Section 4.11 Recreation

Transcription

1 Section. Recreation 0.. Introduction This section analyzes existing recreational uses within Valley and recreational facilities in the general vicinity of the proposed Project, as well as nearby canine facilities and services. This section analyzes adverse and beneficial impacts on recreational resources, identifies mitigation measures to reduce impacts, and determines residual impacts and cumulative effects upon recreational resources. The information in this section is based on the County General Plan, its Final EIR, and the Valley Master Plan. This section also reflects information developed during field reconnaissance by Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. (Amec Foster Wheeler) staff, information from the County Parks Department, the Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District (MPRPD), the State Parks Department, and other local parks and recreation agencies Environmental Setting... Regional Overview The County is home to a wide array of dedicated recreational and open space resources, including natural and public resources, recreational facilities, and open spaces, including beaches, undeveloped coastal dunes, wetlands, dramatic rocky shoreline, redwood forest areas, and coastal peaks. Almost percent of the County s land area is devoted to parks and recreation facilities operated by various governmental agencies (State Parks, National Parks, National Forests, Federal Bureau of Land Management, and Local Park Agencies/Districts). The County parks system makes up about 0 of the County s total park acreage (Monterey County 0). These areas consist of the northern portion of the Los Padres Forest, the Ventana Wilderness, Pinnacles National Park, Elkhorn Reserve, 0 State Parks, several parks managed by the MPRPD, nine Monterey County Parks, and two County Lakes (MCPBID 00).... Local Recreation Resources The Project site is located within Valley, an unincorporated area of Monterey County, adjacent to the River. Within the Valley is Valley Road, a proposed County-designated scenic route, that provides residents and visitors access to active and passive recreational opportunities (Monterey County 0). There are public or quasi-public recreational resources, including golf courses, within the vicinity of the Project site (Table.-). These recreational resources include beaches, active parks, and passive open.- April 0

2 Section.. Recreation Table.-. Local Open Spaces and Public Recreation Resources # Recreation Facility Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club Rancho Canada Golf Club Private Or Public Distance from Project (miles) Golf Course 0. Jacks Peak County Park ^ Monterey County Park Palo Corona Regional Park Point Lobos Ranch Activities Golf, swimming, lodging, and events Golf Course. Golf, rentals, and events. MPRPD. Hiking CA State Park. Valley Ranch Golf Course. Garland Ranch Regional Park ^ Mission Trail Park ^ River State Beach * 0 Beach City Park ^ Garrapata State Park * Devendorf Park * Picadilly Park * Forest Hills Park * First Murphy Park * MPRPD. CA State Beach CA State Park. miles of forested hiking and horseback riding trails, pack animals, nature study, photography, and picnics Variety of hiking trails, docent led hikes, wildlife and bird watching and picnic areas and photography Horse rides, organic gardens and bee keeping, hiking, tennis, golf Access to the River, Carzas Creek, a redwood canyon, and waterfall. Mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, and areas for off leash dog recreation. Hiking and dog walking.0.. Beach going, bird watching and scuba diving Services include public beach allowing dogs off leash, with scenic viewing areas Two miles of beachfront and, acres of coastal wilderness and trails. Lawn, events, and picnics... Drought tolerant and rare plant garden Playground, shuffleboard court, horseshoes, sand-volleyball court, BBQ, and picnic tables Native plant garden, benches, walking paths, and historic Murphy House (0) Notes:. = Approximate distance, * = Dogs permitted ON leash, ^ = Dogs permitted OFF leash with restrictions Sources: Monterey County Parks Department, Dog Park 0; Monterey Peninsula Recreation and Parks District (MPRPD) 0; Monterey, Recreation Department 0..- April 0

