Article 2 — DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

910.2.1 REVIEW OF PROPOSED PROJECT.

a) Prior to approval of any new development project for which an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared, the City shall identify and consult with the regional and municipal fixed-route transit operators providing service to the project.

b) Projects for which a Notice of Preparation of a Draft EIR has been circulated pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) prior to the effective date of this Section, shall be exempted from its provisions.

c) The Transit Impact Review Worksheet contained in the Los Angeles County Congestion Management Program (CMP), or similar worksheets, shall be used by the City and the transit operator to assess impacts. Pursuant to the provisions of CEQA, transit operators shall be provided with the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for all EIRs in preparation and shall be given adequate opportunity to comment on the impacts of the project, to identify recommended transit service or capital improvements which may be required as a result of the project, and to recommend mitigation measures which either reduce or do not add automobile trips onto the CMP network.

d) Impacts and recommended mitigation measures identified by the transit operator shall be evaluated in the Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared for the project. Related mitigation measures adopted by the City shall be monitored through the mitigation monitoring requirements of CEQA.

e) Phased development projects, development projects subject to a development agreement, or development projects requiring subsequent approvals, need not repeat this process as long as no significant changes are made to the project. It shall remain the discretion of the lead agency to determine when a project is substantially the same and therefore covered by a previously certified EIR.