Amherst Apartments

2026090789

King City

NOE - Notice of Exemption

9/17/2026

9/17/2026

Esmeralda Alvarez

City of King

Planning Technicia

Lead/Public Agency

212 S Vanderhurst Avenue
King City, CA 93930

(831) 386-5924

ealvarez@kingcity.com

Guy Miller

Property Owner

Property Owner

Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project

100 Airport Drive
King City, CA 93930

(831) 385-4000

guymillertpr@gmail.com

San Antonio Drive and Amherst Drive

93930

1

026561001000

Highway 101

Union Pacific

Mesa Del Rey Airport

King City High School

Salinas River

1195 Amherst Drive

Categorical Exemption

CEQA Guidelines §15332 (Class 32- Infill Development Projects)

The project qualifies for a Class 32 categorical exemption for in-fill development under CEQA Guidelines Section 15332. This exemption applies to environmentally benign in-fill projects within urbanized areas that are consistent with applicable general plan and zoning requirements. The project site is less than five acres, is substantially surrounded by urban uses, has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species, and will not result in significant environmental effects. The site can be adequately serviced by all required utilities and public service and is consistent with the General Plan and Municipal Code. Staff has also determined that none of the exemptions to categorical exemptions set forth in CEQA Guidelines 15300.2 apply to this project. 1. The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations; The Project is consistent with the General Plan land use designation Neighborhood Commercial (“NC”), Neighborhood Commercial (“C-N”) zoning district and applicable regulations. The use is consistent with the Neighborhood Commercial General Plan Land Use Policy 3.2.1 which encourages a mix of residential and commercial uses where appropriate. Per Municipal Code Section 17.20.030(f) the uses permitted subject to obtaining a conditional use permit in the Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District include Residential multiple-family dwellings that do not exceed nineteen (19) dwelling units per acre. The C-N zoning district allows structures up to two stories or heights up to 30 feet, which the project does not exceed. Development of the project site with residential multi-family apartments is consistent with the City’s commercial land use goal, which encourages residential uses in certain commercial designations in efforts to reduce barriers to housing production and increase the availability of housing which will benefit local residents. Pursuant to the General Plan Policy 3.2.4, to further the City’s prohousing approach, and addressing barriers to housing production, equitable zoning, sustainable land use, reduce development costs, and increase the availability of housing, residential development shall be permitted in certain commercial land use designations. Therefore, the project is consistent with the applicable General Plan designation and all the applicable policies as well as with the applicable zoning designation and regulations. 2. The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses; The Project site is approximately 1.06 acres, is located within the City limits and is less than five acres in size. The project site is surrounded by urban uses such as existing multi-family development. 3. The project site has no value, as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species; The project site has no value, as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species because it is surrounded by previously developed properties including multifamily uses, and contains little vegetation. 4. Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and The project is an allowed use and will be within an existing building and outdoor storage of vehicles will be screened, which would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality. 5. The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. The project site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services such as water, wastewater, electricity, solid waste, etc. The project site is within the service area of California Water Services Company who will provide water services. The project can connect to sanitary sewer on Amherst Drive and can be served by the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. Electricity and gas can be serviced by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Solid Waste is serviced by Waste Management and transported to Johnson Canyon Landfill. The Project is not subject to the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions per CEQA Guidelines, section 15300.2. 1. 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. The project qualifies for a Class 32 exemption, which is not a specified class of exemptions to which this exception applies therefore the location exception does not apply. 2. Cumulative Impact: All exemptions for these classes are inapplicable when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time is significant. This project is not anticipated to result in a significant cumulative impact because it is an individual infill development surrounded by previously disturbed area, is consistent with applicable General Plan and zoning requirements, and will be served by existing utilities and public services. 3.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 does not involve unusual circumstances in regard to the location, size, setting, surrounding land uses, etc. The property is surrounded by development and has no unusual conditions to the site or its vicinity. Therefore, the exception does not apply because there is no reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. 4. 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. This does not apply to improvements which are required as mitigation by an adopted negative declaration or certified EIR. The project site is not located near a state scenic highway therefore the exception does not apply. 5. Hazardous Waste Sites: A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project located on a site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. The project site is not located on any list indicating that it is a hazardous waste site therefore this exception does not apply. 6. Historical Resources: A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. The project site is vacant and will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.