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ATTACHMENT C FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANT UNAVOIDABLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IDENTIFIED IN THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT Section 15091(a) of the 'State CEQA Guidelines' states: (a) No public agency shall approve or carry out a project for which an EIR has been completed which identifies one or more significant environmental effects of the project unless the public agency makes one or more written findings for each of those significant effects, accompanied by a brief explanation of the rationale for each finding. The possible findings are: (1) Changes or alterations have been required in, or incorporated into, the project which avoid or substantially lessen the significant environmental effect as identified in the Final EIR. (2) Such changes or alterations are within the responsibility and jurisdiction of another public agency and not the agency making the finding. Such changes have been adopted by such other agency or can and should be adopted by such other agency. (3) Specific economic,social,or other consierations make infeasible any mitigation measures or project alternatives identified in the Final EIR. 1. Impact: Development of the proposed project would result in the loss of approximately 3600 acres of Prime Farmland and would require cancellation of 2920 acres currently under Williamson Act Contract. Mitigation: None that can reduce the impact to less than significant. Finding: Specific economic, social, or other considerations make infeasible any mitigation measures or project alternatives identified in the Final EIR. Supporting Facts: To approve any GPA to permit a new town in San Joaquin County would require the removal of a significant acreage of land in some type of agricultural use. If the County decision makers determine that new towns are a desirable land use development tool, then it is inevitable that the conversion of significant amounts of agricultural land will occur. The challenge is to locate the new town to minimize the loss of prime farmland while still meeting the rest of the locational and development requirements specified in the New Town Policies of the General Plan. Thus, while significant amounts of prime farmland will be converted to urban uses, it has been minimized by the effective incorporation of the remaining new town policies which will insure that the land converted is developed in an efficient urban pattern which maximizes the land's development Attachment C C-1 (PC: 4-9-92)