goleta council presentation on goleta beach county park managed retreat project 2.0

7/28/2019 Goleta Council Presentation on Goleta Beach County Park Managed Retreat Project 2.0

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Agenda Item F.1DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMMeeting Date: July 16, 2013

TO: Mayor and Councilmembers

FROM: J ennifer Carman, Planning and Environmental Review Director

CONTACT: Anne Wells, Advance Planning Manager

SUBJECT: Goleta Beach County Park Managed Retreat Project 2.0

RECOMMENDATION:

A. Authorize staff to submit a Draft Goleta Beach EIR public comment letter to the

County on or before the EIR comment period deadline of August 1, 2013. Thecomment letter should focus on a technical critique that supports the protection ofthe existing Park facilities.

B. Authorize the Mayor to submit a Draft EIR public comment letter to the Countystating the City's overall position on the Project, with strong support to protect theexisting Park.

C. Authorize the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore to appear before the CountyPlanning Commission on J uly 23, 2013 and related subsequent public meetings.


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Meeting Date: Ju ly 16, 2013

construction of a buried berm and built-up dune structure across 2,050 feet of the beachbetween the ocean and the lawn area; (4) installation of a 20-foot long rock ReflectedWave Energy Dissipater (RWED) at the west end of the beach to minimize wave

reflection and erosion; and, (5) periodic beach nourishment events to supplementongoing nourishment efforts by the County Flood Control District. The Alternative 1description acknowledges that the Park lawn area likely would not be retained post2030.

Alternative 2 - Temporary Revetment Retention and Pilot Coastal Protection Projectswith Beach Nourishment

This alternative would: (1) retain, for an additional 10 years, the existing 1,200 feet ofemergency revetments located in the mid- and western- section of the Park whileexperimental eco-friendly shoreline protection methods are tested in gaps within thoseexisting revetments; (2) evaluate the results of the experimental "eco-friendly" shorelineprotection methods and identify the most effective measure at the end of the 10 yeartest period, and, (3) after the 10-year test period, the existing 1,200 feet of rockrevetment would be removed and replaced with the most effective "eco-friendly"shoreline protection measure. Examples of the experimental techniques includesconstructing a 1,000-foot long buried berm system to protect the Park restroom andpicnic areas and the construction of vegetative revetment comprising Canary IslandDate Palms or other suitable species

Alternative 3 - Westward Managed Retreat Program Alternative (2015-2050)(Environmentally Superior Alternative)

This alternative would implement a managed retreat program for the Park over the next35 years and would include the following key elements: (1) removal of Parking Lot 1 and900 feet of rock revetment on the east side of the Park and restoration of the area with


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(approximately 700 linear feet total) would be retained. The utilities and bike path wouldnot be relocated and no cobble berm or geotextile core dune revetment would beconstructed to protect the sanitary pipeline vault. The restroom building would remain in

place and the Park configuration would remain unchanged unless affected by coastalerosion. No additional regularly planned beach nourishment, beyond the ongoingCounty Flood Control District nourishment program, would be included as part of the NoProject alternative.

No Project Alternative Scenario 2 Retention of Emergency Revetment

All existing revetments at the mid- and western-section of the Park would be retained in

this alternative. Although the permits for the existing emergency revetments at the mid-and western-section of the Park have expired and the County is under order by theCCC to remove them, this scenario considers a No Project scenario under which nophysical changes from existing conditions are made to the Park. Otherwise, thisalternative is the same as described in the No Project Alternative Scenario 1 above.

Alternatives Eliminated from Analysis

Eight alternatives were considered in the Draft EIR but eliminated from further analysisby the County due to infeasibility or inconsistency with primary Project objectives. Oneof the alternatives considered but eliminated from the analysis was the Full Revetmentwith Beach Nourishment Alternative. This alternative would fully armour the existingshoreline at Goleta Beach and protect the facilities in place. However, the alternativewas eliminated because it was determined to be inconsistent with the California CoastalAct and the County Local Coastal Plan policies which only allow hard structures when

they are designed to minimize impacts to sand supply and beach access.

For more information regarding the project description, alternatives, and the


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1. The Standing Committee recommends that City staff release two Draft EIRcomment letters to the County on or before the EIR comment period deadline ofAugust 1, 2013. The first letter would be signed by City staff and would critique the

EIR from a technical perspective. A second letter would be crafted for the Mayor'ssignature and would state the City's overall position on the Project, with strongsupport to protect the existing Park.

