Campus Connection

Notice of Public Hearing and availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement

A public hearing to present the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed UW-La Crosse Parking Ramp and Police and Parking Services Building project will be at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, in the Ward Room in UW-L’s Cartwright Center. A description of the project will be presented, and people will be given a reasonable opportunity to identify, both orally and in writing, any support or concerns they believe should be addressed during the EIS process for the project. The parking ramp and police and parking services building project includes construction of a 2.5 level concrete parking structure for 500 vehicles (alternate design of a three-level structure for 600 vehicles). It also includes a separate, one-story, approximately 8,700-gross-square-foot police and parking services building that will be designed as a high performance building following DSF sustainability requirements. The parking ramp and police and parking services building will be constructed on what are currently surface commuter and residential parking lots located on the south side of La Crosse Street (Hwy. 16), and west of 17th Street. The project will result in a temporary loss of 225 parking stalls currently available in the surface lots of the proposed project site while the project is being constructed. Additionally, a residential structure located on the northwestern portion of the project site will need to be relocated prior to construction. The total project cost of $12,131,000 will be funded using $5,131,000 in program revenue supported borrowing and $7,000,000 in program revenue-cash. Construction is projected to begin in July 2012 with substantial completion of the parking ramp by April 2013 and of the police and parking services building by June 2013. The purpose of the Final EIS is to identify potential impacts of the project on the physical, biological, social, and economic environments, and to evaluate the environmental impact of the project and the amendments made to the project since completion of the Draft EIS. The Final EIS describing these potential impacts is being made available to the public and to appropriate federal, state and local agencies for a 30-day review period, which begins on January 2, 2012 and concludes on January 31, 2012. Copies of the document are available for review at the UW-La Crosse Murphy Library and the City of La Crosse Public Library, or on the project website. If you are interested in this project or have any information relevant to it, we welcome your input at the public hearing or you may submit written comments no later than January 31, 2012 to: Dennis L. Johnson, PE Ayres Associates 3433 Oakwood Hills Parkway Eau Claire, WI 54701 johnsond@ayresassociates.com Ayres Associates was retained on behalf of the University of Wisconsin System to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement for this project. The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act, Wisconsin Statutes 1.11, and University of Wisconsin System Administration guidelines. The project manager is the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Division of State Facilities. The Final EIS report and comment form can be obtained via the project website. Based on the comments and inquiries raised during the Final EIS public hearing and comment period, the University of Wisconsin System will develop a Record of Decision for the project. The ROD will provide a conclusion and recommendation on the findings of the EIS and be circulated to key individuals and agencies involved in the EIS process. It is anticipated that the ROD will be issued in mid February 2012. Parking for the public hearing is available free of charge in nearby Commuter Lot C2, located adjacent to the UW-L stadium at the intersection of East Avenue and Pine Street.