Resolution - 2020-57RESOLUTION NO. 2020-57
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING "VEHICLE
MILES TRAVELED" THRESHOLDS OF SIGNIFICANCE
FOR PURPOSES OF ANALYZING TRANSPORTATION
IMPACTS UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY ACT
WHEREAS, the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines ("CEQA Guidelines")
encourage public agencies to develop and publish generally applicable "thresholds of significance" to be
used in determining the significance of a project's environmental effects; and
WHEREAS, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.7(a) defines a threshold of significance as
"an identifiable quantitative, qualitative or performance level of a particular environmental effect,
noncompliance with which means the effect will normally be determined to be significant by the
agency and compliance with which means the effect normally will be determined to be less than
significant"; and
WHEREAS, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.7(b) requires that thresholds of significance
must be adopted by ordinance, resolution, rule, or regulation, developed through a public review
process, and be supported by substantial evidence; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15064.7(c), when adopting thresholds of
significance, a public agency may consider thresholds of significance adopted or recommended by
other public agencies provided that the decision of the agency is supported by substantial evidence;
and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 743, enacted in 2013 and codified in Public Resources Code section
21099, required changes to the CEQA Guidelines regarding the criteria for determining the significance
of transportation impacts of projects; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research ("OPR ) proposed,
and the California Natural Resources Agency certified and adopted, new CEQA Guidelines section
15064.3 that identifies vehicle miles traveled ("VMr) — meaning the amount and distance of
automobile travel attributable to a project — as the most appropriate metric to evaluate a project's
transportation impacts; and
WHEREAS, as a result, automobile delay, as measured by "Level of Service" and other
similar metrics, generally no longer constitutes a significant environmental effect under CEQA;
and
WHEREAS, the City's project review process will retain "Level of Service" analysis to
ensure consistency with the General Plan, and
WHEREAS, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3 goes into effect on July 1, 2020, though
public agencies may elect to be governed by this section immediately; and
WHEREAS, the City of West Covina, following a public review process consisting of a staff
presentation before the City Council, wishes to adopt the VMT thresholds of significance for
determining the significance of transportation impacts.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA,
CALIFORNIA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds that the adoption of new local CEQA thresholds of
significance for transportation impacts and the adoption of new Local Transportation Assessment
Guidelines will not have a significant environmental impact and are exempt from the CEQA
pursuant to Section 15308 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations because the two actions
are undertaken by the City for the protection of the environment. The revised CEQA thresholds will
be compliant with a State mandate (SB 743) and will be used in a regulatory process (CEQA process)
that involves procedures for the protection of the environment. Accordingly, the City Council finds
that adoption of this resolution is exempt from the environmental review requirements of CEQA
pursuamto Section 15308 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations,
SECTION 2. The City Council hereby adopts the VMT thresholds of significance attached
hereto as Exhibit A.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall enter the
same in the book of original resolutions and it shall become effective immediately.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 16?dunc,20.
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
Tho as P. e Lisa enick
City Attorney As t City Clerk
I, LISA MERRICK, Assistant City Clerk of the City of West Covina, California, do
hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 2020-57 was duly adopted by the City Council of
the City of West Covina, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 16th day of June,
2020, by the following vote of the City Council:
AYES: Castellanos, Johnson, Shewmaker, Lopez-Viado, Wu
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Lisa enck
Ass t City Clerk
Exhibit A
VMT Baselines and Thresholds of Significance
Consistent with State CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3, the City of West Covina has adopted
the project baselines and thresholds of significance set forth in Table I to guide in determining
when a project will have a significant transportation impact.
TABLE I
Project Type
Thresholds
Land Use Plan
1) Project Impact: A significant impact would occur ifthe
VMT rate for the plan would exceed the applicable
baseline VMT rate.
2) Cumulative Project Effect: A significant impact would
occur if the project increases total regional VMT
compared to cumulative no project conditions.
Land Use Project
1) Project Impact: A significant impact would occur ifthe
VMT rate for the project would exceed the applicable
baseline VMT rate.
2) Cumulative Project Effect:
A significant impact would occur if the project
increases total regional VMT compared to cumulative
no project conditions.
Retail Project (over
1) Project Impact: A significant impact would occur ifthe
50,000 square feet)
VMT rate for the project would exceed the applicable
baseline VMT.
2) Cumulative Project Effect: A significant impact would
occur ifthe project increases total VMT in the study
area compared to baseline conditions.
Transportation
A significant impact would occur ifthe project causes a net
Project
increase in total regional VMT compared to baseline conditions,
opening year no project conditions, or cumulative no project
conditions.
All land use and
A significant impact would occur if the project is inconsistent
transportation
with the RTP/SCS (Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable
projects
Communities Strategy).
Note: Baseline VMT rate is defined as the rate for SGVCOG, per applicable service population. The
baseline VMT may be changed pending updates to the SCAG's RTP model.