San Rafael officials have released the final environmental impact report on the massive residential plan for the Northgate mall.

The hefty 1,480-page report examines the potential impacts of the proposal for 1,422 homes mixed with shops and restaurants on the 45-hectare site in Terra Linda.

Although revised plans were submitted late in the game, the report says the changes “do not add significant new information” and “would not materially alter the construction and operational impacts.”

The report is consistent with a draft assessment released in January that states greenhouse gas emissions and noise generated by the project would be “significant and unavoidable.”

Like the draft report, the final EIR, or FEIR, examines three other project options, including a “no-project” option. In summary, the report says the “reduced housing option” — which proposes 63 fewer homes than developers are asking for — would be the “environmentally superior option.”

The alternative would “somewhat reduce” impacts on air quality, emissions, energy, noise and vehicle trip generation, the report says.

However, the report claims that a list of necessary design and mitigation measures would need to be followed to minimize disruption.

The report says the reduced housing option would meet the stated project goals with only 63 fewer homes.

April Talley, the city’s project director, said the Planning Commission is being asked to recommend certification of the document. Certification means the city finds the EIR has met the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, Talley said.

“It is independent of the decision to approve the project, and approving certification does not necessarily mean project approval,” Talley said.

“California law requires that the city, before considering whether to approve a project, must complete the environmental review,” Talley said. “Certification of the EIR allows the city to move forward with review and consideration of the project.”

The Planning Commission will consider the EIR when it meets at 19.00 on Tuesday in the town hall. A signature would be sent to the municipal council for attestation.

“Every aspect of the plan has been carefully evaluated to transform Northgate from a declining suburban mall into a dynamic, mixed-use downtown,” said Ross Guehring, spokesman for mall owner and developer Merlone Geier Partners.

“We are eager to move into the final review phase, which brings us one step closer to creating a vibrant new gathering place for San Rafael,” he said.

Merlone Geier Partners bought the mall in 2017. The company proposes to build phase one in 2025, followed by phase two in 2040.

The project would include six residential areas with a mix of townhouses and apartments. Buildings would range from two to seven stories.

The proposal has become the poster child for the push for dense housing in Marin, as municipalities work to meet daunting state housing requirements.

Some residents are in favor, but the vocal majority who line up at City Hall to voice their opinions say the project is too big for the quiet residential area.

One group that has consistently raised concerns is the nonprofit organization Responsible Growth in Marin.

In an email, Grace Geraghty, the group’s executive director, said it appreciates staff holding workshops and welcoming public comment, but said “we are disappointed by the dismissive tone of the FEIR.”

The report includes staff and consultant responses to public letters and personal comments. Critics raised concerns about traffic, noise, emissions, emergency access and evacuations. They also say police and fire departments, schools and other agencies could become overburdened.

Geraghty said the staff and consultants’ responses in the report are “misleading, sometimes misleading and ignore the legitimate and real concerns … of the existing community whose lives will be adversely affected for years to come.”

“These lingering community concerns deserve sincere engagement and resolution rather than whitewashing,” Geraghty said.

Members of the Navy’s organizing committee, an opinion-forming group, have a different perspective. Linda Haumann, a volunteer with the organization, said there is a housing crisis and the mall is shrinking. Haumann said the developer has been responsive to community concerns by making changes along the way.

For example, Haumann said, the developers plan to spread 143 designated affordable housing units throughout the site rather than grouping a majority of the lower-income housing into one complex. That change was in response to concerns that a detached complex for low-income households would segregate the community.

Some of these affordable houses will be for sale, while others would be for rent. Expanding homeownership opportunities to affordable levels was another response to public comments, Haumann said.

In addition, the central “town square” was expanded to 57,000 square feet after critics said there was insufficient recreational space.

“We need to move forward, to build more housing for our workforce and those in Marin who need a place to call home,” Haumann said. “The bottom line is, if we want our teachers, our EMTs, our healthcare workers to live closer to where they work, we need more housing.”

More project information is available at cityofsanrafael.org/northgate-town-square-rev/.