pages: TransportationCommission/2006-10-25.pdf, 9
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TransportationCommission | 2006-10-25 | 9 | 7B. RECONCILING OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDED POLICIES FOR REVIEWING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORTS (EIRs) WITH THE PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN (TMP) POLICIES. Staff Khan presented the staff report and summarized the discussion from the City Council meeting. Staff recommends to the Transportation Commission to assign the task of examining the seven policies, and to provide a recommendation during the November meeting. The City Council had approved the process for a General Plan Amendment, and for staff to move forward with the updating of the Transportation Element of the General Plan. During the discussion on October 17, the Council raised issues relating to the seven new policies, particularly Policy 7 regarding the congestion that could be acceptable within the City at certain locations and intersections. City Council comments related to this policy were very specific, and that it may need some language revisions. According to the City Council minutes, Council directed that Policy 7 be rewritten. Staff prepared some discussion points to be considered by the Transportation Commission, and that if Policy 7 were to be expanded in terms of providing guidance regarding how the City would address acceptable congestion levels. Also, the implementation of the policy during the review process and the threshold would be considered. Staff Khan noted that staff also recommended allowable impacts to pedestrians, bicycles and transit be verified due to increasing congestion. Staff also recommends accepting increasing queues at intersections, as a result of increasing congestion. He noted that the next item was to establish quantifiable impacts to the emergency response times. Increasing congestion may increase the emergency response times, so there may be some kind of a threshold that should be established for policy guidance. He stated that the last item was a quantifiable level of service for different modes of transportation that are required at congested locations and intersections. City Council also approved that policies 1 through 6 be used as guidelines until the General Plan is amended. Council also indicated that if those guidelines were to be followed, there may be some conflicts with the existing General Plan. City Council has asked the Transportation Commission to examine and address any potential conflicts so the guidelines may be used until the General Plan policies are adopted. He distributed a list of items prepared by staff to the Commissioners. Chair Knox White noted that he would look at the items, and would suggest that the subcommittee do the same, but did not believe that the City Council asked the Transportation Commission to develop a list of conflicts and their solutions. He noted that they said they would use the guidelines, and noted that staff may identify where they conflicted directly with the General Plan. He noted that if the City Council minutes stated that, they did not reflect the discussion that was held at the end of that hour the previous week. He would review the video to confirm his assessment. He noted that it would not be practical for him to read through the General Plan to identify conflicts, and that if staff found conflicts, he would be willing to discuss it further at the November meeting. He stated that he respectfully believed that staff is attempting to fight the EIR policies. Staff Khan stated that it was not the intention to ask the Commissioners to create or provide the thresholds to staff. Staff was attempting to follow City Council's direction with respect to clarifying language. 9 | TransportationCommission/2006-10-25.pdf |