2015-004 - Santa Ana-Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project

Home Browse Search

Santa Ana — Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project Findings and Facts in Support of Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations requirements that are intended to prevent or manage hazards and /or remediate spills, including periodic site inspections for compliance with these required practices. Therefore, a less- than - significant impact related to hazardous materials would occur. • The proposed alignment is approximately 4.3 miles from the nearest airport (John Wayne Airport). The proposed alignment is not within an airport land use plan or near a private airstrip. Therefore, no impact related to airport hazards would occur. • The proposed project would operate both in an exclusive ROW and within mixed -flow traffic. The exclusive PE ROW portion of the proposed alignment would not block or interrupt emergency access or evacuation routes. The on- street portion of the alignment would add streetcars to mixed -flow traffic, which would also have no substantial impact on emergency access or evacuation routes. However, should a major accident or emergency occur, emergency vehicles could, with permission from OCTA, use the PE ROW as an emergency access or evacuation route. Therefore, a less- than - significant impact related to emergency response and evacuation plans would occur. • The proposed alignment is located in a fully urbanized area and is not located adjacent to or intermixed with wildlands. The proposed project would not subject people or structures to a significant risk of loss, injury, or death as a result of exposure to wildland fires. Therefore, no impact related to wildland fires would occur. Hydrology and Water Quality (pages 3 -186 and 3 -214 of the EAMEIR) • The proposed project would likely generate pollutants that could travel in stormwater runoff along the track alignment in daily maintenance activities. Best management practices (BMPs) designed to reduce potential stormwater pollution would reduce, if not eliminate, potential impacts to water quality. Therefore, less- than - significant impacts related to water quality, water discharge, and stormwater runoff would occur. • The proposed project is a transportation facility and would not deplete groundwater supplies. The O & M Facility would use water for maintenance activities (e.g., vehicle washing and landscaping and screening) and worker hygiene. Implementation of BMPs would ensure that water use would be minimal. Therefore, a less- than - significant impact related to groundwater would occur. • The existing drainage pattern of the project alignment would not be substantially altered or impacted by the proposed project. The streetcar tracks do not have gutters like a traditional road, but water that falls onto impervious surfaces associated with the track system would be collected and conveyed into the storm drain system by inlets similar to roadway inlets. Therefore, a less- than - significant impact related to the drainage pattern would occur. • A small portion of the Study Area is within an area of low to moderate hazard but is not expected to be inundated during the 100 -year flood. However, there are locations that would be inundated during a 100 -year flood at channel crossings and within the western portion of the proposed project alignment. In addition, the Study Area crosses the Santa Ana River. Development in these areas is required to follow applicable federal and State regulations guiding flood management. The greatest potential for flooding would be by dam 12 January 2015