Perris planning commission opens EIR scoping for Vallarta Marketplace after initial study flags air and GHG concerns

The City of Perris Planning Commission on Dec. 4 held a public scoping session for the Vallarta Marketplace Community Shopping Center project, a proposed 10.55-acre commercial development at the southeast corner of Placentia Avenue and Perris Boulevard that would include a 59,371-square-foot supermarket anchor, a junior anchor, a convenience store with vehicle fueling, multiple quick-service restaurants (some with drive-through lanes), and several retail buildings.

The scoping meeting is part of the California Environmental Quality Act process and follows a November 22 notice of preparation. "The project would exceed the daily air quality emission thresholds, as well as the annual greenhouse gas emission standards of 3,000 metric tons annually for commercial projects," said Ryan Birdsey of Birdsey Planning Group, the environmental consultant for the project. Birdsey and staff said those two topics could not be resolved in the initial study and therefore will be the principal focus of the draft EIR.

Why it matters: an EIR that…