De Anza College Physical Education Complex Renovation Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025120391
Public Agency
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Document Title
De Anza College Physical Education Complex Renovation Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/10/2025
Document Description
This project at De Anza College will renovate the existing Physical Education (PE) Complex to enhance student success by creating modern and code compliant learning environments for kinesiology and physical education programs. The renovation will cover approximately 76,354 gross square feet (GSF), including 1,100 assignable square feet (ASF) of lecture space, 54,360 ASF of PE space, and 3,711 ASF of office space. Renovations will include at minimum a seismic upgrade to all PE Complex buildings along with site improvements that support accessible paths of travel and utility upgrades. The project will not increase or decrease the student enrollment or campus occupant capacity. The project will replace or rehabilitate building systems that have reached the end of their service life. These systems include but are not limited to HVAC systems, water heaters, plumbing and condensate systems, fire protection and detection systems, electrical infrastructure, roofing, exterior wall systems, windows, doors, and elevators. Interior renovations will address restrooms, locker rooms, physical education classrooms including gymnasiums, adapted physical education classrooms, and office spaces. The project will also resolve code compliance and accessibility issues such as the absence of ADA compliant routes and facilities, inadequate locker room layouts, limited gender-neutral facilities, and undersized instructional and storage spaces.
Regulatory Compliance: To ensure compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, FHDA and its contractors will remove vegetation outside of the bird nesting season (February 1 to September 30) when feasible and/or retain a qualified biologist to conduct a preconstruction nesting survey if construction would begin during the nesting season. If this occurs, FHDA and its contractors will ensure that the survey occurs no sooner than 7 days prior to construction and upon the direction of the qualified biologist, construction activities proximate to any active nests are postponed until young have fledged. To ensure compliance with California Fish and Game Code Section 4150 regarding roosting or overwintering bats, FHDA and its contractors will schedule work outside the bat roosting period (generally from March through September) when feasible and/or retain a qualified biologist to conduct a preconstruction bat roosting survey of trees and buildings when site activity would begin during the roosting season. If this occurs, FHDA and its contractors will ensure that the survey occurs no more than 90 days and no less than 30 days prior to the commencement of activities within the project site. If trees or buildings with potential roosting habitat and/or bat sign are identified, the biologist will also conduct an evening visual emergence survey of the roosts from 0.5 hours before to 1-2 hours after sunset for a minimum of two nights, using full-spectrum acoustic detectors to assist in species identification. If evening surveys confirm the presence of an active bat maternity roost, that roost will remain undisturbed with a buffer as determined by the biologist until August 31 or until the biologist has determined that the roost is no longer active.
Contact Information
Name
Roseanne Sciacchitano
Agency Name
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Job Title
Director, Capital Construction Program
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Cupertino
Counties
Santa Clara
Regions
San Francisco Bay Area
Cross Streets
21250 Stevens Creek Blvd
Zip
95014
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15301 and 15314
Reasons for Exemption
This project consists of the renovation of the existing PE complex at De Anza College in the City of Cupertino. The project is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 – Existing Facilities (Class 1) and Section 15314 – Minor Additions to Schools (Class 14).
