Acton County Park Negative Declaration

added 3-31-99.

Disclaimer by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR).
The text, graphics and information provided herein are provided as a convenience for informational purposes only. The material presented on this site could include inaccuracies or typographical errors and DRP may make changes, corrections or modifications at any time without notice. The DPR does not warrant that the functions and/or information contained in the material will be accurate, complete or error-free.

INTRODUCTION

This document summarizes and addresses the results of an Initial Study to determine if any significant environmental effects would occur from the proposed Acton County Park project. The Initial Study was prepared pursuant to the requirements of Section 15063 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. return to index

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of the project include acquisition, as identified by the Department of Parks and Recreation with input from the community at public meetings, is the acqusition and development of a new public park in Acton. Currently, there are no public parks in Acton. One-third of the proposed park will be developed with passive recreation uses (including pedestrian paths and equestrian trail) and landscaped with natural vegetation to help absorb surface run-off in the wet season. The remaining two thirds of the site will be developed to include two multi-purpose ball fields, a basketball court, restrooms, a picnic shelter, a children’s play area, and parking. Landscape and irrigation design will also be a part of the proposed project. Specific objectives are to:

• Acquire property to provide a new park facility with a variety of recreational opportunities in the Acton community.
• Plan and design the park with secure and low maintenance facilities and amenities.
• Provide public access to the park.
• Provide public parking on-site for park users.

PROJECT LOCATION

The proposed acquisition and development project is located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County known as Acton (see Figure 1) at Escondido and Crown Valley Road. The project is in the Fifth Supervisorial District and is bounded by Crown Valley Road on the east, Escondido Canyon Road on the south and west, and vacant land on the north (proposed Sacramento Street). The parking lot and main entry to the park will be located on Sacramento Street. A second parking lot and park access will be located on Escondido Canyon Road. Acton Elementary School is across the street from the proposed park on Crown Valley Road. The park will have a pedestrian access entry at the east boundary of the site next to the proposed equestrian hitching post area.

Click drawing for enlarged view return to index

PROJECT BACKGROUND

On November 3, 1992 and November 5, 1996, the voters of Los Angeles County approved and enacted "Proposition A" which provides funding for the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (District) to develop facilities to meet the diversified needs of the citizens of Los Angeles County.

Proposition A allocates $1.5 million dollars to the District to fund acquisition and development of Acton County Park. As demonstrated in A Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan for 2010, Los Angeles County is severely deficient in parkland. It has been determined by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation that 70.0 acres of parkland are needed to accommodate the leisure needs of 17,499 residents of the Park Planning Area (see Table 1). Currently, there are no existing public parks in Park Planning Area 43, Acton/Agua Dulce. Although the acquisition and development of the 12.5-acre Acton County Park would not totally alleviate the exisiting deficiency of park public land, the new park will provide an opportunity for public recreation and accommodate neighborhood recreation users. The County will develop the Acton County Park site to meet the recreational needs of the community.

TABLE 1: LOCAL COUNTY PARK NEEDS AND DEFICIENCIES

Source: A Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan for 2010

Park Planning Area # 43, Acton/Agua Dulce, a part of the Antelope Valley Regional Planning Area, is projected to have a population of 18,244 by 2010, and a need for 72.9 acres of local parkland. The park planning area will be allocated 10 acres from the nearby Vasquez Rocks County Park, and with the proposed 12.5-acre Acton County Park, there will still be a deficiency of 50.4 acres of local parkland for 2010. A Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan for 2010 considers the acquisition and development in this park planning area a "moderate" priority due to its expected rapid growth.

According to A Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan for 2010, the proposed Acton County Park would be classified as a Neighborhood Park. Generally, Neighborhood Parks have a service radius of up to ½-mile, serve a population of 1,250 to 5,000 persons and range in size from 5 to 20 acres. The typical facilities provided in this type of park include:

• Childrens play area with apparatus
• Picnic and passive areas
• Turfed multipurpose field
• Hardcourt area
• Parking and service area
• Recreation/activities buildingreturn to index

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

The proposed project includes acquisition and development of a new public park on approximately 12.5 acres. The undeveloped and vacant project site is flat with slightly sloping topography at the western park site boundary. The western one-third of the site will include a walking path, an equestrian trail, and a hitching post area with pedestrian access to the active recreation areas. The park access/egress locations will be on the the proposed Sacramento Street and on Escondido Canyon Road Approximately 8.3 acres of the site, will be developed to include two multi-purpose ball fields, a basketball court, a 600 square foot restroom building, a children’s play area, picnic areas with one group picnic shelter, and two parking lots (see Figure 2). The project will comply with both the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the California State Accessibility Standards, Title 24, CCR: California Building Code, latest edition.

