A historic agreement has been forged that will end litigation related to the UCSC Long Range Development Plan and enable the campus to implement its academic plan, proceed with construction of the important Biomedical Sciences building, and further meet the educational needs of students and the state.
The agreement is expected to be formally approved and signed by all parties this coming week. The agreement is between the City and County of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz and the UC Regents, the Coalition to Limit University Expansion and 11 individual litigants.
The agreement sets the course for a new collaborative relationship in the Santa Cruz community, one that I hope and expect will become a model for campus and community relations everywhere.
The agreement is good for the campus and good for Santa Cruz. It allows the university to meet its mission of teaching, research, and public service for the State of California and includes mutually enforceable measures to address traffic impacts, conserve water, and provide housing for new students.
An important and innovative aspect is the campus community's ability to actively participate in controlling and alleviating impacts of campus growth. The agreement contains positive incentives that will motivate the university to meet agreed upon goals, save resources, reduce impacts and continue to be good stewards of this magnificent campus and community.
The agreement was reached after more than seven months of mediated discussions and a lot of hard work and good faith by many people - on campus and off. Through our many face-to-face conversations, we learned a great deal about each other's interests and challenges. Everyone's willingness to listen and understand created an atmosphere in which this landmark agreement was possible.
I want to commend each one of them, with special appreciation to Mayor Ryan Coonerty, who provided exemplary leadership and dedication that facilitated the discussions and clarified important issues.
I applaud the hard work and thoughtful due diligence of all who participated - principals of the City and County of Santa Cruz, the Coalition to Limit University Expansion, the Rural Bonny Doon Association, and UCSC. I am gratified that it has been resolved in a way that benefits all of us and encourages continued partnership and collaboration in Santa Cruz.
