Vacation of a Portion of Vine Street at the Southeast Corner of its Intersection with Laurel Street in the Lakeside Community Plan Area (VAC NO. 2025-0002)

2026050925

San Diego County

NOE - Notice of Exemption

5/22/2026

5/22/2026

Marcus Lubich

County of San Diego General Services

Project Manager

Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project

5560 Overland Ave, Ste 410
San Diego, CA 92123

(858) 414-4593

marcus.lubich@sdcounty.ca.gov

Laurel Street and Patty Lou Drive

92040

394-064-19-00

67

San Diego River

12541 Laurel Street, Lakeside, CA 92040

Categorical Exemption

15301 Existing Facilities, 15302 Replacement or Reconstruction

The proposed project and adopting of the associated resolution to vacate a portion of Vine Street qualify for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15301 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, which applies to the minor alteration of existing facilities involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that which previously existed, and Section 15302 of the CEQA Guidelines, which applies to replacement of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure to be replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the replaced structure. The project involves the construction of a new 12,800-square-foot, two-story medical facility to replace an existing medical office on-site. The existing facility will remain operational during construction to ensure continued service to the community and will be demolished upon completion of the new building. The project occurs on a previously developed site, and the intended use (medical services) will remain the same, with no substantial change in intensity of use. The project site has a General Plan land use designation of General Commercial, is located within the Village Regional Category, and is zoned Commercial General (C36). The proposed development of a two-story, 12,800-square-foot medical office building is consistent with the land use designation and zoning regulations. The existing facility will remain operational during construction to ensure continued service to the community and will be demolished upon completion of the new building. The project site will not result in an increase of more than 50 percent of the floor area of the structures before the addition. The project site is approximately 41,600 square foot (.955 acres). The new structures would total in about 31% of the floor area. In addition, the project occurs on a previously developed site, and the intended use (medical services) will remain the same, with no substantial change in intensity of use. Site improvements include grading limited to 500 cubic yards of fill and import, ADA-compliant access, and minor changes to parking and circulation. The project also aligns with the applicable General Plan policies encouraging infill, reuse, and continued commercial services in established communities. Medical offices are permitted right within the C36 zone, and the project conforms with applicable development standards including setbacks, height, paramedical access requirements. No unusual circumstances exist that would create the potential for significant environmental impacts, and the project is consistent with the site's existing zoning and surrounding development pattern. The site is fully developed and previously disturbed. It currently supports an existing medical facility, paved surfaces, and ornamental landscaping. No natural habitat remains, and no sensitive biological resources or listed species have been identified on-site. Therefore, the site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species. The project will generate typical traffic volumes associated with a small medical office and is not expected to result in significant traffic impacts. Based on the traffic analysis prepared for the project, it is considered a locally-serving project and would have a less than significant impact for Vehicle Miles Travelled. Furthermore, the project will generate a net 195 Daily trips and a Local Mobility Analysis (LMA) in not required. Parking and circulation have been designed to meet code requirements, and access is provided from two existing public streets. Noise associated with the project will be temporary and construction-related, subject to County noise ordinances. Staff has reviewed the Acoustical Compliance Assessment for the Laurel Street Medical Building Development. The project site is located at the intersection of Laurel Street and Vine Street in the community of Lakeside. The Project was evaluated for compliance with the County’s Noise Ordinance which regulates operational (Section 36.404) and temporary construction (Sections 36.409) noise associated with the project. Section 36.404 from the County’s Noise Ordinance provides exterior noise limits by zoning district. The applicable noise limits for the project are a one-hour average sound level of 60 dBA for boundaries to the south and west, and 57.5 dBA for boundaries to the north and east. No nighttime (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) activity is proposed at the project site. Section 36.409 states that construction equipment shall not exceed 75 dBA for an 8-hour period between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Project construction and operation would not result in noise levels above the County operation or construction noise significance thresholds when measured at the property project boundary line. The project will comply with applicable stormwater and water quality regulations. To comply with the ordinance the applicant submitted a Priority Development Project (PDP) Stormwater Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) for the project. The PDP SWQMP identifies potential construction and post-construction pollutants that may result from the project and proposed site design, source control, and treatment control BMPs to address the pollutants. In addition, a Drainage Study has been prepared for the proposed grading to support the design and plan set titled Neighborhood Medical Care project. The analyses followed the methodologies outlined in the County of San Diego’s 2003 Hydrology Manual and determined that the project will result in a decrease in peak flow. The project is subject to the water quality requirements detailed in the County of San Diego’s BMP Design Manual (dated September 2020), and the water quality approach is detailed in the project PDP SWQMP (under separate cover). The proposed project would not substantially alter the existing drainage pattern of the site, including through the alteration of the course of a stream or river, in a manner which would result in substantial erosion or siltation on- or off-site. Based on the study, the proposed project results in a reduction in runoff from the project site and would not substantially alter the existing drainage pattern of the site, including through the alteration of the course of a stream or river, or substantially increase the rate or amount of surface runoff in a manner which would result in flooding on- or off-site. The preparation of the drainage study also included an analysis of the on-site hydrology to estimate the 100-year peak flow rate in the existing and proposed conditions. Hydrologic results indicate a reduction in runoff from the project site compared to existing conditions. This is attributed to similar imperviousness of the existing and proposed site as well as the lengthened flow path in the proposed condition. It is not anticipated that the proposed improvements will have an adverse impact on downstream stormwater conveyance infrastructure. The site is located in a fully developed area and is currently served by existing infrastructure, including water, sewer, electricity, telecommunications, and emergency services. The new facility will connect to existing utility systems and will not require extension of infrastructure or services beyond those already available. Based on the analysis above, it was determined that no significant impacts related to air quality, water quality, noise, or traffic are anticipated. Additionally, the project meets all the criteria of CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.e. It is consistent with applicable land use plans and zoning, is located within a developed urban area, contains no sensitive habitat, will not result in significant environmental effects, and is served by all necessary utilities and services. No unusual circumstances exist that would create the potential for significant environmental impacts, and the project is consistent with the site's existing zoning and surrounding development pattern.