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The Danville Planning Commission is set Tuesday to provide comments, and solicit insight from the public, on a draft environmental impact report intended to align with the town’s upcoming Housing Element update.
The draft EIR is part of the new Housing Element for 2023 to 2031, which will contain a finalized EIR as one of its components once adopted. The current draft EIR is intended, in part, to demonstrate the town’s ability to accommodate the draft regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) assigned to localities earlier this year.
According to RHNA mandates, each locality in the state is tasked with identifying sites for the future development of additional housing aimed at addressing the state’s housing shortfall. If such sites can’t be identified, the town would be required to rezone existing sites in order to meet the RHNA requirements.
Some categories that will be up for consideration by the Planning Commission and the public at the upcoming meeting, as well as future meetings on the EIR and 2023-2031 Housing Element update, include air quality, transportation, energy, public services and aesthetics.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the final EIR must include a summary and description of the project, descriptions of the existing environmental factors in relevant areas, probable environmental impacts and mitigation measures, as well as environmental consequences expected to result from planned projects. In addition, the EIR must identify what environmental consequences are avoidable, and what consequences are reversible and additional impacts.
According to CEQA, the EIR must also propose alternatives that could obtain objectives of the Housing Element update while lessening environmental impacts.
The upcoming Housing Element update will be part of the town’s 2030 General Plan, which was adopted in March. The current Housing Element of the General Plan runs from 2014 to 2022, and was adopted in April of 2015. The next update will mark the sixth cycle of the Housing Element.
The commission is set to meet on Tuesday (Oct. 26) at 5 p.m. via Zoom. The agenda is available here.
In other business
* The commission will consider a resolution allowing for a minor subdivision on a 0.78-acre parcel lot at 2434 Tassajara Lane. If approved, the subdivision would allow the lot to be divided into two single-family residential lots.
Construction is already underway for a residence on parcel B of the lot. In order for the subdivision to be approved, and for parcel A to be developed, the developers would be required to construct a trail along the portion of Sycamore Valley Creek running through the parcel. This is part of a larger project planned by the town, and aimed at providing pedestrian access along the creek.
* Planning Commissioner Robert Combs will provide a presentation about the implications of the recently signed Senate Bill 9 for the town. The bill allows for the construction of two residential units on a majority of single-family residential lots up to 1,200 square feet.
