SCNA plans close look at Curtis Park Village Draft EIR;
your help is needed
By Jennifer Jennings and Dan Murphy
Special to the Viewpoint
The long-awaited Draft EIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report) for the
proposed Curtis Park Village development is now expected to be released
in February, 2006. Review of this Draft EIR and the proposed Curtis Park
Village will be one of SCNA's most important undertakings in the coming
year.
The purpose of an EIR is to provide public agencies and the public in
general with detailed information about the effect a proposed project
is likely to have on the environment, to list ways in which the significant
effects of a project might be minimized, and to indicate alternatives
to a project.
A Draft EIR must be submitted for public review and comment for a period
of not less than 30 days nor longer than 60 days except in unusual circumstances.
The SCNA Board has requested at least a 60-day public review period for
the Curtis Park Village Draft EIR so that we will have time to conduct
workshops to inform the neighborhood about its contents and discuss possible
comments.
The city must consider comments on a Draft EIR received within the public
review period. They must also evaluate comments and prepare a written
response describing the disposition of significant environmental issues
raised (such as revisions to the proposed project to mitigate anticipated
impacts or objections).
In particular, the major environmental issues raised when the city's
position is at variance with recommendations and objections in the comments
must be addressed in detail giving reasons why specific comments and suggestions
were not accepted. There must be good faith and reasoned analysis in their
responses. Curtis Park Village will directly affect all of us in this
neighborhood, although the most dramatic impacts will be felt by those
who live closest to the project. This is our first chance to see how the
project will affect us and to determine for ourselves whether the Draft
EIR adequately considers those impacts.
It is also our chance to call for changes in the project and to seek
project conditions that will help avoid or minimize the adverse environmental
impacts identified. Regardless of your view on the pros and cons of the
proposed development, reviewing and commenting on the Draft EIR is your
best chance to improve the project by making specific suggestions that
can reduce its adverse environmental impacts.
What sort of adverse environmental effects might we expect to see in
the Draft EIR ? The proposed new development will have about 239 single
family homes, 310 multi-family units and 188,000 square feet of commercial
space.
During construction, there will be noise, dust, and truck traffic. From
what the developer has told us about the project, the biggest impact on
a permanent basis is likely to be traffic congestion, experienced most
notably on the streets adjacent to the project and delivering vehicles
in and out of the development. More traffic will generate noise impacts
and may increase local air pollution. Depending on the design of the project,
there may be aesthetic impacts and other land use impacts, too.
The first question for neighborhood residents is to determine whether
the Draft EIR identifies all of the potentially significant environmental
impacts of Curtis Park Village. Next, does the Draft EIR adequately analyze
those impacts? Is the level of detail in the Draft EIR sufficient to fully
disclose what the impacts will be? Will the mitigation measures proposed
in the Draft EIR be effective to reduce project impacts?
Are there alternatives to the project that would reduce significant
environmental impacts, but would still accomplish the developer's objectives?
For example, would a different mix of land uses or size of the project
components reduce the impacts? Finally, whatever the impacts, are there
additional specific project modifications or project conditions that might
avoid or mitigate the project's adverse environmental impacts?
Commenting on the Draft EIR is our best chance to help the city and
developer identify ways to improve Curtis Park Village so that it does
not unduly and adversely affect our existing neighborhood.
For this reason, SCNA is calling on your to help. See below for information
on how you can get involved and participate.
Help SCNA review the Curtis Park Village Draft EIR
The Draft EIR on Curtis Park Village will likely be hundreds of pages
long and will cover a broad range of environmental issues. The SCNA Board
is looking for volunteers to review individual sections of the Draft EIR.
If you have environmental expertise or a particular interest in a specific
environmental or land use planning issue, we would like you to assist
in reviewing the Draft EIR. To get involved, please call SCNA Executive
Director Julie Adams-Gerth at 452-3005 or e-mail
her.
SCNA to hold EIR review workshops
SCNA is planning on holding at least two workshops to review the Draft
EIR on Curtis Park Village. We hope to have a traffic consultant attend
a workshop focused exclusively on traffic issues. A second workshop will
cover other issues, such as park and school capacity impacts.
We will publicize these workshops in the Viewpoint, but for faster notice,
check the Sierra 2 Web site once you hear the Draft EIR has been issued.
If you want to be on an e-mail alert list, send an e-mail
now.
In addition to SCNA's workshops, the city will likely sponsor a meeting
to receive comments from the public. We will also post notice of the city's
meeting on our Web site.
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