The proposed park will consist of the following:

• A 600 square foot restroom building to serve as a men’s and women’s facility with exterior security lighting.
• Park identification sign at the main entry on Sacramento Street and at the intersection of Crown Valley Road and Escondido Canyon Road to comply with Acton Community Standards District.
• Concrete picnic tables and benches.
• Barbecue braziers with concrete base will be installed in the park near picnic tables / benches.
• Two multi-purpose little league size ball fields with brick dust infields, backstops, dugouts with benches, bleachers, and a drinking fountain.
• An outdoor regulation high school basketball court with two backboards, sleeves and stanchions net assemblies for volleyball and badminton, and court lighting for night play.
• Park fencing to comply with the Acton Community Standards District.
• A play area including surfacing and play equipment.
• Landscaping and irrigation including turf, shrubs, trees, and an automatic irrigation system.
• Two parking lots with 25 vehicle parking spaces each.
• One bike rack at Sacramento Street parking lot and one bike rack at Escondido Canyon Road parking lot.

Click drawing for enlarged view return to index

With the construction of the park, 50 parking spaces would be provided, more than required by the Los Angeles County Code Section 22.52.1175. The park is expected to serve residents within walking distance and more than adequate parking is provided. Most of the visitors would be local residents and within walking distance from the parkreturn to index

SCHEDULE

Site preparation is expected to last approximately two weeks, and activity will occur on weekdays between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. All construction activities for this project will occur on weekdays between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The maximum number of construction workers at the site at any one time is expected to be approximately 15 workers. Finishing and landscaping will require approximately eight months. Development of the park is expected to start in June of 2000 and end approximately in February of 2001.return to index

The following Environmental Checklist and discussion of potential environmental effects were completed in accordance with Section 15063(d) 3 of the California Environmental Act Statutes and Guidelines, October 1998, to determine if the project may have any significant effect on the environment.

A brief explanation is provided for all determinations. A "No Impact" or "Less than Significant Impact" determination is made when the project will not have any impact or will not have a significant effect on the environment for that issue area, based on a project-specific analysis. return to index

1. Project Title: Acton County Park

2. Lead Agency Name and Address: County of Los Angeles 433 South Vermont Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90020

3. Contact Person and Phone Number: Larry Hensley, (213) 738-2118 Department of Parks and Recreation

4. Project Location: Acton, California

5. Project Sponsor's Name and Address: County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation 433 S. Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90020

6. General Plan Designation: Rural Community

7. Zoning: R-3 and A-1

8. Description of Project: The project includes the acquisition and development of a new public park on approximately 12.5 acres. The undeveloped and vacant site is flat with slightly sloping topography at the western park boundary. The western one-third of the site will include a walking path, an equestrian trail, and a hitching post area with pedestrian access to the developed area. The remaining park site will include two multi-purpose ball fields, a basketball court, a restroom building, a children’s play area, picnic areas with one group picnic shelter and two parking lots (see Section 1).

9. Surrounding Land Uses and Setting:

Surrounding land uses include single family residential development and vacant land. The Acton Elementary School is across the street from the park site on Crown Valley Road. The surrounding area is rural with considerable equestrian traffic. The project site is located within the Acton Community Standards District. The overall intent of the community standards district is to maintain the rural lifestyle, natural setting and Western theme of the community of Acton.

10. Other agencies whose approval is required:

None return to index

Environmental Factors Potentially Affected:

The environmental factors checked below would be potentially affected by this project.

Because of the difficulty in electonicaly reproducing the CEQA checklist an Adobe Acrobat version is provided here return to index

I. AESTHETICS

a) Affect a scenic vista or scenic highway?

