Adopt resolution to summarily vacate a portion of the Wooster Avenue road right-of-way, located west of County Road 19A and north of the City of Woodland and determine the summary vacation is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). (No general fund impact) (Lindbo/Riddiough)

Wooster Avenue has not been used to provide public access for decades, and County staff has determined this excess right-of-way is not necessary for public street or highway purposes. Pursuant to the California Streets and Highways Code Sections 8330-8336 a legislative body of a local agency (i.e., Board of Supervisors) may summarily vacate an excess right-of-way of a street or highway not required for street or highway purposes.

BACKGROUND

A complete application was received by County staff to request vacation of a portion of road right-of-way known as Wooster Avenue. Wooster Avenue was accepted by the County when the Wooster & Holton Subdivision Map was approved by the Board of Supervisors on July 1, 1912 (Filed in Map Book 2 at Page 60 in the County Recorder’s Office). See Attachment A for an aerial view depicting the general location, which is just north of the City of Woodland.

Wooster Avenue was previously used as a public road connecting perpendicularly to County Road 99 at its west end. However, this section was no longer necessary once Caltrans constructed Interstate 5 decades ago, thus removing a portion of, and interrupting the continuity of, Wooster Avenue (also known as County Road 19A). After Interstate 5 was constructed in the early 1970’s, the road was realigned as County Road 19A to its current location, parallel to the California Northern Railroad alignment and Interstate 5, and now intersecting County Road 99 north of Interstate 5.

The vacation request would facilitate construction of the northern extents of a cold storage facility on a 14.89-acre agriculturally zoned parcel, which is adjacent the proposed right-of-way to be vacated (APN 027-270-046). The project, known as the “Yolo Cold Storage Facility,” was approved by the Yolo County Zoning Administrator on December 10, 2021, along with approval of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (“MND”) (SCH# 2021110085), and a Use Permit was issued soon thereafter under Zone File 2021-0019. Interstate 5 extends along the southwestern boundary of the applicant’s parcel, and agricultural operations currently exist to the north and east.  The applicant also owns the adjacent parcel immediately to the north (APN 027-270-074).  Ingress and egress to the project site will be from CR 19A and the abandonment of the Wooster Avenue right-of-way was contemplated and addressed in the MND.

Staff has concluded that this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines allows for a lead agency to determine whether a project is exempt from CEQA based on the general rule that CEQA only applies to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. See Attachment B for the CEQA Notice of Exemption.

Staff has determined that this portion of road right-of-way is no longer necessary for present or prospective use in accordance with current land use plans and vacation of the right-of-way is consistent with the MND and prior approval of the Yolo Cold Storage Facility project. See Attachment C for the resolution to vacate this section of road right-of-way.

Pacific Gas & Electric provided proposed wording to be included in the resolution to specifically reserve future access for their utility-related activities.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.