CUP Expansion NOP

Notice of Preparation for the Central Utility Expansion Project

The University of California–Davis (UC Davis) proposes to expand the Central Utility Plant (CUP) at the UC Davis Sacramento Campus (Campus) and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. UC Davis released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) to solicit comments on the scope of a EIR for the Project. A copy of the full NOP can be found here: NOP Link (PDF). The NOP comment period was from May 23 to June 22, 2023.

The purpose of the NOP is to provide an opportunity for the public, interested parties, and public agencies to comment on the scope and content of the EIR.

Project Location: The CUP is located within the Campus, which is near the State Route 99/Interstate 80 Business interchange in the City of Sacramento. The existing CUP is bounded on the north and east by 2nd Ave, on the south by 49th Street, and on the west by the Facilities Support Services building. 

Project Overview: The CUP Expansion Project involves demolishing a portion of the Facility Support Services Building (FSSB) and construction of the new CUP annex building. The project also involves construction of a new 40 megavolt amperes (MVA) electrical yard and new feed from the SMUD East City Substation, changes to Parking Structure 6 access, and a minor land use amendment to the 2020 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) Update.

The CUP Expansion will also address code-required upgrades and utility requirements for the Hospital and other future projects. These upgrades include fire protection upgrades to the bracing of the fire sprinkler system. Additionally, new water and sewer storage tanks are required for CUP operations to be maintained in the event of a significant water and sewage outage. The current footprint of the CUP is not sufficient to accommodate the needed storage improvements to meet these code requirements. The proposed expansion would provide the necessary space and install the required tanks.

Environmental Review: UC Davis will prepare an EIR as required by PRC Sections 21080.09 and 21166 to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the project. The EIR will be tiered from the 2020 LRDP Update Subsequent EIR (UC Davis, 2020). To ascertain the potential environmental impacts of the project, UC Davis requests input regarding the scope and content of the draft EIR that is relevant to your agency’s statutory/regulatory responsibilities or is of interest to individuals.

The NOP Comment Period has closed; however, if you have any questions please contact the Environmental Planning unit at:

Heather Davis, AICP
Interim Director of Environmental Planning
Campus Planning and Environmental Stewardship
University of California, One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
environreview@ucdavis.edu

CEQA EIR Process

  • Distribute Notice of Preparation – May 23, 2023
  • Publication of Draft EIR – Late Summer, Early Fall 2023
  • Public Review of Draft EIR – Pending
  • Public Hearing on Draft EIR – Pending
  • Final EIR Publication - Winter 2023
  • University Review & Decision – Tentative December 2023