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Home My WebLink AboutCC AG PKT 2005-04-25 #I AGENDA REPORT DATE: April 25, 2005 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council THRU: John B. Bahorski, City Manager FROM: Lee Whittenberg, Director of Development Services SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF COMMENT LETTER RE: NOTICE OF PREPARATION - PROGRAM EIR FOR THE 2006 LONG -RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN BY ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY SUMMARY OF REQUEST: Authorize Mayor to sign proposed Response Letter, and instruct staff to forward to the Planning Commission and Environmental Quality Control Board for information purposes. Receive and File Staff Report. BACKGROUND: Orange County Transportation Authority ( "OCTA ") has released a "Notice of Preparation of a Program EIR for the 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan" ( "NOP "). A copy of the NOP is provided as Attachment 2 for the information of the City Council. OCTA will eventually prepare a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report ( "DPEIR ") to evaluate environmental impacts of the proposed 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan ( "LRTP "). The LRTP will provide a blueprint for transportation improvements in Orange County and will include transportation improvements throughout the County for a planning horizon year of 2030. The NOP indicates that three alternatives will be evaluated in the DPEIR, summarized as follows: ❑ Alternative 1 - No Project/Baseline: This alternative consists of the existing transportation system in Orange County, plus projects that have approved funding or are environmentally cleared. The majority of the additional projects would consist of local street and road projects. Only minor operational improvements would be included in the freeway system. Agenda Item 1 Z:\My Documents \CEQA\2006 Long -Range Transportation PIan.00TA.CC Staff Report.doc LW\04 -14 -05 City Comment Letter re: Notice of Preparation — Draft Program EIR for 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan Prepared by Orange County Transportation Authority City Council Staff Report Apri125, 2005 ❑ Alternative 2 — Constrained to Existing State and Federal Resources Only: This alternative assumes the continuation of current annual levels of State and federal transportation funding and includes moderate levels of highway, street, and transit improvements. Types of projects that may be considered include making the existing system work better by fixing some freeway chokepoints, improving signal coordination on arterial streets, and improving transit services by adding express bus service on freeways and providing more frequent local bus service. However, due to limited financial resources, major transportation projects to address congestion and future mobility needs will not be considered to a significant degree in this alternative. Input from the public during the public scoping process will be used to help identify and refine specific projects. ❑ Alternative 3 — Unconstrained Resources: This alternative will include all projects needed to fully address future demand and congestion. However, the scope of these projects is beyond existing or foreseeable funding levels. It could include major reconstruction of freeways as well as future transit guide way systems. The NOP indicates that: "Population growth within Orange County is expected to rise by approximately 15 percent between 2005 and 2030, from 3,094,461 to 3,552,742 million people. This increase in population will result in new vehicular and transit trips and will place additional demands on existing roadways, transit an rail facilities within Orange County." NOP Scoping Meetings: OCTA will be conducting scoping meetings to describe the 2006 LRTP and solicit public input on the potential environmental effects of the proposed LRTP. The scoping meeting schedule is: Scoping Meeting Date Meeting Time Meeting Location April 21 Fullerton Public Library 5 — 7 PM April 27 Mission Viejo City Hall, 5 — 7 PM Saddleback Room April 28 OCTA Administrative Offices 5 — 7 PM Public Availability: A copy of the NOP is available at the Department of Development Services for review. Comment Period: 2 2006 Long -Range Transportation PIan.00TA.CC Staff Report City Comment Letter re: Notice of Preparation — Draft Program EIR for 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan Prepared by Orange County Transportation Authority City Council Staff Report April25, 2005 The comment period on the NOP will conclude at 5:00 p.m. on May 9, 2005. Written comments may be submitted to: Orange County Transportation Authority Attn: Mr. Glen Campbell, Senior Transportation Analyst P. O. Box 14184 Orange, CA 92683 -1584 Future City Actions: Staff has prepared a response letter for consideration of the City Council relative to the Notice of Preparation (Refer to Attachment 1). Due to the time limits for receiving comments, the Environmental Quality Control Board will not review this matter. The next meeting of the EQCB is May 25, after the deadline for receipt of comments. Therefore, the matter is before the City Council at this time for