Stadium Improvements at Rio Americano High School

An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Scoping Meeting was held on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m. in Rio Americano’s Performing Arts Center (4540 American River Drive). This meeting included:

• Information about the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process 
• An opportunity for attendees to provide input on environmental topics that should be addressed in the EIR

Access the presentation slides.

Facilities Committee members were given a presentation by AECOM regarding environmental scoping for the project. The presentation can be found here.

Committee Member Comments:

• “The district is really going above and beyond the typical required process. The district is being inclusive and open to allow for as much community input as possible.”
• “It is apparent that the district is trying to be a good neighbor to the surrounding community.”

Input received included the need to study traffic conditions when two combined games at Rio Americano and Jesuit High School occur at the same time, and the importance of communicating the district’s mitigation efforts to the community.

A community meeting was held on Monday, Oct. 13, from 6-7:30 p.m. in Rio Americano High School’s large gym (4540 American River Drive). This meeting included a short presentation sharing the background of the project, current facility conditions and improvement objectives, as well as small-group discussions where attendees shared their thoughts and ideas.

Key findings:

• Students expressed a need for stadium upgrades
• Parking and traffic around the school were identified as important considerations
• Neighbors shared concerns regarding potential noise from stadium events

View the presentation here.

The district regularly evaluates its facilities to ensure they meet current standards for safety, accessibility, and instructional and extracurricular use. As part of this process, San Juan Unified is exploring improvements to the Rio Americano High School stadium and is conducting a thorough environmental review before considering any next steps.

The project is currently in the environmental review phase under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A Notice of Preparation (NOP) has been issued, which formally begins the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process and invites public and agency input on what issues should be studied. An Initial Study has been published with the NOP to provide additional information for agencies, organizations, and the public regarding the appropriate focus of review for the EIR.

No construction timeline has been established.

A Notice of Preparation informs the public and responsible agencies that an Environmental Impact Report is being prepared, and invites feedback on the scope of environmental topics that should be analyzed, such as traffic, noise, lighting and other potential impacts. The Notice of Preparation for the Rio Americano High School stadium project also invites input on ways to reduce possible impacts of the project (mitigation measures) and options for the design of the project (alternatives) that could reduce possible environmental effects.

An Initial Study is a preliminary environmental analysis used under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to identify the types of environmental issues a project could affect, such as traffic, noise, lighting or air quality.

For the Rio Americano High School stadium project, the district prepared an Initial Study to provide additional information for public agencies, organizations, and the public and help to inform the content of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

The purpose of providing an Initial Study at this stage is to:

• Offer early transparency about the types of environmental topics that may be studied
• Give community members an additional opportunity to review information and provide input
• Help inform the scope of the upcoming Environmental Impact Report before it is drafted

The Initial Study, along with the NOP, is being shared for public review with a 30-day comment period, to ensure community feedback can help shape the environmental review process as early as possible.

An Environmental Impact Report is a detailed study that evaluates potential environmental effects of a proposed project and identifies ways to avoid or reduce those impacts. The EIR process is designed to ensure transparency, thorough analysis and meaningful opportunities for public participation before any decisions are made.

The EIR will evaluate a range of environmental factors, which may include, but is not limited to:

• Transportation
• Noise
• Lighting
• Biological resources
• Cultural and tribal cultural resources
• Cumulative impacts

No. There is no final design or approved plan for stadium improvements at this time. The environmental review process is intended to inform future decisions and ensure that potential impacts are fully understood before any action is considered.

Yes. Community input is a critical part of the CEQA process. Opportunities for engagement include:

• Submitting written comments during the EIR scoping period
• Attending the public EIR scoping meeting
• Reviewing and commenting on the Draft EIR when it is released

All comments received are considered as part of the environmental review.

San Juan Unified has taken steps to engage the community early in the overall project planning process, and will offer additional opportunities for input during the environmental process, including:

• Hosted a community meeting on Oct. 13 to gather early, informal feedback. This meeting was not required under CEQA, but was held specifically to listen to community perspectives before formal environmental review began.
• Prepared and released an Initial Study for public review to provide additional information to public agencies, organizations, and the public, and to help inform the contents of the Environmental Impact Report.
• Opened a 30-day public comment period on the Notice of Preparation and Initial Study, providing an additional opportunity for written feedback.
• Conducted a scoping meeting in conjunction with the Notice of Preparation to offer an opportunity for public agencies, organizations, and the public to provide verbal feedback on the scope and content of the EIR.
• Created a project webpage where documents, timelines and updates are posted for ongoing access, and to provide an online mechanism for input on the the focus of the District’s environmental review.
• Established email sign-ups so community members can receive updates directly.

Community members can:

• Visit this webpage for the most up-to-date information and documents
• Sign up for project email updates using the form on the page

The project is overseen by San Juan Unified School District’s Facilities, Construction and Modernization team, in coordination with environmental consultants, to ensure the process meets all legal and regulatory requirements.