EIR Process
The environmental review process for the Baylands Specific Plan began in 2006, when the City determined that the specific plan proposed by the property owner (UPC) could have significant environmental impacts and that an environmental impact report (EIR) would need to be prepared. The City sent out an EIR Notice of Preparation and held a number of scoping meetings to discuss topics that should be addressed in the upcoming EIR. The 2006 process is detailed on the Notice of Preparation page. Revised Notices of Preparation were subsequently released in December 2010 and November 2012 to reflect changes in the developer's proposed Specific Plan.
From 2007-2009 the City undertook an extensive community-based process to develop an alternative land use plan to be studied in the upcoming EIR. The community-based plan, as recommended for study in the EIR at the same level of detail as the developer’s proposal, is based heavily on maximizing the public space qualities and values of the project and concentrating development at the north end of the site near existing and planned transit. Background information regarding the community alternative plan and process can be found on the Community Alternative Page. A renewable energy alternative was also evaluated in the Draft EIR.
The Draft EIR was published in June 2013 and the public comment period closed in January 2014. Publication fo the Final EIR is expected later in 2014, although no tentative date of publication has been established.