No Impact. Views from the site include the Sierra Madre Mountain Range to the north and the San Gabriel Mountain Range to the south. The proposed project site is located in a developed area and is not part of a scenic vista or highway. There are no scenic views in the area. The project site itself is currently undeveloped and designated for recreational uses. The proposed construction of the park would not affect scenic highways as there are none in the project’s vicinity. Therefore, no impacts are anticipated. No mitigation measures are necessary.

b) Have a demonstrable negative aesthetic effect?

No Impact. The proposed project site is located in an area developed with residential and school facility uses. The dominant aesthetic feature of the park site is the natural vegetation and the distant views from the site. The project site is currently undeveloped and vacant. The existing site is relatively flat, sloping up slightly at the western end. Views to the site consist of landscaping elements with slight grade changes. Aesthetic impacts are by their nature very subjective. The proposed project would involve the construction of a park with parking, landscaping, irrigation, and outdoor picnic areas that would be maintained and would change the site’s appearance from an undeveloped parcel to a park and associated facilities. No demonstrable negative change is anticipated. No aesthetic impacts are anticipated as a result of project development. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The construction of a park would not result in significant impacts to light and glare. Although the basketball court would be lit, lighting would be shielded to blockout light on adjacent properties. Lighting would also be provided for security purposes. Security lighting will be provided on the exterior of the restroom building. Therefore, no impacts are anticipated and no mitigation measures are necessary. return to index

No Impact. There are agricultural resources or operations in the vicinity of the project site and therefore, there will be no impacts. return to index

a) Violate any air quality standard or contribute to an existing or projected air quality violation?

Less than Significant Impact. The project site is located in the Los Angeles County sub-area of the South Coast Air Basin. Los Angeles County is designated as a non-attainment area for ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO_X), and particulates (PM₁₀). The County is classified as an attainment area for SO₂ and Pb. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the regional agency empowered to regulate stationary sources maintains an extensive air quality monitoring network to measure criteria pollutant concentrations, throughout the South Coast Air Basin. The closest air monitoring station is located in the City of Santa Clarita, approximately 13 miles southwest of the site.

State and Federal agencies have set ambient air quality standards for various pollutants. Both California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been established to protect the public health and welfare. The federal and State ambient air quality standards associated with the construction of the park are presented in Table 2. The air quality impacts were evaluated using criteria in the South Coast Air Quality Management District's (SCAQMD) revised "CEQA Air Quality Handbook" (SCAQMD, 1993).

Construction Emissions

The significance threshold criteria are shown on Table 3. Air contaminant emissions during worst-case periods, i.e., during site preparation activities, would result from the use of a small number of construction equipment and construction worker vehicles. Site preparation activities would primarily consist of dozers, trucks, scrapers, loaders, graders, backhoes, and approximately 15 construction workers would be traveling to and from the project site. It is anticipated that approximately up to eight months would be required to complete the construction of the project. Due to the use of heavy equipment and their associated dust generating activities, the initial grading and excavation operation would result in the highest daily pollutant generation.

Project related construction traffic would have a temporary effect on air quality in the vicinity of the project. Construction worker traffic and diesel powered equipment would emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulates. These emissions would increase local concentrations temporarily but would not be expected to increase the frequency of violations of air quality standards.

The daily emissions resulting from construction activities on the 8.3 acre area to be developed, are estimated to be 6.2 pounds of reactive organic compounds (ROC), 58.8 pounds of nitrogen oxides (NO_X), 45.6 pounds of carbon monoxide (CO), and 8.9 pounds of particulates (PM₁₀ During peak ground disturbance, assuming of the approximately 8 acres disturbed by the project, and an average of two acres graded per day, an additional 110 pounds of PM₁₀ per day is anticipated to be emitted. The SCAQMD significance thresholds at the proposed project site would not be exceeded. Therefore, the construction impacts at this site would be less than significant and, because of their short duration, do not add to long-term air pollution problems.

TABLE 2: Federal and State Ambient Air Quality Standards

ppm – parts per million; ug/m³ – micrograms per cubic meter
SOURCE: California Air Resources Board, Air Quality Data Summary, 1996.

