0-4
1.3 CEQA PROCESS HISTORY
The City has complied with relevant Public Resources Code provisions and CEQA Guidelines regarding the
preparation and processing of the Project EIR. A brief summary of the Project’s CEQA process is as follows:
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15082, a Notice of Preparation (NOP) informing interested
parties and agencies of the Project was distributed on May 5, 2023, with a minimum 30-day
public review period ending on June 4, 2023. The NOP and comment letters received are
provided in Appendix A, Notice of Preparation and Scoping Materials of the Draft EIR.
Written and verbal comments were given at a public scoping meeting for the Project that was
held virtually on May 24, 2023, at 6pm (https://tinyurl.com/25mbtm7w). Additionally, a second
scoping meeting was held on June 1, 2023 at 5PM.
Following a Notice of Completion (NOC), the DEIR and Notice of Availability was distributed for
public review and comment for a 45-day period, beginning March 18, 2024. The public review
period closed on May 1, 2024. No comments were received during this 45-day review period.
1.4 CHANGES TO THE DRAFT EIR
CEQA Guidelines §15088.5 describes when an EIR requires recirculation prior to certification, stating in
part:
“(a) A lead agency is required to recirculate an EIR when significant new information is
added to the EIR after public notice is given of the availability of the draft EIR for
public review under Section 15087 but before certification. As used in this section,
the term "information" can include changes in the project or environmental setting
as well as additional data or other information. New information added to an EIR is
not "significant" unless the EIR is changed in a way that deprives the public of a
meaningful opportunity to comment upon a substantial adverse environmental
effect of the project or a feasible way to mitigate or avoid such an effect (including
a feasible project alternative) that the project's proponents have declined to
implement. “Significant new information” requiring recirculation include, for
example, a disclosure showing that:
(1) A new significant environmental impact would result from the project or from
a new mitigation measure proposed to be implemented.
(2) A substantial increase in the severity of an environmental impact would result
unless mitigation measures are adopted that reduce the impact to a level of
insignificance.
(3) A feasible project alternative or mitigation measure considerably different
from others previously analyzed would clearly lessen the environmental
impacts of the project, but the project’s proponents decline to apply it.
(4) The draft EIR was so fundamentally and basically inadequate and conclusory
in nature that meaningful public review and comment were precluded
Updated Walnut Specific Plan
Final Environmental Impact Report Section 1 - Introduction
City of Fontana June 2024
1.0-5
(Mountain Lion Coalition v. Fish and Game Com. (1989) 214 Cal.App.3d 1043).
(b) Recirculation is not required where the new information added to the EIR merely
clarifies or amplifies or makes insignificant modifications in an adequate EIR.”
As previously stated, the City did not receive comments on the DPEIR and no changes have been made
to the DPEIR. As such, DPEIR recirculation pursuant to California Public Resources Code §21092.1 and
CEQA Guidelines §15088.5 is not warranted.
Updated Walnut Specific Plan
Final Environmental Impact Report Section 1 - Introduction
City of Fontana June 2024
1.0-6
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Motte Business Center
Final Environmental Impact Report Section 2.0 – Comments and Responses to Draft EIR
City of Menifee June 2024
2.0-1
Section 2.0 Comments and Responses to Draft EIR
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Per CEQA Guidelines §15132 an FEIR, must include comments and recommendations received on the
DEIR during the public review period as well as the responses to the comments received. The City
circulated the DPEIR for a 45-day review period as required by CEQA, which ran from March 18, 2024,
through May 1, 2024. During this review period, the City did not receive comments on the DPEIR. The
requirement of Section 21092.5 of CEQA to send responses to the public agency comments received on
the DPEIR at least 10 days prior to Project approval is not required.
Motte Business Center
Final Environmental Impact Report Section 2.0 – Comments and Responses to Draft EIR
City of Menifee June 2024
2.0-2
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City of Fontana June 2024 1
Updated Walnut Village Specific Plan
Final Environmental Impact Report Section 3 – Errata to the Draft EIR
Section 3.0 Errata to the Draft EIR
3.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE ERRATA
In accordance with Section 15132 of the CEQA Guidelines, the FEIR for the Updated Walnut Village
Specific Plan Project includes the DPEIR, dated March 2024, as well as any proposed revisions or changes
to the DEIR.
As discussed in Section 1.0, Introduction, any changes to the DPEIR that result from public comments
warrants a recirculation of the DPEIR pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5. However, the City
did not receive comments during the 45-day public review period that ran from March 18, 2024 through
May 1, 2024. Additionally, no additional information or changes were added to the DPEIR. As such, the
completion of an errata to the DPEIR is not warranted.