Seaside city officials today published the long-awaited, much-anticipated draft environmental impact report for Monterey Downs, a proposed horse park and equestrian-themed residential and business development on the former Fort Ord.
The draft EIR provides the first detailed analysis of what exactly Monterey Downs would be and how it would fit into the existing landscape.
City officials released the draft a day early, since city offices will be closed tomorrow on Cesar Chavez Day. Members of the public can submit comments by emailing Wissler@emcplanning.com up until 5pm on June 1.
The draft EIR can be found here. The Weekly is reading and analyzing several chapters and will continue posting on our blog today and tomorrow on projected impacts on water resources, traffic and transportation and biological resources.
For starters, here's a look at the projected impacts of Monterey Downs on population.
Monterey Downs would generate a projected 2,758 permanent jobs, a 27-percent increase for Seaside’s job market, and 4,058 new residents, a 12-percent increase over the current population.
These increases are deemed to be less-than-significant in the draft EIR, which notes the city’s 2013 residential vacancy rate was 7.2 percent, exceeding the range of 4 to 6 percent range generally viewed as “healthy.”
The city currently has more working residents than it has in-city jobs, according to the EIR: “Seaside is primarily a bedroom community, whose residents work throughout the Monterey Peninsula and other regional employment centers.”
Though the projected number of new residents would outnumber the projected number of new jobs about two to one, the draft EIR contends the project would help alleviate lingering unemployment: "The jobs created by the project could be filled in part by unemployed persons who already reside in Seaside and/or surrounding cities."