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HomeMy Public PortalAbout4k-UtilitiesNOVEMBER 2008 TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) 375 K. UTILITIES This section describes the existing utilities which would serve the Plan Area including water, wastewater, solid waste, electricity, telecommunication and natural gas. This section includes a discussion of potential impacts, and mitigation measures are presented when necessary. Impacts to the stormwater system are discussed in Section IV.G, Hydrology and Storm Drainage. 1. Setting The following section describes the existing utilities, capacities, and expansion possibilities. Additionally, regulations and requirements of each utility service are outlined. a. Water Supply. The following discussion provides background information on the Town’s sources of water, water treatment, and the water distribution system. It also summarizes the Town’s General Plan policies related to water supply. Water service to the Master Plan Area would be provided by the Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD). TDPUD operates three water systems in Truckee: the Hirshdale System, Truckee System and the Lahontan System. The Lahontan System is owned by Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) and is operated by TDPUD under contract with PCWA. In addition to the three systems operated by TDPUD, there are two other water systems within Truckee, Glenshire and Lake systems, which are owned and operated by other districts. Projects have been underway since 2005 to combine all of these systems into one single entity under TDPUD.1 TDPUD adopted an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) in November, 2005.2 TDPUD also prepared a Water Supply Assessment (WSA) for the proposed project in May 2008, and a revised WSA in September 2008 (see Appendix F). The Water Supply Assessment and UWMP provide information on the current water supply, water use on the Plan Area and demand figures for the proposed project, which are used in this EIR. According to the 2005 UWMP, average annual water use in the Town of Truckee in 2005 was 6.64 mgd. Town per capita water use has been trending upward for 20 years. Water demand increased at an average rate of 7.2 percent per year from 1997 through 2001. The demand greatly increased in 2001 and 2002 because Donner Lake and Glenshire Water systems were acquired by Truckee Donner Public Utility District at that time. (1) Water Sources. The TDPUD acquires water from the Martis Valley Ground Water Basin. This low-lying basin consists of approximately 57 square miles, which is completely 1 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2004. Water Systems Master Plan. 2 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2005. Urban Water Management Plan. TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR NOVEMBER 2008 IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES 376 C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) contained within the larger watershed of approximately 167 square miles. The Martis Valley Basin has a total subsurface storage volume of 484,000 acre-feet and is made up of three aquifers composed of sediments and volcanic deposits nearly 1,000 feet thick.3 Infiltration from surface water and precipitation supplies the aquifer systems, which in turn feeds the wetland areas. Annual ground water recharge depends heavily on snowmelt in the late spring and early summer. The basin-wide annual recharge is estimated at 29,165 AFY (acre feet per year).4 According to the 2005 UWMP, average annual water use in Truckee was 12.61mgd (million gallons per day). The TDPUD water system includes 28 pumping stations, 12 active wells and 36 storage tanks. All potable water demands in the Truckee area are currently served by groundwater wells, although natural springs have been used to supply water in the past. The total capacity of the 12 ground water wells is approximately 13.8 mgd. The majority of the Master Plan Area is occupied by Railroad operations (including the balloon track and an operation building). Other uses include single-family homes along Trout Creek Road, Church Street (east) and East River Street and the Truckee Tahoe Lumber Company. Water from the Northside Tank currently serves the uses on-site. (2) Water Distribution System. The TDPUD distribution system is relatively complex due to the varying elevations throughout Truckee. The system includes 36 storage tanks that are strategically placed throughout the community and water is transported to higher elevations through a series of 28 pumping stations. TDPUD also maintains 1,530 line valves, 870 fire hydrants, 130 air release valves, 100 blow-off valves and 20 pressure reducing stations.5 The water distribution system within the Town includes pipes ranging in size from 14-inch mains down to 2-inch mains. The entire distribution system consists of approximately 195 miles of pipe. Single-family residential uses are charged a flat rate for monthly services. Unlike single-family units, multi-family units and commercial units are billed monthly based on individual meter readings. Water service is currently provided to a small portion of the Master Plan Area. Water is currently distributed at three locations: a 10-inch pipeline serves properties on Church Street and terminates near the Truckee Tahoe Lumber Company structures; a 6-inch water main on the north side of Trout Creek serves residences on Trout Creek Road; and an 8-inch water main serves properties along East River Street. 3 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2005. Urban Water Management Plan. 4 Town of Truckee, 2006. General Plan 2025 Environmental Impact Report. May, 15. 