Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Steve Monowitz, Community Development Director
Subject: Comment Letter on the Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report Regarding Stanford University's General Use Permit Application
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation to authorize and direct the President of the Board of Supervisors to sign the attached comment letter regarding the Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared as part of Santa Clara County's review of Stanford University's General Use Permit Application.
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BACKGROUND:
Stanford University (Stanford) has submitted a General Use Permit (GUP) application to Santa Clara County that proposes the construction of up to 2.27 million square feet of new academic and academic support facilities, and 3,150 new on-campus housing units, between 2018 and 2035. The development proposed under this GUP adds to the 10.25 million square feet of academic facilities and 15,237 housing units constructed under the prior General Use Permit.
In October 2017, Santa Clara County published a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as part of its review of this application for the new GUP. San Mateo County submitted comments in response to the DEIR on January 26, 2018. In June 2018, Santa Clara County published recirculated portions of the DEIR that introduce two additional alternatives to the proposed project. These alternatives increase, to varying degrees, the amount of housing that Stanford would be required to construct on campus in order to help meet the growing demand for housing associated with the proposed academic and facility expansions.
DISCUSSION:
CEQA requires an analysis of a project's impact on the environment in order to inform decision makers and the public of the potential consequences of the proposed development. CEQA also requires an analysis...
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