The Westfield UTC Environmental Impact Report

(Final EIR) and FAQs

Click on any volume below. Of particular interest are items 1, 2 and 15. The appendices contain technical studies that in theory back up the information in the main volume and the conclusions.

1. Conclusions: these 11 pages provide a summary of the impacts.
2. Main Volume – This 673 page volume is the main document.
3. Appendix B (two volumes) – Traffic
4. App. C – Air quality
5. App. D – Hydrology and Water Quality
6. App. E – Graphics of the proposed Master Planned Development Permit
7. App. F – FAA Determination (allowing the three 32-35 story buildings)
8. App. G – Calculations for Fair Share payment of freeway projects
9. App. I – Study concludes no signal warranted at Town Ctr. Dr. and Excalibur Way
10. App. J – Analysis of traffic impact with no Regents Road bridge
11. App. K – Air Toxics Health Risk Assessment
12. App. L – Accoustical Site Assessment Report
13. App. M – Water Supply Assessment
14. App. N – Environmentally Sensitive Lands Review – Biology
15. App. O – Response to Comments. This volume contains every comment letter that was submitted when the city released the Draft EIR in September, 2007. The letters and the city’s responses are printed side by side. Letter 14 was submitted by attorneys for Friends of Rose Canyon, Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger. It points to major legal problems with the Draft EIR. You can read it and the city’s responses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an EIR?
The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA (pronounced “seequa”), is the state’s main environmental law. It requires that a proposed project’s impacts be evaluated and fully disclosed in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) so that the public and decision makers can be informed about a project’s impacts before the project is approved. In theory, then, decision makers can decide to do an alternative, less environmentally damaging project, or not do the project at all.

What environmental impacts does an EIR evaluate?
Impacts on traffic, biological resources, noise, air quality, visual and aesthetic impacts, water quality, and more. The EIR must determine whether each impact is: - less than significant - significant but mitigable to below a level of significance - significant and unmitigable

Who wrote the Westfield EIR?
Westfield hired a company to write the EIR (Helix). City staff at the Development Services Department reviewed it and are responsible for making sure it complies with the state environmental law (CEQA). The city charges the developer for the salary costs of the city staff who review EIRs. Thus Westfield had a strong hand in shaping this EIR.