The draft copy of the Environmental Impact Report for the Morgan Hill General Plan Update and associated projects is now available for public review and comment, according to city staff.
The public has until March 14 to submit written comments in response to the draft environmental study, which analyzes the effects of the city’s proposed long-term growth documents on traffic, wildlife, air quality, farmland and other natural resources. The EIR is required as part of the California Environmental Quality Act.
The purpose the EIR, according to CEQA, is to “inform public agency decision makers and the public generally of the significant environmental effects of a project, identify possible ways to minimize the significant effects, and describe reasonable alternatives to the project.”
The public will also have a chance to provide written and/or oral comments at the Feb. 23 meeting of the Morgan Hill Planning Commission, which will take place at city council chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.
The subject of the draft EIR is not only the General Plan Update—which city staff, consultants and volunteers have been working on for the last two years—but also an update to the city’s Residential Development Control System (RDCS).
“The proposed General Plan includes land use, urban design, circulation, public services, natural resources, and safety goals, policies, and actions to guide investment and development in the Project Area over the next 20 years,” reads a summary of the proposal in the draft EIR. “The proposed RDCS would regulate population growth through the provision of residential building allotments on a yearly or bi-annual basis.”
The council is planning to ask voters to approve an update to the RDCS in November. The ordinance, first known as Measure C, was initially approved by voters several years. The current ordinance is set to expire in 2020.
The General Plan and RDCS updates are collectively known as the Morgan Hill 2035 project.
Copies of the draft EIR, draft General Plan Update and draft RDCS are available online at morganhill2035.org. Paper copies can be viewed at City Hall Development Services Center, 17575 Peak Ave., and the Morgan Hill Library, 660 W. Main Ave.