Table 3: SCAQMD Air Quality Impact Significance Thresholds

Source: SCAQMD, 1993
CO - Carbon Monoxide, ROC - Reactive Organic Compounds, NO_X - Nitrogen Oxides, SO_X - Sulfor Dioxide, PM₁₀ - Particulate Matter, lb./day - pounds per day

Operation Emissions

The proposed project would generate new stationary and mobile source emissions associated with the consumption of electricity and natural gas by on-site uses and the vehicular trips generated by the proposed project. According to the Traffic Study conducted by Katz, Okistu and Associates (October 21, 1998), the proposed project is anticipated to generate 166 daily trips. Most of the visitors would be from the neighboring areas and would either walk or bike to the site. Air emissions generated by vehicular trips associated with the operation of the park are not anticipated to be significant. Daily emissions from stationary sources would be minimal. The daily emissions resulting from project operation activities (including stationary and mobile sources) are not anticipated to exceed the SCAQMD’s regional significance thresholds. In addition, the project would comply with standard County Ordinances and Guidelines regarding construction. Therefore, no significant impacts to regional air quality during the operation phase.

Less than Significant. The nearest sensitive receptors to the site are residences located approximately 100 feet from the project boundary. However, as discussed above, the construction impacts at this site would be less than significant and, because of their short duration, would not add to long-term air pollution problems. Due to the low level of trips generated by the project, CO concentrations are anticipated to be well below the thresholds and, therefore, would not result in a significant impact. No mitigation measures are necessary.

c) Alter air movement, moisture, or temperature, or cause any change in climate?

No Impact. The project would not result in alteration of air movement, moisture or temperature, or any change in climate either locally or regionally. Therefore, no impacts are expected and no mitigation measures are necessary.

d) Create objectionable odors?

No Impact. No activities would occur and no materials or chemicals would be stored on-site that would have the potential to cause odor impacts during the construction and use of the proposed county park. Therefore, adverse odor impacts would not occur. No mitgation measures are necessary. return to index

a) Endangered, threatened, or rare species or their habitats (including but not limited to plants, fish, insects, animals, and birds)?

Less than Significant. No endangered, threatened, or rare species or their habitats (including but not limited to plants, fish, insects, animals, and birds) are known to exist on the site; therefore, there is no potential for impacts on any endangered, threatened or rare species or their habitat. Therefore, project impacts would be less than significant. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. There are no mature trees on the site. No locally designated species occur on the project site, therefore, there is no potential for impacts. No mitigation measures are necessary.

c) Locally designated natural communities (e.g., oak forest, coastal habitat, etc.)?

No Impact. No locally designated natural communities are known to exist on the project site; therefore, there is no potential for impacts. No mitigation measures are necessary.

d) Wetland habitat (e.g., marsh, riparian and vernal pool)?

No Impact. No wetland habitat has been identified or is known to exist on, or in the vicinity of, the site; therefore, there is no potential for impacts to wetland habitat from project development. No mitigation measures are necessary.

e) Wildlife dispersal or migration corridors?

No Impact. The area surrounding the site is urbanized. Wildlife corridors do not exist on the site or in the area and the project would not result in any disruption to wildlife movement or migration patterns. No mitigation measures are necessary. return to index

a) Disturb paleontological resources?

No Impact. The grading for the proposed project would take place in an area that has historically been disturbed by agricultural uses. There are no known paleontological resources at the site. The site does not have a high sensitivity for paleontological resources. The project is not anticipated to result in the disruption of such resources. No mitigation measures are necessary.

b-c) Disturb archaeological or historic resources?

No Impact. One prehistoric archaeological site and one historic archaeological site have been identified within a one-mile radius of the project site. There are no known archaeological or historic resources at the site. The Archaeological Report indicates that the project site as having a "low" archaeological sensitivity rating. The project is not anticipated to result in the disruption of such resources and no mitigation measures are necessary.

d) Have the potential to cause a physical change, which would affect unique ethnic cultural values?

No Impact. The site does not represent any ethnic cultural values and development of the project is not anticipated to affect unique ethnic cultural values. No impacts are expected and no mitigation measures are necessary.

e) Restrict existing religious or sacred uses within the potential impact area?

