CITY OF DEL MAR
NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A MITIGATED NEGATIVE
DECLARATION
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Del Mar (City) has prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project described below in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), State CEQA Guidelines and local implementation procedures.
Project Name: River Path Del Mar Extension Project (EA15-001) Project Location: Within the City of Del Mar— located along the east side of San Dieguito Drive between Jimmy Durante Boulevard and the Old Grand Avenue Bridge Zoning/Land Use: Floodway (FW), North Commercial (NC), and Lagoon Overlay Zone (L-OZ) Lead Agency: City of Del Mar Staff Contact: Joseph Smith, AICP, Associate Planner, Phone: (858) 755-9313, Email: jsmith@delmar.ca.us.
Project Setting and Description: The project is located in the northern part of the City of Del Mar, immediately south of the Del Mar Race Track and Thoroughbred Club and about 0.5 mile inland from the Pacific Ocean. The proposed project area is about 0.25 mile in length. The project area is located along the east side of San Dieguito Drive between Jimmy Durante Boulevard and the Old Grand Avenue Bridge and would affect 15 parcels identified as: 1) APN 299-100-33 (North County Transit District); 2) APN 299-100-34 (McHugh Trust); 3) APN 299-071-05 (San Dieguito River Park JPA); 4) APN 299-100-35 (Scarab Corp); 5) APN 299-100-36 (Southern California Edison); 6) APN 299-100-37 (City of Del Mar); 7) APN 299-100-38 (City of Del Mar); 8) APN 299-100-39 (City of Del Mar); 9) APN 299-072-25 (City of Del Mar); 10) APN 299-072-53 (San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy); 11) APN 299-072-54 (San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy); 12) APN 299-072-22 (City of Del Mar); 13) APN 299-072-55 (Armstrong-McHugh Corp); 14) APN 299-072-56 (San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy); and 15) APN 299-072-57 (San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy). Regional access to the project area is generally provided by Interstate 5 (I-5), and local access is provided from Jimmy Durante Boulevard and San Dieguito Drive.
The project area is situated adjacent to the main San Dieguito River channel beside a lagoon plain that stretches east of the project area. The project is bordered on the southwest by San Dieguito Drive. Southwest of this road, the landscape consists of vegetation-covered hillside mixed with single-family properties developed on terraced lots. Paved surfaces and buildings are limited to the western portion of the project area. Throughout the project area, several informal and unimproved pedestrian pathways and viewpoints exist, including routes adjacent to the river and lagoon. Much of the project area is occupied by areas of vegetation historically subjected to disturbances such as flooding and periodic human use. Vegetation on the project site consists of non-native ice plant and disturbed habitat, eucalyptus woodland, ornamental, Diegan coastal sage scrub and brackish marsh habitat. Soils in the area are generally sandy, silty, alluvial, and lagoonal deposit. The alluvium is underlain at substantial depth by Quarternary and Tertiary sedimentary bedrock. The project area varies slightly in elevation, from approximately 0–15 feet above sea level.
The proposed project involves the eastern extension of the existing River Path Del Mar trail that currently provides pedestrian access near the mouth of the San Dieguito River with the intersection at Jimmy Durante Boulevard and San Dieguito Drive. The proposed project would formally extend River Path Del Mar east of Jimmy Durante Boulevard, across 15 parcels, and terminate at the Lagoon Viewpoint at the Old Grand Avenue Bridge. The proposed extension would improve a portion of the San Dieguito segment of the City’s Loop Trail – a seven-mile hiking trail envisioned in the City’s Community Plan that creates a loop around the City’s perimeter. In addition, the proposed extension implements a portion of a designated future pedestrian access way along the San Dieguito River/Lagoon as delineated in Figure IV-A of the City of Del Mar certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) Land Use Plan (LUP) .