action. Upon completion of the DPEIR by OCTA, both the EQCB and the City Council will review the DPEIR document, with a formal comment letter regarding the DPEIR being approved by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT: Minimal impact. Existing staff resources will be allocated to review the Draft EIR and prepare a comment letter for consideration by the Environmental Quality Control Board and the City Council. RECOMMENDATION: Authorize Mayor to sign proposed Response Letter, and instruct staff to forward to the Planning Commission and Environmental Quality Control Board for information purposes. Receive and File Staff Report. NOTED ill D APPROI a t ED: 1 , , iil 6 is. =- - Whittenberg Jo B'. orski ,ZAK /Li Director of Development Services C i ► anager Attachments: (2) 2006 Long -Range Transportation P1an.00TA.CC Staff Report 3 . City Comment Letter re: Notice of Preparation — Draft Program EIR for 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan Prepared by Orange County Transportation Authority City Council Staff Report April 25, 2005 Attachment 1: Draft City Comment Letter re: "Notice of Preparation of a Program EIR for the 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan" Attachment 2: "Notice of Preparation of a Program EIR for the 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan", Orange County Transportation Authority, April 6, 2005 4 2006 Long -Range Transportation PIan.00TA.CC Staff Report City Comment Letter re: Notice of Preparation — Draft Program EIR for 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan Prepared by Orange County Transportation Authority City Council Staff Report April 25, 2005 ATTACHMENT 1 DRAFT CITY COMMENT LETTER RE: "NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A PROGRAM EIR FOR THE 2006 LONG - RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN" 2006 Long -Range Transportation PIan.00TA.CC Staff Report 5 f q ,, s --%..' E SEA( 5 ii, :• �� ; ., r r . � ppRFORgr FC' i - ' `,."- ' — -, ' -' , 1 : " , -•:' ' , - ' 7, -'-- „. -"- , -- '* ,, )* A - ,., C &t ♦ J 2 o a � P ; _ x � C]TY HALL ;2I 1 EIGHTH STREET;, w . SI-AL BEACH, CALIFORNIA — 0740 ,Y - _ _ (562)'_431 2527,.�_w4��.oiaeal beacli.casu F Y� Ik 3 '4'�;t 7tacS ' 'Y r Z .. . u� j! k r f ,,,41 t _ .rn,t '" •,_; # ••-",,--: : , F n�_ r. �� ,.., ``, , , - . i - -- April 25, 2005 Orange County Transportation Authority Attn: Mr. Glen Campbell, Senior Transportation Analyst P. O. Box 14184 Orange, CA 92683 -1584 Dear Mr. Campbell: SUBJECT: CITY OF SEAL BEACH COMMENTS RE: NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF DRAFT PROGRAM EIR — 2006 LONG -RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN The City of Seal Beach has reviewed the above referenced Notice of Preparation (NOP) and has several general comments and observations relative to the contents of the Draft Program EIR for the 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan document, which are set forth below. The City of Seal Beach has funding approval through Measure M, the Growth Management Areas (GMAs), the County of Orange Master Plan of Arterial Highways, and other funding sources for a bridge - widening project at Seal Beach Boulevard. The City of Seal Beach continues to be concerned about coordination issues relating to the bridge widening project and the impacts of the various transportation project alternatives being considered by OCTA and Caltrans in relation to this portion of the project area. The City requests early consultation between our staff and OCTA staff to resolve issues of concern relative to this project. The City takes this opportunity to again go on record as being extremely concemed about any right -of -way acquisition that would impact the College Park East neighborhood, north of the I -405 freeway between Seal Beach Boulevard and Valley View Street. This neighborhood is located immediately adjacent to the I-405 Freeway right -of -way, and any further encroachment into this residential neighborhood would be extremely detrimental to the neighborhood and to the City of Seal Beach. This issue was extensively discussed between OCTA and the City during the consideration of the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement re: "State Route 22/West Orange County Connection" during 2001 and 2002. Z:\My Documents \CEQA\2006 Long Range Transportation Plan.City Comment Letter.doc\LW\04 -25 -05 City of Seal Beach Comment Letter re: Notice of Preparation of Draft Program EIR — 2006 Long Range Transportation Plan April 25, 2005 Further, the City is aware of the ongoing I -405 Major Investment Study ( "MIS ") and requests that project alternatives identified within the MIS study be adequately evaluated within the DPEIR as part of the various alternatives being evaluated within the DPEIR. OCTA should be conducting early consultation meetings with the California Department of Transportation and the Southern California Association of Governments, and other appropriate transportation planning entities, to ascertain any long -range transportation planning projects that those agencies are contemplating, such as the "Goods Movements Study" to allow for a thorough evaluation of cumulative and growth - inducing impacts within the DPEIR document. Also, potential high speed rail projects that are proposed within Orange County need to be considered and evaluated within the DPEIR document. During the public comment period on the Draft EIR, our City will provide comments and concerns as determined appropriate. Again, our primary concerns would be related to potential adverse aesthetic, air quality, noise, localized traffic, hydrology /water quality, cumulative, and growth inducing impacts to the City of Seal Beach and its residents. The City Council considered and discussed the NOP on April 25, 2005, 2003 and authorized the Mayor to sign this letter, representing the official comments of the City of Seal Beach. 