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Draft Environmental Impact Report ("Draft EIR" or "DEIR") was filed with the State Clearinghouse ("SCH") Office <br /> of Planning and Research ("OPR") on May 31, 2012 and distributed for public and agency review. The NOP 30- <br /> day review period ended on June 29, 2012. On September 28, 2012, the Community Development Department <br /> released for public review a Draft Environmental Impact Report. The required 45-day public review and comment <br /> period on the Draft EIR began on September 28, 2012 and closed on November 13, 2012. Comments received <br /> from the public on the Draft EIR are included in the Final EIR. All oral and written comments received during the 45- <br /> day review period for the Draft EIR have been responded to and included in the Final EIR. Where necessary, the <br /> text of the draft document has been amended as a result of the public review process. <br /> Determination of Adequacy of the Final EIR <br /> CEQA requires the Commission to "certify' the Final EIR before action approving the project can be considered. <br /> Certification of a final EIR is a three-part finding: first, that the "final EIR has been completed in compliance with <br /> CEQA"; second that the "final EIR was presented to the decision-making body of the lead agency and that the <br /> decision-making body reviewed and considered the information contained in the final EIR'; and third, that the "final <br /> EIR reflects the lead agency's independent judgment and analysis" With respect to the first required finding, the only <br /> determination to be made by the Commission in order to certify the EIR is whether it is adequate as described in <br /> Section 15151 of the CEQA Guidelines. This section states in part "an EIR should be prepared with a sufficient <br /> degree of analysis to provide decision makers with information which enables them to make a decision which <br /> intelligently takes account of environmental consequences. An evaluation of the environmental effects of a proposed <br /> project need not be exhaustive, but the sufficiency of an EIR is to be reviewed in light of what is reasonably feasible." <br /> It is the Community Development Department's determination that the EIR meets the intent of this section. The <br /> document thoroughly discusses all potentially significant environmental issues, contains all sections required by law, <br /> and adheres to all review periods and time requirements. All issues raised during the review of the draft document <br /> are thoroughly discussed in the Final EIR. With respect to third aspect of certification — a finding that the document <br /> reflects the County's independent judgment, the Community Development Director also advises that the Final EIR <br /> reflects the County's independent judgment, as it was prepared by consultants (Kleinfelder and Kimley-Horn) under <br /> contract to the County, with input from County staff. By reading the Final EIR, the members of the Commission can <br /> truthfully make the second required finding—that"the decision-making body reviewed and considered the information <br /> contained in the final EIR." <br /> Protect Impacts <br /> Traffic <br /> Kimley-Horn and Associates originally prepared an analysis of project traffic impacts for and under contract to the <br /> San Joaquin County Department of Public Works in January 2011.The results of this analysis were noted in the <br /> Initial Study for the project adopted by the Community Development Department in May 2011.The traffic study was <br /> reviewed and approved by the Department of Public Works.With the decision to prepare an EIR for the project, <br /> Kimley-Horn updated its original analysis using 2012 baseline/existing traffic data and providing more detailed <br /> explanation of the analysis methodologies. <br /> The Kimley-Horn analysis was prepared in accordance with the Traffic Impact Study Guidelines (2008)set forth by <br /> the San Joaquin County Public Works Department.The analysis considered the following five scenarios: existing <br /> conditions(2012); existing plus approved projects(EPAP); existing plus approved projects plus proposed project <br /> conditions; cumulative (2025)conditions; and cumulative(2025)plus proposed project conditions. <br /> San Joaquin County PA-1 000131\Highway 12 Investors <br /> Community Development Page 4 <br />