Existing Facilities (Class 1). Class 1 applies to the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, or topographical features involving negligible or no expansion of use. The project involves renovation and repair of the existing PE Complex at De Anza College, without expanding use of the facilities or increasing student capacity. Some of the project’s qualifying elements include: replacement/repair of roofing, siding, dry rot; HVAC and ventilation upgrades, ADA and code compliance improvements, interior renovations (classrooms, locker rooms, etc.); security and accessibility enhancements; modernization of existing facilities; and infrastructure upgrades (electrical, Wi-Fi, drainage, etc.). The renovated buildings will have the same purpose and capacity as the existing facilities. Minor Additions to Schools (Class 14). Class 14 consists of minor additions to existing schools within existing school grounds where the addition does not increase original student capacity by more than 25% or ten classrooms, whichever is less. The project will renovate an existing PE complex at an existing college. The project will not increase or decrease student enrollment or student capacity. No new classrooms are included in the project. Exceptions to Use of a Categorical Exemption: The project does not have the potential to trigger any of the exceptions identified in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 prohibiting the use of a categorical exemption. a. Location. Classes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located - a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may, in a particularly sensitive environment, be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply in all instances, except where the project may impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. This exception does not apply to the project because it does not apply to a Class 1 or Class 14 Exemption. However, it is noted that the Biological Resources Assessment Report (previously conducted for the De Anza Master Plan Project) demonstrates that the project site is not in a biologically sensitive environment and no critical biological resources have been mapped at or adjacent to the site (Dudek 2024a). Further, the site is not within an Alquist-Priolo earthquake zone or within a liquefaction zone (DOC 2025). b. Cumulative Impact. All exemptions for these classes are inapplicable when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, overtime is significant. FHDA regularly conducts maintenance and renovation projects throughout the De Anza College campus as anticipated under their Facilities Master Plan and Measure G Bond funding program. However, neither the Facilities Master Plan nor the Measure G program anticipate implementation of new construction or building renovation in the vicinity of the PE Complex. Further, the projects included in the Facilities Master Plan and Measure G would not substantially alter De Anza College’s site conditions or operational characteristics and thus would not result in significant cumulative impacts. The properties adjacent to De Anza College are designated by the City of Cupertino for light industrial, commercial, public facilities, and residential land uses. While the surrounding properties are predominantly already built out, there are several development and redevelopment projects proposed or planned adjacent to the campus, including three residential projects that include construction of townhomes and condominiums to the east, and residential and mixed-use projects to the north. However, the PE Complex Renovation project and the planned and proposed projects in the surrounding area are consistent with the existing land uses in the area and no significant cumulative impacts are expected to result. c. Significant Effect. A categorical exemption shall not be used for an activity where there is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. The project site is within an existing college campus that is relatively flat and has been developed since the mid-1960s (Dudek 2024b). The project site is not known to contain sensitive biological or cultural resources (Dudek 2024a and 2024b). There are no unusual circumstances or conditions that indicate the project could result in a significant environmental effect at the project site or in the surrounding area. The site could support nesting and migratory birds, and roosting or overwintering bats. However, these are common constraints for many projects throughout the State of California and do not represent an unusual circumstance. By implementing the Regulatory Compliance Actions included in the project description, FHDA and its contractors will ensure that construction activities: ? comply with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to ensure there is no disturbance to nesting birds, and ? comply with California Fish and Game Code to ensure there is no disturbance to roosting or overwintering bats. Thus, there are no unusual circumstances or conditions that indicate the project could result in a significant environmental effect at the project site or in the surrounding area. Furthermore, there is nothing unusual about the renovation design of the PE complex buildings relative to projects that meet the criteria for the Class 1 or Class 14 Categorical Exemptions that could result in a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. Therefore, this exception does not apply to the project because there is no reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. d. Scenic Highways. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may result in damage to scenic resources including, but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway. The nearest state scenic highway to the project site is the southbound portion of Interstate 280 (I280) from State Route (SR) 85to SR 17 and I-880. The northbound portion of I-280 in this area is an eligible state scenic highway (Caltrans 2025). The project site is approximately 1.10 miles from Interstate 280 (I-280). Buildings, vegetation, and topography preclude any views of the project site from I-280 because , thus the project will have no effect on views of scenic resources from I-280. e. Hazardous Waste Sites. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project located on a site that is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. According to the California State Water Resources Control Board Geotracker database and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control Envirostor database, there are no active hazardous materials sites within or adjacent to the project site(SWRCB 2025, DTSC 2025). Thus, the project is not located on a site that is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code and this exception does not apply to the project. f. Historical Resources. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project that may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. CEQA requires evaluation of structures and other human-built features for potential historic significance when such features are at least 50 years old. A Cultural Resources Assessment Memo for the De Anza College campus concluded that De Anza College, as a whole, does not meet the eligibility criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), and therefore is not considered a historic resource, and that only the Le Petit Trianon, East Cottage, Beaulieu Winery, and the Sunken Garden buildings in the northwestern portion of the campus constitute historic resources. Specific to this project, the Cultural Resources Assessment found that the PE Complex does not have any historic significance. Thus, renovation of the PE complex will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource, and this exception does not apply to the project.
County Clerk
Santa Clara
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.