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NorthLake Specific Plan
Draft Supplemental EIR

SECTION 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (California Public Resources Code,
Sections 21000 et seq.) requires that lead agencies consider the potential environmental
consequences of projects over which they have discretionary approval authority prior to taking
approval action on such projects. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is a public document
designed to provide the lead, responsible and interested agencies; special districts; local and
State governmental agency decision makers; and the public with an analysis of potential
environmental consequences to support informed decision making.

1.2 PROJECT LOCATION AND SETTING

The project site comprises approximately 1,330 acres of undeveloped land east of Interstate (I) 5,
west of Castaic Lake, and north of the community of Castaic, California in unincorporated Los
Angeles County. Regional access to the Specific Plan area is provided by I-5, and site access is
provided via the Parker Road and Lake Hughes Road exits from I-5. Local access to the Project
site is provided by Ridge Route Road, which traverses northerly along the western edge of the
Project site. The proposed Project includes development of Phase 1 of the NorthLake Specific
Plan to be implemented via Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 73336 (VTTM 73336), which
includes approximately 720 acres of the southern portion of the Specific Plan area and the
remaining property for Phase 2 to be developed at a future time.

The Specific Plan site is surrounded by undeveloped land to the north and east, and urban
development on the south and west.

The NorthLake Specific Plan Project site has been used as cattle ranchland since the early 1800s
and was occupied by settlement “homesteaders” at various times throughout the 1800s and early
1900s. Approximately 600 acres of the site were acquired by legal homesteading in the name of
William Cook in 1916 and became known as the Cook Ranch. Several hundred acres in the
northern and western portions of the site were acquired in contemplation of the construction of
Castaic Lake in the late 1960s. The Project site continues to be used for limited cattle grazing.

The Project site is generally underlain by Castaic Formation bedrock, which primarily consists of
marine sandstone and siltstone. On-site soils are primarily porous, loose, silty-sand and clayey-
silty-sand ranging in thickness from 2 to 52 feet. Alluvium occurs along the canyon floors of the
site. No active faults or fault traces have been identified on the site. Precipitation in the vicinity of
the Project site averages between approximately 14 and 16 inches per year and generally occurs
from November through April.

Grasshopper Canyon traverses the central portion of the Project site in a northwest to southeast
direction. The topography of Specific Plan area consists of a steeply sloping ridgeline that runs
northwest to southeast along the western boundary of the site adjacent to I-5. The eastern portion
of the Project site is characterized by gently rolling topography. To the east of Grasshopper
Canyon, slopes gradually rise to a ridge on the site's eastern boundary. An intermittent stream,
which is a United States Geologic Survey (USGS) designated “blueline” watercourse, runs
through Grasshopper Canyon. Intermittent drainages convey seasonal runoff to Castaic Lagoon,
which is located south of Castaic Lake. The main tributary in this area begins well to the north of
the Specific Plan area at a point generally parallel with the northern reach of Castaic Lake, and
continues in a southeast direction through Grasshopper Canyon, eventually reaching the
northwestern edge of Castaic Lagoon. Elevations on the site range from approximately 2,300 feet

R:\Projects\OC\WCP_Woodrid\J0001\Draft EIR\1.0 Exec Summary-042617.docx 1-1 Executive Summary