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Before starting the discussion on the Draft Air Quality Element, Ms. Stern presented a brief update on the process and timetable for wrapping up the General Plan. She indicated that the Planning Commission will consider the two remaining Elements tonight. She added that there is also a Water Element, 90 percent of which has been aggregated from already existing Elements that the Commission had previously reviewed. Ms. Stern stated that after tonight's meeting, staff will put together the preliminary Draft General Plan document, and the consultants will then finish preparing the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Planning Commission's consideration. This is projected to take place in June 2008. She indicated that following the 45-day public review of the EIR, staff will bring back to the Commission, sometime in August 2008, both the Draft General Plan and the Final EIR for the Commission's formal recommendation to the City Council. She concluded that the City Council hearings on the documents would take place in September and October of 2008, and the adoption of the General Plan and certification of the EIR would take place by fall of this year. In response to Chair Blank's inquiry if the adoption of the documents would be done before the elections in November, Ms. Stern replied that staff is trying to complete the process by then. Ms. Stern then presented the staff report on the Draft Air Quality Element, discussing the background and an overview of the Element. She explained the issues relating to air quality, including improvements in air quality, odor issues, and the relationship between air quality, climate change, and sustainable development. She noted that staff has received three emails related to wood smoke which can be a nuisance and cause health problem such as asthma attacks and other respiratory damages. Ms. Stern noted that there are two aspects to wood smoke: indoor fireplace wood-burning and outdoor smoke resulting from burning in the back yard. She indicated that there are existing ways of regulating indoor fireplaces in new construction by way of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified fireplaces required in new construction. She added that Conditions of Approval in the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process have been used to requires gas fireplaces rather than wood-burning ones. She noted that staff can consider going further through the enactment of a municipal ordinance relating to wood smoke or fireplaces and wood stoves, which could require the retrofit of existing fireplaces when the house is remodeled or a room is added. She added that Program 5.3 has been added to address this. Ms. Stern stated that the emails received relate to the issue of burning outside the house. She noted that regulations have been put in place for this by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) which bans outdoor burning with the exception of charcoal or gas barbecues and burning clean wood with a minimum amount of fire starter. She added that any violations of this regulation may be reported to BAAQMD. Ms. Stern stated that the City requires a building permit for the installation of outside fireplaces and fire pits, a small number of which come before the Planning Department in PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, February 20, 2008 Page 2 of 18