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 (562) 431 -2527, extension 313 if you have any questions regarding this matter. In addition, please provide four (4) copies of the Draft EIR on this project to Mr. Whittenberg, so the City can have a copy available at City Hall and at each library within the City available for public review during the public comment period. The City would also request a PDF formatted -copy of the DEIR, including all technical appendices, be forwarded to Mr. Whittenberg at the time of distribution so that it might be posted on our web page for interested citizen's to view and prepare any comments they may wish to forward to OCTA on this project during the public comment period. Sincerely, 7q-)0 Paul Yost Mayor, City of Seal Beach Distribution: Seal Beach City Council Seal Beach Planning Commission Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board City Manager Director of Development Services Director of Public Works /City Engineer 2006 Long Range Transportation PIan.City Comment Letter 2 City Comment Letter re: Notice of Preparation — Draft Program EIR for 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan Prepared by Orange County Transportation Authority City Council Staff Report April 25, 2005 ATTACHMENT 2 "NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A PROGRAM EIR FOR THE 2006 LONG - RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN ", ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, APRIL 6, 2005 9 2006 Long -Range Transportation PIan.00TA.CC Staff Report FILE COPY OCTA City of Seal Beach APR - 7 2005 BOARD OF DIRECTORS April 6, 2005 Development Svcs. Bill Campbell Chairman Arthur C. Brown To: Interested Agencies and Individuals Vice - Chairman Marilyn C. Brewer Subject: Notice of Preparation of a Program Environmental Impact Report for the Director 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Carolyn Cavecche Director Lou Correa The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is preparing a Program Director Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the above - referenced project. OCTA, as the Richard T. Dixon Lead Agency, is soliciting your views, or the views of your agency, as to the scope and Director content of the environmental information that should be addressed in the PEIR. The Michael Duvall project description is contained in the attached material. Director Cathy Green Three public scoping meetings will be held during the scoping period beginning with Director this Notice of Preparation (NOP). These meetings will be held April 21, 2005, at the Gary Monahan Fullerton Public Library from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; April 27, 2005, at Mission Viejo Director City Hall, Saddleback Room from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and April 28, 2005, at the Chris Norby OCTA Administrative Offices in Orange from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Public input will be Director' taken at these meetings. In addition, public input can be provided in writing at the Curt Pringle meetings or can be sent via letter or e-mail. Director Miguel A. Pulido Due to the time table mandated by State law, your response should be sent at the Director • earliest possible date, but must be received by OCTA no later than 30 days after the SusanRitsche.' date of this notice (May 9, 2005). Comments on the Notice of Preparation must be Director submitted in writing by regular mail, fax or e-mail to: Mark Rosen Director Glen Campbell, Senior Transportation Analyst James W. Silva Orange County Transportation Authority Director 550 South Main Street Thomas W. Wilson P.O. Box 14184 Director Orange, CA 92863 -1584 Gregory T..Winterbottom Fax: (714) 560 -5794 Director e -mail: gcampbell • octa.net Cindy Ouon Governor's Ex- Officio Member Sincerely, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE Artnur T. Leahy • Chief Executive Officer Kia Mortazavi, Director of Strategic Planning, OCTA Attachment: Notice of Preparation Orange County Transportation Authority 55(: ,.wutr, Mai . Street / Q _. Ex:: 14164 / Orange / calirornia 92863 -1584 / (714) 560 -OCTA (6282) NOTICE OF PREPARATION APRIL 2005 PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2006 OCTA LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN 2006 ORANGE COUNTY LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN NOTICE OF PREPARATION PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT SUMMARY The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) will be preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code § 21000 et. seq.) and Section 15168 of the CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15000 et. seq). The PEIR will evaluate the potentially significant environmental effects of OCTA's 2006 Long -Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for the Orange County region. Under the requirements of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines, OCTA is the Lead Agency for environmental review and must evaluate the environmental effects of the LRTP. The PEIR will also include an analysis of alternatives to the LRTP, including the No Project Alternative. This Notice of Preparation (NOP) is being circulated pursuant to California Public Resources Code Section 21153(a) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15082. Public agencies and the public are invited to comment on the proposed scope and content of the environmental information to be included in the PEIR. Due to time limits mandated by State law, your comments must be sent at the earliest possible date but not later than 30 days after receipt of this notice. All comments should be submitted in written form and be directed to OCTA no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 9, 2005. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The project area for the proposed 2006 LRTP is all of Orange County, California (Figure 1). Orange County consists of approximately 798 square miles encompassing 34 cities and unincorporated areas with a total population of 3,094,461. It is the second - largest county within California and is the fifth - largest county within the United States.' Population growth within Orange County is expected to rise by approximately 15 percent between 2005 and 2030, from 3,094,461 to 3,552.742 million people? This increase in population will result in new vehicular and transit trips and will place additional demands on existing roadways, transit and rail facilities within Orange County. Existing transportation facilities within Orange County consist of freeways, tollways, highways, local arterials, bus transit, commuter rail, and on- and off -road bicycle facilities. Existing freeways and highways within Orange County include Interstates 5, 405, and 605, and State Routes (SR) 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), 22 (Garden Grove Freeway), 39 (Beach Boulevard), 55 (Costa Mesa Freeway), 57 (Orange Freeway), 74 (Ortega Highway), 90 (Imperial Highway), 91 (Riverside Freeway), and 133 (Laguna Canyon Road). Three tollways are located within the County: SR -73 (San Joaquin Hills Tollway), SR -241 (Foothill Tollway), and SR -261 (Eastern Tollway). Orange County Community Indicators Project, Orange County 2005 Community Indicators, Orange County, California. 2 Ibid. P: \OCT331\LRTP NOPScoping Task Order\Revised NOP.doc 004/05/05» • _! so ` San Bernardino County ® Los Angeles County 0 al ___ ___...i. • ,� al i Rive u • to ss Orange • 4 k u a �2 \ L r' t O iL=:-: tt z`. -�., , ® 4, County ay . 4 , i? e i l5y ..4i'L , : v ' Q s ^ Ea.' gy ,, •` p :rd j . a. rir q' .. ; •, % r .( _.'. A - -- : •;w •�1' y '. %.. o , . 10b"^ ` "o 5 —: ^''«e".tre,a:4 • , m 'r,:vivar:.fi ' '= sty,` I / z'4- :,-;.:::.•;a !fi• : '= 1. �y� r ..Y 'r't,. 'S• {: > ' r c: � y, i - ''..q:�. .. � � t .'s 'sw �a A y1 ' =S=^ ,r 6^� = 4 :' {.. i • I s,� '.:•4t irk,-1 \ t A A.t4 nt +�r'!o&{i-• ', 7 tv v; , f w . -= r•zk,,. t .-\ _ ,7 } '�'a" M.- .[gyp ^ S.� �_ -_ "'' t' y k • ,,,,,, it-,=7ti — . dt U:Z; •', , i . 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"'%1,' ro. :s . i.`' . �, a'd i Y; r i u , ,. �'-r' :..... .t.•.,. i ^ :r'S, , +{ :;'.s �' •: X9 '+ , z.,$_ `, c „?I'h`' ;_ ..n,,�r, : n'c. ,. ; - ^i ' �. , }t '•' a• , „eu •.'`•',0, 1 •e :.:N sMx _ c L y '2~ = :,,,;.. _ w : .[ _ . . � . t:'1 • ',IV ` , .LQ, Y W •;g : j!a 7 V 1,, . "�:F. _ �Tity tC i , - a!\,'Y:i Y ., . . • 'Sh. . '-- •+'ri. C ;T • - e ., �^• . i} ;:e. . ..., :t : � r};� fas-a ', ',�-: ?,°�xi, 's'�'=, pp 7 r:- t �'..:. ! � �.. i^ :�'� " e:‘ . '; r.'� C i . = t \i i _ p,. •; :1. Tn`4... �.: �:lY: ..:,k . � �l.j : :k'�'` , . . �s�k iz".. +�'�a.. -�?'.a ....�+.`t` . � s• :: r• ^:.'ss.�:! =`. `"e:_taaL••• = ; .,ir9' rI LEGEND FIGURE 1 OCTA • 1 Project Location 11 • a—.—. - - - -- Proposed Extension - N 200 0 CTA Long Range Transportation Plan Pro Location MILES 1: \OCT331 \G\ .ocatioo.cdr (4/4/05) • NOTICE OF PREPARATION APRIL 2005 PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2006 OCTA LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN The arterial street system is comprised of 1,456 miles of streets throughout the County. Of these, approximately 95 miles are also part of the State highway system. OCTA is Orange County's primary provider of public transportation. OCTA provides local, rail feeder, express, and paratransit services. OCTA provides fixed route, express, and rail connector bus services throughout Orange County with a fleet of over 800 vehicles, ranging in size from 60 -foot articulated buses used on high- density corridors in central Orange County to 25 -foot mini -buses used for lightly traveled routes. Annually, the fixed route bus fleet carries nearly 69 million passengers and travels over 23 million