EIR FOR GENERAL PLAN UPDATE

August 26, 2003

Bill Fell, Chief of Planning
Community Development Department
City of Monterey
City Hall
Monterey, CA 93940

Dear Mr. Fell,

Thank you for sending us a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for Monterey's General Plan Update.

The Environmental Checklist has already noted that there may be impacts in nearly all areas required to be considered, and we agree that a comprehensive analysis is needed. We submit the following recommendations:

Land Use.

The Plan is commendable for its inclusion of specific land use policies and programs that would not only allow construction of Monterey's "fair share" of new housing units but would encourage such development to the extent possible over the next twenty years. The creation of "Mixed Use Neighborhoods" in three major commercial areas of the City is noted in the Land Use Element (Sec. b, p.5) as one of three alternatives for managing future population growth that were evaluated. The EIR should analyze these alternatives in terms of their relative impacts on traffic, jobs/housing balance, and overall quality of life for all residents.

Public Facilities.

The amount of additional water that would be needed to serve required new housing units should be estimated as accurately as possible. The agencies responsible for the Peninsula's water supply, whether public or private, should have updated water demand estimates for each jurisdiction's General Plan to aid in their planning.

As noted in the Public Facilities Element, new development will have to be gradual, with assurance of funding for additional public facilities and services as needed. Several strategies are suggested in the Growth Management Goals and Policies; more specific mitigations should be prescribed in the EIR.

Please keep the League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula on the distribution list for this project.

Sincerely,

Beverly G. Bean, VMD
President, League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula