334 ACRES TO BE LEASED FOR CAMPUS HOUSING.

Byline: David Greenberg Staff Writer

In a major step for further development of California State University, Channel Islands, in Camarillo, officials today are expected to approve a lease for 334 acres for a residential community to be built.

The 99-year lease, with an option for an additional 60 years would pave the way for ground to be broken next spring on the $150 million East Campus Community Plan.

``We have a clearer plan as to how the 334 acres is going to be developed,'' said William Knight, attorney for the campus Site Authority. ``This is a necessary step to the development of the property. We're pretty much on schedule.''

University officials hope the residential community, scheduled for completion in mid-2007, will generate about $307 million.

The project will be developed by Catellus Residential Group of Irvine and is designed to attract faculty who otherwise could not afford to live in the pricey Camarillo area.

Plans call for 900 houses, townhouses and rental units for faculty, a school for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, a bed-and-breakfast retreat, 2,000 dormitory rooms, a 2,000-space parking garage, recreation areas, retail businesses and centers for research and development.

Original plans called for only 1,000 dormitory rooms, but university officials say they had expected about 10 percent of students to want on-campus housing, and now 20 percent say they do.

``It would allow for more students to live on campus rather than someplace else, which is going to be needed,'' said George Dutra, associate vice president for campus facilities and operations.

The university will conduct a supplementary environmental review on effects of more dorm rooms.

The original environmental report on proposals for the 334 acres was approved by university trustees in September 1998.