Month: September 2017

Water Well Information

Published on by MontalvoCC1 Comment

Please see the previous post regarding this matter here.

In an email received 9/12/17:

Hello Montalvo community members,

Thank you for attending our informational meeting last Tuesday to discuss the Mound Well No. 3 project.  Community involvement is one of the most important aspects of the environmental review process, so we appreciated having such a good group of engaged citizens.

We received the following specific questions during our meeting and within follow up emails.

     1. Hydrology study

Preliminary Hydro Report_Mound_3-30-15

     2. Antenna specs – transmitting or receiving, frequency, directional or omni, type of antenna

The radio operates within the 900 Mhz range.  Due to security reasons, we cannot provide the exact frequency the City will operate on. However the Public Works Department has assured us that the radio signal transmission/receiving will be within what the law allows for public utility operations.  The antenna will be a directional yagi antenna, and will be pointed toward one of the City’s master radios for data collection.  Regarding the alternative possibility of using cable and wifi options, cable is not used because the City could not control the infrastructure and would have no control over outages and repairs.  Wifi is not used as the network and maintenance costs would be too great at this time, due to the current data requirements for well operation.

     3. CEQA report

See Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration below.  A copy can also be viewed in City Hall Room 117.

Final Mound Well 3 – IS-MND_Feb 2017

  1. Exact dB and frequency of pump sound

This is a copy of the City’s current Noise Ordinance.
Sec. 10.650.110._Noise Regulations_General-1

The City/Contractor will strictly adhere to this ordinance.

To help address people’s curiosity about noise from the pump/motor, Chris Dejarme is organizing a small “field-trip” to Saticoy Well No. 3 which was constructed in 2015.  This well should give anyone curious about noise a good first-hand experience of the noise generated by the pump once operational.

Chris should have already sent out a separate email, but he will open the facility on Wednesday, September 13th from 10:00-10:30 AM.  The site is located at 11183 Aster Street, Ventura, CA 93004.  Please note this is an industrial facility, so please use extreme caution and adhere to safety measures once onsite.  Please contact Chris Dejarme CC’ed on this email for more info regarding the field-trip.

  1. Light Pollution study

No light pollution study was conducted as the City is not planning on installing any lighting other than what you would normally find in a residential neighborhood.  Prior to installation of any lighting, the City’s Building & Safety Department will review the final plan and ensure that everything is within code.  Additional info on lighting can be found in the Aesthetics Section of the attached CEQA report.

  1. Where to direct concerns

You can direct your questions/concerns with regards to environmental impacts to me/Sespe, up to the day of the Administrative Hearing which is now scheduled for October 3, 2017.  The Planning Department has not yet opened up a formal portal for submitting comments directly to them, but any comments we received beforehand will be passed on once they do.  I will be sure to let everyone know as soon as this portal opens up.

You can direct technical questions and other general questions to Chris Dejarme of the City of Ventura  cdejarme@ci.ventura.ca.us

A point of clarification from the information provided at last Tuesday’s meeting, well drilling will need to be conducted around the clock for a few days, as once this process begins it cannot stop until the well is completely drilled.  During this process, a large sound curtain/wall will be placed around the entire drill site to attenuate noise during this activity.    The remaining construction activities (installation of pre-fabricated building, installation of other appurtenances, etc.) will occur during daytime hours.

Sound Curtain-Wall Image 1Sound Curtain-Wall Image 2

Please be aware, the Administrative Hearing for the project has been postponed until Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 4:00 in the afternoon at Santa Cruz Room, City Hall, 501 Poli Street, Ventura, CA.

Thank you, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to either myself or Chris Dejarme if you have additional questions/concerns.

Graham Stephens
Sespe Consulting, Inc.
374 Poli St., Ste. 200 • Ventura, CA 93001
Office: (805) 275-1515
Cell: (805) 794-4870