La-Z-Boy Design Review and Map (PLNG24-049)

2025100178

City of Elk Grove

NOE - Notice of Exemption

10/3/2025

10/3/2025

Kyra Killingsworth

City of Elk Grove

Senior Planner

Lead/Public Agency

8401 Laguna Palms Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758

(916) 478-3684

kkillingsworth@elkgrove.gov

Laura Kass

All Access Permits

Representative

Project Applicant

5716 Folsom Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95819

(916) 612-7604

kkillingsworth@elkgrove.gov

132-2150-007

Elk Grove, CA. Sacramento County

Other

Consistent With a Community Plan or Zoning [Section 15183(a)]

CEQA requires analysis of agency approvals of discretionary “projects.” A “project,” under CEQA, is defined as “the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment” (State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378). The proposed Project is a project under CEQA. No further environmental review is required under CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines 15162 (Subsequent EIRs and Negative Declarations). State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 (Subsequent EIRs and Negative Declarations) provides that when an EIR has been certified for an adopted project, no subsequent EIR shall be prepared for that project unless the lead agency determines, on the basis of substantial evidence in light of the whole record, that one or more of the following exists: 1. Substantial changes are proposed in the project which will require major revisions of the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; 2. Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertaken which will require major revisions of the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; or 3. New information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with exercise of reasonable diligence at the time of the previous EIR was certified as complete shows any of the following: a. The project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previous EIR; b. Significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the previous EIR; c. Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the project, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative; or d. Mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in the previous EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measures or alternative. Staff has reviewed the Project, and analyzed it based upon the above provisions in Section 15162 of the State CEQA Guidelines. The Project is being undertaken pursuant to and in conformity with the approved Laguna Ridge Specific Plan and Elk Grove General Plan as described below. In 2004, the City Council certified an EIR for the Laguna Ridge Specific Plan (LRSP, State Clearinghouse No. 2000082139). The LRSP EIR analyzed full buildout of LRSP based upon the land plan, development standards, and policies contained in the General Plan and LRSP, as well as the improvements identified in the accompanying infrastructure master plans. Staff reviewed the current state of the site and the development conditions of surrounding sites. There are existing auto uses to the east which pre-date the LRSP and are not included in its boundaries. There are vacant parcels to the west zoned Shopping Center (SC). There are vacant parcels to the south, also zoned SC, that were recently approved for medical offices consistent with the LRSP and SC zoning designation. There have been no substantive changes to the surrounding conditions or changes to the surrounding zoning designations that significantly alter the adopted LRSP land use plan or the analysis of the LRSP EIR. The Project is consistent with the land use and development density assumed in the LRSP and remains subject to the LRSP Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Program (MMRP); therefore, no new or more severe environmental impacts would result, and no additional CEQA document is required. Additionally, staff finds that no further environmental review is required under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 (Consistency with a General Plan, Community Plan, or Zoning). State CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 (Public Resources Code §21083.3), provides that projects which are consistent with the development density established by an existing Community Plan, General Plan, or Zoning for which an environmental impact report (EIR) has been certified “shall not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site.” In February 2019, an EIR was prepared and certified by the City Council as part of the Elk Grove General Plan (SCH# 2017062058). The Project is subject to the General Plan MMRP. The Project will result in a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.28 which is below the maximum FAR in the SC zone of 1.0. As the proposed uses are allowed and the proposed development intensity is below the maximum FAR, the proposed Project will be consistent with the General Plan. As the proposed Project includes allowed uses within the allowed density range, the proposed Project is consistent with the General Plan. The LRSP EIR relied on a Level of Service (LOS) metric for transportation impacts. While the proposed use is consistent with those assumed land uses adopted with the LRSP EIR, the General Plan, with its update in 2019, moved to Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as a measure of transportation impacts. To determine compliance with the General Plan EIR, VMT Analysis was prepared for the Project by Fehr & Peers dated April 18, 2025 (Attachment 3). According to the Analysis, VMT land use designation limits as well as the City limit for total VMT at buildout conditions would not be exceeded. Additionally, the Project shall comply with the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) for new non-residential development. The Applicant provided an Arborist Report that states 20 trees of local importance are located on site. The Applicant requests that 10 of the trees be removed due to poor health and site configuration that would meet minimum parking, access, and stormwater treatment requirements. The Project will be subject to the mitigation requirements for tree removal pursuant to EGMC Chapter 19.12. No potential new impacts related to the Project have been identified that would necessitate further environmental review beyond the impacts and issues already disclosed and analyzed in the LRSP and General Plan EIRs. No other special circumstances exist that would create a reasonable possibility that the Project will have a significant adverse effect on the environment. Therefore, the prior EIRs are sufficient to support the proposed action and pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15162 and 15183, no further environmental review is required.