2014-069 - Final Environmental Impact Report No. 2014-01

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HARBOR BLVD. MIXED USE TRANSIT CORRIDOR PLAN FINAL FIR CITY OF SANTA ANA 5. Environmental Analysis CULTURAL RESOURCES known to place their villages generally near permanent water sources (Cogstone 2013). The southeast edge of the project area is along the Santa Ana River. Paleontological Resources No vertebrate fossil localities within the project area boundaries are contained in the vertebrate paleontology records of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM 2013). Surface sediments in and near the entire project area are made up of younger terrestrial Quaternary Alluvium, mainly flood deposits from the Santa Ana River that flows next to the east project site boundary, with older terrestrial Quaternary sediments occurring at various depths. These surface deposits typically do not contain significant vertebrate fossils, at least in the uppermost layers; however, one vertebrate fossil locality, LACM 1652, from these deposits on the western side of the Santa Ana River, north - northeast of the project area along Rio Vista Avenue south of Lincoln Avenue,4 produced a fossil specimen of sheep, Otis, at shallow but unstated depth. The closest vertebrate fossil locality in older Quaternary sediments is LACM 4943, north - northeast of the proposed project area and situated almost due east of locality LACM 1652 along Fletcher Avenue east of Glassell Streets LACM 4943 is somewhat higher in elevation than the project area, but produced fossil horse, Equus, at a depth of 8-10 feet below the surface. 5.3.2 Thresholds of Significance CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5 provides direction on determining significance of impacts to archaeological and historical resources. Generally, a resource shall be considered "historically significant" if the resource meets the criteria for listing on the California Register of Historical Resources (Pub. Res. Code Section 5024.1, Title 14 CCR, Section 4852), including the following: • Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California's history and cultural heritage; • Is associated the with lives of persons important in our past; • Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values; or • Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. The fact that a resource is not listed in, or determined to be eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources, or is not included in a local register of historical resources, does not preclude a lead agency from determining that the resource may be a historical resource. According to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines, a project would normally have a significant effect on the environment if the project would: ° The intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Rio Vista Avenue is approximately 5.8 miles north - northeast of the project site. s The intersection of Fletcher Avenue and Glassell Street is approximately 5.8 miles northeast of the project site. Page 5.36 PlaceWorkr