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SAN LEANDRO GENERAL PLAN UPDATE FINAL EIR <br />CITY OF SAN LEANDRO <br />COMMENTS AND RESPONSES <br />PLACEWORKS 5-5 <br />TABLE 5-1 COMMENTS AND RESPONSE MATRIX <br />Comment # Date Comment Response <br />designation of sites that were previously designated as Office (now an obsolete land use <br />designation), or the application of the new land use designations to sites that were <br />previously designated for other uses. Implementation of the proposed project is <br />projected to result in 5,595 new housing units, 14,790 new residents, and 12,130 new <br />jobs in 2035. <br /> <br />Lead Agency <br />As the Lead Agency, the City of San Leandro (City) is responsible for all project mitigation, <br />including any needed improvements to State highways. The project's fair share <br />contribution, financing, scheduling, implementation responsibilities, and Lead Agency <br />monitoring should be fully discussed for all proposed mitigation measures. <br /> <br />Vehicle Trip Reduction <br />Please note that Caltrans embraces a Fix-It First policy regarding the commitment <br />oftransportation funds, focusing on maintenance and rehabilitation. Priority for <br />expansion of the State Transportation Network is second to investing in the <br />management, preservation, and efficient operation of the existing infrastructure. We <br />support measures to reduce VMT and increase sustainable mode shares. The following <br />comments regarding housing and parking are related to reducing vehicle trips: <br />A02-02 Housing. We encourage the City to seek methods to increase the number of housing <br />units that would be constructed under the proposed plan. To reduce the amount of <br />traffic generated by new development, the plan includes "a commitment to balance job <br />growth and housing growth to avoid the need for regional cross-commuting" (Integrating <br />Land Use and Transportation Planning inset, p. 4-9). However, the 2035 growth forecast <br />for new jobs more than doubles that of new housing units. Increasing the number of <br />housing units will achieve a better housing-to-jobs ratio and reduce vehicle trips. <br />The comment addresses the merits of the proposed project rather than the Draft <br />EIR. Please see Master Response 1. The City notes, however, that the Draft EIR <br />acknowledges that job growth under the proposed project would exceed housing <br />growth. Page 4.11-8 of the Draft EIR states, "As described under Section 4.11.1.2, <br />Existing Conditions, the City of San Leandro’s jobs-to-household ratio was 1.36 in <br />2015 which is consistent with the 1.35 jobs-to-household ratio for the Bay Area as a <br />whole. However, the 28 percent increase in jobs under the proposed Plan would <br />increase the jobs-to-household ratio from 1.36 in 2015 to 1.44 by the horizon year <br />2035. This suggests that there will be a higher number of employment opportunities <br />relative to housing within San Leandro, thus, workers would need to commute into <br />the city. However, as described under Section 4.11.1.1, Regulatory Framework, the <br />City of San Leandro’s Housing Element contains goals, policies, and actions that <br />would ensure an adequate supply of housing opportunities is available within San <br />Leandro to accommodate current and future employed residents[...] In addition, the <br />proposed Plan’s Land Use Element includes goals, policies, and actions that would <br />help to ensure an adequate amount of housing inventory for San Leandro’s current <br />and future residents..." San Leandro lost 7,000 jobs during the 2012 recession (while <br />the number of housing units increased slightly). The San Leandro 2035 General Plan <br />strives to regain those jobs and support future economic growth so that the city has <br />a more balanced mix of jobs and housing. Furthermore, much of the proposed job <br />growth is in the city’s Priority Development Areas to facilitate transit commuting <br />and potentially reduce VMT. No revision to the Draft EIR is necessary.