No Impact. No religious or sacred uses occur within the potential impact area; therefore, no impacts are expected. No mitigation measures are necessary. return to index

No Impact. The proposed project involves the construction of open playing fields, trails and picnic areas. All project structures, including the new restroom facility, would be constructed in compliance with earthquake-resistant standards required by existing building codes (e.g. Title 24 of the State Building Code). Hence, this project is not expected to increase the risk of exposure of people to potential impacts involving fault rupture. No impacts would result from project implementation. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The project, in and of itself, will not expose people or property to potential impacts pertaining to seismic ground shaking. Since earthquake-related hazards cannot be avoided in the southern California region, the project site could be subjected to ground motion, which could affect structures. All project elements, including the new restroom facility, would be constructed in compliance with earthquake-resistant standards required by existing building codes (e.g. Title 24 of the State Building Code). This project is not expected to increase the risk of exposure of people to impacts from seismic ground shaking. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The liquefaction potential at the project site is considered very low. For this reason, liquefaction is not anticipated and no mitigation measures are necessary.

d) Seiche, tsunami, or volcanic hazard?

No Impact. The Santa Clara River is located approximately one-half mile southeast of the project site. There are no large water tanks in the area that could impact the proposed project site. Any flooding associated with seiches (wave-like oscillations of water in an enclosed basin caused by earthquakes, high-winds or other atmospheric conditions) are not anticipated at the project site.

No significant volcanic features have been identified in the project area and the project site is too far from the Pacific Ocean to be impacted by tsunami. Therefore, the proposed project would not be impacted by seiche, tsunami or volcanic hazards. No mitigation measures are necessary.

e) Landslides or mudflows?

No Impact. The project site is generally flat. However, there is a slightly sloping topography along the western boundary of the park. The slope is covered with vegetation (grasses, bushes, and some trees) and appears to be well established. The potential for landslides or mudslides to occur on site or nearby off site is minimal. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The proposed project will not alter topography within the project area. Minimal grading will occur. Erosion control measures will be implemented during construction and after construction is completed to minimize erosion based on a solid study that will be conducted for the proposed project prior to development. Therefore, no erosion impacts are expected to occur. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. Depth to groundwater is approximately 33.5 feet. There has been no land subsidence in the area. Because, there would be no changes in geologic substructures as a result of the project, there would be no potential for subsidence of the land. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The project site is not located in an area known to have expansive soils. Hence, no impacts are anticipated. However, any potentially expansive soils identified during the soils analysis conducted for the project would be removed in compliance with established engineering procedures. No significant impacts are anticipated as a result of project development. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. No unique geologic features are known to exist within the project boundaries. The project would not result in the destruction, covering, or modification of any unique geologic or physical features in the project area. The proposed changes at the site would not alter any geologic features not previously disturbed. No significant impacts would result from the proposed project. No mitigation measures are necessary. return to index

No Impact. The proposed project would not use or store any hazardous substances; therefore, no accidental explosion or release of hazardous substances would occur. Although, pesticides are anticipated to be used at the site, they would not be stored on-site. No impacts would be created by this project. No mitigation measures are necessary.

b) Possible interference with an emergency response plan or emergency evacuation plan?

No Impact. There are no known emergency response plans for the site. We presume that there is an emergency response plan for the nearby school and anticipate that the park may somehow be incorporated into that plan such as an evacuation meeting place. This project would not interfere with a current emergency response plan or an emergency evacuation plan for local, state or federal agencies. All emergency procedures would be implemented within local, state, and federal guidelines during the construction and operation of the project. Therefore, no impacts are anticipated. No mitigation measures are necessary.

c) The creation of any health hazard or potential health hazard?

No Impact. The construction and use of the proposed County park would not create or cause any unacceptable health hazards. Therefore, no impacts are anticipated. No mitigation measures are necessary.

d) Exposure of people to existing sources of potential health hazards?

No Impact. The construction and use of the proposed park would not expose people to sources of potential health hazards. No impacts would be created by this project. No mitigation measures are necessary.

e) Increased fire hazard in areas with flammable brush, grass, or trees?

No Impact. There are no significant areas of brush, grass or trees located on-site. Surrounding land uses are primarily developed and do not pose any fire hazard risk to the proposed project site. On-site landscaping would be controlled through trimming and watering so as to reduce fire hazard impacts. Development of the park would not expose any users to fire hazard from flammable brush, grass or trees. Therefore, no impacts are expected. No mitigation measures are necessary. return to index

a) Changes in absorption rates, drainage patterns, or the rate and amount of surface runoff?

