Page 161 - skylineranchdeir0709

1.0 INTRODUCTION

A. PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW OF THE EIR PROCESS

The County of Los Angeles is the Lead Agency under the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) for the Skyline Ranch project. The 2,173-acre Skyline Ranch site is located
in the Santa Clarita Valley west of Sierra Highway, north of Highway 14 (Antelope Valley
Freeway) and the City of Santa Clarita in unincorporated Los Angeles County. The project
applicant proposes to develop approximately 622 acres of the site with 1,260 single-family
residential lots with pads ranging in size from 5,775 to 7,350 square feet along with an
approximately 11-acre elementary school site, approximately 12 acres (10.3 net) of public
parkland to be dedicated to the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, and
approximately 6 acres of private parkland to be maintained by a homeowners’ association.
Nearly three quarters of the site, the northern 1,551 acres located in the northern portion of the
site, is proposed to remain undeveloped, with 1,355 acres dedicated or designated as natural open
space through the proposed establishment of the Skyline Ranch Conservation Area (SRCA).
Approximately 166 acres in the northern portion of the site on Cruzan Mesa would remain
undeveloped and designated as a Non-Development/Continuing Use Area. Also in the northern
portion of the site, approximately 22 acres would be preserved as a Mitigation Exchange Area
for 22 acres of preserve area within adjoining recorded Tract 46018, that would be disturbed due
to the construction of Skyline Ranch Road.

This Draft EIR is being circulated to responsible and trustee agencies and the public for
review and comment.

The CEQA process begins with a determination by the lead agency of whether or not the
project is subject to environmental review. If environmental review is required, an Initial Study
is prepared to determine whether the project may have a significant environmental effect. If it is
determined that the project could result in significant environmental effects, the topical issues
(i.e., Traffic, Noise, etc.) that contribute to these effects are identified in the Initial Study and
addressed in an EIR. The Initial Study prepared by County of Los Angeles for the proposed
Skyline Ranch project determined that the project would require the preparation of an EIR.
Currently, the proposed project is at the Draft EIR stage (see Figure 1-1). The Final EIR will be
considered for certification by the County of Los Angeles following the public review and
comment period and before a final decision is made on the project. Responses to any comments
received and any necessary revisions to the Draft EIR will be provided in the Final EIR. A
diagram illustrating the CEQA process is shown in Figure 1-1.

County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning Skyline Ranch Project
PCR Services Corporation July 2009

Page 1-1
PRELIMINARY WORKING DRAFT – Work in Progress