5 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2005. Urban Water Management Plan. NOVEMBER 2008 TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) 377 The following Town of Truckee General Plan policies are related to water supply, as well as waste water, solid waste, natural gas service, electrical service and telecommunications, which are also discussed in this section: Policies P4.1: Work with all special districts, including Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, to ensure that development within the Town is coordinated with provision of services. P.4.2: Cooperate with special districts to plan for and identify suitable future sites for needed facilities, including schools, fire stations, solid and liquid waste disposal sites, and utilities infrastructure, so that the local population can be safely and efficiently served, while minimizing potential environmental impacts. P4.3: Approve rezoning and development permits only when adequate services are available, or when a program to provide services has been approved by the applicable District and the Town of Truckee. Standards of services for new development applicable to this policy are shown in Table LU-6. Require that sewer be provided for all new residential subdivisions creating more than four lots, and all new commercial and industrial uses. Existing legal lots and new subdivisions of four or fewer lots in areas currently without sewer may be developed with residential uses using septic systems with the approval of the appropriate health and environmental agencies. Such lots may be required to establish connections to the sewer system if they are located in close proximity to existing or future sewer lines. b. Wastewater. Truckee Sanitary District provides wastewater collection and conveyance services to the Town. The collection system includes storm sewers and related pumping facilities. Untreated sewage is piped to Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency’s treatment plant using both gravity flow and lift stations. (1) Collection and Conveyance System. Within the Master Plan Area, Truckee Sanitary District provides waste water collection services to developed properties on Church Street and residences on Trout Creek Road, which are served by a small sewage pump station that discharges to the gravity main in the vicinity of the lumber yard. The gravity main flows east under the balloon tracks and connects to the Easter River Street main under the railroad tracks. The East River Street line crosses over the Truckee River under the pedestrian bridge and discharges to the Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency 36-inch interceptor. (2) Wastewater Treatment Facilities. The Tahoe Truckee Sanitary Agency (TTSA) provides sewage treatment services to the Town and operates the Water Reclamation Plant (WRP). The WRP was constructed in 1978 and is located adjacent to the Truckee River and the Truckee-Tahoe Airport. The WRP is a tertiary treatment plant that serves the Town of TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR NOVEMBER 2008 IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES 378 C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) Truckee and much of the California portion of Lake Tahoe.6 TTSA is committed to a policy of energy and natural resource conservation, with the goal of discharging in the Truckee River Corridor in such a manner as to retain the integrity of ground and surface waters, while ensuring the quantity of water downstream was not diminished.7 In 2006, the WRP was expanded to a design capacity of 9.6 million gallons per day (mgd), which is consistent with the capacity permitted by the RWQCB.8 The WRP treats wastewater from four districts: North Tahoe and Tahoe City, Alpine Springs County Water District, Squaw Valley Public Service District and Truckee Sanitation District. Current estimated waste flow into the WRP for all four the districts served by the WRP is 4.66 mgd. The WRP is currently operating at approximately half of its current capacity.9 The facility is currently in compliance with the water quality requirements of Regional Water Quality Control Board for the protection of the environmentally sensitive Lake Tahoe and Truckee River Corridor. The Truckee General Plan policies listed above also apply to waste water. c. Solid Waste. Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal Company (TTSD) provides solid waste removal and recycling services to the Town of Truckee. TTSD is made up of two separate bodies: Tahoe Truckee Disposal and the Eastern Regional Landfill Material Recovery Facility (MRF). Tahoe Truckee Disposal collects household waste and recycles and the MRF is the recycling center for household and construction materials. The MRF acts as a transfer station, as incoming solid waste is ultimately transported to the Lockwood Regional Landfill. The Lockwood Regional Landfill is a 1,535-acre site located in Storey, Nevada. This facility has a 60-year capacity to accommodate the build out of TTSD’s service area. At the time this EIR was prepared, TTSD is in its eleventh year of an 80-year contract for disposal service with the landfill.10 The Lockwood Regional Landfill is owned and operated by Waste Management Inc.11 The landfill is permitted to accept 445 tons of solid waste per day. On average, the landfill currently receives an average of 220 tons of waste per day.12 6 Town of Truckee, 2006. General Plan Draft EIR. May. 7 Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency, http://63.150.38.132/jsp/content.jsp?menuid=53 8 Parker, Jay. 2008. Assistant General Manager/Chief Engineer, Tahoe Truckee Sanitation District. Personal Communication with RRM Design Group. February 26, 9 Ibid 10 Town of Truckee, 2006. General Plan Draft EIR. May. 11 Waste Management Inc, 2008. Facility/Site Details, Lockwood Regional Landfill. Website:www.wmdisposal.com/facilities. NOVEMBER 2008 TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) 379 The Truckee General Plan policies listed above also apply to solid waste. d. Telecommunications and Cable. Cable services in the Town of Truckee are currently provided by Suddenlink Cable. Sudden Link Communications television service is currently available on Church Street, at the western-most portion of the Master Plan Area. Telephone services are provided by SBC Communications. SBC Communications provides telephone