MCC calls for 60 day review, full story poles for Big Wave

So far, Camille Leung, the project planner for Big Wave, has offered the public 20 days to review the Final Environmental Impact Report and story poles (partial? complete?) up only 10 days prior to the planning commission hearing.

The MCC joins CCAG and The Committe for Green Foothills in calling for a minimum of 60 days for review and public comment, as well as at least one coastside workshop/information session during that time and full and complete story poles for the entire public comment period.

The Planning Commission is expected to hear this item on October 27th.

The MCC’s letter follows below:

October 8, 2010
Planning Commission
County Government Center
455 County Center
2nd Floor, Mail Drop PLN122
Redwood City, CA 94063

Honorable Commissioners,

The Midcoast Community Council (MCC) over the past several weeks has had several communications with the Planning Department Staff regarding the Big Wave Final EIR (FEIR). From these conversations we know the Planning Staff is making continuous efforts to complete, internally review and release the FEIR. It is their stated goal to release this document in time to have the review of the FEIR on the October 27, 2010, Planning Commission agenda and to hold this meeting on the Midcoast.

We support a coastside hearing on this topic, but we believe that…

• Length of the initial Draft EIR and expected greater length of the FEIR (“thousands of pages”)
• Time required for Planning to complete their internal review… are clear factors supporting the need for an appropriate (longer review period).

The MCC, at our September 22, 2010 meeting, voted 5-0 to request that the Supervisors ask the following of the Planning Staff in regard to the Big Wave FEIR:

• Require two months between release of the FEIR document and the planning commission hearing.
• Hold public information session on the FEIR, with specific emphasis on key changes incorporated into the Draft EIR.
• [E]nsure timely installation of story poles representing all structures.
• Keep story poles in place throughout the comment period.

The MCC requests that the Planning Commission provide direction to the planning staff consistent with these requests.

[SIGNED]
Neil Merrilees
Chair, Midcoast Community Council

Cc:
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Jim Eggemeyer
Camille Leung