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4 Environmental Impact Analysis <br />This section discusses the possible environmental effects of the proposed Specific Plan for the <br />specific issue areas that were identified by the City, expert consultation, and NOP responses as <br />having the potential to experience significant impacts. “Significant effect” is defined by the CEQA <br />Guidelines Section 15382 as: <br />“…a substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse change in any of the physical conditions <br />within the area affected by the project including land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient <br />noise, and objects of historic or aesthetic significance. An economic or social change by itself <br />shall not be considered a significant effect on the environment, but may be considered in <br />determining whether the physical change is significant.” <br />The assessment of each issue area begins with a discussion of the environmental setting related to <br />the issue, which is followed by the impact analysis. In the impact analysis, the first subsection <br />identifies the methodologies used and the “significance thresholds,” which are those criteria <br />adopted by the City and other agencies, universally recognized, or developed specifically for this <br />analysis to determine whether potential effects are significant. The next subsection describes each <br />impact of the proposed project, mitigation measures for significant impacts, and the level of <br />significance after mitigation. Each effect under consideration for an issue area is separately listed in <br />bold text with the discussion of the effect and its significance. Each bolded impact statement also <br />contains a statement of the significance determination for the environmental impact as follows: <br />Significant and Unavoidable. An impact that cannot be reduced to below the threshold level <br />given reasonably available and feasible mitigation measures. Such an impact requires a <br />Statement of Overriding Considerations to be issued if the project is approved per CEQA <br />Guidelines Section 15093. <br />Significant but Mitigable. An impact that can be reduced to below the threshold level given <br />reasonably available and feasible mitigation measures. Such an impact requires findings under <br />CEQA Guidelines Section 15091. <br />Less than Significant. An impact that may be adverse, but does not exceed the threshold levels <br />and does not require mitigation measures. <br />Beneficial. An effect that would reduce existing environmental problems or hazards. <br />No Impact. A finding of no impact is made when the analysis concludes that the proposed <br />project would not affect the particular environmental resource or issue. <br />Following each environmental impact discussion is a list of mitigation measures (if required) and the <br />residual effects or level of significance remaining after implementation of the measure(s). In cases <br />where the mitigation measure for an impact could have a significant environmental impact in <br />another issue area, this impact is discussed and evaluated as a secondary impact. The impact <br />analysis concludes with a discussion of cumulative effects, which evaluates the impacts associated <br />with the proposed project in conjunction with other planned and pending developments in the area <br />listed in Section 3, Environmental Setting. <br />120