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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. <br />JULY 2010 <br />INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION <br />FIRST STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT <br />CITY OF SANTA ANA <br />4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS SECTION <br />This section of the Initial Study (IS) contains the explanation and analysis based on the questions of <br />the City's Environmental Analysis Checklist (refer to Section 3.0). The purpose of the Initial Study <br />(IS) is to provide data and reasoning used to arrive at the appropriate California Environmental <br />Quality Act (CEQA) document for the proposed First Street Santa Ana Bridge Replacement and <br />Street Widening Project. <br />1. Aesthetics <br />Would the project: <br />A. Have a substantial adverse effect on a scenic vista? <br />No impact. Scenic vistas are typically some distance from a receptor and consist of horizon line <br />views. Although no scenic vistas are located within the project area, the City's General Plan identifies <br />the Santa Ana River as a river of a regional significance because it is an easily distinguished feature <br />in the City's landscape. First Street intersects the Santa Ana River Bicycle Trail (Bicycle Trail), <br />which is a Class 1 (off-road, paved) regional Bicycle Trail shown on the Commuter Bikeways <br />Strategic Plan (CBSP, Orange County Transportation Authority [OCTA]). The Bicycle Trail is grade <br />separated (below First Street) to allow uninterrupted movement of both facilities and to reduce <br />bicycle/vehicle safety hazards. Access ramps to the Bicycle Trail are located on the east side of the <br />bridge. The Bicycle Trail access ramps are located on both the north and south sides of the eastern <br />bridge abutment. The proposed project would temporarily require that the Bicycle Trail be re-routed. <br />This would occur only during construction and would not permanently alter the route or the scenic <br />quality of the trail, or inhibit access to any views that may exist. Because no scenic vistas occur <br />within the project limits or adjacent to the site, no impacts are expected and no mitigation is required. <br />B. Damage scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, rock outpourings and historic <br />buildings within a state highway? <br />No impact. First Street is not a state highway. There are no aesthetic or visual resources located on <br />the project site or in the surrounding vicinity that have been designated in any City or other agency <br />policy or plan. According to the City of Santa Ana General Plan, First Street is considered a primary <br />street corridor, and the bridge over Santa Ana River is listed in the Caltrans Historic Bridge Inventory <br />as "Category 5" (not eligible for the National Register). The proposed project does not require <br />removal of any rock outcroppings. Several ornamental trees will be removed. These trees are not very <br />mature, thus they do not provide much screening or contribution to the landscaping along First Street. <br />Additionally, none of the properties in the project area are considered historical resources. There are <br />no scenic resources on the project site or in the vicinity; therefore, no damage to scenic resources <br />would occur as a result of project implementation and no mitigation is required. <br />07/25/10 «PA\DMJ070l\N1ND\4.0 Environmental Analysis.doc» <br />4-1 <br />20A-52