VMT Policy
Summary
SCH Number
2022090573
Public Agency
City of Watsonville
Document Title
VMT Policy
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/28/2022
Document Description
On September 27, 2022, the City Council adopted a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Policy inclusive of establishing VMT as the appropriate metric for evaluating transportation-related impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act, establishing VMT thresholds of significance, establishing screening criteria, establishing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, and establishing a VMT Mitigation Banking Program.
Contact Information
Name
Justin Meek
Agency Name
City of Watsonville, Community Development Department
Job Title
Principal Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Watsonville
Counties
Santa Cruz
Regions
Citywide
Zip
95076
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
Not a "project" and General Rule; §§15378, 15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The VMT Policy, including the VMT Mitigation Banking Program, is consistent with state law, in that it would allow the City to implement SB 743 in accordance with OPR’s technical guidelines on evaluating transportation impacts in CEQA. The adoption of a VMT Policy is not a “project” as defined in section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines and Public Resources Code section 21065, as this is not a “project” that may cause a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. The VMT Policy is an administrative activity of the City, providing guidance to property owners, project developers, applicants and proponents for determining the significance of transportation impacts of land use projects. The VMT Policy would not approve any specific development and would therefore not lead to any particular physical change to the environment. Moreover, even if found to be a “project,” the VMT Policy is exempt under the “common sense” exception (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15061(b)(3)) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the action of adopting the Policy would have a significant effect on the environment.
County Clerk
Santa Cruz
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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