Item 26 - Public Hearing Regarding Bristol Project

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Response to Letter L10: Dorothy J. Wall, dated August 11, 2024 Comment L10.1: This comment states that the City Council does not have the interests of the community as their top priority and this Project is not in the best interest of the community. The comment states that Bristol Street is already a traffic nightmare. The comment provides a discussion of corruption, that the residents have not been consulted enough, and that communication has been horrible on the Project. The comment states that the Project will have a negative impact on neighborhoods, roads, schools, businesses, and quality of life and that the commenter shops a lot in the center and does not want that to change. This comment states that the commenter will request resignations if the Project goes through. Response L10.1: The comment does not raise any specific environmental concern with the analysis within the Draft SEIR. Draft SEIR Section 5.13 Transportation, details that Senate Bill (SB) 743 changes include the elimination of auto delay, LOS, and similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion as the basis for determining significant impacts. As part of the 2019 amendments to the State CEQA Guidelines, SB 743 directed that the revised CEQA Guidelines "shall promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses" (Public Resources Code Section 21099[b][1 ]); and that "automobile delay, as described solely by level of service or similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion, shall not be considered a significant impact on the environment" (Public Resources Code Section 21099[b][2]). As such, pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21099(b)(2), the SEIR focuses on analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) criteria and improvements to the circulation system along the Project's frontage to accommodate buildout of the proposed Project, pursuant to the City's recent General Plan Update. Further yet, the SEIR is not required to analyze impacts related to traffic congestion. Nevertheless, a Traffic Impact Analysis was prepared for the Project and is publicly available on the City's Project website. CEQA is an environmental protection statute that is concerned with physical changes to the environment (CEQA Guidelines Section 15358(b)). The environment includes land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of historic or aesthetic significance (CEQA Guidelines Section 15360). The Project's potential economic and social effects are not considered effects on the environment (CEQA Guidelines Sections 15064(e) and 151 31(a)). Thus, consistent with CEQA, the Draft SEIR includes an analysis of the Project's potentially significant physical impacts on the environment and does not include discussion of community interests or general negative impacts on the community. This comment will be forwarded to City decision makers as part of the staff report for the Project. 22