HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Resolution 13213 (Climate Change Action Plan Amendment)RIA -93 lk" 1111aeelIMFLY491
RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL APPROVING AN
AMENDMENT TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN (CCAP)
ADOPTING A NEW APPENDIX E:
THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION STRATEGY
P11-009
The City Council of the City of San Rafael finds and determines that:
WHEREAS, on April 20, 2009, the City of San Rafael adopted Resolution No. 12725
adopting the San Rafael Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), which included programs to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, in May 2011, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
adopted Air Quality Guidelines for administration of the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA), which establish criteria for analysis of greenhouse gas emission impacts associated with
new development projects; and
WHEREAS, BAAQMD's CEQA Air Quality Guidelines encourage local governments
to adopt a "qualified greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy" to assess communitywide
greenhouse gas impacts and mitigation measures which will achieve the emission reductions
expected by the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) Scoping Plan; and
WHEREAS, the draft GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy, providing technical support
to the adopted CCAP and the proposed Sustainability Element has been distributed to the
BAAQMD staff for review and comment. BAAQMD staff has reviewed and commented on the
strategy, and revisions have been made to address these comments; and
WHEREAS, the draft GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy, providing technical support
to the adopted CCAP and proposed Sustainability Element has been distributed to the Bay Area
Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) for review and comment. BAAQMD staff has
reviewed and commented on the strategy, and revisions have been made to address these
comments; and
WHEREAS, following the completion of the GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy, the
City commenced with environmental review of the project. Consistent with the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the BAAQMD CEQA Air Quality Guidelines
and the City of San Rafael Environmental Assessment Procedures Manual, the appropriate steps
were followed to complete environmental review of the project. As the quantitative analysis
contained in the GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy relies on the development projections of the
General Plan 2020 and ABAG through 2020, the General Plan 2020 certified Environmental
Impact Report (General Plan 2020 FEIR) was used as a base for environmental review. "Tiering"
from the General Plan 2020 FEIR is appropriate and consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section
15152. This review included: a) review of the General Plan 2020 FEIR to determine if it
adequately assesses the environmental impacts of the project; and b) the preparation of an Initial
Study to determine if the project would result in new significant impacts, and increase in the
severity of the impacts, or new or expanded mitigation measures from those analyzed and
determined in the General Plan 2020 FEIR. As a result of this review, it was determined that the
GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy would not result in: new significant impacts; an increase in
Policy C-26 (Bicycle Plan Implementation), Policy C-27 (Pedestrian Plan
Implementation), Policy C-32 (Parking for Alternative Modes of Transportation);
Infrastructure Element Policy I-8 (Street Trees); Safety Element Policy S-20 (Levee
Upgrading), and Policy S-21 (Rise in Sea Level).
The GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy has been prepared consistent with the
standard elements and requirements set forth in Section 4.3 of the BAAQMD CEQA
Air Quality Guidelines (May 2011) by: a) quantifying greenhouse gas emissions
under baseline (2005 conditions), business as usual (development projections through
2020) and projected reduction conditions (2020 and 2035); b) establishing
quantitative targets and goals for each of the reduction strategies and programs based
on a supportive quantitative analysis (strategy is supported by quantitative work and
spreadsheets of computer programs used to assess data); c) including a monitoring
program for tracking the progress of the strategy; and d) implementing a public
process for review of the GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy and the supportive
environmental review process.
4. As drafted, the GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy would be consistent with the
California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) Scoping Plan as it provides
tangible and feasible measures for achieving the goals for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020.
I, ESTHER C. BEIRNE, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing
Resolution No. 13213 was adopted at a regular meeting of the San Rafael City Council held on
the 18`x' day of July 2011, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Brockbank, Connolly, Heller, Levine & Mayor Boro
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
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ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A- Appendix E: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy