Grant School Demolition, Hazardous Materials Abatement, & Site Clearance Project

2026080709

Vallejo City Unified School District

NOE - Notice of Exemption

8/20/2026

8/20/2026

Ruben Fernandez

Vallejo City Unified School District

Asst. Superintendent of Operations

Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant

665 Walnut Avenue
Vallejo, CA 94592

(707) 556-8921 ext. 50059

rfernandez@vcusd.org

38°5'12"N 122°14'21.18"W

94590

0061-124-010 & 0061-123-090

Project Location: 740 Fifth Street, Vallejo, CA 94590

Emergency Project

Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c)

The Project consists of emergency demolition and site abatement activities undertaken to eliminate hazardous conditions affecting a long-vacant former school campus. The Project site is vacant and has experienced significant deterioration. The District has documented ongoing hazardous conditions affecting the property, including repeated unauthorized entry, vandalism, structural deterioration, and fire damage. Although the District has boarded portions of the buildings in an effort to deter trespassing and protect the public, those measures have not eliminated the hazardous conditions present at the site. The Project is therefore necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency by removing unsafe structures and eliminating conditions that threaten persons and property. Accordingly, the Project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080(b)(4) and CEQA Guidelines section 15269(c).

Other

General Rule (Common Sense Exemption; CEQA Guidelines, § 15061(b)(3))

It can be seen with certainty that the Project will not have a significant effect on the environment. The Project is limited to the demolition and removal of existing deteriorated structures and associated site abatement activities on an already developed former school campus. The Project does not authorize redevelopment, expansion of the site's existing or former use, or any other physical changes beyond those necessary to remove unsafe structures and stabilize the property. Any temporary effects associated with demolition and abatement activities will be subject to applicable regulatory requirements and do not constitute significant environmental impacts. Rather than creating new environmental impacts, the Project eliminates hazardous conditions that presently threaten public health and safety. Accordingly, the Project is exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).

Categorical Exemption

Class 1 Categorical Exemption (Existing Facilities; CEQA Guidelines, § 15301)

The Project is exempt under CEQA Guidelines section 15301. Class 1 consists of the "operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use." (CEQA Guidelines, § 15301.) The key consideration in applying the Class 1 exemption is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of the existing or former use of the site. (Id.) Here, the Project is limited to the demolition and removal of deteriorated existing facilities and associated site abatement activities on a previously developed former school campus. The Project does not authorize new development, increase the intensity of use, expand the footprint of existing facilities, or otherwise alter the site's existing or former use. Accordingly, the Project qualifies for the Class 1 categorical exemption. The District has considered the exceptions to the use of categorical exemptions set forth in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 and has determined that none applies to the Project. (Section 15300.2). The Project does not involve work in an environmentally sensitive location. (Section 15300.2(a)). The Project is a discrete action undertaken to eliminate hazardous conditions on a single property and will not contribute to significant cumulative impacts. (Section 15300.2(b)). Likewise, the District is not aware of any unusual circumstances that would create a reasonable possibility of a significant environmental effect, as the Project does not authorize expansion of the existing or former use of the property, or other physical changes beyond those necessary to remove unsafe structures and stabilize the site. (Section 15300.2(c)). The Project will not damage scenic resources within a designated state scenic highway corridor and the Project site is not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5. (Section 15300.2(d); Section 15300.2(e)). Furthermore, based on the information available to the District, the District is not aware of any evidence demonstrating that the Project involves a historical resource within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines section 15064.5 or that the historical resources exception in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2(f) otherwise applies. Accordingly, none of the exceptions set forth in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 precludes application of the Class 1 categorical exemption.