City of Pleasant Hill, CA

07/07/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/07/2022 10:14

General Plan EIR - Notice of Preparation & Scoping Meeting

NOTICE OF PREPARATION AND SCOPING MEETING

Environmental Impact Report for the
Pleasant Hill 2040 General Plan

The City of Pleasant Hill (City), as the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), is preparing an update to the Pleasant Hill General Plan that will guide growth and development through 2040 and has determined that preparation of a programmatic EIR is necessary to evaluate potential environmental impacts of the 2040 General Plan and associated Zoning Code amendments pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City is the CEQA Lead Agency and is requesting input on the scope of the EIR from responsible and trustee agencies, interested public agencies and organizations, and the general public (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15082).

This NOP provides a summary of the plan, the City's preliminary identification of the potential environmental issues to be analyzed in the programmatic EIR; and information on how to comment on the scope of the EIR. This NOP and background documents associated with the 2040 General Plan are available for review on the Pleasant Hill 2040 General Plan webpage at: https://pleasanthill2040.com/.

EIR NOP Public Review Period: July 7, 2022 to August 8, 2022

The City requests your review and consideration of this notice and invites input and comments from interested agencies, persons, and organizations regarding the preparation of the 2040 General Plan EIR. Comments in response to this notice must be in writing and submitted to the Lead Agency Contact below by 5:00 p.m. on Monday August 8, 2022. If applicable, please indicate a contact person for your agency or organization.

NOP Written Comments: Comments must be submitted via mail or email with "NOP Comments: Pleasant Hill 2040 General Plan EIR" in the subject line and the name and physical address of the commenter in the body of the comment to the Lead Agency Contact at the following address or e-mail by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 8, 2022:

Troy Fujimoto, City Planner
Pleasant Hill Planning Division

100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
[email protected]

EIR Public Scoping Meeting: The City will hold a public EIR scoping meeting via video conference only (and as part of a regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting) to provide an opportunity for agency staff and interested members of the public to submit verbal comments on the scope of the environmental issues to be addressed in the EIR. The scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 26, 2022at 6:30 p.m. Please note the meeting link and information below:

Planning Commission Meeting

July 26, 2022 @ 6:30PM

Meeting Link - www.zoom.us

Webinar ID: 8541805 8051

Passcode: 061787

To supplement a PC, Mac, tablet or device without audio, please join by phone at (669) 900-6833.

Use the "Raise Hand" feature in Zoom so we know you wish to speak. (If you are calling on a telephone, please press *9 to virtually raise your hand in Zoom).When it is your turn to speak, City Staff will invite you. You must mute your speakers if you are watching the meeting via livestream (Youtube or City Website) or there will be feedback during the meeting. Please note that comments are limited to three minutes per speaker.

If you only wish to watch the meeting live, you can find it on our website at www.pleasanthillca.organd clicking on the large orange button labeled "Watch Meetings" or visit www.pleasanthillca.org/planningcom.

Plan Location: The Pleasant Hill 2040 General Plan encompasses the entirety of the City of Pleasant Hill.

Proposed Plan: The 2040 General Plan would serve as a long-term framework for future growth, establish the City's eight-year housing plan from 2023 to 2031, reflect issues identified from community input and changes in State law, and update all elements of the General Plan including the Land Use and Community Design; Housing, Economic Development; Public Facilities, Services and Infrastructure; Mobility; Open Space, Parks, and Recreation; Environment; and Hazards and Safety. The update to the General Plan would include, but is not limited to, revisions to policies, narratives, data, and figures to reflect the new buildout period. The Zoning Code would also be amended to ensure consistency with the General Plan (including Housing Element).

EIR Environmental Impact Areas: The EIR will provide a programmatic evaluation of potential environmental impacts of the plan. The EIR also will evaluate the cumulative impacts of the plan when considered in conjunction with other related past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future projects. The City anticipates that the plan could result in potentially significant environmental impacts with regard to the following topic areas, which will be further evaluated in the EIR.

  • Aesthetics
  • Air Quality
  • Biological Resources
  • Cultural Resources
  • Energy
  • Geology and Soils
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • Hazards and Hazardous Materials
  • Hydrology and Water Quality
  • Land Use and Planning
  • Noise
  • Population and Housing
  • Public Services
  • Recreation
  • Transportation
  • Tribal Cultural Resources
  • Utilities and
    Service Systems
  • Wildfire

EIR Plan Alternatives: The EIR will also evaluate a reasonable range of plan alternatives that could reduce or avoid potential environmental effects identified in the EIR, including a required "No Plan" Alternative.

When the Draft EIR is completed, it will be available for review at the City's offices located 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 and online at: https://www.pleasanthillca.org/. The City will issue a Notice of Completion and Notice of Availability of a Draft EIR at that time to inform the public and interested agencies, groups, and individuals regarding how to access the Draft EIR and provide comments. Additional information about the proposed plan can be accessed at the https://pleasanthill2040.com/ webpage and the City website at https://www.pleasanthillca.org/.

If you have questions regarding this NOP or the EIR public scoping meeting, please contact the Lead Agency Contact Troy Fujimoto at (925) 671-5209 or via email at [email protected].

The full Notice of Preparation can be viewed HERE.