Report reveals gap in UC Santa Cruz’s assessment of enrollment growth effects
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — A Santa Cruz county judge ruled that UCSC's environmental review of its enrollment growth was inadequate.
In a fifty-nine page report, the Santa Cruz superior court highlighted concerns regarding the impact of increasing enrollment.
Specifically for housing, water use, wildlife and evacuation routes in Santa Cruz County.
The judge’s ruling highlighted several deficiencies in UCSC's environmental report concerning its long range development plan.
Santa Cruz County Superior Judge Timothy Schmal, ruled in favor of the city of Santa Cruz’s finding.
The city found that the UCSC expansion plan to increase enrollment by over 8,000 students by 2040, failed to address critical concerns about housing affordability and other issues.
The city’s main concerns are on the local housing market as UCSC seeks to enroll more students.
"The housing supply [is] caused by the contemplated growth that was contained in the long range development plan for the university," said City Attorney Anthony Condotti. "The Court found that the assumption that the university was going to house 100% of the new students on campus was not based on any support, and It was unsupported by any of the evidence that was contained in the record. The environmental impact reports further reliance on this assumption."
"We believe that our 2021 long range development plan, informed by four years of collaborative discussion with campus and community members before unanimous approval by the UC board of regents in September 2021, represents that balance," said Scott Hernandez-Jason, UCSC Assistant Vice Chancellor. "We are disappointed with the court’s ruling and are determining our next steps.”
The court criticized UCSC's plan to add over eight thousand new beds for students, calling it "inadequate."
The court also said that it puts additional pressure on local communities, like impacting housing shortages and water supplies.
"[The] court found that factually inaccurate, because at this point in time we have a trial court judgment saying that they do need to get LAFCO approval," Condotti said.
The court also noted the wildfire impact, saying that UCSC failed to address evacuation procedures.
The report listed the evaluation of the impact on regional housing and traffic.
The court said the report also fails to include that the LAFCO approval would not be required for the city to deliver water outside of its water service area to new development proposed for the north campus area.
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday to discuss the next steps.
"An order will be issued from the court that directs them to rescind approval of the IDPE, as well as the certification of the environmental impact report for the IDPE," Condotti said.
UCSC could decide on a potential appeal.
"If the decision is appealed, ultimately upheld by the Court of Appeal, then it would become a binding precedent that would be applicable to other university development plans system wide," Condotti said. "It wouldn't just have an effect upon the city of Santa Cruz, so the university might find an appeal in [their] interests, but they would also be taking some risks by doing so."
