LEGAL NOTICE: 3/14/13 Public Scoping Meeting - Proposed UWRF Falcon Center

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Scoping Meeting

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Process

Proposed Falcon Center

University of Wisconsin – River Falls

A public scoping meeting to present the proposed UWRF Falcon Center for Health, Education and Wellness project will be held at 7:00 PM on Thursday, March 14, in Trimbelle Room (231) of the University Center at UWRF. Known project components and identification of potential impacts that will be studied in the EIS will be presented at this early phase of project development. All persons in attendance will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to identify both orally and in writing any support, issues, or concerns they believe should be addressed during the EIS process for this proposed project. The EIS for the Falcon Center project will be prepared in accordance with the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA), Wisconsin Statutes 1.11 and University of Wisconsin System (UW System) guidelines. The project manager is the state Department of Administration’s Division of State Facilities (DSF). Cornerstone Environmental Group has been retained to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on behalf of the UW System for this proposal.

The proposed new Falcon Center will provide additional space to create suitable indoor and outdoor facilities for the UWRF Health and Human Performance Academic program, Falcon Athletics program and Recreation program. A new 111,164 ASF/162,300 GSF facility will be constructed as an integrated and unified addition to the Hunt Arena and Knowles Physical Education Recreation Center. The project also provides for the remodel of 14,700 GSF of space in the Hunt Arena and Knowles Physical Education Recreation Center and provides a centralized heating/ventilation plant and ground source heat pump to serve the new spaces. A new 720 space parking lot will be added along with secondary access road linking the site to Cemetery Road via South Sixth Street. A phased relocation of the existing athletic fields as necessary during construction will result in turf reestablishment. Demolition of the Karges Center and the Nelson Building is also included in the project.

An initial requirement of the EIS is the scoping process, with the intent of presenting the proposal and identifying at an early stage any potential impacts of the project on the physical, biological, social, cultural, and economic environments. Impacts that are identified during this process are incorporated into a Draft EIS which is made available to the public for a 45-day review period and is circulated to appropriate federal, state, and local agencies. A public meeting is held on the Draft EIS. Comments and inquiries raised on the Draft EIS are used to develop the final EIS, which is circulated to the public and commenting agencies for a subsequent 30-day review period, during which a public hearing is held for additional clarification and comment. Following the public hearing, a conclusion on the findings of the EIS is developed for release by the UW System. This Record of Decision is circulated to key individuals and agencies involved in the EIS process.

If you are interested in this project or have any information relevant to it, we welcome your comments, suggestions, or other input. Please submit your comments in writing by August 16, 2013, for incorporation into the Draft EIS to: Ben Peotter, Cornerstone Environmental Group, 8413 Excelsior Drive, Suite 160, Madison, WI 53717 or email ben.peotter@ cornerstoneeg.com. Comments received after August 16, 2013, will be considered in preparation of the final EIS.

Related information and comment forms can be obtained via the project website at http://www.cornerstoneeg.com/uwrf-falcon-center.

__________________________ (Pub. 02/28/13, 03/07/13) WNAXLP

Tags: public notices, meetings