Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS); City of Porterville, CA Section 108 Loan Guarantee Funded Infrastructure Project

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4307-N-02]

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS); City of Porterville,

CA Section 108 Loan Guarantee Funded Infrastructure Project

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and

Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of availability of DEIS and public comment dates.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development gives notice

that the City of Porterville, California, has prepared a combined Draft

Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS)

for a Section 108 Loan Guarantee funded infrastructure project as

described in this notice. This notice is in accordance with regulations

of the Council on Environmental Quality under its rule (40 CFR part

1500).

Interested individuals, government agencies, and private

organizations are invited to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact

Report/Draft Environmental Impact Statement concerning the project to

the specified person or address indicated below.

Particularly solicited are comments on the draft EIR/EIS and the

major issues identified below.

Federal agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise or

other special interest should report their interests and indicate their

readiness to aid in the final EIR/EIS effort.

DATES: Effective date: This notice shall be effective on March 16,

1998.

Comment due date: Written comments must arrive by May 1, 1998 at

the address given below. We will consider all comments received in

preparing the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: All interested agencies, groups and persons are invited to

submit written comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement to

the following contact person: Ronald J. Mauck, City of Porterville,

Department of Community Development and Services, 291 North Main

Street, Porterville, CA 93257.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ronald J. Mauck (see address

above), telephone (209) 782-7460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A combined Draft Environmental Impact

Report/Environmental Impact Statement has been completed and accepted

for the proposed action described below. Comments on the Draft EIR/EIS

are requested and will be accepted by the contact person until May 1,

1998.

Title of Action: City of Porterville Section 108 Loan Guarantee

Funded Infrastructure Project.

Description of Action: The Draft Environmental Impact Report/

Environmental Impact Statement examines the social, economic and

environmental impacts on the City of Porterville and its environs from

completion of the proposed action. Key objectives of the project

include:

(1) Provision of new, and retention of existing, jobs through

development of a variety of public infrastructure resulting in

employment opportunities for low and moderate income persons; (2)

rehabilitation of three central business district parking lots; and (3)

provision of financial assistance in rehabilitating existing commercial

structures or acquisition of sites for, and construction of new,

commercial buildings.

The combined EIR/EIS analyzes potential environmental effects of

five alternative projects. The alternative projects described here are

illustrative of varying options for development, enabling an evaluation

of the full range of impacts identified within the EIR/EIS alternative.

Alternative 1 would provide for extension of water and sewer trunk

lines within Indiana Street and Teapot Dome Avenue connecting the

existing City water and sewer infrastructure system with industrial

designated lands along Tea Pot Dome Avenue and within the easterly

sector of the Porterville Municipal Airport. Alternative 1 would also

include development of a new highway interchange at the intersection of

State Highway 65 and Teapot Dome Avenue. Approximately 280 acres of

vacant and agricultural land currently designated by the City General

Plan for future industrial development would ultimately be converted to

urbanized use under Alternative 1.

Alternative 2 would provide for extension of water trunk lines

within South Newcomb Street from River Avenue south across the Tule

River to a point just south of the intersection of South Newcomb Street

and State Highway 190. Alternative 2 would also provide for the

construction of South Newcomb Street to arterial width from Heritage

Avenue south across the Tule River, inclusive of construction of a

bridge across the river, to a point just south of the intersection of

South Newcomb Street and State Highway 190. Street improvements would

include curb, gutter, sidewalk, and streetlights. Approximately 280

acres of vacant land currently designated by the City General Plan for

low-density

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residential uses would be ultimately converted to Industrial/Commercial

Uses under Alternative 2.

Alternative 3 would provide for extension of sewer and water trunk

lines from Indiana Street north of Gibbons Avenue to the intersection

of Indiana Street and Scranton Avenue then west along Scranton Avenue

across State Highway 65 to the intersection of Scranton Avenue and

South Newcomb Street. Construction of State Highway on and off ramps at

the intersection of State Highway 65 and Scranton Avenue would also be

provided by Alternative 3. Approximately 300 acres of vacant land

designated for highway commercial uses and 150 acres of primarily

vacant land designated for industrial uses would ultimately be

converted to urbanized uses under Alternative 3.

Alternative 4 (the Proposed Action) would provide for

infrastructure improvements within two (2) distinctly separate

locations. Alternative 4--Area No. 1 would provide for extension of

water and sewer trunk lines in the vicinity of the Porterville

Municipal Airport, improvement of Tea Pot Dome Avenue, and Newcomb and

West Streets proximate to the Municipal Airport, improvements to the

abandoned runway located at the Municipal Airport, and installation of

master planned storm drain improvements in the vicinity of the

municipal airport. Alternative 4-Area No. 2 would provide for extension

of water trunk lines in the vicinity of South Jaye Street, State

Highway 65 and Gibbons Avenue. South Jaye Street would be extended as

an arterial width street from its southerly terminus to Gibbons Avenue.

Alternative 4 would also accomplish installation of storm drain

facilities in South Jaye Street and Gibbons Avenue. Under Alternative

4, approximately 380 acres of primarily vacant land designated for

industrial uses would ultimately be converted to urbanized use.

Alternative 5 is the No Project alternative, consideration of which

is required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and by

the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Under this alternative,

the proposed infrastructure project would not occur precluding

industrial/commercial development of any of the areas discussed in

Alternatives 1-4.

Location: City of Porterville, Tulare County, California

Potential Environmental Impacts: Land use and planning; population

and housing; water impacts; air quality impacts; transportation and

circulation impacts; biological resource impacts; energy and mineral

resource impacts; hazards, noise impacts; demands on public services

and utilities; aesthetic impacts; recreation impacts; and cumulative

effects. Most of these impacts would be reduced to a level of

insignificance following implementation of proposed mitigation

measures.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact

Statement will be published on or about March 16, 1998 and will be on

file at 291 North Main Street, Porterville, California 93257 and

available for public inspection, or copies may be obtained at the same

address, upon request.

Dated: March 11, 1998.

Richard H. Broun,

Director, Office of Community Viability.

[FR Doc. 98-6679 Filed 3-13-98; 8:45 am]

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