Public Review Notice: Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
Río Hondo College Low-Income Student Housing Project
Rio Hondo Community College is proposing to construct a new, low-income student housing facility on the Rio Hondo Community College campus. The Project includes partial redevelopment of Parking Lots 1 and 2 with an approximately 90,000 gross square feet, four-story residential building. The proposed residential building will provide up to 400 beds through traditional dormitory, apartment-style, and/or family-oriented housing, and will offer a mix of shared amenities designed to address students’ basic needs and promote positive learning experiences. The proposed student housing facility will help address the growing demand for affordable on-campus housing options for the existing, unsheltered and/or at-risk student population. The Project will not increase student enrollment.
Pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Rio Hondo Community College has prepared a Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) that evaluates the environmental impacts of the Project. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15070(b), Rio Hondo Community College has prepared a Draft IS/MND given that the IS identifies potentially significant environmental effects, but Rio Hondo Community College has made revisions to the Project and will implement feasible mitigation measures that will avoid or reduce those effects to a point where no significant impacts will occur.
The Draft IS/MND is available at https://gorio.page/draft-IS-MND. All interested parties are encouraged to review and provide comment on the Draft IS/MND from March 13, 2026, through April 13, 2026. Comments may be submitted via email to [email protected] or by mail to:
WSP USA Inc., Attn.: Kelly Nishimura, AICP
104 West Anapamu Street, Suite 204A
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
After completion of the review period, Rio Hondo Community College will consider and respond to all comments received regarding the Draft IS/MND and prepare a Final IS/MND for consideration of adoption, prior to proceeding with the Project.