Attachment 3 UC MERCED 2020 PROJECT Addendum No. 6 to the 2009 UC Merced Long Range Development Plan Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Impact Report The following Addendum has been prepared in compliance with CEQA. Prepared for: University of California, Merced 5200 N. Lake Road, Merced, California 95343 Prepared by: Impact Sciences, Inc. 555 12th Street, Suite 1650 Oakland, California 94607 Impact Sciences, Inc. 1 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 1.0 PROJECT INFORMATION 1. Project title: UC Merced 2020 Project 2. Lead agency name and address: The Regents of the University of California 1111 Franklin Street Oakland, CA 94607 3. Contact person and phone number: Phillip Woods, AIA, AICP Director of Physical & Environmental Planning 209‐349‐2561 4. Project location: University of California, Merced Merced County 5. Project sponsor’s name and address: (See #2 & #3) Office of Planning and Budget University of California 767 E. Yosemite, Suite C Merced, California 95343 6. Custodian of the administrative record for this project (if different from response to item 3 above.): See Project Sponsor 7. Identification of previous EIRs relied upon for tiering purposes (including all applicable LRDP and project EIRs and address where a copy is available for inspection.) The 2009 UC Merced Long Range Development Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (2009 EIS/EIR). Copies of the document can be found at: Office of Planning & Budget University of California 5200 North Lake Road Merced, California 95343 Impact Sciences, Inc. 2 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 2.0 INTRODUCTION The University of California (“University”), as the lead agency pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), prepared the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (“Final EIS/EIR”) for the 2009 Long Range Development Plan (“LRDP”) for the University of California, Merced (“UC Merced”) and the UC Merced 2020 Project (the “UCM 2020 Project”) (State Clearinghouse No. 2008041009). On March 2009, The Board of Regents of the University of California (“The Regents”) certified that the Final EIS/EIR was completed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and adopted Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations in connection with its approval of the 2009 LRDP. The Final EIS/EIR consists of the November 2008 Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (“Draft EIS/EIR”) and the March 2009 Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (“Final EIS/EIR”) (collectively the “2009 EIS/EIR”). Volumes 1 and 2 of the EIS/EIR assess the potential environmental effects of implementation of the 2009 LRDP and identify means to eliminate or reduce potential adverse impacts, and evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives to the 2009 LRDP. Volume 3 builds upon the broader programmatic analysis of campus development in EIS/EIR Volumes 1 and 2, and focuses on evaluating and disclosing environmental impacts that could potentially result if the development proposed as part of the UCM 2020 Project is implemented. The 2009 LRDP is the land use planning document used by UC Merced to guide the development of the new campus to eventually support a projected student body of 25,000 full time equivalent students on up to 815 net acres of land in Merced County. UC Merced has completed the construction of the Phase 1 campus that provides adequate facilities for enrollment of up to 5,600 full‐time equivalent (FTE) students.1 The UCM 2020 Project, also referred to as Phase 2, comprises the second phase of campus development, with facilities needed to support an enrollment level of approximately 10,000 FTE students. These facilities would include academic, administrative, research, and recreational buildings, student residences and student services buildings, utilities and infrastructure, outdoor recreation areas, and associated roadways, parking, and landscaping. The UCM 2020 Project is described in Volume 3 of the Final EIR/EIS as the development of additional building space on the campus such that at the full build‐out of the UCM 2020 Project, the campus would 1 Phase 1 campus was planned and developed to provide facilities for an enrollment level of 5,000 FTE students. UC Merced has absorbed the additional enrollment by moving some of the campus’ administrative functions to downtown locations. Impact Sciences, Inc. 3 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 contain up to 2.5 million square feet of building space to accommodate enrollment of up to 10,000 FTE students. UC Merced has commenced construction of the first UCM 2020 Project (Phase 2) facilities. The Student Services Building and Housing 4 are currently under construction and the next academic building is in the planning stages. The Campus proposes to deliver all of the remaining facilities included in the UCM 2020 Project as a single integrated planned development, to be delivered in one or more phases in a portion of the area previously identified for the UCM 2020 Project. To allow for the revised UCM 2020 Project to be implemented in this manner, the UCM 2009 LRDP would be amended. This amendment, UCM 2009 LRDP Amendment No. 1, proposes revisions to the 2009 LRDP text and graphics to: (1) Redefine campus districts and neighborhoods to create a better planning framework and identify a new Central Campus District within which the revised UCM 2020 Project would be developed; (2) Add a new land use designation called Campus Mixed Use (CMU) and apply this designation to a portion of the Central Campus District that currently has other land use designations under the existing LRDP; (3) Clarify within the Central Campus District (where facilities have already been developed) which areas will remain in residential land use, which areas will remain in student services, which area will remain in passive open space, and which area will be used for recreation; (4) Within the Central Campus District, add a transportation buffer along the east side of Lake Road to ensure that the land is not developed with land