1

GROSSMONT-CUYAMACA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

AND SCOPING MEETING FOR THE CUYAMACA COLLEGE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN UPDATE

Project Title: Cuyamaca College 2013 Facilities Master Plan Update Lead Agency: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Project Location: Cuyamaca College 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway El Cajon, California 92019-4304 County: San Diego Project Location: The Cuyamaca College campus is located in a gently sloping bowl or shallow valley which is rimmed by steep hillsides. The campus is approximately three miles east of the communities of Spring Valley and Casa de Oro and 5 miles south of the City of El Cajon, in the County of San Diego. The campus encompasses a total of approximately 165 acres. Figure 1 illustrates the campus location, while Figure 2 contains the proposed facilities plan. Introduction and Purpose: The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (District) is announcing its intention to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (EIR) addressing the potential environmental effects of the implementation of the updated Cuyamaca College Facilities Master Plan (proposed project), as described below. The purpose of an EIR, as defined in Section 15121(a) of the State Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3 “Guidelines,” is to “inform public agency decision-makers and the public generally of the potential significant environmental effects of a project, identify possible ways to minimize the significant effect and describe reasonable alternatives to the project.” The purpose of this Notice of Preparation (NOP) is to provide public agencies, interested organizations, and members of the public an opportunity to comment on the scope and content of the Supplemental EIR.

Notice of Preparation Cuyamaca College Facilities Master Plan Update

2

Project Description: In 2004, the District adopted its 2003 Facilities Master Plan for the Cuyamaca College campus and certified the Cuyamaca College Master Plan Final EIR (2004 Final EIR; SCH No. 2003051013). Over the nine years since the plan was adopted, the District has implemented a number of campus construction projects identified in the 2003 Facilities Master Plan using funds from the state as well as Proposition R, a local bond measure passed by East County voters in 2002. The District has subsequently developed a new educational master plan, which lead to an update to the previous Facilities Master Plan. The 2013 Facilities Master Plan was developed to translate the District’s updated priorities for student learning into recommendations for the development of facilities for the campus. A number of the projects in 2003 Facilities Master Plan have been deferred because of funding to the 2013 Facilities Master Plan. Several additional projects have been added to the plan to address new needs of the District. In November 2012, a new bond measure was passed (i.e., Proposition V) to fund the continued construction of campus improvements. The District has identified in the 2013 Facilities Master Plan several future construction projects to be developed over the next few decades to accommodate educational needs and anticipated student growth. The projects involve a combination of the demolition/replacement of older facilities, renovation/modernization of existing facilities and new facility construction. The following construction projects are anticipated on campus according to the 2013 Facilities Master Plan: student services/administration building, academic classroom building, horticultural building, exercise science building expansion, child development center renovation, stadium seating/lighting improvements, recreation facility relocations, minor road improvements, parking lot expansions, entry signage and a third campus entry. A variety of campus-wide sustainability improvements are also planned to reduce water and energy usage. Collectively, these projects would increase on-campus space by approximately 53,500 net assignable square feet (asf). Campus population is projected to grow by approximately 2,200 students (for an approximate total enrollment of 11,150 students) during the implementation of the 2013 Facilities Master Plan. Scope of EIR: The District, as the CEQA Lead Agency, has determined that a Supplemental EIR is required to address the potential for significant environmental effects to occur as a result of its implementation. The Supplemental EIR will contain only the information necessary to make the previously approved 2004 Final EIR adequate for the proposed project, as revised by the 2013 Facilities Master Plan. This focus meets the requirements for supplemental analysis under Section 15163 of the CEQA Guidelines, which requires that only minor additions or changes to the 2004 Final EIR that may result in significant impacts and were not evaluated and disclosed in the previously certified Final EIR be included in this Supplemental EIR. Because the Supplemental EIR is intended to serve as a supplement to the previously adopted 2004 Final EIR, impacts and conditions presented in the previous EIR will serve as the primary base of comparison for the analysis. Not all of the environmental topics included in the CEQA Guidelines Initial Study Checklist will be addressed in the Supplemental EIR. The topics that are not addressed in the Supplemental EIR are excluded because the previous EIR concluded that

