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Preface Executive Summary 1 - Introduction 2 - Project Description 3 - Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures 4 - Alternatives to the Project 5 - List of Persons Preparing this EIR 6 - Bibliography Appendices A - Notice of Preparation B - Responses to Notice of Preparation C - Goals, Objectives, Policies, Implementation Actions and Strategies D - General Plan Update Opinion Surveys |
CHAPTER 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 PROJECT LOCATION AND PLANNING AREA The Grass Valley Planning Area is located in the central/western portion of Nevada County, approximately 30 miles east of Marysville and about 20 miles north of Auburn at approximately 2200 to 2800 feet above mean sea level (Figure 2-1). This region of the western Sierra Nevada foothills separates the low-lying Sacramento Valley from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is characterized by rolling forested hills incised by steep canyons. Despite a relatively small resident population (approximately 10,000), the City of Grass Valley is the regional economic and cultural center for several times that population throughout parts of Nevada, Placer, Sierra, and (to some extent) Yuba counties. Planning for Grass Valley is intended to accommodate the needs of people who use the City including those that are not necessarily City residents. To plan for and gain a measure of control over development outside the current city limits, Grass Valley is utilizing a General Plan Update Planning Area roughly conterminous with the Grass Valley Community Region, as delineated by the Nevada County General Plan. The Planning Area comprises about 9,894 acres, approximately four times the area of the incorporated city (Figure 2-2). Grass Valley's role as a regional economic and cultural hub, combined with the ambience of downtown, influenced decisions made during the General Plan process. Substantial land area is devoted to commercial, industrial, and other business uses. The medical community is large and expanding. Sierra College adds to an expanded educational community and employment base. Despite some concerns about becoming a "bedroom community," Grass Valley and the immediate vicinity harbor more jobs than employed residents. Grass Valley provides approximately 55% of Nevada County's multi-family housing units, although the City has but 12% of the County's total housing stock. Nearly 60% of City residents are renters. Thus, the City of Grass Valley is the regional (and County) focal point for rental and multi-family housing, a niche market likely to expand considerably over the 20-year life of the General Plan Update. The population of Grass Valley and its Planning Area, estimated at 16,000, is projected to grow to 23,395 by the Year 2020. The 1998 Department of Finance estimate for the existing city limits was 9,475. The maximum "buildout" population of the Plan Area is 26,165. 2.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project discussed and analyzed in this EIR is adoption of an updated City of Grass Valley General Plan, including updates of nine "elements" of the General Plan. The nine elements being updated consist of the following:
Existing General Plan elements not included in the update are:
The currently adopted versions of these latter four elements remain in force and effect and are not explicitly addressed in this EIR. A Steering Committee composed of two City Council members, two Planning Commissioners, one member of the Design Review Board and three members of the public at large was charged with preparing the General Plan. In addition to public input, members' experience and perspectives helped shape the Committee's views concerning the possible directions and content of the General Plan. The initial four months of the planning process were devoted to taking the "public pulse." Through public workshops and meetings, interested citizens of Grass Valley and western Nevada County revealed their hopes and aspirations for Grass Valley. The Steering Committee heard and reaffirmed the central themes upon which the City has built its previous general plans:
An early Steering Committee activity was the identification and discussion of issues, followed by development of goals, objectives, and policies, which reflect the above central themes. These goals, objectives, and policies are incorporated into each Element of the General Plan (i.e. Land Use, Circulation, Conservation/Open Space etc.) and compiled into a single document included as Appendix C of the EIR (Goals, Objectives, Policies, Implementation Actions and Strategies). These goals, objectives, policies, implementation actions and strategies serve to mitigate many of the environmental impacts associated with implementation of the 2020 General Plan, and are accordingly identified relative to each impact category contained in the EIR as well as each impact. Each goals, objectives, policies, implementation actions and strategies identified as a mitigation measures in the EIR, is listed only by the appropriated reference number. For example Land Use goals and objectives are listed chronologically as 1- LUG, 2-LUG, etc. The complete text explaining Land Use Goals 1-LUG and 2-LUG can be found in Appendix C. Where the General Plan's goals, objectives, policies, implementation actions and strategies do not mitigate an impact to a less than significant level, additional mitigation measures are recommended if feasible. Based on considerable public input and deliberation among members of the Steering Committee, a "preferred alternative" was selected that was felt to best represent a consensus. The preferred alternative, described below, is the "project." The proposed project, as illustrated on Figure 2-3, seeks to maintain a tight development pattern, minimizing urban sprawl. It assigns the majority of future development to the north and east of downtown so that most new development will be 1) within the Wolf Creek watershed, for efficient provision of infrastructure and extension of facilities and 2) convenient to downtown, Glenbrook, the Litton/Sierra College complex, and existing industrial and business parks. Gravity flow of wastewater from most future developments to the City wastewater treatment plant on Freeman Lane/Wolf Creek is substantially accomplished by the proposed land use pattern. Significant transportation improvements, including non-vehicular facilities (e.g., bikeways, sidewalks, trails) as well as street and highway improvements, are planned in order to facilitate circulation, especially within the triangle formed by Brunswick Road, East Bennett, and the freeway. Vehicular access to downtown from the east, a new interchange at Dorsey, and connections between Idaho-Maryland Road and East Bennett are necessitated in part by existing development and by proposed development north and east of Downtown. The North Star, Loma Rica Ranch and Kenny Ranch annexation areas (identified as Special Development Areas or SDA in the General Plan) will develop per annexation agreements. The agreements prescribe acreages to be devoted to specified land uses, plus the allowable number of housing units in each. Table 2-1 below contains acreage and housing unit allocations for these SDAs. |