miles. Metrolink is the regional rail system serving the County and includes commuter and other passenger services. There are currently 40 Metrolink trains operating on three routes in the County serving 13 Metrolink stations and 87.2 miles of routes. In 2002, there were approximately 905 existing miles of designated bicycle paths, lanes, and routes, with an additional 712 miles proposed to be built in the future. These bikeways provide an alternative mode of transportation for commuters as well as a recreational resource for residents of Orange County. PROJECT DESCRIPTION OCTA is preparing the 2006 LRTP. The LRTP, which is updated every three years, provides a visionary blueprint for transportation improvements in Orange County and includes recommendations from local jurisdictions, business and community leaders, county residents, and transportation planning professionals. The LRTP is a multimodal strategy that includes freeway, arterial, transit, and non - motorized improvements to Orange County's transportation network. The horizon year for the LRTP is 2030. The Proposed Project (2006 LRTP: Balanced with Additional Local Resources) includes significant transportation improvements that would partially address future congestion and mobility needs, but would require supplemental local funding, such as a continuation of Orange County's transportation sales tax beyond its current expiration in 2011, in addition to the traditional annual revenues from State and federal transportation funding. The Proposed Project could include several subalternatives to assess strategies with an emphasis on highway, street or transit improvements. Types of highway projects that may be considered include making the existing system work better by eliminating major freeway chokepoints, as well as adding new facilities. Street projects could include advanced signal systems to improve continuous traffic flow as well as completing major portions of the street system to planned levels. Transit programs could include expansion of Metrolink commuter rail service, Bus Rapid Transit, and express bus service on freeways. Input from the public during the public scoping process will be used to help identify and refine specific projects included within the Proposed Project. In addition, a minimum of three alternatives to the Proposed Project will be evaluated as part of the PEIR consistent with Section 15126.6 of the CEQA Guidelines. Three alternatives are described in Table A and will be refined during preparation of the PEIR in response to input from public agencies, interest groups, and the general public. P: \OCP331\LRTP NOPScoping Task Order\Revised NOP.doc «04/05/05» 3 NOTICE OF PREPARATION APRIL 2005 PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2006 OCTA LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN Table A: 2006 OCTA LRTP Project and Alternatives Alternatives Description Alternative 1: No This alternative consists of the existing transportation system in Project/Baseline Orange County, plus projects that have approved funding or are environmentally cleared. The majority of the additional projects would consist of local street and road projects. Only minor operational improvements would be included for the freeway system. Alternative 2: Constrained The Constrained Alternative assumes the continuation of current to Existing State and annual levels of State and federal transportation funding and Federal Resources Only includes moderate levels of highway, street, and transit improvements. Types of projects that may be considered include making the existing system work better by fixing some freeway chokepoints, improving signal coordination on arterial streets, and improving transit services by adding express bus service on freeways and providing more frequent local bus service. However, due to limited financial resources, major transportation projects to address congestion and future mobility needs will not be considered to a significant degree in this alternative. Input from the public during the public scoping process will be used to help identify and refine specific projects. Alternative 3: This alternative will include all projects needed to fully address Unconstrained Resources future demand and congestion. However, the scope of these projects is beyond existing or foreseeable funding levels. It could include major reconstruction of freeways as well as future transit guideway systems. RESPONSIBLE AND TRUSTEE AGENCIES Under Sections 15050 and 15367 of the CEQA Guidelines, OCTA is the designated Lead Agency and has principal authority and jurisdiction over approval of the LRTP. Responsible agencies are those agencies that have jurisdiction or authority over one or more aspects associated with the development of a proposed project. Trustee agencies are State agencies having jurisdiction by law over natural resources affected by a proposed project that are held in trust for the people of the State of California. The potential responsible and trustee agencies applicable to the proposed project that have been identified at this point in time and the required permits, approvals, or their associated responsibilities are identified in Table B below. P: \0CT331\LRTP