uses that could preclude transportation improvements in the future; and (5) Make minor changes to the planned on‐campus circulation system to provide additional access to the Central Campus District. The lands within the Central Campus District that are designated CMU would be used to develop the remaining facilities of the revised UCM 2020 Project. All of the revised UCM 2020 Project buildings would be located in a building subarea of the Central Campus District which generally corresponds with the currently developed portion of the campus. Low‐intensity UCM 2020 Project support facilities, such as parking lots and playing fields, could be located in the same building subarea, or in a support subarea located adjacent to and immediately east of the building subarea. The creation of the CMU designation enables flexibility to implement the revised UCM 2020 Project at higher densities than previously envisioned, as part of a single integrated planned development. The Impact Sciences, Inc. 4 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 CMU designation does not modify the total square footage of new development proposed under the previously envisioned UCM 2020 Project and the allowable land uses within the CMU are also consistent with the land uses identified in the previously envisioned UCM 2020 Project. Whether the revised UCM 2020 Project is developed consistent with existing 2009 LRDP land use designations or the proposed CMU, the campus at full implementation of the 2009 LRDP would still provide facilities for the enrollment of up to 25,000 FTE students, with the goal of accommodating half the students in on‐campus housing. Section 15164(a) of the CEQA Guidelines states “The lead agency or responsible agency shall prepare an addendum to a previously certified EIR if some changes or additions are necessary but none of the conditions described in Section 15162 calling for preparation of a subsequent EIR or declaration have occurred.” The revised UCM 2020 Project requires the establishment of a new CMU land use designation through UCM 2009 LRDP Amendment No. 1. As documented in Section 4.0 of this Addendum No. 6 to the Final EIR/EIS, implementation of the revised UCM 2020 Project on lands designated CMU would not trigger any of the conditions necessitating preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR or negative declaration; therefore, no additional environmental document beyond this Addendum is necessary to evaluate the environmental effects of the development of the revised UCM 2020 Project. 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 3.1 Description of Proposed LRDP Amendment No. 1 As noted above, the proposed LRDP Amendment No. 1 comprises five key changes to the 2009 LRDP graphics and text. Each of the proposed changes is described below. 1. Changes to District and Neighborhood Boundaries. The proposed LRDP amendment proposes to change the boundaries of previously planned campus districts and neighborhoods to create an improved planning framework and identify a new Central Campus District within which the revised UCM 2020 Project would be developed. The redefined campus districts and neighborhoods are shown in Figure 1, Campus Districts and Neighborhoods. 2. Addition of Campus Mixed Use Land Use Designation. The proposed amendment adds a new land use category, Campus Mixed Use or CMU, and applies it to lands within the Central Campus District that have other land use designations under the currently approved land use diagram for the campus. CMU land use designation allows for a combination of academic uses that provides for a wide range of land uses which supports academic activity including facilities for teaching and research activities. This category includes academic, research, student housing and support services, athletic and recreational facilities, administrative offices, service facilities, and parking. This category allows residential density up Impact Sciences, Inc. 5 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 to 320 beds/gross acre. The portion of the campus that would be designated CMU is shown on Figure 2, Land Use Plan. The CMU designation provides flexibility to the Campus and its development partners to arrange revised UCM 2020 Project facilities within the CMU area in an efficient arrangement, allows for a higher density of development, and provides for delivery sequencing that is not available under the 2009 LRDP land use designations. The CMU designation allows a combination of both horizontal and vertical mixed use according to the University’s programmatic needs for the UCM 2020 Project, which is intended to implement the 2009 LRDP. This approach provides a development framework for UC Merced to arrange and integrate different land uses and allows flexible placement of buildings, roads, and infrastructure. The maximum total cumulative development on the campus lands designated CMU will not exceed the existing developed conditions plus the remainder of the UCM 2020 Project build‐out. Campus lands designated CMU within the Central Campus District are expected to be organized into two subareas: a building subarea and a support subarea (Figure 3, Central Campus District Subareas). The boundary between these two areas is not formally designated. The building subarea is anticipated to include the existing campus and areas immediately adjacent to it that are already served by infrastructure for a total of approximately 138 acres. New buildings would be constructed within the building subarea. The support subarea is anticipated to include approximately 81 acres and would be used to develop campus facilities that require minimal infrastructure such as parking lots, sports fields, and a corporation yard. Both the building and support subareas allow flexibility for the placement of transportation circulation infrastructure that includes pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicular access right‐of‐ways. The maximum height allowed on CMU lands would be 120 feet. 3. Confirmation of Existing Developed Land Uses. For the portion of the Central Campus District that has already been developed with campus facilities, the proposed amendment clarifies which areas will remain in residential land use, which will remain in student services, which will remain in passive open space, and which areas will be used for recreation. The land use designations correspond to existing land uses developed in those areas. The proposed amendment affirms that these areas will not change in terms of their land use even though adjacent lands would be redesignated CMU and developed with campus mixed uses. The existing land uses are shown on Figure 2. 