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Home My WebLink AboutCD 2020-0008; CARLSBAD DESALINATION PLANT PILOT PROJECT; Admin Decision LetterSeptember 2, 2020 Josie McKinley Director, Project Development Poseidon Water 17011 Beach Boulevard, Suite 900 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 FILE Ccityof Carlsbad \,"\0\-1 1--e o/ OL-d. q / 3 / �() IMAGED SEP O 8 2020 CITY OF CARLSBAD R:f SUBJECT: CD 2020-0008 {DEV08-036)-CARLSBAD DESALINATION PLANT PILOT PROJECT The City Planner has completed a review of your application for Carlsbad Desalination Plant Wedge Wire Screen Intake Pilot Project, for the Carlsbad Desalination Plant located at 4600 Carlsbad Boulevard (APN: 210-010-4S, 47 & 48) which is a temporary modification to PDP 00-02, which approved the construction of a SO million gallon per day (MGD) seawater desalination plant and appurtenant facilities, including pipelines for the conveyance of desalinated water. The plant and pipelines were completed in 201S. After careful consideration of the request, the City Planner has determined that the request meets all of the findings below and APPROVES this request. The proposed modification is to include a pilot project that is intended as an interim operation to test new environmentally sensitive technology available to update the existing desalination plant intake system to foster sustainable water production and comply with the State Water Board adopted 2015 Ocean Plan Amendment and includes: •Installation of a temporary 90 square foot underwater pilot facility to test intake wedge wirescreen (WWS) technology for a period of one (1) to two (2) years•Installation of a temporary 900 foot "umbilical" cord containing the electrical supply tosupport the pilot facility•Installation of a temporary above water buoy debris barrier to protect the temporary equipment by deterring people and marine life away from the pilot area•Installation of a temporary 160 sq. Ft. (8 ft x 20 ft) x 8.5 ft tall onshore container with screencontrols, air compressor, receiver, electrical panel and data logging system to support the temporary pilot facility After a period of one to two years, testing will be completed and the pilot project removed. In order for a Discretionary Permit Consistency Determination to be approved, all of the following findings must be made: 1)No project condition, feature, facility or amenity is changed or deleted that had been considered essential to the project's design, quality, safety or function in that the proposed temporary pilot project and subsequent operation will not remove any existing equipment or change any regular operations. Community Development Department Planning Division J 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 J 760-602-4600 J 760-602-8560f I www.carlsbadca.gov CD2020-0008 (DEV0S-036) September 2, 2020 Page 2 2} The request represents an upgrade in overd~ aprgn eatures and or materials and improves upon the project's compatibility with f,; surroJnaing nQighborhood in that the wedgewire screen {WWS) technology is the first of its kind to be incorporated into a saltwater system and is expected to enhance the environmental sensitivity of the existing seawater intake system once it is implemented to update the existing system. The pilot facility is intended to test two different versions of the WWS technology, a passive system and an active system. Depending on the performance results, one of these versions will be selected as the best option to use for upgrading the existing intake system. Implementing the new technology would foster sustainable water production and comply with the State Water Board adopted 2015 Ocean Plan Amendment. 3) The proposed revision does not change the density or boundary of the subject property in that the proposed temporary facility will operate within the normal boundary of the existing facility and will include a small underwater facility operating in adjacent Agua Hedionda Lagoon. The temporary operations would be a fraction of the size of permanent operations and would be similar to existing operations and therefore would not be recognized as different from the perspective of the general public. 4) The proposed revision does not involve the addition of a new land use not shown on the original permit in that the proposed temporary pilot project is consistent with the existing land use as a desalination plant and simply proposes an alternative, temporary way to intake seawater. The addition of the underwater equipment would be similar in appearance to existing aquaculture operations in the lagoon. 5} The proposed revision does not rearrange the major land uses within the development in that the temporary pilot project will operate without disrupting current operations. The size of the pilot project is also a fraction of the size of the permanent facility and will not rearrange the major land uses within the development in order to accommodate the temporary operations. The project's underwater components will also not interfere with existing aquaculture operation~. 6) The proposed revision does not create changes of greater than ten percent provided that compliance will be maintained with the applicable development standards of the Carlsbad Municipal Code in that the temporary pilot project is a fraction of the size of the permanent existing facilities, and it is consistent with current operations. 7) The proposed change will not result in any significant environmental impact, and/or require additional mitigation in that the onshore container will be placed on a developed site and the foot print of the temporary underwater pilot facility is small {90 square feet) Environmental impacts associated with Installation and operation of the underwater facility and its umbilical cord will be less than significant as documented in a memorandum titled "Response to Comments on Wedwire Screen Pilot Project in Agua Hediononda Lagoon", which includes a recent site survey and mitigation measures consistent with Regional Water Quality Control Board Order R9-2019-0003. The project is also consistent with the project description analyzed in the Supplement to the Final EIR {SCH#2004041081 and 2015091060} certified by the San Diego County Water Authority in August 2016, and in the Sixth Addendum to the Final EIR dated February 2019. B) The proposed change would not result in any health, safety or welfare impacts in that the temporary pilot project is located underwater within the lagoon and will feature a shallow buoy • CD2020-0008 (DEV0S-036) September 2, 2020 Page 3 perimeter to direct people away from the pilot location. The project is consistent with the project description analyzed in the Supplement to the Final EIR {SCH#2004041081 and 2015091060} certified by the San Diego County Water Authority in August 2016, and in the Sixth Addendum to the Final EIR dated February 2019. The project is olso consistent with Regional Water Quality Control Board Order R9-2019-0003. 9} There were not any major issues or controversies associated with the original project which would be exacerbated with the proposed change in that the new technology tested with the temporary pilot operations would improve the environmental sensitivity of the existing intake system once installed on the permanent facility. 10) The proposed change would not be readily dlscernable to the decision makers as being substantially different from the project as originally approved in that the temporary pilot project is ancillary to the desalination plant and is intended to test new technology and determine the best option available to upgrade the existing facilities. The pilot project is similar in appearance to existing operations, and its location and small size mean it will not be noticeable by the general public. Furthermore, the pilot project will be removed after one to two years. Therefore, the City Planner has determined that the application qualifies for a consistency determination with the approved permit and approves the changes to the project based on Planning Division Administrative Policy No. 35. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact your project planner, Christina M. Bustamante, at 760-602-4644. CITY OF CARLSBAD 1)01{1t&'/t v-f DON NEU, AICP City Planner DN:CB:mf c: David Rick, Project Engineer HPRM/File Copy Data Entry