Heritage Plaza Parking Lot Improvements Project: Solar PV Carport Installation Award Number: DE-EE0006945 CX(s) Applied: A9, B5.16 Tribal Energy Program Date: 04/20/15 Location(s): CA Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
April 20, 2015
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Heritage Plaza Parking Lot Improvements Project: Solar PV Carport Installation
Award Number: DE-EE0006945
CX(s) Applied: A9, B5.16
Tribal Energy Program
Date: 04/20/2015
Location(s): CA
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (Band) would utilize DOE and cost share funds to install an approximately 77kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system to offset the energy usage costs of the Tribal Education and Family Services offices located at the Band’s Heritage Plaza office building, 901 Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA, 92262. The area where project activities would occur is presently an asphalt parking lot. The system’s PV panels would be mounted on two southern carport shade structures already being installed by the Tribe as part of a larger parking lot improvement (PLI) project. This PLI project includes removal of current landscaping to replace with low water use plants, new landscape irrigation and lighting system, new parking lot lighting, asphalt will be removed and replaced with concrete, drainage catch basins will be installed underneath the parking lot, and new driveway aprons will be installed as needed. The larger PLI project funding is being provided by the Tribal Transportation Program through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The FHWA issued a Categorical Exclusion under NEPA for the PLI project on July 15, 2014, as the project only involves improvements within an existing disturbed area that consists entirely of modern development.