Sierra Club sues Placer County

By: Stephanie Takach

Posted: 1/16/09

The Sierra Club filed suit against Placer County's decision to approve the regional plan for a Drexel University campus west of Roseville, Ca.

"Drexel is proposing to locate a campus in an area that is very sensitive and we just think the University should be responsible in choosing a location," Terry Davis of the Mother Lode chapter of the Sierra Club said.

Scott Finley, supervising deputy county counsel for Placer County said the county feels they conducted a very complete examination of the project and are disappointed that it was taken this far.

"The county believes that this project was subjected to a very complete and thorough public view that involved a multi volume environmental report," Scott Finley, supervising deputy county counsel, said.

However, Davis said the project is really designed as an urban island or urban peninsula, and that it would cut through the western part of the county, which is currently all agriculture.

Davis said California is a leading state in trying to limit greenhouse gas emissions, trying to get to 1990 levels by 2020. The state passed a bill that seeks to direct new growth to existing cities, within existing cities or immediately adjacent to cities.

"The idea behind it is to limit vehicle trips and mileage that automobiles and trucks have to travel and how far people have to travel to get to jobs and shopping," Davis said. "The proposed Drexel location and all the urban development is really the wrong pattern of growth to achieve the decrease of greenhouse gasses."

He said there are farmland issues, vernal pool issues and that these are also some vanishing grass lands that are home to a lot of species of hawks.

"The Regional University Plan that was approved was thoroughly reviewed by the county and was specifically designed to be consistent with the Sacramento area's regional blueprint plan for smart growth, which is supported by environmental groups and local governments," Tobey Oxholm, inaugural dean, chief executive officer and executive vice president of Drexel, said.

Oxholm said the University is confident that the litigation will be resolved so as not to adversely impact Drexel's consideration of the proposal to become the region's first nationally ranked private undergraduate university.

According to Davis, another issue is that the land is not attached to any city. The nearest city, Roseville, has a planning area that is a line on the map, but there is no other development there. A 3,232 unit subdivision and 22 acres of shopping centers is much more than just a campus, Davis said.

According to Davis, Drexel called the Sierra Club about a year ago and told Drexel about the environmental concerns.

"[Drexel] did not give any indication that they shared those concerns," Davis said. "So it's real unfortunate that we had to file a lawsuit; we think there are better locations," he added.

The Drexel Sierra Club will strongly encourage Drexel's administration to build in an environmentally responsible manner, wherever the new campus may reside, according to Kelsey Gibbons, co-president of the Sierra Club.

"We feel that a thoughtful and thorough campus design could alleviate many of the problems mentioned (i.e. urban sprawl, traffic congestion and air pollution) before they even arise," Gibbons said.

Davis said there are more responsible locations for a university, such as within the cities of Roseville or Lincoln. Instead, the university is incorporated into new commercial and residential development in remote agricultural land.

"Placer County would love to get it, but we have to be more responsible," Davis said.

Although Drexel is not being sued directly, Davis said Drexel can have a role in the lawsuit.

"It is directed at the county but typically the land owners, the Angelo K. Tsakopoulos family, and interest groups will be most directly involved in negotiations," Davis said. "I'm sure that the Tsakopoulos family will be interested in hearing from Drexel if they have any concerns about the location."

Finley said Drexel is not a named party so they are not involved directly in the lawsuit.

If Drexel were to commit in writing to sustainable design and building on the Sacramento campus, such as LEED certification, the concerns of the national Sierra Club would be mitigated, according to Gibbons.

"Clearly the Sierra Club is concerned that the University will not expand in an ecologically responsible manner, and the easiest way to assure them otherwise would be to create an environmentally conscious design for the campus," she said. "Drexel has the ability to make an environmentally responsible campus from the start, and should seize this opportunity to impress the Sacramento community."

The next step in the process is a mandatory settlement conference. The Sierra Club will then explore whether or not to proceed further into serious settlement negotiations.

In California, it may take 12-18 months to reach a decision, according to Finley.