Washington State University Vancouver will host an open house on Wednesday, July 19, to address potential environmental impact from future development of the campus.
The update of the institution’s master plan, which was first developed in 1995 and which the institution began updating in 2003, will guide the development of the campus through the next 20 years.
WSU Vancouver has prepared a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) assessing three scenarios for campus development, including (1) a baseline alternative represented by the current approved master plan; (2) a second alternative which adds approximately seven academic buildings, four non-academic buildings, limited faculty/graduate student housing, expansion of the Physical Plant Building, parking structures to the baseline alternative and a new access road from Salmon Creek Avenue; and (3) a third alternative which further augments the second alternative with six more campus buildings and additional parking structures.
The baseline alternative provides for campus growth through the year 2015, while the second and third alternatives provide for growth through approximately 2023. This current version of the SEIS represents a revision of the draft released in the summer of 2005, which refined the three alternatives based on public input.
The final SEIS identifies a preferred alternative, which is a modification of the second alternative, and plans for the equivalent of 9,000 full-time students and a total head-count of 14, 070, including part-time students. This final version was developed in response to comments received during the 45-day comment period on the earlier draft.
Community members provided comments in the areas of transportation and traffic; on-campus and off-campus housing; the walking trail; the development of a proposed Agricultural Research Center; on-campus sports fields; the visual impact of the growth of the campus; and environmental impact of the proposed growth on forested corridors and wetlands in the area.
Community members are welcome to attend the open house to run 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Student Services Building. A map of the campus and driving directions can be found at http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ads/visiting.htm and parking information can be found at http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ca/location.htm.