NOPScoping Task Order\Revised NOP.doc «04/05/05» 4 NOTICE OF PREPARATION APRIL 2005 PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2006 OCTA LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN Table B: Potential Responsible and Trustee Agencies Agency Potential Permit/Approval /Responsibility /Trust California Department of Modifications to interstate and State highway route designations Transportation Transportation Corridor Modifications to tollway system • Agencies Southern California Regional Modifications to the commuter rail system Rail Authority Cities and County of Orange Modifications to local arterials South Coast Air Quality Conformance with local Air Quality Management Plan Management District Southern California Association Conformance with the Regional Transportation Plan of Governments California Air Resources Board Conformance with State Implementation Plan ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS OCTA has determined that a PEIR is the appropriate CEQA document for the 2006 LRTP. This PEIR will address potential environmental impacts associated with implementation of the LRTP according to CEQA as amended (Public Resources Code, Section 21000 et seq.), the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Section 15000 et seq.), and other appropriate State and local regulations. The OCTA Board of Directors will be responsible for reviewing and certifying the PEIR prior to taking action on the proposed 2006 LRTP. The PEIR is being prepared to: (1) identify the potential project - related environmental impacts determined to be significant or potentially significant; (2) identify the project related environmental effects that are not significant; (3) indicate the manner in which those significant effects can be mitigated or avoided; (4) identify alternatives to the project; and (5) provide technical analysis and discussion supporting these determinations. Notice of Preparation (NOP) This NOP will be submitted to the State Clearinghouse, Responsible Agencies, and Trustee Agencies that may have jurisdiction over some aspect of the proposed project, and other interested parties that have specifically requested a copy of the NOP. Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) After the 30 -day review period for the NOP is complete and all comments are received, the PEIR will be prepared in accordance with CEQA, as amended, and the CEQA Guidelines. P: \OCT33I\LRTP NOPScoping Task Order\Revised NOP.doc «04/05/05» 5 NOTICE OF PREPARATION APRIL 2005 PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2006 OCTA LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN The PEIR will examine the proposed project in the context of applicable plans, policies, and regulations of OCTA, responsible agencies, and trustee agencies. Analyses will be conducted in order to ascertain the proposed project's effects on the environment and the relative degree of impact prior to implementation of mitigation measures. Where impacts are determined to be significant, program - level mitigation measures will be prescribed with the purpose of eliminating or reducing those impacts to the. extent feasible. Topics to be analyzed in the PEIR include but are not necessarily limited to the following: agricultural resources, hazards/hazardous materials, mineral resources, population/housing, public services, recreation, utilities and service systems, land use /planning, socioeconomics /environmental justice, aesthetics, transportation /traffic, air quality, noise, energy, geology /soils, hydrology /water resources, biological resources, cultural resources, cumulative impacts, and growth- inducement. Responses received regarding this Notice of Preparation may modify or add to the preliminary assessment of potential issues listed above. Once the Draft PEIR is completed, it will be made available for public review and comment. Copies of the Draft PEIR will be sent directly to those agencies commenting on the NOP. SCOPING MEETINGS OCTA will be conducting three public scoping meetings to describe the 2006 LRTP and solicit public input on the potential environmental effects of the proposed LRTP. The scoping meetings will be held April 21, 2005, at the Fullerton Public Library from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; April 27, 2005, at Mission Viejo City Hall, Saddleback Room from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and April 28, 2005, at the OCTA Administrative Offices in Orange from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.. DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF COMMENTS Public agencies and the public are invited to comment on the proposed scope and content of the environmental information to be included in the PEIR. A 30 -day comment period is provided to return written comments to the OCTA. All comments must be submitted in written form and be directed to OCTA at the following address by 5:00 p.m. on May 9, 2005: Mr. Glen Campbell Senior Transportation Analyst Orange County Transportation Authority P.O. Box 14184 Orange, CA 92863 -1584 (714) 560 -5712 (telephone) (714) 560 -5794 (fax) gcampbell@octa.net (e -mail) P: \OCT33I\LRTP NOPScoping Task Order\Revised NOP.doc «04 /05/05» 6