A map of the previous plan and revised plan is available
here.
MERCED, CA - The University of California, Merced, said today
(Oct. 5) it will adjust its plans for future development of the
campus and associated university community to preserve more
wetlands and achieve greater land-use efficiency. The slightly
smaller physical “footprint” will support full development of the
campus, accommodating up to 25,000 students as originally planned,
and the contiguous university community (primarily housing and
support services for the campus). Current construction plans within
the first phase of the campus are not affected. The reconfiguration
stems from a series of consultations with federal agencies involved
in the administration of the U.S. Clean Water Act and is intended
to allow the university to move more efficiently through the
required federal permit application process.
The reconfigured campus footprint will total about 810 acres,
compared with the previous plan of 910 acres. The 810-acre site
will include about 580 acres of the previously proposed site
(including the 105 acres on which the first phase of the campus
sits), plus approximately 230 acres of grazing land previously
located within the University Community Plan area, directly south
of and contiguous to the existing campus. (The 230-acre parcel is
owned by the University Community Land Company, LLC, which is
jointly owned by the University of California and the Virginia
Smith Trust.) As a result of this reconfiguration, the size of the
adjacent university community will slightly increase, resulting in
a total development that is virtually unchanged from the original plan.
The change in the campus and university community footprint will
reduce the amount of environmentally sensitive wetlands affected by
development from about 121 acres to 81 acres, or approximately 33 percent.
The revised campus layout, coupled with modifications made in
late 2000, will reduce the university’s expected impact on native
wetlands by approximately 95 percent, compared with plans
originally made in the late 1990s.
“I am very pleased to announce our intent to embark on this path
toward resolution of the very complex federal permitting process
and reaffirm the university’s commitment to move responsibly
forward with full-scale development of the next great American
research university,” said Steve Kang, chancellor of the UC Merced
campus, which opened in 2005.
To compensate for the southward shift of the campus onto the
university community, an approximate 230-acre parcel owned by the
UCLC, LLC and an approximate 80-acre parcel owned by LWH Farms, LLC
will be added to the university community. The size of the
university community will be about 2,160 acres and, as previously
approved, will include housing, commercial and retail offerings, a
research park, schools, parks and support services for campus
operations. The original acreage for the community was 2,133.
As managing member of the UCLC, the university will seek an
amendment to the University Community Plan in collaboration with
the County of Merced, the land use governing authority, to
accommodate the revisions.
The university devised the new configuration following
discussion with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which have jurisdiction
over wetlands development under the U.S. Clean Water Act, as well
as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department
of Fish and Game. The County of Merced, the City of Merced and
agricultural groups also have been consulted.
Through coordination by the resource agencies mentioned above,
university officials also met with environmental groups, referred
to as the California Endangered Species and Habitat Alliance, to
identify ways for further reducing impacts to wetlands and vernal
pools while still developing a thriving campus and contiguous
community of sufficient size for UC-quality research and teaching.
CESHA membership includes, among others, the Butte Environmental
Council, California Native Plant Society, Defenders of Wildlife,
San Joaquin Raptor/Wildlife Center, The Nature Conservancy and VernalPools.Org.
“Our colleagues at the resource agencies, local governments and
non-governmental organizations have provided valuable feedback
which has been integrated into our plan,” said Kang. “We appreciate
their efforts and willingness to engage with us.”
“We have learned a good deal about the unique environmental
qualities of this setting since the university unveiled its
original development plans more than a decade ago,” Kang said. “At
the same time, the region has begun to witness many of the
educational, economic and cultural benefits a major research
university can provide, and will continue to provide for
generations to come. These moves reflect a strong mutual desire to
address the long-term needs of this historically underserved region
while managing the impact of development as responsibly as possible.”
The reconfigured main campus will accommodate up to 25,000
students at full build-out (2035), as originally planned, and
support the broad scope of the university’s research and
instructional activities. Campus planners will consider a number of
options, including repositioned facilities, slightly greater
density and other measures, to achieve improved land-use
efficiency. Construction activities on the ongoing first phase of
campus development are not affected and will support campus
development through a student population of 5,000 students.
Revised Section 404 permit applications should be ready to
submit for the wetlands-development permit by this winter. The
university’s pending application for a permit, originally submitted
to USACE and EPA in 2002, will be revised to reflect the new
footprint. An application also will be filed for the university
community for the first time. The University Community Plan was not
completed in 2002 when the original campus application was filed.
This limited the original County application to only anticipated
basic infrastructure.
“The revised applications will give federal authorities a more
comprehensive look at the total project,” said Kang. “The
applications will continue to demonstrate the critical relationship
between the campus and the university community and why it’s
essential to build them as planned on contiguous sites. This
integrated approach is far better than evaluating the projects
separately.”
As part of the application process, a joint Environmental
Impact Report/Environmental Impact Study for both the campus and
the university community will be prepared. Public hearings will be
part of the review and approval process, which is expected to take
18-24 months.
Development of the approximately 81 acres of wetlands remaining
in the combined project will be fully offset by mitigation
measures, the university said, to ensure “no net loss” of wetlands
values and functions, as required by the U.S. Clean Water Act.
SNAPSHOT OF REVISED PLAN
* What: UC Merced will revise the configuration of the campus
and adjacent university community to reduce the amount of wetland
fill (by 33%) without affecting the overall scope or mission of the
university. The campus will support development of a research
university with 25,000 students. Development timetable is unchanged.
* When: Revised applications to federal agencies will be
submitted this winter. Public hearings will be part of the review
and approval process, which is expected to take 18-24 months.
* Why: Officials are confident long-term objectives can be met
on a slightly smaller campus footprint, thereby reducing the impact
of development. These changes will allow the permitting process to
move along with renewed vision and momentum while allowing the
campus and university development plans to proceed virtually unchanged.
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