HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem EFebruary 12, 2001
STAFF REPORT
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
Attention: Donald F. McIntyre, Acting City Manager
From: Lee Whittenberg, Director of Development Services
Subject: COMMENT LETTER RE: DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, SURFSIDE -
SUNSET BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECT,
STAGE 11
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Applicant: Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Los Angeles District
Location: Surfside -Sunset Beach
Request: To conduct a shoreline stabilization/beach nourishment project for
Surfside -Sunset beaches (Stage 11)
Environmental: A Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) has been prepared by the
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and is on file at the Department of
Development Services, 211 Eighth Street
Recommendation: Staff recommends the City Council Receive and File the Staff
Report, authorize the Mayor to sign the proposed comment letter, and
instruct staff to forward to the Environmental Quality Control Board
for information purposes
DISCUSSION
Draft Environmental Assessment:
CWy Dxmrenw\SLWSrDM\ siMSw [Nomshm t 11 EA.CCSR.dacWWV2-07-01
AGENDA ITEM
Comment Letter re: "Draft Environmental assessment for
Surfside -Sumer Beach Nounsh hent Project - Stage 11"
City Council Staff Report
February 12, 2001
The City has received a copy of the "Draft Environmental Assessment" (DEA) for the above
referenced project from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). A copy of the subject
document is available at the Department of Development Services for review. Provided below is a
summary of the major aspects of the proposed project
Period of Beach Nourishment: May/lune 2001 to September/October 2001
Amount of Beach Nourishment: 1,750,000 cubic yards
Length of Beach Nourishment: 4,500 lineal feet (Surfside/Sunset Beach)
The DEA has been reviewed by staff and appropriate comments are provided in the proposed
comment letter for review by the City Council within the required time frames for commenting on
the DEA. The focus of the staff review is to ensure that potential significant effects of the project
which would impact the City of Seal Beach have been adequately set forth, addressed, and mitigated
in the DEA.
The DEA is the fust step in the NEPA/CEQA process. This step is used to identify and mitigate
potential impacts created by the proposed project. If significant impacts are identified which cannot
be mitigated, an EIS/EIR is required to be prepared; if no significant impacts are identified after
mitigation, then a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and a Negative Declaration are issued.
The DEA has been provided to the following agencies for comments
■ U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX
■ National Marine Fisheries Service, Department of Commerce
■ Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior
■ United States Coast Guard
■ Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station
■ Coastal Commission, State of California
■ The Resources Agency, State of California
■ Department of Fish and Game, State of California
■ Regional Water Quality Control Board
■ State Clearinghouse
■ Historic Preservation Officer
■ South Coast Air Quality Management District
Comment Period:
Susfsi Sunut NwnsW nt 11 EA.CCSR
Comment Letter re: "Draft Environmental assessment for
Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishment Project - Stage 11"
City Council Staff Report
February 12, 2001
The comment period on this DEA will conclude on March 2, 2001. Written comments may be
submitted to the:
Ms. Ruth Bajza Villalobos
Chief, Planning Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Attn: Mr. Larry Smith, CESPL-PD-RN
P. O. Box 532711
Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325
All comment letters must be received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by March 2, 2001. Due
to the meeting schedule of the Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB) and the City Council,
it is not possible for the EQCB and the City Council to both review the document prior to the March
2 comment deadline date. Therefore, this matter is before the City Council without a review by the
EQCB. Staff is recommending the City Council forward this matter to the EQCB for information
purposes.
Concerns of City regarding Beach Nourishment:
The basic project components are similar in nature to the project aspects of the 1996 Stage 10
Nourishment Project, which placed approximately 1,600,000 cubic yards of sand on the Surfside
beaches. However, the grain size of this sand was not what was anticipated, and the nourishment
project was not as successful as previous nourishment projects were. Staff is recommending the
City Council include a request that the ACOE consider utilizing inland sand of a larger grain for
future projects as a mechanism to hopefully ensure greater stability of the nourishment project over
the long-term time period between subsequent nourishment projects. The recent high wave activity
in Surfside and Sunset beaches could have been greatly reduced or eliminated if the last nourishment
project has less amounts of "fines" in the overall sand content.
