More costs to Marymount attempting to do basically two things; have residence halls approved and potentially restrict government oversight on some aspects of The Marymount Plan.
But you already know it has always been about having up to 250 college age students live overlooking the long curve of Palos Verdes Drive East heading towards the switchbacks and other reasons Marymount will tell you and what they won't tell you.
My assertion about dorms on campus being the most important aspect of The Marymount Plan is affirmed when I read the full page ad, the mailer similar to it, and all the rest of the marketing, knowing full well that the Rancho Palos Verdes will (hopefully, but you need to know that the latest Staff Report wasn't 258 pages long like the last Council's meeting dealt with....it is 493 pages long!) vote to approve two Resolutions that pretty much make up what Marymount College has been seeking for the last ten years......except dorms and potential restrictions on government oversight.
What more proof does one need? I have asked Dr. Brophy, Marymount's President, to fully explain using truth, honesty, and clearness of statement, why he feels Marymount must have on campus housing for students. So far, what you have read or heard or seen is nothing like real openness, in my opinion. Also so far, we haven't publicly heard how important having parents and others of up to 250 college students, pay in the neighborhood of $39,000.00 per year to have their child live on the campus of what was a Junior College.
Now I know perfectly well that Marymount has been approved to offer three four-year degrees and it will be interesting to see how many of the graduating Junior College students continue on with the four-year program or whether any new students attend Marymount seeking the four-year degree that may be offered for study to them.
I think this August will be interesting IF Marymount actually begins offering classes towards the four-year degrees or they seek to wait until voters have a chance to approve or oppose the college's attempts to have voters act as the representative THEY ELECTED to serve them with these types of decisions.
My assertion about what might happen to Marymount College if approval of on campus student housing is not approved within the next year or two still holds firm with no reason to rethink it.
My assertion is that if Marymount College cannot obtain approval to build residence halls on its campus, they will end operation at the Palos Verdes Drive East campus with classes for students and they MAY offer online classes, credits, and degrees while regrouping or the college may fail again and be relegated to history and become the stuff of over development legend.
Since The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project is so very similar to The Marymount Plan and the Project has just one more City Council meeting, perhaps, before the Resolutions allowing construction to begin being passed, what other reasons could there possibly be for voters to approve The Marymount Plan during the November 2, election?
Marymount College's officials and its supporters seem to have been given a set of talking points that shy away from real reasons why Marymount College officials and supporters want on-campus housing.
What is also very interesting is that these same folks either tell you they now nothing or very little about the ordinance in the initiative that would provide Marymount College rights over its Plan that preclude city government from enforcing or providing variances to items within The Plan. I guess they don't want you to know about that subject.....or they have no clue themselves.
By June 9, 2010 we should all know whether we need to put on our battle armor and begin to watch Marymount's wealthy supporters deluge us with marketing items seeking to have less knowledgeable voters approve the initiative.
It is a real opportunity for students to live on campuses during their college years, but this must not be the case at Marymount College, in my opinion.
While I sympathize with the parents of potential dorm residents of Marymount, I also sympathize with the parents of the underage-almost having enough credits to graduate,but didn't-Marymount student who had a blood alcohol level of between 0.14 and 0.18, according to a Sheriff's Deputy assigned to Ranch Palos Verdes, who lost control of the car he was driving while drunk and ended his life and placed his passenger's life in peril.
I also sympathize with the local resident who was severely injured in a traffic collision cause by a Marymount Student in the same area where Marymount officials have now offered to help pay for a concrete barrier because of several conditions, one being the "hazardous" potential condition stated in the Environmental Impact Report.
For me again, I cannot get beyond my personal conclusions that having college students living on the Marymount campus is a safety risk and I will not support dorms on campus because of my support for students, faculty, staff, visitors, local area residents, vehicle operators on Palos Verdes Drive East, and everyone else who travels by or near the Marymount Campus, having the safest environment possible.
As I have for months, I continue to offer to discuss and even debate anyone about safety issues related to having students live on the Marymount campus.
I would, of course, have data from the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office, the Harbor Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Marymount College, various Web sites offering statements from former Marymount Students, various Web sites dealing with on-campus housing of students, my over 39 year history of driving a motor vehicle along Palos Verdes Drive East-South-West-North, my over 44 year history of riding bicycles and walking on those same roads, and my greater-than 55 year history of being a passenger in motor vehicles on those same roads.
Since I still haven't heard or read from anyone having a personal history in what is now Rancho Palos Verdes ever offering opinions or facts dealing with The Marymount Plan, I will be fascinated when Dr. Brophy produces a person who could attempt to refute my claims and assertions and having the history of living in this area as long as mine.
It's been over two years now, so waiting for me is no problem at all.
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