The proposed project includes two planned alignments allowing pedestrians the option of walking near the San Dieguito River and Lagoon (primary trail) or by way of an alignment along the east shoulder of San Dieguito Drive (secondary trail). The proposed project includes three connections between the two alignments within the project area. The alignments would be mostly constructed with decomposed granite for a distance of 2,400 linear feet; however, portions of the secondary trail would include colored concrete and paved areas for a distance of 565 linear feet near the intersection of San Dieguito Drive and Jimmy Durante Boulevard. The proposed project would utilize existing topography to the maximum extent feasible for pathway construction. In addition to the alignments, the project includes two overlook areas with seating (benches) and two picnic areas located in areas near San Dieguito Drive and the Old Grand Avenue Bridge. Cable post fencing would be installed at limited locations along both trails in areas to provide public safety and to create a buffer from identified brackish marsh habitat. A locking cable with adjacent bollard posts is proposed at the central portion of the secondary trail to restrict unauthorized vehicle access from entering the northern portion of the project area (authorized access is currently limited to Southern California Edison personnel for purposes of revetment maintenance).
The proposed project will include minor grading and debris removal on the east end of the project area and the establishment of 0.36 acres of Diegan coastal sage scrub in areas where existing disturbed habitat exists. No construction activities, including minor grading, debris removal, or vegetation re-establishment will occur in any identified open water or brackish marsh wetland areas. All work is proposed on upland areas. Temporary erosion control measures, such as sand bag barriers, fiber rolls, wood mulching, soil binders, geotextiles, plastic covers, erosion control blankets/mats, silt fencing, native habitat re-vegetation, and construction personnel training are among the best management practices (BMPs) that will be implemented during and immediately following construction to ensure that special-status plants, brackish marsh habitat, Diegan coastal sage scrub, and water quality will not be adversely affected by the proposed project.
Construction of the project is anticipated to take about 55 days, or nearly two months, and is anticipated to occur between October and December 2015. Construction activities would involve site preparation, minor grading and debris removal, limited re-vegetation of disturbed habitat areas, and pathway construction that would occur consecutively. Anticipated motorized construction equipment includes a rubber-tired dozer and a tractor. The proposed project would avoid any grading activities during the LCP-designated rainy season (November 15 to March 31) and conform to requirements for the protection of songbirds and raptors during the breeding season (January 1 to August 31).
The project will require the following discretionary actions in order to implement the project: 1) Conditional Use Permit approved by the City of Del Mar Planning Commission; 2) City of Del Mar Design Review Board Permit; and 3) Consolidated Coastal Development Permit issued by the California Coastal Commission.
Findings: Pursuant to the provisions of the CEQA (Public Resources Code, Section 21000 et seq.) and based on information contained in the completed Initial Study Checklist, the City of Del Mar has determined that the project, with mitigation incorporated, will not have a significant effect on the environment.
Public Review: Printed copies of the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Initial Study are on file and available for public review at: 1) City of Del Mar, Community Planning and Community Development, 1050 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014; and 2) City of Del Mar Public Library, 1309 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014. These environmental documents may also be reviewed in electronic format by visiting the City of Del Mar website at http://www.delmar.ca.us/493/Environmental-Documents-Notices. Written comments will be accepted from March 19, 2015 to April 20, 2015. The Initial Mitigated Negative Declaration and Initial Study will be circulated for a 30-day review period. Written comments will be accepted by the City of Del Mar Planning and Community Development Department until 5:30 p.m. on the ending date of the public review period.
Where to Send Comments: Any person wishing to comment on the adequacy of these documents must submit comments in writing at the following address: City of Del Mar, Attn: Joseph Smith, AICP, Associate Planner, 1050 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014.
Public Hearings Scheduled: It is anticipated that the Planning Commission will consider this Mitigated Negative Declaration, all written comments received by April 20, 2015, and the project at its meeting of May 13, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. A [separate] public hearing notice will be made available prior to that meeting.
NOI.RiverPath. DM1342. 3/19/15.
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