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constraints" and "gateway intersections Gateway intersections are generally those intersections which are immediately adjacent to 1 -680 and 1 -580. The gateway constraint concept allows more peak hour congestion at these intersections, compared to the city -wide Level of Service D, when improvements to the intersection would have a negative impact on visual character or pedestrian amenities at these intersections. Gateway constraints can be used successfully to discourage cut through traffic and for alleviating travel delays within the City's internal circulation network. Comments on the September 2008 Draft General Plan Following the release of the Draft General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report in September 2008, staff received 33 letters and e-mails from individuals and agencies. Comments on the Draft EIR are addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Report (Attachment 3: previously distributed). Comments on the Draft General Plan are addressed in Attachment 5: Comments and Responses on the Draft General Plan. As discussed below, consideration of these comment letters has resulted in some recommended changes which are reflected in the April 24, 2009 Draft General Plan. A comment letter from the State Attorney General Edmund Brown (Letter 18 in Attachment 5) was not timely for purposes of providing a response in the Final EIR but mainly addressed the issue of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the link between GHG emissions, the City's 29,000 residential unit housing cap, and the anticipated growth in jobs and vehicle miles traveled at build -out of the General Plan. This letter was followed by staff-to -staff communications which resulted in several recommended additions and amendments to the Draft General Plan in an attempt to provide additional information and to strengthen policies and programs as they relate to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These additions and amendments (among others) are shown in Attachment 10. In a subsequent letter to the City (dated May 8, 2009, and previously received by the City Council), the Attorney General's Office expressed the opinion that there remain "fundamental defects in the Update's environmental analysis" consisting of defects in the determination of significance for climate change, inadequate mitigation of climate change impacts, and inadequate alternatives analysis. Specifically, the Attorney General's letter asserted that the EIR should include an evaluation of removing the housing cap. For the reasons noted in response to Letter 11 in the Final EIR (which essentially covers the same issues as the Attorney General's letter), staff recommends the Council conclude such an evaluation is not required. See pages 3 -58 through 3 -89 of the Final EIR. Proposed Amendments to the April 24, 2009, Draft General Plan The Planning Commission discussed and recommended several minor amendments to the April, 24, 2009 Draft General Plan, including the addition of a program regarding the need for a permanent ACE train station in the Circulation Element (the specific location and /or the conversion of the temporary location to a permanent facility will be determined at a later time), and the clarification of five other programs in the Circulation, Public Safety, Public Facilities and Community Programs, and Noise elements. These recommended amendments are shown in Attachment 12. Page 5 of 8