There is a Draft Environmental Impact Report that has been prepared for the proposed Saranap Village project for development along Boulevard Way and Saranap Avenue.
Many of us who live in Saranap have watched this proposed development slowly move through the County planning review process. It requires a major revision to the County General Plan to allow building heights up to seven stories and 90 feet. You may be curious about what the impact of this decision means; and wonder, “What is a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)?”
The Draft Environmental Impact Report was written using material submitted by Hall Equities, the developer, and consultants who provide expertise in specific area like traffic and waste water runoff. The DEIR assesses the potential environmental consequences of the proposed Saranap Village development along Boulevard Way and Saranap Avenue. Additionally, the report identifies mitigation measures and alternatives that would avoid or reduce significant impacts, like parking and traffic. The County is the lead agency for DEIR.
The DEIR is intended to inform County decision-makers, other agencies, businesses, and the public who live in Saranap of the aspects of the project as part of their consideration of the requested amendments to the County General Plan. The DEIR will be prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The DEIR is organized in several sections as follows:
Alternatives to the project are provided in the DEIR, including the CEQA-required No Project Alternatives, the Reduced Project Alternative, and the General Plan Buildout Alternative. The Environmentally Superior Alternative is described with a Summary Comparison of Impacts and CEQA-Required Assessment Conclusions for each alternative with project effects with regard to unavoidable significant impacts, less than significant after mitigation, less than significant, and impacts found not to be significant.
The drafting of the DEIR was completed and on September 19 it was made available for review and comment by the public and other agencies for a 60-day public comment period. There will be a review of the DEIR by the County Zoning Administrator. A public hearing will be held on November 3, 2014 at 3:30 p.m. in the Department of Conservation and Development offices located at 30 Muir Road in Martinez where written and oral comments can be presented. It is expected that the County will hold also a public hearing to solicit oral comments regarding the DEIR; we will post the date, time, and location on the saranap.org website.
Following the close of the 60-day comment period, a Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) will be prepared, which will respond to substantive comments received on the DEIR that are related to the potential environmental consequences of the project. The Final EIR will be available for public review before being considered for certification as adequate by the County Department of Conservation and Development.
If the County certifies the Final EIR, it will also consider the changes to the General Plan and the project itself, which it may approve, deny, or approve with conditions. The County may approve, reject, or modify the changes to the General Plan that have been requested by the developer; it may require the mitigation measures specified in the Final EIR as conditions of project approval; it may require other mitigation measures; it may find that the mitigation measures are outside the jurisdiction of the County to implement; or it may find that there are no mitigation measures for the significant impact but that the project is nonetheless necessary or desirable due to specific overriding considerations, including economic factors, and approve the project anyway, despite the unavoidable significant impacts.
The Final EIR will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for consideration of project itself, which it may approve, deny, or approve with conditions. This will be done in at least one public meeting.
More information is on the saranap.org home page.