Comment Deadline for Aggie Square NOP: March 10

A Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Report on the UC Davis Sacramento Campus 2020 Long Range Development Plan Update (LRDP) was sent out on February 7th, including plans for Aggie Square. You can view the Notice of Preparation here: https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2020020161/2/Attachment/037ZSy?fbclid=IwAR11J3x0kcTDuqaWrZGL3wrdoaisrX_g4rCpL_8gF8rbNK1vtQlWjSD714M

From the introduction of the Notice:

“Each campus within the University of California system periodically prepares a long range development plan (LRDP) to guide campus development in anticipation of projected growth of student enrollment and new university-added programs. The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Sacramento Campus 2020 LRDP Update will propose general types of campus development and land uses to support projected on-campus population growth and to enable expanded and new program initiatives for the UC Davis Sacramento Campus. The 2010 LRDP remains in effect as the guiding land use document for the UC Davis Sacramento Campus, and its overall program of growth and development remains accurate. The proposed 2020 update to the 2010 LRDP will largely focus on making minor adjustments to the 2010 LRDP land use plan and policies. UC Davis will prepare a supplemental environmental impact report (SEIR), as required by Public Resources Code (PRC) Sections 21080.09 and 21166, to evaluate the environmental effects of incremental growth under the 2020 LRDP Update through the year 2040. The 2020 LRDP Update SEIR will be a program EIR that can be used at a program-level in the environmental review of subsequent campus development projects, as well as a project-level EIR for the Aggie Square Phase 1 and Replacement Hospital Tower (RHT) projects.”

The deadline for comments is March 10th!

You can email your comments to environreview[at]ucdavis[dot]edu.

OR you can submit your comments via postal mail to:
Matt Dulcich, AICP
Director of Environmental Planning
Campus Planning and Environmental Stewardship
University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616

What are the concerns?

It’s possible that Aggie Square can exacerbate gentrification in the surrounding Sacramento neighborhoods, or it can lead to economic growth through increased opportunities for local residents.

How do we invest in the neighborhoods most impacted by UC Davis without displacing existing residents and local businesses?

Click here to learn more about the Environmental Council of Sacramento’s concerns about the impacts of Aggie Square.

New Hospital Proposed for Elk Grove

May 30, 2019

In case you haven’t heard, there is a giant hospital planned for right next to the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Elk Grove. The City of Elk Grove has released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the California Northstate University Medical Center Campus Project. The City is encouraging public input during the NOP’s 30-day review period ending on 6/27. See the Notice of Preparation at https://bit.ly/2JLqKDW.

Community’s Concerns

The greatest concerns expressed by the community so far include:

  • Lack of transparency on behalf of CNU and city officials/unwillingness to correct false data and “misquotes” via the media
  • A facility even more expansive than originally disclosed elevates residents’ concerns
  • Financial failure, similar to the Elk Grove “Ghost Mall”, would leave behind an eyesore/empty shell of a hospital that would ultimately need to be demolished
  • Displacement and/or destruction of local small-businesses
  • Unreliable jobs projections, based on the original 24,000 being revised to only 1,400 over the next 10 years
  • A hospital more than 6x higher than the tallest homes in the West Elk Grove/destruction of the aesthetics of the surrounding area
  • Unsustainable traffic increases along Elk Grove Blvd., at the on-ramp and off-ramp of I-5 and on one of three main arteries into the Stonelake residential community
  • Parking overflowing onto community streets
  • Major safety concerns for nearby schools
  • Negative impacts on the natural environment
  • Lack of security available to accommodate the heightened safety risks
  • Impacts to local wildlife, such as the many birds who depend on the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge to survive
  • Growth Inducement

“Neighbors Ensuring Stonelake Transparency” (NEST)

Information about NEST and their concerns can be found at https://egnest.com/ and/or https://stonelakeneighbors.com.

[You may know of the]…recent demolition of what became known as “The Ghost Mall” within the City of Elk Grove It was a failed project of former Mayor Gary Davis. Davis is now a paid consultant to California Northstate University. Coincidentally, Davis had moved into the Stonelake neighborhood just a few months prior to the CNU hospital announcement.

https://egnest.com/

Habitat 2020/ECOS’ Concerns

The ECOS Habitat committee is also tracking the hospital proposal.

The Friends of Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is a member of Habitat 2020 and submitted a letter outlining their concerns on May 13, 2019, prior to the release of the Notice of Preparation. You can read that letter by clicking here.

ECOS and Friends of Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge expect to send a joint letter on the NOP soon.

Environmental Documents

The Notice of Preparation and more documents on the hospital can be viewed at egnest.com/documents.

The Scoping Meeting is set for June 24, 2019 5:30 pm at elk Grove City Council Chambers.

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