Local Agency Formation Commission Approves VST Land Annexation

The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) has officially voted to annex the Virginia Smith Trust (VST) land located south of the UC Merced into city limits during a meeting on Sept. 12. 

The annexation is part of the development plan to establish a university community, which will expand scholarship capacity for local students and create housing options for the community. Annexation will bring the benefit of Merced City services to the 654 acres immediately south of the University.
 
The university community will not only expand the Trust's capacity to serve students countywide, but also create community amenities, including housing for all income levels and designated areas for future schools, parks and public safety institutions. 
 
“The legacy that Virginia and her brother Cyril created will live on for generations and impact students in perpetuity from Merced County," said Merced County Superintendent of Schools Steve Tietjen, who also serves as the Trust Advisor. "It is up to the current generation of Mercedians to make the most of this generous gift."
 
The annexation will take effect on October 12, 2024. The land is entitled for apartments to house university students, mixed residential housing and commercial property to serve the university campus. 
 
The VST was established in 1975 from the will of Merced-native Virginia Smith, where she declared that the land which sustained her family for nearly a century was to be used to fund scholarships for "worthy, deserving and needy" students in the City of Merced. 

Since then, VST has distributed nearly $7 million in scholarships to more than 3,500 Merced students and was given approval to expand support students countywide. The Trust land played a crucial role in the University of California regents' decision to select Merced as the site for the tenth University of California campus, as the Trust donated over 6,000 acres of land to bring the tenth UC campus to Merced County.
 
Next steps will include finding a development partner or partners that understand and value the mission of the Trust and UC Merced, the newest research university in the country.