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Supervisors adopt countywide VMT thresholds for CEQA review over rural baseline option
Summary
By 4–1 vote the board adopted a countywide vehicle‑miles‑traveled (VMT) threshold policy for CEQA, endorsing a 15% threshold and screening criteria to streamline project review; supervisors debated rural impacts and whether to use unincorporated baselines or subregional baselines.
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted Oct. 21 to adopt a county policy for assessing Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), selecting countywide baseline data and a 15% threshold of significance.
Planning staff, led in presentation by Megan Acevedo, explained that SB 743 shifted CEQA transportation metrics from level of service to vehicle miles traveled and that adopting quantitative thresholds would bring consistency to project review. The proposed policy establishes two metrics — VMT per resident and VMT per employee — and identifies screening criteria for projects that may be considered to have a less‑than‑significant transportation impact without detailed VMT analysis (for example, projects generating fewer than 110 daily trips, projects in mapped low‑VMT areas, mixed‑use or 100% affordable housing in urban areas, and small local retail under 50,000 square feet).
Staff presented two options for the baseline: (1) unincorporated‑only averages or (2) countywide averages that include incorporated cities. Planning recommended option 1 (unincorporated data) because it better reflects county jurisdiction, but acknowledged the planning commission was split on the choice.
Supervisors raised concerns about rural and Southern Humboldt communities that lack transit and could be disadvantaged by a lower countywide baseline. Public commenters including Colin Fisk (CRTP) urged adoption of subregional baselines to reflect housing and job markets; others asked the board to align thresholds with statewide VMT reduction goals. Planning staff noted the policy includes a 2030 reassessment and that mitigation strategies could reduce impacts when projects exceed thresholds.
Supervisor Wilson moved to find the proposed VMT threshold policy is not a project under CEQA guidelines and to adopt the policy using countywide data (including incorporated city data) to set the baseline and thresholds. The motion passed by voice/roll call vote 4–1, with Chair Bushnell dissenting. Staff will implement the screening criteria and return for reassessment in 2030 or earlier if needed.
Key technical points adopted include screening small projects (under 110 trips/day), using VMT per resident and per employee metrics, and a 15% baseline reduction threshold; staff noted no major transit stops currently exist in unincorporated Humboldt but may be added to regional lists with future planning.
