Santa Clara County has released the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Stanford University’s 2018 General Use Permit (GUP).
The Draft EIR and referenced documents are available for review at the following locations:
- County website:
- Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto;
- Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Rd, Palo Alto
THREE public meetings will be held on the Draft EIR:
- October 12 (Thursday) from 7-9 p.m.
Lucie Stern Community Center Ballroom
1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
(Presentation by County Staff of Draft EIR and public comment process)
UPDATE:
- October 19 (Thursday) from 6-8 p.m.
Palo Alto City Council Chambers
250 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian will be holding a public meeting to discuss the application and solicit public comment and feedback on the proposal. Comments will be responded to and incorporated into the Final EIR
- November 30 (Thursday) from 7-9 p.m.
Palo Alto Arts Center Auditorium
1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto
(Special County Planning Commission meeting to receive public comments on the Draft EIR.)
The proposed 2018 General Use Permit would authorize Stanford campus growth and land use development, anticipated to take place over a period extending from approximately 2018 through 2035:
- 2,275,000 net new square feet of academic and academic support facilities;
- 3,150 net new housing units/beds (550 units would be available for faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and medical residents); and
- Stanford University proposes that the 2018 General Use Permit include an option to allow Stanford to construct a 2,000-space parking supply reserve, subject to Planning Commission review and approval, if any one of the following conditions apply:
- 1) Stanford is achieving its No Net New Commute Trip goal;
- 2) such parking would not result in a substantial increase in peak-hour commute trips; or
- 3) unforeseen circumstances occur due to changes in background conditions would require provision of additional parking.
2000 Stanford GUP details:
- 2,035,000 net new square feet of new academic and academic support uses;
- 3,018 net new housing units/beds for students, faculty and staff;
- 1,450 additional housing units approved in May 2016, for total of 4,468 housing units;
- 2,300 net new parking spaces, and associated infrastructure; and
- Approximately 1.4 million net square feet has been built or approved from the 2000 GUP.
Pre-2000 details:
- 8,220,000 net square feet of academic and academic support space
- 9,832 housing units/beds
- 19,351 parking spaces
The Draft EIR has identified significant and unavoidable impacts in the areas of Cultural Resources, Noise and Vibration, and Transportation-Traffic. This notice is required to disclose whether the program area contains any sites listed as a hazardous waste site and the program area identifies/contains no such sites.
Your comments regarding the significant environmental effects of this project and the adequacy of the Draft EIR are welcome.
The 60-day public review period for this Draft EIR began on October 6, 2017 and ends on December 4, 2017.
Written comments on the Draft EIR should be addressed to:
David Rader
Santa Clara County Planning Office
County Government Center
70 W. Hedding Street
7th Floor, East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110
E-mail: david.rader@pln.sccgov.org
As you review and consider your comments, please be reminded that Stanford Research Park is not included in the City’s 50,000 square foot office/R&D annual limit and hence, can and will be contributing to the impacts in Palo Alto. Additionally, South Palo Alto has some significant development coming in the near future, such as the Fry’s Electronic site and other projects. All will leave us with significant impacts.
