Background:
The District developed the Benjamin Bubb Elementary School Pavement Project (“Proposed Project”), which consists of: (1) removing and replacing basketball and tetherball goals and posts on the outdoor court; (2) resurfacing and restriping the outdoor play-fields, and (3) repaving the area located between buildings three and four and buildings four and five.
The Proposed Project is located at Benjamin Bubb Elementary School at 525 Hans Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040 (“Site”).
Before the District may determine to carry out the Proposed Project, it must complete environmental review under CEQA, which exempts certain defined projects from completing a negative declaration or environmental impact report. District staff has determined that the Proposed Project meets the definition of the Class 1 Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines section 15301.
RATIONALE:
The Class 1 Categorical Exemption exempts a project that consists of the repair, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing public facilities or topographical features involving negligible or no expansion of the former use. Here, removing and replacing basketball and tetherball goals and posts on the outdoor court and resurfacing, restriping, and repaving the existing asphalt are minor repairs and alterations of an existing public school campus, involving no expansion of use.
Once a project is determined to be exempt, it is no longer subject to either the procedural or substantive requirements of CEQA. Thus, CEQA review would be complete should the Board determine that the Proposed Project is exempt and decide to carry out the Proposed Project.
CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 provides five exceptions that would disqualify a project from being categorically exempt under Class 1. These are: (1) where the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place would be significant over time; (2) a significant environmental impact would occur due to unusual circumstances; (3) a project that would cause damage to scenic elements with a designated state scenic highway; (4) a project that is on a site designated as a Hazardous Waste Site; or (5) a project that causes a substantial adverse change to a historical resource.
- The Proposed Project is the only project of the same type at the same place. No other similar, successive projects are proposed.
- There are no known unusual circumstances that would be caused by removing and replacing basketball and tetherball goals and posts on the outdoor court and resurfacing, restriping, and repaving the existing asphalt since these are routine maintenance and repairs. The Proposed Project is not within or near a designated state scenic highway. (https://caltrans.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=465dfd3d807c46cc8e8057116f1aacaa)
- The campus and Proposed Project Site are not on a site designated as a Hazardous Waste Site.
- As there are no designated historical resources on the Campus, and no buildings will be demolished or altered as a result of the Proposed Project, the Proposed Project would not cause a substantial adverse change to a historical resource.
Accordingly, there is no exception that would disqualify the Proposed Project from the Class 1 Categorical Exemption.
Should the Board adopt the Resolution, District staff will file a Notice of Exemption with the Santa Clara County Clerk and the State Clearinghouse.
Fiscal Implication:
None.
Recommended Action:
It is recommended that the Board of Trustees adopt Resolution No. 05-050522 Determining that the Benjamin Bubb Elementary School Pavement Project is Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, Approving the Project, and Directing the Filing of a Notice of Exemption.