Pt. Molate Subsequent Environmental Impact Report scoping session 7/29/19

Posted by July 28, 2019 4:21 PM

Pt. Molate Subsequent Environmental Impact Report scoping session 7/29/19

Please attend the Pt Molate “Subsequent Environmental Impact Report” (SEIR) scoping session on July 29, at 6 PM in the Council chambers, 450 Civic Center Plaza. Mayor Butt and City staff are trying to “amend” the Environmental Impact Report from the failed Pt Molate casino plan and adapt it to the SunCal housing tract proposal.
The research for the casino project EIR was done over ten years ago. Things have changed since then, including increased traffic and threat of fire in a high fire area, such as Point Molate. We also know more about climate change and sea-level rise impacts, the importance to SF Bay health of Pt Molate’s 50-acres of eelgrass meadows and their upland native grassland habitats, where most the SunCal housing is proposed to be built. 
The Pt. Molate Alliance is meeting outside City Hall at 5:30 PM. Please join, or arrive at least 15 minutes before the meeting begins at 6 PM to fill out a speaker's card. If you do not want to speak, bring a sign or come to show your support. This is a very important meeting to attend to make sure the City does a full Environmental Impact Report for Pt Molate. 
Here are a few talking points:

The proposed project is now 2200 residential units.  This was never voted on by the council and thus is not a legal alternative.

Moreover, this is a significantly different project from the Casino alternative and all other alternatives in the old EIS/EIR. A full new EIR needs to be prepared for evaluation and comment.

EIS/EIR was approved over a decade ago. Circumstances have changed significantly, especially traffic conditions and climate change impacts.  Even if the information in the old EIS/EIR was valid at the time of that document, with the length of time and major changes in conditions, the city must start from scratch and do a full new analysis since the old EIS/EIR is no longer relevant

It also inconsistent with the General Plan that designates the Pt Molate area as open space to protect environmental values.

The proposed project is contrary to the Plan Bay Area policies for regional development. Adopted in 2013, Plan Bay Area is our first regional plan to incorporate a state-mandated Sustainable Communities Strategy. It identified Preferred Development Areas or PDAs close to public transit, existing commercial and retail uses so as to reduce auto traffic and emissions. Pt Molate is not one of Richmond’s five PDAs. The City will need to evaluate how it can comply with Plan Bay Area policies and the impacts for failing to do so.

The City needs to evaluate the recently released Hatch fiscal impact report and explain how the City can approve any project that could result in the city losing $3.00+ million in revenue from the proposed development.

The City’s Notice of Preparation of the Pt Molate SEIR is here. Please submit written comments to Lina Valesco, Richmond Planning Director, [email protected], by August 12th, at 4 PM. 
If you have questions, please email or call Pam Stello, Pt Molate Alliance Co-Chair, at [email protected].