4. Transportation Buffer. The proposed amendment includes a transportation buffer to ensure that land along the east side of Lake Road within the Central Campus District is not developed in a manner that could preclude transportation improvements in the future. The transportation buffer is shown on Figure 2. Impact Sciences, Inc. 6 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 5. Minor Changes to Planned On‐campus Circulation System. The proposed amendment includes minor changes to the planned on‐campus circulation system to provide additional access to the Central Campus District. The primary changes include extension of Bellevue Road to the east and a new local access road that extends from Bellevue Road extension in a northwesterly direction to the center of the Central Campus District. 3.2 Description of the Revised UCM 2020 Project The addition of the CMU designation as well as other changes to the LRDP reported above would allow the Campus to deliver the remaining facilities included in the UCM 2020 Project as a single integrated planned development, to be completed in one or more phases. The incorporation of the CMU designation in the 2009 LRDP or any of the other proposed changes would not change any of the key elements of the previously envisioned UCM 2020 Project. The only changes would be the proposed location of the remaining facilities to be developed under the revised UCM 2020 Project and the intensification of development within the Central Campus District. Table 1 presents a summary comparison of the previously envisioned UCM 2020 Project and the revised UCM 2020 Project as proposed to be implemented consistent with the LRDP Amendment No. 1. The table also reports conditions that exist on the campus at the present time. Three of the buildings proposed as part of the UCM 2020 Project are currently under development in either the construction or planning stage. When these are completed, the campus will consist approximately 1.4 million gross square feet of building space, 2,074 parking spaces, and 1,651 student beds in on‐campus housing, located within the campus’ original Phase 1 area. Table 1 Comparison of Previously Envisioned and Revised UCM 2020 Project Existing Approved Phase 1 Previously Revised UCM 2020 Conditions Build‐out Envisioned UCM Project Build‐out 2020 Project Build‐ out Acres developed 162 162 355 219 (cumulative) Enrollment level 5,600 5,000 10,000 10,000 Academic Space (in 1.4* 1.25 2.5 2.5 million square feet) Total Student Beds 1,651 2,500 5,000 5,000 Approximate Year of NA 2013 2020 2020 Completion Note: * The total square footage number includes buildings that are existing, under construction, or currently in the planning process. Impact Sciences, Inc. 7 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 The academic building space square footage and amount of on‐campus housing proposed as part of the revised UCM 2020 Project would be the same as the previously envisioned UCM 2020 Project evaluated in Volume 3 of the 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR (also called Phase 2 build‐out), as shown in Table 1. However, the additional academic space and on‐campus housing would be constructed within the building subarea. Some existing uses within the building subarea, such as the parking lots, would be developed within the support subarea to provide additional space within the building subarea for the construction of the new buildings near existing infrastructure. No changes to the enrollment capacity analyzed in the 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR following completion of the UCM 2020 Project (i.e., 10,000 FTE students) are proposed. However, because the proposed LRDP amendment would enable implementation of the revised UCM 2020 Project on fewer acres, the CMU authorizes new development at higher densities than allowable in the Phase 1 development area. The revised UCM 2020 Project would cluster campus buildings in the Central Campus District and some of the new buildings could be as tall as 10 stories (120 feet). However, it should be noted that according to a preliminary building space demand analysis the majority of the UCM 2020 Project building program can be accommodated with three to five story buildings within the building subarea. As described above, the proposed LRDP amendment would allow for Bellevue Road to be extended along the southern edge of the Central Campus District and for a new public access street to be added from the Bellevue Road extension to the center of the Central Campus District to provide additional access to the campus site. No changes to roadways outside the campus boundaries would be required. As determined in Volume 3 of the 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR, all of the existing utilities that serve the campus are adequate to serve the build‐out of the campus under the UCM 2020 Project, including the existing campus well and water pipelines that supplies water to the campus, the existing wastewater line that carries campus wastewater to the City’s wastewater treatment plant, and power lines and natural gas pipelines that serve the campus. Any required upgrade of existing on‐site infrastructure to deliver utility services to UCM 2020 Project development within the CMU area would be evaluated as part of any future development. As with the previously envisioned UCM 2020 Project, it will be necessary to increase the capacity of the campus’ central utility plant to serve the larger campus. This expansion was analyzed in the Final EIR/EIS as part of the UCM 2020 Project. 