Column: Mitigation Loophole Could Create Problems for Sustainable 'Whole Foods Project'

This post was originally published July 7.

At its , the City Council will consider seven approvals needed if the University Village Mixed-Use Project, referred to as the “Whole Foods” project by most, is to go forward. The first project-specific approval is to approve the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The purpose of this report, which is required by State law, is to identify the environmental impacts of a project and measures to reduce (mitigate) those consequences. A table summarizing the impacts and measures constitutes most of Section II of the report, available here.

The project will increase greenhouse pollution. This is recognized in the document as Global Climate Change Impact-1 (GCC-1), which can be found on the twelfth page of Section II (page 16 of the EIR). Mitigation Measure GCC-1 (MM GCC-1) is also found on that page and following. The EIR finds this measure would reduce the project’s greenhouse pollution from significant to less than significant.

MM GCC-1 includes numerous actions regarding each of four project aspects: construction and building materials, energy efficiency, water conservation and efficiency, and transportation. Unfortunately the language of the measure starts with the phrase “To the extent feasible and to the satisfaction of the City.” Feasibility is not defined. Is it physical? Engineering? Economic? Financial? Political?

Carbon Neutral Albany (C0A) and (AS&R) are concerned this language will allow MM GCC-1 not to be implemented. None of the other mitigation measures contain such a loophole. For C0A, this loophole threatens its mission to advocate and support Albany achieving its greenhouse pollution reduction goal (25% below 2004 emissions by 2020 adopted as Resolution 07-9 passed 19 March 2007).

For AS&R, the loophole threatens its mission to advocate for and support walking and cycling. This is because MM GCC-1 states, in part, “Provide bicycle lanes and/or paths, incorporated into the proposed street systems and connected to a community-wide network.” Currently the project has neither; let alone a single lane or path making this connection. All it has is a street that is also designated as a cycling route, as shown on one of the drawings posted with this column. This does not fulfill the mitigation measure’s cycling facility requirement.

AS&R’s preferred solution is a motorist-separated cycling facility along San Pablo connecting the project to the nearest routes in the community-wide network, as shown on the other drawing posted with this column. This would connect to a similar facility Albany is about to build on the south side of Marin and Buchanan from San Pablo to the overpass.

Please join C0A and AS&R in asking the Council to remove the loophole from Mitigation Measure GCC-1 by attending the Council meeting and commenting, or sending your thoughts to cityhall@albanyca.org. Thank you.

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