Politics & Government

West L.A. College Construction: Dueling Documents

The ruckus surrounding the community college centers on the terms laid out in two documents. Patch compares them and gives you the scoop.

Parking headaches and noise are two of the concerns voiced by some community members regarding the West Los Angeles College construction project. 

Patch dug into the dueling documents that have homeowners associations up in arms.

The Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees will most likely approve a new Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) on Aug. 11 for upwards of 350,000 square feet of development on West L.A. College's campus.

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Some residents are concerned that the new SEIR and Master Plan for the project disregards a 2005 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the community and the college that aimed to decrease the construction's impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Here is a breakdown of the issues in dispute and the documents in question--the 2005 MOU and the current SEIR and Master Plan.

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On-Campus Parking

2005 MOU: The 2005 Master Plan estimated an increase of the proposed number of parking spaces on campus in 2022, from approximately 2,128 existing spaces to approximately 4,368.

2010 SEIR: Estimations for student populations in 2022 have decreased to 15,300 compared to the 18,904 students anticipated in the 2005 environmental impact report. The documentation also states that a significant percentage of these students will be using online resources and not physically attending classes--leading to a decrease in parking needs. The total parking spaces on campus will be 2,650 spaces by 2022.

So what? Residents have complained about students parking in the surrounding neighborhood because free parking on campus was eliminated in 2009. A decrease in estimated parking spaces will up the numbers of students parking in the neighborhood, many residents said at a recent City Council meeting.

However, Betsy Regalado, interim president stated that "the number of students parking in those neighborhoods does not support the claim that a reduction in parking on campus will result in more students parking in the neighborhoods." 

According to the documentation, the college promises to provide enough on-campus parking to "dissuade" students from parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. 

Ombudsman Position

2005 MOU: Per the original MOU, there must be an ombudsman during construction to handle construction-related questions and concerns from specific homeowners association presidents and representatives, and ensure that guidelines for noise and construction hours will be respected.

2010 SEIR: Instead of an ombudsman, the district will have a mitigation hotline via telephone and e-mail to resolve any construction-related issues. Regalado stated that "the institution of the hotline will be a more inclusive and effective process which will benefit the entire community instead of certain homeowners associations." 

So what? , expressed difficulties when trying to reach the former ombudsman. Residents fear that the elimination of the position will lead to a delay in addressing concerns.

Construction Hours

2005 MOU: Construction isn't allowed at the college except for the following days and times: Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No construction activities shall be permitted on Sundays.  

2010 SEIR:  Construction hours remained the same per the MOU; however, the college can conduct limited construction between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. only if it is within completed building shells and as long as it does not exceed Culver City noise standards.  

In addition, the college can conduct limited construction--such as concrete pouring--between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. if a permission is obtained from the Los Angeles County Health Manager and as long as the college gives the community two weeks notice. All construction hour changes will be posted to the college website. 

So what? Residents are concerned about early morning construction-related noise and additional traffic in the surrounding neighborhood.

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