No. A PDA is a tool that provides access to funding for area planning and needed and/or planned infrastructure improvements. A PDA holds no authority or power over environmental review or exemptions prescribed by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
However, a PDA can provide a funding source to develop and adopt community-driven planning processes. As part of this planning process, the City would develop a Specific Plan. A Specific plan is a very detailed planning which document which is subject to environmental review typically assessed in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Most often the EIR that is prepared for a Specific Plan provides a detailed enough level of review to provide for environmental review streamlining or exemptions for development projects within the Specific Plan area that determined to be consistent with the Specific Plan.