In all other areas of environmental concern, the project commitments set forth on pages 36-37 of the
DEA are sufficient to reduce any environmental concerns to a less than significant level, in the
opinion of staff.
Previous City Council Consideration:
The City Council has previously commented on the Stage 10 and Stage 9 projects, which were
similar in nature to the proposed project. Those projects took plane in 1996 and 1990, and resulted
in the placement of 1,600,000 and 1,300,000 cubic yards of sand, respectively.
Surfside-SunsetNm hment 11 EA.CCSR
Comment Letter re: "Draft Environmental assessmentfor
Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishmem Project - Stage 11 "
City Council Stag Report
February 12, 2001
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council Receive and File the Staff Report, authorize the Mayor to sign
the proposed comment letter, and instruct staff to forward to the Environmental Quality Control
Board for information purposes
vl/
e Whittenberg, Director
velopment Services Departmen
Attachments: (2)
NOTED AND APPROVED
Donald F. McIntyre
Acting City Manager
ATTACHMENT 1: Proposed City Comment Letter re: Draft Environmental Assessment
for Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishment Project - Stage 11
ATTACHMENT 2: "Draft Environmental Assessment for Surfside -Sunset Beach
Nourishment Project - Stage 11", prepared by U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, dated January 2001
Note: Copy of report available for review at
Department of Development Services, not copied due
to length (112 pages)
ssss
suffsi a-sumt Noufi M t 11 EA.ccsR
Comment Letter re: "Draft Environmental assessment for
Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishment Project - Stage 11 "
City Council Staff Report
February 12, 2001
ATTACHMENT 1
PROPOSED CITY COMMENT LETTER RE:
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR
SURFSIDE -SUNSET BEACH NOURISHMENT
PROJECT -STAGE II
Sudsih-Suv t nourishment l l F .0 SR
Comment Letter re: "Draft Environmental msessment for
Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishment Project - Stage 11"
City Council Staff Report
February 12, 2001
ATTACHMENT 2
"DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR
SURFSIDE -SUNSET BEACH NOURISHMENT
PROJECT - STAGE 11", PREPARED BY U.S. ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DATED JANUARY 2001
NOTE: COPY OF REPORT AVAILABLE FOR
REVIEW AT DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES, NOT COPIED DUE TO LENGTH (112
PAGES)
S.dmdtl -Sunsn N..6sW nt 11E =SR
February 12, 2001
Ms. Ruth Bajza Villalobos
Chief, Planning Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Attn: Mr. Larry Smith, CESPL-PD-RN
P. O. Box 532711
Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325
SUBJECT: CITY OF SEAL BEACH COMMENT LETTER RE:
"DRAFT EA FOR SURFSIDE -SUNSET BEACH
NOURISHMENT PROJECT -STAGE 11"
Dear Ms. Villalobos:
The City of Seal Beach has reviewed the above referenced Draft Environmental
Assessment and has several general comments and observations relative to the document.
The City of Seal Beach strongly supports the continued activities of the Amy Corps of
Engineers relative to beach nourishment activities in the Surfside -Sunset Beach areas of
Orange County, and in particular your continued capability to provide the required beach
nourishment material to adequately protect on -shore facilities and structures, and to maintain
the recreational opportunities afforded by the subject beach areas. The proposed project is
seen by our City as a positive action in further protecting valuable coastal resources in the
Southern California region.
Our City strongly supports the immediate implementation of the proposed project as
the only practical and effective solution to the immediate problems existing in the Surfside -
Sunset Beach areas. Any delay in implementation may result in significant adverse impacts
to on -shore structures and facilities during the upcoming 2002 winter storm season. During
this current winter storm season the southerly portions of Surfside and the northerly portions
of Sunset Beach experienced wave run-up into the public roadways and lower elevations of
existing residential structures. These areas have not historically been impacted by wave run-
up events due to the previously existing wide sandy beaches; those wide sandy beach
protection zones are no longer wide enough to provide a sufficient safety factor. In addition,
the "No Action" alternative is not acceptable. This alternative will consign substantial public
and private improvements (property values in Surfside alone are in excess of
$77,000,000.00) to almost certain damage during the upcoming winter storm season.