service along Church Street and on the aerial j-pole systems serving Glenshire Drive and East River Street. Telephone and cable television on-site distribution systems are required for development with the Master Plan Area. Telephone would be served by a trunk line in Donner Pass Road and cable television service would be provided via a connect from Glenshire Drive or Church Street. Since the Master Plan Area is adjacent to areas which are currently developed, it is likely that cable and telephone infrastructure would be readily available in the vicinity of the Master Plan Area. e. Natural Gas and Electrical Power. Truckee Donner Public Utility District would provide electrical power service to the Master Plan Area. The Master Plan Area is situated between four circuits from two different substations. There are two circuits from the Truckee Substation and two circuits from the Martis Valley substation. Currently, Truckee Substation is loaded about 60 to 75 percent at peak hours and Martis Valley Substation is loaded about 50 to 60 percent.13 Overhead power lines serve the western portion of the Master Plan Area along Church Street, connecting through the lumber yard. Lines from the Truckee Donner Public Utility District’s Truckee Substation on East Jibboom Street serve properties on Trout Creek Road. An underground feed is also present along Church Street from Donner Pass Road to the lumber yard. Off-site power lines serve East River Street. Southwest Gas provides natural gas service to the Master Plan Area. A 2-inch mainline exists on Church Street. Off-site mains include the western section of East River Street and the area of East Jibboom and Keiser Avenue. There is a 4-inch main on Glenshire Drive which terminates approximately 400 feet west of the Highway 267 Bypass Bridge. 2. Relevant Railyard Draft Master Plan Policies The Draft Master Plan does not include specific polices related to utilities. 12 Dorr, Nichole, 2008. Recycling Coordinator, Town of Truckee. Personal Communication with RRM Design Group, July 16. 13 Schlosser, Sanna, P.E., 2008. Electrical Engineer, Town Donner Public Utility District. Personal Communication with RRM Design Group. February 13. TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR NOVEMBER 2008 IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES 380 C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) 3. Impacts and Mitigation Measures This section discusses potential impacts to utility systems that could result from implementation of the Draft Master Plan. This section begins with criteria of significance, which establish the thresholds used to determine whether an impact is significant. The latter part of this section presents the impacts associated with the proposed project and identifies mitigation measures, if appropriate. Less than significant impacts to infrastructure and utilities are discussed first, followed by significant impacts. a. Criteria of Significance. The proposed project would have a significant impact on utilities if it would:14 ƒ Exceed wastewater treatment requirements of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. ƒ Require or result in construction of new wastewater treatment facilities, or expansion of existing facilities, construction of which could cause significant environmental effects. ƒ Require or result in construction of new water facilities, or expansion of existing facilities, construction of which could cause significant environmental effects. ƒ Cause there to be insufficient water supplies to serve the project from existing entitlements and resources, requiring new and expanded entitlements. ƒ Violate applicable federal, State, and local statues and regulations related to solid waste. The significance criteria identified above are based on Section 15065 and Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines. (1) Less-Than-Significant Utilities Impacts. The following discussion describes less-than-significant impacts to utility systems that would result from the implementation of the Draft Master Plan. Water Supply. In accordance with Water Code Section 10910 (Senate Bill [SB] 610), and Government Code Section 66473.7 (SB 221), a city or county is required to provide assurances that there is adequate water supply prior to the approval of large new developments. SB 610 mandates a water supply assessment for all projects subject to CEQA which would demand an amount of water equal to, or greater than, the equivalent amount of water required by a 500 dwelling unit project. SB 211 creates a new requirement that cities and counties include a condition of approval on the tentative subdivision map approval requiring that a subdivider demonstrate that a sufficient water supply be available to serve the proposed subdivision. Said condition must be satisfied before the final subdivi- sion map can be approved. 14 2007 CEQA Guidelines, Appendix G. NOVEMBER 2008 TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) 381 Information related to water supply and demand is from the Truckee Donner Public Utility District 2005 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), Truckee Donner Public Utility District 2004 Water Management Plan and the Railyard Master Plan Water Supply Assessment. Truckee Donner Public Utility District prepared a Water Supply Assessment for the Railyard Draft Master Plan project,15 which included projections of the water supply needed to serve development within the Draft Master Plan. The Water Supply Assessment provides demand water demand calculations for the Master Plan Area based on the Maximum Allowable Development (MAD) described in the Draft Master Plan. The Water Supply Assessment used demand estimates for land uses based on the MAD provided in the Draft Master Plan. A detailed description of the MAD is provided in Chapter 3, Project Description. The water demand projection for development within the Master Plan Area is 406.2 acre-feet per year (362,640 gallons per day), based on a various water demand rates for different land uses. As discussed in the WSA, the