On December 6, 2022, the Rocklin City Council held a public hearing to consider whether to certify the “College Park” Final EIR and approve the Project. Members of the public attended the public hearing and gave testimony opposing the certification of the Final EIR (FEIR) and approval of the Project. Rocklin City Councilmembers unanimously voted to approve the FEIR and the project.
Effective January 6th, the Citizens Voice Organization (CVO) filed with the Placer County Court a Petition for a Writ of Mandate and a Complaint for Declaratory & Injunctive Relief against the City of Rocklin, the Rocklin City Council, and Sierra Community College (College Park Developer) along with the College’s partnership developers Evergreen Corp., Cresleigh Homes Corp. and USA Properties Fund.
In 2016, the Sierra College Board of Trustee’s declared the “College Park”high density mixed-use urban development consisting of 108 acres of land adjacent to Sierra College as “surplus” property which includes any property “which is not or will not be needed by the district for furthering the educational mission of the district.”
Since 2016, the District has reversed the “surplus” declaration by now declaring it is “vital to the education mission of the District” and have retained ownership rather than selling the surplus properties. Such reversal of surplus property was testified to at the December 6, 2022, City Council Public Hearing by numerous Sierra College Board of Trustees members in support of the College Park Project.
At the December 6, 2022, City Council Public Hearing numerous members of the public raised concerns throughout the administrative process that the Project will have significant negative environmental impacts.
The Writ states the Respondents (City of Rocklin, Sierra College et.al.) failed to disclose or adequately analyze these impacts, failed to identify and adopt feasible mitigation measures to reduce them, and failed to consider reasonable alternatives to the Project.
The “College Park” Environmental Impact Report (EIR) fails to satisfy the basic purposes of CEQA. The EIR fails to adequately disclose, investigate, and analyze the Project’s potentially significant impacts, and fails to provide substantial evidence to conclude that impacts will be mitigated to a less than significant level…The EIR must be revised to resolve its inadequacies and must be recirculated for public review and comment. The Writ also challenges the initial Draft EIR (DEIR).
The Court has jurisdiction to issue a writ of mandate to set aside Respondents’ decision to approve the Project.
The Writ also addresses Mayor Bill Halldin’s refusal to recuse himself from voting on the project. Bill Halldin was formerly a Sierra College Board Trustee who had voted for the College to develop the College’s 108-acres of surplus property and to hire an outside developer firm to pursue this endeavor on the College’s behalf.
Also addressed is the City of Rocklin changing the College property from a “PQP – Public Quasi Public” General Plan Land Use Designation (and zoning) to a “Mixed Use” designation. Mixed Use allows 10 to 40 dwelling units per acre of land along with many other categories of use including commercial uses. Bill Halldin worked closely with the City Manager to get the land use designation changed.
The Writ alleges the Project is inconsistent with mandatory City of Rocklin General Plan policies.
The Petitioners are asking the Court to direct the Respondents (City & College) to
- vacate and set aside certification of the EIR, adoption of the Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and approval of all associated Project permits, entitlements, and approvals;
- to comply with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines; and
- for a temporary stay, temporary restraining order, and preliminary and permanent injunctions restraining Respondents, and their agents, from taking any action to implement, fund or construct any portion or aspect of the Project, pending full compliance with the requirements of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines; as well as
- Issue an injunctive order, enjoining Mayor Bill Halldin from participating in the hearing for reconsideration of the Project and mandating that the Rocklin City Council provide a new hearing for the consideration of the Project.
Link to Petition for a Writ of Mandate and a Complaint for Declaratory & Injunctive Relief https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cDhUW03ctTnls2hUAwIXLrhz2HJim_pd
If you would like to donate money to help with Citizens Voice legal fees, you can donate online with a Debit or Credit Card here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/hosted_button_id=8L6NCW7BDPESQ.
Alternatively, CVO can arrange to pick up a check from you by emailing
chris@wiegman.com