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454 <br /> <br />The Agency, by the preparation and acceptance of the proposed <br />Negative Declaration on the Plan Amendment, has suggested that <br />there will be no significant environmental impact on the District. In <br />contra.st, although the Agency has not agreed with the magnitude o.f <br />financml detriment ca.used to,the District, they have at least by their <br />recent offer of mitigauon, acknowledged that there will be some level <br />of financial i. mp.a. ct on the D. is.trict. It ~s co ~nf?ing as t.o how the <br />Agency can justify even a mammum level of financial unpact and not <br />justify some level of environmental impact. <br /> <br />Response: The Agency has stated from the beginning of the <br />environmental review process to date that the project would not <br />significantly impact .the District. Th.e District has Indicated the Plan <br />Amendment would ~mpact the District, and presented its calculations <br />and report on impact as part of the fiscal review process in accordance <br />with Health and Safety Code Section 33353.5. <br /> <br />The Agency has acknowledged that there may be some generation of <br />new students to the District. However, any new students that may be <br />generated do not meet the definition of significant as identified in <br />Section 15382 and Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines. <br /> <br />The Agency has consistently indicated that .fiscal impact and fiscal <br />participa. Uon between the Agency and the .D~strict .should <br />approprmtely be addressed as part of the fiscal rewew process <br />pursuant to Health and Safety Code Sections 33353 through 33353.7. <br />Addressing th.ese fiscal issues as part of the environmentalreview <br />process is duphcative and unnecessary. The Agency has, in fact; <br />offered to provide revenues to assist the District in providing facilities <br />for approximately 500 new students that may be generated by <br />development in the Project Area over the next 40,~ears (an average of <br />10 stuoents per year). The potential generation ot these students over <br />.the next 40 years does not equate into a significant environmental <br />~mpact. Therefore, the Agency does not consider that the Plan <br />Amendment would have a significant environmental impact on the <br />District. <br /> <br />Comment: The basic variable to the District's responsibilities is the <br />number of students it must offer education services and facilities to. <br />As the student enrollment of the District increases, the cost to provide <br />instruction increases. Similarly, as the enrollment increased, the <br />District's facilities become overcrowded requiring expansion, new <br />facilities and new campuses. Also, as student enrollment increases, <br />the general environment around the District's campuses deteriorate as <br />a result of increased traffic, noise and activities related to the use of <br />their facilities. Finally, as enrollment increases, it necessitates the <br />District to initiate and pursue capital improvements to expand our <br />facilities, which cert.ainly have an effect on the physical environment <br />within the surrounding campuses. All of these effects are impacts as <br />defined under the California Environmental Quality Act, and as such <br />require some form of mitigation. The Agency cannot reasonably <br />suggest that there will notbe an environmental impact on the District, <br />based upon the documentation which has been presented to the <br /> <br /> <br />