Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Element Eir topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pacifica council extends public comment on housing-element EIR to Feb. 3
Summary
The council voted unanimously to extend the Draft Environmental Impact Report public comment period for the housing-element rezoning program, giving residents and agencies until Feb. 3 (5 p.m.) to submit comments. City staff warned of CEQA timing trade-offs but supported a short extension to increase public review time.
The Pacifica City Council on Jan. 13 voted unanimously to extend the public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the city’s targeted general plan amendments, rezoning and objective development standards program tied to the housing element.
Council member Christine Bowles moved to extend the draft EIR comment period; Mayor Sue Beckmeyer seconded. The motion set the new comment deadline for Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, at 5 p.m. The council’s action applies to the city’s public comment deadline and aligns the city’s calendar with the state agency review window.
City Manager Kevin Woodhouse and planning staff briefed council on the procedural context. Woodhouse explained that the CEQA baseline public comment period is 45 days and that local governments can extend that period but generally should not exceed 60 days. “The California Environmental Quality Act regulations say comment periods are 45 days… but they could go up to 60 days,” Woodhouse told the council, adding that longer extensions can increase schedule risk for housing-element certification and pose a potential window for “builder’s remedy” applications.
Bowles said she proposed a short extension to give the public more time to download and review the substantial document, and to address concerns that notification reached some residents only after the holidays. “I would like to suggest extending the deadline by a week,” she told colleagues during the item’s discussion.
Council members asked staff for follow-up procedures: staff will continue to accept and compile written and agency comments, and the consultant preparing the EIR will respond to comments in the Final EIR that will be returned to the council for certification. The council emphasized that the extension was intended to increase public participation while minimizing schedule risk.
The motion to extend the EIR public-comment deadline to Feb. 3, 2025, was made by Council member Christine Bowles, seconded by Mayor Sue Beckmeyer, and passed unanimously.
