Community Impact Report

By Rachelle Collier

It's time to make development fit the community, not change the community to fit the development

Today, developers are expected to do an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for any large project. However, the typical EIR doesn't always cover everything a policy maker needs to evaluate a project. I propose that Encinitas look into also requiring a CIR...Community Impact Report ...to assess fiscal costs and benefits of potential projects.

Twenty-five years ago, the EIR was a new tool and now it is standard. Los Angles and San Jose require CIR's as part of their approval process for new projects. The City of Petaluma is considering implementing it.

The CIR looks into five impacts: fiscal, employment, affordable housing, neighborhood needs and smart growth. They do not require mitigation of any impacts and aren't binding. However, they do evaluate the number and types of jobs and salary levels that would be brought to the area. They look at whether new tax revenues would be generated or would the new project simply cannibalize the sales taxes already being collected by smaller, existing businesses?

Most of the objections at City Council and Planning Commission meetings are about projects that neighbors feel do not fit their community. A CIR is not anti-development. It is similar to what a developer would do before deciding to build a project. They very seldom run longer than 50 pages and are fairly inexpensive to produce. Citizens are much less likely to object to projects they can see will benefit the entire community. The CIR can be a tool to make it happen that way.