Notice of Preparation Cuyamaca College Facilities Master Plan Update

3

there were no significant impacts associated with those topics, that the mitigation measures proposed in the 2004 Final EIR would still be feasible and would mitigate impacts of the proposed project to a less-than-significant level, or for which level of significance is unchanged from that described in the 2004 Final EIR. Potential environmental effects anticipated from the increased enrollment growth and related construction under the 2013 Facilities Master Plan, include: air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, and traffic/transportation. All other issues addressed in the 2004 Final EIR are considered adequate and do not need to be updated in the Supplemental EIR. Notice and Comments: Pursuant to Section 15082 of the State CEQA Guidelines, this Notice is hereby sent to provide government and quasi-government agencies, other organizations and interested parties an opportunity to comment in writing on the scope and content of environmental information to be included in the EIR. Public agencies receiving this notice may need to use the EIR when considering their permits or other approvals for the proposed project. Any public agencies that respond to this Notice are requested, at a minimum, to: 1. Describe significant environmental issues and mitigation measures which they would like to

have addressed in the Draft EIR. 2. State whether they are a responsible or trustee agency for the project, explain why and note

the specific project elements that are subject to their regulatory authority. 3. Provide the name, address and telephone number of the person who will serve as their point

of contact throughout the environmental review process for this project. Written comments should be directed to:

Dale Switzer, Senior Director, Facilities Planning, Development and Maintenance Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, California 92020

dale.switzer@gcccd.edu Due to time limits mandated by State law, your response must be sent at the earliest possible date, but not later than 30 days after receipt of this Notice. Comments on the scope and content of the Draft Supplemental EIR will also be accepted at a public scoping meeting scheduled as follows: Date: Monday, December 16, 2013 Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Location: Cuyamaca College, Student Center Room I-207

Notice of Preparation Cuyamaca College Facilities Master Plan Update

5

San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, Region 9 Cajon Valley Union School District Grossmont Union High School District San Diego Audubon Society Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter Otay Water District San Diego County Water Authority Sweetwater Authority San Diego Gas and Electric San Diego County Library, Casa de Oro Branch Library San Diego County Library, Rancho San Diego Branch Library South Coastal Information Center Skyline Wesleyan Church, Inc.

Notice of Preparation Cuyamaca College Facilities Master Plan Update

6

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

Project Site

I:\PRO

JECT

S\G\G

CC\G

CC-09

_Cuy

amaca

Colle

ge\M

ap\N

OP\Fi

g1_L

ocati

on.m

xd G

CC-09

11/1

1/13 -

JP

Figure 1CUYAMACA COLLEGE MASTER PLAN UPDATE

Project Location Map

0 2,000FeetN

Source: USGS 7.5' Quadrangles; Jamul Mountains and El Cajon

Recommended Facilities PlanCUYAMACA COLLEGE MASTER PLAN UPDATE

Figure 2

I:\PR

OJE

CTS

\G\G

CC

\GC

C-0

9_C

uyam

acaC

olle

ge\M

ap\N

OP\

Fig2

_Fac

ilitie

s.ind

d

GC

C-0

9 1

1/11

/13

-JP

Source: HMC Architects 2013

cUYaMaca cOlleGe RECOMMEnDATIOnSHMC Architects

2.37

CENTRALPARK

COMMUNITYFIELD

STUDENT

SERV

ICES

+ AD

MIN

INST

RU

CT

ION

AL

HORTI-

CULTURE

GYM

EXER

CIS

ESC

IEN

CE

BUSINESS

LIBRARY/LRC

COMM

ARTSCENTER

STUDENTCENTER

SCIENCE &MATHEMATICS

CENTER

CDC

AUTOTECH

WAREHO

USE

B

D

E

H I

J

R

K

CPTECHNOLOGY

C

TRACK/SOCCER

NATUREPRESERVE

RIPARIANHABITAT

WATERCONSERVATION

GARDEN

INTERGENERATIONALGARDEN

OMUSEUM

TENNISPRACTICE

FIELD HAMMERTHROW

A

CAMPUSENTRY

GARDEN

SEAT

ING

SUPPORT

F

F

F

M

GATEWAYSIGN

GATEWAYSIGN

GATEWAYSIGN

JAMACHA ROAD

CU

YAM

AC

A C

OLLEG

E DR W

EST

FURY LN

VIA RANCHO SAN DIEGO

BRABHAM ST

CU

YAM

AC

A C

OLLEG

E DR EA

ST

COLLEGE DR WESTCUYAMACA

RANCHO SAN DIEGO PARKWAY

NEW FACILITIES

FACILITY RENOVATIONS

EXISTING FACILITIES

RECOMMEnDED FACILITIES PLAn

0 ft 250 500