C:My Dmuments\SURFSIDE urfsi&-Sunset Nourishment 11EA.CC Lelter.dm11.W102-12-01
City of Seal Beach Comment Letter re:
"Draft Environmental Assessment for Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishment —Stage 11 "
February 12, 2001
It is requested that the Corps of Engineers consider utilizing inland sand of a larger
grain for future projects as a mechanism to hopefully ensure greater stability of a
nourishment project over the long-term time period between subsequent nourishment
projects. The recent high wave activity in Surfside and Sunset beaches could have been
greatly reduced or eliminated if the last nourishment project had less amounts of "fines" in
the overall sand content. The uncertainty of future nourishment projects would be
somewhat addressed if the Corps were to consider utilizing inland sand sources of larger
grain sand as a mechanism to increase the longevity of future beach nourishment projects.
The subject document discusses the following areas of concern, and concludes that
any significant impacts can be mitigated to a level of insignificance:
■
Oceanography and Water Quality
■
Marine Resources
■
Air Quality
■
Noise
■
Cultural Resources
■
Recreation Uses
■
Ground Transportation
■
Vessel Transportation & Safety
■
Aesthetics
Based on the review by our staff, we concur with those determinations, based on the
implementation of all mitigation measures set forth in the Draft EA. The implementation of
Commitment Number 10, requiring "Beach disposal will be limited to a diked, single -point
disposal site or similar methodology to minimize nearshore turbidity and grunion
smothering", is especially important from both a water quality standpoint and minimizing
the impact upon grunion spawning. This methodology was utilized in the Stage 10
nourishment and was extremely effective. This methodology should be a required condition
of the contract between the Corps and the successful contractor.
The City would also request that monitoring of the impacts of disposal activities
onto the beach area be conducted to ensure that populations of impacted sandy beach
invertebrates such as beach hoppers, sand crabs, and Pismo Clams is re-established within a
reasonable time period of six months to one year. If the impacted sandy beach invertebrates
have not re-established naturally within that time period, it is recommended that a species
reintroduction program be conducted by the Corps.
Section 3.2, MEASURESIALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED indicates that
"Structural (Modification) Alternatives" (e.g., construction of an attached breakwater,
construction of a headland parallel to shore, and modification of seaward side slope near
Anaheim Bay East Jetty) may be acceptable and ate being further developed and evaluated
under a separate environmental document. The City would request the opportunity to be
involved in early consultation regarding the consideration of the above discussed structural
modification alternatives and the areas of environmental concern to be evaluated in
subsequent environmental review documents.
The City Council considered and discussed the Draft EA document and an
accompanying Staff report on February 12, 2001. The City Council authorized the Mayor to
Sudsld}Sunset Nourishment 11F .CC r<ue,
City of Seal Beach Comment Letter re:
"Draft Environmental Assessment far Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishment—Stage 11 "
February 12, 2001
sign this letter indicating the official comments of the City of Seal Beach regarding "Draft
Environmental Assessment for Surfside -Sunset Beach Nourishment Project - Stage I I".
Thank you for your consideration of the comments of the City of Seal Beach. Please
do not hesitate to contact Mr. Lee Whittenberg, Director of Development Services, City
Hall, 211 Eighth Street, Seal Beach, 90740, telephone (310) 431-2527, extension 313 or e-
mail address Iwhittenberg@ci.seal-beach.ca.us, if you have any questions regarding this
matter. In addition, please provide three (3) copies of the FONSI to Mr. Whittenberg for
distribution to the appropriate Commissions and the City Council when it is available.
Sincerely,
Patricia E. Campbell
Mayor, City of Seal Beach
Distribution:
Seal Beach City Council
Seal Beach Planning Commission
Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board
City Manager City Attorney
City Clerk Director of Development Services
Sudside-Sumer Noumh..t 11E .CC Lett,