2019-050 -Adopting Local CEQA Guidelines

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Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (2019) ACTIVITIES EXEMPT FROM CEQA Agency has filed a Notice of Determination on the specific plan as reconsidered by the subsequent EIR or supplement to the EIR. 3.21 O THER S PECIFIC E XEMPTIONS. CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines exempt many other specific activities, including early activities related to thermal power plants, ongoing projects, transportation improvement programs, family day care homes, congestion management programs, railroad grade separation projects, restriping of streets or highways to relieve traffic congestion, restriping of streets in urbanized areas for bicycle lanes, adoption of bicycle transportation plans for urban areas, hazardous or volatile liquid pipelines, and the installation of solar energy systems, including, but not limited to solar panels. Specific statutory exemptions are listed in the Public Resources Code, including Sections 21080 through 21080.35, and in the State CEQA Guidelines, including Sections 15260 through 15285. In addition, other titles of the California Codes provide statutory exemptions from CEQA, including, for example, Government Code Section 12012.70. Prior to determining that a bicycle transportation plan for an urban area is exempt, the lead agency must hold noticed public hearings in areas affected by the bicycle transportation plan to hear and respond to public comments. Publication of the notice must comply with Government Code Section 6061 and be in a newspaper of general circulation in the area affected by the proposed project. The lead agency must also prepare an assessment of any traffic and safety impacts of the project and include measures in the bicycle transportation plan to mitigate potential vehicular traffic impacts and bicycle and pedestrian safety impacts. See Public Resources Code Sections 21080.20 and 21080.20.5. This exemption shall remain in place until January 1, 2021. 3.22 C ATEGORICAL E XEMPTIONS. The State CEQA Guidelines establish certain classes of categorical exemptions. These apply to classes of projects which have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and which, therefore, are generally exempt from CEQA. For any project that falls within one of these classes of categorical exemptions, the preparation of environmental documents under CEQA is not required. The classes of projects are briefly summarized below. (Reference to the State CEQA Guidelines for the full description of each exemption is recommended.) The exemptions for Classes 3, 4, 5, 6 and 11 below are qualified in that such projects must be considered in light of the location of the project. A project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may, in a particularly sensitive environment, be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply in all instances except when the project may impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern that has been designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. All classes of categorical exemptions are qualified. None of the categorical exemptions are applicable if any of the following circumstances exist: 2019 City of Santa Ana Local Guidelines 3-19 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP