Approval of License Agreement with Oscar G. De Leon for the Mead Valley Community Center Farmer’s Market, Mead Valley
Summary
SCH Number
2025081372
Public Agency
Riverside County
Document Title
Approval of License Agreement with Oscar G. De Leon for the Mead Valley Community Center Farmer’s Market, Mead Valley
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/29/2025
Document Description
The Mead Valley unincorporated area of the County of Riverside is known as a close-knit rural community of both residents and businesses. The focal meeting point of the community is the Charles G. Meigs, Sr. Mead Valley Community Center (Community Center) and there has been a recognized need for a Certified Farmer’s Market to
serve this local community.
The County’s (Licensor) goal is to organize and recruit a trusted farmer’s market operator to duplicate the success of other local farmer’s markets in the downtown Riverside and Moreno Valley areas. This new Mead Valley Farmer’s Market
(Farmer’s Market) will be certified by the County Agricultural Commissioner and feature nutrition incentive programs such as Woman’s, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Farmer’s
Market will also partner with The Blue Zones Project to help measure healthy outcomes based on data collection between the Farmer’s Market and consumers.
The selected site for what is envisioned as the Mead Valley Farmer’s Market will be located in the parking lot of the Community Center at 21091 Rider Street in Mead Valley. The hours of operation will be weekly on Sundays from 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., which also includes two extra hours each on the start and end times for setup and tear down. The selected operator, Oscar G. De Leon (Licensee), is a known and successful operator of farmer’s markets throughout the region and will enter into a license agreement with the County for a three (3) year initial term.
The County, through its strategic partnerships with The Blue Zone Project, SNAP, WIC, and Mr. De Leon, endeavors to create a regional gathering place where small businesses, farmers, and healthy living are all promoted. The License Agreement with the Licensee for operation of a weekly farmer’s market is identified as the proposed project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The operation of the site will result in the continued use of an existing facility. The Project will not result in a substantial increase in capacity or the intensity of the use. No additional direct or
indirect physical environmental impacts are anticipated.
Contact Information
Name
Mike Sullivan
Agency Name
County of Riverside Facilities Management
Job Title
Facilities Operations Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
unincorporated Mead Valley area of Riverside County
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Southern California
Cross Streets
21091 Rider Street, west of Lee Road, Mead Valley
Parcel #
255-080-041
Other Location Info
21091 Rider Street, west of Lee Road, Mead Valley, California, Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APN):
255-080-041
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15301
Reasons for Exemption
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 License Agreement, permitting use of a farmer’s market at an existing facility.
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, as proposed, is limited to the continued use of the existing community center in Mead Valley as a Farmer’s Market. The project would not substantially increase or expand the use of the sites; and is limited to providing an operator to run the farmer’s
market on Sundays, which will result in the continued use of the site in a similar capacity; therefore, the project is exempt as the project meets the scope and intent of the Class 1 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.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
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 License Agreement, permitting use of a farmer’s market at an existing facility.
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 Agreement is limited to an License Agreement for use of an existing facility which will not expand or increase the capacity or intensity of use of the site. The use and operation of the facility as a farmer’s market on Sundays will be substantially similar to the existing use and will not create any new environmental impacts to the surrounding area. No impacts beyond the ongoing, existing use of the sites would occur. Therefore, in no way, would the project as proposed have the potential to cause a significant environmental impact 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.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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