Staff Report.General Plan DEIR
PREPARED BY: Jennifer Armer, AICP
Interim Planning Manager
Reviewed by: Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 09/08/2021
ITEM NO: 3
DATE: August 30, 2021
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Provide the Public with an Opportunity to Give Verbal Comments on the Draft
Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Draft 2040 General Plan. No
action will be taken at this meeting. Project Planner: Jennifer Armer.
RECOMMENDATION:
Open and hold a public hearing to allow the public to provide verbal comments on the Draft
Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Draft 2040 General Plan.
PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING:
As required by CEQA, this public hearing is being held during the 45-day public review period
for the DEIR for the proposed project, the Draft 2040 General Plan. The Notice of Availability
for review of the DEIR was released on July 30, 2021, with the 45-day public review period
ending on September 13, 2021. This public hearing is an opportunity for members of the public
to provide verbal comments on the completeness and adequacy of the DEIR. Written
comments will be accepted until the close of the public review period that ends at 5:00 p.m. on
September 13, 2021.
The DEIR is an informational document that informs the public and the Town’s decision-makers
of significant environmental impacts related to the proposed project. The DEIR also identifies
ways to minimize potentially significant impacts to a less than significant level through
implementation of mitigation measures. The DEIR will be considered by the deciding body in its
review of the proposed project. The findings within the DEIR do not mandate a particular
decision on the proposed project, and the DEIR does not act as a recommendation for the
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SUBJECT: Draft 2040 General Plan DEIR
DATE: August 30, 2021
PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING (continued):
proposed project. The proposed project may ultimately be adopted, even if the DEIR discloses
significant unavoidable impacts associated with the proposed project. Similarly, the proposed
project may not be adopted, even if the DEIR finds that there are no significant impacts. A
decision on the proposed project will be made based on the merits of the project and the
record, including the DEIR.
This public hearing is not intended for consideration of the proposed project nor for the actual
certification of the DEIR. The deciding body may not act on the merits of the p roposed project
until the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) has been prepared. This public hearing is
intended solely to allow the public an opportunity to provide verbal comments on the DEIR.
Staff will not be responding to comments on the DEIR received during the public hearing. The
responses to comments will be included in the FEIR.
NEXT STEPS:
Following the public hearing on September 8, 2021 and the close of the 45-day public review
period on September 13, 2021, staff and the Draft 2040 General Plan Environmental Consultant
will respond to all written comments and to the testimony received at this Planning
Commission public hearing. The response to the comments will be provided in the FEIR, which
will include any revisions to the DEIR necessitated by the comments that are received.
A public hearing for consideration of the FEIR and the proposed project has not been
scheduled. The Town Council is the deciding body for the proposed project.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
At the time of this report’s preparation, the Town has not received any public comment on the
DEIR.
EXHIBIT:
Previously received under separate cover:
1. Notice of Availability and DEIR
Note that the complete Draft 2040 General Plan and DEIR are also available online at:
https://www.losgatos2040.com