Placer County's plan to lure a major private university to 1,157 acres west of Roseville has been challenged by another lawsuit that claims the proposal violates California environmental law.
The latest suit was filed by Davis lawyer William D. Kopper on behalf of the Placer Citizens Against Gridlock. The group is described in the suit as devoted to "improving traffic circulation … and preventing development that fails to mitigate its impacts on Placer County's roads and streets."
The first suit was filed by the Sierra Club.
Both suits, filed last week in Placer County Superior Court, seek to overturn the county Board of Supervisors' Dec. 9 approval of the university plan.
Under the plan, the 1,157 acres – south of Pleasant Grove Creek and north of Baseline Road – would be donated to Drexel University of Philadelphia by the Angelo K. Tsakopoulos family, Bill and Claudia Cummings and the Wayne L. Prim family.
If Drexel – or another university – signs on, about 600 acres would become the university campus.
The rest of the land would be sold by the university and developed for homes, university dwellings, commercial and park/open space.
All proceeds from the sale of the adjoining acreage would go to develop a university that is envisioned to have some 6,000 students and create 2,000 jobs.
Drexel, which last week opened a center for graduate studies in downtown Sacramento, has five years to accept or decline the land donation.
Both suits claim the county's environmental impact report did not adequately address potential traffic, air pollution and greenhouse gases that would result.
They also allege that the plan violates the county general plan and has no adequate water supply.
The Sierra Club suit also alleges that the university plan represents leapfrog development that will spur even more development and more than 66,000 residents on farmland that surrounds the property.
University project manager Julie Hanson said the donation would be an irrevocable gift and that the donor group has no projects in the pipeline for the surrounding land.
Scott Finley, deputy county counsel, said the county "is very comfortable with the extensive review that this project undertook" and that the approval would be upheld.
Kopper, a former mayor of Davis, could not be reached. Neither could three Placer County residents listed as members of the anti-gridlock group – Robert Bell, Rickey Williams and Steven Bonner.
Kopper has filed similar lawsuits throughout Northern California, including one that challenged the nearby Placer Vineyards mixed-use development. Local government officials and developers have alleged that Kopper represents construction unions seeking labor agreements.
Call The Bee's Bob Walter, (916) 478-2860.
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