PC-2009-15, DRAFT PLEASANTON GENERAL PLAN 2005-2025

FINDINGS FOR ALTERNATIVES EVALUATED IN THE EIR During the preparation of the EIR for the proposed Project, the City evaluated several alternatives. A description and a finding for each alternative are presented below. No Project Alternative (1996 General Plan) Description This alternative assumes buildout of the existing 1996 Pleasanton General Plan. The buildout population of this alternative would be about 72,945, as compared to 78,200 under the proposed General Plan, because buildout of the existing General Plan at mid- point densities enables about 2,000 fewer housing units than would be allowed by the proposed General Plana Finding: Infeasible By not adopting General Plan 2005-2025, the No Project Alternative would not include a new Energy Element with its focus on sustainability and conservation, a new Water Element with its focus on sustainability, water conservation and quality; a revised Air Quality and Climate Change Element with its focus on improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and revisions to all elements that would focus on quality of life and sustainability. Limiting population based on the housing cap while allowing and encouraging business development would be a cumulative effect of building out the Planning Area that is intrinsic to both the existing and proposed General Plans. The No Project Alternative would not avoid or substantially reduce the significant and unavoidable impacts of the proposed project to increase cumulative vehicle miles traveled greater than the population increase estimated in the newest regional air quality plan. This alternative is infeasible because it is inconsistent with the City's planning goals to make the Planning Area more sustainable, to promote the development of walkable communities, to expand and improve the overall roadway/transit/trail network to provide more travel options, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Pleasanton, and to conserve energy through green building and other measures. As indicated in the EIR, the environmental impacts of the existing General Plan (No Project Alternative) would have slightly greater impacts than the proposed project. This alternative would cause additional significant impacts not identified for the proposed project. In particular: Noise: Development under the existing General Plan would result in noise impacts at existing and future sensitive receptors from increased traffic and construction activities. Construction would also cause impacts from vibration. Programs included in the existing General Plan would reduce This population estimate assumes that household vacancy rates will average three percent and household size will average 2.72 persons per household. As of 2005, about 873 additional housing units were allowed under the existing General Plan while 968 units had been approved or were under construction, or 2,007 fewer units than with the proposed General Plan at mid -point densities.