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Data provided in the EIR indicates a nominal level of economic development associated <br />with the instant project but does not provide any meaningful assessment of the economic <br />impact associated with removing office or other commercial space from the City. <br />B. Lack of Project Alternatives <br />The EIR also fails to provide a reasonable list of project alternatives. The EIR <br />compounds the error by not providing an accurate description of the scant alternatives <br />provided. CEQA requires the City consider a reasonable range of alternatives. Of course, <br />the fact that some of the alternatives may not be as profitable or that the applicant <br />overspent assuming it would receive its entitlements for high -density residential should <br />not be considered when evaluating the feasibility of alternatives. See e. ., Preservation <br />Action Council v. City of San Jose, 141 Cal. App. 4 t 1336 (Cal. App. 6' 2006). In that <br />case, the court stated: <br />An EIR's discussion of alternatives must contain analysis <br />sufficient to allow informed decision making.... Without <br />meaningful analysis of alternatives in the EIR, neither the <br />courts nor the public can fulfill their proper roles in the <br />CEQA process.... `To facilitate CEQA's informational <br />role, the EIR must contain facts and analysis, not just. the <br />agency's bare conclusions or opinions.' An EIR must <br />include detail sufficient to enable those who did not <br />participate in its preparation to understand and to consider <br />meaningfully the issues raised by the proposed project ... It <br />is the [agency f s responsibility to provide an adequate <br />discussion of alternatives. That responsibility is not <br />dependent in the first instance on a showing by the public <br />that there are feasible alternatives. If the lagencyj <br />concludes there are no feasible alternatives,_ it must <br />explain in meaningful detail in the EIR the basis for <br />that conclusion. <br />(Emphasis added). <br />The EIR provides three alternatives. These alternatives include: <br />• A no -build alternative; <br />• Reduced project alternative; and <br />• Build out of the existing zoning alternative. <br />Although CEQA does not require an exhaustive review of alternatives, there are a <br />number of feasible alternative projects that could be developed onsite. By way of <br />example, the current zoning of the property supports 11 different uses. Similarly, the <br />General Plan designation supports either an overlay or specific zone. Less intensive retail, <br />