The Community Development Department’s Planning Division of Chico, California, retained Cameron-Cole’s services to perform Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) in support of the  Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Barber Yard site, located in Southwest Chico, California.

The site was formerly occupied by the Diamond Match Factory (1906-1975) and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (1984-1989), and is bordered by residential neighborhoods to the north and east, the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and unincorporated orchards to the west, and rural residential and agricultural uses to the south. A portion of the southeastern border abuts Estes Road, with manufacturing uses located farther east.

Site activity currently consists of commercial storage of boats and recreational vehicles within the large warehouse building. Other portions of the site contain abandoned orchards and disturbed non-native annual grassland. Several species of native and nonnative trees surround the former factory area, including sycamore, citrus, pine, palm, oak, and walnut. There are a few remaining industrial buildings on site, most notably the Engineering Building constructed in 1903.

The development plan for the Barber Yard Site includes a mix of low-, medium-, and high-residential densities; a neighborhood core or commercial mixed-use center; office and light industrial uses; and parks and open space. The Plan also forecasts that the Barber Yard SPA development will yield 1,096 residential units and 403,882 square feet of non-residential uses on 112 net acres.

Cameron-Cole initially performed a Phase I ESA of the Barber Yard site and identified recognized environmental conditions not addressed by prior site remediation efforts. A Phase II ESA, including the collection of more than 100 soil and soil gas samples, was performed to further evaluate the identified conditions.

The Phase II ESA also included a sitewide subsurface survey to identify the locations of former underground storage tanks, pits and other subsurface features that could hinder site redevelopment efforts. The Phase II ESA identified limited areas of the site with elevated metals concentrations, unsuitable for the planned residential use. A soil management plan will be developed to manage exposures to metals in soil both during and following site redevelopment.