RES 96087 - Laserfiche WebLink

. CEQA offers the public an important opportunity to understand the implications of public decisions on the physical environment. However, CEQA was not designed or intended to require analysis of impacts other than those directly affecting the physical environment. Past court decisions have judged some impacts as lying "outside the CEQA purview." Specifically, a project's creation of demand for new housing was found to raise "social and economic, not environmental concerns" (San Franciscans for Reasonable Growth v. City and COunly of San Francisco 209 Cal.App.3d 1502, 1521-1522. tn. 13 [258 Cal.Rptr. 267]). In their Guide to CEQA. Remy ~ al. observe that "in the more than twenty years since the enactment of CEQA. the environmental process has ... become a means by which the public interacts with decisionmakers in developing policies affecting the environment (1993, p. 2)." The contributions EIRs have made to public decisionmaking on issues and projects that affect the environment has sometimes led to expectations of EIRs that go beyond the JtlandB.te of CEQA. Ems are not required to address all dimensions of public policy relating to a decision, or all consequences of a particular project. Many public policy questions that relate to planning, and many project consequences that affect social and economic, but not physical, conditions lie outside the proper scope of environmental documents. 1bat fact does not constitute an impediment to the public's participating in decisionma1cing. It simply means that the environmental document is not a suitable vehicle for addressing non~nvironmental concerns. The letters cited by the commenter present observations that: (1) relate to the General Plan's provisions for satisfying State housing requirements; (2) address land use designations; and (3) comment on boundaries of the Planning Area and the area delineated for urban growth. These topics do not raise issues of impact on the physical environment. Such impact, if it ever were to occur, would be the consequence of a specific project proposal. The fact that an EIR's focus is on physical iJnpacts does not in any way inhibit the public from raising concerns about planning issues when decisionmakers consider the underlying project (here, the 1996 General Plan). The Council's decisions about provisions of the General Plan Housing Element can draw on experience with the previous Housing Element, recommendations of staff. comments by HCn, and input from the public_ 3