NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION

 

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT
A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION

MONTECITO WATER DISTRICT
583 San Ysidro Road
Santa Barbara, California 93108

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the Montecito Water District (MWD and Lead Agency) has prepared a Draft Initial Study & Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the project listed below pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) State Guidelines §15000 et seq. Anyone desiring to comment on the IS/MND may do so in writing within the 30-day public review period commencing June 10 and concluding on July 12, 2021. All written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on July 12, 2021.

Project Title: Reservoir Retrofit and Replacement Project

Project Location: The reservoir sites are located in the Santa Ynez foothills of Montecito within the southern portion of Santa Barbara County (see Figure 1). There are eight reservoir sites: Doulton, Romero, Terminal, Bella Vista, Park Lane, Cold Springs, Hot Springs, and Buena Vista. Doulton Reservoir (APN 155-020-007) is located at 1075 Toro Canyon Road, Santa Barbara. Romero Reservoir (APN 007-080-006) is located approximately 2,000 feet southwest of the intersection of Bella Vista Drive and Romero Canyon Road, Montecito. Terminal Reservoir (APN 013-040-002) is located approximately 1,000 feet northwest of the intersection of East Mountain Drive and Cold Springs Road, Montecito. Bella Vista Reservoir (APN 155-030-042) is located at 2750 Bella Vista Drive, Montecito. Park Lane Reservoir (APN 007-050-013) is located approximately 950 feet northeast of the intersection of Park Hill Lane and East Mountain Drive, Montecito. Cold Springs Reservoir (APN 013-040-005) is located approximately 450 feet north of the intersection of East Mountain Drive and Cold Springs Road, Montecito. Hot Springs Reservoir (APN 011-030-024) is located approximately 950 feet north of the intersection of Hot Springs Road and Hot Springs Lane, Montecito. Buena Vista Reservoir (APN 007-020-018) is located approximately 120 feet southwest of 915 Park Lane, Montecito. Staging and parking areas are located on site for each respective reservoir. An additional off-site staging area is located at the MWD office at 583 San Ysidro Road, Montecito.

Brief Project Description:
The Reservoir Retrofit and Replacement Project involves seismic retrofits, repairs, and replacements at eight of the existing water storage reservoirs owned by MWD: Doulton, Romero, Terminal, Bella Vista, Park Lane, Cold Springs, Hot Springs, and Buena Vista. The existing water storage reservoirs, originally built between the early 1900s and 1970s, do not strictly comply with current seismic design codes and regulations, and may be subject to failure in the event of a large earthquake. The project would bring all eight reservoirs into compliance with current seismic design codes and regulations. No retrofit or replacement would expand the water storage capacity of an existing reservoir. Construction across the reservoir sites is anticipated to occur from Spring 2022 through Spring 2025.

Based on a review of the State Water Resources Control Board GeoTracker database and California Department of Toxic Substances Control EnviroStor database, it was determined the reservoir sites are not included on existing lists of hazardous materials sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5.

Public Meeting: All interested persons may attend the public hearing by the MWD Board of Directors at which the Board plans to consider adoption of the IS-MND, which is tentatively scheduled for 9:30am on July 27, 2021 via online Zoom meeting due to COVID-19. Please check the Board Meeting agenda prior to the meeting to confirm the hearing date and attendance details: https://montecitowater.com/public-meetings/meetings-agendas/

30-Day Document Review: Due to COVID-19, the MWD offices are currently closed to the public. The document is available for review online at:
https://montecitowater.com/doc/reservoir-project/
If a hard copy review is required, contact Adam Kanold at the email address provided below.

Contact Person: Written comments may be submitted to:
Adam Kanold, Assistant General Manager/Engineering Manager
583 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Email: akanold@montecitowater.com

All written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on July 12, 2021.

 

Montecito Water District’s mission is to provide an adequate and reliable supply of high quality water to the residents of Montecito and Summerland, at the most reasonable cost. In carrying out this mission, the District places particular emphasis on providing outstanding customer service, conducting its operations in an environmentally sensitive manner, and working cooperatively with other agencies. For additional information visit montecitowater.com, like Montecito Water District on Facebook, and follow on twitter @MontecitoWater.