3 Section.. Recreation 0 0 spaces managed and maintained by various entities, including the State Parks Department, County of Monterey,, and the MPRPD. Of these, six allow dogs on the premises with some restrictions, four are golf courses, three do not permit dogs, and the other three are small community gardens (Table.-).... Local Dog Sport and Training Recreation Resources A range of local facilities provide canine-focused recreation and dog training services. Five canine training, boarding, and activity facilities are located within seven miles of the Project location. These facilities provide specific training programs focused on obedience with some indoor agility trainings, as well as daycare and overnight boarding services. The Del Monte Kennel Club, located within seven miles of the Project site, temporarily uses local venues, such as school fields, for canine breed competition activities. No known facilities in the Project vicinity provide outdoor dog herding activities or established competition arenas, as proposed by the Project.... Project Site The Project is proposed on. acres of residential land used as open agricultural fields adjacent to the River. While the site is privately-owned, approximately acres south of the existing fence comprise the riparian area of the River, which provides informal recreational value (Figure --). No formal public trails are located within the Project site; however, restoration efforts by the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) Valley Hills Restoration Project, which began in, have created of two informal access trails to and along the River from the nearby the Project site (MPWMD 00). The Project site has unrestricted access to the ruderal area and riparian corridor, which is particularly noticeable during spring and summer months when the river attracts numerous recreational visitors (Nedeff 0). During these months, visitors primarily utilize the riparian corridor to access swimming holes located within the River near the Project site. 0.. Regulatory Setting The proposed Project would be subject to the following goals, policies, and regulations.... Federal There are no federal regulations, authorities, or administering agencies that regulate public access or recreation that are specifically applicable to recreational resources within the proposed Project site. Restrictions include: dogs must be on a -foot leash, or, may be off-leash but under voice control and/or within visual sight..- April 0

4 DEL MONTE FOREST CARMEL Aguajito Road Valley Road Car m el River PROJECT SITE Robinson Canyon Road Cañada de la Segunda Chamisal Pass Road Ra n cho San Carlo s 0 LEGEND Project Site # Park dogs permitted # Other Recreational Facility no dogs permitted or undisclosed policy SCALE IN FEET N 0,000 Saddle Road Quail Meadows Drive Local Public Recreational Resources Note: Facility numbers correspond to those presented in Table.-. FIGURE.- Red Wolf Drive.-

5 Section.. Recreation State There are no state regulations, authorities, or administering agencies that regulate public access or recreation that are specifically applicable to recreational resources within the proposed Project site.... Local Recreational resources in the County are managed through the General Plan, including the Land Use Element and Public Services Element. The Land Use Element designates recreational land uses, including open space, recreation, and public/quasi-public uses. The Public Services Element addresses countywide critical infrastructure and service issues, including parks. Within the County, the Valley Master Plan further addresses specific recreational and park uses in Valley. Monterey County General Plan Land Use Element: The Land Use Element guides land use and development County-wide. For recreational land uses, this Element provides specific guidelines for location and use of recreational facilities and public open spaces. The following goal and policies apply to public open space and recreation in rural areas: Goal LU-: Encourage the provision of open space lands as part of all types of development, including residential, commercial, industrial, and public. Policy LU-.: The open space needs of the community and new development shall be reviewed and addressed through the planning process. The extent of use of land for this designation shall be limited to building coverage of %of the subject property. Policy LU-.: The development of regional recreation areas and uses within Rural Residential Lands that neither substantially increases the infrastructure and public service cost for local area residents, nor substantially reduces their level of service may be allowed. Public Services Element: The Public Services Element defines public infrastructure and services in the County, including public parks and open spaces. The Public Services Element provides goals, policies, and programs to maintain and develop public services to meet the needs of the County. The following goal and policies apply to public open space and recreation in rural areas: Goal PS-: Maintain and enhance the County s parks and trails system in order to provide recreational opportunities, preserve natural scenic resources and significant wildlife habitats, and provide good stewardship of open space resources. Policy PS-.: The County shall encourage full utilization of park and recreation facilities owned and/or operated by other agencies..- April 0

6 Section.. Recreation 0 Valley Master Plan The following policies apply to public open space and recreation in Valley: Policy CV-.: Facilities classified as either Public/Quasi-Public or Special Use (such as schools, churches, hospitals, convalescent homes, rehabilitation centers, hospice facilities, emergency facilities, and public facilities such as community halls) may be considered in any land use category provided that they meet the following criteria: a. Low visibility. b. Safe and unobtrusive access away from pedestrian traffic areas. c. Low noise impact on surrounding uses. d. Development should follow a rural architectural theme with design review. e. Conform to all other Plan requirements. Policy CV-.: As development of bike paths and a coordinated, area-wide trails system are essential for circulation, safety, and recreation in the Valley Planning Area, dedication of trail easements may be required as a condition of development approval, notwithstanding Policy OS-.0(b) Environmental Impact Analysis... Thresholds of Significance CEQA Guidelines With respect to land use and planning, applicable sections of Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines state that a project would normally have a significant impact to recreation if it would: Increase the use of existing neighborhood and regional parks or other recreational facilities such that substantial physical deterioration of the facility would occur or be accelerated; or, Include recreational facilities or require the construction or expansion of recreational facilities which might have an adverse physical effect on the environment.... Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures This section discusses the impacts to recreation from the proposed Project. Impact REC-. Operation of recreational components of the Project would have adverse physical effects on the environment (Less than significant with mitigation, Class II).- April 0

