Elk Grove Subaru Amendment (PLNG26-028)

2026081035

City of Elk Grove

NOE - Notice of Exemption

8/27/2026

8/27/2026

Antonio Ablog

City of Elk Grove

Planning Manager

Lead/Public Agency

8401 Laguna Palms Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758

(916) 627-3335

aablog@elkgrove.gov

Hugh Hynes

Proto Architecture, LLP

Representative

Project Applicant

3367 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 992-6899

hugh@proto-inc.com

132-1100-016 and -031

Elk Grove, CA. Sacramento County Northwest corner of Auto Passage Drive and Laguna Grove Drive

Other

Criteria for Subsequent EIR [Section 15162]; Consistent with Community Plan or Zoning Section [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. The current request consists of architectural elevation modifications to a previously approved auto dealership. The Project remains consistent with the land use and development density assumed in the LRSP. The remains subject to the LRSP Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). Staff reviewed the current state of the site and the development conditions of surrounding sites. The Project site is surrounded by existing automotive dealerships and vehicle storage on all sides. The site has been graded and has been used for vehicle storage since 2018. 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 analysis of the LRSP EIR. 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). A Final Subsequent EIR (SCH # 2022020463) to the 2019 General Plan EIR (SCH# 2017062058) was prepared and adopted in 2023 with the City of Elk Grove General Plan Amendments and Update of Vehicle Miles Traveled Standards Project. The Project is subject to the Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Programs (MMRPs) adopted with 2019 General Plan EIR and 2023 Final Subsequent EIR. The current project request consists of architectural elevation changes and will continue to result in a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.14 which is below the maximum FAR in the AC zone of 1.0. As the proposed use is allowed and the proposed development intensity is below the maximum FAR, the proposed Project continues to 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 lands 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. VMT analysis was prepared for the original auto dealership project by Fehr & Peers in 2024. 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. The proposed architectural changes do not intensify the use, therefore do not alter these prior VMT conclusions. Additionally, the Project shall comply with the Climate Compass for new non-residential development, including measures related to renewable energy (BE-3), active transportation (TR-1), construction emissions (TR-3), and electric vehicle supply equipment (TR-2). 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.