SDSU Mission Valley Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) Published
The report is now available for public review and comment for a 60-day period.
Marking a major milestone for the proposed SDSU Mission Valley project, San Diego State University has published the SDSU Mission Valley Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).
Published on August 5, the DEIR is available for public review and can be found on the SDSU Mission Valley website. The DEIR will be available for review for an extended comment period of 60 days -- 15 more than required under CEQA. The comment period will close on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019.
Next Steps
SDSU will host three public meetings during the DEIR comment period to provide the public with an overview of the findings of the report and also opportunities to review project information and speak with the technical team.
All CEQA-related comments submitted in writing and received during the extended 60-day comment period will be responded to in the Final EIR.
Meetings will be open to the campus community and members of the public and will be held at the following times and locations:
- Thursday, Sept. 12, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at SDSU’s Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, 5250 55th St., in San Diego. A parking garage is located just south of the building.
- Thursday, Sept. 12, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at SDSU’s Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, 5250 55th St., in San Diego. A parking garage is located just south of the building.
- Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Mission Valley Marriott, 8757 Rio San Diego Dr., in San Diego.
A Final EIR will be presented to the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees for consideration and approval. Once approved, the final SDSU Mission Valley EIR will be an important road map and guide to ensure that significant environmental impacts will be mitigated. SDSU hopes to present the Final EIR to the CSU Board of Trustees in early 2020, and if the proposed project is approved, to purchase and to start construction on the site soon thereafter.
What is an EIR?
An EIR, or Environmental Impact Report, is a document that identifies and examines the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project and recommends measures to address those impacts. Construction on a project cannot begin until an environmental analysis has been completed and approved by the appropriate governing body, in this case, the CSU Board of Trustees. The SDSU Mission Valley Campus DEIR discloses all possible environmental effects of the project, including but not limited to effects on local and regional traffic, public services and utilities, protected plant and animal species, archaeological artifacts, historic resources, air quality and sound. DEIRs are prepared by qualified professionals in the fields of engineering, land planning, biology, hydrology, archaeology and environmental planning, and other technical disciplines, and are the result of field surveys, modeling, technical analysis and research. Once a DEIR is prepared, it is made available to the public for review and comment. The SDSU Mission Valley EIR will be available for 60 days -- 15 more than the state California Environmental Quality Act’s (CEQA) mandated 45-day-period. Once the public review comment period has closed, SDSU, as the agency preparing the DEIR, will update and finalize the EIR. That process includes responding, in writing, to written comments relating to the CEQA issues submitted during the public comment period, including those from environmental agencies, planning groups, public agencies, individuals, and all other stakeholders with an interest in the project. A Final EIR will include responses to these comments, as well as any necessary corrections to the Draft EIR, and clarification of issues that arise from the public review of the DEIR.
What is CEQA?
The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, is California's most expansive environmental disclosure and protection law. CEQA indicates that all agencies of the state government shall regulate their activities so that major consideration is given to studying and disclosing to the public and decision-makers, potential environmental impacts of a proposed project with the intent of reducing and/or preventing impacts to the environment. The California State University is complying with CEQA through the preparation and approval of a Final EIR. For information and updates, please continue to regularly visit the SDSU Mission Valley website: http://missionvalley.sdsu.edu/