7 Section.. Recreation The proposed Project is a temporary members-only development that modifies an agricultural field to provide for a canine training and event facility. The Project would include accessible agricultural areas, livestock pens, Member Training Areas, modular buildings for member services, parking, and a system of paths within the Project site that also provide access to the River. Daily, non-event use of the CCSC facility is anticipated to reach up to 0 percent membership use a day, with 00 total anticipated members, the total number of owner/dog visits would be up to 00 owners/dogs a day. While daily use of the CCSC, located within what is currently disturbed fallow agricultural lands, is not expected to degrade recreational resources or the environment, the Project would allow members of the CCSC facility to walk in the River riparian corridor and visit the active channel of the River in the.-acre terrace floodplain area on the north bank of the river. As described in Section..., Natural Areas and Proposed Use, a maintained trail and picnic table would result in an increase in usage of this area. Increased visitation and recreation within the River riparian corridor could degrade the recreational value of the waterway, as well as its biological resource value (see Impact BIO-). However, access to this area would be provided by reservation only and could be limited by river conditions and/or agency activities, as determined on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, no access to any portion of the CCSC lands outside the locked food safety fence would be granted during CCSC events to event participants or their guests. In addition, this potential impact would be mitigated through use of a biological buffer and restriction plan as described in MM BIO-a through MM BIO-c. Within the Member Training Areas of the Project site,. acres of land historically utilized for agricultural production would be converted to support recreational aspects and operation of the CCSC; however, impacts to agriculture would temporary during the 0 year life of the Project. Consequently, impacts from construction and operation of the Project would have adverse effects on biological water and agricultural resources, however because all of these impacts are avoidable through use of proposed mitigation measures, the development of recreation facilities at this site would be less than significant with mitigation. Mitigation Measures Project implementation of MM BIO-a through MM BIO-c would sufficiently reduce potential impacts associated with increased recreational use of sensitive habitats along the River. With implementation of these measures, impacts related to recreation resources would be reduced to less than significant. Impact REC-. The proposed Project would provide an additional quasi-public recreation resource, thereby creating a beneficial effect on recreational resource availability and diversity (Beneficial, Class IV)..- April 0

8 Section.. Recreation The proposed Project would create a new and temporary canine recreation facility that would serve up to an estimated 00 members, and numerous non-members who could participate in canine training courses. The facility would also provide for approximately days of special event over the course of eight weekends, which would accommodate up to up to 0 people, including vendors, caterers, and event staff, in addition to 00 dogs at any given time. Amenities needed by guests would be available onsite in the modular clubhouse, office, and restroom, or provided by temporary vendors. All required parking would be accommodated within the site. The proposed Project also provides. miles of permeable pathways on the site, and provides formal access to the existing trails in the riparian corridor, as well as providing four picnic tables for member recreational use. Within the vicinity of the proposed Project, there are 0 public recreation areas that permit dogs on a leash. Of these, three are small city squares in the with small amounts of recreation space (Figure.-). The proposed Project would provide a recreational resource for dog owners to train and exercise their dogs in an enclosed outdoor facility not otherwise available within the County. Though access to the CCSC would be restricted to dues paying members only, the CCSC would provide a quasi-public resource and recreation space for the nearby residents of and Valley, and more broadly, Monterey County. The Project would provide a unique recreation opportunity in the County and expand the availability of active recreation and the number of available recreational trails within the Valley and regional vicinity. Therefore, the Project would provide a beneficial recreational impact. Mitigation Measures No mitigation measures required.... Cumulative Impacts The Project would also contribute, in combination with other Projects in the Valley, to increased recreational use and associated degradation along the River. As the River is an important riparian area and often associated with recreational activities, these impacts would potentially be adverse. However, the Project proposes no construction or nighttime features within the River area and access to this area would be provided by reservation only and could be limited by river conditions and/or agency activities, as determined on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, cumulative impacts to the River and its use as a recreational resource would be less than significant. This is the worst case scenario, as most dog related events, particularly competitions, generally have staggered arrival and departure times.- April 0

9 Section.. Recreation... Residual Impacts Implementation of listed mitigation measures, including MM BIO-a through c would reduce the level of impacts related to recreational resources to levels that are less than significant..- April 0