HomeMy WebLinkAbout2 - PUBLIC COMMENT_EstradaFrom:Karen Romero Estrada
To:New General Plan; eComment
Subject:PLANNING COMMISSION: Delay the General Plan; DO NOT approve EIR
Date:Monday, November 09, 2020 4:23:10 PM
To whom it may concern:
The General Plan's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be reviewed today by the
Planning Commission, and I am writing to ask to delay any approval of the General Plan untilsome concerns are met.
First of all, the City's proposed land use policies in the General Plan update hinder the City's
ability to meet the Open Space Element goal of increasing the amount of open space per 1000residents. The increase in open space will not keep up with the pace of anticipated increases in
residential increases proposed in the General Plan.
Furthermore, the EIR proposes a policy Open Space Element Policy 1.3, which does not fullyexplain how the policy will be implemented. I support the prioritization of parkland, especially
when a policy supports the creation of the actual park space instead of collecting an impactfee. However, the City needs to create the criteria to guide the implementation of the policy.
The City cannot rush this process by approving the General Plan and its EIR without creatinga policy and/or ordinance and/or updating City Municipal Code to support this process.
Beyond these significant policy considerations, the General Plan update process itself has not
had sufficient community outreach, which is especially difficult and it becomes even moreimportant during this time of COVID. The City has the obligation to do more meaningful and
actual community engagement to neighborhoods deemed as disadvantaged.communities bySB1000.
There are many more environmental justice issues that the General Plan update has yet to
consider and rectify such as toxic lead exposures, policies that would perpetuate gentrification(not providing protections at a City Council level such as rent protection, in light of the
upzoning that the General Plan proposes; placing affordability components near transitoriented development (TOD)).
I urge you to reconsider any approval today and to please delay the General Plan processes
until the residents'- especially working class, low-income communities of color - needs aremet, environmental issues are addressed and more outreach and engagement is conducted.
Sincerely,
Karen Romero EstradaIOn behalf of Rise Up Willowick