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~ ' 4. REVISIONS AND OMISSIONS TO THE AGENDA <br />There were none. <br />5. CONSENT CALENDAR <br />There were none. <br />6. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND OTHER MATTERS <br />a. Conservation and Ouen Space Element of the General Plan <br />Review and provide comment on a Draft Conservation and Open Space Element <br />of the General Plan. <br />Mr. Iserson introduced Janice Stern, Principal Planner, who presented the staff report. <br />Ms. Stern stated that conservation and open space aze two General Plan elements required <br />by State law and address the conservation of natural resources, such as water, soils, and <br />minerals, and the preservation of open space lands for parks and recreation, the managed <br />production of resources, public health and safety, and the preservation of natural <br />resources. <br />%" ~ Ms. Stern then presented a brief overview of the proposed revisions to the 1996 General <br />Plan. She noted that these revisions were drafted using comments from public meetings <br />which took place about two yeazs ago and reviewed by staff from the Departments of <br />Public Works and Utilities, Parks and Community Services, and Planning, as well as <br />from other public agencies including the East Bay Regional Pazk District and Zone 7. <br />She added that revisions for sections of the Element related to open space were also <br />discussed with the Parks and Recreation Commission earlier this year. <br />Ms. Stern indicated that the background text was edited and reorganized to include <br />updated information on the following: <br />• animals and plants; <br />• "Species of Special Concern," which was added to the Element; <br />• land cover, with accompanying graphics; <br />• soil and water resources, including water quality and stormwater runoff <br />requirements which have taken effect since the last General Plan, also with <br />accompanying graphics; <br />• sand and gravel resources, with a number of gravel operations having exhausted <br />mineral resources and moving out, and subsequent reclamation activities to create <br />the chain of lakes concept, with graphics showing the chain of lakes and areas still <br />in quarrying use; <br />• historic resources taken from the Downtown Specific Plan, with graphics showing <br />historic neighborhoods in the Downtown; <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, May 24, 2006 Page 2 of 34 <br />