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GROSSMONT-CUYAMACA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

AND SCOPING MEETING FOR THE GROSSMONT COLLEGE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN UPDATE

Project Title: Grossmont College 2013 Facilities Master Plan Update Lead Agency: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Project Location: Grossmont College 8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, California 92020 County: San Diego Project Location: The Grossmont College campus is located on a hilltop mesa within the northwestern portion of the City of El Cajon. The campus encompasses a total of approximately 133 acres and is immediately adjacent to the cities of Santee on the north and west and San Diego on the south. Mission Trails Regional Park borders the western campus boundary and the right-of-way and facilities for State Route 125 are adjacent to the eastern campus boundary. 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 Grossmont 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, 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.

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Project Description: In 2005, the District adopted its 2003 Facilities Master Plan for the Grossmont College campus and certified the Grossmont College Master Plan Final EIR (2005 Final EIR; SCH No. 2003051078). 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: teaching and performance theater, arts/communications complex, science/math/career tech buildings, liberal arts/business/tech buildings, exercise science/wellness (gymnasium replacement and teaching facility renovation), district services, maintenance facility, recreation improvements (pool, soccer field, field seating and lighting), road improvements, parking structure and entry signage. 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 210,000 net assignable square feet (asf). Campus population is projected to grow by approximately 4,800 students (for an approximate total enrollment of 23,500 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 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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

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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 there were no significant impacts associated with those topics, that the mitigation measures proposed in the 2005 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 2005 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, and traffic/transportation. All other issues addressed in the 2005 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.

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City of San Diego Development Services Department, Transportation Development City of Santee Development Services County of San Diego Air Pollution Control District County of San Diego Department of Public Works, Airports – Gillespie Field County of San Diego Department of Public Works County of San Diego Planning and Development Services San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept. San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 2 San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, Region 9 Cajon Valley Union School District Grossmont Union High School District La Mesa – Spring Valley School District San Diego Unified School District Santee School District Mission Trails Regional Park, Citizens Advisory Committee San Diego Audubon Society Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter San Diego River Park Foundation Navajo Community Planners Padre Dam Municipal Water District San Diego County Water Authority San Diego Gas and Electric San Carlos City Library San Diego County Library, Fletcher Hills Branch Library San Diego County Library, Santee Branch Library South Coastal Information Center

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