3.2 Project Objectives The objective of the revised UCM 2020 Project remains unchanged from the objective of the previously envisioned UCM 2020 Project described in Volume 3 of the 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR, which is to support the instructional and research mission of the University of California by providing essential academic space, Impact Sciences, Inc. 8 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 infrastructure and facilities to support expanding enrollment up to 10,000 students and optimize the use of existing UC Merced campus infrastructure. The revised implementation of the UCM 2020 Project within the Central Campus District maximizes the efficient utilization of land area by increasing densities and rearranging existing uses on‐site to accommodate the growth in enrollment. The project also furthers the overall goal of UC Merced to create an environment that is welcoming to students, reflects new technologies in building design, and sets the standard for environmental stewardship and sustainability, while providing a model for growth in the San Joaquin Valley. 3.3 Surrounding Land Uses and Environmental Setting The roughly triangular Central Campus District within which the revised UCM 2020 would be constructed is bounded to the west by Lake Road, and Ranchers Road and Le Grand Canal to the north, and undeveloped campus lands to the southeast. The northern and western portions of the project site are developed with academic, administrative, and student housing buildings; parking lots; and sports fields, and the southern and eastern portions are undeveloped land that has previously been graded. Land outside the Central Campus District is mostly undeveloped grasslands used for cattle grazing and agricultural use. A few rural residential homes are located to the southwest of the project site along Lake Road. 3.4 Discretionary Approval Authority As a public agency principally responsible for approving or carrying out the revised UCM 2020 Project, the University of California is the Lead Agency under CEQA and is responsible for reviewing the adequacy of the existing environmental document, determining whether further environmental review is required as a result of the changes to the project, and approving the proposed project. Following approval of LRDP Amendment No. 1, the campus’ Physical Design Framework will be revised to reflect the revised UCM 2020 Project. Approval of design and a development agreement for the revised UCM 2020 Project would occur thereafter. The Campus anticipates construction of the revised UCM 2020 Project would commence in early 2015 with final project completion by late 2020. 3.5 Consistency with the 2009 LRDP The following discussion describes the proposed project’s relationship to and consistency with the development projections, population projections, land use designations, and objectives contained in the 2009 LRDP and its relationship to the analysis contained in the 2009 EIS/EIR. Impact Sciences, Inc. 9 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013 3.5.1 LRDP Scope of Development The existing UC Merced campus space inventory totals approximately 1.4 million square feet. The revised UCM 2020 Project remains unchanged from the description in the Final EIR/EIS and would add the same amount of building space and new facilities to the campus such that at completion the total building space on the campus would be up to 2.5 million square feet. This level of development is within the development envelope of the 2009 LRDP, which envisioned that at build‐out of the entire campus, the campus would contain 6.25 million square feet of academic and research building space; 1.0 million square feet of building space for student services; 1.25 million square feet of building space for campus services; 400,000 square feet of athletic and recreational buildings; student housing with approximately 12,500 beds; approximately 15,500 parking spaces; and 140 acres of athletics and recreational land uses and open space. 3.5.2 LRDP Land Use Designation The 2009 LRDP identifies the long‐term land uses of the revised UCM 2020 Project site (i.e., Central Campus District) as an area intended for Academic/Laboratory land uses. This land use designation allows for the development of classrooms; instructional and research laboratories; undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools and programs; ancillary support facilities such as administrative facilities, libraries, performance and cultural facilities, clinical facilities, research institutes, conference facilities, and services supporting academic operations. The proposed LRDP Amendment No. 1 would revise the existing LRDP land use map by adding the CMU designation to the majority of the lands within the Central Campus District, which would allow high density, mixed use development including academic buildings, residences, and student services within the building subarea. The CMU designation would also allow low‐intensity, non‐infrastructure dependent uses in the support subarea. This compact footprint approach emphasizes sustainable design and maximizes the use of existing utility infrastructure such as roads, water, and sewer connections. The proposed LRDP Amendment No. 1 would also clarify and affirm the continuation of a number of existing land uses in the northwestern corner of the Central Campus District. These developed land uses would remain in place and would not be changed or otherwise affected by the CMU designation. None of the proposed changes to the land use designations within the Central Campus District would conflict with the land use designations of adjacent campus lands outside the Central Campus District. 3.5.3 LRDP Population Projections Implementation of the revised UCM 2020 Project within the Central Campus District is also within the scope of the 2009 LRDP in terms of population projections. The 2009 LRDP contemplates development Impact Sciences, Inc. 10 Addendum 6 to the UC Merced 2009 LRDP EIS/EIR 0974.002 April 2013
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