It’s not surprising to hear a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was approved by Rohnert Park’s Planning Commission Feb. 25, and no one from the public showed up. This is about 275 acres called the Northeast Specific Plan Area (NESP).

The city, Sonoma County, California, the nation and the world are held in the grasp of an economic recession. In former days, an EIR could cause a controversy with outcries from “slow growth”  backers in RP protesting. But times have changed.

In fact, an EIR “scoping session” was held Jan. 8, 2004, more than five years ago. Now, the draft EIR is ready for public comments and they have 45 days for their input. It began Jan. 29 and ends March 15. Copies of it are available in the city’s planning department in city hall and in the public library.

The NESP is bordered by G Section on the north, Keiser Road on the south, Snyder Lane on the west and Petaluma Hill Road on the east. It sits atop the University District Specific Plan between Keiser Road and RP Expressway with the same east-west boundaries. This plan  has had its EIR approved and has been annexed to the city. It’s been sitting “shovel ready” for more than a year due to the economic recession.

It’ll probably be several years before any construction begins on the NESP. The draft EIR calls for about 1,114 housing units in a variety of densities including rural estate, large lot residential, low, medium and high residential density and the required affordable housing. It also includes 16.5 acres of parks and bikeways, 28 acres of “other” open space and a buffer space along Petaluma Hill Road. The 275 acres will be annexed to the city once the final EIR has cleared all its hurdles.

Like all EIRs, it will cover such impacts such as aestheticsm air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology, soils, seismic hazards, land use, agricultural resources, public service and utilities, transportation circulation and water resources.

For information, call Suzie Azevedo in the city’s planning department in city hall, 588-2236.