[SunnyvaleWest] Comment on DEIR and EIR Process in Sunnyvale

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Patrick Grant

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Aug 6, 2009, 2:20:27 PM8/6/09

to Neighborhoo...@yahoogroups.com, Sunnyvale West, Gary Luebbers

I have been involved in 2 Sunnyvale EIR efforts in a big way from the residents side, and what I observed from them and a few other DEIRs, by time its gets to DEIR stage, staff has fairly well set in their ways what is going to happen. Unless there is a large organized political force pushing on the council and staff, what is presented in the DEIR, is the final product. It is sad, it the two DEIRs I was involved in, actually staff's closed the books at the DEIR and rejecting in the final staff submitted EIR document any further solution other what they originated (even though in PAMF case - all parties had apparently come to an agreed common inexpensive and great solution). In case of Mary, the city presented traffic models that required 7000 cars a day to vanish between Central and Maude, to claim incorrectly that south on Mary would not see increased traffic and become a freeway bypass for those using the bridge. (In fact as of the EIR, Mary was 4 minutes out of 15 minutes, faster than taking Hwy 237/ 85 freeway, claim discounted by staff extensively in the hearing, but resubstantiated again after the EIR hearing by a months worth of untamperable online GPS tracking data) Staff's comments event raise rebuke from a former County Commisioner, now on the planning commisioner (during the planning hearing on the Mary EIR) in staffs overly dismissive attitude of articulate concerns and suggestions brought up by residents.

In Sunnyvale, I am beginning to suspect the issue is in the framework and attitude of how DEIRs are conducted. The DEIR is part of the discovery process, not a proofreading process that it really has become. Frankly it should be expected to do major rewrites from the DEIR to EIR and not wholesale cut and paste. As a result Every major EIR all over Sunnyvale has needlessly been, or is being contested in court. A sad needlessly expensive destructive process to our community. In all cases major issues were raised, compromises put on table suitable to all parties (except apparently staff), yet the Final written EIR was a effectively carbon of the DEIR. I just do not understand why largely Council and staff seems inept in brokering obvious compromises, rather than a cram the EIR through, come hell or high water.

The DEIR process is broke in our city for sure.

Regards
Pat Grant

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