plans for selecting a final site were temporarily stalled due to economic constraints and statewide budget issues, delaying any progress until 1993.
Some state lawmakers expressed skepticism toward the project's feasibility: State Senator John Burton derided the proposal as the “biggest boondoggle ever.” Additional delays occurred when environmental impact assessments for the Madera and Merced sites were found to be inadequate or incomplete, leading to a new round of reviews. Ultimately, on May 19, 1995, the Regents of the University of California made the final decision to locate the new campus in Merced, choosing it over the other two finalist sites in Madera and Fresno.
=== Development ===
After the University of California completed its site selection process, officials at the state, regional, and local levels launched efforts to craft comprehensive planning and conservation strategies necessary to address the various development challenges associated with the UC Merced project. In October 1996, the County …
