A Few Questions Commonly Asked
At SOSA Tables

Q: Who/what is SOSA?

A: SOSA is a network of students, faculty, staff, alumni and neighbors who are dedicated to the permanent protection of the Stanford Foothills southwest of Junipero Serra. We believe all future development should take place on the existing core campus.

Q: How are the foothills threatened?

A: Stanford’s draft 10-year development plan would redesignate 154 acres of the foothills as "core campus" (this is the area around the Behavioral Sciences Bldg. and the golf course that they have renamed "Lathrop"). The University plans 40,000 square feet of development in this area over the next 10 years (the 1989/1999 map helps demonstrate this), and after that, the area could be developed as densely as the rest of the campus. The rest of the foothills would be protected for only 10 years. The foothills are zoned "academic reserve" which includes housing (the 1953 map shows the foothills covered with a "planned community.")

The University is also planning more than 4 million square feet of development on the core campus over the next ten years. This is a 35% increase, or the equivalent of three new Stanford Shopping Centers. SOSA believes that in exchange for such a massive development plan, Stanford should set aside the lands southwest of Junipero Serra Blvd. as permanent open space.

Q: How does SOSA seek to protect the foothills?

A: We are encouraging the Stanford Trustees to set aside the foothills as permanent open space in exchange for higher density development on the core campus. Our tools are the petition, letters to the Trustees, letters to the editor, and advertisements. We also are encouraging the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors (the permitting agency) to do everything in its power to protect the foothills.

Q: What’s SOSA’s position on housing?

A: We are for more housing at Stanford, but insist it should be on the core campus close to classrooms, jobs, services and transit. We believe Stanford should make housing its main priority before any new job-creating development that adds to the housing shortage.

Q: What is the process for approval of Stanford’s General Use Permit?

After much community input, Stanford will release its draft Environmental Impact Report on June 23. The public and interested organizations and agencies will then have an opportunity to comment on the report, and a final EIR will be released in the fall. The County Supervisors will then make their decision on whether to aprove or deny the plan.

If someone asks you a question and you are unsure of the answer, take their name and phone number and tell them someone else will get back to them. Or have them call 223-3333.

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