West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

3.1.3.14 City of VictorvilleThe City of Victorville is located along Interstate 15 in the Victor Valley region of SanBernardino County, at the southern end of the Mojave Desert. The City General Plan establishesthirteen planning areas for purposes of land use designation and analysis. City land use goalsinclude maintaining a balanced community with a diversified economic base, providing adequatecity services and maintaining an aesthetically pleasing community. (City of Victorville GeneralPlan Land Use Element at pages 51 through 54.) Residential land use designations allow fordevelopment densities ranging from one dwelling unit per five acres (Open Space and RuralResidential) to twenty dwelling units per acre (Very High Density Residential). Developmentdensities for industrial and commercial uses range from 40 to 60% site coverage.Resource management goals identified within the General Plan indicate that the Citywould monitor new information regarding the status of sensitive floral and faunal species torevise its biotic inventory; would continue to require preservation of native Joshua treewoodlands and specimens where possible; would continue to require preservation of the MojaveRiver riparian habitat; would continue to participate in a cooperative effort with other agencies tomonitor and review the management of resources; and would continue to cooperate and consultwith federal, state, county and local agencies in resolving regional resource management issues.(City of Victorville General Plan – Resource Element at pages 48 through 52.) The City hasdesignated areas along the Mojave River as Open Space. The General Plan indicates that theCity requires that a survey be conducted by a qualified biologist to determine whether tortoisehabitat exists prior to issuance of grading permits for undisturbed sites. (Id. at page 44.) Theplan further indicates that the City has established a “no survey” area within the City based onthe results of 370 completed biological surveys. This “no survey” area was established afterconsultation with the USFWS.Rockview Nature Park: A small but important educational facility operated by the Cityof Victorville is located at the Lower Narrows of the Mojave River. School classes are hostedfor educational programs, and the site protects rocky outcrops, Joshua tree woodland, and aportion of the Mojave River riparian habitat. Trails are present providing access to the river.3.1.3.15 Town of Yucca ValleyThe Town of Yucca Valley is located in the south central portion of San BernardinoCounty, in the Morongo Basin. Existing development in the town is focused along StateHighway 62. Nearly all of the commercial development in the town is focused along thiscorridor, with residential development occurring to the north and south at progressively lowerdensities. Development in the area is constrained by the topography, and only about 25% of thelands in the town were developed as of 1995. [Yucca Valley Comprehensive General Plan, DraftEnvironmental Impact Report at page II-1]. Residential densities under the General Plan rangefrom densities of one dwelling unit per 20 acres to 14 dwelling units per acre [Id. at I-9]. Otherland use designations (Commercial, Industrial) limit development at varying levels of intensity[Id. at I-13]. A total of 511 acres are zoned Open Space for park lands, lands that pose a humanhazard and biologically sensitive areas [Id. at I-9].Chapter 3 3-28