Calistoga planning commission directs staff to prepare final EIR for Cordon Ranch project after CEQA review and public comment

The Calistoga Planning Commission voted to direct city staff to prepare a final environmental impact report for the proposed Cordon Ranch residential subdivision at 500 Cordon Canyon Road after a staff presentation of the draft EIR and a public comment period focused on emergency access, wildfire risk and mitigation measures.

Staff planner Steph (planning staff) told the commission that the draft EIR analyzes the direct and indirect environmental impacts of building 20 single‑family homes and associated on‑ and off‑site improvements and that the project is consistent with the city’s general plan and zoning. “We do not have anything that can’t be mitigated,” Steph said, summarizing the document’s conclusion that identified impacts can be avoided, reduced or offset by the mitigation measures in the draft EIR.

The draft EIR highlights potential biological resource, transportation and wildfire impacts and proposes mitigation measures. The biological resources analysis, based on an arborist report, a tree impact memo, a site‑specific biological assessment and an Army Corps of Engineers jurisdictional determination, identified sensitive habitats, small wetland features (about one‑tenth of an acre) and tree removal that would trigger mitigation requirements. The EIR proposes preconstruction surveys for nesting birds and bats, prioritizes avoidance of special‑status species and wetlands, and allows for offsets where avoidance is infeasible.

On transportation, a…