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Environmental Review/CEQA

Physical Planning, Development & Operations conducts environmental review in accordance with the guidelines established by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Under UC Santa Cruz's Coastal Long Range Development Plan for the Marine Science Campus, Physical Planning, Development & Operations also prepares Notices of Impending Development and supporting documents for review by the California Coastal Commission.

If you have trouble accessing any of these documents, please email us pep@ucsc.edu.

CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS

2021 Long Range Development Plan

  University House Improvements

Buildings A and B Renovation at Westside Research Park

Master Residential Lease of the Delaware Addition Apartment Project

Purchase Replacement Residential Property: Current and Future UC Santa Cruz Chancellors

Kresge College Renewal and Expansion

Kresge College, one of ten residential colleges on the UC Santa Cruz Campus, was originally constructed in 1973. Its existing 22 buildings, 21 of which are included in the project scope, support a complete living and learning community with student residences, academic and classroom spaces, administrative offices, lecture halls and assembly space, outdoor social areas, and other community-serving spaces. The project would involve demolition of nine existing buildings; construction of a cluster of three new residential buildings, an academic building, and a multi-purpose assembly space; and renovation or reconstruction of 12 existing buildings. New and renovated or reconstructed buildings would be reprogrammed to increase the functionality of the residential, academic, and student support spaces and provide building upgrades. In addition, the project would include improvements to and new construction of outdoor amenities, circulation features (including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure), storm water management system components, landscaping features, and utilities. The project would retain key legacy site features of the existing Kresge College complex.

The University prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Kresge College Project. The public review period for the Draft EIR ended on Monday, January 7, 2019. The Regents approved the project on March 13, 2019. Links to the Draft EIR, Final EIR, CEQA Findings, and Notice of Determination are provided below. 

Update:

In November 2022, the University prepared an Addendum to the certified  Kresge College Renewal and Expansion Project EIR, which  analyzes design modifications to the Kresge College Non-Academic Project (Project), including providing additional residential space. The Project will be considered by the UC Regents at the November meeting.

Documents available online:

 Notice of Exemption: Master Service Agreements to Furnish Group Room Reservations for Students

(July 2022)

(December 2021)

 

Notice of Exemption: Master Service Agreement to Furnish Room Reservations at the Best Western All Suites Hotel (September 2021) 

 

Great Meadow Bike Path Preservation and Safety Improvement - Phase 2

The University has prepared an Initial Study for the Great Meadow Bike Path Preservation and Safety Improvement Project Phase 2 (Great Meadow Bike Path Project). Based upon the Initial Study, the University has determined that a Mitigated Negative Declaration is appropriate for the proposed Project. The project consists of reconstructing and widening the existing Great Meadow Bike path to meet current Caltrans standards to the extent feasible within the current alignment. This would include reconstruction and repaving of the path, widening and paving of shoulders, correcting existing drainage issues adjacent to the path, and designating specific portions of the path for shared pedestrian and bicycle use.

The Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration was circulated for a 30-day public review period. The public review period closed on May 6, 2019. The Vice Chancellor – Finance, Operations and Administration adopted the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and approved the project on May 16, 2019. Links to the Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Notice of Determination are provided below.

Student Housing West

The proposed project would construct housing for approximately 3,000 students at two sites on the UC Santa Cruz main campus via a public-private partnership (P3) delivery method. The project would demolish the existing 200-unit family student housing complex and child care facility west of Heller Drive and redevelop the 13-acre site with approximately 2,900 student beds in 6 buildings, a total of approximately 858,900 sf. The project would develop approximately 140 units of housing for student families, and a child care center, on a 17-acre site northeast of the intersection of Glenn Coolidge Drive and Hagar Drive (Hagar site). The development of student housing on the Hagar site would require an amendment of the 2005 LRDP to change the land use designation from Campus Resource Land to Colleges and Student Housing.

In March 2018, the University published the Student Housing West Project Draft EIR, which was circulated for agency and public comment for an initial period of 45 days that ended on May 11, 2018. The public comment period was then extended for over an additional 45 days, which ended on June 27, 2018. In light of changes to the project since the publication of the Draft EIR, and to provide additional analysis and clarification on several topics as requested in comments on the Draft EIR, the University published a Revised Draft EIR, which replaced in full the previously published Draft EIR. The Revised Draft EIR was circulated for agency and public comment for a period of 45 days that ended on November 1, 2018.

The Final EIR, completed in February 2019, includes copies of comments on the Revised Draft EIR and written responses to all of the comments. Links to the Draft and Final EIR are provided below. Copies are also available for review at the Downtown Branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library, 224 Church St.

The Regents approved the Student Housing West Project on March 29, 2019. Links to the Revised Draft EIR, Final EIR, CEQA Findings, and Notice of Determination are provided below.

On April 25, 2019, the East Meadow Action Committee filed a lawsuit challenging, among other things, The Regents’ certification of the Final EIR. On October 30, 2020, the Honorable Judge Burdick of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court upheld the adequacy of the EIR but overturned the approval based on The Regents' findings. The Regents' will consider re-approval of the project at the March meeting. The CEQA Findings are included below. 

 

 

The 2005 Long Range Development Plan Environmental Impact Report

The 2005 LRDP EIR is available online at https://lrdp.ucsc.edu/index-2005.shtml

 

Seymour Marine Discovery Center Emergency Generator Replacement

Other Environmental Documents