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. 8.A. - Page 55 Appeal of the Redwoad City Planning Comtnission's Certification of the Final EJR Aug�st 31, 201 � Page 2 of $ REViEW OF RECORD AND� PROCEEDINGS: in 1988, the City Co�ncil ac�opted a policy that an Environrnental Lmpact Report be prepared prior �o any new development �f vaeant parcels or roadway improvemez�ts an Laurel Way. The City ex�ressed concerns for the area includ�n� tt�e steepness and narr+owness af the lots, slop� stabi�ity, drainage, grading and otber issues. Total projeci size Ys 5.1 acares. In 2Q�7, 16 owners of �o�s in the project site ;Farmed a joint venture for purpases of subrza�tting a Planned Development proposal ta tl�e City. The Planning Commzssion held an ErR scoping mee�ing an February 3, 2009, at which se�eral neighboring resi�ents expr�ssEd serious concerns about various zmpacts �f the groject on their hornes and the project area. T�ie City completed a Draft Environznental Irn�act Report zn February 2010 t�at purported to evaluate and address the e�vzronznental impacts of the groposed project, a pianned residen�ia�. subdivis�on, to occur in two p�ases. Phase � wou�d involve building a raadway over the current IO-foot dirt road, �e�rnoving forty-five zr.aature t�ees, installing c�rainaee sites, modifying/extending sewer ana vvater sez redi�ecting water runoff towards a creek that runs through the projeet site, anc� constracting retai.n�xzg wal�s in an atternpt to conta.in erosion. P}zas� II would invo�ve remova] of another farty-six znature trees and cc�nstn2ctian a£ � S Iarge, r�ulti-story new �omes on the developed sites. The DEIR also o�tlined three development alternatives: "A - No ProJect," "B-Reduc�d. Floor Area," aud "GR.�duced Floor Area with Lot Mergez," (DEIR, sec. 5: Altem�t�ves tn the 1'roject) The Comsn%ssion held a hearing on A,pril 6, 2010 to c�iscuss the Draft EIR. Iwiumerous comments (�vritten and oralj were suL�mitted by affected n�aghbors of the potential pt including #he two existing hameownez�s of the undeveloped portzon af Laurel Waq, all raising signifieant cancerns abo�xt the poten�ial darFiage to the area, unsupportable traffzc �Qnditions, daragez of pr�perty �nd personal darnage fro�n lazxd,slides, and t�e loss of vegetation, habztat and wildIife. (See �'EIR, seG, 2, Camments and Respflnses.} On Au�st 18, ZOIO, the Plan�ing Staff zss�ed the FEIR, which was virtually id�ntical to the Draft EIR with on.ly minor revisions. For example, the FEIR provided the City's defini�on af a mature tree; (2) offered ta place a s�op sign at r.�ie entrance to Laurel Way; and (3) requireci the agplicant to obtair� a sewer ,r�aiin capacity analysis. More significantly, thc FE�R cantaifned new data (FEIR, Ap�endix Cj purporting ta show the average size of existi.ug housing in the project area as being suddenly "substantially simila.�" to the very large size of the houses proposed for the project (FE1R, sec. 3: Revisior�s and Ezz�ata, pp. 3-1 and 3-5). At the hearin.g on August 24th, community members and area property owners again e�pressed their deep enncern that the FEIl� did not capture the fuIl zmpact that the project would cause and that the rnitzgation measures were both unwieldy and unlikely to mitigate even the risks ihat �ad been identified. The com��nters alsa noted that none of their concerns had resulted in cl�at�ges tp ti�e DEIR. Curiously, � their presentation of the FEIR, the EIl� preparers summarily noted that the new data on exzsting house szzes were being w�ithdravvn fz the FEIR anc� that rariginaI lanb age in the D�IR, sta�ing t�iat