Pursuant to the State of California Public Resources Code and the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, this notice is to advise that the City of Newport Beach intends to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the proposed project described below.
Project Title: Collins Island Bridge Replacement Project
Project Applicant: City of Newport Beach Public Works Department
Project Location: The project site is the Collins Island Bridge and its immediate vicinity located on Balboa Island in Newport Bay. Collins Island is located on the western tip of Balboa Island and is connected to the greater Balboa Island via the Collins Island Bridge.
Project Description: The proposed project has three major components:
1) bridge replacement
2) seawall improvements
3) future pump station accommodations.
The proposed bridge would be designed to be a total of 20 feet and 6 inches in width to accommodate one vehicle travel lane, one sidewalk, and concrete barriers on each side to provide protection from projected sea level rise. The slope profile along the roadway and sidewalk bridge approaches would be adjusted to comply with ADA standards. Street, sidewalk, and landscaping improvements are also proposed on the Balboa Island side along the Bay Front sidewalk and Park Avenue.
The proposed seawall improvements would be designed to have an increased top of wall coping elevation to mitigate sea level rise impacts. The City is currently in the process of designing a new storm water pump station on Park Avenue near the Collins Island Bridge as part of a separate project. Therefore, future pump station accommodations are also proposed to accommodate this separate project.
Anticipated City discretionary approvals include CEQA clearance and a Coastal Development Permit. The project also requires approvals from additional agencies including, but not limited to, a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission, Section 10 and Section 404 Permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Section 401 Permit and Construction General Permit from the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Environmental Determination: The City has prepared an Initial Study to determine the proposed project’s potential impact on the environment. The City has determined that the project may have a significant effect on the environment, but by implementing the identified mitigation measures, the project’s impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels. Accordingly, the City intends to adopt an MND.
Public Review: A public review period will begin on July 23, 2024 and end on August 21, 2024 at 5 p.m. The Initial Study will be made available for public review at the following locations:
- City of Newport Beach Public Works Department, 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach
- Newport Beach Public Library Central Library, 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach
- Newport Beach Public Library Balboa Branch, 100 East Balboa Boulevard, Newport Beach
- Newport Beach Public Library Corona del Mar Branch, 410 Marigold Avenue, Corona del Mar
- Newport Beach Public Library Mariners Branch, 1300 Irvine Avenue, Newport Beach
- City’s Website: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/ceqa
Any interested person or agency may comment on this matter by submitting comments via email to rstein@newportbeachca.gov or via postal mail or in person delivery to the City of Newport Beach Public Works Department, 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
Public Hearing: A public hearing has not yet been scheduled. A separate notice of public hearing will be circulated pursuant to all applicable City of Newport Beach public noticing requirements once a public hearing has been scheduled.