TDPUD’s 2004 Water Master Plan identified the Master Plan Area for future development and projected the use of 152 AFY (136,160 gallons per day (gpd)) for development of the Plan Area. This project demand was incorporated into the 2005 Urban Water Management Plan. Land uses within the Plan Area were not fully defined when the UWMP was adopted, as such the UWMP did not adequately project the anticipated water demand. The Railyard Water Supply Assessment anticipates water demand of 406 AFY, which represents 254 AFY more than the UWMP projection. The land uses analysis used in the UWMP projections was created in 2002. In August 2008, an engineering study was prepared by Acumen Engineering (with assistance from Town of Truckee Planning Division staff) to demonstrate changes in the land use patterns and densities since 2002. The engineering study identified 42 large parcels, and found a significant number parcels had been “over projected” in the UWMP, as projects had been approved with less development than anticipated in the 2002 land uses analysis. The UWMP projected 1,859 AFY for these developments and the engineering analysis shows an actual demand of 1,301 AFY. This represents a difference of 558 AFY of water supply that had been over-projected in the UWMP. Truckee Donner Public Utility District 2005 UWMP supply and demand comparisons, together with specific land use analysis of approved and pending projects, determined that the existing water supply entitlements and allotments of 14,619 AFY would be adequate to provide water to new development in the Railyard Master Plan Area during normal, dry and multiple dry years. 15 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2008. Truckee Railyard Water Supply Assesment. May 1. Revised, September 3. TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR NOVEMBER 2008 IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES 382 C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) According to the Railyard Draft Master Plan Water Supply Assessment, total water supply demands anticipated with implementation of the Draft Master Plan would be met with the Town’s existing allotments and entitlements and would not require new or expanded entitlements. Wastewater. Development within the Master Plan Area would increase wastewater flows within the Town by approximately 326,376 gpd,16 and the lack of a useable on-site sanitary sewer system necessitates the construction of a new collection system for uses within the Master Plan Area. The Master Plan Area would function as a “tributary area” within the Truckee Sanitary District’s (TSD) service area. Portions of the Church Street area west of Donner Pass Road and the pump station serving the homes north of Trout Creek must be connected to the new collection system. Discharge of the sewage into the TSD system on East River Street would likely include the installation of a new sewage lift station at the east end of the project where the TSD system crosses the Truckee River, to handle peak flows. Wastewater connections would require a new pipeline under the railroad tracks, and the connections would also be “stubbed” to the eastern edge of the Master Plan Area for the portion designed DM, Downtown Manufacturing. Wastewater would flow to the Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency’s 36-inch interceptor on the south side of the Truckee River, which has sufficient capacity for the Master Plan Area redevelopment. Based on the current estimated peak flow of 5.9 mgd,17 the WRP has a remaining design treatment capacity of 3.7 mgd. The TTSA WRP facility has the capacity to treat the additional wastewater (326,376 gpd) that would be generated by the proposed project.18 Natural Gas and Electrical Power. Development of the proposed project would increase the demand for natural gas and electrical utility services in order to service the additional residences, commercial spaces and other uses and with the Master Plan Area. Natural gas connections are required for new development in the Master Plan Area. Natural gas will be distributed through an on-site pipe system designed by Southwest Gas. The point(s)-of-connection would include the existing pipeline on Church Street and a mainline extension and connection from either Keiser Avenue or Glenshire Drive to the site. New construction associated with the implementation of the proposed project would take place adjacent to developed areas currently served by natural gas lines. The Truckee Substation and Martis Valley substation are both operating at about half of their current capacity, and therefore it is anticipated that these stations (or a combination of the two) 16 Tresan, Blake, P.E., 2008. District Engineer, Truckee Sanitation District. Personal communication with RRM Design Group. October 30. 17 Parker, Jay P.E., 2008. Chief Engineer/Assistant General Manager. Personal communications with RRM Design Group. February 26. 18 Ibid. NOVEMBER 2008 TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008) 383 would have capacity to serve the Master Plan Area. The extension of natural gas and electrical utility services to serve new development would not constitute a significant impact. Telecommunications and Cable. Development of the proposed project would increase the demand for telecommunication and cable services in order to service the mix of land uses within the Master Plan Area. New construction associated with the implementation of the Draft Master Plan would take place adjacent to developed areas currently served by telecommunications and cable lines. The extension of telecommunications and cable services to serve new development would not constitute a significant impact. (2) Significant Utility Impacts. The proposed project would not result in any potentially significant adverse impacts to infrastructure and utilities. TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR NOVEMBER 2008 IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES K. UTILITIES 384 C:\JOB\RRM\Truckee\PublicReviewDraft_Oct08\4k-Utilities.doc (11/3/2008)