Sure Fresh is Sure Bad for the Environment -

In a string of bad, sneaky, and just right stinky backroom deals, the people of Lompoc are left to pick up the pieces of the previously failed city staff, planning commission, and mayor. Today a project that was moved forward by Fink, Wiemiller, and Lingl, has the town asking “What exactly is the SureFresh project?”

Not only does the project bring environmental risks, but with the recent denial to expand the city of Lompoc by LAFCO, Santa Barbara County will forever keep Lompoc from expanding further west, nearly the last option for new housing.

Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (click for posting from Lompoc)

The City of Lompoc will be the Lead Agency and will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for the project identified below.

Project Title: Sure Fresh Produce
Project Location: Northwest corner of Barton Avenue and Aviation Drive alignment within the Central Coast Business Park Specific Plan with the following associated addresses: 1101 West Central (APN 093-450-016), 1301 West Central (APN 093-450-015), and 1401 West Central (APN 093-450-014)

Project Description:
The City of Lompoc (City) will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to evaluate the Sure Fresh Produce facility proposed in the City of Lompoc Central Coast Business Park (CCBP) Specific Plan area. The CCBP Specific Plan area is located north of West Central Avenue, south of the Lompoc airport, east of North V Street, and west of Barton Avenue in the City of Lompoc, Santa Barbara County.

The CCBP Specific Plan was approved by the City of Lompoc in November 2015. The Specific Plan establishes a master-planned business park to regulate land uses and allow development of a mixture of manufacturing, warehousing, hangar/storage space, and associated office uses within the approximate 38-acre Specific Plan project area.

The Sure Fresh Produce facility is proposed on the northern 16 acres of the CCBP Specific Plan area. Approval of an amendment to the Specific Plan and discretionary actions, including development/architectural review, tract map, and code text amendment, is being requested to allow the development and operation of the Sure Fresh Produce processing facility. The City would like to know the views of public agencies as to the scope and content of the environmental information and analysis relevant to your agency’s statutory responsibilities in connection with this project.

An expanded description and issues proposed to be addressed in the Supplemental EIR are contained in the Initial Study attached to this notice and available for review at the Planning Division at City Hall, the Lompoc Public Library at 501 East North Avenue, and on the City’s website at www.cityoflompoc.com/services/program-areas/open-for-public-review. The public review period is November 2 through December 3, 2018. Please send your response to Brian Halvorson, Planning Manager, at the address shown above or by email at b_halvorson@ci.lompoc.ca.us.

Environmental Initial Study for the Sure Fresh Produce Project

“…Processing of produce at the facility will use water for washing, cutting, and blanching vegetables. The Project includes a proposal to use water pumped from an existing well (Well 7-4) located on an agricultural parcel in the County of Santa Barbara (APN 093-070-021) and owned by the applicant, approximately three-quarters of a mile away and outside the City limits, as shown in Figure 3: Off-site Water Improvements.

An easement agreement is required for the transmission pipelines located within the City limits. Construction of a new 12-inch PVC water transmission pipeline is proposed to convey the well water to 62,000-gallon storage tanks at the facility.

After use in processing, the resulting wastewater will be screened for solids and pumped back to the agricultural parcel in the County of Santa Barbara through a second 8-inch PVC process wastewater transmission pipeline into a pair of lined irrigation ponds and used to irrigate approximately 53 acres of agricultural land (APNs 093-070-051, – 023, -022, and -021) owned by the applicant.

Figure 3 shows the location of the pipelines, which would be placed in the public right of way of V Street and West Central Avenue in the City of Lompoc; in the public right of way of West Central Avenue in an unincorporated area; and on agricultural land owned by the applicant. (These improvements are referred to collectively herein as “off-site water improvements” in this Initial Study).

The City of Lompoc will provide water and sewer service to the Sure Fresh Facility for use inside the buildings. Fresh produce would arrive by truck at the facility between the hours of 7:00 AM and midnight each day almost year-round, with volumes fluctuating with the season and type of produce available. After processing, frozen product would depart the facility by truck between the hours of 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM year-round.”

Significant Impacts Include:

AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY RESOURCES

“e) Involve other changes in the existing environment, which, due to their location or nature, could result in conversion of Farmland to non-agricultural use?”

“The Project includes a proposal to construct the water and process wastewater transmission pipelines and irrigation ponds on farmland and irrigate approximately 53 acres of farmland with the process wastewater from the Sure Fresh Facility. Further analysis of the impact of the water and process wastewater improvements and use of the process wastewater for irrigation is needed to determine if these components of the Project could result in the conversion of Farmland to nonagricultural use.”

AIR QUALITY

b) Violate any air quality standard or contribute substantially to an existing or projected air quality violation?

The CCBP SP EIR determined that construction and operation of the CCBP SP would not exceed the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD) thresholds of significance for VOC, NOx, CO, SOx, PM10, and PM2.5 emissions. As such, the CCBP SP would not violate or contribute to any air quality violation. The Sure Fresh Facility includes a proposed amendment to the adopted CCBP SP, as well as off-site water and process wastewater improvements that have not been previously analyzed. Analysis of the potential for these components of the proposed Project is needed to determine if any violation of air quality standards or substantial contribution to existing or projected air quality violations would result.

c) Result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant for which the project region is non-attainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard (including releasing emissions, which exceed quantitative thresholds for ozone precursors)?

The CCBP Specific Plan EIR concluded that although the SBCAPCD is in nonattainment for ozone and PM10, the CCBP SP would not result in a cumulatively considerable net increase of any criteria pollutant. The Sure Fresh Project includes a proposed amendment to the adopted CCBP SP, as well as off-site water improvements that have not been previously analyzed. Further analysis of the potential for these components of the proposed Project, and the construction and operation of the Sure Fresh Facility is needed to determine if the Project would contribute to a cumulatively considerable net increase for any criteria pollutant.

d) Expose sensitive receptors to substantial pollutant concentrations?

The CCBP SP EIR analyzed the potential for residential uses near the CCBP SP Area to be exposed to substantial concentrations of criteria pollutants The CCBP SP EIR found that the closest sensitive receptor to the CCBP SP Area is 75 feet to the south and that impacts would be less than significant.

The construction and operation of the proposed off-site water and process wastewater improvements have not been previously analyzed. Analysis of the potential for this component of the proposed Project is needed to determine if any sensitive receptors would be exposed to substantial pollutant concentrations.

e) Create objectionable odors affecting a substantial number of people?

The CCBP SP EIR evaluated the potential for objectionable odors to be created by uses that would be allowed by the CCBP SP and concluded that impacts would be less than significant.

The Sure Fresh Facility is proposed on the northern portion of the CCBP SP Area. No sensitive uses are located adjacent or near to this portion of the CCBP SP, and all processing of produce would occur within buildings. For these reasons, no significant impacts related to operations at the Sure Fresh Facility are anticipated. Processing would generate process wastewater, which would be conveyed through a process wastewater transmission pipeline to the proposed irrigation ponds on agricultural land owned by the applicant. Depending on the quality of this wastewater and the amount of time this water is held in these irrigation ponds, odors could potentially be generated. Further analysis of the potential for objectionable odors to be created is needed.

Additional Information: