Item 18 - Appeal Application Nos. 2023-02 and 2023-03 for Cabrillo Town Center project

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3. Revisions to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines 3.1 Introduction The most recent comprehensive revisions to the CEQA Guidelines adopted by the California Natural Resources Agency became effective on December 28, 2018, after the preparation and certification of the Certified EIR. The revisions to the CEQA Guidelines were adopted largely to create efficiencies and to align the CEQA Guidelines with California appellate court and Supreme Court decisions, including changes to Appendix G. Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines contains a sample initial study format. The purpose of an initial study is to assist lead agencies in determining whether a project may cause a significant impact on the environment. To help guide that determination, Appendix G asks a series of questions in the form of a checklist regarding a range of environmental resources and potential impacts. When the Appendix G checklist was originally developed, it contained only a handful of questions. Over time, the list of questions has grown in response to increasing awareness of the effects of development on the environment. Currently, the sample checklist contains 89 questions divided into 20 categories of potential impacts. 3.2 Modifications to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines The most recent comprehensive revisions to Appendix G were adopted largely to reduce redundancy, provide additional clarity, and align Appendix G with California appellate court and Supreme Court decisions and changes to the Public Resources Code. An overview of the modifications to Appendix G is provided below by environmental topic. Based on the discussion below, while Appendix G was modified, the modified Appendix G questions that would apply to the Project have been addressed within the Certified EIR. 3.2.1 Aesthetics The Appendix G modifications include updates to aesthetics analysis and provide distinct checklist questions for public views and consistency with zoning regulations governing scenic views, depending upon whether the project is within a non -urbanized or urbanized area. All of the checklist questions as presented in the updated Appendix G checklist are addressed in Section 4.1, Aesthetics, of the Draft EIR. 3.2.2 Agriculture and Forestry Resources These checklist questions were not updated as part of the modifications and are responded to in the Initial Study that preceded the Draft EIR and is included in Appendix A of the Draft EIR portion of the Certified EIR. Cabrillo Town Center City of Santa Ana Technical Memorandum August 2023 City Council 18 — 481 10/3/2023