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5.0 STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS CEQA requires the GID to balance the benefits of the Project against its unavoidable environmental risks in determining whether to approve the Project. (CEQA Guidelines, § 15093(a).) Because the Project EIR identities significant impacts of the Project which cannot feasibly be mitigated to below a level of significance (see Section 2 of this document), the GID must state in writing its specific reasons for approving the Project. (CEQA Guidelines, § 15093(b). ) This Statement of Overriding Considerations sets forth the specific reasons supporting the GID's action in approving the Project, based on the Project EIR and other information in the record. The following specific reasons support the GID's decision to approve the Project: (1) The Project is consistent with the City's General Plan. The General Plan is the City's "constitution for development." The Project will be part of the City's orderly, planned development and will help to meet the City's land use goal to "integrate a range of land uses to ensure that Redwood City is a desirable place to live." (2) Although the Project will have significant impacts on the environment, as identified above, these impacts were all identified by the City during the General Plan approval process and have been taken into account by the City during its planning process. (3) The impacts of the Project on adjacent properties, especially residential uses, will be minimized. Compared with a previously-proposed master plan for the same property, the Project virtually eliminates shadows and lighting impacts on adjacent residential neighborhoods. (4) The Project will enhance the City's image as the "software capital" of the Bay Area. Oracle, the largest software database company, is already located in the City. Electronic Arts, the Project applicant, is the largest independent U.S. software company in the interactive entertainment industry. The location of both of these companies in the City will help to promote the City's image and may help to create a critical mass that encourages other computer-related ventures to locate in the City. (5) The Project will create significant primary and secondary employment opportunities. Significant construction job opportunities will be created by the development of the $100 million Project. At full buildout, the Project will house approximately 3,000 "white collar" jobs, providing well-compensated positions for a well-educated workforce. The resulting -42- GIDEIRFD.DOC 7/23/96 5:44 PM