The comment period for the UC Davis 2003 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be extended until Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003, at 5 p.m.

In announcing the extension, John Meyer, UC Davis Vice Chancellor of Resource Management and Planning, said that the university is responding to public requests to keep the comment period open during planned workshops to analyze if and how the proposed residential neighborhood should be connected to Russell Boulevard.

The campus and the City of Davis will hold a joint public workshop on the specific issue of a neighborhood connection to Russell Boulevard on Thursday, July 10, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Emerson Junior High School Multipurpose Room, 2121 Calaveras Ave., Davis.

"Most of the requests to extend the timeline are related to the question of an automobile connection from the proposed neighborhood to Russell Boulevard," Meyer said. "The campus has no intention of unilaterally pursuing a connection to Russell Boulevard. The decision of whether to connect, and if so how, needs to be a joint decision of the city and the campus."

In a Nov. 20, 2002, letter to the university, the City of Davis indicated, "The City supports a roadway connection to Russell Boulevard from the New Neighborhood as it will reduce circuitous vehicle trips, ensure sufficient emergency response times, and give the residents a stronger sense of engagement with the City. However, the resultant traffic impacts on Russell Boulevard are of concern and must be thoroughly evaluated."

As presently written and analyzed in the Draft EIR, the neighborhood plan could be approved with or without an automobile connection. Recent comments on the plan have raised concerns about traffic levels and speed on Russell Boulevard, noise, potential loss of trees, and bicycle and pedestrian safety, among other issues.

The July 10 workshop will provide participants the opportunity to review potential options to address these issues and provide input on additional options to be studied. The various options will be analyzed and presented during another workshop on July 24, also from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Emerson Junior High School Multipurpose Room, and then considered by the City Council on July 30.

An additional public hearing on the 2003 Draft LRDP EIR will be held at 7 p.m. on July 28, 2003, at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus. At this hearing oral or written comments will be received for inclusion in the Final EIR.

"We hope that by extending the comment period, residents will realize that we are committed to working on this issue," Meyer said.