NOTICE
Environmental Assessment
River Falls Campus
6,500-Square-Foot Building Expansion
River Falls, WI
Project Background
The existing Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) River Falls facility is currently experiencing a shortage of space to accommodate students in classrooms and common areas. The existing CVTC River Falls facility was constructed in 1999 and measures approximately 20,000 square feet (SF). The facility includes five classrooms and seven lab rooms, in addition to offices, storage, a conference room, restrooms, the commons area, mechanical or electrical rooms, and miscellaneous unassigned spaces. Classrooms are frequently at maximum capacity, and the commons area is frequently overcrowded, which limits space and comfort for students studying, eating, and socializing between classes. A lack of seating space in the commons forces students to stand or leave the campus to find a more comfortable location for studying or eating. A proposed 6,500-SF addition to the facility would allow space to more comfortably accommodate students in classrooms and commons. Parking space on the campus is also near maximum capacity, leaving as few as six open spaces during peak attendance on Mondays and Tuesdays. An expanded parking lot would alleviate the current demand for parking and replace parking spaces lost to the proposed building addition.
Proposed Project
The proposed project entails constructing a single-story, slab-on-grade, approximately 6,500-square foot addition to the north side of the existing facility at the CVTC River Falls Campus. The addition would include classrooms, laboratory space, and an expansion of the common area on the north side of the building. Adult education space and staff offices may also be relocated or renovated as part of the proposed project. The addition would be matched to the existing finish of the building. Building infrastructure, such as heating and cooling systems, may need to be augmented if they are evaluated to be insufficient for the proposed increase of space.
The proposed project also involves expanding the existing parking lot onto the approximately 3-acre north parcel of the campus, which is currently undeveloped. The parking lot expansion would alleviate a current shortage of parking and compensate for parking spaces lost due to construction of the proposed addition. New landscaping near the parking lot would be made consistent with existing campus landscaping.
Environmental Assessment Process
The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board, based in Madison, Wisconsin, is responsible for issuing final approval to CVTC for this proposed action. This action is considered Type II Action, which requires an Environmental Assessment (EA) that follows the Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter TCS 12 (Appendix A), Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act procedures. CVTC has retained Ayres Associates to prepare the EA.
The WTCS Board has reviewed the EA and has made a preliminary determination that the proposed action will have no significant environmental impact. This EA report was released for a 15-day public comment period beginning on May 18, 2017, with a notice published in the River Falls Journal and sent to individuals, agencies, and organizations with potential interest in the proposed project. Persons having an interest in the proposed action may comment on the EA. The comments shall clearly set forth the manner in which the proposed action will affect his/her environment. Comments must be submitted in writing within 15 days of this notification to:
Daniel P. Scanlon, RA
Director, Facilities Development
Wisconsin Technical College System
P.O. Box 7847
Madison, WI 53707-7874
The WTCS Board will review the EA and consider all public comments received by June 1, 2017, to make any necessary modifications before approving the EA and issuing a finding either of no significant impact or of the need for an Environmental Impact Statement.
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Environmental Assessment (6 Mb, PDF file)
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