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Tesoro del Valle (Phases A, B, C)
Draft Supplemental EIR

bulking and shrinkage and cut and fill volumes would balance on site. Remedial grading would
also require an additional 2.7 mcy of cut and 2.7 mcy of fill. Project development would occur on
a substantially smaller development footprint of approximately 393.6 acres.

To implement the project, the project Applicant has requested approval of: (1) Revised VTTM
51644-1; (2) Conditional Use Permit No. 200600210; (3) Oak Tree Permit No. 201000029; and
(4) Discretionary Housing Permit No. RPPL 2017006739.

The proposed Project has been designed to remediate environmental hazards, including
geotechnical and hydrologic hazards. The proposed development provides for the establishment
of a main loop roadway and series of interconnecting roads. The Project will involve the
establishment of the necessary trunk lines and connections to provide water, sewer, gas, electric,
cable, and telephone service to the proposed development. Consistent with prior approval, project
implementation would involve site grading to enable development in this area.

Extension of all utilities and some services to the project site will be necessary to accommodate
project implementation. To facilitate the provision of utilities and services, annexation to the
Castaic Lake Water Agency and Newhall County Water District will be required as well as
connection to the City of Santa Clarita sewer system. Other approvals are required (i.e., 404
Permit, 1603 Streambed Alteration Agreement, and 401 Certification) to authorize development
that will affect resources under regulatory agency control.

1.3.1 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES

In accordance with Section 15126.6 of the State CEQA Guidelines, Section 6.0 of this SEIR
addresses alternatives to the proposed project. Section 6.0 provides descriptions of each
alternative; a comparative analysis of the potential environmental effects of each alternative to
those associated with the proposed project; and a discussion of each alternative’s ability to meet
the project objectives. Following is a summary description of the alternatives evaluated in this
SEIR. For a more detailed discussion of these alternatives and the relative impacts associated
with each alternative compared to the proposed project, refer to Section 6.0, Alternatives. As
required by CEQA, Section 6.0 also identifies alternatives considered but eliminated from detailed
analysis and the environmentally superior alternative.

Alternative 1 – No Project/No Development. The No Project/No Development Alternative
assumes the retention of the site in its existing undeveloped condition. As described in Section
3.0, Environmental Setting, the project site exists as undeveloped, naturally vegetated land. On-
site vegetation types include alluvial scrub, chamise chaparral–sage scrub, coast live oak
woodland, coast live oak woodland/blue elderberry scrub, coast live oak woodland–holly-leaf
cherry woodland, Fremont cottonwood woodland, holly-leaf cherry woodland, mixed chaparral–
alluvial scrub/annual grassland, sage scrub, sage scrub/annual grassland, and southern riparian
scrub. The site consists of moderately steep to steep terrain in the central and western portions
of the property, leveling off toward the east along the broad alluvial bottom of San Francisquito
Creek. The existing Phase A community would be the only portion of the Tesoro development to
be implemented since Phase D is not a part of the Project. Therefore, the areas identified as
Phases B and C and the unrecorded portion of Phase A would remain in the existing, undeveloped
condition.

Alternative 2 – 1999 Vesting Tract Map. Under this alternative, the project site would be
developed based on the original tract map design approved in 1999 (1999 tract map) in Phases
B and C and the unrecorded portion of Phase A. The 1999 Vesting Tract Map Alternative would
involve the development of 239 single-family residential units and supporting land uses on
approximately 1,276.7 acres of undeveloped land and within a larger development footprint than

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