A lawsuit challenging the adequacy of environmental studies of UC Davis' planned West Village neighborhood was dismissed July 7 by an Alameda County Superior Court judge.

Judge Bonnie Sabraw dismissed all arguments raised by the petitioners, called West Davis Neighbors, and found that UC Davis had completed "reasoned, good faith analysis" of all of the potential environmental impacts to the neighborhood project and that the evidence in the case demonstrated "a full and fair airing of the different alternatives."

The judge also wrote in her decision that the Long Range Development Plan and accompanying Environmental Impact Report produced by the university "fulfilled its informational purposes by apprising the public of the project's cumulative impacts arising from both local and regionwide development."

The judge had heard oral arguments in the case on June 22.

"We are pleased that the judge found what we have believed from the start -- that we had a sound process," said John Meyer, vice chancellor for resource management and planning. "We now can look forward to creating a neighborhood which will be an asset to the campus, and to the greater Davis community and region."

West Village, to be located west of Highway 113 and south of Russell Boulevard, could ultimately house about 4,350 residents when the final phase of construction is completed by 2015. Construction is expected to begin on the utilities to support the neighborhood in the summer of 2005.

The lawsuit had challenged the neighborhood analysis that was part of the 2003 Long Range Development Plan EIR. The LRDP was approved by the UC Regents in November after a three-year public planning process. The LRDP determines how UC Davis will accommodate new students, faculty, staff and research activities through 2015.

West Village residents will be connected to the campus and city via a system of bike trails and frequent Unitrans bus service to the campus. An open space network, including recreation fields, ponds, walking paths and bike paths, will be accessible to the public. And many of the single-family homes in the community will also have small cottages -- increasing the density of the development and providing more student housing options.

The campus held over 30 public meetings in developing the neighborhood master plan and LRDP. "Community feedback has been very important and valuable to us in the planning stages, and will be equally valuable once we break ground," Meyer said.