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Principal Planner Janice Stern also reviewed the General Plan and EIR, reviewed the process and changes that have been made to both documents since the Council last reviewed it in September 2008. She said these changes resulted from new information received by staff, new programs that came into effect during that time, the passage of Measures PP and QQ, approval of the Stoneridge Drive Specific Plan amendment, and comments on the draft EIR and General Plan. The City received roughly 24 comments on the draft EIR from residents, community organizations, and local agencies. The most notable included comments concerning information on Native American presence in the local area, the location of projected jobs and methods for reducing vehicle miles travelled in association with those jobs, classification of Gateway intersections, land use designation in the East Pleasanton area, wildlife values in the Staples Ranch and Chain of Lakes area, quantification and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, the regional housing needs assessment, and an alternative to the project limiting the housing cap. She said staff received a letter today from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District requesting that alternative be analyzed. Staff's response is that it is not a feasible alternative since the cap is a voter approved measure. Ms. Stern outlined the most significant changes to the General Plan, stating that they primarily surrounded the topic of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The Land Use Element was updated to make policies related to mixed -use transit compatible development and densities more binding. The Circulation Element includes new programs related to the funding of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, participation in commute alternatives, and the requirement of bicycle improvements in development. The Public Facilities Element added programs related to exceeding the goals for waste reduction and increasing participation in recycling programs. The Air Quality and Climate Change Element underwent extensive change, including the addition of "climate change" to the title; Pleasanton's response to climate change; the recent ICLEI inventory study; and goals, policies, and programs to address climate change. The Energy Element has additional information regarding the financing of energy retrofits as well as changes to several programs to make them more mandatory than discretionary. Staff has also added Appendix A which is a compilation of all the goals, policies, and programs throughout the Plan that are related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The EIR identified two areas of significant impact. In the area of transportation, two gateway intersections, Owens drive at Hopyard Road and Stoneridge Drive at Johnson Drive, for which mitigation is available but may conflict with the City's goals for pedestrian amenities and visual character at gateway intersections. The Plan also outlines development assumptions which are inconsistent with those used in the 2005 Ozone Strategy. The 2005 Ozone Strategy assumes a greater amount of housing development over and above the 29,000 -unit cap in the General Plan. This impact is significant and unavoidable. Staff and consultants examined the project alternatives which considered both dispersed growth and a concentrated growth alternative. Neither alternative would reduce those impacts to less than significant levels or achieve the project objectives. Therefore the City has balanced the benefits of the project against the environmental impacts and finds that the benefits to the community outweigh the environmental risks. Mayor Hosterman thanked Mr. Dolan and Ms. Stern for the presentation. She said that while the initial assumption that the updates would take 1 year were significantly underestimated, staff has worked to change the face, character and nature of the General Plan into a much better fit for the local and global community. City Council Minutes Page 5 of 14 July 21, 2009