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• Approximately 137 acres of the proposed General Plan Map Amendment are located on land designated as "Prime Farmland" with a General Plan designation of A/G. The loss of 137 acres of "Prime Farmland" is considered a significant impact. Implementation Policy 13(e) (General Plan Volume I page IV-14) A General Plan Amendment or a rezoning that would cause the 2010 projected development of a Planning Area to be exceeded shall require a reassessment of the environmental impacts of the General Plan 2010. (Planning, Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors) • The proposed General Plan Map Amendment would cause the rural community of Vernalis to grow from 98 acres to 237.32 acres. This would require an EIR to evaluate additional impacts caused by the expansion of the community. Vernalis General Plan Policies (General Plan Volume II, page XII-27) Assumptions 1. Vernalis will remain a rural community throughout the planning period. • The General Plan Map Amendment would be used to facilitate the underlying project, which is a 383 unit subdivision. The proposed subdivision does not meet the criteria for a rural community. Rural communities are encouraged to have minimal growth. General Plan Volume II Table XII-F-4 lists the projected number of residential dwellings in 2010 as 80 units with a projected population of 250 persons. An addition of 383 housing units would increase the projected population and housing numbers for Vernalis by over 100°/x. Based upon the type and number of residences proposed, the project would change Vernalis from a rural community to an urban community. Growth Accommodation (General Plan Volume I, page III-2) Growth to the year 2010 is expected to occur in both urban and rural settings, however, the overwhelming majority of the new development will be in urban areas. The County will plan sufficient land to accommodate the growth assumed by this Plan either within urban communities, rural communities, or rural areas. Urban communities, including incorporated cities and unincorporated communities, shall accommodate the vast majority of the development, because it is in these areas that urban services exist or are expected. In particular, growth shall be directed to the cities as much as possible. • Vernalis is classified as a rural community. No urban services are available to the community. Rural communities shall grow primarily through infill and should not be expanded. 6