By Town Crier Staff Report
NASA was scheduled to release an environmental impact report on its research campus planned for Moffett Field in Mountain View for public review this week.
The plan proposes to add approximately 4 million square feet of mixed-use buildings, including educational, office, research and development space, a museum, a conference center, housing and retail space.
There are reports for four alternative plans as well.
The plan addresses proposed new development in NASA Research Park, the Bay View and Eastside/Airfield areas, as well as potential replacement of existing NASA facilities at the Ames Campus.
No new wind tunnels or increased aircraft operations are proposed. The existing burrowing owl habitat would be protected, officials said.
NASA’s goal is to develop portions of Moffett Field into NASA Research Park, a shared-use research and development campus in association with academia, industry and non-profit organizations.
Over the next 10 years, the research park would allow NASA’s partners to create more than 7,000 new research and education jobs and to provide housing for more than 2,800 employees on site, according to NASA officials.
The cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale established the Community Advisory Committee in 1997 to recommend uses at Moffett Field.
The committee has since established several partnerships that provide for research laboratories, office space, classrooms, exhibit halls and other public facilities, such as museums. University partners include the University of California at Santa Cruz, San Jose State University, Carnegie Mellon University and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District.
The plan could bring as many as 15,000 new employees and students into the area.
The public will have an opportunity to comment on the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement at a series of public hearings scheduled this week, including a meeting at 6 p.m., today, at the Mountain View City Council Chambers, 500 Castro St., and at 6 p.m., Thursday, at the Sunnyvale City Council Chambers, 456 W. Olive St.
For further information about the NASA Ames Development Plan and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, go to researchpark.arc.nasa.gov or send comments to Sandy Olliges before Jan. 28 at NASA Ames Research Center, Environmental Services Office, Mail Stop 218-1.
