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In the attached letter dated April 23, 2014 (Attachment 6), Becky Dennis, Citizens for a Caring Community, questioned some of the air quality modeling that was done for the air quality assessment and expressed concern with the project's impact on Pleasanton's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile. The applicant's consultant has prepared a letter responding to the air quality comments (Attachment 7). The consultant indicates that the air quality modeling used default values which have been used and accepted for assessments throughout the Bay Area. For the home to work commute distance, the default value is 9.5 miles. Ms. Dennis felt that the 9.5 mile distance should have been longer given that many workers travel outside of the Tri-Valley. A 16.6 mile commute distance is used for the City's Traffic Model based on employee surveys conducted in Hacienda. The air quality consultant re-ran the model using this longer 16.6 mile commute distance and found that the project would still not exceed BAAQMD's significance thresholds and the project's air quality impacts would be considered less than significant. Regarding greenhouse gas impacts, Assembly Bill (AB) 32, California's Global Warming Solutions Act, mandated local governments adopt strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consistent with the objectives of AB 32, the City adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2012 to outline strategies to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. The CAP was reviewed by the BAAQMD and was deemed a "Qualified Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy" in accordance with the District's CEQA guidelines. Implementation of the CAP started and will continue to occur over several years and include amendments to regulations and policies related to Land Use and Transportation, Energy, Solid Waste, and Water and Wastewater, which will result in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with the targets set by AB 32. If a project is consistent with or implements the applicable measures outlined in a CAP, then its greenhouse gas impacts are considered less than significant. Staff completed an analysis of how the project is consistent with or implements the applicable measures outlined in the City's CAP. As a large office project located immediately adjacent to a BART station and several commuter bus lines, the project is generally consistent with Land Use.Goal 1 of the CAP` to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through infill and higher density development. The project will also incorporate bicycle racks/storage and showers for employees that utilize alternative commutes, will provide carpool and alternative vehicle parking spaces including some with electric vehicle charging stations, and will provide incentive-based programs that encourage employees to choose alternative transportation to work. In addition, several Strategies and Supporting Actions related to water and energy conservation from the CAP are implemented in the proposed project or are required in the conditions of approval. The project will also be required to incorporate green building and energy efficiency measures through the City's Green Building Ordinance and the State's Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen). Therefore, as conditioned, staff finds the project consistent with the City's CAP and its greenhouse gas impacts can be considered less than significant. Page 8 of 10