Monterey Downs' final EIR confirms there’s not enough water.

The Monterey Downs final environmental impact report, released July 29, stands about 10 inches tall and is more than 2,000 pages long.

Given that the project would remove nearly 30,000 oak trees, the quantity of paper feels appropriate.

The loss of oaks is among the 15 “significant and unavoidable” environmental impacts of Monterey Downs, which is the biggest proposed project in Seaside’s history. At full build-out, it would transform woodlands into homes, hotels, a horse park, a commercial area, a sports arena and a horse racing track.

The final EIR addresses dozens of issues, but the answer to whether there is enough water for the project jumps right out: Not even close.

Additionally, the final EIR addresses water from a best-case scenario, one predicated on a set of assumptions: Within the 711-acre project site, 563 acres lie in unincorporated county land, and the EIR assumes that not only will the county agree to annex land to Seaside, but that it will also agree to fork over its Fort Ord water allocations.

A letter from the county, which is included in the EIR, makes it clear that scenario is far from a slam dunk.

Even in that best-case scenario, the project is 283 acre-feet of water short to achieve full build-out, and there is only enough water for the first three of the project’s six phases.

The project will also have unavoidable impacts on air quality, and potentially significant impacts on traffic, according to the EIR. CalTrans takes issue with aspects of the traffic analysis, which it says underestimates the number of car trips.

Seaside City Manager Craig Malin says he’s read nearly half the EIR – “about four inches” – and wants to read it all before commenting on it. He says the city will hold multiple study sessions about Monterey Downs in the coming months, and there is not yet a schedule for when it might come before City Council for approval.