Loomis reviews draft 2040 General Plan EIR; council and residents spar over electrification, VMT and local impacts

Town of Loomis planning staff presented the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the 2040 General Plan update at a joint Planning Commission and Town Council workshop, outlining analysis of topics from air quality and greenhouse gas emissions to transportation, cultural resources and wildland fire risks.

Christie, the town’s lead planner, told the bodies that “the purpose of the EIR is strictly as an informational piece for decision makers, to inform your decisions about the general plan update.” The draft circulated Sept. 22 and is open for public comment through Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.; staff said all written and oral comments will be addressed in the final EIR.

Why it matters: the EIR frames how Loomis will analyze and mitigate environmental effects of the General Plan update and identifies several mitigation measures and alternatives that could shape future ordinances and project approvals. Commissioners repeatedly asked how the draft’s mitigation language on electrification, wood‑burning appliances and vehicle‑miles‑traveled (VMT) would affect developers and residents.

Key points from the workshop:

- Scope and alternatives: Christie summarized the EIR’s scope (aesthetics, air quality, biological and cultural resources, greenhouse gases, transportation, public services, utilities and more) and explained three analyzed alternatives: a no‑project baseline, a buffer alternative to limit development near sensitive areas, and a compact‑growth alternative that would shift more housing downtown. The draft assumes the housing element adopted in 2021 is separate from this EIR.

- Electrification and wood‑burning measures: The draft includes mitigation that would “promote” electric appliances and equipment for new development and proposes implementation measures such as encouraging electric landscape equipment on public lands and limiting wood‑burning stoves in new construction. Commissioners and the mayor pressed staff whether those measures would ban existing appliances; Christie clarified they apply to new development and that any state statute requiring changes would supersede local rules.

- Local resistance and committee history: Several commissioners said they opposed voluntarily adopting restrictive electrification measures. One member summarized committee negotiations: “we should promote electricity over gas, but not necessarily forbidding everybody from using gas,” and described the current wording as a committee compromise. Commissioners warned of practical concerns (battery life for electric landscape tools, grid resilience) and of political pushback if the town appeared to voluntarily adopt state‑level aspirations.

- VMT and transportation analysis: Staff explained that VMT is now the required metric under CEQA for transportation impact analysis (replacing level‑of‑service measures) and that the EIR proposes a VMT reduction program and a menu of mitigation options projects could use to meet VMT targets. Commissioners asked whether VMT addresses congestion and safety; staff and commissioners acknowledged overlap but said safety should remain separately evaluated.

- Air quality offsets and Placer County APCD: The draft references the Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) for thresholds and potential off‑site mitigation or fee programs to offset project emissions; some commissioners questioned the town enforcing fee‑based offsets rather than leaving enforcement to the district.

- Public comments and local concerns: During public comment residents raised multiple local issues: some urged protecting homeowner choice on fuel and warned against “giving an inch” to state electrification efforts; others asked the town to pursue truck‑route enforcement and road repairs on Brace/Laird because of heavy delivery and tractor‑trailer traffic; a resident said a 2022 rezoning request for a property on Brace Road had been missed and asked staff to review the request promptly.

Representative public remarks included resident Joe Ryan: “The freedoms, the liberties, the freedom to choose,” when urging caution about policies that would prefer electric options; and resident Elizabeth Croft asking staff to process an omitted rezoning request so her family can remain near their orchard and water supply.

Next steps: Staff reminded the bodies that the draft EIR is still being circulated and that written and oral comments received during the comment period will be compiled and addressed in the final EIR. At the end of the workshop the chair directed staff to consider all oral comments and return a revised EIR for subsequent hearings.

What was not decided: The workshop was informational; no ordinance or definitive policy change was adopted. Commissioners repeatedly noted that policy choices about requiring or prohibiting gas or electrification measures would return to the council for formal action after EIR revisions and any necessary additional analyses.