Gonzales Community EV Charging

2026030370

California Energy Commission

NOE - Notice of Exemption

3/9/2026

3/9/2026

SARAH MINAMI

California Energy Commission

Associate Energy Specialist

Lead/Public Agency

715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

(279) 226-1140

sarah.minami@energy.ca.gov

36°30'42.7"N 121°26'23.3"W

5th Street

93926

445 Gabilan Ct.

Categorical Exemption

Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15301; Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15303; Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15332

The City of Gonzales is the CEQA Lead Agency for the EV installation project. On October 25, 2022, the City (through its Public Works Director/City Engineer) issued a Notice of Exemption for the EV project, based on the CEQA exemption (section 15302(c)) for Replacement or Reconstruction. The City also stated, “The Community Center has a separate NOE filed based on CEQA and NEPA studies in April 2022.” Regarding the EV chargers to be added to the Gonzales Community Center Complex, the City of Gonzales plans to design and construct an approximately 23,000 square foot Community Center on an infill parcel. The Center will have a County Library, Teen Center, community building and outdoor auditorium, and at some future time, a 12,000 square foot gym. On March 30, 2022, the City (through its Public Works Director/City Engineer) issued a Notice of Exemption for the project, based on the CEQA exemption (section 15332) for in-fill development. The City found that the Community Center Complex fits within General Plan designations and policies; conforms to zoning; would be on a site of less than five acres within City limits surrounded by urban uses; has no value for endangered or threatened species; would not cause any significant impacts to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and can be adequately served by utilities and public services. Supporting these conclusions, the Environmental Report by the City of Gonzales for the Gonzales Community Center Complex, dated September 2022, provides a CEQA analysis and technical reports. This includes a technical memorandum regarding “CEQA Compliance - Categorical Exemption Findings” by EMC Planning Group Inc., dated March 110, 2022. The California Energy Commission’s reasoning is as follows: Regarding the EV chargers at City Hall and the Gonzales Shopping Center, California Code Regulations (CCR), Title 14, Section 15301 provides that projects which consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alterations of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, and which involve negligible or no expansion of existing of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency’s determination, are categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA. The EV chargers would be installed at City Hall (147 Fourth Street) and Gonzales Shopping Center (851 Fifth Street), both of which have existing parking lots. The EV project at these two existing sites meets the requirements of 14 CCR 15301, because installation of the electric vehicle chargers and associated equipment will only involve minor alterations and no expansion of existing or former use. Regarding the EV chargers at the future Community Center Complex, CCR Title 14, Section 15332, provides that projects which are in-fill development within city limits under less than five acres in size and fitting certain conditions, are categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA. As described above, the City found that the Community Center fulfills the Section 15332 conditions. For the same reasons, the EV chargers as part of the Community Center fall within Section 15332 and will not have significant effect on the environment. CCR Title 14 Section 15303 provides that projects which consist of construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure, are categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA. The EV charger installations meet the requirements of 14 CCR 15303, because only a limited number of new, small equipment in the form of electric vehicle chargers and associated equipment will be added. This work will only require minor modifications, such as small amounts of trenching, extending electrical lines to the equipment, securing the electric vehicle chargers in place, and adding signage. Therefore, the project falls within section 15303 and will not have significant effect on the environment. The project will not impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies; does not involve any cumulative impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place that might be considered significant; does not involve unusual circumstances that might have a significant effect on the environment; will not result in damage to scenic resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway; the project sites are not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5; and the project will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. Therefore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply to this project, and this project will not have a significant effect on the environment.