Chico Municipal Code Art. II Requests for Environmental Determination and Review

Requests for environmental determination and review shall be prepared for all public and private projects except as noted in Section 1.40.110 below.

(Ord. 2067)

A. Specified Public Projects. For public projects, activities specifically identified as statutorily or categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA, as set forth in Article III, shall not require a request for environmental determination or environmental review. The responsible City department shall prepare a Notice of Exemption as set forth in this chapter and forward it to the department for posting with the County Clerk. This section shall not apply to projects which may have a significant effect on the environment or to project types which are not specifically listed as exempt in Article III. Where doubt exists as to whether a project is exempt, a request for environmental determination and review shall be filed with the department.

B. Ministerial Projects. Ministerial projects, as listed herein, require neither requests for environmental review and determination nor notices of exemption.

(Ord. 2067, Ord. 2364 §29)

Requests for environmental determination and review shall be accompanied by the following information:

A. A completed City environmental questionnaire, in the form and containing the information required by the director.

B. A detailed description of the project, including all phases of project planning, implementation, and operation.

C. A list of all governmental approvals required for construction and implementation of the project including but not limited to permits or authorization from federal, state, regional or local agencies.

D. Additional data and information as requested. Such additional data and information may include, but is not limited to, wetlands delineation, biological investigation, air quality analysis, traffic impact study, hydrological study, geological study, and viewshed analysis.

(Ord. 2067, Ord. 2364 §30)

Upon receipt of a request for environmental determination and review, the director shall determine in accordance with CEQA, the State Guidelines and these environmental review guidelines, the applicable type of environmental review for the project in the following manner:

A. Categorical/Statutory Exemption. The director shall determine whether the project is statutorily exempt from environmental review, categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to the State Guidelines, or categorically exempt pursuant to this chapter.

B. Initial Study. Where it is determined that a project is not exempt from CEQA, the director shall cause an initial study to be prepared pursuant to Article IV of this chapter to determine whether the project will have a significant effect on the environment.

(Ord. 2067, Ord. 2364 §31)