PC 091411 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ms. Stern indicated that the Housing Element identifies 17 potential land use change areas and includes draft Goals, Policies, and Programs for the facilitation of housing for all members of the Pleasanton community. She added that the CAP identifies multiple Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction strategies that will assist the community in meetings its GHG reduction targets, bringing back the reduction target of 1990 levels by 2020, or a 15 percent reduction from the 2005 levels. She then presented sample CAP strategies that are in a number of different topical areas which will be presented in more detail at a future workshop. Ms. Stern enumerated the different environmental analysis topics and briefly reviewed the revised schedule for the EIR process, indicating that the Final EIR will be available in December 2011, following the publication of the Draft EIR and a 45-day public comment period. She added that the Planning Commission and City Council will then consider the EIR certification in December 2011/January 2012 and the Housing Element, CAP, and General Plan Amendments and Rezonings, which may be approved only if significant effects are mitigated to less-than-significant levels or the City makes findings of overriding social and economic concerns. Brian Dolan stated that all feedback, comments, and suggestions given during the first scoping session on the Housing Element and associated rezoning and analyses will be addressed in the Draft EIR. He explained that the reason for this second scoping session was really a matter of efficiency as the CAP has been folded in, so there is only one document. He continued that it seemed awkward to have two EIRs with similar, overlapping subject matter floating around and to try and keep them consistent and avoid confusion. Commissioner Pentin advised that he needed to recuse himself from participating in any discussion on Item 19 on the map, as he did at the last public hearing session. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED. Carl Pretzel stated that he was present to specifically talk about the Climate Action Plan (CAP). He indicated that he has tried to read it a couple of times and found it to be a poorly worded document. He added that it is his personal opinion that the CAP is the largest single scientific fraud that has ever been placed on this planet, far beyond the cold fusion and, at the same time, certainly no joke because the economic disaster that it can lead this country into can result in the death of many people who are literally freezing to death or dying from the poverty that it causes that far exceeds the previous scientific fraud of nicotine being non-carcinogenic and non-addictive. In terms of the EIR consultant, Environmental Science Associates (ESA), being a technical expert in this, Mr. Pretzel pointed out that its statement that carpooling is exponentially more efficient than single-occupancy-vehicle use is clearly faulty, because capacity of traffic, and three people per car increases traffic nine-fold; therefore, it is PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, September 14, 2011 Page 8 of 28