SLRMWD circulating programmatic EIR for public comment

The San Luis Rey Municipal Water District is circulating its draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report for public review.

The Programmatic EIR addresses environmental issues of the master plan for the district’s anticipated future facilities. “It is an Environmental Impact Report for the master plan facilities necessary to provide service as requested by the various landowners within the district,” said Jack Hoagland, the annexation and activation of latent powers consultant for the San Luis Rey Municipal Water District.

The draft Programmatic EIR was released March 16 for a 45-day public review period, meaning that public comments are due April 30. Copies of the report are available at the Fallbrook Public Library and at the Rainbow Municipal Water District office as well as on the district’s Web site, http://www.sanluisreymwd.com.

Although one of the future scenarios for the district is annexing to the Valley Center Municipal Water District, which would provide the San Luis Rey area with San Diego County Water Authority services under the Valley Center district’s CWA membership, the draft Programmatic EIR is not on display at the Valley Center district offices.

The Programmatic EIR addresses issues throughout the district. “It doesn’t cover the development per se,” said Vic Pankey, the president of the SLRMWD board.

Each project will require a separate Environmental Impact Report, which will be more detailed than the Programmatic EIR.

“We look forward to people responding and providing us with comments prior to April 30,” Hoagland said.

“We’ll just have to see what the comments are and respond to those comments as they come in,” Pankey said.