Laserfiche WebLink
iCAJA Environmental Services, LLC <br /> 9410 Topanga Canyon Blvd.,Suite 101 <br /> Chatsworth,CA 91311 <br /> Phone 310-469-6700 Fax 310-806-9801 <br /> The Environmental Analysis in the Addendum is Deficient <br /> Even if an addendum were appropriate, the 51-page Addendum falls far short of appropriately analyzing <br /> and disclosing impacts under CEQA. The GP PEIR is silent on STRs and the Addendum contains only a <br /> cursory, superficial, and unsupported analysis of the STR ban. The analysis below and the technical <br /> environmental and economic analysis provided in the reports from Ramboll, submitted concurrently with <br /> this report demonstrate that there are numerous potentially significant environmental impacts that would <br /> result from an STR ban in the Proposed Ordinance. These potentially significant environmental impacts <br /> also mean the Proposed Ordinance is not eligible for a Class 1 exemption and that the City must prepare <br /> a full EIR. <br /> This is further clarified in CEQA Guidelines Section 15002(f)(1)which states: <br /> (f) Environmental Impact Reports and Negative Declarations. An Environmental <br /> Impact Report (EIR) is the public document used by the governmental agency to <br /> analyze the significant environmental effects of a proposed project, to identify <br /> alternatives, and to disclose possible ways to reduce or avoid the possible <br /> environmental damage. <br /> (1) An EIR is prepared when the public agency finds substantial evidence <br /> that the project may have a significant effect on the environment. (See: <br /> Section 15064(a)(1).) <br /> Other California jurisdictions have recognized the need to prepare an EIR when proposing STR <br /> restrictions. Earlier this year,for example, Monterey County completed an EIR fora proposed set of County <br /> regulations for STRs that restricted but did not ban STR uses in the County.An EIR is even more warranted <br /> for an ordinance proposing to ban STRs entirely. <br /> For the reasons noted below, there is substantial evidence that the City's STR ban will reasonably <br /> foreseeably result in direct and adverse changes to the physical environment—including increases in VMT, <br /> air pollutants, health consequences, GHGs, and energy use—as well as reasonably foreseeable indirect <br /> and cumulative impacts that may result in significant environmental effects. The City cannot rely on the <br /> GP PEIR and must prepare a new EIR. In any instance, the Addendum's superficial and conclusory <br /> analysis falls short of analyzing, disclosing, and proposing ways to mitigate these impacts and cannot be <br /> relied upon to satisfy the City's CEQA obligations. The City must prepare a new EIR, or a new <br /> Supplemental EIR to the GP PEIR, to properly analyze all areas of potential significant environmental <br /> impact, a reasonable range of alternatives to the Proposed Ordinance, and mitigation of impacts to the <br /> maximum extent feasible. <br /> 5 <br />