Judge Tells V.A. to Continue E.A. for Lab

Two neighborhood groups won a small victory in their legal battle against the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), located at Clement Street and 42nd Avenue, over its plans to build a new research lab.

On Dec. 14, 2006, a complaint filed in federal court by the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR) and Friends of Lands End (FOLE) was stayed, pending completion of new Environmental Assessment (EA) documents by the VAMC. The substance of the legal action is that the VAMC failed to follow the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Expansion on the already over-crowded campus has long been a concern, according to the neighborhood groups.

The groups claim VAMC documents indicate space at the campus will grow about 50 percent by 2012. Most of that growth - more than 200,000 square feet - is for research.

The new Environmental Assessment, filed on Jan. 15, addresses about 7,500-square feet of that expansion, not the cumulative effects of the total build-out. The VA will now recirculate its EA to more fully evaluate potential environmental affects.

Parking is presently an unsolved problem at the VA campus.

According to VAMC studies, there will be a shortage of up to 657 parking spaces and the environmental impacts of increased traffic, noise, emissions, light pollution and impacts on emergency response will also affect the public.

"PAR has attempted to work collaboratively with the VAMC for many years regarding over-construction of their campus," said PAR President Ron Miguel. "However, we have never received cooperation from the on-site management. Our legal action was a last resort."

At present there are 124 patient beds, but more than 200 researchers at the medical center.

"We want our veterans to have the best medical care available and we look forward to new research discoveries to help our veterans," says Julie Burns, co-founder of FOLE. "We now have some information about the relocation of the labs currently in Building 203. But until we understand how planned growth on the campus will affect City and Richmond residents, I question if this is the best place to locate that research."

The EA is available for public comment via the VAMC at (415) 750-2009, at the Anza Branch Library, or online at www.fole.org.