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Environmental Study Comment Period Opens for East Meadow Development

by Santa Cruz News
On March 27, the University of California Santa Cruz released the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the controversial proposal to develop the East Meadow of campus, an area that has been traditionally kept preserved as an open space. The deceptively titled "Student Housing West" project is now proposed to spread over two sites: Heller Drive on the west side of campus, and Hagar Drive on the East. Members of the public have until May 11 to comment on the East Meadow development proposal in writing, and the university is hosting two informational meetings to provide a forum for individuals to comment orally. The first meeting will be from 6:30–8:30 p.m. on May 2 at the Louden Nelson Community Center, located at 301 Center Street in Santa Cruz, and the second meeting will be from 5–7 p.m. on May 3 at the Cultural Center at Merrill College, located at Chinquapin Road on the UC Santa Cruz main campus.
sm_uc_santa_cruz_east_meadow.jpg
Written comments on the draft EIR may be submitted to: Alisa Klaus, UC Santa Cruz, , Physical Planning & Construction, 1156 High St , Mailstop: PPDO, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or via email to eircomment [at] ucsc.edu. The public review period closes on Friday, May 11, 2018, at 5 PM.

In response to the news that the East Meadow was to be developed, a group of faculty, students, alumni, staff, and community members now named the East Meadow Action Committee (EMAC) rapidly joined together to oppose the proposal.

On their website, EMAC describes the long standing tradition of the preservation the meadow:

"In 1963 the decision not to center UCSC in the open fields but rather in the forest and knolls uphill was the defining act that created the UCSC we know. Since then, keeping the grasslands open has been a principle restated in every Long-Range Development Plan. Our architects and planners have respected the admonition of our founding visionary, Thomas Church, to build at the brow of the meadows rather than at their base, and to always build in scale with the site."


Photo: The East Meadow of UC Santa Cruz (https://www.eastmeadowaction.org/visualizing-the-site/)


The "Student Housing West" draft EIR is available on the UC Santa Cruz Physical Planning website:
https://ppc.ucsc.edu/planning/EnvDoc.html



More info:

A petition is being circulated opposing the developement of the East Meadow:
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/815/978/027/save-east-meadow/


East Meadow Action Committee

The East Meadow Action Committee (EMAC) is a group of University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) faculty, students, alumni, staff, and concerned community members. We have joined together in an effort to prevent development on one of the campus's most important scenic landmarks, the East Meadow, north and east of the intersection of Hagar and Coolidge Drive on the UCSC campus.

https://www.eastmeadowaction.org


UC Santa cruz Press Release: Student Housing West environmental study now available for review and comment
https://news.ucsc.edu/2018/03/keynote-latham-housing.html


Student Housing West Project website:
https://ches.ucsc.edu/studenthousingwest/index.html
§Both development sites
by Santa Cruz News
student_housing_west_uc_santa_cruz_east_meadow.jpg
§The East Meadow at Hagar and Coolidge
by Santa Cruz News
ucsc_east_meadow.jpg
§East Meadow
by Santa Cruz News
sm_east-meadow-ucsc-development-simulation_1.jpg
§Development simulation included in draft EIR
by Santa Cruz News
sm_east-meadow-ucsc-development-simulation_2.jpg
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Dennis
Sun, Sep 30, 2018 11:23PM
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