scanner@losgatosca.gov_20100729_162214MEMORANDUM
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
To: Chair John Bourgeois .and Planning Commmission Members
From: Wendie R. Rooney, Director of Community Development
Subject: Transmittal of Final EIR and General Plan Coininent Matrix
Date: June 18, 2010
In preparation for the June 23 and 30, 2010, Planning Commission meetings for the draft 2020
General Plan, attached please find the Final EIR {FEIR) and the General Plan Comment Matrix.
The Planning Commission will be discussing both of these documents at the June 23 and 30,
2010, meetings.
Comment Matrix: The Comment Matrix contains all the outside agencies, public and Town
Commission, and Commmittee comments that have been received since the release of the draft
General Plan in March. The Matrix is an anged in sections that correspond to four focus areas of
the General Plan update; Environment Sustainability; Youth Needs; Senior Needs; and
Recreation, Parks and Open Space. A fifth section is entitled "Other Comments" and contains
all non-focus area General Plan comments. The Matrix contains the comment and any
referenced General Plan Goal, Policy or Action; the source of the comment; staff
recommendations; and GPAC comments when applicable. It is important to note that based on
the Town Council direction to the GPAC, the Committee only commented on remarks relative to
the four focus areas of the update. Soiree of the requested changes to the General Plan have been
incorporated into the draft document and others that staff feels require fiirther discussion with the
Planning Commission and Town Council have not been in included in the draft General Plan.
The Comment Matrix will be reviewed concurrently with each applicable General Plan focus
area during the June 23 and 30, 2010, Planning Commission meetings. Finally, all relevant
Planning Commission input will be incorporated into the Comment Matrix and forwarded to the
Town Council for their consideration.
Final EIR: The attached FEIR is an addendum to the Draft Environmental Impact Report
(DEIR); therefore, staff recommends that the Planning Commission also bring their copy of the
DEIR to the June 23 and 30, 2010, Planning Coimllission meetings. The FEIR contains the list
of comments submitted on the DEIR, includes revisions that respond to applicable remarks, and
provides a response to all applicable comments. As noted in the "Introduction" Section of the
FEIR, none of the revisions result in significant changes to the Project Description or DEIR
findings. Consequently, a recirculation of the EIR is not necessary.
Final EIR Findings: As noted in Chapter 4 of the DEIR and shown in Table 2-1,
implementation of the 2020 General Plan will result in five significant and unavoidable impacts
in the areas of Air Quality, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (includes two significant unavoidable
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impacts), Land Use and Planning, and Transportation and Circulation. Consequently, the Town
Council will need to adopt a Statement of Overriding Consideration when .approving the FEIR.
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), when significant effects are
unavoidable, a detailed statement of ovelTiding considerations is separately required in addition
to the Findings. A "statement of overriding considerations" indicates that even though a project
would result in one or more unavoidable adverse impacts, specific economic, social or other
stated benefits are sufficient to warrant project approval. The statement explains the justification
for proceeding with the project despite the significant adverse environmental impacts. A
statement of overriding considerations provides specific reasons why the benefit of a proposed
project outweighs the adverse effect. If the benefits of a project outweigh the unavoidable
adverse envirorunental effects, those effects may be considered "acceptable" pursuant to CEQA.
Staff will be preparing a Statement of Overriding Consideration for the Planning Commission to
consider when inalcing a recommendation to the Town Council on the General Plan and EIR.
The draft Statement of Overriding Consideration will be transmitted to the Planning Commission
with the June 30, 2010, Planning Commission Meeting Agenda.
N:\DEV\REPORTS\2010\GPFEIR & Matrix-CoverMemo.June 23 & 30 PC.doc
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