Less than Significant. The proposed project would cover an area of approximately 12.5 acres. The western one-third of the site would include a walking path, an equestrian trail, and a hitching post area with pedestrian access to the developed area. The remaining 8.3 acres would include two multipurpose ball fields, a basketball court, a restroom building, a children’s play area, picnic areas, and two parking lots. Changes in absorption rates and the amount of surface runoff are expected to be minimal. Existing drainage patterns on the site would be altered slightly as a result of the proposed project. However, these changes are not expected to result in significant impacts as the County would be responsible for connecting to the existing off site drainage network and for any improvements needed to accommodate the proposed project. No mitigation measures are necessary.

Less than Significant. The project site is located within an area designated as a floodplain by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (panel #0390b dated 11/15/85). However no impacts are anticipated as the only permanent structure is the restroom. The existing project site does not expose people or property to water related hazards. The net drainage from the site will increase slightly due to an increase in impervious area. However, this minimal increase in runoff from the park is not expected to result in significant impacts to flooding hazards. Therefore the development and operation of the park would not subject people or structures to significant flooding impacts. No mitigation measures are necessary.

Less than Significant. Runoff from the proposed project will increase slightly. However, the proposed project is not expected to alter discharges into surface waters or surface water quality. Therefore, no impacts to surface water are expected to occur as a result of the proposed project. No mitigation measures are necessary.

d) Changes in the amount of surface water in any water body?

Less than Significant. The proposed project would lead to a small increase in surface drainage due to covering portions of the site with impermeable surface materials. However, the proposed project is not expected to change the amount of surface water in any body of water. Therefore, no significant impacts are expected from the project development. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. There is no watercourse in the vicinity of the project site. The proposed project will not result in changes to currents or direction of water movements. Therefore, no impacts are expected to occur and no mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The proposed project is not expected to change the quantity of ground waters. The project is expected to consume a negligible amount of the County’s total water consumption. Excavation and grading of the site are not expected to interfere with any known aquifers. Therefore, no impacts are expected to occur and no mitigation measures are necessary.

g) Altered direction or rate of flow of groundwater?

No Impact. The proposed project would not have the potential to directly change the rate or flow of groundwater, it will not interfere with any known aquifers. Acton County Park’s water consumption is not expected to require substantial pumping of groundwater resources. Thus, no alteration in the direction or rate of flow of groundwater resources is expected. No mitigation measures are necessary.

Less than Significant. The project is not expected to cause any changes in groundwater quality because no on-site discharges would affect any known aquifers. Development of the proposed project site could lead to a slight increase in surface runoff containing typical urban pollutants generated by motor vehicles and fertilizers. Due to the size of the site and the type of use proposed for the site no significant impacts to groundwater quality are anticipated as a result of project implementation. No mitigation measures are necessary.

i) Substantial reduction in the amount of groundwater otherwise available for public water supplies?

Less than Significant. The project would not use or affect groundwater. The preparation of the site would employ up to 15 workers who are assumed to be current residents of the region and thus would not have significant impacts on available water supply in the area. Therefore, no significant impacts are anticipated and no mitigation measures are necessary. return to index

No Impact. The zoning designations for the project site are A-1 and R-3 and the land use designation in the County General Plan is Rural Community. The Conservation, Open Space and Recreation Element of the County General Plan indicates that the Recreation goal is, "To improve opportunities for a variety of outdoor recreational experiences." The proposed project to develop a new park is consistent with this goal. The project site is located within the boundaries of the Acton Community Standards District. The community standards district guides development in the community of Acton. The Acton community standards district was established to protect and enhance the rural, equestrian and agricultural character of the community and its sensitive features including signficant ecological areas, flood plains, hillsides, National Forest, archaeological resources, multi-purpose trail system, and Western heritage architectural theme. The standards are intended to ensure reasonable access to public riding and hiking trails, and to minimize the need for installation of infrastructure such as sewers, street lights, concrete sidewalks and concrete flood control systems that would alter the community’s character, while providing for adequate drainage and other community safety features. Some of the provisions of the community standards district that apply to this project include, but are not limited to:

• Removal of natural vegetation is regulated; revegetation of Acton County Park will require a landscaping plan that emphasizes use of native plants.
• Western frontier village type architecture will be used throughout the community. Signs at Acton County park must reflect the Western theme of the community.
• Equestrian trails shall be included in the design of Acton County Park. Trail alignments that are not adjacent to roadways will be preferred.
• Increased stormwater runoff will be minimized at Acton County Park by limiting impervious surfaces.

