Mountain F Enterprises Development Permit and Zoning Map Amendment Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration

Mountain F Enterprises is applying for a Development Permit and zoning map amendment for a wood grinding facility at 12503, 12625, and 12791 Brunswick Road, Grass Valley, California 95945 within Nevada County’s Light Industrial zone with a Site Performance combining district (M1-SP) and Industrial (IND) General Plan land use designation. The project will process forest-sourced wood waste, including whole logs and wood debris, sourced from various customers, including from PG&E hazard tree removal operations. The processed wood waste will be subsequently transported to biomass energy facilities for electricity generation or wood product manufacturing plants. The project anticipates processing up to 200 tons of wood products a day. The project is proposed on three parcels with an aggregate area of 66 acres. Site activities will be concentrated on an existing graded and paved pad that is approximately seven acres in size. No further disturbance is proposed other than a small right-hand taper that is proposed to be constructed on Brunswick Road. An approximately 1.8-acre portion of the existing seven-acre asphalt pad will be dedicated to the chipping and grinding operation that will be enclosed by a fence and will include a truck scale, a 100 square foot trailer, and a horizontal grinder. The northern portion of the project area is proposed as a maintenance and outdoor storage area for commercial vehicles such as grapple trucks, semi-trucks, front-end loaders, and excavators. Maintenance includes routine service, inspections, and minor repairs. The asphalt pad will include parking for up to 132 employee vehicles, two 200 square foot office trailers, and six shipping containers for tool and equipment storage. The project includes a Zoning District Map Amendment (Rezone) to remove the Site Performance Combining District (-SP) overlay from the property, resulting in zoning of Light Industrial (M1) only. The SP overlay is connected to Nevada County Ordinance Number 1853 which discusses requirements that were in place when the project site was owned by Sierra Pacific Industries and proposed as the Nevada County Business and Industrial Center. The original master plan associated with the “SP” was tailored to a larger, multi-parcel industrial center that has not materialized as envisioned in 1994. The M1 zoning district and the IND General Plan Designation will remain. The project parcels are surrounded by a mix of industrial and rural residential areas. Primary access to the site is via Brunswick Road, a paved County maintained road that connects to nearby urban centers and commercial facilities. It is estimated that the project will have 662 daily vehicle trips composed of 179 heavy vehicle trips and 483 light vehicle trips. The Facility is proposed to operate Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (excluding major holidays), with occasional Saturday shifts for peak processing needs. Hours may be extended during emergency operations associated with weather events with approval from the Planning Director.