County of Riverside, Conveyance of Permanent and Temporary Construction Easements to the City of Riverside for the Third Street Grade Separation Project

2025080035

Riverside County

NOE - Notice of Exemption

8/1/2025

8/1/2025

Mike Sullivan

County of Riverside Facilities Management

Facilities Operations Manager

Lead/Public Agency

3450 14th Street
Riverside, CA 92501

(951) 955-4820

msullivan@rivco.org

211-021-003, 211-021-004, 211-021-005, 211-021-022 and 211-021-027

2580 Third Street, 2570 Third Street, 2544 Third Street, 2530 Third Street and 3315 Park Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507; Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) 211-021-003, 211-021-004, 211-021-005, 211-021-022 and 211-021-027

Categorical Exemption

15301

The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA specifically by the State CEQA Guidelines as identified below. The project will not result in any specific or general exceptions to the use of the categorical exemption as detailed under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2. The project will not cause an impact to an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern nor would the project involve unusual circumstances that could potentially have a significant effect on the environment. The project would not result in impacts to scenic highways, hazardous waste sites, historic resources, or other sensitive natural environments, or have a cumulative effect to the environment. No significant environmental impacts are anticipated to occur with the transfer of property to the City. This categorical exemption includes the operation, repair, maintenance, leasing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures or facilities, provided the exemption only involves negligible or no expansion of the previous site’s use. The project is limited to the transfer of property to facilitate completion of a previously approved project for the City. Environmental review and approval for the Third Street Grade Separation Project was completed by the City of Riverside Public Works in 2018 for CEQA and Caltrans in 2020 for the National Environmental Policy Act. No new effects would occur as a result of the transfer of property. Therefore, the project is exempt as it meets the scope and intent of the Categorical Exemption identified in Section 15301, Article 19, Categorical Exemptions of the CEQA Guidelines. Therefore, the County of Riverside Facilities Management hereby concludes that no physical environmental impacts are anticipated to occur and the project as proposed is exempt under CEQA. No further environmental analysis is warranted.

Other

15061(b)(3)

The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA specifically by the State CEQA Guidelines as identified below. The project will not result in any specific or general exceptions to the use of the categorical exemption as detailed under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2. The project will not cause an impact to an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern nor would the project involve unusual circumstances that could potentially have a significant effect on the environment. The project would not result in impacts to scenic highways, hazardous waste sites, historic resources, or other sensitive natural environments, or have a cumulative effect to the environment. No significant environmental impacts are anticipated to occur with the transfer of property to the City. In accordance with CEQA, the use of the Common Sense Exemption is based on the “general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.” State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b) (3). The use of this exemption is appropriate if “it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” Ibid. This determination is an issue of fact and if sufficient evidence exists in the record that the activity cannot have a significant effect on the environment, then the exemption applies and no further evaluation under CEQA is required. See No Oil, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles (1974) 13 Cal. 3d 68. The ruling in this case stated that if a project falls within a category exempt by administrative regulation or 'it can be seen with certainty that the activity in question will not have a significant effect on the environment', no further agency evaluation is required. With certainty, there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment. The proposed conveyance of property to the City will not result in any direct or indirect physical environmental impacts. The use and operation of the property will be substantially similar to the existing and previously approved planned use, and will not create any new environmental impacts to the surrounding area. No significant environmental impact would occur and the project is exempt from further CEQA analysis. Therefore, the County of Riverside Facilities Management hereby concludes that no physical environmental impacts are anticipated to occur and the project as proposed is exempt under CEQA. No further environmental analysis is warranted.