Modesto EIR will study impacts of adding 104,000 residents to city in next 24 years
The city of Modesto will conduct an environmental study on the impact of proposed development and population growth in the 2050 general plan update.
The City Council in April adopted a land use option to add thousands of acres to Modesto and possibly boost the city’s population from 220,000 to 324,000 in the next 24 years.
The city could add 38,500 housing units and potentially 57,300 jobs if the development occurs.
According to a notice of preparation, the urban growth probably will impact one or more topic areas, such as aesthetics, agriculture, air quality, biological species, cultural resources, energy, noise and public services.
To comply with state law, the general plan sets the vision for the community and must include elements for land use, circulation, housing, open space, noise, safety, conversation and environmental justice. A housing element update is not part of this effort.
The general plan update will have policies serving to reduce some of the impacts through mitigation measures. The city can issue a “statement of overriding considerations” for unavoidable environmental impacts that remain significant. The overriding considerations may include economic and social benefits perceived to outweigh impacts on the environment.
The city will hold a July 15 public meeting online to receive comments on the scope of the EIR, or what issues the study should examine. The meeting will start at 5:30 p.m.
Public agencies, organizations and individuals may also submit written comments until July 27. Send comments with the subject line “Modesto 2050 General Plan EIR” to Principal Planner Michael Hren, city Planning Division, 1010 10th St., Suite 3100, Modesto, 95354, or GP-Modesto2050@modestogov.com.
