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As the semester comes to a close, the time for public comment on the 2007 Campus Master Plan revision is also closing.
The community has until May 15 to provide San Diego State with feedback regarding the revised notice of preparation for the Master Plan released on April 17. The original notice of preparation was released in February followed by its own 30-day public comment period.
After soliciting community input, SDSU decided to propose additional student housing from 1,400 to 2,976 beds.
"Throughout the process, we've been taking information and having conversations," said Tyler Sherer, SDSU director of community relations and special projects. "Where we are now is a result of that, where we've increased on-campus housing to a major degree."
The housing additions are related to the university's goals to accommodate increased enrollment for about 10,000 more full-time equivalent students during the next 20 years and to support a growing faculty, Sherer said.
About 370 units of faculty and staff housing are proposed in Adobe Falls. The university decreased the original number of units based on complaints from some community members about construction in the area.
"To support the mission of the university - which is education - we're gonna have to hire more faculty to provide that," Sherer said. "One of the real problems with recruiting faculty is the fact that it's very difficult to afford a home here in San Diego, so providing faculty housing is a huge component to our growth."
The university has about 3,222 on-campus beds for students and another 1,720 beds managed by the university in off-campus residences such as University Towers and Aztec Corner Apartments. There are also approximately 3,336 private apartments within walking distance of SDSU, said Jack Beresford, assistant vice president of marketing and communications.
But these accommodations continue to overflow with the demand of SDSU's growing student population.
To make way for the proposed Master Plan housing, SDSU would demolish and build over the current Maya and Olmeca residence halls, Beresford said. Plans for an 800-bed residence hall close to the current Chapultepec residence hall and a more than 200-bed apartment building close to Villa Alvarado Apartments are also on the table. Beresford said the university's goal is for 35 percent of students to be living on or within walking distance of campus by 2025.
The Master Plan also establishes the location of the Modern Space student union, which will be built adjacent to the current Aztec Center. Beresford said there is also a proposal for a 70,000-square-foot conference center to be built where the old tennis courts were located on the southwest side of campus.
Once the time for public comment expires, university architect Tony Fulton is scheduled to draft the environmental impact report, which outlines how the development will affect the surrounding areas. Sherer said this report is expected during the first part of June and will be followed by another period of public comment.
The final report is expected by late August to early September. The university plans to put the Master Plan before the California State University board of trustees in September to be considered in next year's budget.
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