CSUN to Hold Public Hearing on Its Planned Retail Project

Cal State Northridge, seeking input from the community on its plan to transform a portion of its North Campus property into a profitable retail district, will hold a public meeting on campus later this month, the university has announced.

According to university spokesman Bruce Erickson, the meeting is a precursor to an environmental impact report that will drafted in the fall. The meeting will “help identify the questions and issues that will be addressed in the [report],” he said.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at the University Club, near Zelzah Avenue and Nordhoff Street.

In May, the Cal State University Board of Trustees approved Newport Beach-based Hopkins Real Estate Group to build a 225,000-square-foot retail center along Devonshire Street between Lindley and Zelzah avenues.

In its proposal, Hopkins described an upscale shopping center with tenants such as Bristol Farms Market and Borders Books. Cousins Properties of Atlanta has pledged to finance the project.

The project has drawn the ire of homeowners and merchants in the surrounding neighborhoods, who have argued that traffic, noise and economic competition from the shopping center will negatively impact their lives and businesses.

CSUN President Blenda Wilson has promised to weigh the considerations of community members carefully in proceeding with the development, but Erickson cautioned that the Aug. 20 meeting is meant specifically to deal with environmental issues such as traffic, noise, air pollution and aesthetics and not the threat of competition.

He added that the university will hold additional meetings in coming months to further unveil development plans and to address other concerns raised by the project.

In addition to the campus meeting, community members have until Sept. 3 to submit written comments for consideration in the impact report. The report will be drafted by Environmental Science Associates, a Los Angeles consulting firm.