2. The Standing Committee recommends that the City take the position that theproposed project should protect all aspects of the Park for existing and futureusers. The City's Draft EIR comment letters should be crafted with this directive inmind.

3. The Standing Committee recommends that the City participate at the County's J uly23, 2013 public hearing on the Project. Staff recommends that the Mayor or MayorPro Tempore appear before the County Planning Commission on J uly 23, 2013and appear at any related subsequent public hearings and present the City'sposition on the project.

4. Because the permit history for the existing revetment is unclear, the StandingCommittee recommends that staff research and obtain the original permits for therock revetments to ensure that they are accurately accounted for in the EIR. Assuch, staff requests that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute acontract for Goleta Beach permits search services, in an amount not to exceed$4,000.

Staff seeks Council's direction on the above four Standing Committee recommendations

in order to proceed with the preparation of the EIR public comment letter.

ALTERNATIVES:


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ATTACHMENT 1

Santa Barbara CountyGoleta Beach 2.0 Public WorkshopPresentation Materials


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Introductions and Agenda

Anne Almy - Supervising Planner

Alex Tuttle - Project Manager

Dan Gira,AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, Inc

Purpose of Public Workshop

Project Background

Organization of the Draft EIR

Project Description

Overview of EIR Content and Findings

Alternatives

CEQA/ Draft EIR Public Process

Informal Questions and Answers


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Purpose of Public Workshop

Assist public in reading and

interpreting the Draft EIR

Advise the public where to obtain

the Draft EIR and how to make

comments

Provide an informal venue for

questions regarding the proposed

Project and Draft EIR


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Project Background

2002: Emergency rock revetment installed inresponse to coastal erosion/ damage to Park

2003-2005: Goleta Beach Master Plan process

2006: County issues draft EIR

2008: County submits application to Coastal

Commission for permeable groin and revetment

project 2009: Coastal Commission denies project

2010: Board of Supervisors endorses Goleta

Beach 2.0 Project


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Executive Summary

1. Introduction

2. Project Description

3. Cumulative Projects Scenario

4. Environmental Impact Analysis and Mitigation Measures

5. Consistency with Plans and Policies

6. Other CEQA Sections

7. Alternatives

8. List of Preparers

9. References


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Appendices

A Notice of Preparation (NOP) and Comments on NOP

B Traffic and Parking Study

C Air Quality CalculationsD Biological Resources

E Coastal Processes


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Project Location


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Project Overview


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Project Overview


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Removal of Lots 6 and 7


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Coastal Processes

Oscillation of Shoreline: The shoreline at Goleta

Beach appears to oscillate between a wide beach

and narrow beach, rather than showing net erosion

Large-Scale Ocean Processes Affect The Park:Park heavily influenced by large-scale variability from

El Nio (~5 years) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation

(~30 years per cycle)

Wave Modeling Projects Substantial Erosion:Modeling estimated erosion and wave run-up under

two sea level rise scenarios even at current sea

levels erosion from severe storm could erode 200

feet into the Park


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Projected Erosion


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Key EIR Issue Areas

Aesthetics: Effects on views from the beach, park

areas, public roads, and offshore

Coastal Processes: Coastal erosion impacts on

beach and park; effectiveness of protectionmeasures

Recreation: Potential damage to or loss of park

facilities (e.g., parking, lawn areas, picnic facilities)

Traffic, Parking and Circulation: Short-term

construction (e.g., heavy trucks); loss of parking

Utilities: Potential damage to important utility lines

and corridors from coastal erosion


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Class I Unavoidable Impacts

Aesthetics

Loss of shoreline lawn/ trees

Coastal Processes

Exposure of Park to wave

attack, erosion and damage

Land Use

Conflicts with Coastal Planprotections for recreation

Recreation

Loss of beachfront lawn area


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Coastal Processes: Short-Term


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Coastal Processes: Long-Term


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Class II Potentially Significant

Impacts (Mitigable)

Recreation

Parking impacts

Utilities GSD Vault and Relocated Lines

Air Quality

Construction emissions and

dust

Noise

Construction noise, haul trucks


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Class II Potential Significant

Impacts (Mitigable)

Hazardous Materials

Debris on beach, exposure of

Park fill material

Hydrology, Water Quality Runoff during construction

Cultural Resources

Surveys indicate no cultural

resources present

Biological Resources

Potential impacts to sensitive

species


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Alternatives

CEQA requires analysis of alternatives for proposed

projects; important when a project has unavoidable

significant impacts; alternatives to avoid such impacts

must be analyzed.

