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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes February 14, 2017 Page 2 V. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF – NONE. 1 2 VI. GENERAL BUSINESS OF COUNCIL. 3 4 A. Resolution 17-025; a Resolution Issuing a Negative Declaration of Need for an 5 Environmental Impact Statement for The Village, LLC Redevelopment. 6 7 City Planner Breanne Rothstein reviewed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is a 8 statutorily required document for large projects that provides analysis about a project’s impacts 9 to specific environmental, water resource, transportation, and other impacts. The analysis in an 10 EAW is used to determine if an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required for a 11 proposed project. An EIS is required for a project with “potential for significant environmental 12 effects”. An EIS provides more information only about the potentially significant environmental 13 impacts for the categories that the EAW identified as potentially being significantly impacted by 14 the project. Any categories not covered in an EAW would also not be covered in an EIS. An 15 EAW or EIS is not a means to approve or disapprove a project. Ms. Rothstein stated these 16 documents provide information to inform an approval or denial decision at a later date. Once an 17 EAW or EIS is completed, a project can proceed to the land use review process and proceed with 18 obtaining a variety of other permits needed. The information contained in an EAW or EIS can be 19 used by permitting agencies to determine the standards and restrictions that apply to the project. 20 Each permitting agency has its own authority to issue or deny permits for the project. 21 22 Ms. Rothstein provided several examples of large residential projects that have required an 23 EAW. Examples of projects requiring an EIS were also provided. 24 25 Ms. Rothstein reviewed the decision before the City Council regarding the EAW is to decide 26 whether or not the project has the potential for significant environmental impacts that cannot be 27 addressed through the permitting process. If the Council determines that the project does not 28 have the potential for these significant environmental impacts, the Council should issue a 29 Negative Declaration of Need for an EIS. If the Council determines that the project does have the 30 potential for significant environmental impact that cannot be addressed through the permitting 31 and approval process, the Council should require an EIS. Based on the review completed by 32 WSB & Associates, it is recommended that an EIS is not needed for this project. 33 34 Ms. Rothstein noted the Preliminary Development Plan and the Preliminary Plat Review 35 will be reviewed at a future date. This will follow a process in the future and the City Council 36 will consider approval at a later date. The impacts will be reviewed for permitting and for 37 Council consideration at a future date. 38 39 Mr. Phil Steger stated this is part of MN Statute regarding environmental impacts of a project. 40 The EAW has been completed. He has reviewed the EAW and found no triggers indicating the 41 need for an EIS. None of the conditions were significant to require an EIS. The EAW goes 42 through the statutory factors and it can be concluded the conditions are common to these types of 43 projects and no EIS is required. 44 45 2