🚀 go-pugleaf

Craig Anderson (canderso@slonet.org) wrote:

: I'm in the process of fighting a proposed parking structure in our 
: downtown. Our General Plan has a policy which requires the preparation of 
: a study of alternatives before another parking structure can be built. 
: Downtown merchants and some City Council members want to amend the 
: General Plan to delete this policy and proceed with the construction of 
: the structure ASAP.
: 
: Question: does amending the General Plan to remove this policy constitute 
: a "project" under CEQA? From every reference I've contacted so far, it 
: does. However our City staff determined that this GPA was "not a 
: project". 

I'm not a CEQA expert, but I do know amending the GP does require public 
process: advance notice, hearings, etc.  City may try to short-cut this, 
but they are open to legal challenge and injunctions if they don't follow 
proper procedures.  In other words, GP can't just be changed by a vote of 
City Council, at least legally.  It won't stand up in court.

-Peeter Vilms