Three Project Alternatives:

Alternative 1: Natural Shoreline Management

Alternative 2: Temporary Revetment Retention with Pilot

Projects

Alternative 3: Westward Managed Retreat Program

Two No Project Alternative scenarios:

Existing physical condition (revetment remains)

Existing permitting condition (revetment is removed)


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Alternative 1: Natural Shoreline Management


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Alternative 2: Temporary Revetment Retention

With Pilot Projects

Retention of approximately 1,200 feet of rock revetment

for a period of 10 years;

Installation of three types of eco-friendly experimental

shoreline protection methods, including buried cobleberm and geotextile core dunes, Pressure Equalizing

Modules (PEMs), and a vegetative revetment;

A single beach nourishment event of 100,000 cy to

supplement ongoing nourishment efforts by SBCFCD;

and

Retention of Parking Lots 6 and 7, utilities, and the bike

path at their current locations.


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Alternative 2: Temporary Revetment Retention

With Pilot Projects


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Alternative 3: Westward Managed Retreat

Program

Manage a westward retreat of developed portions of the Park, away

from the environmentally sensitive mouth of Goleta Slough and historic

sandspit;

Restore natural coastal processes of the Goleta Slough mouth and thehistoric sandspit at Goleta Beach through demolition and removal of

Parking Lot 1 at the Parks east end, including removal of 900 feet of

rock revetment and approximately 15,000 cy of artificial fill;

Restore two acres of natural sandpit beach and environmentally

sensitive coastal strand and mud flat habitats;

Protect key coastal-related and coastal-dependent recreation support

facilities (e.g., parking, restrooms) and utilities from shoreline

oscillation, storm damage, and wave run-up through 2050;


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Program (continued)

Retain in place and receive permits for the existing emergency/

unpermitted revetments west of the Beachside Bar-Caf for up to 20

years or through the next major El Nio winter storm season when they

become exposed, whichever occurs first; and

When required, relocate the existing revetment up to approximately 43

feet landward to the seaward edge of the historic coastal process zone

and construct a buried revetment through the existing shoreline lawn

from the Beachside Bar-Caf for 2,000 feet to the headland at the

Parks west end.


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Program


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Program

Allows for protection of Park and improvement ofSlough processes

Planning horizon of 2015 to 2050, beyond which

further planning may be required


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Environmentally SuperiorAlternative

Based on the Draft EIR analysis, Alternative 3

Westward Managed Retreat Program has been

identified as the Environmentally Superior

Alternative.

Alternative 3 would best reduce Class I impacts

to recreation, land use, coastal processes andaesthetics that could result from the proposed

Project.


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CEQA / EIR Public Process

June 12, 2013 Public Draft EIR Public Workshop

July 23, 2013 Public Draft EIR Hearing

Opportunity for public comment on environmental issues

Adequacy of EIR, mitigation measures and alternatives August 1, 2013 Close of Draft EIR Comment

Period

Fall/Winter 2013 County consideration of Final EIR

and project Opportunities for public input to County decision makers


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How to Obtain the Draft EIR

On the Web:http://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-

00000-00016/DEIR.cfm

Hard copy available for review at:

Planning & Development Offices, 123 East Anapamu St.

SB Downtown Branch Library, 40 East Anapamu St.

Goleta Branch Library, 500 North Fairview Ave.

Personal hard copy if desired can be ordered from

Bills Copy Shop

H t C t th
http://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-00000-00016/DEIR.cfmhttp://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-00000-00016/DEIR.cfmhttp://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-00000-00016/DEIR.cfmhttp://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-00000-00016/DEIR.cfmhttp://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-00000-00016/DEIR.cfmhttp://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-00000-00016/DEIR.cfmhttp://www.sbcountyplanning.org/projects/11DVP-00000-00016/DEIR.cfm


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How to Comment on the

Draft EIR

Send an email to Alex Tuttle, Project Manager:

[email protected]

Send a letter to:

Alex Tuttle, Project Manager

123 East Anapamu Street

Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Oral comment at public hearing scheduled for July

23, 2013.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Comments and Questions

goleta council presentation on goleta beach county park managed retreat project 2.0

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