The site is currently undeveloped. The project is a permitted use in A-1 and R-3 zone and in the "rural Community" land use designation. The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation is requesting a determination of consistency of the proposed park development and acquisition project from the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning pursuant to Section 65402 of the Government Code and the Los Angeles County Code. No impacts would be generated by the proposed project. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The proposed project would not conflict with any plans or policies adopted by agencies with jurisdiction over the project since the proposed use is compatible with the surrounding uses. The primary environmental plans and policies related to development on-site are identified in the County General Plan, the Acton Community Standards District and associated environmental documents. Acquisition and development of the site to a neighborhood park is consistent with these adopted plans and policies. Based on these reasons and the reasons cited in (a) above, no impact is anticipated. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The land use in the immediate vicinity of the project is residential and educational. Residents located immediately adjacent to the proposed park, and the school across the street from the project site, may experience noise impacts from construction in the short-term and outdoor play in the long-term. These issues are addressed in 3.10 Noise. No land use compatibility impacts are anticipated as a result of the proposed project, thus no mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The proposed project does not contain any agricultural resources and no significant agricultural resources are located in the project vicinity. Thus, no impacts to agricultural resources or operations would result from the proposed project. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The project site is located in an area that contains residential, educational and open space uses. The proposed project will cover an area of approximately 12.5 acres. The western one-third of the site would include a walking path, an equestrian trail, and a hitching post area with pedestrian access to the developed area. The remaining 8.3 acres would include two multi-purpose ball fields, a basketball court, a restroom building, a children’s play area, picnic areas, and two parking lots. These facilities are not anticipated to result in any division of the community or significantly impact low income or minority resources. No impacts are anticipated to result from project development. No mitigation measures are necessary.return to index

a) Conflict with adopted energy conservation plans?

No Impact. The project involves construction of hiking and equestrian trails, ball fields, and picnic areas, and a restroom facility. During the construction period, a maximum of 10-15 construction workers are expected to be on-site during any given period of time. The amount of fossil fuels that would be required by the construction equipment and construction worker vehicles would be minimal. The operation of the recreational facility would comply with Title 24, California Energy Conservation Standards. Hence, no impact on energy conservation plans is anticipated. The proposed project is not anticipated to conflict with any established energy conservation plans. No further mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. Development of the proposed Acton County Park would involve the use of construction materials, which include non-renewable resources. However, this construction would follow industry standards and would not use non-renewable resources in a wasteful and inefficient manner. No mitigation measures are necessary.

No Impact. The project would not result in the loss of availability of any mineral resource that would be of future value; therefore, there is no potential for impacts. No mitigation measures are necessary. return to index

Less than Significant. The site preparation, foundation, structure construction, and finishing phases for the proposed Acton County Park would require various types of construction equipment. The County of Los Angeles Noise Ordinance sets the maximum exterior noise level for temporary intermittent construction noise at 75 dBA at any single-family residences between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays.

Short-term construction impacts would be mitigated to acceptable levels by measures specified in the Los Angeles County Code, which would be enforced by the Sheriff Department.

The project is located in an area generally consisting of rural land uses. Immediately surrounding the project site include vacant land, single family residential uses and the Acton Elementary School across the street (Crown Valley Road) from the proposed project site. The sensitive land uses nearest to the project are single family residential units to the north, south and west of the project site, and Acton Elementary School located immediately adjacent to the east of the project site. These sensitive land uses would potentially be exposed to temporary noise generated from on and off-site construction activities.

Construction noise levels at and near the project site would fluctuate depending on the particular type, number, and duration of use of various pieces of construction equipment. At the time of this analysis, specific information on construction equipment was not available. As a result, this analysis identifies general impacts associated with typical construction projects.

Heavy-duty construction equipment would primarily consist of trucks, scrapers, loaders, backhoes, and dozers. Table 5 shows typical noise levels associated with different stages of construction. The significance of construction noise levels would depend on the distance (and the presence or absence of barriers) between the construction site and the closest receptor.

TABLE 5: Typical Construction Noise Levels