Pomolita Community Tree Nursery Lease Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026091095
Public Agency
City of Ukiah
Document Title
Pomolita Community Tree Nursery Lease Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/24/2026
Document Description
The proposed project is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and qualifies for a Categorical Exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land), including Section 15304(b) (New Gardening or Landscaping). The project consists of City Council authorization for the City Manager to negotiate and execute a lease with the Ukiah Unified School District for use of a portion of the south tennis courts and adjacent areas at Pomolita Middle School as a Community Tree Nursery supporting the City's Urban Forestry Program and CAL FIRE Climate Resilient Forests Project.
Nursery activities will include propagation, temporary storage and care of nursery stock, loading and unloading of trees and materials, and related Urban Forestry Program operations. Site setup may include nursery stock and containers, benches and tables, temporary shade structures and fencing, nursery supplies and equipment, irrigation utilizing the existing water service, designated circulation and loading areas, and temporary staging. The lease also allows pavement reduction within the leased premises pursuant to a written scope approved by the City and District. No building construction or grading is proposed as part of the project.
CAL FIRE previously served as lead agency for the broader Ukiah Climate Resilient Forests Project and filed a Notice of Exemption on November 10, 2025, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15304. The executed grant scope includes expansion of the City's existing nursery and establishment of a secondary nursery to support implementation of the grant-funded tree planting program.
Contact Information
Name
Katherine Schaefers
Agency Name
City of Ukiah
Job Title
Planning Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Aaron Yang
Agency Name
City of Ukiah
Job Title
Urban Forest Manager
Contact Types
Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Ukiah
Counties
Mendocino
Regions
Northern California
Zip
95482
Parcel #
001-081-11
Schools
Pomolita Middle School
Other Location Info
740 N. Spring Street - south tennis courts and adjacent storage areas.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Article 19, Class 4, Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land), including Section 15304(b) (New Gardening or Landscaping
Reasons for Exemption
The project qualifies for the Class 4 categorical exemption because it consists of minor alterations to an existing developed site for nursery, gardening, landscaping, and related urban forestry activities. The leased area is located on existing paved tennis courts and adjacent developed school property. Physical changes are limited to nursery setup and operation, use of the existing water connection, temporary or movable nursery facilities and equipment, and minor pavement reduction within the existing developed area. The project would not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees, building construction, grading, or work within waterways or wetlands.
None of the exceptions to categorical exemptions identified under CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply to the proposed project. The project is located within an existing developed school campus and would not affect an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern. The project would not result in a cumulatively considerable impact associated with successive projects of the same type in the same place over time, and no unusual circumstances have been identified that would create a reasonable possibility of a significant environmental effect.
The project does not involve alteration or demolition of school buildings or other structures, and no scenic highway or historical-resource impact has been identified from the proposed nursery use.
CAL FIRE's prior Class 4 determination for the broader Climate Resilient Forests Project supports the City's review of the grant-funded nursery component. The City has independently reviewed the lease, proposed nursery use, conceptual site plan, and reasonably foreseeable minor site alterations associated with establishment and operation of the Pomolita Community Tree Nursery.
County Clerk
Mendocino
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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