NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Pursuant to the State of California Public Resources Code and the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this notice is to advise you that the City of Modesto intends to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the proposed project described below. PROJECT TITLE: Village One – Easton Subdivision Project LEAD AGENCY: City of Modesto, Community and Economic Development Department, Planning Division PROJECT APPLICANT: NRB Investment, LLC, 1701 W. March Lane, Suite D, Stockton, CA 95207 PROJECT LOCATION: The Project site is an approximately 19.0-acre site within the 1,850-acre Village One Specific Plan (VOSP) planning area, which has been annexed into the incorporated limits of the City of Modesto. The Project site is located about 4.75 miles northeast of Modesto's downtown core. State Route 99 is located five miles to the west. Claribel Road (State Route 219) is two miles to the north. The Project site is located on the east side of Claus Road, north of Milnes Road, and west of the BNSF (formerly Santa Fe) railroad. The Project site comprises a subdivision of Assessor's Parcel Number 014-014-005. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed Project consists of a General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation of the Project site from Business-Commercial-Residential (BCR) to Village Residential (VR); a Specific Plan Amendment to the Village One Specific Plan (VOSP) to change the land use designation of the Specific Plan's Easton subdivision from Business Park (BP) to Village Residential (VR); a Rezone of the Project site from Specific Plan-Holding (SP-H) to Specific Plan (SP); the adoption of Precise Plan 35 North; and a Tentative Subdivision Map creating 127 residential lots, one park lot, and one public access and public utility easement (PUE) lot. Lot sizes vary and include sizes ranging from approximately 50'x80' for interior lots and 55'x80' for corner lots. The proposed 127 units on approximately 19.0 acres would result in a density of approximately 6.68 dwelling units per gross acre, which is slightly above the average density of 6.5 dwelling units per gross acre identified for the Village Residential designation in the VOSP; the requested Specific Plan Amendment would establish the density applicable to the Project site. The park site (0.80 acres) is located on the central portion of the Project site. The development would include internal roadways, landscaping, and storm drainage. The residential lots contain proposed setbacks for 15' for porches, 20' for garages, 10' for rear, 5' for sides, and 10' for corners. Primary vehicular access to the Project site would be provided from Milnes Road to the south, with internal circulation consisting of a connected network of five streets serving the residential units and the park lot. A 20' public access lot is located at the west end of Circle A to provide emergency access from the subdivision to Claus Road. The proposed Project includes sidewalk and landscaping frontage along Milnes Road, and an access into the subdivision on Circle A from Milnes Road. All improvements will be installed in accordance with the City of Modesto Standards. The storm drainage disposal will be within park/basin Lot B and conducted by a collection system and connect to the existing City of Modesto system. Sanitary sewer will connect to the existing City of Modesto system. Domestic water will connect to the existing City of Modesto system. Tree planting will be performed in accordance with the City of Modesto ordinances. The subdivision's erosion control plan will also be completed per the City of Modesto ordinances. The City of Modesto will own and maintain all public right-of-way (Milnes Road). All roads within the development are private and will be owned and maintained by the developer. Street lighting will be in accordance with the City of Modesto standards and maintained by the City of Modesto. The internal roadways are designed to be 48' wide and sidewalks are designed to be 5' wide. For more details regarding the project background, project characteristics, objectives, entitlements, circulation improvements, and utilities improvements, please see the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration available at: https://www.modestogov.com/1559/California-Environmental-Quality-Act-AB- FINDINGS/DETERMINATION: The City of Modesto has prepared an Initial Study for the proposed Project and, on the basis of that Initial Study, has determined that although the Project could have a significant effect on the environment, there will not be a significant effect in this case because revisions to the Project have been made by or agreed to by the applicant and mitigation measures have been incorporated into the Project that would reduce all potentially significant effects to a less-than-significant level. Mitigation measures are proposed in the areas of Biological Resources, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Noise, and Tribal Cultural Resources, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program will be adopted concurrently with the MND. The City therefore proposes to adopt an MND for this Project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE STATUS: Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21092.6 and California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15072(g)(5), the City has determined that the Project site is not included on any of the lists of hazardous materials sites enumerated under Government Code Section 65962.5. The lists were checked by review of the Department of Toxic Substances Control EnviroStor database and the State Water Resources Control Board GeoTracker database, as described in Section IX, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, of the Initial Study.PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD: A 30-day public review period for the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration will commence on September 13, 2026 and will end on October 13, 2026 for interested individuals and public agencies to submit written comments on the document. Written comments concerning the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration are due by 5:00 p.m. on October 13, 2026 and should be submitted to the attention of Michael Hren, Principal Planner at the City of Modesto, 1010 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354; or by e-mail to mhren@modestogov.com. PUBLIC HEARING: The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to consider the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Project on November 19, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354. The hearing date is subject to change; separate notice of the hearing will be provided in accordance with State law and the Modesto Municipal Code. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15073, comments from responsible and trustee agencies should be limited to those Project activities that are within the agency's area of statutory responsibility. If we do not receive a response from your agency/organization by the close of the review period, we will presume that your agency/organization has no response to make. Copies of the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration can be reviewed at the City of Modesto, located at the address above, during normal business hours, and online at: https://www.modestogov.com/1559/California-Environmental-Quality-Act-AB- QUESTIONS: Questions regarding the City of Modesto's review of the Project or MND may be directed to Michael Hren, Principal Planner, at the address above or at (209) 577-5273 or mhren@modestogov.com. IPL0372057 Sep 13 2026