UC CEQA Handbook: Chapter 5.3 - The LRDP EIR Mitigation Measure and Monitoring Framework

The campus establishes an overall framework for campus mitigation measures when conducting environmental review on a new or revised Long Range Development Plan. For subsequent projects, the campus develops additional mitigation measures for any significant impacts that were not already mitigated at the Program EIR level.

The Types of Mitigation Measures Requiring Monitoring

Mitigation measures identified in LRDP EIRs can be divided into the following three broad categories:

1)		mitigations related to the implementation of future campus projects;
2)		mitigations related to maintaining adequate service levels; and
3)		administrative measures independent of specific projects that are required to mitigate certain impacts.

Figure 11 shows these types of mitigation measures for LRDP EIRs.

Mitigation Measures Related to Future Campus Projects

LRDPs are concerned with land use planning in relation to future development necessary for the campus to meet its broad missions of instruction, research and public service. As specific projects are proposed, the campus will be responsible for:

• ensuring adequate tiered review of these projects by completing project-level CEQA reviews;

• ensuring that project-level mitigation measures identified in the LRDP are implemented, not merely reiterated; and

• ensuring that project-level mitigation measures identified as a result of a tiered project-specific CEQA review are implemented.

LRDP EIRs specify mitigation that the campus should consider in the project-specific environmental review of future development on the campus. Implementation of these mitigation measures is accomplished through administrative controls over project planning and implementation, such as modifications to design plans and construction contract provisions. These measures are monitored through verification and certification by campus personnel currently responsible for monitoring architectural and engineering contracts for compliance. (See Figure 12 for an approach to mitigation monitoring for LRDP EIR project-related actionsspecific mitigation measures.)

Mitigations Related to Service Levels

LRDP EIRs identify areas where the implementation of the campus LRDP results in additional demand for services that may exceed the existing capacity for delivery of a particular service. For instance, development of additional buildings would increase the demand for on-campus fire protection services. Appropriate mitigation for this type of impact, for example, would be to hire additional fire fighters and support staff or provide additional equipment as necessary to maintain an adequate level of service. For each level of service issue, the campus should identify:

• the baseline service level;

• the method that will be used to measure the level of service; and

• the threshold level that must be reached to prompt the implementation of mitigation measures.

For example, the campus may decide to establish a level of service for fire protection that relates the number of fire fighters, or the response time to the amount of square feet of building area on the campus. This level would be expressed in terms of the level of service available before implementation of development proposed in the LRDP. The campus would then determine that an additional fire fighter would be needed if the amount of building space on campus were to grow by some absolute amount of space. On an annual basis, the campus would review the growth in building space to determine whether the increase would trigger a need for additional personnel, equipment, training or other resources.

The mitigation measures in this category should be monitored, generally through the use of a computer-based data system. The campus should annually collect level of service data, compare it to the predetermined threshold levels, and initiate budget changes needed to attain the desired service levels. Figure 13 shows the mitigation monitoring process for LRDP EIR service levels.

Administrative Compliance Measures

LRDP EIRs identify specific actions independent of future development projects that the campus must initiate in order to mitigate certain adverse impacts of general campus growth. Such actions include special one-time projects to collect data, prepare reports, develop a plan of action, or implement a project. For example, the LRDP EIR may indicate that to mitigate the adverse effect of the additional solid waste that would be generated over the life of the plan, the campus will investigate and implement, to the extent financially feasible, composting opportunities for the green waste generated on campus.

The campus should inventory all such administrative actions proposed in its LRDP EIR. The campus should then develop a plan for the funding and implementation of each effort, and forward that plan through the budget process. The campus should assign the responsibility for implementation of the effort called for in the LRDP EIR to a specific campus unit. Figure 14 shows the mitigation monitoring process for LRDP EIR administrative measures.